A way to save some dollars is to get married on a Friday or Sunday. If a Sunday is selected, then make sure a holiday Monday follows it to ensure your guest will stay longer.

If there is an option to have the ceremony and reception at the same location that can save time of commuting and places often give discounts since the couple are having both events at the same place. 

Having a buffet at the reception instead of a sit-down dinner will save money for the couple. Even if that is too much of a cost then appetizers can be served instead of a whole buffet. Brunch and lunch can be served instead of dinner to save on money.

Having liquor at the reception can be a high cost. It is more economic to have beer and wine at the reception and it can be done for a few hours or done the whole night unless the couple decides to do a paid bar.

Sometimes weddings are just for a small group of folks and it can be held at a restaurant. There is no need to pay for a rental space but only for the food and drink. Some restaurants have private rooms that may be reserved at no cost or a small fee.

An Officiate can help you with your budget or go over it. In California, officiants range from 250 to 500 dollars for the ceremony. And that does not even cover if they need extra audio for the ceremony if the venue does not provide it. In certain states, friends and family can be ordained and perform the ceremony. Please check if your state allows this.

It is just music and anybody can push play.

In essence, a monkey can push play, but are you going to trust a monkey with one of biggest days of your life? A professional dj prepares the playlist based on what the couple wanted. A true professional knows the keep the cocktail and dinner music at a lower volume, so the guests can socialize and not have to yell over the music. The party music is at a louder volume to get the party really started. With the excitement of the wedding, time zooms by and a true professional keeps the wedding within the timeline. 

They play the same music for every wedding.

You must be tired of the YMCA or the Chicken Dance or Celebration. To make sure the songs are not played at your wedding then make a DO NOT PLAYLIST.  Bride and groom work with the DJ to make a customized playlist. Cocktail hour can be classic Jazz sounds or can be 90’s R & B. Dinner music can be classical music or 80’s soft rock. Every wedding is different so the playlist will be different.

All DJs are the same.

This is not true by any means. Some Djs have the gift of gab on the microphone while others stand behind their music collection. Some djs do not know how to mix and fade songs out and put new songs in. Some djs can mix songs like you hear on the radio with a smooth transition. Equipment is not the same also and some djs would like a lot of bass and volume while others focus on the clarity of the music. Like other wedding vendors, there are so many choices out there.

The after party can be just as fun at the reception but grandma the little nephews won’t be there (hopefully). The ceremony and reception was formal and it is good to change things up a big and go informal.  An after party of course is optional. Party poopers need not apply.  The wedding ceremony and reception flies by and you want to night to never end. It is best to see before hand of local spots close to the venue.  Or one can reserve a room at the hotel if you want it to be private. Some folks at the wedding have came far and it would be a joy to spend some more time with them.

Some suggestions:

Head to Karaoke hang out and act a fool with a microphone. Music helps keep the party going.

Bar or club: Why not keep the dancing going. In other information they mention the couple spotting the tab but others say guests should open up the tab. How bout everyone go Dutch?

A friends pad (hopefully they were invited to the wedding) can be an option. The party can keep on going and can set up spotify list. Food can be preordered and ready to go when everyone arrives. Just be aware of the noise level since you do not want a visit from the police.

(Semi Party) Food trucks or fast food joint: can be miracle workers especially after a night of dancing.

Casino: If one were located close by then it would be a spot to hit up. Casinos are typically open 24 hours a day so you don’t have to worry about your night ending too soon.

  A dj should always do a sound check every time they do their set up. A sound check can consist of how loud they want to music during dinner and how loud they want it when it is the dance part of the night.  Wireless Microphones can be checked if they work and also if they have a full battery especially if they are going to do speeches. It would be ideal to have a wired microphone handy just in case the wireless microphone battery runs out or the signal gets lost.

The dinner music is background music. Guests should be able to talk to their neighbor without any strain.

Bride and groom can give the dj a must play list. Songs that have significant meaning for them or just songs they would love to have in the dance section of the night.

The first dance of the couple is a monumental song but at times the song can be too long and the dj plays the whole song out. How many one arm turns can the groom give the bride? The dj can fade out the song but can communicate with the couple on how long they want to song.

When the dj is stuck on one genre during the dance part of the night. The couple may have requested a solo genre but sometimes it is good to spread the love a little bit for the guests who are not dancing by putting on a different genre.

Explicit lyrics may have been cool while driving to your high school while you were in high school but in a place with your grandma and maybe children at the same place, it’s best to go clean version. 

Top Wedding Regrets: The Guest List

Weddings can be small and intimate and then some can be grand big events. One side of the bride of groom guests may be larger than the other side. The question is whom do you invite to share your precious day with you and your new spouse?

 First and foremost the immediate family and the closest friends can be invited. People who you probably never see again can be left off the list. People who you have known your whole life and that you have not spoken to in 10 years should be left off the list. It becomes difficult since at times parents help with wedding costs and they have their own list of folks that they want to invite. Some people on the list maybe people you have never met before.  A wedding is expensive as is already and the list should be made by the couple and not by guests suggesting that the couple should invite.

Everybody wants to bring his or her kids.  Bride and groom can opt to have an adult only wedding. Having little kids run the dance floor while you are doing the first dance would not look too good on video.  I do not remember any weddings I went as a kid but I did go to a few.

Small weddings are more intimate and the guests are selectively picked to enrich the wedding experience. During the wedding it is great to talk to all the guests and thank them for going. If the party is full of folks you barely know it makes it awkward when you are doing small talk.  

All and all people maybe upset that they were not invited. But a wedding is for the bride and groom and they can invite folks that mean something to them.

One of the first items on the to wedding to do list is to book a venue. Once that is established, then next on the list is to find the dj. Often times, we can select a dj that you seen perform at a wedding that you liked. It is recommended to book your dj 9 months to a year in advance to secure the dj of your choice. Most weddings happen on Saturday but if another day such as Friday or Sunday is selected then there is a better chance that your dj maybe available.  A lot more weddings happen during wedding season during the summer months. The temperature is better suited for the wedding and some weddings can be held outside without it being too cold or rainy.

For me, it would be good to have the booking 6 months ahead. In that time, there is not a rush to meet and go over logistics and gives the dj and the couple time to work on the playlist together. Then once the date is around the corner the list is already done and the plan is already established so there is less to worry about.

It is beneficial to pick your number 1 dj since he will not be booked that day and also for peace of mind. There is so much going on for the wedding that it is one less item to think about.

The dj will most likely ask for a nonrefundable deposit to secure the day. The reason for the nonrefundable deposit so the dj will not lose business in case the original customer cancels on the event and the dj turned down other events since he was booked for that prior event. 

These days everyone and their mom are a dj. With technology advances, many folks can play music and make legit transitions.

Do you truly like the dj you hired based on his or her skill level or just the price that the dj gave you.  For the sake of your wedding reception, please make sure the dj has experience to play at a wedding. The Dj makes or breaks the wedding with his music and microphone presence.

If a dj is charging 200 or 300 dollars then they are a beginner dj and its best to get a family friend to play music off their ipod since it will be the exact same experience.

You get what you pay for.

Djs that charge 400 to 600 are part time djs who have full time jobs.  They do have some experience and can have a good experience with these djs.

Djs that charge over 1000 to 2500 dollars are the real deal. They can really talk up the wedding and 9 times out of 10 a full time dj. Since djing is their full time gig, they can spend more time preparing for the wedding.

On average the wedding couple spends 700 to 1400 dollars on a dj. Especially now couples are spending more money now than in the past to ensure a good wedding experience.

Take the time to interview djs to get a feel of what kind of wedding you want.  Also take a glimpse of their reviews to get a sense of the quality work of the dj. A common question would be can we see you perform a wedding. That makes it difficult since weddings are usually made for private events.

To have a successful reception, the bride and groom have to set up a good team for the wedding.  I have heard from different couples that sometimes setting up the perfect wedding is like working a part time job. Wedding parties are interviewing different vendors and talking to their friends about venues and trying to figure out what would be the best for them.  But once a good team is formed then it can take off the stress of a wedding. A wedding is an event that should be joyful and memorable that should be shared with loved ones.

A bride or groom should not be worried about the caterer or the dj making mistakes. Once they hired their team then they should be able to handle the wedding event. The bride should have a wedding planner or a trusted bridesmaid handle any issue.

The wedding day goes by fast. It will be done in a blink of an eye. After taking photos after the ceremony, the bride and groom would head to the grand entrance of the reception then usually jump into their first dance, then  the father daughter dance followed by mom and son dance. The food is now served and it's time to talk to the guests at their tables.

Make sure you make time to eat. You spent a lot of time selecting the food  make sure you enjoy it. Sit down and and eat. It is going to be a long night of socializing and dancing so make sure you are nourished.

In a nutshell, set up your team of professionals to handle your wedding and eat your food. These tips will make your reception magical.