July 17, 2011 by Alan Dodson.

A MOBILE DJ’S PERSPECTIVE
By Dave Hastings, National President of the Canadian Professional Disc Jockey Association
www.soundsolution.ca

What do you do when the Bride and Groom say that they’re thinking about speeches between courses during dinner? Do you go with it – or – recommend against it? This is a topic that I discuss with every wedding couple I have the honor of entertaining.

Although some people have an issue with doing their speeches back to back once dessert and coffee have been served because it “seems to take so long”, if your speeches are properly presented, this shouldn’t be a problem. (From an entertainment prospective, there are all sorts of things you can do from your end to enhance this experience.)

Personally, I’m against this idea – and here’s why:

The “Long Talker” - If someone decides to ramble on instead of respecting the audience by pre-preparing their speech in advance and sticking to it - the entire meal experience suffers because the quality of the food goes down hill if it’s served when it’s not at its prime.

People don’t pay attention – When someone is speaking, I consider it disrespectful to the speaker when people chit-chat through their speech! Public speaking is the world’s greatest fear, so why would you make this process harder on them by setting up your speech-makers to work in a situation where people aren’t providing their un-divided attention?

Maybe I’m a little old school, but come on, where are peoples’ manners today?? The next time I hear someone yell “Can you pass the salt?” across a table - loud enough for the entire room to hear when someone’s at the microphone – I might have to injure them severely…

It doesn’t take “less time”. Some are under the impression that you get through the combination of the meal and speeches faster if you do speeches between courses. In my experience, I’ve seen it take up to 30 percent longer.

When people speak back to back, the second person will self-edit their content if the person who just spoke said what they were going to say. (When it comes to the story about Uncle George and the Elephant – once is more than enough.)
By eliminating the repetitive portions that cause the guests to “tune out”, what is being said is listened to with a greater level of attention – improving the entire experience.

If you give people the time to forget what was said by putting a course between speakers, this natural process drops dramatically.

People don’t mind listening to good speeches.

If your clients want to make this more fun – present the idea of doing musical introductions. If you ever wonder why there is no “dead air” once someone is introduced at an awards show? It’s because nothing drives a speech-makers anxiety level up faster than the time between when the hands stop clapping – and they finally start to speak. (This also enhances your value to you customers.)

The more relaxed the speaker is when they get to the mic – the more people listen.
Remind your clients to tell the speakers that they don’t have to fill air – they just have to make sure that they say what they are “honestly” feeling. Honest, sincere speeches get much more attention that something taken off the internet. It doesn’t have to be long – it just has to be from their heart - and prepared in advance.

Here’s a quick tip from Tom Haibeck, the author of “The Wedding M.C.”. (If you haven’t read his books - do yourself a favor and go buy them - they’re worth their weight in gold!)
If your clients are worried about what might “come up unexpectedly” during speeches, simply recommend to them that they tell everyone who is going to speak that their speech must be sent to you in writing a minimum of 14 days before the event.

This benefits both your client – and the event in the following ways:

A. It gives the Bride and Groom gives the chance to review the speeches in order to eliminate the potential of inappropriate content negatively affecting the event. If you can help them dodge this bullet, they’ll love you for it…

B. You take the pressure off of the Bride and Groom. If they can deflect the whole speech editing/content issue off on to you – it takes the pressure off of them. They’ll love you even more for it…

C. You get a chance to see what’s being said – giving you the opportunity to possibly work with the speaker to enhance their presentation. Your speaker will love you for it, and so will the audience because they’ll want to listen.

D. It makes sure that everyone comes prepared. If people are forced to actually put some work into their speech, the time line is respected, and the content improves.
If someone starts off their speech with “I didn’t prepare anything so I’m just going to speak from my heart”, a doorway of potential issues has just been wedged wide open at the event that sometimes can be hard to close.
This is where your “Long Talkers” often come from.

If you keep them on time – they’ll recommend you because of it.

Posted in Receptions | Print | No Comments »

May 3, 2010 by Alan Dodson.

As you begin to embark on the journey to your wedding day, there will be many decisions you will need to make and many suppliers to consider. The best piece of advice I can give you is to “Get Professional Help”! That being said, many brides and their families will still want to do most of the selection of whom and what will be at their wedding. I will be publishing a series of articles on what to do and how to do it as it relates to some of the key things of a successful wedding and reception.

When brides and grooms start looking for wedding venues, too often they fall in love with the beauty of the place and sign a contract before they take the time to look at the practical aspect of their needs. But unless the place is so magical that you’re willing to plan your whole event around it, you should not choose your wedding venue until you’ve decided approximately how many guests you’re inviting and the size of your budget. You’ll also need to decide if you want to have your ceremony and reception at different locations, or if you want an all-in-one wedding venue.

Over the past few years, the traditions have changed. There was a time when almost all wedding occurred in a church. The reception, if any, may have been in the church basement or possibly at an outside location. Today, many couples are choosing to have their wedding and reception at the same facility. It makes sense, because guests do not have to travel between locations, and many young couples today are not members of a church congregation. Once you have made this decision, you will need to start researching and interviewing different wedding venues. Here are some items to keep in mind and some questions you may want to ask during your interviews.
You will want to book your venue anywhere from six to eighteen months before your actual selected wedding date, as the popular venues tend to fill up quickly. If you have your heart set on having your wedding at a particular facility, in addition to booking it early, you will want to keep your wedding date flexible.
You need to make a tentative guest list early and only consider venues that can comfortably handle the number of guests you think you may have. If you think you may have 160 guests, do not get a venue that sits only up to 150, hoping that some people don’t show up. It is never a good situation to have more guests than available seating.
It is also important to establish your overall budget early in your planning stage. Establish what portion of your budget will be devoted to the location. Keep in mind that a single location will generally be more economical unless you can use your church for free. Be sure to ask if certain days, like a Thursday or Sunday, offer a reduced rate. When you decide on a venue, make sure to find out when deposits and payments are due. A deposit to hold the date will be required and virtually all venues require full payment at least thirty days in advance of the wedding date.
Find out what items are included in the price. Some venues offer tables, linens, chairs and, even, decorations, while other venues offer only the space that you will need to fill. Be sure to find out if a set-up or clean-up fee is included in the price, as well as the hours before and after the wedding needed to do so.
If you and your partner have a particular type of food you want served, ask the venue if they require in-house catering or if they allow outside caterers. If the catering is in-house, is this a factor in the price?
Should you decide on an outdoor ceremony and reception, make sure you have a backup plan in case of bad weather. Ask about changing rooms for the bride, bridesmaids and groomsmen.
If you plan on serving alcohol, find out what types of rules or restrictions are in place at the facility. Some venues allow you to bring in your own liquor, while others make you use their own in-house bar and bartender. If you provide your own alcohol, plan on purchasing liquor liability insurance for your event.
Depending on the location of your venue, you may need to discuss the parking situation. Some venues may offer valet parking while others offer adequate-sized parking lots for all of your guests.

Posted in The Ceremony, Receptions | Print | No Comments »

February 17, 2010 by Alan Dodson.

Here is an interview with Peter Merry, author of “The Best Wedding Reception Ever”,

The Best Wedding Reception Ever Website

Very Good Stuff

Posted in Receptions | Print | No Comments »

June 30, 2008 by Alan Dodson.

Making your wedding and reception “The Best Ever” is my goal. Toward that end, creating unique memories are important. If you choose me as your DJ/MC and Host, you will have the opportunity to describe your vision to me….and I will help make it a reality. A customized first dance, with special messages from each of you and can include messages from you friends and family too! Or you can create just some crazy fun! The following are some great celebrations created by Peter Merry as part of his creative services and available from The Music Machine for your wedding too!  Are you up to it? Visit Peter’s website at PeterMerry.com

Here is another:

This is the inspiration:

Posted in Receptions | Print | No Comments »