Planning a wedding is not easy! When you first begin planning a wedding, there are so many forks in the road, a multitude of decisions to make, and so many ways to go astray. At this amazing and crazy time in your life, take a minute to step back, relax and organize your thoughts. Get a grip on the project you have just undertaken, follow some seemingly simple steps, and planning a wedding can be a wonderful and memorable experience.
Establish a budget, stick to it and don’t deviate. This is often a neglected characteristic of planning a wedding. It is essential to get your budget in order before making any financial decisions. Too often, many couples book a reception location or a wedding day professionals without solid financials in hand, only to find out they have overspent and are now bound by a contract. Big tip: Use a number for the budget that is 10-15% less than what you actually plan on spending, so you essentially have a buffer when additional expenses arise, because they will. The great thing is that if you don’t use your entire buffer, you will have some extra spending money for your honeymoon. Hire Wedding Professionals. When your best friends second cousin volunteers to do be your wedding photographer, and promises a nice discount, it might be tempting to take advantage of the offer. However, a big word of caution in hiring friends and some cases family can often backfire. Expectations may not be met on the wedding day and friendships can become estranged. Additionally, these friends may not have all the necessary experience or equipment to complete the task effectively. You should hire wedding professionals for their experience, expertise, and resources. True professionals will assist in making your day hassle free. You hire them, you can direct them, and the relationship is not personal. Compare apples to apples, not apples to oranges Many times, when a couple begins a search for a reception location or for wedding vendors, they simply compares prices, not services or characteristics of the services. It is rare that you will find two locations offering the exact same package, one or two videographers that offer the same quality of service (time and style) and amount of product (prints and albums). You need to carefully evaluate each aspect of the potential venue or vendor. What seems too expensive at first glance may actually be a better deal when you realize what it offers compares to others in the same category. Be different – cookie cutter weddings are out of style. Couples continue to look for new ways to add personal flavour to their wedding day. Giving your wedding personal style does not mean doing the same thing your best friend did, or what you watched on Entertainment Tonight about Nicole Kidman’s wedding. Think out of the box. Hiring a wedding planner or event designer, even for a few hours, can help you be inspired and lead to amazing results. Instead of a guest book, have guests sign a coffee table book on a subject that is of interest to you. Learn an unexpected choreographed first dance, like the tango, and wow the crowd. Surround yourself with the positive people. When selecting a wedding party and asking other friends to be involved in the wedding, select people who have positive attitudes and those who, as Bill O’Reilly says are, lookout for you. Single girlfriends, your older single sister, even your brother may feel a tad envious of your engagement. For the most part, this is a passing phase, but that does not make it any easier for you to deal with. These people may often criticize your decisions, attempt to have attention diverted away from you with their own theatrics, or simply try to make themselves the focus of many decisions (the style of the outfits, what foods they like or dislike for the meal, or which date for the wedding is better for his/her schedule). If and when this situation arises, try your best to walk away from it and ignore it. Realize their behaviour is not your fault, and if they must be included in the celebrations, have your mother or a trusted friend intercept the stressful dealings with these people. Make your ceremony mean something. The best way to do this is to write your own vows and/or select special poems, readings or Biblical verses. Even though the ceremony is really the only event that needs to take place on the wedding day, so many couples put little focus on the actual planning of the service itself. Is there a special song for you and your fiancé, perhaps the one that was playing the night they proposed? Why not walk the aisle to it and surprise your fiancé? Have you ever written a poem or love letter to your fiancé? Read it during the ceremony, or if nerves wont allow you to read it yourself, have the Officiant read it for you. Look into your fiancés eyes during the ceremony and focus on the two of you and the life you are preparing together. Create a timeline for the wedding day. If you are not working with a wedding planner, it is your job to create a realistic timeline for everyone to follow. Detail and document all key elements and activities that are to take place on the day. Include addresses of locations and who needs to be where and when. If you do not do this, you take the risk of all the wedding vendors establishing their own agendas. Of course, consult with the ceremony and reception venue, as well as key vendors regarding the timeline, but ultimately most all of the timeline decisions are up to you. Ask for help when you need it. It is not uncommon for a couple to become overwhelmed with wedding planning. It takes a lot of time, dedication and work. Typically there are many people knocking at your door anxious to help your future mother in law, your mother, your sister, your future sister-in-law, your best friend, your single best friend the list can go on forever. When asking for help from friends or family members, give them specific instructions and deadlines. Also, make sure they know you still have final say. When wedding planning consumes every aspect of your life, take a breather. Schedule a date with your fiancé and go to dinner, take a walk, or just go for ice cream. There is only one rule on wedding talk. Reconnect with the ones you love and then get back to the planning with your mind and heart focused on the right things. Of course these are not the only steps to planning a wedding, but these are very important aspects of planning that will help you keep your sanity and your focus on the reason for this whole crazy thing, love. We would love to hear your thoughts. Please comment below, stop by and check out www.djxtc.net Facebook Twitter Pinterest Instagram
8/31/2015
The Importance Of Music At A Wedding
There are two aspects of wedding music that need to be addressed when planning your big day. First, you may wish to select certain music or arrange for professional soloists or musicians to play during the actual wedding ceremony. But at the wedding reception, it’s pretty much anything goes when it comes to selecting wedding music, provided it’s tasteful.
Right away is the time to plan your wedding music. Good talent gets booked fast and you don’t want to end up having to select the brand new DJ with only a few weddings under his belt or something even worse. Booking your music a full year in advance is advisable but at a minimum, you should know who will be showing up and what he or she will be playing at least six months prior to the wedding date. For most weddings, selecting the music for the wedding ceremony isn’t that complicated because most often, it’s controlled by the person in charge at the location where the ceremony will take place. When you’re researching your wedding ceremony options, be sure to inquire about any guidelines with respect to wedding ceremony music as these could possibly impact your decision. If the ceremony is being held outdoors, check for electrical hook-ups or book live musicians. Wedding music during the ceremony is basically secondary to the ceremony itself so the music is really meant to sort of ‘fill in the gaps’ during the non-speaking periods such as while guests are being seated, during the procession, and while lighting the unity candles. Of course, it’s your wedding and it can be custom-designed. The music that’s played at the reception, however, is going to mean the difference between a successful reception and one that’s ho-hum. And this is where things can start to get complicated. When you begin searching for wedding reception music, you’ll realize rather quickly that you have a lot of options. You can book a live band, or a DJ that’ll play pre-recorded music, or you can buy that CD full of top wedding songs and have someone act as the DJ. The later leaves little or no control and isn’t really suggested . It’s important that you both agree on the type of wedding music you want played at your reception. There are ‘traditional’ songs that almost always are played at certain points during the reception such as the father/daughter dance, the cake cutting, the dollar dance and so on. And then there is all the music in between. Do you want jazz, country, R&B, new age, Italian, Latin, Jewish-inspired, or a little bit of everything? That’s an important decision to make because the musicians you select have to be able to deliver what you want or you won’t be happy. Try to book experienced professionals for your wedding music. If booking live talent, arrange to hear a live performance before booking. Scrutinize the contract before signing to make sure all parties agree on the number of hours music will be provided and that everything that has been agreed to is in writing. Find out the cancellation and refund policy, too. I would love to hear your thoughts. Please feel free to comment below. Stop by and check us out on www.djxtc.net Facebook Twitter Pinterest Instagram
8/28/2015
Christian / Gospel Wedding Songs
Weddings are a joyous celebration of the love and bond between two people who have chosen to come together as one. They are sometimes conducted in front of an officiant, minister or priest, in order to celebrate the solemnity of the occasion and to make it more binding in the eyes of God and man. And what better way to celebrate that bond other than with music of Christian/Gospel wedding songs. Although the traditional wedding march is the common music that plays in the background, imagine walking down the aisle, looking all beautiful, while there is music playing that expresses exactly how you feel that special day. A Christian/Gospel wedding song whose words evoke a special meaning between you and your future partner. Now that would indeed be something special.
Religion & Music Most religions consider wedding ceremonies to be a form of worship service, and thus, are very strict about preserving the solemnity of the event. This is the reason why most churches do not allow the playing of popular love songs during the wedding. So, how do you choose songs that are not only religious in nature, but also focus on values and ideals related to love and marriage? Well, this happens to be where Christian/Gospel wedding songs come in. Christian/Gospel wedding songs offer a balance between a love song and a religious song, which is extremely perfect for wedding ceremonies and the receptions as well. These types of songs set the tone for the whole event, ushering in an ambiance of being not too solemn and not too informal. Hence, you can have the wedding song of your dreams playing as you walk down the aisle through Christian/Gospel wedding songs. Searching for the Songs There is quite a remarkable selection of Christian wedding songs that you and your future spouse can choose from. Choosing a song can be a challenging task, because there are a lot of very good songs out there. You would want to choose a song that carries a special meaning for you and your future partner, something that ís not so common that you've heard a hundred times at other weddings you've been to. If you're not too familiar with Christian/Gospel wedding songs, you can opt to visit your local music or record store and browse through the available selections there. Or, you can also surf the Internet. You will surely find a whole lot of sources for faith based wedding songs. Some websites even post lists for the most popular Christian wedding songs being used, which you can also check out. If youíre going to hire a DJ or a vocal soloist for your wedding, you can also ask him or her with regard to the music selection they have available on faith based wedding songs. You can ask for recommendations as well, in order to limit your search. Have them play it in order for you to be able to make a decision whether you want to use it in the wedding or not. Hiring Vocal Soloists Hiring a vocal soloist for your wedding will indeed bring with it a more special and intimate touch. Accompanied by either a piano, guitar, or violin, singing faith based wedding songs live can definitely make your wedding into a more unique one. The vocalist can sing the Christian/Gospel wedding songs you chose, be it during the lighting of the candles, before the procession, before the vows, during communion, etc. It all depends on you. Christian/Gospel Music Music happens to be one of the most important elements in a wedding as it sets the tone and mood of the whole event. Whatever faith based wedding songs you choose to play in your wedding, it will surely be imbedded in your memory forever. So choose something that corresponds with what you feel in your heart and has special meaning to you and your future spouse, because hearing it again would surely bring back memories of your very special day. I would love to hear your thoughts. Please feel free to comment below. Stop by and check us out on www.djxtc.net Facebook Twitter Pinterest Instagram
8/26/2015
Seated Wedding Reception Games
Nothing is worse than having a wedding reception filled with seated guests who look tired and maybe a little bit bored. Maybe this wedding doesn’t feature aDJ and rockin’ music. Or maybe the crowd isn’t into that whole dancing thing.
What to do? It’s not that hard. There are a myriad of activities you can plan that will not only engage and entertain the guests, but also help them get to know each other and – most importantly – the wedding couple just a little bit better. Here’s one that’s fun and might remind you just a little bit of a football game. Make a placard for each guest. On one side, letter first initial of one the wedding couple and the opposite on the other side. Someone, and if you have aDJ or MC it can be him or her, or the best man or maid of honor, asks a series of questions. They might be simple, like “who was born in New York City”? Or they might be more complicated, such as “who, at 6, broke their leg when they were playing with their German shepherd puppy”? Guests don’t yell their answer, but rather show their placard, turning it to the” side of they think the question pertains to the one side or the others side if it’s the opposite. The guests’ guesses can be revealing, but even more revealing, are the true answers. It’s a great, fun way for everyone to get to know a little more about the wedding couple . One word of caution about the above activity: Keep ex-boyfriends and ex-girlfriends out of the questions and don’t ask anything that might be a little too revealing or too risque'. Remember, grandmothers and grandfathers and young children will likely be present! If it’s too much work to create signs for each person, you can create just two and create two teams . Grouped together, the teams can work together to decide on the answer and answer as a group. This team versus team concept is always popular and sure to be fun for everyone. One silly game that’s always a hit really puts one of the couple in the spotlight. How well does he or she know the feel and touch of their new partner ? In this game, everyone finds out. You can do this several ways. You can enlist just the wedding party in this game, or as many of the wedding guests that want to participate. Line each participant up and blindfold one partner. Put the new partner somewhere in the mix, and send the other on a hunt for his partner. The participants can either shake hands or give him/her a kiss on the cheek. In some versions, they might feel their hair or their leg. The details are up to you. Depending on how far you want to take this game, you can add a fun element to it that is sometimes popular. You have the partner feel the leg of each participant. The best man, or other male member of the wedding party, rolls up his pant leg, puts on a garter and has the groom feel that. The participant has to kiss whoever he thinks is his partner, while still blindfolded. Often, he ends up kissing the incorrect person. For an activity that allows the guests to be audience members instead of participants, consider the game of “feed me”. In this game, one of the couple is seated and the other is (again) blindfolded. He/She given a piece of food and then spun around a few times so they are little bit dizzy. Guided only by the helpful words of his/her partner, he/she has to find their partner and get the piece of food into their partners mouth. Be sure to have the wedding party shadowing them so there are no accidents. Once the one partner has fed the other, the tables are turned and the opposite is blindfolded and must find the other. A few notes about this activity: when feeding , don’t use wedding cake or a piece of bread with dip. In other words, don’t use anything too messy. If they have a hard time finding the others mouth, they might likely smear the food on their partner's face and that is something that won’t make anyone – prettily made up just hours before – too happy. Please feel free to comment below. Stop by and check us out on www.djxtc.net Facebook Twitter Pinterest Instagram
8/25/2015
Bridal Shower Games
If you’re hosting a bridal shower, there are literally hundreds of games to choose from. Some are silly, some are serious, but all are about having some fun with the bride before she’s married. Here’s a sampling.
One fun game really puts the bride on the spot with regard to her knowledge of her husband-to-be’s life. Prior to the party, have someone ask the groom a series of questions, such as where he was born, what his favorite food is, things like that. Then at the bridal shower, put the bride on the spot by asking her the answers to the questions. See how many she can get right (hopefully at least half!). If she does well, give the girl a prize; she deserves one. One all-time favorite game is toilet paper wedding dresses. This game involves separating the guests into teams consisting of at least 2 people and no more than 5. Give each team a roll or toilet paper (or 2) and have them fashion a wedding dress out of the toilet paper. One of the team members will volunteer as the model. Provide them with a “dress up trunk” filled with jewelry and shoes. They must make the dress out of the toilet paper, but they can accessorize with the provided jewelry, shoes, gloves and hats. Place a time limit on this (5 minutes is adequate) and have the bride vote on the best dress. Be sure to provide prizes for the winning team! Another fun game that’s always a hit is making the bride get dressed while blindfolded. Tell the bride she is to pretend she’s on her honeymoon and the power has gone off. She must prepare for her wedding night in complete darkness. Provide her with a suitcase filled with items and then blindfold her. She must get dressed in a certain period of time (2 minutes is adequate) while completely blindfolded and with no help from the guests. Include some silly items like oversized sunglasses, garden gloves or a flannel nightgown just to make it fun. This is a photo opportunity, so be sure someone is waiting to record the end result! Another fun game puts the shower guests more on the sport than the bride. In this game, everyone puts their purses in the center of the room. Create a list of items commonly found in a purse and assign a point value and create a list of less common items and give them a higher point value. So you might give lipstick 2 points, a tampon 3 points, and sunglasses 5 points. But a granola bar could be 10 points and a staple remover, 15 points. Then go through the purses awarding points and give the person with the highest number of points (and therefore, the most items and probably highest number of unusual items) a prize. Before the shower, create bingo cards for this shower bingo game. In the squares, put pictures of items you think the bride will receive at the shower. So, boxes might include things like lingerie, towels and the like. As the bride opens gifts, have people mark off that item on their bingo card. If nobody gets a “bingo” give a prize to the person who marked off the most number of items. This next game is a derivation of a popular game that’s often played at bachelorette parties and involves a stripper. This is the clean version. About 30 minutes into the party, have the bride leave the room and pass out pieces of paper. Have everyone write on the paper everything they can remember about the bride’s outfit, hair, etc. How many rings is she wearing? What color is her blouse? Is she wearing open or closed toed shoes? Once everyone is done recording their observations, the bride comes back into the room and a prize is awarded to the person with the best observation skills. Please feel free to comment below. Stop by and check us out on www.djxtc.net Facebook Twitter Pinterest Instagram
8/25/2015
Bouquet Activities
When a couple orders the wedding bouquet, it might not seem that any “activities” will come from it other than as a thing to hold but the bouquet can be the source of many interesting activities and meaningful gestures.
During there ceremony there are all kinds of possibilities. You cold go traditional and have a flower for both the mothers .The moms, in particular, love this activity and guests usually appreciate it as well. What if you turned that traditional gesture on its head and supplied flowers for both the mothers and the fathers? If the couple supplies flowers to both the men and women, there are a couple of ways to do this. What if dad’s flower was enclosed in a verse that he will then get up and read at the ceremony? What if it was a flower to recognize the members of the family who have passed, and it gives dad an opportunity to recognize those family members? If the couple chooses not to have a unity candle, but wants some gesture like it, they can have a bouquet designed by having several small bouquets put together. At an appropriate time during the ceremony, the wedding bouquet is “broken up” and various people might receive a share, such as the mothers and fathers of the couple. Now, if the couple wants to hang onto the wedding bouquet during the wedding ceremony, but is willing to have some fun with it at the reception, there are a few options there as well. How about a dance involving the wedding bouquet? This is silly, but fun. The wedding bouquet is on display somewhere near the dance floor and guests must guess a flower that’s in the bouquet before they can enter the dance floor. The first few guests might not have a problem as some flowers are obvious, like roses and tulips, but others might give people pause. Of course, this won’t work if the bridal bouquet is all roses or some other single and obvious flower but for a traditional mixed bouquet, it can work well.For a naughty touch, the couple can hide a garter in the wedding bouquet and actually put it on before it gets taken off. Or there can have a couple of breakaway bouquets that are wrapped in garter belts, so the main one doesn’t get thrown, but instead the tiny bouquets with garter belts attached are thrown. When it comes time to throw her bouquet, there are several options. Some couples choose not to keep their bouquet and simply pluck one flower out of it before chucking the whole thing during the bouquet toss. This is an alternative to having a special bouquet set aside for throwing, and there are others as well.Are there are a lot of single women coming to the wedding? Maybe one thrown bouquet won’t be enough. Many couples these days are opting for something a little more fun.There are a few options, really. One popular option is to have the florist create several small bouquets and then bundle them to look like one bouquet. They are tied lightly with a ribbon. When it comes time for the bouquet toss, untie the ribbon, and throw the “bouquet” which is actually several little bouquets. Several people will catch the bouquet, rather than just one. Please feel free to comment below. Stop by and check us out on www.djxtc.net Facebook Twitter Pinterest Instagram 
8/25/2015
Active Wedding Reception Games
Planning for a wedding is a painstaking task. There are so many aspects to think of. Things like linens ,invitations, backdrops,centrepieces, etc etc etc.It may seem virtually be endless.Here are a few tips, activities and games that can be used and shared to help lift a bit of the stress and burden.
The number one complaint regarding weddings is the reception. We have all been to a wedding that follows the same old pattern. We welcome and celebrate the new married couple, we do a bit of dancing, and enjoy cake with them. There are those few stand-out couples that put together something exciting and interactive that helps to make the night enjoyable for everyone in attendance.One fun and active game that can be played by all your guests, including grandma as well as the young children, is “want it now”.In this game, you designate a master of ceremonies (if you have a DJ for your wedding reception, this person can serve as the DJ). The MC will have a list of “wants” prepared before the reception. Everyone sits at their tables, and waits to hear the command. The MC says he wants a person with painted toenails. All the women with painted toenails run to the front of the room, toward the MC. Each time a table sends someone to the front first, they get a point.Points should be tallied during the course of this game and prizes awarded at the end of the game. Be sure to have some obvious “wants”, as is the painted toenails, or a man with a moustache or a child with a pink dress. But also include some surprises, like “a man with a brown purse” which will require a man to find a woman at his table with the brown purse and run up to the front of the room with that. Another fun wedding reception game that includes all your guests is musical chairs using men as the chairs. All the men line up and kneel on one knee. The women begin playing the game of musical chairs, but when the music stops, they must find a knee to sit on. No “chairs” are removed during the version of the game, but instead people are eliminated when either the man falls down when the woman finds his knee or when the woman falls down. Both are out either way, and if both fall down, they are also both out then (as well as perhaps a bit bruised). This is a fun game that often brings on gales of laughter and adds to a relaxed reception atmosphere. If many guests are traveling a good distance to the wedding or don’t know many other guests, it’s always fun to include a game that will allow them to not only get to know each other but the bride and groom as well. For this game, you’ll need a MC again, which can be a very outgoing member of the wedding party or the DJ. The reception guests are broken into two groups, which can be as simple as having people count off “1, 2, 1, 2” and so on until the entire guest list is either a “1” or a “2”. Then the two groups band together for the duration of the game.The DJ, or MC, offers a series of questions relating to the bride and groom. The teams should work together to answer the questions, then as quickly as possible provide the answer. The bride and groom will confirm if the answer is correct or not. This is an excellent way for otherwise “stranger” guests to get to know one another and have some fun in the process. It’s also an excellent way to get to know the couple ! Organizing games at a wedding reception is a great way to get people involved and make them feel they are truly a part of the celebration. It’s also a way to fill time, if the wedding planners know this isn’t a “dancing” group or if you want to loosen people up for a long night of celebrating. Whether a small or large wedding, reception games work for just about any group.In addition, don’t assume wedding reception guests will be offended or annoyed by these active games. Most people report to wedding planners they truly enjoy being more active and having fun games to play during a wedding reception. If you are looking for more games that can be played I suggest the DVD by Robbie Britton “Interactive On A Mission ” Please feel free to comment below. Stop by and check us out on www.djxtc.net Facebook Twitter Pinterest Instagram 
1. Photos on Canvas
Have you ever wondered what it would be like to have your favourite wedding photo transformed into stunning photo art? By printing the image onto a hand-stretched canvas you can give an artistic, finished look to your most classic wedding photo. 2. Personalized Stamp Turn your favourite wedding photo in a custom postage stamp. All you need to do is upload a photo and then customize it just the way you want. Each stamp is actual valid postage and can be used to decorate your thank you and holiday card envelopes or as creative wedding favours. Add a personal touch to everything you send by mail and create a timeless keepsake as well. 3. Custom Thank You Card By featuring one of your wedding photos on the front of a custom note card you can create classy customized thank you cards for your guests and others who helped with your wedding planning. Each of your guests will now have a photo keepsake from your special day. 4. Create a Multimedia DVD Slide-Show You can create a DVD slide-show presentation of your wedding photos that can be played on your TV. You can even select your first dance or other favourite song as your background music. A neat and interactive way to create a memory of your wedding day. 5. Online Scrapbook Tell the story of your wedding by publishing an online scrapbook. Include photos from the events leading up to your big day including showers, stags, rehearsal parties as well as the ceremony and reception. Your scrapbook will be easy to share with all of your guests because it will be available via the internet. 6. Digital Photobook Trendy coffee table style albums are becoming more and more popular with so many people looking for new ways to display their digital prints. These unique albums include hard cover options such as suede and canvas. The easy to use software helps you design your photobook just the way you want it with many choices for image sizes and layouts. 7. Wedding Caricature A wedding caricature is cartoon version of you and your spouse on your wedding day. Each image is hand drawn by an artist and makes for the perfect first anniversary gift. We would love to hear your thoughts. Please comment below, stop by and check out www.djxtc.net Facebook Twitter Pinterest Instagram
8/19/2015
Your Wedding Theme
Whether it’s a traditional, formal or off-the-beaten-track wedding, you’re putting the whole event together yourself by planning its every phase. These days, with so much available on the Internet, it’s easy! All you need is some time and a clear idea of the feeling you want to get across.
Start with a theme and you’ll have a coherent image you can use throughout the entire wedding. You may be surprised, in fact, how potent just a word or concept can be, once applied as your marriage theme. Love angels, for example? What could be more perfect than finding ways to incorporate angels in every phase of your wedding? From the flowers to the guest favours to the vows, you can find a way to carry out the theme through the entire event. Is it to be a casual wedding of two Renaissance types? The Renaissance theme is compatible with the wedding ritual, and makes for an unforgettable event. Getting married on February the fourteenth? Hearts and flowers are perhaps the most traditional and best beloved of all wedding themes! When you’re planning your wedding, save time to choose the music with care. Get together with whoever is providing the music and talk about the right pieces for the two of you. There is nothing that sets the tone like music, and your wedding music will live in your memories for the rest of your lives. The rings, the vows, the wardrobe all the choices you must make to create an intimately personal expression of your love, are made so much easier by following a theme. But the idea behind it all is what counts. You can choose one word to describe the spirit you wish to be your wedding, as if the coming together of two hearts creates a separate entity with one quality. Is it joy? Is it contentment? Is it a giddy, bubbly, mirthful adoration? Pick a word or a phrase and keep it in mind. It’ll tie everything together and make the experience more perfect. And your wedding theme can become a foundation throughout your marriage. For your wedding. For each other. For your life. Please feel free to comment below. Stop by and check us out on www.djxtc.net Facebook Twitter Pinterest Instagram #wedding #weddingdj #weddingblogger Credit 
Being disc jockeys, we get the opportunity to evaluate many reception facilities while having little or no bias to "sell” one location over another. Most couples know where they will be holding the ceremony before they decide where to have the reception, so I have compiled five observations that can help you when selecting your venue.
Distance – If people have to drive a long way to get from the ceremony to the reception, some will get distracted or decide to do something else. Try to keep the reception within a 15 to 30 minute drive of your ceremony. If it is not possible to get a reception hall close to your ceremony, make a caravan. Have the wedding couple lead the parade, and people will follow you to your reception. Time – Time is just like the distance issue. If your reception is several hours after the ceremony,during the break, people will get busy doing other things and not show up for the reception. Try to start the reception within an hour or two of the ceremony. If you don’t want to start your wedding dance at 4 o’clock in the afternoon, have a cocktail mixer before your reception. Serve some punch and get people to mingle. This will be one of the few times that both families will be together. Encourage family members to share stories about your childhoods. Size – People like their personal space, and they have most likely spent an hour packed into a church for your ceremony. If you let them spread out, they will enjoy themselves more. Make sure your reception hall has plenty of room for your guests. The people renting the location might tell you it holds 200 people, but that doesn’t necessarily mean it will hold 200 people comfortably! Make sure to visit the venue before booking. Climate Control – Having a summer wedding? Is your reception hall air conditioned? If people sweat while just sitting, they won’t dance. On the flip side, if they are cold they won’t dance either (who wants to dance in a parka?). Also make sure you know who has control of the thermostat so the temperature can be adjusted if needed. Chances are your reception will be warm and stuffy while all the guest are there, but as they trickle out during the night the room will begin to cool down. Smoking – This is a hot button issue, you can fully expect smokers to leave your reception for 15-30 minutes every hour. If enough of them leave the reception area, you may find a large percentage of your guest just hanging outside in the smoking area. This can be a big problem if you have many smokers in your wedding party. You might not be a smoker but it is something you should consider. How close is the nearest place for a smoker to go? Is it close enough that you will be able to get needed wedding party members during events like the bouquet toss or garter auction? Facility coordinators will no doubt bring up several other factors for you to consider when you interview them for your booking, but these are often missed items.If you keep the overall picture in mind and work with your wedding planner or event coordinator on the decorating ideas, you will no doubt have an enjoyable and memorable wedding reception. We would love to hear your thoughts. Please follow us and comment below. www.djxtc.net Facebook Twitter Pinterest Instagram
8/5/2015
Grooming The Groom(s)
While it goes without saying that most of the attention will be on the bride on the wedding day it is still very important that the groom looks his best also. If there are two grooms then THEY are main focus. One of the best ways of doing this is by following some form of exercise regime in the weeks and months prior to the wedding to get in shape and feel more energized. Neither partner should overdo it to such an extent that it could cause injury that might affect the enjoyment of the wedding day or the honeymoon thereafter. By maintaining good nutrition in the months prior to the wedding his hair and skin will look a lot healthier and if he has been following an exercise regime and even his clothes will tend to fit better. The groom(s) should also get their hair styled by somebody who they are comfortable with and is sure will make a good job before the wedding day. Don't leave it to the last minute and make sure that you've decided on the hair style well in advance of the wedding day. It's all about planning as this is the only way to be assured of a good outcome at the end of the day and the groom needs to be on that to-do list of things to get sorted just like everything else. Don’t try new hairstyles if there isn’t enough time for it to grow back out should it ever need changing. Too close to the wedding is not the time to start getting radical with things such as hairstyles. Any other major changes in life can cause stress and this can be reflected on the grooms face and this will also be seen in the photographs so try to lead a steady and relaxed lifestyle prior to the wedding. We would love to hear your thoughts. Comment below and follow us www.djxtc.net Facebook Twitter Pinterest Instagram Photo Credit 
Most of us look forward to getting married for almost the whole of our lives preceding the event and therefore have almost every specific detail, starting from the clothes to the flowers to the cutlery the music and even the menu etched out in our minds. Unfortunately, when the time comes to finally turn these dreams to reality, practicality checks in, knocks us on our heads and reminds us of exactly how many dollars we have in the bank account!
Unlike what it used to be in the good old days, the modern day parents have learnt to ease their way out of bearing the financial burden of their children’s wedding. The logic used in this case is quite infallible really, most of us wait to tie the knot long enough to bear children, teach them how to walk and start helping them with their math homework. So, since we don’t do our share therefore the potential grandparents don’t do theirs. So finally when it comes to our wedding we are left out in the cold, joining bits and pieces of our earnings to build up the most important day of our lives. For all of us who are bogged down by this sudden astounding realization, or the ones who will get similarly bogged down in a not so distant future date, here is a list of the average costs that you will have to incur in order to get married. Once you have a partner, which tends to be the most expensive of the purchases, you are sure to save up enough to have a glorious wedding ceremony. First up, flowers. Believe it or not, at any average wedding ceremony flowers can cost anything around or even above $1000! Yes yes I know what you are thinking, you are probably itching to remind me how they finally add to the grandeur and emotion of the whole ceremony, but cap your outburst because ultimately this will probably be the one area you can cut your expenditure down in. If your budget is tight try something creative, scan issues of wedding magazines or the net for ideas. Photography/Videography also takes up a large amount of your budget. Based on the kind of mementos you would want to keep from your wedding day you can end up spending anywhere between $1500- $3500. Even though you probably think it’s a good idea it is best to not try and cut down your costs here, cause these will after all be one of the only things you will have to really re-live your wedding at a later date, and if saving a few dollars means you will end up looking like a fat hag or be ill-lit in your own wedding photographs then there is no point being a complete Scrooge about it. Now if you are having a wedding ceremony, you will have to send out those few essential invitations, announcements and then the thank you notes, so there is no getting around the few hundred dollars it will set you back by, but you might try. Coax a friend with neat handwriting to take this load of your shoulders, get him/her to write your invitations for you, and keep it simple, so as to trim down the overall costs. Finally of course there is the music. No wedding is complete without good music setting the right mood for the celebrations. Set apart about $1500 - $2500 to fulfill your musical requirements. Further costs include the price for the site of the ceremony. This you may safely estimate at around $500. of course you will also have to arrange for means to get to the site itself, this should cost around $650, all together. If you want to show your appreciation for the attendants with a little token of love, set apart another 400 bucks. The rehearsal dinner, which you must have, will be around $1000, the reception anywhere between $5000-$15000. Expect your super special wedding dress to cost at least 1000 bucks and even if you settle for a rented tuxedo there is no getting away from the neat $1000 you will have to flash out for it. So all in all, everything put together, added and multiplied, you have a whopping $35,000 bill tagged clean with your plan to get married. If marriages are really made in heaven then the Gods sure have expensive taste! However this isn’t by any means the final word in planning your wedding cheap, there are of course thousands of other ways of cutting your expenditure as per your personal means and fancies, this is just one of the very many ways of going about it. Figure out what suits you, and have a great wedding. We would love to hear your thoughts. Comment below and follow us www.djxtc.net Facebook Twitter Pinterest Instagram 
There are many things that can go wrong when one is shopping for a wedding gown. Here are some guidelines that will come in handy as you're buying your wedding gown: 1. Set up a budget. Today, buying a wedding gown offers you a great deal of choices. Know your budget, and don't try out such wedding gowns that are out of your budget as you will only let yourself down as well as adding a lot of pressure to your decision. 2. Decide on what style you want. The internet offers a lot of ideas as to the type of gown that you are envisioning. Take into account the location and the time of the ceremony. Make certain your gown correspond well with your other plans. 3. Start as early as possible. Once the wedding date is set, start on the search for your wedding gown. 4. Find and compare bridal salons. 5. Make appointments. Be sure to set up a meeting with the establishment that you are interested with and discuss with their designer your ideal wedding dress so she too, could have an idea what you are looking for. Listen too, to her suggestions. 6. Have your measurements taken. Don't do the measurements yourself. Go to your bridal salon and let them take it for you. This will ensure precise measurements that will lead to a perfect fit. 7. Look at swatches. It is important that you know and feel the texture and the actual colour of the fabric that will become your wedding gown. Swatches will be helpful in making your decision for a gown much easier. 8. Consider the rear view design of the gown. Your guests will be spending a lot of time looking at your back as the ceremony goes on. When looking through designs, take into account the gown design at the back that it should be as flattering as the front. 9. Bring a friend along. He or She can give you their honest opinion as to whether the style and design of your choice is perfect or alterations needs to be done; also how the dress looks like at different angles. 10. Consider comfort. You will be wearing the gown for at least eight hours, so it is important that the gown should feel comfortable. When trying it on, bend over, sit down, stand up, walk and dance to make sure that you can move with ease in your wedding gown. 11. Down payment. This may vary but usually, a fifty percent down payment is required as soon as you order your gown. 12. Ask for a receipt. Once you have decided on a gown and placed your down payment, then ask for a receipt indicating the amount of your down payment, the full description of the gown, delivery and due date. 13. Relax and enjoy. Allow the people at the bridal salon to pamper you in every way. Enjoy the thrill and the excitement of shopping for your wedding gown and of the thought that you will soon be marrying the person that you love. Be cautious of: 1. Anybody who would insist on shipping your wedding gown to you. You have very little remedy or none at all, should anything go wrong. The price that you will be paying for alterations may be more than the discount that was given to you when they sent you the gown. 2. Anybody that is suggesting that you should do the footwork. It is best that you shop somewhere else. 3. Anybody who would require a full payment for your gown before it's done. It is always safe that you buy or order your wedding gown at the same shop that you selected it. There are many full service bridal stores that will cater to all your needs and your satisfaction is guaranteed. Your wedding gown is very important. Don't take chances. We would love to hear your thoughts ! Please comment below, stop by and check out www.djxtc.net Facebook Twitter Pinterest Instagram #weddingexpert #wedding #weddingdj #weddingblogger |
Neal A. McFarlane is a seasoned and devoted full-time wedding DJ and MC based in Toronto. With over 40 years of experience in the industry, Neal possesses a wealth of knowledge and expertise that he brings to each event he hosts. His love for music and dedication to creating unforgettable moments for his clients fuel his passion for delivering exceptional service and a remarkable experience for all involved. Whether it's through his music selection, MC skills, or attention to detail, Neal ensures that every wedding he DJs is a unique and unforgettable affair.
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