So dinner has been eaten, the speeches are done, and cake has been served…  Now what?  First and foremost, you’ve hired the most EXPERIENCED, RELIABLE, CUSTOMIZABLE, and PASSIONATE DJ service in the industry, that can execute your vision of great night of dancing!

Planning the dance portion of your reception is crucial to the success of your night.  Midwest Sound DJs are trained to effectively manage “Happy Chaos” without being overbearing or obnoxious.  You’ve heard the horror stories from brides who’ve selected unproven “DJs” on the biggest day of their lives, so fear not, you are in capable hands!

THE FIRST HOUR – Avoid at all costs too much of a “lull” before the first dance, it’s time to entertain your guests, not give them a reason to “check-out”.  Spacing & pacing your important spotlight dances/events while considering how much longer your photographer is contracted is key.

SPOTLIGHT DANCES:

• BRIDE/GROOM DANCE  - The “Stars” of the show go first.
• WEDDING PARTY DANCE –  Avoid a romantic song unless each member of the wedding party has a date to dance with, your best bet is to play a fun upbeat song to get the party really started….  Bonus points, invite all guests to join in 1 minute into the song!
• OPENING DJ SET – A 20-30 minute DJ set of “Instantly Recognizable & Danceable” songs that specifically caters to the “Older” guests.  Hint…  They brought the best presents, probably traveled the furthest, and will leave the earliest.  Lil Jon can wait.
• BOUQUET TOSS – Ladies first…  Popular favorites are  Beyonce’s “Single Ladies”  , Cyndi Lauper’s “Girls Just Want to Have Fun”, or Luke Bryan’s “Country Girl” (Shake It For Me) Make sure that prior to your first dance, your bouquet is positioned at the DJ’s table and ready to go.
• GARTER TOSS – Want to avoid the embarrassing?  Keep the garter at “calf-high”
• FATHER/DAUGHTER DANCE – You have everyone’s attention during the bouquet and garter toss, time to transition into a dance with your proud poppa.
• MOTHER/SON DANCE – You want to pick the song, but letting your future Mother-in-Law have her way makes the next Thanksgiving dinner a lot less stressful.
• DOLLAR DANCE – Set a limit (3-4 songs), and avoid the sappy romantic songs (Motown is a great substitue), remember you may have to dance with your father’s work buddies.  Maybe the dollar dance isn’t your thing… Remember it’s not about the money, ok maybe it is:) but everyone wants special one-on-one time with you, why not raise money for a cause that close to your heart?  We had a bride recently hand out Breast Cancer Awareness ribbons to everyone that participated.

GUEST REQUESTS –  Allow your DJ to take appropriate requests, knowing that your DJ will NOT play songs on your do not play list.

WATER & COCKTAILS –  Want that wedding day glow?  Avoid alcohol the night before and get some rest.  Also try to establish a perfect water-to-cocktail ratio so getting to the airport the next day isn’t more of a headache than it already is.

BAR LOCATION/DANCE FLOOR –  The two focal points during the dance are the bar and the dance floor, make sure neither is located in separate rooms, but are adjacent in proximity to one another.  Don’t be afraid of a small dance floor, they create the illusion that everyone is dancing, so if your guests walk away that night saying “Oh my gosh the dance floor was so packed” that’s a compliment!

LIGHTING – Your photographer wants to capture you in the best light possible, so once your DJ starts their opening set, instruct the hall manager to turn the lights down as low as possible… People will get their “groove” on when they don’t feel like 200 people can see them.

FOOTWEAR – Bring some cute comfy shoes that you can slip on after the dollar dance… It’s a long day and your feet will remind you about it later.

See how we did that?  Nobody got bored, your photographer got the best shots, the tone was set for the night, and the bar was raised for all other weddings this year… and it was totally free.

Cheers!

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Just wanted to remind you that Record Store Day is 3 days away!  There is no better listening experience than the warm sound of vinyl.  Each year a number of artists issue a very limited amount of music to celebrate this special day for die-hard music lovers.  For a link to the stores participating in the Twin Cities click HERE.   A quick poll was taken by the DJs/Office Staff and the top 3 stores in no particular order were…  Fifth Element, Cheapo Records, & Hymie’s Vintage Records.  Take a break from i Tunes & Amazon and visit your local record shop!

Cheers!

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Uplighting can turn a boring room with plain walls into a unique and colorful space. If expertly coordinated in advance, these color schemes can be used to bring out the accent colors at your event and it works especially well at weddings! The colors can match your bridesmaid dresses, flowers and more. When used properly, uplighting can greatly enhance the ambiance of the room in an elegant way.

A popular choice for brides and grooms is to uplight the head table. Not only do uplights draw attention and make the head table a nice focal point for your guests but they also look great in photos. Your photographer will have a wonderful opportunity to capture special pictures during the toasts with a uniquely lit background tailored to your specific tastes!

The secret to creating this ambiance lies in the type of lighting, where to place the lighting, and using it to enhance and boost the already beautiful aspects of your venue. Uplighting can come in many different colors but Midwest Sound makes sure to use only the latest in event lighting: LED’s or Light Emitting Diodes. These lights are made up of red, green and blue individual LEDs that, when combined in different intensities, blend together to create just about any color. They draw very little energy and there are no bulbs to burn out and replace, making them the most environmentally friendly light available on the market today. In addition, these lights are very lightweight, emit virtually no heat, have saturated and deep colors and are easy to customize and control the way the light looks. They can recreate just about any color that a TV can. When it comes to important events, it’s best to leave a job like this to the professionals. Midwest Sound has lit events from six to sixty lights and anywhere in-between. We would love to invite you to contact us to create an affordable custom package tailored to your event.

Paul Singh
Venue Relations/Marketing Director

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The Grand March

It’s the tempo setter for the night, have your DJ announce your Bridal Party in style!  Enter the room to “At Last” by Etta James and lull the crowd to sleep, or enter like rock stars to Joe Satriani’s “Crowd Chant” (It’s played whenever the MN Wild score).  Remember, the songs you select, tell your guests a story about you!

Cross-Generational Music

You want a night club party, your bridesmaids want a night club party and the groomsmen may want to bro-it-out, but don’t leave out the people who brought the best gifts.  In other words, people with grey hair like to party too…  Just ease them into it.

What works in the car, may not work in the bar

Here’s an example:  Katy Perry’s E.T., did huge in digital sales and radio play, and you couldn’t escape it, but you can’t dance to it…  unless you’re a Kardashian.  My favorite radio station is 89.3 The Current, but I would say that most of the music played is not danceable.  I’ve discussed music with hundreds of clients, and my heart goes out to the great music lovers out there (especially those who fancy punk, old-school hip-hop, folk, and alt music) but trust me, the stuff we love doesn’t work at weddings.  If you decide to play “cool” music at your reception ask yourself if it’s recognizable, and can people dance to it?

Bride & Groom Dance

I’ll just say this, stop searching YouTube or Google for “The Best First Dance Song”, or “Popular First Dance Song”….  Those are other people’s songs!  What’s your song?  When you first met, what song fit the most back then or even now?  Maybe it’s a goofy song you both like, or it’s a metal song you want to head-bang to, maybe you don’t like the spotlight and want everyone to join you for your first dance, or maybe you’re both not into music, is there a memorable song from a shared favorite movie?  Maybe you’re undecided on two different songs, play both.   Whatever song you select it will tell the story YOU want to tell.  So what’s your story?

The Father/Daughter Dance

There are other songs besides “Butterfly Kisses” and “I Loved Her First.” Try to think about what you’re father’s favorite song or artist is, or ask him to pick the song HE wants, after all, he may have had a big part in financing your special day!  I have to mention this…  ”Wonderful Tonight” by Eric Clapton?  Really?  Please investigate what the song is about…  Please!

The Mother/Son Dance

Yes it’s YOUR big day, but building some “equity” with your new Mother-In-Law, and letting her select the song won’t be forgotten.

Bridal Party Dance

Take inventory of your Bridal Party, are they all friends or are they strangers?  If they don’t really know each other that well, select a mid-tempo or even upbeat dance tune.  Also, you may want the Bridal Party to dance with their dates who have been probably seated next to strangers and feel excluded. .. It’s a nice touch!

Dollar Dance

I suggest leaving the music up to your DJ, but we do want to know if you want a “short” 2-3 song set, or if you’d like to accommodate enough time based on your guests participation.  Obviously the more people that line up, the more time it takes.  It just may pay for the new shoes you bought for your honeymoon!  Now some brides feel awkward like it’s “shaking-down” their invited guests, but in reality it’s tradition, and gives people more face time with you and your husband.  If you decide to select the music try to shy away from the “Intimate/Romantic ” songs…. Can you say awkward?

To Chicken Dance or not to Chicken Dance?

The Hokey Pokey, The Electric Slide, YMCA, etc., are not cool songs; however, they do get your guests on the dance floor.  You aren’t required to participate, but these songs are usually only played at weddings and people love them.

In summary put some thought into your songs, pick 10-15 “Must Plays”, highlight the “Do Not Plays”, pick a couple “Group Participation” songs, and don’t forget “Cross-Generational” music … This will give your DJ an opportunity to “read/play to” the crowd, take appropriate requests, and infuse your “Must Plays” in an order that makes sense so everyone goes home with sore feet!

Happy Planning Everyone!

-Midwest Sound Wedding DJ – Minnesota

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If this applies to you, here are some important questions you may want to ask yourself, and your “DJ” friend…

• What happens if they get sick, get a flat, have their equipment stolen, or simply don’t show up? What happens if their equipment fails ? It’s very important to have a backup plan!  Midwest Sound DJ Entertainment provides a full backup staff for each event, including on call technicians, backup DJ’s, and supervisors ready to field any problem that may arise.

• How many weddings have they DJ’d? Maybe they can play the “Club Bangers”, but can they play “Cross-Generational” music? Many of our DJ’s also have club experience,  but they also have the special professional skills and knowledge necessary to deejay a wedding. A DJ’s job is always, of course, to bring people together in joyful celebration. It requires different  skills, however, to do this for a Bride and Groom, along with a group of their friends and family at a wedding.

• Do they have an event planning form of some kind? Every wedding is different, and it’s extremely important that you have an opportunity to choose what happens (or doesn’t!) throughout your big day, then discuss it with your DJ. We provide music and event planning forms, have a full time Music Director on staff, and your DJ will call you the week of your wedding to go over all the details with you

• Is this the person you want to rely one for one of the most important days of your life?

• Do they have insurance? We do! Many of the leading Minneapolis, Saint Paul, and Greater Minnesota venues require that all vendors carry liability insurance.

Now if your “DJ” friend has instilled confidence that he or she can make your marriage celebration all that it should be, then go for it! The point isn’t that it’s impossible for you to have a reliable friend with the right skills to help facilitate your big day, it’s that you should make sure you do before you put your trust in them!

If you’d like to explore the added benefits of hiring a professional disk jockey, please contact us so we can learn more about your event!

-Midwest Sound DJ Entertainment – MN

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Whilst the growing of Mo’s is limited to the guys, Mo Sistas play a vital role in the success of Movember by supporting and encouraging the men in their life to get involved, and participating in raising funds and awareness themselves.

There are many ways in which you can get involved with Movember, such as registering as a Mo Bro or Mo Sista and raising funds and awareness yourself or donating to someone you know who is participating…

Please visit Midwest Sound’s Movember Team Page!

http://us.movember.com/mospace/5019641

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Secure your venue/ceremony site (BTW Midwest Sound offers ceremony sound support for on-site and off-site locations). Secure your Photographer, your DJ (us of course!) and your transportation…. Why? We all sell out…Cakes, decorations, and invitations, etc. can all be thought out during the times we Minnesotan’s bunker down during the winter.

So in short, lock-in and secure the “Big Four” and you will find planning the biggest day of your life much more manageable and a lot more enjoyable!

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Happy newlyweds that saved money on their wedding!

No, we are not talking about the classic wedding song “Mony, Mony!” We are speaking of the cost of weddings today. Not every family has an unlimited wedding budget and yes, it does feel good to get a great deal on top quality wedding vendors, decorations and supplies. Midwest Sound has always taken a common sense approach to pricing. Contact us today and let’s talk about your budget! For more money saving ideas check out this link: SAVE MONEY ON MY WEDDING!

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James Ramsay Photography

Planning weddings can be hard and stressful when it should be joyous and wonderful. Here are some tips to ensure joyous and wonderful from our friends at the Embassy Suites: (click here to view)

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Midwest Sound's Up lighting featured on "Brides Like Us"

Check out a new wedding blog  just for brides! It’s called “Brides Like Us” and it’s geared toward wedding tips, trends and more great information. This week featuring the Twin Cities best DJ Entertainment company’s Up lighting division. Check it out: www.brideslikeus.com

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