Spencer Weddings | Sacramento, Folsom, Roseville DJ Entertainment

Jason is very organized, which we loved!  He made every part of the planning process simple and smooth.  At one point when I, the bride, was over analyzing he simply said, “take a deep breath” — which was needed.  From then on, the process was much more relaxed for me.

I highly recommend Jason for any event or party!

Over the years, I have seen many different songs of love used for the bride and groom’s first dance at a wedding.  I thought I’d post some of what my clients chose over the last year:

• Ray Lamontagne – “You Are The Best Thing”
• Bruno Mars – “Just The Way You Are”
• Keane – “Only Somewhere We Know”
• Reverend Horton Heat – “We Belong Forever”
• Otis Redding – “These Arms Of Mine”
• Frankie Valli – “Can’t Take My Eyes Off You”
• Pussycat Dolls – “Sway”
• Adam Sandler – “Grow Old With You”
• Michael Buble – “Hold On”
• Keith Urban – “Only You Can Love Me This Way”
• John Legend – “Stay With You”
• Depeche Mode – “Somebody”

Jason –

We just wanted to say thank you for being a part of our special day!

We had such a great time meeting and planning with you.  We had even more fun on the ‘big day’.  Thank you again for everything you did for us.  We will never forget it!

Mark & Maria

The best wedding vendors out there are incredibly passionate about their service or product. They give up weekends to share a moment in one of the happiest days of someone else’s life. Unfortunately, that also means likely giving up some responsibility with their friends and family at home.

The wedding industry as a whole has two unique trends, which are often referred to as Booking Season and Wedding Season and runs the course of the year. In short, the Booking Season runs during the months of engagements, encompassing holidays like Thanksgiving, Christmas, New Year’s, and Valentine’s Day. Wedding Season (in the greater San Francisco Bay Area) typically starts in March and runs right into the first weeks of November.

Now add all of those bridal shows, client consultations, planning sessions, emails, phone tag… Wedding vendors work nothing like the typical 40-hour work week most of their clients are accustomed to working. So where do many of them make time for family and rejuvenation?

The truth is that it depends on the vendor. Some of the best vendors I know are charging above average pricing.  One reason for this is so they can limit the total events per calendar year. Fewer events means less chance of a burnout, time for family, and increases the success rating for the events they do work.

The next time a vendor mentions how many events they work per year, don’t be too concerned if it is a smaller number. If their client feedback and reviews are superior, it might just mean they are keeping that balance of passion, family, and life.

What an absolutely amazing week I have just had at the 2010 Wedding MBA Conference in Las Vegas. Now in their eighth year, the show ran just two and a half days, and I personally got something for every penny I spent on the very first day. Heck, I already even picked up my pass for next year (which attendees could get for up to $350 off the full price).

Getting your name in print

We all want our name in lights, right?  That seemed to be a recurring theme of sorts this year. However, the way that I look at what Stacie Francombe of Get Married, Alan Berg of The Knot, Amy Wilkins of Martha Stewart Weddings, and David Katz of Brides.com had to say was really how to get our brides and grooms featured in media. I work with couples of all sorts, but I’m sure many of them would get a kick out of having a super-creative wedding that made the pages of a major publication (or even a blog post).

It makes sense. After all, nearly 70% of brides use both magazines and go online to get ideas for a wedding (Francombe). Those magazines are not cheap either, running an average of $10 per issue (Katz). As brides and grooms, they can show it off to friends and family, and have a keepsake. As vendors, we have the opportunity to add credibility to our services or products. It actually becomes a win-win situation.

The most visible person at a wedding is the person on the microphone. That person better be an excellent representation of the couple.

The audience at Wedding MBA learned from each of these presenters what the publications are looking when it comes to being featured in a magazine or premier wedding blog. When it comes to professional wedding djs, you might think that we hit a roadblock. Not true. So much of the wedding relies on what happens during the ceremony and reception. Peter Merry, author of The Best Wedding Reception Ever!, mentioned, “The most visible person at a wedding is the person on the microphone.That person better be an excellent representation of the couple.” I could not agree more.

Event direction at its best

Many of the “music” vendors in the room were full-fledged Wedding Entertainment Directors™. Most of the others others may simply call themselves DJs, Master of Ceremonies, or a hand full of similar titles. The bottom line is that your reception is going to be motivated by this individual making announcements throughout your event. The energy of your dance floor, the sincerity of your wedding toasts, the humor of your grand entrance — these are all complimented by none other than your choice in that person on the microphone. Make sure that as a bride or groom, you make the right choice.

The take-away

The vendors who took the time to attend the Wedding MBA conference this year will know how to make couples look like a star attraction. I’m not sure I saw one rotten egg in attendance. There were seasoned pros and aspiring newcomers, but they all had one common goal – to make everyone look like a million bucks!

This is just one of what should be several posts recapping the conference.  Be sure to subscribe to my blog so you don’t miss the next one!