Mrs. French Fries, MilwaukeeAge and Occupation: 27, ParalegalFiance's Age and Occupation: 35, Investments AdvisorEngagement Date: September 20, 2008Wedding Date: June 2010Venue: Ceremony: Catholic Church, Reception: Hotel BallroomAbout Me: I'm a Midwestern girl who longs to live in a warmer climate (my feet would be happy in flip flops any day!). I love travel, impromptu napping, grilled cheese sandwiches, my iPhone, singing with reckless abandon in my car, and Mr. French Fries.
Today I’m meeting with a potential DJ for our wedding. This past winter, at a ubiquitous Bridal Expo in our area, Mr. FF and I strolled down aisle after aisle of potential wedding vendors. A lot of them were bakeries, which resulted in many slices of free cake. This was a good thing, and I happily ate piece after piece (Mr. FF, on the other hand, didn’t see the joy in free cake after the 4th piece was foisted upon us).
Another large bunch of vendors at the Expo were DJs. And, well… let’s just say they didn’t really do anything to take away from the “cheesy wedding DJ” image that has been ingrained in people’s memories. You know the type I’m talking about. They wear crazy outfits that most sane people wouldn’t touch with a 10 foot pole, and this may involve any combination of: suspenders, sequins, and velvet. They use cheesy catch phrases, and have a penchant for mispronouncing names of bridal party members. They make bad jokes, insist that you do a garter toss (against your will), and somehow manage to play all of the songs on your “Do Not Play” list. The type of DJ that conjures up this type of image:
So, it was with some trepidation that we dipped our toes into the pool of wedding DJs. Read more…
Mrs. Sunbeam, San Francisco/Grove City, PAAge and Occupation: 26, Grad Student & Office ManagerFiance's Age and Occupation: 27, Motion DesignerEngagement Date: May 10, 2008Wedding Date: September 2009Venue: Harbison Chapel & The Maple Lane FarmAbout Me: Mr. Sunbeam and I are high school sweethearts. We both come from a small town in PA but are growing to love the California lifestyle. He loves wine and I love cheese... the perfect combination! When I'm not drooling over wedding blogs, I'm attending grad school, out being a foodie, or attempting to "walk" our cat at the park. Two things guaranteed to excite me are wedding cakes and breaking out my suitcase to travel. Mr. Sunbeam and I are personalizing our hometown wedding to celebrate our high school sweetheart status and PA roots with a few CA touches. After ten years of dating we couldn't be more excited to call each other husband and wife!
Hello, Macbook Pro. For those of you who keep up on these things, you might know the new faster CHEAPER Macbook Pros came out a little while ago. To be exact, they came out two days after we bought ours. Boo. Luckily, Apple lets you make an exchange if a new version of your suddenly old and decrepit laptop comes out within two weeks of your purchase. Macbook, we loved you but we love your updated twin more! Our new computer will be acting as our DJ for the wedding, and it came with a free backup singer! Read more…
Mrs. French Bulldog, Orange CountyAge and Occupation: 28, Administrative Assistant & Interior Design StudentFiance's Age and Occupation: 28, Purchasing AnalystEngagement Date: November 8, 2008Wedding Date: August 2009Venue: Bernardo WineryAbout Me: I've lived in Atlanta, Dallas and Laguna Niguel; although I've lived in Orange County, CA most my life, I'm a Southerner at heart. I work full time for a Commercial General Contractor (aka my father) and I go to school for Interior Design at night. I love modern design, music, wine, crafting, DMailing, my family, my Westies, and of course, Mr Frenchie! Mr Frenchie and I met 3 years ago on Match.com and have been best friends ever since. I love his "old soul" and how he laughs with his whole body, among many other things. We are planning our summer wedding at the winery near his hometown, just 45 minutes south of Orange County.
Mr Frenchie and I love Frank Sinatra, Michael Buble and Jamie Cullem (to name a few). (We always joke about whether we could afford to hire Michael Buble if we just got married in a tiny chapel in Vegas). Through David’s website and MySpace page, we were able to give him a listen, and agreed we HAD to have him! Go ahead and pop over to his website, I’ll wait…
Our problem, however, was that we weren’t sure he’d fit in our budget.* Read more…
Mrs. Meatball, HollywoodAge and Occupation: 30, Actor/Writer/Office MavenFiance's Age and Occupation: 28, Actor/WriterEngagement Date: October 7, 2007Wedding Date: May, 2009Blogging Since: September 16, 2008Venue: Private Garden/The Bungalow ClubAbout Me: I love melty cheese and diet coke almost as much as I love my man. I'm from Chicago, he's from NYC, and we both miss public transit and great pizza. We have an adorable muppet dog called Paco. I'm part hippie with a healthy dash of hip hop superstar, have excessive empathy for animals, and have not one, but two bionic eyes (long story). We're broke and it ain't no joke. It can't stop us from planning the bold and whimsical wedding of our dreams, but we've had to get pretty creative to make it work, yo!
So, Heidi and Spencer got married this weekend. Normally I roll my eyes at any news about Speidi, but this was a special occasion for many people, even me! Why, you ask?
Well, take exhibit A: this photo of Perez Hilton mingling at the cocktail reception.
Oh, Perez. Wait, who’s that behind him? In the white suit? Read more…
Mrs. Quiche, Chicago/Montego BayAge and Occupation: 28, Interior DesignerFiance's Age and Occupation: 42, Telecom GuruEngagement Date: July 2, 2008Wedding Date: May, 2009Venue: Coyaba Resort, Montego BayAbout Me: I love Chicago and can’t imagine living anywhere else (Well, except Paris. Or anywhere in France, for that matter!). I’m a full-time worker, part-time student, soon-to-be-step-mom, indie music lovin’, architecture and design fanatic, macaroni and cheese addict, vegetarian, Francophile, Ohio State football obsessed, wedding planning girl. Mr. Quiche and I are “Partners-in-Crime” and cannot wait to celebrate our marriage surrounded by our family and closest friends. I plan on DIYing my little heart out (or as much as a suitcase to Jamaica will hold).
Mr. Quiche and I are such “music” people, that I don’t trust leaving the song decisions up to a Jamaican DJ. We don’t want the same old song and dance (Electric Slide, Shout!, you get the point…).
The resort provides a Jamaican Mento band (I had no idea what one was, either!) as part of our general wedding package. I am glad that we’re going to have some Jamaican music for the ceremony, but I don’t want that to be the sole source of entertainment for the reception. Read more…
Mrs. Deviled Egg, PittsburghAge and Occupation: 27, Public RelationsFiance's Age and Occupation: 28, AccountingEngagement Date: December 24, 2007Wedding Date: May, 2009Blogging Since: October 21, 2008Venue: Historic auditorium and meeting hall in one of Pittsburgh's commuter citiesAbout Me: I am obsessed with all things crafty, especially scrapbooking, knitting, jewelry-making & cake decorating. I also love being an aunt, wrapping presents, watching football (Go Steelers!), shopping at yard sales and consignment stores, procrastinating, singing and learning to play the guitar. When it comes to wedding planning, I'm excited about working on DIY projects and finding creative ways to stay under budget. Of course, nothing is more exciting to me than knowing that the wonderful Mr. Deviled Egg will be my husband.
I love Mr. Deviled Egg! Of course I do, or I wouldn’t be marrying him. Mr. DE is super sweet and wonderful in about a gazillion ways. The most recent reason is… (drum roll, please)
Yes, Mr. DE is helping with the planning by calling around to a few DJs to get an idea of packages and prices. I appreciated it so much when he offered to do this, and was even more appreciative when he started placing some calls yesterday.
The DJ research is one area where I just couldn’t get the ball rolling. Read more…
Mrs. Daffodil, San Francisco/Los AngelesAge and Occupation: 26, Nonprofit Strategy ConsultantFiance's Age and Occupation: 26, Resident PhysicianEngagement Date: December 29, 2006Wedding Date: May, 2008Blogging Since: August, 2007Venue: Church w/ floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking the Valley; Westin in downtown LAAbout Me: I moved around a lot growing up, but consider myself a Southerner at heart. I love scrapbooking, dancing, doggies, and diet coke. I am all about personalizing everything and hence, I'm a DIY bride who is just loving the entire wedding planning process! Mr. Daffodil and I met in our college fellowship group and were "just friends" for three years before we started dating. We've been together for four years now and can't wait to get married in sunny SoCal, Mr. Daffodil's hometown.
It takes talent to keep an event moving seamlessly and ensure that guests are entertained at all times! This post is dedicated to Weddingbee reader thetwoparks, who referred me to our awesome DJ. I’ll be sharing my thoughts on all our vendors in a post to come, but I wanted to specifically highlight the amazing DJ Tim Coy, who truly deserved his own post! He really did an unbelievable job in keeping our reception flowing and every moment super fun!
Mrs. Glitter, Los AngelesAge and Occupation: 27, Research Consultant/WriterFiance's Age and Occupation: 29, AccountingEngagement Date: May 6, 2007Wedding Date: June, 2009Venue: Millenium Biltmore HotelAbout Me: I was born and raised in West Los Angeles, California. I spent eight years in the Northeast working and completing my education. Having split time between two sides of the country has given me a true appreciation for both coasts. It has also provided an overabundance of cross country drives, flights and long distance relationship fun/misery! I love my family, my doggy Emma, fabulous wine, Anthropologie, politics, reading, being outdoors, exploring new cities, and good movies! My fiance and I are complete opposites, but somehow we have managed to fall completely and hopelessly in love.
We are looking to hire both a wedding coordinator to oversee the entire day and a master of ceremonies (MC) to run the reception. The closer our wedding date gets, the more I feel the itch to solicit the aid of professionals. Quite honestly, if we were having a smaller wedding, I would feel more comfortable handling it myself or having friends and family help me. However, we are expecting close to 250 guests of all different ages, cultures and backgrounds. We will have several vendors coming and going throughout the course of the day. We need professional help!
In terms of a coordinator, we will be looking for a simple package: “day-of” coordination, basic familiarity with our list of vendors, a positive attitude, and a willingness to handle and manage the day. I really don’t want someone who will be in my hair every other minute, as I know that will just make me more nervous and anxiety ridden. I have started doing research and have found that I should be able to find these services in Los Angeles in the price range of $900 to $1200. This usually includes day-of coordination, 2 or 3 meetings prior to the wedding (may or may not include a tour of your venue), unlimited email communication, and help with things like the rehearsal/rehearsal dinner and vendor coordination.
In terms of the MC, we want to hire a combination DJ/MC. In addition, we have a somewhat unique situation.
Mrs. Espresso, Corona/Big BearAge and Occupation: 23, Community Services SpecialistFiance's Age and Occupation: 22, Maintenance TechnicianEngagement Date: December 21, 2007Wedding Date: October, 2008Blogging Since: June 25, 2008Venue: Outside a rustic b&b in Big Bear LakeAbout Me: I'm a lover of all things good: coffee, music, travel, rain, and of course- my handsome fiance! I'm a full believer in the "Life is Short," mantra - and therefore, eat lots of dark chocolate. I'm a Geographer by degree and nerd by choice. I cook to the sound of French and Portuguese music even though I speak neither. I love road trips, camping, hiking, and capturing life through the lens of my camera. Take me to Anthropologie and I may never leave. I'm a sucker for pretty packaging, bargain finds, and old movies. Mr. Espresso and I are high school sweethearts and I am so blessed to be this amazing man's future wife.
We’re less than 50 days away from the wedding and we just booked our entertainment. Who’s been procrastinating? But in this instance, we had to wait in hopes of getting our top choice.
You see, back in June, I was researching entertainment and came across the musical awesomeness that is Mike and Brian. I emailed them immediately requesting a quote and their availability, but the price came out to be way over our budget. Insert frowning Espresso faces. I emailed them a couple times afterwards trying to figure out how we could cut the cost down and herein lies why we had to wait. Brian informed me that if I could wait a little over a month, and if nobody booked them for that date, he would perform at our wedding as a soloist and for a much cheaper price. So we waited, and waited, and waited. We wondered and prayed. Read more…
Mrs. Pomegranate, SacramentoAge and Occupation: 27, Technical SpecialistFiance's Age and Occupation: 27, Software EngineerEngagement Date: August 23, 2007Wedding Date: October, 2008Blogging Since: June 5, 2008Venue: R.H. Phillips WineryAbout Me: Hi, I'm Miss Pomegranate and I'm a shopaholic. I have a weak spot for the chic cheap - especially anything I can re-create on the DIY. Shoes are my vice, music is my passion in life and technology is the medium by which I live and work. When I'm not scoping out a sale, I'm spending my quality time training for a marathon, playing Wii with my fiance and snuggling with my Silver Labrador and Teacup Panther - and oh yeah, planning my wedding!
We originally planned on having an iPod wedding - but anxiety got the best of me after lots and lots (and lots) of people told me that the DJ is the one thing that most brides wish they had spent more on. Well, that anxiety, teamed up with the fact that NOT ONE of my friends wanted to be the emcee, (come on people, normally you all are hams and show-offs!) pretty much cemented my decision to try and find an affordable DJ.
I had a few rules for said DJ, including the following:
No wardrobe of shiny silver sequin vests, top hats or funky DJ wear.*
The option to allow a couple of friends to “spin” a pre-determined short set during our wedding day dance-fest.
A pleasant speaking voice - and no habit of interrupting or fast-talking.
A music catalog that didn’t expire in the 80s or that contains mass amounts of country music or cheesy dance songs.
Some form of lighting package for ambiance (this was Mr. Pom’s request).
Under $1,000 for 5 hours.
You’d THINK this would be easy, right? Apparently, to-be-married peeps in the Sacramento/Bay Area area either love the chicken dance or like to spend loads of money on their music slingers. We interviewed a few folks, but nobody really grabbed us. Read more…
Miss Candy Corn, PhiladelphiaAge and Occupation: 27, Freelance Writer, Photographer and IllustratorFiance's Age and Occupation: 25, Front End Web DeveloperBlogging Since: May 6, 2008Engagement Date: November 10, 2011Wedding Date: September 2012Venue: Our backyard!About Me: I’m a 27-year-old photographer, writer and illustrator who enjoys shooting weddings, catching typos in magazines, geeking out with Google Reader, watching Wonder Years marathons with my fiancé, and hanging out with our menagerie of pets. I’m an encore bride planning an intimate, offbeat backyard wedding with my fiancé (known around these parts as “The Ginger”), as we explore our adventures of homeownership.
I just realized I’ve never posted about our fabulous dj! At first, we were planning on DIY-ing our wedding music with an Ipod, but I knew I would end up freaking out about the music on the wedding day if we did it ourselves. I have this image in my head of me hauling a boombox around for backup. I was also scared there’d be a lot of this going on:
Mrs. Lovebird, New York/CancunAge and Occupation: 25, AttorneyFiance's Age and Occupation: 25, Medical StudentEngagement Date: September 22, 2006Wedding Date: July, 2008Venue: Dreams Cancun Resort & SpaAbout Me: Born and raised New Yorker planning a destination wedding in Cancun, Mexico. Got proposed to in Cancun, so it’s only fitting we are going back to get married. I love trivia, board games, bargain shopping, asian dramas and eating yummy food!
When I thought only a few people would come to our destination wedding, I was fine with the idea of having an ipod wedding and dancing barefoot on the beach. When the numbers started climbing towards 90 and beyond, we threw that idea out the window.
Mrs. Cherry Blossom, San FranciscoAge and Occupation: 27, Administrative Asst.Fiance's Age and Occupation: 26, District Sales ManagerEngagement Date: December 23, 2006Wedding Date: May 3, 2008Venue: Zen Garden in the East Bay w/ reception in a floor-to-ceiling window Atrium with views of the Zen GardenAbout Me: After 5 years of dating, we're finally ready to get hitched! I am a lovah of all things wedding, creative, crafty, and definitely DIY bc I love to add a personal touch to everything I gift or make. In my free time, I like to bake, spend time with our family, friends, and my doggies, read my guilty pleasure celebrity gossip and catch up on TV shows.
When we started searching for a DJ, the choices were unlimited. We had tons of friends who got into the DJ’ing business from HS, and continued it into a growing business from the club scene to weddings and social events. Finding one that fit our budget and had the ear for some bad-ass beat that makes you want to rip the floor up and shake your bon bon like no tomorrow was a different story.
Mrs. Hibiscus, Orange CountyAge and Occupation in 06: 25, Eyebal DocFiance's Age and Occupation: 27, Commerical UnderwriterEngagement Date: September 26, 2004Wedding Date: July 7, 2007Venue: Laguna Beach on the beach, reception on a yacht in Newport BeachAbout Me: I'm an eyeball doc. Normal is boring. I'm a hat person and a cat person. I'm in love (so very very in love). I'm a dreamer. I want to change the world. Superheroes are my friends. Kindness is contagious. Music is in my heart. Carpe diem.
So far, I’ve already blogged about our photobooth and our slideshow. Another special aspect of our wedding (and Mr. Hibiscus’ favorite) was our first dance.
Now, we worked really hard to come up with a routine after a couple of lessons from Arthur Murray. I think we did a good job considering we had no previous training. It wasn’t “Dancing with the stars” by any means, but we were very proud. We recommend taking dance lessons to help relax you for your first dance. Shockingly, my hubby wants to continue our lessons. He loved it and it was his favorite part of the wedding because he had put so much work into it.
Mrs. Bell Pepper, PhiladelphiaAge and Occupation: 28, Resident PhysicianFiance's Age and Occupation: 30, Resident PhysicianEngagement Date: May 30, 2006Wedding Date: June 2007Venue: Pennsylvania Academy of Fine ArtsAbout Me: I love whimsical details and design, everything that *sparkles*, sipping on hazelnut lattes, pugs, shopping for antiques and second-hand goods, scenic photography, delicate flowers, and checking out new restaurants in the city with my fianc??. We are planning our wedding at a unique city venue for about 75 close family members and friends. I have a lot of DIY ideas and I like to blog about ways to save money on your wedding.
There was much debate whether or not we should have a band, DJ, or an iPod playing our music for the reception. My fiance’s mom liked the idea of having a band. The look of having a band at your reception is very classy and the sound is so much better live. The cons for having a band is that it’s very expensive and you really have a limited song list collection to choose from. I contacted most bands in the Philly/South NJ area and the minimum cost to book one was about $2000, which is way out of our price range. Read more…
All-Inclusion Invitation Suites
