Did you know . . . More on Toasts

 In our last entry, we talked about toasts and how they can be one of the key moments of a wedding celebration.

Over the years I have seen some great toasts - and some that have made me cringe - but, when done right, they can set the tone that will carry the vibe for the rest of the evening (provided your emcee/entertainer/DJ is good enough to pick up on that vibe). The following is a collection of some of my favorite toasts that I have had the honor and pleasure of witnessing:

From Amy and Trent’s wedding, their Best Man told the story of astronaut Jim Lovell and his early days as a navy pilot. He was flying a mission off of the coast of Japan when he became separated from his squad. As he began to make his way back to his aircraft carrier the lights in his instrument panel went out. Suddenly he found himself flying alone, in complete darkness with no navigation system. It was like flying in the middle of a bowling ball. He seriously began to consider ditching the plane but that’s when he saw it: a shimmering tail of green on the sea below him, and anyone with maritime experience knows that that shimmering tail is phosphorescent algae that is left in the wake of a ship, so Lovell followed that trail which led him straight back to his aircraft carrier.

“So the moral of the story,” Amy and Trent’s Best Man concluded, “ Is that when you seem to be in your darkest hour, when all hope may seem to be lost, don’t give up, keep searching for the light that will take you back to right here where your journey began.”

On the lighter-hearted side was the toast from Lynn and Bryce’s wedding. Their Maid of Honor, Meghan, is a school teacher and this is an excerpt from her speech:

“I look forward to watching you two grow together, not only as a couple but as a family. If I’ve learned anything from your relationship, it’s that a love like yours can handle anything thrown at it. But just in case you ever feel overwhelmed as a new bride or groom, I asked my first-grade students to come up with rules for a happy marriage. To everyone here, please take note. These are great rules for any relationship. I think you’ll appreciate what the 1st graders had to say:

1)      Be quiet while someone else is talking.

2)      Give nice kisses.

3)      Don’t say hurry up. (Apparently, this student knows that Lynn and Bryce are always 15 minutes late).

4)      Stay calm during a fire.

5)      Say “I want you. No one else but you.”

6)      Hug each other before you go to work.

7)      Dance

8)      If you are allergic to something, eat something else.

9)      Have fun

And the most important rule:

10)   Keep hands and feet to yourself!

Let’s raise our glasses to toast Lynn and Bryce!”

And finally a snippet from Jessica and Alex’s wedding and their Best Man Christian:

“We are here to celebrate these two and the connection that they have. Jess, I'll be honest, I don't know you all that well, but I know Alex, I know the look he gets every time he talks about you, and when he and I hang out he talks about you often. Know that the love, the excitement, the nervousness, and maybe a little of the fear that you two are feeling right now is good, build on those feelings nurture them grow them together, make each other your one and only, be perfect for each other, push one another.“To quote Robin Williams in Good Will Hunting,’Find the little thing in one another. People call these things imperfections. They’re not, they're the good stuff. And then we get to choose who we let into our weird little worlds.’ You're not perfect, Alex. And let me save you the suspense, this girl Jess, she isn't perfect either. But the question is whether or not you're perfect for each other? That's the whole deal. Be perfect for one another To the bride and the groom: to finding the little things and to finding perfection in the imperfections To Alex and Jess …”

Sacramento wedding DJ Randy Bartlett likes to say “people don’t dance to music, they dance to moments,” and the toast is one of the key moments to create a moment on your wedding day.

Questions? click the pic ↓

~ QUESTIONS / CONSULTATION ~

www.facebook.com/alexxus.entertainment   -   #WeddingQs

          

Disc Jockeys  |  Emcees  |  Entertainers

www.alexxus.com  |  563-590-5815

Did you know . . . .toasts

Did you know

That the toast can be one of the key moments to a wedding. Sincere toasts can pull your guests in and can almost make them"feel the love" which will inspire them and help transition into a great celebration. 

Here are some Toasting Tips for your Best Man, Maid/Matron of Honor and anyone else that will be holding the live mic:

DO'S

1. Hold the microphone close to your chin
2. Open with who you are - but avoid the cliché “for those of you who don’t know me” (how about “Hi, my name is Susie and I’m happy to be Betsy’s Maid of Honor today”) - and how you know the bride or groom.
3. A short, funny story is good
4. Talk about what you've observed about their happiness since meeting
5.  Share a great story about when you knew they were The One for each other
6. Wish them a lifetime of happiness together and conclude with “Now let’s all raise our glass  . . .”

www.alexxus.com

DONT'S

1. Don’t try to punk the bride or groom and tell embarrassing stories (this is a celebration, not a roast)
2. Don’t tell inside jokes (makes the guests feel if they are not needed there)
3. Don’t mention ex’s (tacky)
4. Don’t get hammered before dinner (you’ll regret this the following days for more reasons than one).
5. Don’t forget to conclude with “Let’s all raise our glass . . .”
6. Don’t forget to hold the microphone close to your chin

~ QUESTIONS / CONSULTATION ~

  

          

Disc Jockeys  |  Emcees  |  Entertainers

www.alexxus.com  |  563-590-5815

Music, Money or Memories?

Did you know?

www.alexxus.com

That this is why we do what we do. It's more about making memories than making money. Thanks for having us Laura and Danny.

QUESTIONS / CONSULTATION

          

Disc Jockeys  |  Emcees  |  Entertainers

www.alexxus.com  |  563-590-5815

Dubuque / Galena

Wedding Tips, continued

Wedding Tips

Unique Cake Cutting Idea





Wedding Stress Relief




"Are you receiving help & expertise or blame & excuses? A true professional is ALWAYS there for you no matter the time of day. Somebody NOT committed to serve you provides excuses, stress, and worry. What is having a value-based, honest, and friendly relationship
worth to you on the biggest day of your life?"
from Brian Kelm's Wedding Truths

          

Disc Jockeys  |  Emcees  |  Entertainers

www.alexxus.com  |  563-590-5815

Dubuque / Galena

Wedding advice: Be open to ideas and expertise

He asked. She said yes.

Now what?

Once you announce your plans to get married, there's a good chance that people close to you will be ready and willing to dispense their share of advice. Some words of wisdom will be priceless, while others you can store away for another day.

When polling married couples, you will likely find they would change "this" or "that" about their weddings if given the chance to do it all over again. Here is some advice that you can choose to follow for your wedding day.

Tip #1: Trust your vendors

Couples often have unique ideas for their wedding day. It may seem tempting to spell out what you want in minute detail and insist on wedding vendors carrying out your wishes to a T. But the smarter idea may be to give vendors a little more free reign -- after all, they are the professionals.

"I had a vision in my head of what I wanted my centerpieces to look like," offers Jean M., Connecticut. "I gave the florist my suggestions and the 'feel' of what I was trying to create, but ultimately Ileft the finished product up to her. When I walked into the reception hall and saw my centerpiece baskets overflowing with fall-hued flowers, berries and twinkling candles, I was so excited I had left it up to the expert."

When deciding on particular aspects of the wedding, you can give your general ideas, but leave the finished product to the professionals. Don't list every song you want the deejay to play or micromanage all of the poses the photographer should take. After all, experienced pros have likely done this dozens of times in the past and could produce results you never dreamed possible.

Tip #2: Scale down

Unless you are planning on auditioning for the show "Over-the-Top Weddings," it might pay to make your wedding more about being personal and less about wowing the crowd with special effects and expensive treats. It's easy to be lured into extra dinner courses or be persuaded to release doves at the ceremony, but will these extras impact your relationship or the life you will be building together?

"If Ihad to do it all again, I would skip the dessert bar I had at my wedding," says Alice C., Ohio. "The spread of pies, pastries, cookies, and chocolates certainly looked impressive, but it cost me a small fortune. Also, people filled up on the dessert bar so much, they no longer had room to taste my special-ordered wedding cake."

~Request A Consultation ~

Tip #3: Don't overextend

Your wedding will hopefully be a once-in-a-lifetime event. Therefore, couples often plan to spend a good deal of money to ensure their special day is perfect. Weddings are still viewed as a high-priority expense and most couples save for a long period of time despite sluggish consumer spending reports. According to the market research and analysis firm IBISWorld, nearly 60 percent of couples go over their budgets when getting married. Some do so at the risk of being in debt afterward.

"It can be easy to get carried away in wedding spending," shares Deirdre H., Michigan. "I went way over budget when getting my wedding gown and a few other components of my wedding. My husband and I struggled the first year of our marriage trying to fix our finances and battling a bad case of money-related stress."

Try to stick to a budget as much as possible so that you can enjoy yourself not only on the wedding day, but also long after the honeymoon has ended.

Tip #4: Keep it in the family

Selecting members of your wedding party can be challenging because there may be so many special people in your lives right now that you want to honor. Choosing a best man and a maid/matron of honor is a large responsibility because these people stand out in the wedding. Although couples struggle with their choices and want to please everyone, your safest bet is to choose a family member.

"I ended up choosing my best friend over my sister as maid of honor," says Clara T., Arizona. "Although we were very close at the time, we've since grown apart due to work relocation. My sister and I, however, talk and hang out frequently. I regret not having asked my sister to be my maid of honor, considering hers is a friendship I know will last a long time."

Unless you don't have close family members or your relationship with your siblings or cousins is strained, choose a family member to serve as best man or maid of honor.

It is easy to be overwhelmed when planning a wedding, and couples can expect to be bombarded with advice. However, it could pay to heed the advice of couples who have already lived and learned from their wedding choices. SB127285

          

Disc Jockeys  |  Emcees  |  Entertainers

www.alexxus.com  |  563-590-5815

Dubuque / Galena

photo credit: ^@^ina (Irina Patrascu) via photopin cc

March Madness

March Madness. That time of year when high school and college basketball tournaments take center stage of the sporting world. We’ll hear terms like going dancing, a Cinderella team and stunning upset. Some teams, like the Dayton Flyers, The Mercer Bears and the Tennessee Volunteers have already exceeded expectations in the NCAA tournament, while others – think Syracuse, Ohio State and Iowa – have seen a once promising season come to a bitter, earlier than once expected, end.

How will the fans remember this season? I’m just speculating but I’m guessing the answer to that will come in October and those fans in Dayton, Macon and Knoxville will be a lot more eager to purchase tickets for the 2014/15 basketball season than they will be in Syracuse, Columbus or Iowa City. It’s the ending of those teams’ season that will have left the biggest impression.

And how does this all fit in to a wedding blog?

~REQUEST A CONSULTATION ~

Think of the end of your day. How will it be remembered? Will your guests be on the dance floor sharing a grand finale moment or will most of them have been long gone by then? As an Emcee/Entertainer/DJ we realize that we are some times the last vendor that couples hire to complete the puzzle of their wedding day – but we are also the last impression that your guests will have.

How do you want the final moments of your wedding day to be remembered?

          

Disc Jockeys  |  Emcees  |  Entertainers

www.alexxus.com  |  563-590-5815

Dubuque / Galena

Did You Know: Winter Wonderland Not a Christmas Carol

Seasonal Song

The song "Winter Wonderland" has become a staple of holiday radio. Much like "Jingle Bells," "Winter Wonderland" was not intentionally written to become a Christmas carol, but evolved into one over time

The song was published in 1934 by composer Felix Bernard and lyricist Richard B. Smith. Smith resided in the town of Honesdale, Pennsylvania, and was inspired to write the lyrics of the song after seeing Honesdale Central Park and his own childhood home blanketed in snow. Smith actually wrote the lyrics while being treated in the West Mountain Sanitarium in Scranton, Pennsylvania, for tuberculosis.

~ REQUEST A CONSULTATION ~

Many singers have performed the song throughout the years, so much so that it is often a standard song on artists' holiday compilations. Some of the better-known and earlier versions were made by The Andrews Sisters and Perry Como.

"Winter Wonderland" has evolved into one of those songs that inspires visions of snowy splendor. Original lyrics feature a portion of the song mentioning young lovers being married spontaneously by a traveling "parson," a Protestant minister. Some thought those lyrics sent the wrong message to children, and another version was written with a circus clown, instead. The song has been sung with either bridge in place and even both in lengthier versions of the tune.

          

Disc Jockeys  |  Emcees  |  Entertainers

www.alexxus.com  |  563-590-5815

Dubuque / Galena

How long should a party be?

Determining how long your party should be depends on a lot of different factors. Will there be  a dinner served? How many guests will there be? What are the demographics? A four hour prom with 100-400 attendees is considered just about right, but a four hour birthday party for five or six year olds may be pushing it.

"A party should end when it shouldn't end, not when it should," advises entrepreneurial coach and Michigan wedding DJ Dan Nichols. "Ending a party before it dies down leaves everyone with the impression the floor was packed all night. It just feels better when people are left wanting more versus being completely burned out. "


A good guide for a wedding would be:

• Under 50 guests:    four hours
• 50-250 guests:       four - five hours
• 250+ guests:          five - six hours

Keep in mind that the more guests you have the longer it will take to get everyone there and the longer it will take your staff  to serve them. In each case it is ideal tho allow at least two but no more than three hours after dinner for preliminary traditions and entertainment.

Too much of a good thing is not a good thing.

Until next time,

~ Mike ~

Making A difference

Michael J. Lenstra
Reprinted from the Disc Jockey News
www.discjockeynews.com

Michael J. Lenstra

January, 2013 -  As a DJ I like to feel that our community is somewhat making a difference, whether it’s by enhancing someone’s special event by entertaining their guests and creating a memorable moment or by offering our talents and/or our equipment for a special cause. As a community of difference makers, the tragedy in Newtown, Connecticut, is both inconceivable and unimaginable to us.

 However, I think we can relate to the great people that rushed to the aid of the victims within moments after the first shots rang out. People like the first wave of law officers that arrived. “I have no doubt that because of law enforcement’s quick response many lives were saved,” said Connecticut State Trooper spokesman Lt. Paul Vance. “I wish we could have saved more.” Or the more than six dozen doctors and nurses that assembled in a matter of 30 minutes at nearby Danbury Hospital in anticipation of treating the wounded only to be disheartened to realize that after the initial three victims no more would be coming.

Other heroes included the group of volunteer firefighters who provided a safe haven for the children at the local fire station as they escaped from the school. Another notable figure was school neighbor and retired psychologist Gene Rosen, who discovered a half dozen small children at the end of his driveway just moments after the tragedy, although at the time he was not yet aware of the situation. “We can’t go back to school,” one of the children explained to him. “Our teacher is dead . . . .”  Rosen took them in, gave them juice and some stuffed animals, and made arrangements to reunite them with their parents.

In the days that followed that heinous act of violence, more random acts of kindness followed. Local resident Michael Craigin, a former special education teacher and volunteer firefighter, felt the need to do something to help so he gathered up his bulldog Truman, parked his SUV at a local donut shop, and erected a small sign that read “My bulldog gives hugs.”  More than 100 passersby stopped to take advantage of the offer. Truman was not the only canine offering support. A team of golden retrievers–the Comfort Dogs, as they are known—and their handlers were sent by the Lutheran Church Charities from as far away as Indiana and Illinois to be there to offer support and an ear to scratch.

Another need was filled when employees from nearby Panera Bread stores volunteered to work behind the counter and in the kitchen at Newtown so that their company colleagues could attend memorial services for the victims.

Help was not contained to the local area. Writer Tom Cavanaugh from Los Angeles called the local coffee shop and donated $125 for 100 cups of coffee to be given away just to make a difference. The store’s owner, Peter Leone, thought it was such a good idea that he offered free coffee to everyone for the day. And the Wahlert Foundation in Dubuque, Iowa, along with other volunteers, teamed up with the monks of Trappist Caskets to offer free caskets to the families of the young victims.

The entertainment world was also quick to react in their own way. Many celebrities tweeted out their messages of support. Radio stations, both in the area around Newtown and nationwide, pulled songs like Ke$ha’s “Die Young” and Foster The People’s “Pumped Up Kicks” due to titles or lyrics that were deemed inappropriate, swapping them for classic inspirational songs like Bette Midler’s “Wind Beneath My Wings,” Eric Clapton’s “Tears In Heaven,” and even USA For Africa’s “We Are The World.” The studio behind the new Tom Cruise movie “Jack Reacher” delayed their premiere, as did the new Billy Crystal movie “Parental Guidance.” TV shows like “Haven” and “Family Guy” pulled their new episodes, and the Discovery series “American Guns” was canceled outright, as the networks felt the content in these shows could be viewed as insensitive so close to the shooting.

And maybe that word—sensitivity—is the way I as a DJ can make the biggest impact. Maybe a second look at some of the songs in my playlists or requests that I get might be in order over the next few weeks while the memories of that terrible day are still in people’s minds. Even an upbeat song like David Sanborn’s “Bang Bang,” with no connection to the events, might nonetheless need to take a little vacation simply to avoid an awkward introduction. Alice Coopers “Schools Out” might be another song to avoid at those end-of-the-year school dances.

The way I see it, for every one of these tragedies that occurs at the hands of a single person or two, thousands of other people show up almost instantaneously to offer help and support. Although they may not be the ones who the media focuses on, these people may be more representative of who we truly are as Americans rather than the perpetrators of these horrific crimes.

Michael J. Lenstra is a twenty-one year veteran of the Mobile Disc Jockey Industry, a full time entertainer, and owner of Alexxus Entertainment in Dubuque, IA and a monthlu columnist for the Disc Jockey News, a monthly national trade magazine based in Gey Eagle, MN

Disc Jockeys  |  Emcees  |  Entertainers

Dubuque / Galena

www.alexxus.com  |  563.590.5815