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Tips for Hiring the Right Wedding DJ

October 9, 2019
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AMOSPRO DJ Rob Mutzl (center) pictured with 4 couples he DJ’ed weddings for.

QUICK LINKS:

View our Wedding Page: https://www.amosproweddings.com
Meet our DJs: https://amospro.com/meet-our-djs/
Attend Our Monthly Open House: http://amospro.com/open-house/
Get a Quote: https://www.amosproweddings.com/request-for-info/

Tips for Hiring the Right DJ for Your Wedding

While there are many important decisions to make when planning your wedding or special event, none may be as crucial to its success as the selection of a DJ. The role of a professional DJ is to not only play music that sets the mood, but to also take charge of the event timeline, ensuring all vendors are working together and all your requests are met. The DJ acts as the Master of Ceremony, gracefully guiding your guests from one spotlight moment to the next using both announcements and music. With just the right combination of both, your event will be memorable for both you and your guests.

Undoubtedly you’ve been to weddings or other events where guests pack the dance floor, clapping, singing, and dancing to popular music from every era that everyone knows. The mood is fun, exciting, and carefree. You’ve likely also been to events that are not quite so lively, where a canned list of “reception” music has cleared the dance floor and most guests watch from the sidelines or leave early. Instead of fun and entertaining, the DJ has created a not-so-special mood that encourages disengagement from the event.

So what should you look for and what questions should you ask when hiring a DJ? Amos Productions has compiled the following list of important things to consider when making your DJ decision.

REFERRALS
Referrals from family and friends are a great way to start gathering a list of prospective DJs, as are referrals from your other vendors, such as photographer, event coordinator, and florist. Online sources, including Wedding Wire, The Knot, and Yelp are popular sites with honest opinions and first-hand experience with many different professional DJ services. Pay particular attention to DJs who have won recognition from The Knot or the Bride’s Choice Awards, as awards are given based on votes by actual clients. A word of caution however, about considering a DJ recommendation from your chosen venue, as some venues have commission relationships with specific DJs and you may not always get the best recommendation.

WEBSITE AND EQUIPMENT
Most often, reputable, professional DJs have updated websites that offer a description of services, insight into their style, and contact options for requesting pricing and/or additional information. Many DJs do not post prices on their website because they prefer to learn more about your special event in order to customize services and pricing to best meet your needs.

The equipment used by the DJ is also important to the success of your event. Be sure their equipment is up-to-date, that their equipment meets your needs (i.e., wireless microphone, number of speakers suits your venue size, special electrical needs can be accommodated), and that back-up equipment is available if needed.

MEET THE DJ
Always plan to meet with prospective DJs in order to assess personality and style, discuss what is most important to you, ask questions, and make connections. Base your DJ selection on the best personality fit for you as well as the style you hope to evoke at your special event. Listed below are some questions you may want to consider when making your DJ decision.

· Is the DJ you are considering well-qualified? How many weddings or other events has the DJ worked and do they have client testimonials they can share with you? Go online and read reviews about the DJ and the company to ensure you are hiring a reliable expert in the industry.

· Is the DJ you choose available on your event date? Make sure that DJ is the one who will be at your event and not one selected and sent by the company in general.

· What is the cost of DJ services and what exactly is included? If services other than the DJ are offered, does the company offer a multiple service discount? Does the fee include planning meetings, setup and strike fees, ceremony and reception music, microphones, and lighting? Are the fees quoted comparable to other local DJ services? Higher prices may be an indication of more professional service, better equipment, and other higher-end services, but if this is the case, the company should be able to justify the costs to their clients.

· Professional DJ companies offer clients written contracts that include the terms of the agreement and the cancellation policy. A signed contract is important to ensure the DJ will be at your event on-time and with all the right equipment, and that there is a back-up plan in place should the DJ not be able to make it or in the event of an equipment failure. A contract will confirm costs and payments, as well as indicate whether a retainer fee is required and if the retainer is refundable should your event be canceled or postponed. Be sure the DJ has full liability insurance, which protects you as well as the event venue in the unlikely event that something unexpected happens.

· Has the DJ worked other events at your venue? If so, the DJ will likely know the room configuration, the staff, electrical requirements, any unique challenges, and will therefore be well-prepared on the day of your event.

· Will the DJ act as the Emcee for your event and what is the DJ’s style on the microphone? What will he/she do if no one is dancing? Energize the crowd with the microphone or with careful song selection? How does music selection work? It is important that the music reflects you, that special song selections and requests are allowed, and the DJ is able to accommodate last-minute changes. These questions will help you decide if the DJ is a good fit for you.

Finally, the debate between hiring a DJ or a band may be a decision you make as well. A live band provides a much different experience than a DJ. A band typically has a larger sound system, requires more space and set-up coordination, interacts differently with the crowd, and is usually more expensive. Your DJ versus band decision may come down to what type of feel and experience you want for your wedding or event.

Jody Amos, owner of Amos Productions, has been in the wedding and event industry for over 20 years, has worked with many different vendors, knows what works and what doesn’t, and wants you to know why Amos Productions is the right choice for your event. “Amos Productions has many professional DJs with 10 or more years of experience. We continually train our staff on new technologies and innovative ideas in the industry as well as network with other professionals that help execute a perfect wedding or event. At Amos Productions, equipment is constantly upgraded and we provide our customers with a variety of planning tools to help customize your special wedding or event.”

QUICK LINKS:

View our Wedding Page: https://www.amosproweddings.com
Meet our DJs: https://amospro.com/meet-our-djs/
Attend Our Monthly Open House: http://amospro.com/open-house/
Get a Quote: https://www.amosproweddings.com/request-for-info/

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Top 50 Most Requested Song in 2020

January 3, 2018
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Top 50 Most Requested Songs

DISCLAIMER:

While we might not 100% agree with this chart, this will give you some insight on what was popular at weddings across the country, in 2020. The music planning system we use, is also used by hundreds of DJs, and millions of party hosts across the country. This is what our system populated as the top 50 most requested. Remember, what is popular here in California, may not be around the country.

To see the TOP 200 MOST REQUESTED SONGS, please login to your AMOSPRO client planning portal. Check your Welcome Email from Amos Productions for your username and password. If you did not receive one yet, please be sure to fill out the “Request Information” form.

Rank Song Song Title
1 Mark Ronson feat. Bruno Mars Uptown Funk
2 Whitney Houston I Wanna Dance With Somebody (Who Loves Me)
3 Journey Don’t Stop Believin’
4 Justin Timberlake Can’t Stop The Feeling!
5 Walk The Moon Shut Up And Dance
6 Neil Diamond Sweet Caroline
7 Cupid Cupid Shuffle
8 Ed Sheeran Thinking Out Loud
9 Usher Yeah!
10 V.I.C. Wobble
11 DJ Casper Cha Cha Slide
12 Black Eyed Peas I Gotta Feeling
13 Pharrell Williams Happy
14 Taylor Swift Shake It Off
15 Bon Jovi Livin’ On A Prayer
16 Bruno Mars Marry You
17 Earth, Wind and Fire September
18 Bruno Mars 24k Magic
19 Van Morrison Brown Eyed Girl
20 Garth Brooks Friends In Low Places
21 Luis Fonsi feat. Daddy Yankee Despacito
22 Kenny Loggins Footloose
23 B-52’s Love Shack
24 OutKast Hey Ya!
25 Backstreet Boys Everybody (Backstreet’s Back)
26 Rihanna feat. Calvin Harris We Found Love
27 John Legend All Of Me
28 AC/DC You Shook Me All Night Long
29 Beatles Twist And Shout
30 Maroon 5 Sugar
31 Spice Girls Wannabe
32 R. Kelly Ignition (Remix)
33 Elvis Presley Can’t Help Falling In Love
34 LMFAO Party Rock Anthem
35 Animal House Shout
36 Frank Sinatra The Way You Look Tonight
37 Beyonce feat. Jay-Z Crazy In Love
38 Michael Jackson Billie Jean
39 Flo Rida Low
40 Montell Jordan This Is How We Do It
41 Temptations My Girl
42 Beyonce Single Ladies (Put A Ring On It)
43 Ed Sheeran Shape Of You
44 Sir Mix-A-Lot Baby Got Back
45 Robin Thicke feat. Pharrell & T.I. Blurred Lines
46 ABBA Dancing Queen
47 Miley Cyrus Party In The U.S.A.
48 Old Crow Medicine Show Wagon Wheel
49 Sister Sledge We Are Family
50 DJ Snake feat. Lil’ Jon Turn Down For What
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Wedding Games

October 20, 2017
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Wedding Games – Yes or No?

Wedding games can be a great way to keep guests entertained at your special event and have become popular parts of many memorable wedding days. They provide something for your guests to do while the wedding party is getting photographed and can be the perfect ice breaker for guests who haven’t met. The key is deciding how and which games to incorporate into your special day, without becoming tasteless with overly silly or questionable game choices.

Outdoor wedding receptions can take advantage of yard games that can enhance a beautiful venue and act as an extension of your theme or décor. Choose games that are special to your love story. Here are some fun examples:

Ring Toss – The exchange of wedding rings can be represented by this game. Create your own ring toss set, incorporating wine glasses or bottles painted in your wedding colors and decorated with jewels.

Cornhole – Customize this popular game by painting your wedding date, names, or Bride and Groom on the boards and make bean bags that coordinate with your wedding colors and theme.

Giant Jenga – Create a giant-sized Jenga game with large wooden blocks painted in your wedding colors and imprinted with fun facts about you and your new spouse.

Wedding table games can help entertain guests while waiting for the meal to be served or for tables to be called to the buffet. They can also provide an easy way for table-mates to get to know one another. Some popular wedding table games are:

I Spy – This popular game is not only fun for the guests but also provides candid photos for the bride and groom to enjoy after the wedding. On each table place a list of items for the guests to find or do and then photograph on their personal or disposable table cameras. Photo ideas you can incorporate are a group selfie, the youngest and/or oldest person at the wedding, dance moves, a special kiss, clinking champagne glasses, and the sunset, to name just a few. The possibilities are endless.

Bride and Groom Trivia – Create a list of trivia questions about the bride and groom for the guests to answer. The DJ or a member of the wedding party can read the answers and reward the person with the most correct answers with a prize, or at least with recognition that they know the bride and groom the best.

Board Game Centerpieces – Games, such as dominoes, Uno, Trivial Pursuit, and Yahtzee can be incorporated into your table décor, creating colorful centerpieces and providing endless entertainment for guests of all ages.

Games for the whole group, wedding party and guests, are a great way to get the crowd to interact. Popular large group games include:

Wedding Shoe Game – In this popular game the bride and groom sit back to back, each holding one of the bride’s shoes and one of the groom’s shoes. The DJ reads questions and the bride and groom hold up the shoe of the person who best represents the answer to that question. In addition to preset questions, ask guests to submit questions as well. Some sample questions might include:

  • Who is the better dancer/singer?
  • Who has more shoes?
  • Who is the best driver?
  • Who falls asleep first while watching TV?
  • Who is the best cook?

Anniversary Dance – This is a great way to get your guests up and dancing. First, the DJ invites all married couples onto the dance floor. He/she then announces various years of marriage, asking those who have been married one year or less to leave the dance floor, then five years or less, until only the couple who has been married the longest remains on the dance floor.

Finally, if you have a number of children attending your wedding you may want to include some activities just for them. Some fun examples of children’s games are:

Mini I Spy – Provide disposal cameras for the kids and lists of pictures of items for them to find and photograph. Fun photo ideas can include a ponytail, a colorful shoe, a half-eaten piece of cake, someone dancing in a silly way, and a wrapped wedding gift.

Kids Dance Off – Challenge the kids to get on the dance floor and show off their best dance moves for a special “kids only” song. Gather around and cheer them on.

Wedding Color Book – Create a customized color book of your wedding. Include crayons or colored pencils and stickers to keep the little ones busy while seated.

This represents just a few of the ways and types of games that can be incorporated into your wedding, should you decide to do so. Games will undoubtedly keep your guests entertained, but they may not fit into the vision of your wedding. Do you like the idea of games at your wedding and have you played them at weddings you have attended? We would love to hear your thoughts as well as learn about any other fun and crowd-pleasing wedding games you have played.

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Wedding Toasts & Speeches

March 19, 2015
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BEST-MAN-TOAST-BLOG

Writing a Best Man or Maid/Matron of Honor Speech

Delivering a wedding toast or speech should be fun, personal and from the heart. Remember, that you will probably be on video, so start preparing yourself to be in the spot light. If you are reading this, we assume you have been chosen to deliver a toast or speech to a bride and groom. To help you get started, we have included some tips on writing and delivering a speech.

Begin by writing down thoughts about the bride and groom and your relationship to them.

• How do you know them?
• Why did they choose you as best man or maid of honor?
• How would you describe each of them? What are the first five adjectives that come to mind?
• What was the groom like before he met the bride? How has he changed knowing her?
• How did they meet? How did the bride tell you about him?
• If you are married, you may want to share marriage advice you’ve received or have learned.
• Are there any particularly amusing anecdotes that illustrate who the bride and/or groom are?

Get creative and if appropriate, use humor to capture the attention of your audience and emotion to cause them to shed a tear. You may want to organize your speech into a top 3 or top 10 list, citing the top reasons why the Bride and Groom belong together. Another fun idea is to write your speech around a bag of items that you bring, handing off each item in the bag to either the Bride or Groom as you offer advice, thoughts, or humor related to each item.

Tips to remember when preparing your speech:

• Introduce Yourself – The Bride and Groom know who you are but probably most of the audience will not.
• Express gratitude – Thank the Bride and Groom for including you and all the guests in their special day.
• Compliment the Bride – It’s the Bride’s day; make her feel extra-special.
• Appropriate content – Make sure the content of your speech is appropriate for the audience.
• Limit your time – Stay on topic and limit your time to 3-5 minutes.
• Closing line – End with a beautiful romantic quote or a heartfelt comment.
• Prepare – Practice and use notecards if needed.

Tips for the day of the wedding:

• Know how to operate the microphone and don’t be afraid to use it.
• Work with the videographer to determine the best spot to deliver your speech.
• Speak clearly.
• Deliver your speech at a good pace – not too fast, not too slow.
• Limit your alcohol consumption prior to your speech.
• Be sure to raise a glass to the couple at the end of your speech.

Especially for the Maid/Matron of Honor

Your friend or family member asked you to be her Maid/Matron of Honor because you are special to her. She is trusting you to represent this special relationship in a speech to all the other guests. Be sure to take this responsibility seriously by preparing a speech and practicing. Speak from your heart, be yourself, and don’t feel pressured to be funny or sentimental or lengthy.

Especially for the Best Man:

Similarly, the Groom chose you to be his Best Man because you are significant in his life. Whether you choose to roast the Groom with a series of funny stories and anecdotes, take a more serious approach, or combine the two, it’s important to pay tribute to the Groom and his Bride. Be yourself and make sure to deliver a speech that reflects your genuine relationship with the Groom. The Best Man speech is generally expected to be humorous. Here is just one example:

I am happy to be here tonight. When the groom wanted a Best Man, he went to the smartest man he knew. When he said no, he asked the most handsome man he knew. When he said no, he asked the most popular man he knew. And finally after being asked 3 times, I agreed.

Amos Productions Event Services:

The key to a successful event is all in the planning stages. At Amos Productions, our staff of certified professionals have years of experience and advice to offer you. For just about every event we do, we help guide you through the planning stages and assist you in pulling together all of the details for a seamless result. Building a custom timeline, planning important formalities, selecting the right staff and equipment, as well as choosing the appropriate music for your event, are just some of our specialties. Our goal is to exceed your expectations before the event even begins. Our Monthly Open House is a great opportunity to learn more about our services.

Here’s to creating a memorable speech for a very special occasion. Cheers!

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