Destination weddings to the Okanagan - Absolute DJS Kelowna

Your destination wedding dj specialist to the Okanagan!

"I would highly recommend Mark from Absolute DJS Kelowna. He did a phenomenal job as the disc jockey for our wedding. We loved the music, as did our guests. I think it says a lot that my friends in their 20s and 30s told me that the music selection was fantastic, and so did my 85 year old Grandma. My parents' friends danced up a storm, and so did the young people! We really appreciate your great song choices and the way you made the night flow so smoothly. Thanks again!" – Katie Ropchan

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Okanagan • Kelowna • Vernon

DeeJay Absolute - Review

“If you are looking for an amazing dj who can keep the dance floor full from the first dance to the last, look no further than Mark Vanderende of Absolute DJS. I have worked with Mark before, as well as been a guest at parties where he has dj’ed, and I can honestly say that his music made them some of the best parties I’ve been to. He knows how to read the crowd, and play songs that everyone will love, no matter what age. He’s great at taking requests, and strives to make the dance floor a fun place for even the most reluctant dancer. He is also great to work with during the planning phase of the event: he was easy to get ahold of whenever we had questions, and was extremely open to suggestions and feedback. Mark truly wants to make your event a memorable one, as well as a fun one. Everyone knows the best part of a party is the music, and for that there is no doubt that Mark Vanderende and Absolute DJS are the ones you want. I would strongly urge anyone planning a party, whether it be a corporate event or a wedding, to call Mark Vanderende and his team. I guarantee you won’t regret it.” – Daniela Endersby

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Vancouver • Richmond • Burnaby • New Westminster
Coquitlam • Surrey • White Rock • Langley • Port Moody • Maple Ridge
Chilliwack • Abbotsford • Whistler

The best wedding DJ in Abbotsford, Chilliwack

"Mark Vanderende - Owner and DJ of Absolute DJS was an amazing DJ. We interviewed 3 or 4 DJs before meeting with him. We left each meeting feeling like the DJ was ok, but they didn't really get us. Mark totally got us. We spent almost an hour chatting with him when we first met him chatting about what music we liked, the feel of our day, etc. etc.

We left that meeting with zero reservations and put our deposit down that night. Mark was super helpful and was always willing to offer advice or feedback on any aspect of the wedding, not just the music.

He was super flexible when we made changes to the song list, and even stepped up to the plate when our Mcees revealed they didn't feel comfortable hosting the party portion of the evening and wanted to bow out after the speeches.

To top it all off, he was the most reasonably priced DJ we interviewed. Mark helped make our reception a true party and we can't thank him enough." – Kate and Glen

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Vancouver • Richmond • Burnaby • New Westminster
Coquitlam • Surrey • White Rock • Langley • Port Moody • Maple Ridge
Chilliwack • Abbotsford • Whistler

Wedding Guest Favour List

“Favours require three ingredients: Taste-Style-Thought.
They must be something guests will want to take home.”

– Gail Dunson, co-author “Bridzilla: True Tales from Etiquette Hell”


Favours or Bombonniers are a popular European tradition that date back to the time of the Romans. Often you'll see five candies that symbolize Health, Love, Prosperity, Fertility, and Fidelity. They were traditionally given to the women attending the wedding, but most people today provide a gift to every couple or every individual guest. It is up to you. This is a tradition more popular in Canada than the US. It's a fun way to thank every guest for coming to your special day. Quite often the wedding party will get together one night to assemble the favour as it can be a time consuming activity.

Bath Salts

Make your own or buy already made, from local sources like Body Saltz, bath products that your guests can enjoy at home. Put a custom label on them with your picture, names and wedding date for a personalized touch.

Chocolate Mold

The best guest favours are consumable. The reality is, unless it's consumable or extremely useful for the masses, favours end up left on the guest tables. The masses enjoy chocolate and if you look on eBay, you could find a mold of anything to fit your theme that would make an enjoyable treat for your guests. One bride I spoke to has a western theme and wanted to buy each guest a cowboy hat for the reception. Not everyone may use a cowboy hat and they could add up to be a lot of money very quickly. Instead I suggested buying a chocolate mold of cowboy hats and wrapping them as a favour for each guest. This will save a lot of money and be appreciated by more guests. There are many options to wrap the chocolates. You can use netting, plastic bags, Chinese take out boxes, or other packaging options. Choose something that suits your theme and budget.

Cocoa for Couples

Instructions for this can be found under 'DIY Projects'. Especially for a winter wedding, these cute consumables can be easily made by you and your wedding party. Get cone shaped bags at Creative Packaging and create a warm thank you for your guests to enjoy.

Custom Cookie

1. Bake massages into costume made cookies. Ask your local baker if they are able to do this for you.

Custom Cookie

2. You may want an iced sugar cookie instead. These can be very pretty and designed to suit your theme. You can even have edible photograph images imprinted.

Donation

Show your guests your humanitarian side and donate $1-2 per guest to the BC SPCA. Also consider the BC Cancer Foundation or Surrey Food Bank or any of your favourite charity organization(s).

Frame / Placecard

Buy small frames from the dollar store (if you don't like the colour, spray paint them) and put the guest names, and maybe your name & date in them. They can then be used as place cards. Then when you send your thank you cards, include a wedding photo that will fit the frame. Make sure your MC announces the frames are to be taken.

Message Stones for Guests 

Either stamp an inspirational message with 'stayz on' ink on smooth rocks you find in a river bed or use metallic ink pens to write your own unique message. Rocks can be purchased at craft and dollar stores too, but with all the rivers around here, I'd go get them for free if you have the time.

Message Stones for Bride & Groom

I've also seen this as a gift for the bride and groom, where each guest gets a blank stone and they write a message of inspiration to the bride and groom. The stones are put in a bowl and they have a lovely memory and decoration for their new home together.

Wine Glass & Charm

This is a favour I'd only recommend for a small guest list. The bride that made 220 of these will tell you just how much work they were. She bought packages of silver letter beads and strung each guest's name on a jewelry ring and wrapped them around a wine glass stem. A favour tag was added to hold the charm in place (otherwise it's hard to read if they move around). Each glass was placed in a bag that has a flat card in the bottom for stability. Another ribbon was tied at the top. These can be used as placecards as well.

Wrapped Candy

Wrap chocolate bars or other candy with a custom label.


Article by DIY Wedding Resources

The best Wedding DJ - Testimonial

"Mark Vanderende from Absolute DJS was our DJ and the person we were in contact with throughout the entire planning process. We’re sticklers for details and Mark never made it feel like it was too much. He was more than prepared for everything that we asked of him and that was an incredible feat considering he was a one man crew at our wedding.

We needed him to provide ceremony music and mic the ceremony on the lawn first and foremost, then we needed a sound system as well as a projector and screen in our reception area for the videos that we had prepared for our guests. If that wasn’t enough, our dance floor was in another room all together from our reception area so he had to set up for the dance in there too!

Considering we had an evening ceremony right before the reception with no break in between, we’re amazed with what Mark was able to accomplish. We never fell behind and he made it happen all behind the scenes seamlessly.

Mark also brought the party when we were really skeptical that it could happen at our wedding! We had a smallish wedding (~70 guests) and we were worried that the people at the wedding weren’t the type of people to stay on the dance floor all night. Turns out we had nothing to worry about – everyone was dancing, young and old alike, until the very end of the night, and no one wanted to leave! Even the old people stuck around till 2 am!

We saw friends we’ve known for most of our lives who we never imagined would dance… dancing! But most importantly, Mark orchestrated a memory on the dance floor that we’ll cherish forever.

He had our friends and family encircle us and give a giant group hug on the dance floor while dancing and belting out Neil Diamond’s Sweet Caroline. We felt so much love in that moment and we have Mark to thank for that." – Marta and Zaw

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Wedding Decor Uplighting

Enhance the ambiance of your wedding in a very elegant way by placing a series of lights, set up around a room (or outside a building), placed on or near the floor, shining up toward the walls. The lights could be any colour.

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Vancouver • Richmond • Burnaby • New Westminster

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 Port Moody • Maple Ridge • Abbotsford • Chilliwack

Wedding Day Do's

Your wedding day is the most recorded day of your life in print, video and memory. So there are a few things you might want to consider so you don’t have any regrets as you make these happy memories.

1. Be sure to eat breakfast.

With so much happening on the day of your wedding it’s easy to forget to eat. To avoid embarrassing fainting spells at the wrong moment and to ensure you feel your best, eat breakfast and have snacks and water with you at all times.

2. Delegate.

It is important to make sure you don’t have any duties on your wedding day other than to look your best and enjoy every moment. This includes your parents. Many of the guests will be their family and friends too. They’ll want to enjoy their company without having to run around with duties better delegated to someone else.

3. Write down thoughts before going down the aisle.

Take some time to think about the commitment you’re making and how you feel about your fiancé. Write it down and keep it for you scrapbook. It’ll be a wonderful memory to cherish. As you step before your loved ones to go down the aisle, take a moment to look around at everyone that has gathered together to celebrate your decision. It will be emotional, but that’s OK. It’s the day to be emotional and enjoy all the love in the room.

4. Look your best.

If your dress is strapless, don’t wear a bra with straps earlier in the day to avoid marks on your shoulders. Also avoid socks that can leave marks on your ankles. When walking down the aisle be sure to hold your flowers low. If you hold them too high it hides much of the detail of your dress and can make you look wider.

5. Limit alcohol.

Brides spend a lot of effort on how they look on their wedding day. After too much alcohol they don’t care so much. To make sure you remember the day you’ve spent so much time planning, consider limiting how much you drink that day as well as the night before. You will be hugged by everyone that cares about you and your fiancé, you don’t want them to smell the effects of the previous night’s activities.

Article by DIY Wedding Resources

First Dance Song List for Your Wedding

Marry Me – Train (2011) (nice wedding song)
Rhythm Of Love – Plain White T’s (2010)
1,2,3,4 – Plain White T’s
A Moment Like This – Kelly Clarkson
A Thousand Miles – Vanessa Carlton
After All is Said and Done – Beyonce
After All – Peter Cetera & Cher
All for Love – Bryan Adams
All My Life – KC and JoJo
All My Life – Linda Ronstadt
All Of Me – Harry Connick Jr
All The Way – Frank Sinatra / Celine Dion
Almost Paradise – Mike Reno & Ann Wilson
Always – Atlantic Starr
Always On My Mind – Willie Nelson
Amazed – Lonestar
At Last – Etta James
Because Of You – Tony Bennett/Connie Francis
Because You Loved Me – Celine Dion
Better Together – Jack Johnson
Breathe – Faith Hill
Can You Feel The Love Tonight – Elton John
Can’t Help Falling In Love – Elvis Presley
Collide – Howie Day
Colour My World – Chicago
Come Away With Me – Norah Jones
Could I Have This Dance – Anne Murray
Crazy Love – Van Morrison
Cruisin – Huey Lewis & Gwyneth Paltrow/Smokey Robinson Don’t
Change – Musiq Soulchild
Drift Away – Uncle Cracker
Earth Angel – Penguins
Ebb Tide – Frank Sinatra/Righteous Brothers/Platters
Eternal Flame – The Bangles
Everything – Lifehouse
Everything – Michael Buble
Everything I Do (I Do It For You) – Brian Adams
Everything You Do – Marc Anthony
Faithfully – Journey
Feels Like Home – Chantel Kreviazuk
Fly Me To The Moon – Frank Sinatra
Fooled Around & Fell In Love – Elvin Bishop
Forever & For Always – Shania Twain
From This Moment – Shania Twain
Glory of Love – Peter Cetera
Greatest Love Of All, The – Whitney Houston
Grow Old With Me – John Lennon/Mary Chapin Carpenter
Have I Told You Lately – Van Morrison/Rod Stewart
Have You Ever Really Loved A Woman – Brian Adams
Hello Again – Neil Diamond (From Jazz Singer)
Here and Now – Luther Vandross
Hero – Mariah Carey
Hero – Enrique Iglesias
How Do I Live – Leanne Rimes
How Sweet It Is – James Taylor
I Could Not Ask For More – Sarah Evans
I Do It For You (Everything I Do) – Bryan Adams
I Have and I Always Will – Dave Barnes
I Hope You Dance – Lee Ann Womack
I Loved Her First – Heartland
I Melt – Rascal Flats I’ll Be – Edwin McCain
I’ll Be There – Michael Jackson
I Will Not Take My Love Away – Matt Wertz
In My Life – Bette Midler
It Had To Be You – Artie Shaw/Harry Connick Jr
It’s Your Love – Tim McGraw & Faith Hill
Just You And I – Eddie Rabbitt
Keeper Of The Stars – Tracy Byrd
Lady – Kenny Rogers Lady In Red – Chris DeBurgh
Lean On Me – Bill Withers
Let It Be – Beatles
Let It Be Me – Everly Brothers

List by DJ White Hawk

Bridal Shower Ideas and Games, Bridal Shower DJ

Bridal shower games, and bridal shower ideas for planning the best wedding shower in town. We also have tips for bridal shower invitations. Your wedding gown is ready, it's time for your maid of honor to throw you the perfect bridal shower party with funwedding shower games. Keep your bridal shower games simple, no excessive amounts of writing or long involved scavenger hunts or your guests will lose interest. There may be both men and women in the bridal shower games, so make sure they will interest everyone.

Great bridal shower gift ideas for the bride

Now is the time to get the bride her Official New Bride Name Change Kit with easy to use forms and checklists for changing your name on your Social Security records, drivers license, vehicle title, voter registration, passport, credit cards, banking, insurance, medical, and employment records. Most agencies want your wedding name change information within 30 days of your wedding. The wedding day is getting close, and the last thing the bride needs after her honeymoon is trouble dealing with the marriage name change hassles. Get her Official New Bride Name Change Kit and you'll be her hero.

Bridal Shower Favors Guest Gift/Sign In Book

Buy a scrap book and use a Polaroid camera or digital camera. As guests arrive (as well as during the shower) the guests get their picture taken with the bride to be and place it in the scrap book with a place for the guest to sign their name. The pictures are a documentary that shows who was there as well as the fun you all had. The bride will really love the idea of nice memories of her shower. With the rest of the pages in the scrap book, we filled them with pic's of the shower games, and the fun time that we had.

Free Bridal Shower Games Trivia Game

Have a combined party for all of the wedding attendants. The best way to do it was to pass out sort of a multiple choice (or multiple guess for those who don't know much) test to see how well they knew the bride and groom and their relationship. The person (or couple) with the most questions right wins a prize like movie passes. Some good questions were "Where did they eat at during our first date", "What weird thing happened during their second date at his house" (in one couple's case, no one got that one right...the answer was that his goat started giving birth).

Bridal Rage

Sent in by Teresa Williams. The bride blind folds all of her guests. The bride will make several noises such as snapping her fingers, tap dancing, letting the air out of a balloon, popping a piece of bubble wrap, drumming pots, or any strange noise...as quickly as she can. The guest can give their answers one at a time. The guest who identifies the most sounds wins the prize. The guests only have 5 seconds, one chance for each for guessing, and there is to be no blurting out!

Party Crasher (Sent in by Lisa Leigh)

I had a friend of mine, whom the bride didn't know come with her daughter. They walked in (nobody knew her) and put her gift on the table then sat down. The bride-to-be's Mom (who is my sister) started talking to her trying to find out who she was. Then everybody was kind of asking her who she was related to, etc. I just sat back and acted like I didn't know who she was and not saying much, because I didn't want to laugh. Well, we went around the room and everybody said who they were and who they were related to, such as cousin to the bride, aunt of the groom, etc. When it came to my friend, she said, "You know, I think I'm at the wrong shower" She acted like she was all flustered, went to stand up and dumped her purse all over the floor. Of course everybody tried to help her and we all felt terrible and embarrassed for her. So I helped her to the door and thanked her and walked back into the room where everybody was talking and whispering. I said, "OK, that was my friend Sharlene, and it was all staged. Everybody write down what she had dumped out in her purse". She had duct tape, a beanie baby, lots of weird stuff. We are still laughing about it.

Ice Breaker

This isn't really a game, but it is a good wedding shower ice breaker. Go around the room and have each guest spend no longer than 30 seconds telling everyone who they are and how they know the bride & groom. This will loosen everyone up for the games.

Charades

This is one of the most popular bridal shower games. The guests separate into 2 groups and write down titles of movies, shows, or famous people. Each team then selects a person to act out the charade and they draw from the opposing teams list of titles. From here, we all know how charades work, so your team members must guess what the title was as the appointed team member silently acts out the clues. You can also do it Pictionary style, which is fun too.

"Who Am I?" Bridal Shower Game

This is very popular ice breaker wedding shower game. Prepare index cards with the names of famous people written on them. When guests arrive, attach a card to each guest's back so that the guest cannot see who the name is, but everyone else can. Each guest must then ask the other guests for clues to the identity of the famous person whose name is taped to their back. To prevent cheating from clever guests trying to read it in a mirror, place a 2nd index card over the title to hide it.

The Toilet Paper Bridal Shower Game

Break everyone up into even groups, someone picks a bride out of each group and they make her a bride out of toilet paper. The bride picks the one she likes the best.

Pre-Addressed Envelope Door Prize Game

As guests arrive they are handed an envelope and asked to write their address on it, then it's put in a basket. One envelope is drawn, and the winning guest receives a prize. Then the envelopes (already addressed) along with the thank you cards were given to the mother, making it very easy to send.

What's The Bride Wearing Game

Gather the guests and give them a pen and paper. Tell the bride to leave the room and have the each guest write down everything the bride is wearing. After a preset time, you can bring the bride back in and whoever has the closest description wins the prize

The Clothespin Game

There are many variations of this game. The host buys a bag of colorful clothespins. Each guest receives one when the arrive. During the game the guests are forbidden from saying a particular word. Some variations prevent you from mentioning the groom's name, some prevent you from saying the word "No". If another guest catches you saying the forbidden word during the game, they get your clothespin. The wedding shower guest with the most clothespins at the end of the game wins the prize.

The Alphabet Game (from The Complete Book Of Wedding Showers)

The host starts with a sentence using the letter "A" to describe a food. In the sentence she describes that she went to a friend's house and she served artichokes. The next guest must repeat this sentence and add another item of food at the end of the sentence, and it starts with the letter "B". The next guest does the same thing and adds a food starting with the letter "C". Anyone unable to add a food must drop out of the game. The person who stays alive the longest wins the prize.

"Dress The Bride" Game

Take rolls of toilet paper and you have to make a wedding dress in under 5 minutes. Divided into groups of three with one bride and two bridesmaids. A more environmentally conscious alternative would be to take bed sheets and other fabric scraps and make the wedding gowns this way! We borrowed this idea from Beverly Hills 90210!

Catch The Bridal Bouquet Game

We also played catch the bouquet where we pinned paper flowers to a dart board. The girls had three chances to hit the flower with a dart, and the closest one wins the game.

Bridal Pictionary

Think of wedding words like 'mother in law" "garter toss" "flower girl" "ring bearer" "first Dance", etc.

Bridal Scrabble

Use about 20 words (could be less) that have something to do with "wedding". The words are scrambled and everyone has 10 minutes to unscramble them. The person who unscrambles the most wins the prize. Some examples of words: bride, groom, bridesmaid, maid of honor, limousine, garter, tuxedo, flower girl, rings, shower, honeymoon, church, reception.

A few more ideas for bridal showers

Recipe Box For The Bride

Include a recipe card with each invitation. Have each guest write down a favorite recipe. The hostess provides the bride with a new recipe box to put the recipes in.

Bridal Shower Gift Ideas and Bridal Shower Favors

You don't have to spend a fortune for bridal shower gifts and party favors. For reasonable bridal shower favors, try Movie tickets, bookstore gift certificates, or gift certificates for other stores and restaurants too, bottles of wine or cordials, CDs, or DVDs, box of chocolate.

Bridal Shower Invitations

You don't need to spend a lot of money on bridal shower invitations. Many people have print shop type programs on their PC, and these have built in invitation generators, that are real easy to use. You can use these programs to print up your wedding shower invitations. Also, don't forget to enclose a map with directions to the wedding shower. Your local card store also has pre printed bridal shower invitations and you just fill in the blanks.

In the bridal shower invitations, ask each party guest to bring a kitchen gadget as a bridal gift that starts with the first letter of their first name (Be Creative). At the party, the guests will introduce ourselves with them.

Bridal Shower Guests

If most of your guests don't know each other, you'll want to have name tags.

We hope you have enjoyed this guide to bridal showers.

Article by www.bridaltips.com

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Vancouver • Richmond • Burnaby • New Westminster

Coquitlam • Surrey • White Rock • Langley • Port Moody • Maple Ridge

Chilliwack • Abbotsford • Whistler

Questions to Ask your Prospective Wedding DJ!

Is the DJ familiar with your wedding venue?

Ask your DJ if they have done weddings at your reception site before. It helps that they know the wedding venue, how to get there, and they have a familiarity with the staff. Your wedding disc jockey may also be better prepared to deal with known issues or caveats with the wedding reception hall. Every little positive wedding DJ bullet item you find makes it less likely that you will have problems with your DJ. It does not mean you should reject the DJ if they have not been there before, but it's a nod in their favor.

Who will be your actual DJ spinning discs at your wedding?

This one is important. You would hate to spend an hour interviewing your wedding DJ and like their personality, only to be blindsided at your wedding by having another DJ show up, when you expected the DJ that you interviewed. Make absolutely certain your contract spells out exactly who will be your DJ. If you want the owner and not their employee it should be on the contract. The contract should also mention what time and place they are supposed to be. Call a month ahead of the wedding to verify. Nay verbal promises made by your wedding DJ should be in writing on the contract. They won't remember several months from now what they verbally promised you today.

What about wedding DJ overtime, and other unexpected or hidden fees?

Your contract should clearly specify all costs including any assistant disc jockeys they will have with them, as well as special equipment lighting packages, or other fees that they pass on to you the client. Be wary of vendors who give you low ball quotes, but only give you 3 hours of time. If your reception runs longer, you find out "it's another $200 per hour or we walk out right now". You must also plan for overtime in case the reception runs longer than the contract specifies. The contract should clearly spell out how much extra it will cost you to have your wedding DJ for an extra hour or 2. It can cost $150 or more. Do not believe verbal promises stating they will work extra hours or have assistants for free. Put it in writing in the contract, or they will not do it. Don't be blindsided like many brides and grooms are when there event runs over. I receive complaints from brides whose wedding ran over, and the DJ threatened to leave if not paid in cash right now. You don't want surprises, your wedding DJ contract should be a game plan that covers all bases so you know exactly how much your DJ will cost you.

What attire will your wedding disc jockey wear at your wedding?

Sounds like a no brainer, but you usually want your DJ to wear a tuxedo. The DJ at my brother's wedding was wearing black jeans and a shirt that was hanging out. He was supposed to be wearing a tuxedo. Even the photographer went up to him and chastised him.

How many years experience does this wedding DJ have?
Will they play CD's you provide?

Some wedding disc jockey folks have a list of songs they play and except for the bride and groom first dance, do not give you much choice. Our wedding DJ to allowed us to choose at least 50% which is not the norm. Let your DJ be your guide as to what songs should be played. A good disc jockey reads the crowd and knows what to play. Be sure they know what NOT to play, as well as special songs you want to hear. Ask if they will accept requests from wedding guests. Your wedding disc jockey should be flexible with a wide selection, so requests from your wedding guests can be fulfilled. This step is VERY crucial, because your wedding DJ plays about 60 songs during your reception, and you want nothing but the best tunes to keep your dance floor crowded. If the DJ needs to intervene and suggest a song, heed them as they generally know what they are doing and keep up with the current trends. You want a wedding DJ who can adapt to any crowd. This DJ will be someone who is very well versed in all areas music. Don't try to give the DJ a tape or a list of 100% of the songs to play for the night. You hired a DJ not a juke box operator. If they stick to your play list, I can guarantee you'll have an empty dance floor. Your musical taste is not the same as 120 people at your wedding. Let your DJ do their job and keep your wedding guests happy.

Where will your wedding DJ setup? Is there a dance floor?

This is a rare need, but some wedding reception sites require your wedding DJ to bring a dance floor if the room does not have one. Some hotel banquet halls are all carpeted, without a hard floor for dancing. Also, you MAY not want a DJ who comes in and elevates themselves on the stage. We liked our wedding DJ's philosophy that the DJ should NEVER overshadow the bride and groom and he did NOT want to be up on the stage. Rather, he setup off the right closer to the crowd. Bucking tradition at the Boca Resort, we put our bridal party head table up on the stage. This allowed more space in the room for the guests, and ALL of them could see us.

Will your wedding disc jockey need to be fed at your wedding?

Be sure to feed your DJ, with travel, setup, performance, tear-down and return travel, they often go 10 or 12 hours without eating Ask if they want to be fed. Some disc jockeys want food, some do not want to eat while they work. They deserve it though, because they might be there 4 hours with nothing to eat or drink. The caterer needs to know so they can bill you accordingly. They usually make sandwiches for the DJ's, musicians, photographers, etc., or you can just let them eat off your buffet. Verify pricing with the caterer, you would not want them to charge you $150 per head for a DJ and an assistant disc jockey. The DJ at our wedding refused to be served food, don't know why. He felt we spent enough money and should not have to spend more to feed the DJ, so he eats before the wedding. He also felt it was unprofessional for the DJ to be eating when they should be working. We really admired his philosophy on this topic, but it's still ok to feed them, they'll be there 4 hours or more plus setup time. The hotel would have charged $18 for his food. We could not even get him to take a Coke. It's always nice to feed your vendors. We even gave him some chocolate and a centerpiece to take home to his wife after the reception.

Does your wedding DJ have a request form for you to fill out?

Ask for a list of wedding requests and suggestions in all categories. Some wedding DJs have a request form for you to fill out, so they can have everything ready for the wedding. Some obscure songs can take a while for them to obtain.

Does your wedding DJ do corporate functions also?

Ask the DJ if they ever do corporate functions, and view sample videos. If you can find a talented wedding DJ who has experience in corporate functions, then you really have someone worth their weight in gold. These are true professionals with mastery of dealing with large scale projects and all the SNAFUs that go along with them. The DJ we chose does numerous corporate functions in addition to being an excellent wedding DJ, and companies have paid to fly him all over the place. If you are a wedding DJ, this is a good selling point. Not a deal maker, but impressive, and it's ok to use a DJ that does not do corporate work.

What problems has the DJ encountered at weddings and how did they solve them?

You want a wedding DJ who is resilient, able to respond quickly to unforeseen mishaps that can mar your wedding. You can bet that many weddings look smooth, but had issues that were quickly seamlessly patched behind the scenes by DJs, caterers, and other vendors.

Are you insured or belong to any professional organizations?

Your contract only states what your DJ will do, but it does not say if they will do it well. Membership in organizations gives them growth, education, and ethics.

Article by www.bridaltips.com

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Vancouver • Richmond • Burnaby • New Westminster

Coquitlam • Surrey • White Rock • Langley • Port Moody • Maple Ridge

Chilliwack • Abbotsford • Whistler

Interviewing Prospective Wedding DJs

Get Wedding DJ references from friends, coworkers and wedding reception halls

Your best resource in finding your wedding DJ is people you know. Ask around, try locally famous DJs from radio stations. Some people moonlight as wedding disc jockeys and are good at it. Talk to recent newlyweds, ask your wedding reception hotel or resort, they may have a list of preferred vendors for you to call, wedding DJs whom they trust. They also see the horror stories and know who to avoid. This list contains vendors that the resort has worked with and knows to be reliable and professional. The resort's reputation is stake also. But beware of secondary hotels or reception sites that might not be as scrupulous. Some caterers may get a kickback, so know who you are dealing with. Our DJ was recommended to us by the catering manager at the Boca Raton Resort where we had our reception. Our DJ also worked her wedding, and she oversees many weddings every year so she knew who the right DJ was, and boy was she right!

Interview 3-5 Wedding Disc Jockeys

Don't rush to pick your wedding DJ, they all have different personalities. Ask to see videos from previous weddings so you can view a few minutes of their work. Remember that using computer software, a DJ can edit their best material to make themselves look much better than they are. But at least you cans see them in action. Give more weight to personal recommendations. Scrutinize wedding videos from friends to see if you like their DJ. If you happen to see your potential DJ while you are a guest at another wedding before you make your decision, that helps too. Many people of marrying age attend several weddings in a year, and this is a good time to start scoping your vendors. If you have special song requests, ask the DJ if they have it or if they can get it. If your reception is complex, and in a big well known resort or hotel you want a true professional who works in the big places, not someone who travels the condo clubhouse circuit. Many DJ's may get offended by this, but you really want someone with the experience of working with the catering departments of these larger venues. This synergy between DJ and catering manager is what keeps your function running smoothly. A DJ's talent should reach far beyond just motivating the crowd or making the announcements at the right time. They must have their finger on the pulse of your wedding and know everything that is going on. The only way this can happen is when they have a good working relationship with the venue staff.

Article by www.bridaltips.com

Band or DJ? That is the question!

Here on BridalTips.com we focus on DJs. Don't hire a band you can't see or hear first either at a function from someone you know perhaps, that you just happen to attend, or view for a few minutes on a video. People tend to get married within a year of their friends, and may see their future wedding vendors at work on other weddings. Remember, the bands need to take breaks, so they play only a few 15-20 minute sets. But this article is about DJ's. We chose a wedding disc jockey due to cost, and we did not have to worry about a marginal singer crooning our favorite songs out of tune, which we see a lot of here in Florida. Just because one person is a good singer in a good band, does not mean the rest of the world is. Anyone who plays in a band has seen their share of awful bands. And when a consumer advocate like me tries to point out both sides of the coin to consumers, the losers come out of woodwork to complain how useless I am. Those are the people you need to avoid. But I suspect that you'll have the least amount of problems with your DJ than any other vendor, because the vast majority of DJs are great. I've been to maybe 12 weddings in my life and 3 of those 12 weddings (25%) I thought the wedding disc jockey stunk. Many other guests at these weddings back me up about wedding DJs.

A good wedding DJ is cheaper than bands, and they dynamically work your wedding crowd for 4 hours. In rare cases a band might party hardy then decide they don't want to show up. This probably happens more than a DJ not showing up. This is why you should use contracts. If they refuse to use one, then you should refuse to use their services. Bands always arrived late at my friend's recording studio. And before any musicians get all indignant, it happened at my sister's wedding. She hired a highly recommended harpist who was out getting drunk when she should have been at the wedding. Luckily I had brought a wedding CD as backup, the catering manager brought out a CD player, and we had music for me to walk her up the aisle with. So it does happen.

Feedback alert! What causes that loud shrieking feedback?

One problem that plagues MANY weddings with bands and DJ's is feedback. Let's call it Jeff's Law of Wedding Acoustics:

Keep the microphone away from the speakers!

Sounds easy on paper, but man, what a difficult concept for some DJs to grasp! Some bands can't grasp this simple concept and often the result is ear piercing feedback. They look around startled like they never heard feedback before, and the singer is standing with the microphone only one foot away from the speaker wondering what the cause is. We were at a wedding and the band produced feedback half a dozen times. Good wedding DJs and bands never produce feedback. “Starving artist” musicians usually cannot afford decent PA systems which result in the lead singer not being heard properly feedback. Wedding guests hate this.
Article by BridalTips.com

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Vancouver • Richmond • Burnaby • New Westminster

Coquitlam • Surrey • White Rock • Langley • Port Moody • Maple Ridge

Chilliwack • Abbotsford • Whistler

Budgeting for your Wedding

What's your Budget for Your Wedding?

A budget is very important for you wedding, especially if you are spending someone else's money (your parents, or possibly your fiance's parents). Here is a basic list of what you should put in your budget and the average percentages of what brides spend in each section.

To figure out your amounts just take your total budget and times it by the percentage listed.

​​Example:
​$20,000 budget
Reception Location 9%
$20,000 x 9% (or 0.09) =$1,800.
So, you should spend approximately $1,800 on your reception location.

• Ceremony Fee 2.5%
• Ceremony Decorations 1.5%
• Reception Location 9%
• Reception Decorations 4.5%
• Food and Service 33.5%
• Beverages and Bartender 9%
• Cake and Cutting Fee 3%
• Wedding Gown 6.5%
• Veil and/or Headpiece 1%
• Bridal Accessories 1%
• Hair and Make-up 0.5%
• Massage, waxing, facial, etc. 0.5%
• Bouquets/Boutonnieres 2%
• Band/DJ/Orchestra 6.5%
• Photographer 6.5%
• Videographer 5.5%
• Invitations 4%
• Car/Limo Rental 1.5%
• Wedding Favors 1.5%

Obviously, everyone will have personal preference as to what they want to spend on different things. You'll need to go through the budget after you have calculated the amounts and figure out if you think any are too high, or too low. You can then spend accordingly!

Who pays for what?
In the modern world, it is not uncommon for the couple to pay for everything themselves, either because they are well-off financially or they think it is too awkward to ask their parents to pitchin. If you do happen to have both parents willing and able to help out with the costs, here's the traditional list of who pays what:

​Bride and/or Her Family

• Ceremony location/decorations
• Reception location/decorations and service
• Food, beverages, and cake
• Bride'sbouquet, boutonnieres, and corsages
• Bouquets for bridesmaids and flower girls
• Floral arrangements for ceremony and reception
• Invitations, announcements, and other stationery
• Bride's dress, veil, and accessories
• Photography and videography
• Transportation of wedding party to ceremony and reception sites

Groom and/or His Family

• Bride's engagement ring and wedding bands
• Rehearsal dinner
• Groom's wedding clothes
• Marriage license and officiant's fee
• Honeymoon

Keep in mind that this list is not usually the norm - it's just a guideline. You should have your parents pay what they feel comfortable paying for, or what you feel comfortable letting them pay for. The rest should be picked up by you and your fiance.

Article by www.weddingconnections.ca

Emcee Absolute - Master of Ceremonies Service

Emcee Absolute - Master of Ceremonies Service"Dressed to Impress and on Time"

A stand alone MC Host can make all your hard work planning your wedding pay off.

You may have the perfect MC Host…or you may not. That is where I come in. With over 10 years of public speaking and entertaining experience I have seen it all. From the intoxicated friend, to the uncle that did not know when to stop talking, to the awkward stories… yes those awkward stories. Don't let that happen on your day. I take care of all the details and work with you to create a perfect wedding. With tasteful humour and an outgoing personality I will make your wedding run smoothly form start to finish.

I sit down with you to provide a personalized quote. I will assist in creating your itinary and ensure everything from your Grand Entrance, to your First dance, to the Bouquet Toss is done perfectly and on time.

When needed I can provide a second DJ to assist me while I focus on the MC Host duties. This is recommended for larger weddings or where the podium is located away from the DJ area.

Let's talk!

WEBSITE • EMAIL

Vancouver • Richmond • Burnaby • New Westminster

Coquitlam • Surrey • White Rock • Langley • Port Moody • Maple Ridge

Chilliwack • Abbotsford • Whistler

Wedding Day Coordinator, Vancouver, Langley, Surrey

Is your ceremony and wedding reception coordinated?

According to BC Vital Statistics, there are over 22,000 weddings in BC each year. Most of those weddings are planned and coordinated by the bride and her support system. Less than 5% actually enlist the help of a professional wedding planner. What many often overlook, is that as a ‘do it yourself’ (DIY) wedding planner, usually the bride or bride’s mom, you will still need to enlist the help of a wedding coordinator. You may ask, what is the difference? As a planner you spend hours and hours pouring over ideas and details to make sure your day is perfect. What the coordinator does is make those plans happen during your event. They direct the participants much like a conductor directs a symphony, only there’s a lot more running involved. You can’t be the coordinator because you will be busy getting married. As the centre of attention, you won’t be able to coordinate activities and make last minute decisions when they come up. Your mother shouldn’t either. You have spent all this money and effort to have all the people you care about most, join you as you make a commitment to each other. It would be a shame to not enjoy it because you were worried about whether the cake had arrived on time or if everything is set up the way you’d planned it. Some mothers will find if difficult to sit down and enjoy the moment, but it is just a moment, and they really shouldn’t miss it because they were in the kitchen washing dishes.

Some couples are lucky because the venue they chose includes the services of an on-site coordinator. Hotels, golf courses, and really busy venues often have many services available to reduce the amount of vendors you have to hire. Many couples however, opt for less expensive venues that don’t provide these conveniences so you need to provide them yourself.

Find someone you trust that can make decisions under pressure and can direct people discreetly and diplomatically. This person should not be part of the wedding party and should be is able to commit a significant amount of time going over your plans with you. They may miss some of your festivities because they will be taking care of details all through the day, so make sure they are OK with that before they commit. You don’t want to be bothered with problems during your wedding. It’s far better to have one person that all wedding participants and vendors can turn to for decisions as they are required that is completely in tune with your vision of your day. That way you can relax and enjoy the fruits of your labours. So just like a coordinated body, if you have someone to coordinate your wedding, the day will flow smoothly and gracefully without a hitch.

Article by Magna Goerke

Wedding Dress Decisions

According to surveys in wedding magazines, 70% of brides say their dress is the most important decision of their planning process. The dress will set the style of the day and likely your mood. If it is a formal full-length gown, you’ll probably have a more formal event. Pick a dress that fits your little girl dream.

Before you go shopping rip pages out of wedding magazines of the dresses you like and put them in a binder. You will probably combine many features from different dresses to be your dream dress. Set a limit before you go to any stores. It can be easy to get whisked away in romantic fantasy when you put on that $2,000 dress, but can you afford it? The price tag is probably not the final cost either. Ask about additional charges like shipping, size issues (petite, tall, plus), alterations, storage, etc. To save money, ask about sample sales or discounts if you get the bridesmaid dresses at the same store.

There are several options to purchase your dress. You can try on dresses at Bridal shops, have it custom made or even find them online. There’s a high concentration of bridal shops in New Westminster and on East Hastings at the Vancouver Burnaby border. Here in Abbotsford, you can benefit from Carolyn’s experience and many other services at an all in one stop location like “The Bride’s Room”. Give yourself enough time because ordered dresses take approximately three months from order date to arrival. Allow time for alterations too. If you’re looking for more immediate gratification you can go to “Bryan’s Bride” in Burnaby and select from over 1,000 dresses and take your dress the same day provided you don’t need alterations. Custom design is an option that can save a lot of money especially if you have some unique requests. You can use less expensive man-made fabrics and embellishments, plus you don’t have any alteration costs. If you’re willing to accept the risks involved, you can buy online through sources like craigslist.com or ebay.ca.

Make an appointment when you go to a bridal shop, especially if it’s a Saturday. If you go during the week you’ll likely get more attention and guidance as they are less busy. Bring clean shoes the height you expect to be and something to put your hair up if you think you’ll want an updo. Don’t shop with a lot of people. It’s best to go with a close friend that will be honest with you. Try dresses on and take photos if they’ll let you. See how you feel in each dress and check if the fabric wrinkles. The dress fits if you can raise your arms above your head, do a little dance, sit on a cushy couch as well as a straight back chair, cross your legs, bend at the waist and walk easily around the store. You’ll know it’s your dress when you don’t want to take it off.

Once you have your dress you will feel a huge amount of relief that as the central focus of the wedding, you’ll look your absolute best. It’s the one day it finally is all about you and that starts with the dress.

Article by Magna Goerke