Photo Credit: Found on funomenoentertainment.com

photo credit: bellinistrings.com

Having a live trio or string quartet is a great idea if you want elegant and classic music playing at your event.  Rather than having a DJ or band, this option provides lovely background music.

Photo Credit: YouniqueWeddingIdeas.com

photo credit: www.jumpingfrogs.com

If given enough time a lot of groups will be able to play some of your contemporary favorites as well as your classical standards.  There is something to be said for hearing strings play as your guests walk into your venue that adds an air of royalty to the proceedings.

photo credit: 4.bp.blogspot.com

Make sure you talk over with your lead musician on song choices beforehand especially if you desire specific songs.  Some may be arranged for a quartet but if you’ve only hired a trio, it could lead to a lot of scrambling at the last minute.  Another thing to make sure of is to hear a sample of the music that will actually play at your wedding or reception.  Usually you will work with the lead or main musician of a group, but they may work with many musicians and you want to be sure you are getting what they promised.

Photo Credit: InnocentiStrings.Blogspot.com

Meet the Toast & Jam team …

Photo Credit: Toast & Jam

Toast & Jam was founded by the fabulous Mary Nisi.  Learn a little bit about her and the company below …

What inspired you to start your business?
I had a radio show in Chicago and one day a listener called in and asked if I’d DJ his wedding. I figured, why not? And the party was an absolute rager! I’d never really been to a lot of weddings at that point so I didn’t have any pre-conceived notions of what a wedding DJ should do. I didn’t know about all the wedding DJ gimmicks like the Chicken Dance and the Hokey Pokey, so it never occurred to me to play them. I just played it like I was DJing a house party and the guests and the bride and groom loved it. So that was the beginning.

What options for customization do you offer?
Our whole thing is that we customize the music to meet the couple’s taste, while also making sure that everyone on the dance floor is taken care of. You can’t go straight to Gaga – you’ve to start with some jams that will get Grandma and the older guests on the dance floor so they can have fun. But the music, and especially the cocktail and dinner music, should really feel like the couple themselves and should be in keeping with the vibe of the wedding. Our DJs get to know their couples well over the course of several months so that the DJ can get to know their tastes and put together a play list accordingly.

If you could give one tip to couples who are planning a wedding, what would it be?
When it comes to music, I would encourage couples to trust the professionals. We have some couples who are so excited about the dance portion that they want to pick out every song. We’re music junkies, so we totally understand that. But know matter how well you know your guests, you can never really anticipate exactly how a dance floor will respond. Your DJ needs the freedom to read the dance floor and pick songs accordingly. For example, Come On, Eileen is practically a guaranteed banger at every time. But I’ve had weddings where the 80s cleared the dance floor. It’s inexplicable, but the DJ has to work around it. That’s why you can’t put us in DJ handcuffs – you want your guests to remember a great dance party and we will make it happen if you let us.

What is something that most people don’t know about your biz/you?
We don’t have an unlimited number of DJs so when we’re booked up, we are booked up. Our DJs have to go through a pretty extensive training process and have to have very specific skill set and temperament so not just anyone can be a Toast & Jam DJ. Unfortunately that means that we often don’t have DJs for couples who want us for their weddings, but it ensures that the couples who get us love us!

What is your one must-have item/product/tool to have on-hand when you’re working?
Other than comfortable shoes, I always have to have extension cords and gaffe tape to hold them down – nothing ruins a wedding like a bridesmaid tripping over a cord and bringing a speaker down with her.

If you had to choose one phrase to describe yourself/your business what would it be?
Never stale, always fresh and sweet!

5 Things that make you happy?
1) Our clients’ first dances (Most of us still tear up at least once during a wedding.)
2) Records
3) When grandmothers raise the roof.
4) When angst-y teenagers forget that they are too cool to dance at weddings
5) Venues with easy load-ins

The Toast & Jam team have a great sense of humor too.  Take a look at this witty video about the service they offer (created by I Do Films) …

Toast & Jam from I Do Films on Vimeo.

Photo Credit: ecolequartierlatin.com

While we know that picking a song is almost entirely dependent upon one’s musical tastes, there are certain guiding principles one should follow: 1) the song should be meaningful (perhaps it’s the song your parents danced to, or a song you and your future spouse heard during a special occasion, 2) the song should be at least-semi recognizable (it’s fun to have other couples at your reception look at each other lovingly and say, “oh, I love this song!” and 3) it should be easy to dance to (really, this one’s important, as everyone who’s chosen Etta James’ “At Last” knows – yes, it’s a great song, but the beat is very slow and has tons of variation).

So with that in mind, here are my five favorite wedding songs of the moment, along with my not-so-favorite wedding songs:

Top Songs:

1. The Way You Look Tonight – Tony Bennett (a classic – plain and simple)
2. Amazed – Lonestar (outside of the classics, country singers do the best love songs)
3. It Had to Be You – Harry Connick, Jr. (another classic – a great one for dancing)
4. What a Wonderful World – Louis Armstrong (just a happy, beautiful song – all your guests will be smiling)
5. You Are the Sunshine of My Life – Stevie Wonder (for a little added groove in your first dance)

Not So Top Songs:

1. Because You Loved Me – Celine Dion (In my opinion, there’s something just a bit too cheesy about Celine Dion – amazing voice or not)
2. Wonderful Tonight – Eric Clapton (I’m pretty sure this was my prom song – enough said)
3. When I See You Smile – Bad English (though my husband might disagree, I find the idea of using a hair band for your first song a little odd)
4. Come Away with Me – Norah Jones (gorgeous song, impossible to dance to)
5. I Got You Babe – Sonny and Cher (I have a hunch it’s not a good omen to start your wedding with a song sung by a couple who got divorced)

Now, if you’ll excuse me, I’m going to turn up my iPod and listen to all the songs from our wedding band’s CD…and in case you’re wondering, our song was the Harry Connick, Jr. arrangement of “I Could Write a Book.”

Choosing the musical source and style for a wedding can be a special challenge.  While most ceremonies have certain requirements for what kind of music can be played and when, wedding receptions are open to possibilities.  Additionally, reception music must accommodate the space in which it will be played, and please the ears of all attendees.  This can be a particularly difficult challenge – how to keep your friends dancing while also making sure grandma keeps smiling.

At our wedding, we had a band called Lapis Luna and they were incredible.  They specialize in jazz and standards from the 30’s to the 50’s and are a fixture at New York weddings and lounges.  We did, however, think about having a DJ take over later in the evening, and only scrapped the plan when we found out what a logistical nightmare this could be.  In hindsight, our choice was perfect for the style of our wedding, but for brides who are a bit unsure about which route to take, I thought a few guiding principles might help.  So here they are – my top reasons to choose a band or a DJ.

Photo Credit: LapisLuna.com

Top Reasons to Choose a Band:

1. The Magic of Live Music – Being someone who used to sing a bit here and there, I can honestly say there is no substitute for hearing your favorite song live; the sound quality of a live band is traditionally much better than recordings and can be adjusted to fit the space of your reception.
2. Great Performances – Great bands bring an energy to a party that no recording or emcee can match; a live band centers the reception and creates a polished look for the celebration.
3. Experts in Their Field – If you’re partial to a certain type of music, hiring a band gives you an opportunity to hear a group of experts in that genre, and when the music is played, their passion and expertise shines through.
4. Customization – There are many different ways to play any song; hiring a band allows you to make small changes to make your playlist perfect (for instance, we asked our band to play our first dance song slower than they usually do – “at the speed Harry Connick Jr. sings it on the When Harry Met Sally soundtrack,” to be exact – and it was perfect)

Photo Credit: Mtsounds.com

Top Reasons to Choose a DJ:

1. Cost – While it’s easy to spend $5,000 or more on a good band, a great DJ can be hired for $2,000 or less, depending on where you live and how long you’ll need their services.
2. Songs the Way You Like Them – If you’re looking to hear Beyonce serenade the single ladies at your wedding, there is something to be said for having the song sound exactly as it does on your iPod, and a DJ can easily switch between genres to accommodate all musical tastes.
3. Ease of Selection – Many DJs work for companies that have several on staff, and a quick conversation with the manager about what you’re looking for (and what you won’t tolerate) can have your music choice completed in short order.
4. Space – Depending on the size and shape of your venue, you could be limited in the size of the band you can bring in; with a DJ, you generally need only accommodate one person, a table and a few speakers.

Here’s hoping your wedding sounds as great as it feels!

Photo Credit: MaxBaunmusic.com

Whatever your choice of wedding entertainment may be, you might not have to search too hard. Check out Gig Masters! I came across their website while helping to plan a friend’s wedding. What a wonderful idea to make all different kinds of wedding entertainment easily available all on one site!

Photo Credit: GigMasters.com

Photo Credit: GigMasters.com

At Gig Masters there are customer reviews, average price ranges and even audio and video from the performer’s past events and listings of their future events. This way you can even check them out before you hire them. What a great concept!

Photo Credit: Smita Malhotra

1. Think of everyone who will be attending your wedding reception.

Picking the music for your wedding reception, if not done carefully, can be like going grocery shopping on an empty stomach. Don’t let your play-list be like a cart full of junk food. Before making your song choices, I suggest looking over your guest list and consider who will be attending and who is likely to dance. Early on in the reception, I recommend playing wedding reception dance music that will appeal to as many of your guests as possible. Get that dance floor packed early. Once that happens your dj will have more leeway to play songs that might be a bit more “off the beaten path”.

2. Ask your dj for popular songs played at weddings.

Your wedding dj can be a great source of what’s hot & what’s not. Most will offer some form of suggestion either in print or online. For example, my website tracks the top 200 best wedding reception songs requested at weddings overall, by decade & by genre. Lists like this will give you an idea of what’s popular and danceable. They can also be a good source of material for your “Must Play” & “Don’t Play Lists”.

5 Star Events Top 200

3. Add a third request list.

Most dj’s offer “Must Play” and “Don’t Play Lists”. I recommend a third list labeled “Play if Possible”. I ask my clients to fill it up with all their favorites from their iPod & cd collection. This lets me get inside my clients head a bit. If I have a choice between two songs, I can choose the one that fits both my clients taste & the mood of the dance floor.

5 Star Events DJ Request List

4. Let your wedding dj know how much “wiggle room” he has.

Every couple who prepares a music play list has the best intentions. The fact of the matter is that it’s quite possible that the wedding reception songs you pick won’t offer the results you expect on the dance floor. On my planner, I have two clearly marked options: “If our requests aren’t working play what will keep everyone dancing” and “The music is more important than dancing. Stick to our requests”.

5. Pick out lots of music tracks for your wedding.. It’s gonna be a long night!

I’m occasionally contracted by couples who want “total control” of the music. If this is a challenge that you feel like taking on, I recommend picking more music than your dj could ever possibly play. If the music list is reasonable a good dj should be able to fit your choices together in a way that gives maximum results on the dance floor and a play list of songs that you can be excited about.