Miss Airplane, Plymouth, MichiganAge and Occupation: 26, Fundraising Project CoordinatorFiance's Age and Occupation: 27, Food & Beverage ManagerEngagement Date: March 31, 2012Wedding Date: September 2013Venue: Fox Hills Golf Club & Banquet CenterAbout Me: I'm a true Michigander (born and raised) and a die-hard Wolverine. I am the definition of a multi-tasker and like to believe I am also a perfectionist, but my horrible short-term memory likes to prove otherwise. I'm an English major and a pretty punny girl, so get ready for some really horrible plays on words! When I'm not consumed with wedding planning, I enjoy copious amounts of television and an equally unhealthy addiction to bacon.
Next to food, music is the second most important element of the Airplane wedding. So it’s no surprise that it is also one of the largest line items on the Airplane wedding budget. But it could have been a lot (a lot) more, if we would have stuck with our original plan…
Working at the club, Mr. Plane has seen his fair share of wedding entertainment, from 12-piece bands to Elvis impersonators (no joke). Within about two days of us getting engaged, Mr. Plane was convinced he knew exactly who we should hire to play at our wedding: the incredibly talented cover band, Your Generation in Concert, featuring Fifty Amp Fuse.
Yes, the orchestra was an option! As were belly dancers…
Booking YGC was the plan for a long time. We would go out to the bar, watch the band play, and chat with the manager about the set list for our wedding. Every time we would see them play, it gave me goosebumps to think about how amazing such a show would be at our wedding.
Mrs. Dragon, Sioux Lookout/Brockville, ONAge and Occupation: 24, JournalistFiance's Age and Occupation: 35, Graphic DesignerEngagement Date: August 22, 2011Wedding Date: September 2012Venue: Mother of the Bride’s ResidenceAbout Me: I moved to Northern Ontario for a job, expecting to be single for the year I'd be there. Within one month I was dating a co-worker, and now, more than two years later, we’re planning a wedding and I’m still a Northern girl. I’m a reporter and a photographer for a small-town newspaper, and I get to do all kinds of fun, exciting, and sometimes weird things at work. When I’m not getting the scoop, I’m cooking, adventuring, playing with our three black cats, or blogging.
When I let you know I found an app to handle our iPod wedding, a few readers asked me to review the app after the wedding. I’m happy to say, it went well!
Before I get into the details of the app and how it worked for us, I have to tell you about The Missing iPod Problem. A few days before we left for Brockville, Mr. Dragon formatted his old iPod Touch so I could fill it with wedding music and get the app ready to go. Once it was set up and charged, we made sure to put it away carefully, along with the cable Mr. D Frankensteined together, to make sure we had everything we needed to just plug and play with my dad’s PA system he was bringing from Ottawa.
So we get to Brockville on the Thursday before the wedding, and Dad Dragon arrives. The first thing he wants to do is check out the audio setup to make sure it’s all in order. Mr. Dragon looks for the iPod, can’t find it, then asks me where it is.
What followed was half an hour of rummaging through boxes, exchanging “you must have moved it!”s, and frantic scurrying until I declared that it was either at home or in the truck, back at the rental car parking lot 24 hours away, and we couldn’t do anything about it, so too bad.
Oooh, we’ve got a fun playlist for you today! DJ Jon Black of Scratch Weddings compiles his “must play” songs that are guaranteed to get the party started!
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From DJ Jon Black:
The work always starts before the wedding; I try to get an idea the bride and groom’s musical tastes while also getting a sense of what their family and friends will enjoy.
Then the fun begins! After the formal dances have been completed, I like to invite all family and friends to come together on the dance floor. In the beginning of the reception, I play a lot of popular music to get everyone involved in dancing. I like to mix it up with classic dance tunes and current hits.
I start by playing some classic party songs to get older family members on the dance floor first. For some reason, they aren’t afraid of not being cool! The younger fold usually filter in by song three. The best part of starting the reception off this way is watching different generations come together! Here are some classic “must play” songs that’ll get everyone dancing:
It’s easy to overlook selecting a song for your cake cutting, but it’s also such a missed opportunity! DJ Nadia Vidal of Scratch Weddings walks us through a list of her fave cake-cutting songs. There’s something for everyone!
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From DJ Nadia Vidal:
The cake cutting is a traditional wedding element that can either be simple and sweet or playful and funny, and the music played should reflect the mood that a couple wants to create. Whether a couple opts to slice hand-in-hand, playfully smear a dab of icing on the nose, or take a full meringue pie to the face (yes, it has happened!), the song played during the cake cutting tells as much about the couple’s personality as does the wedding cake flavor.
Here are some interesting song options to inspire your simple, sweet, or funny wedding cake cutting. Be sure to tell your DJ which portion of the song you’d like to play during your big moment. Happy cutting!
Trouble finding the right song to play for your garter toss? DJ RT of Scratch Weddings is here to help! Seriously, this is a comprehensive list with tons of fun and playful options.Enjoy!
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From DJ RT:
The garter toss is most definitely the naughtiest, funniest, and usually most embarrassing moment of a wedding. This old-time tradition simply cannot go down without laughs, cheers, ohhs, ahhs, and bright red faces. The recipe is classic and simple: make the newly appointed husband reach up the dress of his beautiful wife in front of their parents, extended family, friends, and maybe even a bunch of people they are meeting for the first time. Then have the groom throw it at all the single guys in the room! A moment like this encompasses a lot of emotions and reactions within a very short time, so you better make sure the music is right. Here, I collected a bunch of classic songs used for the garter toss. Enjoy!
We’re pretty sure there’s nothing trickier than picking out the perfect song for the mother/son dance. Luckily, Scratch Weddings has us covered once again with some awesome song ideas from DJ Tracktion!
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From DJ Tracktion:
The mother/son dance is one of the sweetest moments at any wedding. It’s filled with love, joy, pride, and a hint of the bittersweet as a mother witnesses her son become a husband. There are so many lovely songs to express this special moment, and picking one that is unique to your bond will make this memory indelible. Here are a few suggestions that span the genres, a few under-the-radar choices, and one or two songs with a fun twist. Have fun selecting the right song, and make your mom proud!
Mrs. Lyre, PhiladelphiaAge and Occupation: 31, LibrarianFiance's Age and Occupation: 29, Government EmployeeEngagement Date: November 11, 2011Wedding Date: January 2013Venue: Atrium at the Curtis CenterAbout Me: I’m a book loving, photography obsessed, artsy/crafty bride to be, who was dating all the wrong men, until I met the right one, and where one story ended - our new life together began. He’s a video game loving, quirky t-shirt wearing, movie quoting geek who stole my heart, and welcomed me into his. Together we are a happily co-habitating couple, who live in South Jersey, and are planning a wedding in Philadelphia in January 2013. We love to cook, share a bottle of wine, and watch way too much TV; we laugh all the time, don’t sleep nearly enough, and cannot wait to begin our lives as husband and wife!
Before we were engaged, a full year before for that matter, Mr. Ly had selected our DJ. Having a band was never an option for him, and he INSISTED we have a DJ. This was fine by me, as DJs are generally cheaper and we found a great one very early on. Back in October 2010, we went to the wedding of a family friend and Mr. Ly fell for a DJ. It was love at first dance, and the only thing Mr. Ly ever wanted to be in charge of was selecting the DJ for the day of our wedding. Done. It was so simple.
The dance floor was packed the entire wedding, there was great music, and the entire family had a great time.
My family, getting down to our DJ, circa 2010 / Personal photos
As an added bonus, my family knows the DJ personally. It’s a family-run company, and the sons who run the company now went to elementary school with me and my brother, and their father used to DJ our school dances. My dad used to exclusively use their company as the DJ for his company’s Christmas parties, and has a longstanding relationship with their family.
As soon as we were engaged, I emailed Center Stage Entertainment, set up a meeting, and as luck would have it—our first-choice DJ was the one they paired us with anyway! I’ve known Sam since he was in kindergarten, so I am so very pleased to have him MCing/DJing our event! Sam is going to keep our party rocking long into the night, and we cannot wait!
Scratch Weddings is back this week with a great list of song suggestions for the father-daughter dance, in our opinion one of the trickier wedding songs to pin down.
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From DJ Chris Mix:
The father-daughter dance is one of the oldest wedding traditions, and is a moment many girls dream about just as much as the wedding itself. Unless you and your father have a specific song that you both love and exemplifies your relationship, it can be a hard one to pick. The selection out there is pretty slim, but try looking at covers of some of the more commonly used. Lots of modern artists are starting to cover the classics, and it can often sound like a completely different song. Do some research and you might just stumble upon a treasure!
This week Scratch Weddings DJ Vida Ventura is giving us the cream of the crop of reception entrance songs. I’m really feeling the Hall & Oates!
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From DJ Vida Ventura:
The big entrance of the couple needs to have energy, some sort of build up, and appropriate lyrics. In other words, a song that packs a big punch! You should try and pick a song that’s familiar to the majority of the audience, as only a portion of it is typically played. Upbeat songs are usually your best bet, as they better fit the excitement of the moment. Here are some of my favorite entrance songs.
This week Scratch Weddings DJ Stef Nava is sharing a cocktail hour playlist. Tres bien!
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From DJ Stef Nava:
The key to creating the perfect soundtrack to set the atmosphere for cocktail hour is choosing feel-good songs with a relaxed and mellow vibe; songs that set the mood and allow for mingling and conversations among guests. This is the time to play songs that you love and that are special to the two of you, but aren’t danceable material.
My personal favorite music to play at this time are from the legendary crooners, such as Frank Sinatra and Nat King Cole. You can never go wrong with classic songs like “The Way You Look Tonight” and “Unforgettable.” Motown artists, doo-wop groups, and soul singers from the ’50s and ’60s are also a crowd favorite (Aretha Franklin, the Temptations, The Four Seasons, Sam Cooke, Smokey Robinson and the Miracles, etc.).
If you’re a rock lover, there are plenty of great jams to get the night started from bands like Coldplay, U2, Radiohead, Florence and the Machine, Arcade Fire, etc.
If jazz is your thing, classics from Miles Davis, Thelonious Monk, Ronnie Foster, Ella Fitzgerald, Sara Vaughn, and Billie Holiday are also great choices.
If you’re a fan of soul/funk, Chaka Khan, The Brand New Heavies, Earth, Wind & Fire, Al Green, Roy Ayers, and Curtis Mayfield are great artists to throw into the mix.
Here’s a sample “cocktail hour” playlist from all different genres:
Scratch Weddings is the leading provider of highly skilled, experienced, and affordable marquee-level DJ talent for weddings. Their DJs love to perform at weddings and have collaborated with major recording artists such as Lady Gaga, The Black Eyed Peas, and Michael Jackson. You can also find them spinning at high-profile corporate events, music festivals, and the nation’s most respected clubs and lounges. Scratch Weddings offers each couple their choice of DJ, based on their personal style, taste, and musical interests. Additionally, couples have online access to DJ bios, photos, videos, and music mixes attheir website.
Scratch Weddings is available 24-7 for all your wedding music questions! Follow and tweet them at @scratchweddings and be sure to like Scratch on Facebook for more great music ideas and mixes.
Stay tuned next week here at Weddingbee for more awesome music ideas for your wedding! And Scratch is taking requests! Let us know here in the comments what you want suggestions for (’80s music? most romantic first-dance songs? music that will keep guests on their feet?) and they’ll make it happen in the upcoming weeks, just for you!
Guest BloggerAbout: Guest authors blogging on weddingbee
Once again, DJ Jon Blak of Scratch Weddings is here to share some wedding music picks with us—and this time, he’s talking about the processional!
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From DJ Jon Blak of Scratch Weddings:
Vows have been made, rings exchanged, and you’ve had your first kiss as a married couple…you’ve officially started a new chapter in your lives! It’s a life-changing moment, marked by huge smiles, a few happy tears, and of course…some music! The big question is—what’s the first song you’ll hear together as newly joined lifelong partners? Because it’s time to walk back down the aisle!
Here are some songs I would suggest for you and your dearly beloveds to celebrate your “just married” status.
Mrs. Snow Cone, Pittsburgh/Johnstown, PAAge and Occupation: 23, Public Health Graduate StudentFiance's Age and Occupation: 23, EngineerEngagement Date: April 9, 2010Wedding Date: August 2011Venue: OMOS Church ceremony/Sunnehanna Country Club receptionAbout Me: I’m one of the lucky ones---I met my future husband at the ripe old age of 13, started dating him as a mature woman of 15, and have been enjoying the ride ever since. Here we are, 8 years later, living in Pittsburgh, planning a "homestination" wedding in the place our school romance began---Johnstown, PA. I thrive on talking a mile a minute, eating my weight in chocolate, and internet shopping. I love a lengthy to-do list almost as much as I love a healthy amount of chaos in my life. Mr. Snow Cone and I watch countless episodes of Friends and The West Wing on repeat, root for rival college sports teams, and make each other laugh each and every day. We’re putting together a small-town wedding with a big personality and a classically modern (or modernly classic?) look for 250 of our closest family and friends. It’s been 8+ years in the making, and sometimes I still can’t believe I’m finally getting to marry my high school sweetheart!
During my planning, I loved hearing other brides’ opinions of their vendors’ work. I really enjoyed reading others’ reviews, but always grew a bit dismayed at the fact that most of the reviews focused on Pittsburgh or Harrisburg vendors. Hopefully this post should help to redirect some focus to the small-town vendors in Western/Central Pennsylvania.
We chose to set up a block of rooms for our guests at the Holiday Inn. Additionally, this hotel served as the location for the gentlemen to get ready for the ceremony, and as the wedding-night accommodations for us. Overall, they were an easy vendor to work with. Mr. Snow Cone said that, despite his request that a shuttle arrive at a specific time to take the groomsmen to the church for pre-ceremony portraits, the shuttle ran late for them. Additionally, we paid a bit of extra money to have a “honeymoon suite” as they termed it, which amounted to a regular hotel room with a conference room adjoined to it. Both Mr. Snow Cone and I felt the use of the term “honeymoon suite” was far too generous and frankly misleading. Overall, we had only minor bumps in the road with this hotel, so I’d recommend them but wouldn’t recommend falling for their honeymoon suite.
Bridal attire (gown, veil, and alterations) and BM dresses: The Exquisite Bride in Murrysville, PA
If you LOVE great beats, you’re going to love this!
Scratch Weddings is giving away a free Marquee DJ to one of 25 lucky couples that join us in NYC next Wednesday, April 11, for a fun, FREE event! We’re hosting a party for you and your fiance/e to learn the basics of scratching, DJing and music blending. With your newly acquired DJ skills, take over the turntables at your wedding and blend your own love mix during your reception…your guests will LOVE it! 25 stations are available at the Scratch DJ Academy, which means that you and
your FI will have your very own turntables.
To join us as one of the 25 lucky couples who get to learn how to Scratch with Scratch Weddings, simply comment below and let us know you want to come! From the 25 couples that are chosen at random to attend, one will walk away with the grand prize of scoring A FREE Scratch Weddings DJ for their wedding!
For a glimpse of what’s in store, check out a video of Scratch Wedding’s west coast event hosted by Green Wedding Shoes…we’re excited to do it all again on the East Coast!
So hurry and leave us a comment below saying you want in to learn how to scratch and win a free Scratch Weddings DJ for your wedding! It’s the last day to enter! Good luck
Can’t wait to see you in NYC to learn to scratch alongside you, hive!
To qualify to enter, you must be engaged and in New York City on the evening of Wednesday, April 11, 2012 between 6:30 and 8:30 PM, and getting married within an hour’s drive of New York City before April 11, 2013. To win a DJ for your wedding, you must be present at the event.
Guest BloggerAbout: Guest authors blogging on weddingbee
Our friends at Scratch Weddings are here today for our Spring 2012 trends series, filling us in with the hot wedding music trends for this season! Don’t forget—Scratch Weddings and Weddingbee are hosting a fun and free event at their NYC studios, teaching 25 lucky couples how to DJ so they can take over the turntables for a spin at their own weddings. Not only that, but a FREE wedding DJ is up for grabs as well! Hurry and find out how to enter here…the contest closes soon!
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Music has become even more of an integral part of weddings over the past couple of years. Chalk it up to the fact that the music-savvy iPod and YouTube generation is now getting married or the popularity of the television show Glee or the growing celebrity culture of DJs. We at Scratch Weddings work with couples all around the country, fulfilling requests and creating the perfect soundtrack to their day.
The growing trend in wedding music is to highlight today’s couple’s desire for their wedding entertainment to separate themselves from the dated music of the past and reflect who they are as a unique couple. Couples are stepping away from songs of the past and walking down the aisle to more current hits.
When people think of wedding music their thoughts typically jump to Pachelbel’s “Cannon in D” or Mendelssohn’s “Wedding March,” but about half of our couples are steering away from the expected and embracing the current. Our most requested processional song is “Bitter Sweet Symphony” by The Verve and recessional is “All You Need Is Love” by The Beatles.
Mrs. Dragon, Sioux Lookout/Brockville, ONAge and Occupation: 24, JournalistFiance's Age and Occupation: 35, Graphic DesignerEngagement Date: August 22, 2011Wedding Date: September 2012Venue: Mother of the Bride’s ResidenceAbout Me: I moved to Northern Ontario for a job, expecting to be single for the year I'd be there. Within one month I was dating a co-worker, and now, more than two years later, we’re planning a wedding and I’m still a Northern girl. I’m a reporter and a photographer for a small-town newspaper, and I get to do all kinds of fun, exciting, and sometimes weird things at work. When I’m not getting the scoop, I’m cooking, adventuring, playing with our three black cats, or blogging.
It’s inexpensive and, best of all, we get full control over the music, from the ceremony to the last dance. I know there are plenty of horror stories about iPod weddings floating around on the internet, but I’m willing to cross my fingers and hope ours turns out for the best. We’re going to have multiple backups of our playlists, proper sound equipment, and someone to cue up the special songs for dances and such, and I’m locking the iPod(s) with a password so our well-meaning friends can’t interrupt the night with such gems as “TROGDOR“!
