A PARTY TIME MOBILE DJ

PARTY TIME MOBILE DJ EVENT PLANNING FOR WEDDING RECEPTION

 RECEPTION ACTIVITY DESCRIPTIONS:

WHEN PLANNING THE ACTIVITIES OF THE EVENING CONSIDER THE FLOW OF THE RECEPTION. I HAVE BEEN ENTERTAINING FOR 15 YEARS AND THE ORDER I AM LISTING BELOW IS WHAT I HAVE EXPERIENCED IN THE PAST THAT WORKS EXCEPTIONALLY WELL. REMEMBER, IF YOUR GUESTS HAVE A GOOD TIME, SO WILL YOU. THIS IS YOUR SPECIAL DAY AND DESIGN IT THE WAY YOU WANT IT. WHEN PLACING THE ACTIVITIES IN ORDER, CONSIDER THE TIME THAT YOUR GUESTS BE SITTING IDLE. I BELIEVE IN KEEPING THE RECEPTION MOVING, COMPLETE THE FESITVITIES IN A TIMELY MANNER. THE LONGEST IDLE TIMES WILL BE DURING YOUR PHOTOS AND DINNER. SO IN REVIEWING HOW YOU WISH TO PLAN YOUR SPECIAL DAY TAKE INTO CONSIDERATION YOUR GUESTS AND HOW WELL YOUR PLANS EFFECT THE ENJOYMENT THEY HAVE WHILE AT YOUR RECEPTION

REMEMBER: BOREDOM WILL KILL A RECEPTION!!

A.      GRAND ENTRY – THIS IS THE ANNOUNCEMENT OF THE BRIDAL PARTY AFTER THE WEDDING AT THE                 RECEPTION HALL. THIS USUALLY INCLUDES THE BRIDE & GROOM, MAID/MATRON OF HONOR & BESTMAN, BRIDESMAIDS & GROOMSMEN, FLOWER GIRL & RING BEARER. SOME HAVE THE PARENTS ANNOUNCED, BUT NOT PART OF THE ENTRY. PLEASE GIVE SOME THOUGHT TO MUSIC FOR THE GRAND ENTRY. SOME PEOPLE LIKE TO USE NO MUSIC OR CLASSICAL MUSIC, OTHER LIKE TO USE UPBEAT FUN – HIGH ENGERY MUSIC.

B.       PICTURES – PICTURES, UNDERSTANDABLY, TAKE TIME AT THE RECEPTION. ATTEMPT TO TAKE AS MANY AS YOU CAN PRIOR TO THE RECEPTION, I.E. THE BRIDE AND HER SIDE OF THE WEDDING AND VICE VERSA. THIS WILL CUT DOWN ON TIME AWAY FROM YOUR GUESTS AT THE RECEPTION. ALSO IT WORKS BEST TO DO THE PICTURES PRIOR TO THE FESTIVITIES. AFTER THE CEREMONY TAKE THE FORMAL PICTURES AND THEN GO ENJOY YOUR RECEPTION.

C.       GRACE – SOME PEOPLE LIKE TO HAVE SOMEONE SAY GRACE BEFORE THE MEAL, THIS IS PURELY A PERSONAL PREFERENCE.

D.      MEAL – IF YOU ARE HAVING A SIT DOWN DINNER THE MEAL SERVING WILL BE HANDLED BY THE RECEPTION STAFF OR CATERERS. THEY WILL DEAL WITH THE DETAILS OF SERVING. IF YOU ARE HAVING A BUFFET STYLE DINNER, PLEASE ALLOW PARTY TIME DJ TO RELEASE THE TABLES TO GO TO THE SERVING LINE. THIS KEEPS THE LINE RUNNING SMOOTHLY AND ALSO ALLOWS YOUR GUEST TO SIT AND CHAT INSTEAD OF STANDING IN A LONG LINE.

E.       TOAST – TRADITIONALLY CHAMPAGNE IS USED FOR THIS, HOWEVER, THERE IS A TREND OF USING THE GUESTS DRINK OF CHOICE TO TOAST WITH. GENERALLY, WHEN DONE FOLLOWING THE MEAL IT WORKS WELL TO POUR THE BEVERAGE TO BE USED APPROXIMATELY 10 TO 15 MINUTES AFTER THE LAST MEAL IS SERVED. THIS GIVES THE GUESTS A CHANCE TO FINISH THE MEAL AND THEN LISTEN TO THE TOAST. TRADITIONALLY THE BEST MAN DOES THE TOAST, BUT MANY TIMES THE MAID OF HONOR ALSO GIVES A TOAST AND THEN THE TOASTS ARE OPENED UP TO THE GUESTS TO SAY A FEW WORDS. PLEASE ADVICE THE BEST MAN THAT HE NEEDS TO DO THIS FUNCTION SO HE CAN PREPARE WHAT HE IS GOING TO SAY.

F.       CUTTING THE CAKE – CUTTING THE CAKE IS A GREAT WAY TO FINALIZE THE MEAL PROCESS. PLACING THIS BEFORE THE FORMAL DANCES AND OTHER INTERACTIVE FESTIVITIES WILL ALLOW THE GUESTS TO EAT THEIR CAKE AND WATCH YOUR DANCES, ETC. 

G.       TOSSING THE BOUQUET/GARTER – THE GARTER AND BOUQUET TOSS ARE A TRADITIONAL WEDDING EVENT. WORKS WELL TO DO THIS WHILE THE GUESTS ARE EATING THE CAKE.  FOR THE BOUQUET TOSS MANY WOMEN ARE OPTING OUT OF THIS AND UTILIZING THE ANNIVERSARY DANCE, WHICH IS LISTED BELOW IN THE INTERACTIVE EXPERIENCE. REVIEW THIS AND LET US KNOW IF THAT IS WHAT YOU WOULD LIKE TO DO.

H.      FIRST DANCE – USE THIS DANCE TO SHOW YOUR LOVE FOR EACH OTHER ON THE DANCE FLOOR. REVIEW MUSIC THAT FITS YOUR FEELINGS AND MUSICAL TASTE. SELECT A SONG THAT IS MEANINGFULL FOR YOU. JUST A SUGGESTION, DO NOT CHOOSE AN EXTREMELY LONG SONG. ANYTHING OVER 4 MINUTES SHOULD POSSIBLY BE RECONSIDERED. THAT IS A LONG TIME TO BE DANCING IN FRONT OF YOUR GUESTS.

I.         BRIDE/FATHER, GROOM/MOTHER DANCE – THIS IS A DANCE TO CELEBRATE THE LOVE FOR HER FATHER AND HIS MOTHER. VERY NICE TOUCH. DADS LOVE THIS ONE, AND MOMS USUALLY CRY. MANY WILL DO 2 DANCES, REVERSING THE ROLE- GROOMS FATHER DANCING WITH THE BRIDE AND BRIDES MOTHER DANCING WITH GROOM. JUST LET ME KNOW IF YOU WISH TO DO BOTH. HOWEVER YOU MUST TAKE INTO CONSIDERATION HOW LONG ALL OF THE FESTIVITIES WILL TAKE AND YOU DO NOT WANT TO HAVE THESE LAST ALL EVENING.

J.        WEDDING PARTY DANCE – THIS IS NICE SO THE GUESTS CAN SEE YOU AND ALL OF YOUR CLOSEST FRIENDS DANCING TOGETHER. SOME USE A SLOW SONG, OTHERS USE A UPBEAT SONG AND THEN INVITE ALL OF THE GUESTS TO JOIN THEM HALFWAY THROUGH. FOR THE UPBEAT TYPE “WE ARE FAMILY” WORKS GREAT!

K.      PARENTS DANCE – VERY NICE TOUCH FOR CELEBRATING THE PARENTS WHO RAISED YOU SO WELL, LET’S THEM FEEL SPECIAL.

L.       DOLLAR DANCE –THIS IS THE FESTIVITY WHERE YOUR GUESTS DANCE WITH THE BRIDE AND GROOM AND TRADITIONALLY DONATE MONEY TO THEM TO GET THEM STARTED IN THEIR NEW LIVES TOGETHER. SOME COUPLES WANT THIS IN HTEIR RECEPTION OTHERS DO NOT. IF YOU CHOOSE TO HAVE THEIS IN YOUR RECEPTION PLEASE DECIDE HOW YOU WISH TO HOW THE MONEY WILL BE COLLECTED. YOU MAY HAVE THE BEST MAN/ MAID OF HONOR COLLECT THE MONEY AS THE GUESTS ARE NEXT TO DANCE WITH THE COUPLE OR THE BEST MAN/ MAID OF HONOR MAY HAND OUT PINS TO THE GUESTS SO THEY MAY PIN THE MONEY ON THE BRIDE/GROOM.   ANOTHER OPTION IS TO HAVE A MONEY TREE INSTEAD OF THE DOLLAR DANCE. THIS IS AN OPTION THAT IS USED IN MANY INSTANCES.

M.     ANNIVERSARY DANCE – SEE PARTY TIME MOBILE DJ’S INTERACTIVE EXPERIENCE FOR THIS EVENT.

N.      OPENING GIFTS – I TRY TO DISUADE PEOPLE FROM OPENING GIFTS AT THE RECEPTION, HOWEVER SOME WANT TO DO IT. IF YOU ARE GOING TO OPEN GIFTS, DO IT NEAR THE END OF THE RECEPTION. THIS PROCESS WILL TAKE SOME TIME AND YOU DO NOT WANT TO TAKE AWAY FROM THE CELBRATION.

O.      OTHER FESTIVITIES – IF THERE ARE ANY OTHER FESTIVITIES YOU WISH TO HAVE THAT ARE NOT LISTED, PLEASE LET ME KNOW WHAT THEY ARE AND I WILL WORK IT INTO MY EVENT PLANNER FOR YOU.