As they Say - **It Happens

Randy Bartlett of Premier Entertainment in Sacramento, CA tells us a story of a wedding ceremony he was part of a while back. The bride and groom, Dana and Dave, were both police officers and were getting married by the departments Chaplain. As she was conducting the ceremony she looked at Dana and asked, “Do you Dana take MIKE to be your lawfully wedded husband?” A confused Dana looked at the Chaplain in bewildered disbelief before Dave turned to the guests and said “All right, who is MIKE??”

To which the guests roared with laughter. The embarrassed officiate apologized profusely and continued on.

The point of all of this is that Dave handled the snafu with a sense of humor, and made the mistake a humorous outtake.

Much of the same was done at the recent 2014 Winter Olympic games in Sochi, Russia. After years of planning, putting in the prep work and even having dress rehearsals, not everything went as planned. One of the key effects for the opening ceremonies was to have five electronic snow flakes descend into the stadium (a la winter theme), open up and form the five Olympic Rings. Everything worked just as planned the day before in dress reheasal but on opening night, the snowflakes made there descent and only four of the five cooperated and one remained a snowflake (picture above).

~ REQUEST A CONSULTATION ~

This moment was not lost on the host Russians though and when closing ceremonies took place 16 days later they once again had a blossoming of the Olympic rings and again only four of them opened, this time though it was planned, making light of the original glitch.

And where am I going with all of this?
Charles Swindoll once said “Life is 10% what happens to us and 90% how we react.” Officer Dave and the Russian Olympic Committee handled their dilemmas with humor. So whether you are planning your child’s birthday party, a wedding, a bar mitzvah or a fundraiser know that – as the saying goes – stuff happens. Know this in advance and recognize how well you handle it may determine how successful your event turns out.

Until next time

~ Mike ~

          

Disc Jockeys  |  Emcees  |  Entertainers

www.alexxus.com  |  563-590-5815

Dubuque / Galena

Learning in Las Vegas

I no longer am a Vegas Virgin. Or better put, I have finally made it to Las Vegas for the annual Mobile Beat Disc Jockey Convention, the largest gathering of Mobile DJs in the country. There were great educational seminars, a fantastic exhibit hall showcasing the latest technology in the industry and wonderful fellowship among the other DJs. It vwas also nice running in to other DJs from Dubuque.

Thanks to Ron Ruth and Ed Petty for giving me the grand tour.



photo credit: Vanessa (EY) via photopin cc

The Right Banquet Hall

Think you'll be getting engaged this Holiday Season? Guest blogger Marcelina Harrdy has some tips on finding the perfect reception hall for your wedding day.

Choosing the Right Banquet Hall for a Wedding

When you first start planning a wedding, you’ll likely find there are many banquet halls available. Choosing the right one for your wedding can be difficult for this reason. However, knowing what you need can help you make the decision.

The Number of Guests

Choosing a banquet hall that is too large for the number of guests that you are expecting can be detrimental to your event. It will look like no one showed up to your wedding. A banquet hall that is too small may create excess heat and your guests will be uncomfortable. When searching for banquet halls, ask the owner of the establishment how many people will comfortably fit in the hall.

Décor Capabilities

Some banquet halls are so beautifully constructed that they don’t need many decorations to make it a perfect wedding reception location. Others need a bit of help from wedding flowers and more. Consider this when renting a hall because the expense of using a lot of decorations in a hall may end up costing the same or more as renting another hall that doesn’t need as much help.

Logistics of the Room for Furniture Arrangement

When you first look at a hall, it’s good to think about the placement of tables, head table, and where the DJ/Band will end up. Some halls are shaped in a way that only allows the entertainment to be in one location, which means the tables can only be in another location.  Other halls may have a bar in a separate room thus “splitting” your guests into different locations. This might be a problem if the dance floor in an awkward location or if you want a head table and there’s no room for one.

Grand Entrance Possibility

At most receptions, DJs or Emcees typically announce the arrival of the bridal party and newly married couple when they enter the hall. After the announcements, everyone usually gathers around the dance to take photos and/or the bride and groom have their first dance. Think about how this will play out with the banquet hall you are considering. Have they allowed enough room for your Grand Entrance?

Acoustics in the Hall

Some banquet halls are better acoustically than others are. The best person to ask for this advice will be a DJ or band that has played there several times. You may also be able to visit the hall when another event is happening to hear the music and judge the quality of the sound.

Think of What You Want and Then Find It

When you go out searching for a banquet hall for your wedding reception, first envision what you would like your reception to be like. Think of the décor, table arrangements, DJ placement, dance floor as well as costs and food service. With these thoughts in mind, go out to search for a hall that allows you to have all that you want. This is your wedding and should be just the way you want it!

www.alexxus.com  |  563.590.5815

Freelance writer Marcelina Hardy wrote this guest post. She has years of experience booking banquet halls for various events. She often teams up with fellow DJs a holiday party DJ San Antonio and New Year’s Eve DJ San Antonio company for her parties because of their flexibility and experience.

photo credit: brennan.v via photopin cc</