The facts about Wedding Photo-booth’s and Photo-booth Props

Many couples are choosing to have a Wedding Photo-booth for their Wedding Reception’s.    The great thing about a Photobooth is it doubles as a wedding favor and wedding guestbook.  The Photo-booth also gives your guests something to do during cocktail hour and if they have finished dinner sooner than other guests.   Consider the following if you are “up in the air” about your Photo-booth.  Try the Air-Booth Photo Kiosk from Move It Music!  The Air-Booth takes up almost no space and looks amazing!  Gone are the days of the confessional style “Photo Box!”  Brides put so much effort into their décor with wedding favors, wedding menu cards, floral centerpieces, matching cake toppers, bridesmaid’s dresses, beautiful table linens, reception chair ties, etc… why ruin all of this with a bulky Photo-booth when you can match your wedding reception motif with Move It Music DJ and Lighting’s Air-Booth, designed with wedding décor in mind. 

When we think Wedding Photo-booth props, we think of the classic mustache. (This is a must have for your wedding Photo-booth.)  Consider heart shaped chalk boards with chalk for writing messages, clip on bow ties, picture frames, white lace parasols with matching gloves and a white top hat.  Also try bunny ears and fake glasses.  Consider matching the Photo-booth props to the wedding reception colors.   Please inquiry within for more ideas about the Air-Booth Photo Kiosk and props for your Air-Booth by Move It Music DJ and Lighting.  

Planning the timeline with your DJ

Move It Music DJ and Lighting and your wedding day Timeline

 The Planning process for your Wedding Ceremony and Reception will take an entire year leading up to your wedding day.  It is of the utmost importance that your wedding day timeline be followed to the minute.  Move It Music DJ and Lighting’s brides and grooms are in the very best of hands when it comes to the execution of their wedding day timeline.   Our professional DJ’s and master of ceremonies ensure your timeline is followed by working closely with your wedding photographer, venue coordinator and wedding videographer.

 The first hour of your wedding reception is usually when the formal wedding photos are taken.  This time is crucial to the flow of your special event.  Your wedding caterer will have the food and beverages flowing, Move It Music DJ and Lighting will make sure the cocktail hour tone is set through our music and lighting and you photographer will be taking the formal photos.  During the transitional period from the cocktail hour to the reception, you can be sure that your Move It Music DJ is lining up the parents and bridal party in your pre planned order with no delay.   This is the time where your professional wedding DJ will advise the wedding attendants who will be giving wedding toasts and speeches where and when they will be standing and to make sure the maid of honor and best man have their speeches with them.  He will let the maid of honor know to take the bride’s bouquet if the bride and groom will be going right into their first dance.  No detail is left to chance. 

 Your DJ will execute the formal wedding introductions flawlessly, transition the introduction song into the first dance song with no awkward pauses and guide the wedding attendants to their seats immediately following the first dance.  The remainder of the formalities at your wedding reception will also be pre planned and are always designed with your style of meal in mind.  For instance at a cocktail reception wedding, the cake cutting may be introduced prior to a food station opening and the parent dances may lead into the tray passed hors ’d oeuvres.  If your style of meal is a plated dinner, the cake cutting may commence after you have visited guests at your wedding guests’ assigned tables and the parent dances may happen immediately after dinner to open up the dance floor.  There are in fact so many factors and formalities involved with planning and executing a wedding timeline that we require our brides and groom meet with their personal wedding DJ on two separate occasions to discuss the Wedding Day Timeline.

 The brides and grooms that book with Move It Music DJ and Lighting are guided through their wedding every step of the way.  Every moment is accounted for in the planning process of your wedding reception with Move It Music.   You are advised where to go, how to stand and when to move on to the next phase of the wedding.  All of this planning will ensure that you are doing the right thing and your guests are always engaged and having fun. 

Happy Wedding Planning Brides and Grooms!!!

Wedding Reception Introductions

Wedding Reception Introductions hand tailored by Move It Music® DJ and Lighting

 Your Wedding Reception Introductions do in fact "set the tone” and style of your wedding reception. 

 Consider the following when planning the order of who is to be introduced.  Grandparents of the bride almost always go first followed by the grandparents of the groom.   In most circumstances, grandparents are acknowledged from their guest tables as opposed to walking into the reception site as it is more comfortable for them.  The Parents of the bride are next to being introduced into your wedding reception. (Ask your Move It Music DJ for more information regarding the etiquette for divorced parents.)  Parents of the groom then follow the parents of the bride in the introduction order. Music for the Parents entrance should be fun while keeping the parents style in mind.

 Next should be the flower girl and the ring bearer.  Consider making a sign for these attendants to say “let’s party” or “here comes the wedding party”.  It is also appropriate to omit the children from the introductions all together if they are very young.  Next, in the order of wedding introductions will be the bridal party.  The bridal party entrance can be with a new, different and even more upbeat song.  This adds to your guest’s anticipation of the bride and grooms entrance.   The order of the bridal party is usually consistent with the order of the processional at the wedding ceremony.  It is also suitable to have the bridal party be introduced with their dates if it is a small bridal party.  The introduction song for the bridal party should be upbeat and high-energy; however it should not include too many words to avoid competing with your Move It Music professional wedding DJ.
 Now for the moment all of your guests have been waiting for, the BRIDE and GROOM! Consider a separate song for your introduction.  Your introductions have already set the tone for your wedding reception.  What happens after the bride and groom come into their reception will create the style of the wedding reception.  For example, if you enter your reception in a fun upbeat manor and go immediately into your first dance, your style is more formal.  If you enter your reception in a fun and upbeat manor, have the bridal party and guests join in for a fast dance set, your style lends itself to an informal reception.

 Remember, this is your wedding; the only right way to develop introductions is what makes you comfortable.  The above is simply a guideline for wedding reception introductions from Move It Music DJ and Lighting.

 We hope this helps you in the planning process for your wedding reception. Move It Music DJ’s have great suggestions for all wedding songs to include introduction music, first dance songs,  bride and father dances, groom and mother dances, anniversary dances, last dance songs, and many more. 

DJ Jimmie Espo, the owner of Move It Music® DJ and Lighting, has been a successful Boston DJ for over 20 years.

Recent Interview Questions from Marrero Events and Paula Marrero!

Blog post from Paula Marrero at http://www.marreroevents.com/.

I recently had the opportunity to sit and chat with James Esposito, Owner of Move it Music DJ and Lighting Productions, and we had the chance to discuss many items which come up often when considering wedding entertainment options.

How did you get into this business?
I got into this business by playing music and being the emcee for Sweet 16 parties and Graduation parties for my friends at the age of 13. I entered the Wedding entertainment industry in 1998, where I brought a fresh approach at mixing old and new music to keep the dance floor packed.

Why do you love what you do so much?
I truly love helping to make a couple’s wedding day memorable for their family and friends.  It is extremely rewarding to see three generations of family members dancing together.

What Venue would be your dream Venue to host an event?
My dream venue is a piazza in Rome.  A beautiful, open space filled with hundreds of guests, young and old.

How many weddings does Move It Music perform at each year?
Move It Music  hosts approximately 175 flawless weddings per year. During2011, I personally am performing at 81 of those weddings.

Why should Clients choose Move it Music for their Wedding / Special Event?
My clients choose Move it Music for all of their entertainment needs, as well as a flawlessly executed event.  We eliminate the margin for error in the planning process by asking the right questions.  On the day of the wedding, we impeccably assist the bride and groom through all of their formalities while maintaining their timeline with their other vendors.  Our set up is clean, self contained and features state-of-the-art equipment and a repertoire of over 65,000 songs.  Along with all of this, our clients choose Move It Music because we keep the party going!  There is always a packed dance floor till the last song!

What are some challenges associated with outdoor weddings?
The challenges associated with outdoor events include power, acoustics and weather, all of which we are very accustomed to by this point.  This coincides with eliminating the margin for error in the planning process by asking the correct questions.  Site visits, showing up early and having the right equipment to handle any situation ensures a flawless delivery.

When you meet a client, what is your process for customizing your services to them?
Each venue a client chooses has its own unique fun, engaging, exciting and enthusiastic challenges.  Our professionals at Move it Music have performed events in the most challenging of venues/circumstances including boats, private residences, museums and most wedding venues in Boston and throughout the North and South Shores of Boston.   We are highly knowledgeable with regard to our clients’ different cultural music preferences, and we listen to our brides and grooms.  At Move It Music, we play the music that the clients want to hear at their wedding.   Also, our online planning forms make it easy, from our “must play” category to the “do not play” list and everything in between.   We are interested in delivering the final product that the bride and groom want.  We are also able to handle the additional services for their wedding including Uplighting, video and sound reinforcement, and this also helps us customize the perfect event.

What is the most memorable event you have ever worked on?
The most memorable event I have ever worked was a fundraiser for the Make a Wish Foundation.  We had over 1,000 guests on the dance floor together!

What is the most requested songs at Weddings?
We receive such a variety of requests, it is very difficult to choose just one, but with today’s trends, it seems that most requests have the artist Pit Bull in them.

What do you consider to be the biggest misconception of DJ’s?
I believe the biggest misconception of DJ’s is that any DJ can play music for a  wedding.  At Move It Music, we are true professional wedding DJ’s; we work tirelessly to control the flow of the entire event from ensuring the perfect timing for the processional and recessional music to a smooth transition into cocktail hour and finally flawless formalities that set the tone for the evening to come.

What sets you apart from other DJ’s in your field?
What sets us apart from others are the memories we create for our brides and grooms, our clean and state-of-the-art set up, our customized online planning forms, our versatility for any style of music, and our real DJ’s who mix all the music live.  We are also a small company with only three DJ’s, as opposed to a referral house that you will see with most DJ companies.  This enables us to give full attention to every detail of our client’s special event.

What is the most unusual request you have had?
The most unusual request I have had is when Michael Flatley  from Lord of the Dance asked me to the play the Fraggle Rock them song at a charity event.  Everyone got out of their seats and had a blast.

What is the one thing you would like folks to know about the DJ Industry that perhaps we would never know?
What I would like everyone to know is how specialized a talent it is to be a wedding DJ.  It takes years of events to learn all of the small details associated with being a successful wedding DJ.  The family semantics involved with a wedding can be a challenge in order to keep the event running smoothly.  We are the Master of Ceremonies, the Face of the event, and we do in fact control the feel of an event.  We always keep the feel and music consistent with the bride and groom’s theme, carrying through their motif and timing of their cuisine.

Why is there such a vast difference in pricing among DJ Services?
The vast price difference in DJ services is due to experience and owners’ preference.  Let’s face it; there are only so many bookable weekends in the season in New England, which spans from April through October.   Many owners of entertainment companies will book themselves at a higher rate than their employees utilizing a tiered price system insinuating that one DJ is “better” than another.    They are able to do this because of the demand for DJ’s and lack of consumer research.   We here at Move It Music have the same price for all of our DJ’s, as we only provide the “best”  DJ’s for every event.

What is your response to Clients who say they don’t want a “cheesy” DJ or one who sounds like a “game show host”?
I will first ask for their definition of cheesy. One very important thing to remember is that every client is different and so are their expectations.  We do not have a set  DJ “style.” We adapt ourselves to each clients tastes – planning each piece of the event together and delivering exactly what the bride and groom want.

What is your least favorite song to play at Weddings?
I do not have a least favorite song to play at weddings; my only concern is that the guests are enjoying the music, and they always do.

What is the most popular First Dance song these days?
It seems like the breakout artist Adele is topping the list at this time.

Any upcoming new and exciting trends in your industry?
Unfortunately, an upcoming trend is the “IPod” DJ.  With a play list and a small PA system, these “one-box” DJ’s have been flooding the industry.  When choosing the DJ for the biggest day of your life, be sure to choose a professional Wedding DJ.

Do you offer additional services besides DJ services?
We do offer additional services to our DJ and MC services. We are a lighting company providing wireless LED uplights, customized monograms and LED votives.  We also offer plasma video projection and a completely digital “Old-Time” Photo Booth.

Why should people select you for their wedding?
The fact that we are “real” mixing DJ’s combined with being exclusive Wedding DJ’s set us apart from all others in the industry to date.

About Move it Music DJ and Lighting Productions:
Move It Music DJ and Lighting is a Boston based DJ Entertainment and Lighting Company providing unforgettable events throughout the New England Area since 1998.  With over 35 years of combined entertainment experience, Move It Music’s professional DJ’s feature the latest in digital sound and lighting equipment to ensure that your Special Event will be one to remember.  Our Masters of Ceremonies (MC’s) are polished and accomplished professionals that play the perfect music for your wedding ceremony and reception, corporate or social event.  Move It Music DJ and Lighting is an award-winning, full-service entertainment company that knows how to enhance your event with the perfect music, professional lighting and attention to detail.

The Value of Entertainment

(Transcription from a Radio Interview with Peter Merry and 103.3 KLOU in St. Louis)

KLOU: You know, so many times I’m sure that brides are thinking of cost, of money. And that’s what they’re basing their decision on, primarily. Kind of hurts. Doesn’t it?

Peter: It can. Especially if they decide to spend too little money on their entertainment. In my experience, entertainment is the one component of the wedding reception that will make that function a really memorable, fun event, or an event that everyone is ready to leave early from because things are not going too well. I paint the picture this way: If you were to walk into a beautiful tent reception, and you saw the white linens on the chairs with the bows in silver tied around the backs, the place settings all perfect with the silverware polished, the cake decorated with all the flowers on it, and the centerpieces looking just as beautiful as you can imagine. And in the center of this beautiful tent reception, you see a large tent pole, and it’s colored bright orange with surf stickers. That center tent pole is the entertainment at the function. And if the entertainment does not match the environment you spent all this time and money and effort and emotion creating, then what you’re going to have is an orange tent pole with surf stickers on it. I’ve seen that personally. I’ve watched a DJ walk right out onto the middle of the crowd to introduce the bride’s father and step father at a very, very formal wedding reception. He held out the microphone and said, “Who wants it?” That’s how he introduced these two very important men to do a toast at this bride’s wedding. We never knew as guests, which one was her dad or her step father. We never knew what their names were. He did not match their event. So it’s becoming more and more apparent to people, that when it comes to hiring entertainment for their function, it’s a good idea to put aside a good amount of your budget to make sure you’re going to get somebody with the talent. and the skill, and the personality, to deliver the event that matches what you’re looking for. And it’s become my belief that anywhere from 10 to 15 to even 20% of your budget is a good amount to set aside for your entertainment. Because, in surveys that we’ve done, we’ve found that clients are saying 80% or more of the success of their reception was riding on the entertainment that they chose. As a matter of fact, in the St. Louis Bride and Groom Magazine, in the summer/fall of 2003, there’s an article tilted, “Survey Says, After the Vows.” It’s on page 108 if anybody would like to look it up. It says, “During wedding planning, brides say their highest priority is their attire followed by the reception site, with reception entertainment among the least of their priorities. But, within one week after the reception, 78% of brides say they would have made the entertainment their highest priority.” I think that number is really, really high. I think the reason why that number is so high and that so many people are recognizing afterwards that the entertainment was important, is because DJs primarily, but also the magazines and the books, are telling them to just hire music.

KLOU: You know, and as I think about it, when you look back to some of the parties you’ve attended, you don’t remember a whole lot of what happened. You know, the menu, or what the decorations looked like. But, you remember if you had a good time or not.

Peter: Well, as a matter of fact in that same article, it says, when asked, 81% of the guests said the thing they remember most about a wedding was the entertainment. If they have a great time, they leave raving about how much fun they had. If the entertainment was very, very inadequate, they leave complaining about how poor the entertainment was. That’s the number one factor that will determine whether the guests will be raving about it for years to come, or whether or not they’re going to be hoping they don’t get stuck at a wedding with that entertainer ever again.

KLOU: You know, it’s kind of funny because, that’s what I was thinking. If they’re going to spend, I don’t know, say in round figures about $20,000 that day, and you hire poor entertainment, and your guests leave an hour and half, two hours early, you start amortizing that money, you just lost a whole bunch of money, because you didn’t invest enough money in your entertainment.

Peter: That’s absolutely correct. And our experience has shown us that the person who’s in charge of guiding and directing the flow of the event, making it fun for all the guests all the way through, not just when it’s time to dance, is the person who’s going to make sure the majority of your guests stay an enjoy your celebration with you. Whether the party ends early with a big send-off, or whether it goes late into the wee hours of the night, making a great party last and making it fun for everybody is the job that’s primarily on the shoulders of the entertainment that you choose. If you’re going with DJ entertainment, and you decide to save some money and get somebody who’s a little cheaper, you could wind up getting somebody who’s going to make your guests start hitting the road a lot sooner than you want. That will cost you more than you spent on that entertainer. That’s something I’d regret seeing anybody making a mistake doing.

KLOU: Should a client look at equipment, or even consider equipment when they’re looking at a potential DJ?

Peter: The person who thinks a DJ’s equipment is the most important aspect is typically the mobile DJ. And that’s kind of funny, but it’s true. The equipment that a DJ brings to the event is one of several tools he or she uses to provide great service. But, if you try to find a DJ based just on equipment, you can find all the best gear, you can find all the best equipment, you can even find the best music list in the world, but if the person doesn’t have the talent and skill to make the party happen, all those tools won’t matter a hill of beans towards making a great party. Just like when you go to look for a contractor to build your house, you want to find somebody with references, who’s done a good, reliable job, and created great products, such as a nice house or a nice addition to a house. You don’t want to find somebody who’s got a great list of tools. The tools are what he uses to provide his service, and the same way, a DJ’s gear, his music, and everything else are tools that he uses to provide his service. What you want to verify is his talent along with quality, and level of the service that he provides. You can bring in the most skilled DJ in the world and give him some of the worst tools, and I guarantee you he’ll still make it a great party. But, you can give all the best tools to someone who has no skill or no talent whatsoever and that party will still tank.

KLOU: I guess you just want the end result. You just want a good party.

Peter: If you want the event to be fun, the number one component that’s going to make it fun, is the entertainment.

KLOU: Well Peter Merry, thanks for spending some time with us.

Content from DJ Larry Green http://www.myrtlebeachdj.com