WEDDING WIRE

Last week, I attended a three-day conference presented by the Wedding Merchants Business Academy (Wedding "MBA" for short!)

Some of the presentations were a bit too "salesman-ish" for my tastes. But many of the speakers presented great ideas about how wedding vendors like me can better communicate with wedding couples through the ever-growing new social media -- blogs, Facebook, Twitter, even YouTube.

Among the best were two of the brains behind WeddingWire, which in three short years has set the standard for wedding websites. Not only were the presentations of CEO Timothy Chi and Chief Marketing Office Sonny Ganguly densely packed with useful information, Tim and Sonny came across as personable and sincere. And did I mention smart? Hearing them and meeting with reinforced my already favorable impression of WeddingWire.

As explained on their FAQ page:

WeddingWire is an online wedding community for Engaged Couples, Newlyweds and Wedding Vendors to connect with each other. WeddingWire provides cutting edge technology to the wedding industry through social networking, local vendor search, comparison shopping, and wedding planning tools.

See also their "About" page for a sense of what makes WeddingWire different. If you're not already using WeddingWire, I recommend you start doing so. It has so many user-friendly features. And it has a nice, clean look -- not overly flashy like some of the more blatantly commercial wedding sites.

DOUBLEHEADERS

I almost never schedule two DJ jobs on the same day.

It can be tempting to do, especially during those high-demand dates like Saturdays in May or June.

But I like to give each wedding client my undivided attention on their wedding day. And I don't like to expose any wedding client to the risk that, for example, I'd be running late getting from one job to the other. It's just not worth the risk -- to me or to you.

But there is one circumstance in which a DJ doubleheader could make sense, and be a win-win situation. That'd be when the same DJ is hired to perform at a day-time and night-time reception AT THE SAME LOCATION. For example, a hotel might book a noon-to-4 pm reception followed by a 7 pm-11 pm reception in the same ballroom. In that case, the same DJ could easily handle both jobs. And could offer a price break to each of those clients, since he only has to set up once for both jobs.

Not only would the DJ be right on time and right in place for the second job, he'd have a chance to relax and take a much-needed break between the two events, ensuring that he's reenergized for the later job.

I've had this opportunity-- two jobs in the same venue on the same date -- just once in over a decade of DJ'ing, and I wonder why it doesn't happen more often.

A thought: if your reception venue is a double-booking venue, ask the site coordinator if you can contact the couple holding the earlier or later event on your date. Then, ask them who they've booked for their DJ or band and see if that entertainer might be a good fit for your needs. Chances are, he'll be willing to give you a price break.

Similarly, if you're the first one to book at a two-event-a-day space, ask your site coordinator to pass along YOUR name to the other couple utilizing that space that day, suggesting they contact you to find out about your DJ or band. In that case, if your entertainer is a good fit for them as well as for you, you could share the price break with the second couple.

Friday, Saturday, or Sunday?

A bride who called me today is debating whether to schedule her wedding on a Sunday next year. She wondered if Sunday wedding receptions are less fun, with less dancing, compared to those held on Saturdays After all, Saturday is more commonly a party night, and Sunday is what we all grew up knowing as a "school night."

Good question. Here's what I told her.

Generally, Sunday night receptions can be as high-energy as Saturday night events. I've never had a problem getting Sunday night crowds to fill the dance floor.

This is especially true if a lot of your guests are coming from out-of-town, meaning that they're staying overnight Sunday rather than going back to work Monday morning. But even local guests usually seem to get into the party spirit at a well-run Sunday evening reception.

Notice that I specified Sunday NIGHTS.

I do find that Sunday DAYTIME receptions sometimes are bit less boisterous, a bit more restrained. But frankly, that can be true of Saturday afternoon receptions as well.

Think about it. How often do you or your friends go out dancing in the afternoon? It's just not something we typically do in our culture. When it comes to dancing, we tend to open up after dusk, when it's darker, like night-blooming flowers.

I'm not criticizing daytime weddings. They can be wonderful. And I've DJ'd at plenty of afternoon weddings with lots of folks cutting loose on the dance floor. But as a general rule, it's fair to say that, all things being equal, there may be less dancing at an afternoon reception.

What about Fridays? Like Saturday nights, Friday after dark is also a traditional "night out" in our culture. The only downside to Friday night partying is that your local guests might get tired a bit earlier, coming to your wedding after a normal 9-to-5 workday. (This doesn't apply to out-of-town guests who are making a 3-day weekend out of your wedding celebration.)

One advantage to a Friday OR Sunday wedding is financial. Due to supply-and-demand, many wedding vendors often a discount for those dates, compared to Saturdays.

BEATLE-MANIA

To succeed at wedding receptions, a DJ must play dance music that appeals to guests from a wide range of ages.

A good DJ does this by playing a wide variety of styles during the reception -- playing sets of music from 60s, 70s, 80s, 90s, and so on -- varying his selections to appeal to one age group or another.

Even better for DJs are those songs and artists so universally known and loved, they appeal to many guests of all ages.

The Beatles are one such group. I know this from experience as a DJ. But now I also know it from a recent study by the Pew Research Center, a highly respected think-tank. In its report on current trends in generational attitudes among Americans, Pew concluded that "there is one area of culture that members of every generation can agree on: music, and more specifically, the Beatles."

The 2009 Pew study found the Beatles the most popular performers in America across-the-board, with roughly half of all Americans liking the Beatles "a lot" and four out of five liking them at least "a little." No other performer scored as high.

Affinity for the Beatles is so widespread across generations that they were only performers scoring in the top five in ALL the age-groups surveyed (16-29 years, 30-49 years, 50-64 years, and 65+ years)!

No wonder the newly remastered reissues of the Beatles on CD are creating such a buzz. At the time I write this, the reissued Beatles albums hold 9 out of 10 slots in Amazon.com's list of music top-sellers.

BACK FROM VACATION

There's been a lull in my blog postings recently. I was out of town on vacation for about a week at the end of August, and since returning have been playing "catch up" in what's turning out to be a very busy late summer/early fall wedding season for me.

But I'm back in the saddle. Stay tuned for a flurry of new postings.

By the way, even while on vacation, I do stay in touch with my wedding clients via email and cell phone. No matter where I am or what I'm doing, I try to respond to clients very promptly. Sometimes within a matter of minutes. Usually within a few hours. Rarely longer than one day.

DANCING CONTINUOUSLY, OR WITH BREAKS?

Some wedding couples prefer scheduling ALL the special moments before general dancing starts. In this format, once the dance floor opens, there is nothing but uninterrupted dancing until the end of the evening.

Personally, I don't recommend that. I recommend scheduling ONE break roughly halfway through the dancing period -- typically after about one hour of dancing. During that break, we typically do the cake-cutting and bouquet toss. This break is also a suitable time for any additional toasts or thank-you remarks from the bride and groom. The idea is to have one, but not more than one, break in the dancing -- and group together a few special moments during that break.

On the other hand, I've DJ'd at some weddings where the schedule calls for multiple segments of general dancing -- such as a short dance set before dinner, or a dance set between the first and second courses or dinner -- followed by the standard, longer dancing period after dinner.

Personally, I don't recommend that either. It seems a bit herky-jerky to me. The guests are invited to take their seats and eat their salad, then they're told to get up and dance for a time, then asked to be seated again, and so on. I think the energy flow works best when guests are allowed enjoy their dinner in a leisurely fashion, perhaps with an occasional diversion such as toasts toward the end of the meal.

Also, a dance segment during the meal requires the DJ to raise the volume of the music for that time, which might not be appreciated by those guests who remain at their tables during that between-courses dance segment.

RODRIGO & GABRIELLA ... and FOO FIGHTERS UNPLUGGED

In my August 17 post I mentioned how my clients sometimes bring to my attention wonderful music that I hadn't heard before.

Two recent examples come to mind.

A couple getting married this September told me they'd like to hear some Rodrigo Y Gabriela as during dinner. I must admit, I wasn't familiar with them, but I quickly filled that gap in my musical database. It turns out Rodrigo & Gabriela are an extraordinary guitar duo -- from Mexico but based in Ireland -- who play a fiery, edgy blend of Central and South American and world music. They're like a stripped-down, acoustic version of the Gipsy Kings. Wonderful stuff, and very suitable if you want something a bit different during cocktails or dinner.

A couple whose wedding was earlier this month wanted the Foo Fighters' "Everlong" for their First Dance. One doesn't normally think of that noted grunge-rock group as a source of First Dance material, but this couple had come across a lovely acoustic renditon of the song. It took some digging to find a downloadable version, but after getting it, I not only played it as their First Dance but also added that song, with its poignant, emotionally-charged lyrics, to my list of suggested First Dance tunes for future clients.

MUSICAL KNOWLEDGE - A TWO-WAY STREET

It's often said that the best teachers don't just teach; they learn from their students.

Likewise, the best DJ's learn from their clients. The best DJ's understand that sharing knowledge of music is a two-way street.

I'm something of an expert in music, but I didn't get that way by sticking to what I already knew. Over the years, I've considerably expanded the scope of my knowledge (and vast collection) of music. Some of my most interesting discoveries have come from my clients.

When I meet with a wedding couple and go over their musical requests, I don't dismiss or ignore any artists or songs I'm unfamiliar with. In fact, one of the first things I do upon returning to my office after a planning meeting is to check these out -- read up about them, listen to excerpts, and download them (or order the CD). That way, I am able to satisfy ALL of that couple's musical needs -- not just those I already know or have. And that way, I constantly expand the musical repertoire I can offer to future clients.

MY KIND OF BLOG

Publishing a blog is increasingly common in the wedding industry.

The vast majority of these blogs

-- showcase events the vendor worked at;

-- contain beaucoup beautiful photographs of these events; and

-- give "props" to other vendors at the event, with links to these vendors' websites.

I'm not knocking those kinds of wedding blogs. But mine's a bit different. The purpose of mine is to provide practical tips and advice to wedding couples (and to my fellow wedding professionals). And to do so in short and pithy posts that are quick and easy to read.

That's why you don't see frequent descriptions of the reception sites I've worked at, photos of my wedding clients, or lots of links to other vendors. (I might do this sort of thing on occasion, but it's not the primary focus of my blog).

THE GRAND ENTRANCE - DON'T BLOCK THE VIEW

In yesterday's post, I mentioned that during a Grand Entrance, the people being introduced can immediately proceed to their seats or can remain standing on the dance floor, forming a sort-of "welcoming line" for the bride & groom's entrance.

If you choose the latter, and if you are doing your First Dance immediately after the Grand Entrance, make sure that the wedding party, while standing, is not blocking the guests' view of your First Dance.

For example, say your guests are seated to the left and right of the dance floor, with the head table or sweetheart table placed along the far edge of the dance floor (by far edge, I mean the edge further from the ballroom entrance). In that case, have the wedding party stand by that far edge -- not on the left or right edges of the dance floor. Again, this is just one example.

The key thing is, if the wedding party remains standing during your First Dance, position them so that everybody can watch your First Dance (rather than staring at the backs of the wedding party).