Wedding Advice

If you are like most couples, I am certain you would like all your guests to dance and have an awesome time at your wedding reception. The smiles, the laughter, the fun……..all of it is achievable! All you need is the right wedding DJ/MC, the right plan, the right schedule of events and the right attitude. Unfortunately however, the truth of the matter is that there are many boring wedding receptions which take place each week. You may have even been to one or two or more of them (I most certainly have). Often the blame tends to fall on the Bride and Groom or the DJ/MC, or all three. Because couples have never organised a wedding before and most DJ/MC Entertainers don’t have the personality and experience necessary to lead couples in the right direction, to give them the right advice or to know what to do when something unexpected happens. Please allow me to explain further and share a few suggestions that may assist in  creating that unforgettable wedding reception.

Very simply, your wedding reception is a celebration, a party. Accordingly, the top thing that most guests will remember from a wedding is the fun they had. So for now, take your focus off the decorations, the wedding dress, the fancy chairs, the place card holders, the sashes, the flowers and the venue. Those things won’t help you have a fun wedding reception. Not one bit. While they certainly have their place, it is your guests and the activities during the reception that will connect and engage your guests, and create the joy and excitement that everlasting memories are made of.

People and emotion create memories.

Your guests will have opportunities to express and flaunt those emotions throughout your wedding, but one of the greatest opportunities will be when they join together on the dance floor and create a synergy that can be generated only by those who are your nearest and dearest. The entertainment is the driving force that makes people remember your fun entry, your emotional first dance, the maid of honour kicking off her heels and the groomsmen pulling off their ties.

I have entertained at some of the most exclusive venues and private estates in Sydney and it’s surrounding areas. But I have also entertained at and created a memorable and super fun wedding reception in a humble backyard or family property with views of the rubbish bins, chicken coops, piles of junk and discarded tractor tyres amongst a whole lot of other unsightly views. But none of that mattered. The couple had an incredible time with their family and friends because they made entertainment a priority and they planned everything with the guests in mind.

Focus on what matters. Focus on the guests. Focus on the entertainment. Focus on the little things in between. That is what guests will remember from your wedding day. That is what will get them pumped up and ready to dance. You want your guests to feel as if you have fully considered what they would like when it comes to music, activities, entertainment and dancing, instead of just thinking about what you would like.

It is also important to stay positive during the wedding planning process. Remember that the main function of a wedding reception is not to try and impress your friends. That is where most people make their first mistake and end up unnecessarily, putting too much pressure on themselves.

In summary, make your wedding about the two of you, but don’t forget to keep the guests in mind. A talented DJ/MC Entertainer can help you create an evening full of fun and personal moments that will result in such fabulous memories. My wish is that you have an absolutely incredible wedding reception, one that you will remember for the rest of your life!

Video by DJ:Plus! Entertainment

Wedding Party Introductions – Everyone knows that weddings are all about the bride (and maybe just a tiny little bit about the groom). Most couples also select a number of special people to be in their wedding party (also known as the bridal party). The wedding party are not only the people who the bride and groom count on to help with the planning, but also are the ones that they wish by their side when they walk down the aisle and say their vows. They generally include sisters, brothers and/or closest friends and all certainly play an important part in a wedding, and whilst mostly behind the scenes, it is always lovely to recognise all their efforts.

So how do you go about acknowledging their efforts? One of the most common ways to show them how much you appreciate them, is to include details in the wedding party introductions as they enter the reception. Of course there are also creative fun ways to introduce those that have been given this honour to all your guests, and there are certainly also other easy ways to show your appreciation which does not involve an introduction, however this post will focus on the introduction.

Traditional Introductions

Ensure that your MC knows the correct order the individual members of the wedding party will be entering, as well as how to pronounce their names. (A professional and experienced MC will naturally ask for this information during scheduled planning sessions in the lead up to the wedding day). At a minimum the MC should introduce each person by their first and last name and mention the role they have in the wedding party. If you wish a more personalised introduction, consider adding how they each know the bride or groom, their occupation, hobbies or interests, other relevant information and some fun facts.

Some of my couples have decided to include information about their wedding party in the Order Of Service Booklet, or similar, for your guests to read while waiting for the ceremony to begin, and whilst this is helpful, it can be impersonal and doesn’t give guests any way of putting names to faces.  If you are contemplating doing this, please consider including a small photo next to each person’s name along with a short biography.

But to me, a wedding is about the start of a new relationship between two families and not all the guests will know all those in the wedding party and how they are connected to the wedding couple. The wedding celebration should make everybody feel included and engage guests from the very start of the reception, and the best way to do this is to have the MC introduce the wedding party.

Tips For Formal Introductions

Ensure your wedding party is comfortable with each other – often they may not all know each other and may only meet just before the ceremony. If practical, it may be a good idea to organise a social event a few weeks before the wedding so they can spend some time to become more acquainted. They will be together for a significant part of the wedding day, so it is important that they get along with each other and enjoy the experience.

You and the Wedding Party should enter the reception excited – when your guests see you and your wedding party having a great time, they will be so much more excited and will more eagerly participate in the festivities.

Communicate with your MC – a professional will have a multitude of great ideas and fun ways on how to personalise and spice up the wedding party introductions.

Creative & Fun Introductions

Encourage your wedding party to do something fun as they enter the reception.  As an example, they could all perform a different dance routine as they enter and they may waltz, tango, jive, twist, shimmy or even moonwalk their way into the reception. Letting each couple decide which dance move they want to use for their entrance is a great idea as the couple will be more motivated to give it their all if they have had input into how they enter.

Use props: find toys, colourful wigs, costumes or other props which complement your theme and have your wedding party use them during their introduction.

However you decide to do the wedding party introductions, please be open to all ideas as the results can be truly amazing. Personally, I just love to explore the different possible options with my couples to kick off the reception in a fun energetic way whilst bringing the two families together and setting a tone that it will be a truly enjoyable and memorable wedding celebration.

Images: True Photography, Daniel Krieger Photography, Dream Love Wedding Photography, Cinisa.com, Ryan Smith Photography, Menning Photographic, Dennis Drenner Photography

Based on my experience, every couple I have met with and spoken to desires a FUN wedding – not one has ever said to me that they want their celebration to be boring. Now I am certainly not in any way implying that any wedding would be boring, but planning a wedding takes up so much time, money and effort that you would really want to ensure that every person attending has an absolute BLAST. Don’t you?

Well believe it or not, the key to having a fun wedding is not in having the most elaborate of wedding decorations, nor the type of flowers you choose, or even whether you decide to select beef over chicken or fish for the main meal. It really is not a secret that if you wish a fun wedding, you really must plan to have a fun wedding! I know that sounds rather unsexy and does involve a little extra work, but if it had your guests raving about your wedding for months to come, then would it not be worth the effort?

Here are a few things you can do to help create a FUN Wedding;

Make sure guests know what to expect.
The more you let your guests know in advance what your expectations are, the more they are going to be in the right mood and mindset to both act and enjoy themselves accordingly.

Feed guests. Feed them on time.
Hungry can quickly turn into hangry*, and it is really hard to enjoy yourself when you are hangry.
* Hangry: When you are so hungry that your lack of food causes you to become angry, frustrated or both. Source: Urban Dictionary

Make the celebration authentic to you as a couple.
Everyone has a different definition of what fun is. By keeping it authentic to you as a couple and the larger part of your social circle, your wedding will be unique and entertaining. Of course, knowing your crowd is key.

Get your guests emotionally invested.
People enjoy weddings the most when they are emotionally invested in the reason they are there: two people they love are publicly declaring their love and joining their lives together in marriage.

Let it go, let it go!
At the end of the day, it is important to realise that there will be guests who are not going to have fun at your wedding no matter what you do and that there is not a single party that all your guests will love equally. What they do love, however, is you, so hopefully they will go home saying “I am so, so happy to have been able to be there to celebrate when this couple I love was married.”

DJ:Plus! Entertainment can help you make your wedding fun in many other ways through the use of creative and personalised ideas which will engage and entertain your guests whilst remaining true to who you are as a couple.

Credits: Content based on original article by Elizabeth Clayton which appears on A Practical Wedding. Photograph by JAG Studios