DJ Intelligence Most Requested Songs of 2009

DJ Intelligence is a company that offers DJs and their clients access to a huge computerized database of songs. Every song requested through its software is tallied by the company (nearly 2 million requests over the past 12 months),

Its latest Most Requested Songs of 2009 charts are now available for PDF download from DJ Intelligence. These are songs requested for all occasions, wherever a DJ might be spinning, from weddings to parties.

Of course, just because a song is popular doesn't mean YOU have to like it, or hear it played at your wedding. In fact, discerning wedding couples will often go through lists like these to identify the songs they'll place on their "Do Not Play" list! But don't go overboard if you do that. Like them or not, these songs are there because masses of people voted for them with their feet (their dancing feet).

Additionally, DJ Intelligence tallies, compiles, and publishes charts just for weddings -- separate lists for the most requested First Dance songs, Father-Daughter songs, Cake-Cutting songs, etc. Those are available as PDF downloads here.

To tell the truth, I don't use DJ Intelligence's database in my own DJ business -- I compile my own song lists targeted to my clients and reflecting my own musical knowledge, and I have other ways of soliciting my clients' musical input. But I'd be a fool to ignore their charts entirely . . . and my Mama didn't raise no fool.

10 Great Wedding Venues in the Washington DC Area

I'd like to share with you ten wonderful sites for your wedding reception.

In 2009, most of the venues I worked at were places I've worked before, and many of those are wonderful. But I also had the opportunity to work at many venues for the first time, and quite a few of those struck me as extraordinary  -- either because the setting is unique, or the people who work there are fantastic, or both!

Ten in particular struck me.  So I'd like to recommend them. Here, my list of 10 favorite "new" (new to me) wedding sites in the greater Washington DC area.


    * Airlie Center, Warrenton VA. An impressive conference center in a bucolic setting, a 1200-acre campus. Ample lodging as well as banquet facilities.

    * Chesapeake Bay Foundation (Phillip Merrill Center), Annapolis MD. Great site for a truly "green" wedding, both in terms of the facility itself and the organization that runs it.

    * City Club (Franklin Square), Washington DC. Very attractive option for a downtown DC reception, and the people are great. The high-ceiling main lobby makes a stunning setting for dinner.

    * Engineer's Club, Baltimore MD. Worth driving up I-95 for. A true gem brimming with 19th century Gilded Age opulence and charm.

    * Hilton Alexandria Old Town, VA. Lots to like at this up-to-date hotel at the western edge of Old Town. Facilities and personnel all first-rate.

    * House of Sweden, DC. Truly a unique site. Strikingly modern, award-winning architecture; a true touch of Scandinavia in Georgetown.

    * Marriott Wardman Park, DC. One of the city's well-known grand hotels. What makes me recommend it so highly are the people: Everyone I interacted with, from the banquet coordinator to the valet guy, was super-friendly, cheerful, and helpful.

    * St Francis Hall, Northeast DC. A little-known castle-like Romanesque gem in an out-of-the-way part of Washington, adjacent to the Franciscan Monastery.

    * ThorpeWood Lodge, Thurmont MD. Nestled in the Catoctin Mountains not far from Camp David, this setting deep in the woods is delightfully rustic yet features elegant catering.

    * VisArts, Rockville. Located in the heart of the new downtown Rockville (Rockville Town Square), a reception site amidst working artists' studios.

Again, just to be clear, these are my favorites among the sites that I first had the pleasure of working at during the past year, 2009.  There are many other wonderful sites I could recommend. (And yes, there are a few I would NOT recommend -- email me privately if you want to learn of those.)

As I mentioned in a prior blog post, consider consulting with an experienced wedding DJ, caterer, or photographer in your area before booking your wedding venue. These wedding professionals often have invaluable insights into to the pro's and con's of venues you're considering.

YouTube, I Tube

Next month (mid-January 2010), I'll be launching the GoodNoteDJ Channel on YouTube.  At that time, I'll be uploading four brief videos I'm currently producing (assisted by the very talented young videographer Rob Burdette of Thomas Bowen Films ).

These videos are aimed at educating brides and grooms about their wedding entertainment options. Each video clip will be about three minutes long. We've shot two so far, and will do the others soon after the holidays.

The topics of the initial four clips are:

• 10 Things You Should Look For When Hiring a DJ for Your Wedding
• How a Creative DJ and MC Can Make Your Wedding Unique and Memorable
• Music Options for Cocktails and Dinner: "Background Music" Need Not Mean "Boring Music"
• Pitfalls to Avoid: How Things Can Go Wrong with the Wrong DJ

Between the scripting, rehearsing, recording of multiple takes, and editing, there's a lot of time and work going into each 3-minute clip. But I think the result will be worth it.

___________

The Difference Between a "Good" Wedding Vendor and a "Great" One

A good wedding DJ  will do whatever you, the client, wants.

But a really great wedding DJ will help you figure out what you want!

What do I mean? Just this: The best wedding professionals (DJ or other other vendors) will listen closely to what you tell them. Then, drawing on their expertise and experience,

(1) They will help you flesh out just what it is you want and need, coming up with specific suggestions to implement your general ideas, helping you turn your vision into reality, and

(2) They will give you feedback, pointing out any pitfalls in your plans and suggesting alternatives.

The way I look at it, if I'm working for you, you're the boss -- but I want to make sure you're the smartest boss you can be!  That's why I not only listen to you, I also share my thoughts with you. Together, we'll plan  that fantastic wedding you've dreamed of.

One of Life's Great Mysteries - Why No Reply?

Here, to me, is one of life's great mysteries.

When I say "life," I mean life as a wedding vendor. When I say "great mysteries," I'm being a bit facetious. But I truly am puzzled by it.

What I'm referring to is the following scenario, which happens often enough to puzzle me:

• Step 1: A prospective client inquiries about my services for his/her wedding via email.
  
• Step 2: I respond, often within minutes or within hours at most.
• Step 3: No reply from the prospective client.
  
• Step 4: Wait a couple days, repeat Step 2.
• Step 5: Again, no reply.
• Step 6: I'm left to ponder why.

Here's what I don't get. Getting married is a big deal. Planning a wedding is a big deal. Hiring the right entertainment for a wedding reception is a big deal.  So why would someone who takes the initiative to reach out to me about DJ'ing their wedding simply drop the ball after that initial inquiry?

Maybe it's just me, but when I desire to purchase any product or service and become sufficiently motivated to act on that desire, I appreciate a prompt response from a vendor I contact, and I'm eager to follow-up. I might or might not end up purchasing from that vendor, but at least I want to engage in the dialogue to help me decide.

When I enter a hardware store and ask the guy at the information desk "Do you stock humidifiers?" and he says "Yes, they're on Aisle 7," I don't turn on my heels without another word and leave the store! I say "thank you"; I proceed directly to Aisle 7; I look over their selection; I ask the clerk some questions about product features, benefits, and prices, and if he asks me questions to help him suggest the right humidifier for my needs, I answer his. That's how I make an informed choice of what humidifier to buy, and whether to buy it from that store or elsewhere.

And here, we're talking about a crucial service for someone's wedding!

Ah, you might say ... there's got to be an explanation for the no-reply scenario.

Perhaps the brides and grooms who contact me are very busy.  True, they are ... but they weren't too busy to visit my website and fill out my on-line inquiry form! 

Perhaps they simply didn't like my response.But often their inquiry simply asks "Are you available on our wedding date?" Surely, they can't be displeased when my answer is "Yes, I am!"

Besides, unless they're randomly sending out dozens of initial inquiries, there must be something they saw, read, heard, or learned about my services that attracted them enough to take the time to contact me.

Perhaps, they simply overlooked my response, or it was blocked by their junk mail filter? I guess that's a possibility. But I clearly label my email response "DJ for Your [Month/Day] Wedding" and I respond by phone as well as email in most cases.

Perhaps they've decided to hire someone else to provide their wedding entertainment? Eventually, sure ... but within minutes after first contacting me, unlikely! 

Honestly, I just don't get it. It's not like I'm sending spam or making unsolicited sales calls. In every case, I am responding to a specific inquiry about my services.

I give each and every client and prospective client personal, timely, and attentive service. I think they deserve nothing less. And I know that's what leads to successful wedding receptions.  So that's how I proceed, from the very first contact, on through the planning phase, and right up to and including their wedding day. It's a pathway down the street of communication. Not a one-way street. Not a dead-end street. A two-way street. That's the way to get you where you want to go if you're planning a wedding. 

Again, I am NOT suggesting that anyone who contacts me is obligated to hire me. Far from it. All I'm suggesting is that once someone has opened up a dialogue with me, we should have an actual dialogue! In fact, it's that dialogue that helps them -- and me -- determine if we're a good fit for each other, or not. 

Fortunately, the majority of wedding couples DO follow-up after their initial inquiry and DO end up talking with me or meeting me in person -- and enough of those end up hiring me to keep my calendar pretty full. But still, I find myself pondering all those who leave me hanging after I took the trouble to respond to their inquiry.

Rolling Stone's Best Songs of the Decade

Fast on the heels of Billboard's top-of-the-decade music lists comes one from Rolling Stone magazine. Unlike Billboard's sales-based list, Rolling Stone's list is merit-based, so to speak, reflecting the subjective artistic judgment of a panel of musicians and music experts (including the magazine's own editors).


The entire list of 100 best songs 2000-2009 is on Rolling Stone's website. Here are the ten highest vote-getters from the Rolling Stone panel:

1. Gnarls Barkley, "Crazy"
2. Jay Z, "99 Problems"
3. Beyonce with Jay Z, "Crazy in Love"
4. OutKast, "Hey Ya"
5. M.I.A., "Paper Planes"
6. White Stripes, "Seven Nation Army"
7. Yeah Yeah Yeahs, "Maps
8. Amy Winehouse, "Rehab"
9. U2, "Beautiful Day"
10. Eminem, "Stan"

Of Rolling Stone's top ten of the decade, the ones I most frequently play at wedding receptions are "Crazy," "Crazy in Love," and "Hey Ya."

If you're a music fan , you'll find it fun to go through Rolling Stone's list, read their comments on each song, and even listen to those you've missed (through the RS site's link to Rhapsody).

___________

Billboard's Top Songs of the Decade

Hard to believe it, but in a few weeks, the first decade of the 21st century draws to a close.

To mark the occasion, Billboard Magazine, the leading music industry publication, has just posted its Best of the 2000s lists.

One category is top songs of the decade. This is not an artistic judgment; it's based strictly on sales and airplay. Likewise, I'm not saying these are my favorites, and they might not be yours. But when it comes to pop music, popularity counts -- that's what pop stands for, after all!

Here they are, in order:

• Black Eyed Peas "I Gotta Feeling"
• Mariah Carey "We Belong Together"
• Usher with Lil Jon & Ludacris "Yeah"
• Eminem "Lose Yourself"
• Black Eyed Peas "Boom Boom Pow"
• Destiny's Child "Independent Women Part I"
• Beyonce "Irreplaceable"
• Ashanti "Foolish"
• Kanye West with Jamie Foxx "Gold Digger"
• Nelly with Kelly Rowland "Dilemma"
• Flo Rida with T-Pain "Low"
• Santana with The Product G&B "Maria Maria"

All of those songs spent at least 10 weeks atop Billboard's Hot 100 chart between 2000 and 2009.

Of these recent mega-hits, the ones I find most requested nowadays at wedding receptions are "I Gotta Feeling," "Yeah," "Irreplaceable," "Gold Digger," and "Low." Of course, I always play the clean edits of these songs.

____________

Head Table: Rectangular, Round, or None at All?

At some wedding receptions,, the entire wedding party – along with the bride and groom – sits at a long, narrow, rectangular “head table,” typically situated in the most prominent spot in the room, and sometimes even placed on a raised platform.

This is intended to be an honor for those sitting there. But I’ve observed that sometimes those seated at that kind of head table don’t look like they’re enjoying it.

Why? Because they are sitting in one long row, each facing outward, and with only the person to their immediate left or right to converse with. And I don’t know about you, but personally I don’t like being on a stage so everyone can watch me eat!

Deborah Tannen, a Georgetown professor and best-selling author, is probably the world’s most popular and prominent linguist, specializing in how people communicate with each other. In a recent Washington Post article about Thanksgiving dinners, she recommended seating guests at round tables. “A round dining table,” she wrote, “is best for promoting a lively conversation because everyone faces one another.”

So even if you’re having a head table, consider a round head table. It might not look as dramatic as a 20-feet long rectangular table, but it’s more conducive to conservation and comfortable dining, in my opinion.

Another problem with head tables, round or rectangular, is that you may have to exclude some people. For example, there might not be room for the spouses or significant others of the wedding party. Or if you want to include spouses, there might not be room for all the groomsmen and bridesmaids.

Personally, I think you should consider having just a sweetheart table for the bride and groom, and seat everyone else at round tables. Of course, some of those round tables can be reserved for members of the wedding party and their spouses and/or for immediate family. But that way, you have more flexibility as to who sits with who, rather than having to shoehorn all your VIP’s into one head table.