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4/25/2016
5 Steps To Booking Your Wedding
Step One : Check Your Date
Your first step is making sure your date is available. If your date hasn’t been booked the contact us to start the booking process. Step Two : Initial Consultation Our initial consultation is the best way to meet face-to-face and make sure that we are a perfect fit. During the consultation we discuss your vision, expectations and goals set for your reception. This is an informal meet where we listen to you and make suggestions that will work for you . There are no pressure sales tactics. Step Three : Book Your Date You have had time to meet with us. You have found us helpful in planning . If you feel that we are the right match then then next step is to reserve your date. Step Four : Start Planning Once we have your date reserved with a contract then we can beginplanning. You now have access to our online client site which includes the online planner and timeline. You can fill out the information or contact us to guide you through it Step Five : Final Meeting Within the last month before your reception is the best time to again touch base. This is the time when we go through final details. This is also an instance to table any final suggestions. We go over your planning forms with your DJ and/or MC for the final time. Our next step is to execute all our plans for the reception of your dreams We 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 Looking For Ways To Make Your Wedding Truly Unique? Fill Out The Form Below
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
DJ XTC Entertainment Services Receives 2015 Best Businesses of Brampton Award Brampton Award Program Honors the Achievement Brampton, April 05, 2016 --DJ XTC Entertainment Services has been selected for the 2015 Best Businesses of Brampton Award in the DJs category by the Best Businesses of Brampton Award Program. Each year, the Best Businesses of Brampton Award Program identifies companies that we believe have achieved exceptional marketing success in their local community and business category. These are local companies that enhance the positive image of small business through service to their customers and our community. These exceptional companies help make the Brampton area a great place to live, work and play. Various sources of information were gathered and analyzed to choose the winners in each category. The 2015 Best Businesses of Brampton Award Program focuses on quality, not quantity. Winners are determined based on the information gathered both internally by the Best Businesses of Brampton Award Program and data provided by third parties. About the Best Businesses of Brampton Award Program The Best Businesses of Brampton Award Program is an annual awards program honoring the achievements and accomplishments of local businesses throughout the Brampton area. Recognition is given to those companies that have shown the ability to use their best practices and implemented programs to generate competitive advantages and long-term value. The Best Businesses of Brampton Award Program was established to recognize the best of local businesses in our community. Our organization works exclusively with local business owners, trade groups, professional associations and other business advertising and marketing groups. Our mission is to recognize the small business community's contributions to North America's economy. SOURCE: Best Businesses of Brampton Award Program CONTACT:Best Businesses of Brampton Award Program Email: [email protected] URL: http://www.BestBusinesses.biz We 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 
Over the years I have had this questioned posed to me about as many times as I have heard all the other questions put together. I suggest that you order your Wedding Invitations at least four weeks prior to mailing them out to your guests. This allows for plenty of time to receive your wedding Invitations and double check your order to make sure you have received everything you ordered and no mistakes were made. It will allow you enough time for a reprint if needed. It will also allow you plenty of time to address all the envelopes.
Wedding Invitations should be mailed out so that your guest will receive them at least six to eight weeks prior to the wedding. This will allow your guest enough time to make travel plans and return the response card you included with your wedding invitation.Typically the respond by date should be two weeks prior to your wedding date. This should allow you enough time to make your final preparations. You will have many other things to take care of as your wedding approaches and the last thing you need is to have to rush to get your wedding invitations addressed and mailed out. There will undoubtedly be last minute names to add and address changes to deal with so please allow yourself plenty of time to accomplish this task. We 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
3/20/2016
Bachelor Party Ideas
The tradition of the bachelor party may date as far back as the 1800s. The stereotype of a bachelor party is a last night of debauchery for grooms and friends before the wedding but in more recent times soon to be grooms are looking to less traditional activities to mark their final days as bachelors. While there are still would be grooms, who opt to spend the last hours before their wedding partying with alcohol and female exotic dancers, many men are choosing a less traditional route such as camping trips, sporting events, daredevil activities and even co-ed bachelor parties that include the soon to be partner and friends. These types of activities are much less likely to get grooms in trouble with his partner not to mention that they won’t leave a groom feeling too sick to even remember the wedding day.
Camping is one alternative to the traditional bachelor party. You may choose to either rough it by backpacking to a location with only the gear on your back to help you survive the elements for a few days or you could choose to drive to a spa facility that offers well appointed cabins and five star gourmet meals. Whichever option you choose, you are bound to have a great deal of time relaxing and enjoying the company of the rest of the participants in your bachelor party. A camping trip offers the groom a quiet atmosphere to reflect with his friends on the journey he is about to take. Sporting events are another great alternative to the usual bachelor party ideas. You may find that married life does not offer you as much free time to spend with your friends as you used to have so take this chance to enjoy a little bit of fun with your friends. Whether you choose to partake in a sport of your choice or purchase tickets to see your favorite professional athletes it is sure to be a great opportunity to bond with your friends in the last few days before your wedding. It is wise to try choosing a sport that all of your guests will be able to participate in especially if you plan to include very young or very old guests. In this situation playing a game of football may not be the best idea but taking everyone to play a round of golf might be an activity that all of the guest can enjoy. It's really a good idea to probe a little deeper into the subject of weddings. What you learn may give you the confidence you need to venture into new areas. Still another activity that translates well into a bachelor party idea is getting a group of friends together to try an adrenaline pumping, activity geared for thrill seekers such as skydiving or whitewater rafting. The exhilaration gained from these activities coupled with the fear factor makes them a perfect activity for bonding with your friends. These daredevil activities will cause you and your friends to bond during the excitement leading up to the event as well as the thrill of accomplishing a new activity. While these types of activities are great for bonding, it is important to remember that they are risky activities and there is the danger that you might be hurt during these activities. If this is your bachelor party idea of choice you might want to consider holding your bachelor party well in advance of your wedding to avoid last minute injuries that delay the wedding. Co-ed bachelor parties that coincide with the bachelorette party are becoming increasingly popular as well. One common practice involving these adjunct parties is to have the bachelors and bachelorettes meet at separate restaurants for dinner and then join each other at a nightclub to cap off the night with some dancing and a few drinks. These types of parties can be a great deal of fun because they allow both the bride and the groom some time apart to spend time with their friends and then they reunite the couple at the end of the night in a chance for them to spend time with all of their friends without the pomp and circumstance that is likely to accompany their wedding reception. The debauchery of stereotypical bachelor parties is not the only way to enjoy a fun-filled bachelor party that gives you the opportunity to bond with your friends. Camping trips, sporting activities, extreme adventures and even co-ed bachelor parties are redefining the traditional bachelor party. These bachelor party ideas not only serve to keep the groom out of trouble but also offer the opportunity to enjoy a new adventure. Hopefully the sections above have contributed to your understanding of weddings. Share your new understanding about weddings with others. They'll thank you for it. We 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
3/4/2016
Buffet Table Activities
Many wedding receptions include a buffet-style meal where everyone stands in an enormous line waiting while those at the food table decide if they want Italian or Ranch dressing on their salad.
There has to be a more unusual way to get people to their food, and a faster one at that, right? There are several fun options you can employ to feed your guests quickly and with a minimum of groans of hunger. Here are some fun options: One of the most popular is the number system. Each table is assigned a number and the MC or DJ calls numbers at various intervals. The people at that numbered table then find the buffet and begin their feast. You can place the numbers in a variety of locations. For the most utilitarian version, just place the number in the flower arrangement on the table. Some couples don’t like this look of numbered table as if at a convention. In that case, you can put the numbers under the flower arrangements, or under the chairs. If you have place cards at the tables, you can write a small number somewhere on the card so people know which table they’re sitting at. For a fun variation, you can have the florist play around with the table floral arrangements. If the arrangements are going to have a dozen flowers, you could have the florist add one extra flower to table “one”, two extra flowers for table “two” and so on and make the guests figure out which number table they are based on how many extra flowers they have in their arrangement. The flower method could be cost-prohibitive, of course, if you have a large guest list and many tables. Now, if the number system doesn’t thrill you or make you think “unique”, there are other options. Each table can have a color and the DJ simply calls out the color name. Depending, again, on how many tables you have at your reception, you could coordinate the tablecloths with the color of the table. So you might have white, pink, lavender, beige, and yellow tablecloths, and the guests sitting at that table simply move to the buffet table when the color of their tablecloth is called. Another popular option for moving people easily to the buffet table involves having a little fun with your guests. You provide each table with a buzzer, either a bell like you might find at a store, or a small silver bell. Just something they can buzz or ring. The DJ or MC asks a trivia question, or a question about the bride and groom. The tables buzz in with their answers. The guests at the table with the first correct buzzed answer move to the buffet table. You repeat the process until everyone is finally on their way to getting some grub. The trivia method is an especially fun way to help guests to get to know one another, as they might have to work together to come up with an answer. If your guests are hungry, you’re sure to hear muffled groans and sighs of exasperation. But even with the small complaints, this is always a crowd pleaser because it’s fun and gets everyone involved. Now, this next option is fun but can engender a bit of jealousy sometimes. When people get their place card, whether it’s placed on the table, or they pick it up when they look at the seating chart, you can put a number on it. But not everyone at the same table will have the same number. If you have 100 guests, for example, you might choose to have 10 people at the buffet table at a time. So each person would be assigned a number 1 through 10. In the same scenario as above, the DJ or MC will call a number and those numbers will head for the buffet table. There are sure to be more than one person from each table heading for the buffet table, but the guests at each table won’t get their food at the same time. This staggered feeding can be fun or a nuisance, depending. It solves the problem of half the room being finished with their meal while waiting for the “later” table to finish theirs before the festivities start, but it can also mean that one or two guests might be long done with their food (or wanting to head back for seconds) when others at the table haven’t even eaten yet. We 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
3/4/2016
Picture Perfect Wedding
Weddings are definitely one of the happiest moments in a person's life. But, this momentous occasion does not always come as blissful as the event itself. Days and even months before the big day, couples usually cram up with the littlest details.
The process of listing and cutting down everything into specific details. The wedding date, the venue, the reception, the caterer, the designer of the gown and suit, all the way down to the wedding coverage are the areas where stress usually ushers in. Due to hectic schedules, most couples usually don't pay much attention to one of the crucial things in any wedding, the wedding coverage. Despite the overwhelming tension and excitement, couples do not have to be nonchalant when choosing their wedding photographers if they want their fun times and precious memories recorded very well. WEDDING PHOTOGRAPHY PREFERENCES To avoid making this slight neglect that usually leads disastrous results, couples have to decide first what kind of wedding photography they would want to have. Most wedding photographers today categorize the types of wedding photography into two: the traditional or classic style and the wedding photojournalistic style. The most common style used by wedding photographers today, the traditional or classic wedding photography is considered as a timeless and the safest style because you normally see in countless wedding albums. Characterized by classic poses of subjects aware of the camera, this style involves so much control from the photographer because they are in-charge in arranging individual and group shots before, during, and even after the wedding. Having excellent portraiture skills, expect the photographer to focus more on the quality of the photograph by making the subject look great from the littlest details. Expect typical wedding photos like pre-ceremony pictures, formal shots of the wedding couple posing with the wedding party, cake cutting, garter and bouquet toss, and the like when you choose a classic wedding photography. This style is ideal if the couple would want to keep portraits of family members for their wedding album. If the couple is adventurous and unconventional, then you might want to consider the wedding photojournalistic style of photography on your big day. An increasingly popular style today, wedding photojournalism offers fresh and new style of taking photos in the occasion. Characterized by candid shots of the subjects unaware of the moving camera, the photojournalism style lets the attendees act freely to capture their pure and true emotion. Sourcing style from his experience in journalism, the photojournalist pays more attention to minute details and candid shots rather than arranged ones. They are more into eyeing interesting moments and capturing those in the lens to produce a narrative collection of images that tell a story. Although some traditional poses will be present, expect photos that show actual emotions of the wedding couple and of other participants throughout the duration of the wedding when you choose the photojournalism style. In order to avoid ruining the documentation of your wedding, here are some tips in making your wedding a picture perfect one: 1. Weddings are one of the most exciting chapters of one's life. Make sure that you choose a wedding photographer that can meet all your standards. Meet with the photographer before hand so you could discuss the details you want. 2. Inform the important participants about the schedule of photo sessions and make sure everyone attends the rehearsal to cut down the stress. 3. Have a reception area so guests can be informed about the itinerary. This will set the occasion in order. We would love to hear your thoughts. Please feel free to comment below. Stop by and check us out on www.instagram.com/torontoweddingdj 
1. Choose Your Weddings Abroad Destination
Some couples know exactly where they want to get married, while others need to mull over ideas before deciding. First, ask yourself why you want a destination wedding. • Are you an adventurous couple who needs their wedding to reflect your wanderlust attitude? • Do you want a wedding abroad to avoid certain friends who might attend a wedding you plan back home? • Did you and your fiancé meet in an exotic location or on vacation? No matter what your reasons are for planning a destination wedding, just try to pick a place that fits you and your fiancé’s personalities. 2. Find out the Legal Requirements Once you’ve decided where to get married, call the embassy or consulate to the country you wish to get married in, and find out what they legal requirements are to get married in that country. • Do a little research on what forms you need to fill out and the deadlines for submitting these forms. • Fill out the forms by their deadlines. • Say your vows in your home country and have your wedding ceremony in your destination country if you do not want to deal with the hassles of foreign marriage requirements 3. Choose the Date Decide when you want to get married. Do a little research on the country before you set a date. Unless you’re getting married on the anniversary of the day you met your fiancé or have time-sensitive reasons to get married sooner rather than later (like an illness in the family or a work restriction), find out when the best time to get married in your desired country is. • Do some research to find out what the weather is like during the year in your destination. • Find out when tourist season falls in your destination country. You might want to avoid these months as it might be difficult to make large group bookings. 4. Get a Preliminary Headcount You’ll need to get a better idea of the number of people attending your wedding than if you’d gotten married at home. When coming up with a budget, consider the wedding venue hire and tell your suppliers how many people you need to feed or house. • Ask around to find out how many people are going to be attending your wedding. You’ll need these numbers later when you consider booking the wedding venues abroad or hotel arrangements. • Send out your invitations with a shorter RSVP time frame than if you were getting married at home. 5. Set Your Budget Once you know how many people will be attending your wedding, start planning your budget. Do some research to find out weddings abroad prices. If you’ve gotten a lot of “yes” RSVPs, you might want to figure out weddings abroad cost efficient food and rental hall options. • Decide if you want an expensive or cheap weddings abroad. • Ask your guests what their accommodation budgets are before choosing a hotel to book a block of rooms. If most of your guests are on a tight budget, don’t book an extremely expensive swanky hotel. • Do research to find a hotel that has a large range of room prices or book two hotels (one pricier hotel and one budget hotel. • Call vendors and ask for estimates. • Make an Excel spreadsheet of costs that include: o Accommodations o Airfare o Dress o Tuxedo o Hair and makeup o Wedding venues rentals o Food o Band/DJ o Rings o Flower arrangements o Equipment/table rentals If you have your heart set on an expensive hotel, you can always book a bridal suite at your hotel of choice and a block of rooms for your guests at a hotel nearby. You might not even decide to book rooms for your guests. 6. Choose your Celebration Activities If you’re planning on having a reception, a rehearsal dinner, a wedding day brunch or other activities, you’ll need to book locations in advance. • Book a restaurant for the rehearsal dinner • Book a restaurant for the wedding day brunch • Ask guests if they want to take part in group outing or sightseeing activities • Decide how much of your trip you want to spend with your guests before the wedding and let them know your expectations before you make any bookings. If you planned on spending a few nights alone with your new spouse, you won’t be dealing with Aunt Mildred’s complaints that she stayed a few extra nights to spend time with you. 7. Find Your Vendors/Planners • Start calling and emailing vendors to find out who in your budget is available to help you out on your big day. • Hire an overseas wedding planner to help make arrangements. • Hire a translator if necessary to help facilitate foreign vendors. • Hire a tour coordinator to help keep your guests together and on schedule. • Find a wedding officiate or priest. • Book the reception venue. • Book the wedding venue. • Put down a deposit on a caterer. • Order a cake. • Hire a photographer. • Send your hairstylist pictures of your up-do ideas. • Find travel for your guests to and from the venues. • Buy wedding insurance. 8. Plan your Wedding and Your Reception Just like at home, you’ll need to decide where you want your ceremony and reception to take place. • Find out if your desired location is legal (for beach weddings abroad, find out if your favourite beach is legal for weddings). • Call the church to ask what religious requirements you’ll need to abide by in your ceremony. • Coordinate with the priest or officiate to decide the structure of your ceremony. Once you’ve found a venue for your reception, you’ll need to plan it. Find out the cultural customs of your destination to find out what kind of food service is available. 9. Find Accommodations for Your Wedding Party and Guests If your guests want you to book a block of rooms for them, find out what hotel you’d like to stay at. This is where your budget research comes in handy. • Book a block of rooms in a variety of price ranges. • Ask hotels about special rates for large parties and price shop for the best rate. • Do research to find other hotels in the area for guests who do not want to stay with the wedding party. • Book airport transfers for your guests, to and from their hotels. Booking a hotel with free (or paid) airport transfers could save you a lot of hassle later, so try to find out which hotels offer this service. 10. Plan travel arrangements Decide if you want to book airplane or train travel for your guests or if you want to let your guests book their own travel. • Call around to different airlines and find out if you can get a group rate on your tickets. • Call the airline and ask them if you can bring your wedding dress on the plane or if you’ll need to check it before boarding. • Find out how much luggage you’ll need to bring and ensure it follows the airlines luggage limits. • Make sure you’re not bringing items that are not safe for air travel. 11. Don’t Forget to Pack Use this checklist to make sure you have all the items you’ll need with you. Double check to make sure you have your: • Passports • Marriage documents • Wedding insurance papers • Travel insurance papers • Dress and tux • Rings • Photo for your hairstylist • Guest book • Other wedding day items you’ve purchased before heading to your destination. Also, don’t forget to schedule a practice up-do to make sure you like the style your hairstyle creates for you. 12. Create a Wedding Day Itinerary Just like you would for a wedding at home, plan your wedding day itinerary. • Make copies of your wedding itinerary; pass them around to guests or ask the hotel to leave them in the guest rooms. • Give your wedding planner, tour guide and translator a copy of this itinerary. Give a copy to your limo or town car driver. • Double check with all your guests to make sure they know how they’re getting to and from the wedding if you haven’t booked transportation for everyone. 13. After Your Big Day Your wedding and reception might be over, but your duties are far from finished. If you haven’t hired someone for clean-up, you’ll need to do everything yourself. • Clean the venue. • Return all your rental equipment. Once everything you borrowed from vendors in your destination country is back in its homes, you can relax for the rest of your vacation. After you get back to home, you’ll want to: • Record your marriage, so your government knows it’s legitimate. • Send thank you notes. • Fill out forms for name changes. • Return any equipment you rented at home. • Get your dress cleaned, pressed and packed, so it doesn’t wrinkle or get damaged. • Return rented tuxes or other apparel. • Contact your photographer to buy wedding photos. • Set up a website where your guests can view professional wedding photos and post photos they took with their digital cameras and smartphones. • Make a list of deposits you need to get back from vendors. We 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
2/24/2016
Pre Wedding Activities
Planning pre-wedding activities is a little something extra that’s not required, but certainly fun and entertaining for the guests. If the couple keep in mind the distance some guests have traveled and keep activities relevant to that level of fatigue, they’re sure to hit on some winning activities.
As you go about planningactivities for the wedding, keep in mind other factors as well. Do many people have children with them? Will you provide childcare or will the children be participants in the activities? If you have several guests who are older, perhaps activities can be tailored in a way they can participate as well. Some of the more popular pre-wedding activities include things like a group manicure. All the members in the wedding party or those that are close to the couple head to a nail salon and get their nails done. This can be relaxing for many groups and provide a welcome respite from the hustle and bustle of the wedding weekend. Some might choose to golf or play a game of tennis or cards while this is going on. Many couples choose to provide structured activities for their guests prior to the wedding. If the wedding is on a Saturday night, for example, they might choose to provide a Friday activity, especially if most guests are local to the wedding. You might have a wedding luau. Many times pre-wedding activities center around pre- wedding parties, but what about a party that includes all the members of both families? You could plan some fun (and appropriate) games and head out to a restaurant for a night of fun and games. Be sure to limit the drinking and carousing as this might not sit well with some family members. Here is a fun activity that can be done right before the wedding. Have someone begin a gift basket. The theme of the basket is “advice for the couple” and could be started by the wedding party or attendants . They take the basket to someone else’s house, perhaps an aunt or cousin and leave it on the doorstep. That person adds an item (a book on how to end spousal arguments? Or a CD of romantic music?) and brings the basket to someone else’s house. This activity can begin a week or two before the wedding and everyone should know it is coming around.The basket can also be circulated the weekend of the wedding, but this will only work if everyone is local and if they know the basket is coming. In this case, it also might be helpful to have someone bring the basket to a house, collect the item and the take the basket to the next location, reducing the need to have each person take the basket to its next location. Once it’s full, someone can be in charge of putting the basket items together, wrapping it all up to make it look nice and bringing it to the couple . It can be delivered right to the wedding as a gift in and of itself. Whatever activities you choose, be sure to keep in mind the needs of your guests and the limitations of those guests if you want to plan an activity that includes everyone. We 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
2/23/2016
Your Second Wedding
You are planning your second wedding and are not sure about etiquette and what is or is not acceptable, right? The truth is that the second time around can be just as memorable and special as the first. Here are some different tips to help you make your second wedding a day to remember.
When planning for your second wedding use heartfelt, common sense before announcing your new engagement. Some couples who have previously been married may have children and previous family members who need to be informed personally of the new future plans. Inform them first before announcing it to the masses. Also think before registering for gifts at department stores. When registering for your second wedding, think about the things you need, as a couple. You may already have items that would commonly be bought for first time marriages, such as towels and dishes. Instead think about registering for those things that will help you bring your new home together, such as new curtains, bedding or items you can use to remodel the home that you’re moving into. Many years ago, attire for a previously married person meant absolutely no white. That is not the case anymore. When planning your second wedding, if you decide that one of you want to wear a flowing white gown, it’s considered perfectly acceptable. One thing to avoid is a veil, which represents virginity. Instead of a veil, think about adorning your head with a crown or tiara or a beautiful new hairstyle. Whichever you choose, keep in mind that although it is a second marriage, you can feel and look just as beautiful or handsome as you did the first time. When choosing a destination for your second wedding, some couples choose to make it different from the first by having a small ceremony with a huge reception, inviting friends and family on a trip with marriage in mind or having a surprise wedding, by sending invitations out for a birthday party or holiday event and instead being prepared to get married. You can also just go with a traditional church wedding. Whichever you choose, make the decision together. After all, you are committing yourselves to each other and both of you should be happy with the decision. If children are involved from previous marriages, let them know that they also are an important part of your second wedding. Rather than the ceremony joining a couple together, you will be joining families. Why not include the children in the ceremony? Let your son walk you down the aisle to give you away, have your daughter be an honorary attendant or let the younger children be a junior bride or groom. The important thing is to make the children feel welcome in this new union, letting them feel that it is not just a marriage of man and wife, but of the family as a whole. Although second weddings can be done the same as a first time wedding, let this be your opportunity to make it different while keeping it sacred. Make it known to everyone that this is the partner that you have chosen to spend the rest of your life with and your two families are now to be joined as one. We 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
2/22/2016
Mixed Gender Wedding Party
In era of innovation and acceptance something that has become a new trend is a Mixed-Gender Wedding Party. No longer are we saddled with the idea that men stand up for me and women support woman. Heck what happens in a same sex wedding?
Attire When planning attire it is recommended to plan each side accordingly. Having one uniform colour per side will help identify who is standing up for whom. Entrance Mixing genders I’m a wedding party may mean that there won’t be the traditional idea of couples. Here there are a few options. People can still walk the aisle side by side without linking arms or they can enter in single file. Pre-wedding Events Instead of having separate gender events have one larger co-ed function. Not to say that gender specific bachelor or bachelorette events have to be eliminated. That would have to be the choice of you and your partner. Wedding Party Gifts There are so many great neutral gender gifts that you can give your wedding party. Drinking glasses , watches or alcohol to name a few. We 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
2/22/2016
Overnight Wedding Reception Ideas
Some couples these days are turning wedding receptions on their head and creating super long receptions that run through the night and into the morning. If this is you, planning some activities for those long night time hours is essential.
Generally, if an all-night reception is planned, it goes something like this: the wedding is held in the early evening and reception follows. By about midnight, many of the guests will have left and the group that is remaining (generally the younger guests, but not always) will continue to dance and party and revel into the early morning hours. At some point, breakfast will be provided and everyone will go home to crash. Why do you need activities for such a reception? The answer is simple. You want to keep people entertained through the nighttime hours, you want to keep them at the reception and not let them give in to driving home to crash and sleep and you want to provide them with a real party. Let's face it: if they are willing to hang in with you for the duration, they deserve something for their effort. First, you need to be fairly organized about the activities you plan. Consult with your DJ about these activities and leave it to him or her to keep things on a schedule. Do not plan to cut cake in the middle of the night. That activity should take place during the more traditional evening hours, so those not intending to stay all night can leave. However, if you're determined to keep your guests all night, you could hold one activity back with the hope it will keep guests in the house longer. Depending on your guest list, you might hold off on the father-daughter dance until after midnight, or you could save a few toasts for the late night hours. In any event, having some other fun events is a great idea. As guests begin to fade, bring in a pinata, which you can find shaped like a wedding ring, a bridal dress or a champagne flute. Fill it with a variety of goodies. Candy is always popular, but you could also fill it with silly toys found in the carnival section of the party store. Have the DJ play a spirited song and let everyone have a chance at the pinata. Do this on the dance floor and really let people have a swing at it. There should be plenty of room. Once the pinata breaks, everyone can enjoy a taste of sweet candy or can enjoy some silly little carnival game or toy. People who stay for the duration of the wedding are going to need a rest. Plan a photo presentation or video viewing for this purpose. You could have someone who's familiar with PowerPoint create a photo presentation or have someone put together a video of photos. Do this around 2 or 3 am and have it last a good half hour to 45 minutes. This gives everyone a chance to sit down and relax and also gives the DJ a chance to sit, have a rest and rejuvenate for the next round. In that same vein of allowing the guests a little relaxation, one activity that some couples employ is a non-activity. If the wedding is outside, you can provide inflatable mattresses and have some torches lit. If guests want to sit down and relax, they can do so on the mattresses and still be part of the activity while resting. If it's been a long day and someone needs to rest, those reception room chairs don't seem the most comfortable. If the reception is indoors, think about providing large pillows for guests to sit on or create a corner with inflatable mattresses and lots of fabric. This can be a chatting area where people can go to rest but still be part of the fun. They can chat and catch up with other guests and then head back for more partying when they're rejuvenated. We we love to hear your thoughts. Please comment below, stop by and check out www.djxtc.net Facebook Twitter Pinterest Instagram 
2/22/2016
Destination Wedding Activities 
As couples get more and more creative in planning their weddings, locations weddings are becoming more and more popular. Although this might result in a smaller guest list, it can also result in some fun opportunities for activities.
Many couples like to have their weddingsseaside, so they move the festivities to a beach locale, either on their local coast or somewhere more exotic like Jamaica or the Bahamas. In any event, there are several activities that can be planned around this theme. If the wedding is also a weekend event where guests will be around for more than just the wedding, the couple can plan a sailing excursion. Charter a boat for a day and bring your guests out on the water to relax, rejuvenate, and perhaps enjoy a meal. If the wedding is in the Caribbean, how about a cooking demonstration? The wedding couple can arrange for the wedding guests to enjoy a complimentary cooking demonstration put on by the hotel or a local cook. Since much of the food the guests eat while visiting for the wedding will be different than what they eat at home, they might enjoy learning how to prepare it for home enjoyment. Say the wedding is in Hawaii, another popular destination wedding location. Here, you can plan several activities around the location. For example, what about a luau? This could even take the place of a more formal or conventional sit-down rehearsal dinner. In Hawaii, guests will enjoy a hula lesson. Depending on the age of your guests, be sure there is enough time between the wedding and the lesson for the resting of aching bones, in case there are any. At the wedding itself, there are many ways to incorporate the location into the ceremony itself. At a beachside reception, you can play "pass the shell", where a large shell is passed around and guests "listen" for some advice from the other world. Once they get a piece of advice (really something they think of themselves) they share it with the couple, either verbally, or it can be written into a book them. Other pre-wedding activities can include guided tours, shopping excursions and wine tasting activities (if applicable). If you choose to include any of these activities keep in mind that the couple (or their families) are expected to pay for the bulk of them. If you arrange a sailing excursion, for example, you are expected to pick up the tab for the trip. Do not tell people ahead of time that the activity will be x dollars. It's likely that won't sit well with them. Since one of the great benefits of the destination wedding is that only your closest friends and family will likely surround you, you can plan some meaningful activities that you wouldn't plan if the wedding were a larger event. For example, you might plan a slumber party night with close friends that includes movies, popcorn and drinks in your hotel room, villa or cottage, depending on where the wedding is held. Of course, if you plan a destination wedding, for some people this might double as their vacation. In that event, you might not want to schedule too many activities but instead let people find their own activities and entertainment both before and after the wedding. We would love to hear your thoughts. www.djxtc.net Facebook Twitter Pinterest Instagram 
So you two are getting married? Why not do everything you can to make it a wedding to remember? Here are the items you will want to consider carefully while formulating your wedding plans: Secular or Non-secular? Decide whether you want a simple civil ceremony or a church-affiliated wedding. This should be a straightforward decision, but if you run into a snag on this point, don't worry; you can work it out. It'll just be the first of many compromises! If you want a church wedding, make an appointment to talk to the church representative that handles such things and go from there. Money Weddings cost money. It's one of a handful of life-changing events, and an investment to make it everything you ever wanted it to be is appropriate. Talk it over. Come up with a dollar figure and start gathering estimates. Once you have decided how much you want to spend, try no to, go over that amount. This is the first big investment you'll make, and you want it to be a pleasant one. Get Informed Make your list of "must-haves," such as wedding attire, invitations, flowers, rings and reception. Then call for estimates on each of those items. If your estimates total less than your wedding budget, you can go on to items on your second-tier list, your "wanna-haves." This list will include such items as a hairdresser/barber, a photographer, a stag night, a bachelor/bachelorette party and professional music, both for the wedding ceremony and the reception. The Moment You've Waited For Did you forget the honeymoon? Not likely! You may look at the costs you've racked up on paper so far and despair, thinking you'll only have money left over for a night at the bowling alley! If that's the case, go back over all your lists and prune. Or give yourselves more time to save the money you'll need to create your perfect experience. The honeymoon, after all, is the consummation of the marriage. Make it a time to remember forever. Bon voyage! We would love to hear your thoughts ! Please comment below, stop by and check out www.djxtc.net Facebook Twitter Pinterest Instagram
2/11/2016
8 Do Not Play Wedding Songs
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1/22/2016
Cutting Wedding Expenses
You're about to have the wedding of your dreams. It doesn't come cheap. After all, no expense should be spared for the perfect white dress and shoes, the matching platinum rings, the gala reception, the flower arrangements, videos and photographs, the wedding giveaways, and even the 6-tiered wedding cake. Unfortunately, your pocket book is becoming alarmingly lighter by the minute. So in order to spend for the things you really want, you'll have to think about cutting back on the things you only kind of want.
Think Twice and Cut Back Indeed, cutting back on your wedding expenses seems like a good idea. But like all good ideas, it's easier said than done. You want everything to be perfect no matter what the cost is. All reason flies out the window - and for good reason. If you stop, take a deep breath, and put things in perspective, however, you'll realize that this isn't a good way to do things. After all, though your wedding might not be like any other day, it's still just one day. You don't want to spend your entire savings for just this one day and end up with hardly any money to start your life together as a couple. That's not a good way to start a marriage, and it definitely doesn't put you on the road to happily-ever-after. Cut Where Nobody Notices The average couple can indeed be unreasonable when it comes to their wedding. But that doesn't mean you should be, even if you can get away with it. Though you may not want to spare any expense on your dress, suit or the reception, you can cut back on minor things, like the wedding giveaways, table centrepieces, or even cheap wedding party gifts. Don't feel bad about getting cheaper gifts. Your wedding party are a handful of your and your fiance's closest family and friends. They'll definitely understand why you're giving them less priceier gifts. In fact, they might even expect it. Cheap Can Be Chic Breathe easy. Less expensive gifts aren't as bad as you think. Just because they're cheaper, doesn't mean they're tacky. You can put your genius to good use by picking gifts that are still tasteful and elegant. Simplicity is the key. Contrary to what you may think, friends aren't that hard to please. You can find many sophisticated items as cheap wedding party gifts. Consider cufflinks, liquor flasks, cigarette lighters, and wallets. They're functional, and with your impeccable taste, you're sure to find elegant sophistication under $50. With that taken care of, you can then spare no expense for your dream wedding outfits . The money you saved from buying cheaper gifts can be used to purchase more flowers or add more desserts for your guests. You can probably even add another tier on your cake. Indeed, by cutting back on some of your wedding expenses, you'll be able to splurge on the things that really matter and have more than enough left over to live happily ever after. We 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 
Think saying “I do” is going to be the most emotional moment in your wedding?
Probably so, but putting down a deposit on your wedding venue could be a close runner-up. Reception costs consume almost half the budget for the wedding, which these days means you can expect to lay out almost $ 18,000, including food. And the venue you select can not only limit your choice of caterers or bakers, it’s sure to affect how much you spend to “cover up” its weak spots or accent its highlights. Most stressful of all, the popular venues book far in advance, forcing cpuoples to make the big decision almost as soon as they set the date. For that reason, the savvy venue-hunters want to know what questions to ask before they walk in the door, much less signs the contract. Here are a few ideas: Do you have a pre-set list of caterers I can use, or can I choose my own? Some venues — high-end ones with their own catering staff, or small-town ones with little competition — require you to use the in-house caterers or choose from a small list of “approved” vendors. It can be difficult to get taste-tests or otherwise put this type of vendor through its paces. If you’re stuck with such a list, search high and low for couples who have “been there, done that” and can give you their honest opinions. Any restrictions on decorations? Many venues have them, but rules vary widely from place to place. Common restrictions include: no open flame (or no flame whatsoever), no smoke machines, no tape or tacks on the walls, or no confetti. When linens are provided, some halls will prohibit the use of pins. Ask if the hall can provide any decorations themselves, especially around holidays. Useful centrepiece items such as hurricane lamps or Eiffel vases are not uncommon. Can we bring our own liquor, is there a “corkage” fee, and do we need a license? If the liquor is to flow freely at your wedding, you’ll save an immense amount of money by bringing your own. But some venues prohibit this and require you to buy from them. Even worse is the venue that says “yes” to bringing your own alcohol, but charges you a mandatory “corkage fee” to serve it — which typically starts at an unbelievable $10 per bottle or more! You’ll want to be crystal-clear on the fine print regarding alcohol before you commit to a venue. As for licensing, many places consider wedding receptions to be an “unlicensed social function,” meaning you don’t need one as long as you’re not charging anyone for the alcohol. But be sure to check your local regulations before moving ahead — and ask your venue if they know of any licensing requirements(ie SOCAN) Is there a cake-cutting fee? Some venues even limit your choice of bakers, but most don’t. A more common (and sneakier) tactic is to charge you a cake-cutting fee, which like corkage fees, can really add up — often at $1 per slice! DIY Detective Work These, of course, are only a few of the questions you’ll want to ask a prospective venue manager. A few more tips while you’re checking out the place: – Bring a tape measure. Get the dimensions of the room, the tables, and the distance between any features that might impact your decor, like windows. How many outlets are there and where are they located? What kind of climate control is available to you? – Check the kitchen. Does it look clean, roomy and suitable for your catering staff to work from? – Check the hall itself. Where will you put the DJ , the cake table, the coffee service? Are there coat racks for your guests? Is a sound system available? Is there an “tie-in” fee to bring your own entertainment ? – Check out the parking. Is it ample? Is it paved, or can it get muddy in the case of rain? Is there access for anyone with a disability? One final thing to get clear before you autograph that contract is your venue’s cancellation policy. But hopefully, with these helpful tips, you’ll have done enough homework to rest easy in your choice and not worry about having to cancel. Now that you’ve signed, take some time to sit back and relax … before you tackle the next task in that thick wedding planner! We 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
1/8/2016
Wedding Guest Book Activities
Traditional couples don’t have to have traditional guest books. Certainly you can purchase a standard guest book and ask your guests to sign it, but there are so many more guest book-like activities that are more unique.
Let’s move from the popular to the less well known. One very popular option allows guests to sign a picture of the wedding couple. Simply take a picture of the couple and have it matted in a mat several inches larger than the photo itself. Place a frame around this, but don’t include the glass or Plexiglas frame. You’ll add this later. Some people prefer to use “bulldog” clips to keep the mat together instead of putting the picture in the frame. The picture can be framed after the wedding. Most couples choose a nice photo of themselves for this picture/guest book option, although if there’s a formal engagement photo, this is an excellent way to preserve that photo and show it off to friends and family. If photos are taken before the wedding with the couple in their wedding attire, you can certainly use this photo. Many couples opt to either leave the mat empty or they place a temporary picture in the mat and add a wedding picture later. Be sure to have a nice Sharpie marker handy and place the picture on either a sturdy easel or on a table where guests are sure to see it. Another option is instead of providing a picture of the couple to sign, the guests are provided with a picture of themselves! Simply provide a Polaroid camera and assign someone the job of taking pictures of the guests as they arrive at the reception. Once the picture is dry, provide a Sharpie and they can sign the picture, make a note to the couple or hand draw a silly picture. It can be whatever the guest wants it to be. This is a unique, and personal, way for guests to “sign in” at the wedding. Whoever handles the taking of the pictures should also handle putting them in an album of some sort. A scrap booker might provide a special memory book with the Polaroid pictures in it, or the pictures can simply be placed in a nice album and presented later to the couple. Many guests don’t give a great deal of thought to the guest book. They whiz by the guest book table more concerned with getting their cocktail and hitting the dance floor. If this is a concern, provide a “traveling” guest book. Send each guest something either to sign or decorate before the wedding. In this “traveling” guest book scenario, there are several options. One of the easiest is to send each guest a small piece of paper and ask them to write something meaningful or thoughtful for the bride and groom on it. The pieces of paper are returned prior to the wedding (to ensure a better response, provide a self-addressed stamped envelope with the paper) and can be compiled in some meaningful way for the wedding couple and presented to them on their wedding day. If the guest list is a creative or particularly close group, there is one other option that is even more meaningful. Again, in a scrapbook fashion, send each guest a piece of paper to sign or decorate. The paper should be the size of a photo album, so it might be a 6 x 6 piece of paper, an 8 x 8 piece of paper, or even 12 x 12, if the guests are up to that larger size. In a letter that arrives with the paper, the guests are instructed to create a memory page for the couple. They might include photos, quotes, little anecdotal stories, or combine all of these with stickers or embellishments. It’s thoughtful, meaningful and personal and it’s an excellent way to include guests who might not be able to attend the wedding, but would still like to be a part of it. 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 
The WeddingWire Couples' Choice Awards® recognizes the top five percent of local wedding professionals from the WeddingWire Network who demonstrate excellence in quality, service, responsiveness and professionalism. Unlike other awards in which winners are selected by the organization, winners of the WeddingWire Couples' Choice Awards® are determined by recent reviews from over a million WeddingWire newlyweds.
Toronto’s Own DJ XTC Entertainment Services Wins a WeddingWire Couples’ Choice Award® 2016 Toronto, Ontario – January, 2016 – WeddingWire, the leading global online wedding marketplace, named DJ XTC Entertainment Services as a winner of the prestigious WeddingWire Couples’ Choice Awards® 2016 for DJ's in Toronto! The WeddingWire Couples’ Choice Awards® 2016 recognizes the top five percent of wedding professionals in the WeddingWire Network who demonstrate excellence in quality, service, responsiveness and professionalism. The esteemed awards are given to the top local wedding vendors in more than 20 service categories, from wedding venues to wedding florists, based on their professional achievements from the previous year. While many industry award winners are selected by the host organization, the WeddingWire Couples’ Choice Awards® winners are determined solely based on reviews from real newlyweds and their experiences working with DJ XTC Entertainment Services. Award-winning vendors are distinguished for the quality, quantity, consistency and timeliness of the reviews they have received from their past clients. “We are thrilled to celebrate such a high-caliber, committed group of professionals for the Couples’ Choice Awards’® eighth year,” said Timothy Chi, CEO, WeddingWire. “We are proud to continue to serve as the industry leader, with over 2.5 million consumer and peer reviews, and feature award-winning merchants such as DJ XTC Entertainment Services who understands the impact reviews have on their successful businesses.” As a Couples’ Choice Awards® winner, DJ XTC Entertainment Services is highlighted within the WeddingWire Network, which is comprised of more than 400,000 wedding professionals globally. DJ XTC Entertainment Services is proud to be one of the top DJ's in Toronto in the WeddingWire Network. We would like to thank our past clients for taking the time to review our business on WeddingWire. We value all of our clients and truly appreciate the positive feedback that helped us earn the WeddingWire Couples’ Choice Awards® 2016. For more information about DJ XTC Entertainment Services, please visit our WeddingWire Storefront today. To learn more about the Couples’ Choice Awards®, please visit www.weddingwire.com/couples-choice-awards. About WeddingWire, Inc. WeddingWire, Inc. is the leading global online marketplace connecting consumers with event and creative professionals. Operating within a $200 billion industry, WeddingWire, Inc. hosts 10 million monthly unique users across its mobile and web platforms. Consumers are able to read over 2.5 million vendor reviews and search, compare and book from a database of over 400,000 businesses. Globally, it provides these businesses the technology they need to serve their clients through advertising, marketing and business management tools such as websites, payment processing, invoicing and contracts. Founded in 2007, the WeddingWire portfolio of sites serves couples and businesses across 14 countries in North America, Latin America and Europe, making it the worldwide leader in weddings with brands including Bodas.net, Casamentos.com.br, Matrimonio.com and more. The company employs more than 650 and maintains global headquarters in Washington, DC and international headquarters in Barcelona, Spain.
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12/27/2015
Top 10 Tips For Newly Engaged Couples
Engagement season is at hand … you are going to hear me say that several times over the next few months .
Planning a wedding can feel like an overwhelming task but if you break it down then the parts will be much easier to handle. Set A Timetable As soon as you announce yourengagement you will be bombarded with questions about your wedding date. The average engagement can be anywhere from 6 - 18 months. You should try to avoid holidays or major events that may conflict. Set Your Budget Organize with your families to figure out if there will be other contributors other than your partner and yourself. Take into account if their is assistance added then they might have a say as to how the money is spent . Start A Guest List There are many factors in building your guest list . If you have picked your ceremony/reception site you will need to know if your total number of guest can be accommodated. Insure Your Rings There are a few ways to do this : Either through a company that supplies jewelry insurance or as an extension of your homeowner’s/renters policy Choose Your Supporting Cast I always refer to the wedding party as the supporting cast. You and your partner are the stars of the show! The sooner you decide on the wedding party the earlier you can enlist their help. Think about hiring a Planner/Consultant Depending on the size of your wedding and your jobs it may be a good idea to hire some help. Full-time wedding planner, part-time consultant or day-of-coordinator are all great options depending on how much help you need. Book Your Venue. Your reception venue will be canvas for the theme of your wedding and the backdrop for all your pictures . Make sure that your venue falls within the look , price and vision that you have for your reception. Visit as many venues as possible and get all the images that you can. Interview and Hire Your Vendors If you can’t picture getting married without a particular DJ, Venue or Photographer then act quickly. Many of the top vendors might be booked a year or more in advance. Shop for Your Wedding Outfits Dresses and/or suits are an intricate part of a wedding. Go online and through magazines to see various types and styles to find the right look for you and your partner. Pick Your Theme Both of you should be represented in choosing a theme . Size, colour, modern, rustic, vintage are all things that should be considered we putting together a theme. 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 
A perfect wedding isn't only beautiful, it's personal. It has carefully selected details that are meaningful to you and your fiancé. Here are some very simple ways to add your own subtle, unique touches to your ceremony and reception:
Write your own wedding vows. It doesn't have to read like poetry; the important thing is that it comes from your own heart. Print it out on an index card and keep it handy during the ceremony. Compile a CD with songs that symbolize your relationship or how it evolved. Play this during your reception or even burn a copy and distribute as souvenirs. Insert a small piece of paper explaining why you chose those songs. Instead of tossing your bouquet, present it to your mother (or a dear friend or mentor) during your reception. You can also have an additional bouquet made for your partner to also present to someone at the same time. Compile in a scrapbook. Guests often have free time on their hands during their reception. In the centre of the table, place several pens and small pieces of paper in a pretty basket. Ask them to write their wishes, prayers, or advice for you and your fiancé. Most wedding reception programs revolve around the couple: friends give speeches. Do something for the guests. Make a video of you and your fiancé talking about the people who've taught you what true love means. Mention friends who've demonstrated real loyalty, or family members who made great sacrifices for you. Intersperse your video with their photos. This is your chance to say thank you to all of them. If you have a close friend or family member who passed away, make him or her part of the occasion by inserting a small photo in your bouquet, or lighting a tribute candle at the ceremony. If you have ethnic roots, incorporate a marriage ritual from your culture into your ceremony or perform it during your reception. Wear an heirloom. For example, you can use your grandmother ís veil, or wear a locket that belongs to your mother. This is an excellent way of creating a sense of continuity between generations, celebrating your own family even as you go on to begin your own. Prepare an audio-video presentation that will be played during the parents dances. This can be just a simple montage of childhood photos. A guaranteed tear-jerker! If you have kids, help them feel like they're part of the new family by asking them to stand next to you as you say your vows. Add little elements that say something about your relationship as a couple. For example, if you're giving away picture frames, insert a poem that you wrote or a copy of your wedding vows. If you met at a beach (and would rather not have a beach-themed wedding) incorporate shells into your table centrepiece. 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 
I had the pleasure of being the DJ/MC of a wedding that included music for the ceremony, cocktails and of course the reception. All the facets were at the same property but in different rooms. When it came time to transition from the cocktail area to the dinner/reception hall I asked the wedding party to get ready for the receiving line. I was met with a dozen blank stares. The what?
It looks like through my planning and coordinating with the wedding couple no one informed the rest of the wedding party that this was happening. Not only that but most of them were unaware what a receiving line even was. I understand that more weddings are putting tradition aside but I just assumed this was a gimmie. There are a few pros and cons of having a receiving line as opposed to the wedding couple doing table visits during the course of the night Pros - It is a great opportunity to greet and thank every guest for coming to your wedding. - Tradition dictates that if you are having more than 50 guest that it is warranted. - You guarantee that every guest will get at least a minute of actual face time with both you and your partner. - You can have the opportunity to have your photo taken with every couple before they enter the reception hall. Cons - If your guest count is a large one you could have an enormous line throughout your venue. - You have to allocate a large amount of time which could in turn delay major aspects of the reception timeline and could hinder the plating and/or preparation of food. - They may not be enough room to line up 200 or more guests at your reception venue. - Parents , Step-Parents , Grandparents , Wedding Party and Wedding Couple may have issue with being included/not included. At the end of the day whatever you and your partner decide just try to keep the above points in mind. We would love to hear your thoughts. Please comment below, stop by and check out www.djxtc.net Facebook Twitter Pinterest Instagram
11/18/2015
Unity Candle Ideas
If you are planning a wedding and plan to have a unity candle as part of the ceremony, you might want to think outside the box.
Traditionally, the unity candle involves three candles. The one partner has one, the second partner the other, and their two lighted candles light the third candle. This is done to represent the coming together of the two people to make one unit. In some alternate methods, family members are invited to participate in the unity candle lighting, often the mothers of the couple, or other close members of the family. Each family then lights a candle, and together they light the unity candle to symbolize of the coming together of the families. Now, there are a few twists you can add to this fairly conventional aspect of a wedding ceremony. You can provide each guest with an unlit candle when they arrive at the ceremony. After the couple lights the unity candle, they can ask the guests to move to the front of the church (or wherever the ceremony is being held) and light their candles with the lighted unity candle. This can take a bit of time and might be best with a smaller guest list. But it is a meaningful way to not only get your guests involved in the ceremony itself, but also symbolize the union of family and friends with the marriage. If there is a large guest list and it would be a prohibitive waste of time to do a candle lighting involving everyone at the ceremony, some couples like to bring the unity candle to the reception. Light the candle again and provide each guest with a small votive candle (the candle holder will be on the tables at individual table settings). As guests come into the reception area or hall, they can light their votive and take it to their table to place into the votive holder. This small votive candle can double as a wedding favor, particularly if you decorate or enhance a plain votive candleholder in some way to coordinate with your wedding. Of course, you can forget having a unity candle at the ceremony altogether. Many couples these days are trying to reduce the length of the ceremony and spend more time planning the reception. In that light, some choose to do away with a unity candle altogether. You can certainly do this, or you can cut it out of the ceremony and make it part of the reception. To do this, you can use the votive candle option suggested above, or you can simply incorporate the unity candle lighting into the reception activities themselves. For example, you might choose a quiet moment in the reception to have a lighting of the unity candle. It might be during a short prayer prior to the serving of the meal, or right before the cake is cut. In this case, the unity candle can then be used as decoration on the cake table. As the couple cut the cake and pieces are served to guests, the candle can also serve as a reminder of the couple's new bond and that the bond is shared with all the guests as well. Although having a unity candle at the wedding or reception isn't necessary, it is certainly an option that many couples opt to include. But it's important to remember that as with so much surrounding wedding planning there are ways to make it unique and interesting and special to the couple getting married. 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
11/16/2015
7 Steps To Planning YOUR Dream Wedding
With over 30 years as a Toronto Wedding DJ and MC, I have seen many types of weddings. I’ve been part of simple backyard weddings as well as some of the most elaborate upscale weddings. There is one major similarity in all successful weddings. They all had the proper planning! Let’s look at some ways that you can successfully plan YOUR Dream Wedding.
1.Have A Checklist Have a checklist and keep it current. This is by far one of the most important things in my mind but just keeping the list isn’t enough . Have ONE version and use it as your plan for your wedding. Once things are ready to go you will know it because of your checklist. 2.Manage Your Time Correctly Pretty much 75% -80% of weddings fall behind the original timeline. Being realistic about the length of things like toasts is essential. Schedule a realistic time for each activity or event. When you do that you can have proper transitions and not have guest wondering what’s going to happen next. 3.Family Accomodations Of course your family will be invited to the wedding but make sure to have plans for family that are travelling. Travelling arrangements and accommodations will be left in your court. Contact hotels near your reception venue. 4.Be Selective In Your Battles Seriously ! We all want everything to be perfect for your wedding but sometimes being at peace is more important than the little things. Picking your spots will make everything much more manageable. 5.Ask Questions I say this at every single consultation. Ask questions with every single vendor you meet with. That is the best way to know exactly who you want for your big day. 6.Hire Professionals A professional vendor can make the difference between the wedding that you have always dreamt of and a fiasco. Their are full and part time professional vendors in every field. Do your homework. We all want to save money but that shouldn’t be at the expense of your wedding. If something were to go wrong a professional will have the tools , experience and know how to deal with the issue. 7.Enjoy Your Wedding Too many times couples tend to oversee every aspect of their wedding. You have done the planning NOW trust your vendors to execute those plans. If you aren’t comfortable stepping back then you may not have hired the right vendors. This list is not the be all and end all to putting together your dream wedding but adding these steps into the mix will certainly start you off on the right track . We would love to hear your thoughts. Please comment below, stop by and check out www.djxtc.net Facebook Twitter Pinterest Instagram
11/11/2015
Creating A Wedding Time Capsule One of the wedding trends that's really revving up couples today is the addition of a time capsule to the wedding prep proceedings. Yes, the wedding time capsule is a growing trend -- to the point where you can buy a pre-made kit from many web sites.
In kit form, your wedding time capsule takes the form of an attractive tin, in which you place various mementos -- photos, videos -- as well as predictions for the future; then, you seal it all up with some festive stickers, to help discourage premature peeking. You decide ahead of time how long you'll wait until you open it again -- your 5th anniversary ? 10th anniversary? 25th anniversary? And then you write a stern directive to yourself on the tin to help you keep to the agreement. Although most people equate "time capsule" with "something you bury in the ground," burying your wedding time capsule isn't a great idea. Not only does that subject the contents to extreme temperature variations, but with the Census bureau reporting that the average person moves every five years, chances of you leaving behind a buried capsule before the hoped-for anniversary rolls around are high indeed. Instead, keep yours out of the elements and somewhere relatively kind -- avoid damp attics, but a climate-controlled closet would be just perfect. Some of us just like to do things our own way, and a wedding time capsule is no exception. Of course you can create your own! And a great way to do that is to get close friends and relatives in on the fun. Have them scribble up some predictions -- or perhaps marital advice. Take advantage of a pre-wedding party to snap photos of your intimates, and tuck the photos into the capsule. If you really want to motivate people to get involved, hold some kind of drawing for participants, such as a wedding raffle -- give away a box of fine cigars, a bottle of bubbly or even an afternoon at a spa. While you're letting others in on the action, there are number of ways to go about it. One is to compose a list of predictions for everyone to guess at -- the whole experience is similar to filling out a junior high slam book, and just as fun. For example, ask participants to predict: How many children you'll have, what kind of household robots you'll have, how many career changes you've gone through, what major nation we're closest to, and which one we're mad at, what animal is the trendiest pet, ... and so on. Another is to ask your wedding party and close friends to compose short letters to you. Give them each envelopes, and instruct them to tell you on the outside when it's time to open the envelope. Some will simply say "fifth anniversary," "10th anniversary," or "when your first child is born." Others will get more creative -- and you'll probably find it's terrific fun to stretch out the time capsule concept in this inventive, unpredictable way. I would love to hear your thoughts. Stop by and reach out on our contact page. |
About the Author: Neal A. McFarlane
Neal A. McFarlane is a highly accomplished and dedicated full-time wedding DJ and MC based in Toronto. With over 40 years of experience in the entertainment industry, Neal is known for his unparalleled expertise, passion for music, and commitment to delivering exceptional service. As the driving force behind DJ XTC Entertainment, Neal specializes in creating unique and unforgettable wedding experiences for couples across the GTA. His meticulous attention to detail, seamless MC skills, and ability to curate perfect playlists ensure every event is a celebration to remember. Neal's deep love for music and his focus on making lasting memories set him apart as one of the most trusted professionals in the industry. When Neal isn’t behind the decks, he’s busy mentoring aspiring DJs, staying ahead of wedding trends, and helping couples bring their dream day to life.
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