Archive for February, 2010.
Being a wedding entertainer I see first hand on a weekly basis how much impact the music has on the success of a wedding reception. The following article will help you plan out the perfect mix of music for your Chicago wedding reception.
First and foremost, the music for your wedding is the soundtrack to one of the most important days of your life! You should put some thought into it. The music should be memorable and reflect your personal taste and style while at the same time creating an enjoyable atmosphere for you and all of your guests.
Even though your wedding day is probably still months away you should start making up your request list now.
Here are some do’s and don’ts for selecting music for your wedding reception:
DO
Have a frank discussion with your potential entertainer about the music. They should listen to your input; it is your wedding. You should listen to their input; they do this for a living.
Keep a pad of paper handy at your desk and in the car and jot down song ideas when they pop into your head. They will be gone by the time you get home if you don’t write them down right away.
Play songs that you would like to hear but that aren’t great dancing songs during cocktail hour or dinner.
Try to remember songs that were meaningful to you and your family and friends. List songs that you use to sing along to with everyone when going out for the night or hold special memories for you and your fiancee. Dedicate these songs to your friends and family at the reception!
Make sure the entertainer is aware of the significance of your dedications and the appropriate people are present when the song is played.
Keep the number of requests at a reasonable amount! For an average wedding reception you will be lucky to get 3 hours of full dancing time. This is about 45 songs in total or 15 per hour. If you have a talented DJ or band they will be able to mix the songs together so they flow seamlessly from one to the other and instead of playing the full version you will hear maybe half or three fourths of the song before it blends into the next one. This will allow more songs to be played throughout the evening. At MDM Entertainment we structure our music request system in a way that allows the bride and groom to have their favorites played while still allowing the entertainer some flexibility in programming and for guest requests, if that is okay with you. Contact us for more information on how we handle wedding music request lists.
Pick songs that you like from different genres of music that will appeal to the different age ranges of your guests. You should want everyone to dance and have a great time at your wedding.
Play to the older guests early. A good rule of music programming is to play more for the older guests at the beginning then progress into the newer styles later on in the evening. Everyone likes the older styles of music (Sinatra, Big Band, 50′s and 60′s, Motown, etc) to some extent. If you get the older guests dancing and having a good time they will be much more likely to stay the whole evening and by the end of the night they will be dancing to everything. If you break out the hottest current dance music too early in the night it will probably discourage them and they might even leave early.
Allow guest requests. You may not have a good handle on what the majority of your guests do or do not want to dance to. By allowing the DJ or band to take requests they are able to get direct input from the crowd. A good wedding entertainer will of course filter these requests and won’t play anything inappropriate, songs on your “Do Not Play” list or songs that won’t fit in with your own personal preferences.
Remember that everyone may not share your taste is music. If you hire a professional band or disk jockey they should be available to help you plan out the music for your reception and incorporate your style into the day while still playing a good mix to keep all of your guests happy and on the dance floor. That is one of the true benchmarks of a great wedding entertainer, understanding and being able to incorporate the bride and groom’s more eclectic musical tastes into the day while at the same time keeping all of the guests entertained.
Submit your music lists at least two weeks prior to the wedding if you are using a DJ, this will allow them plenty of time to compile the music and acquire any songs that they do not have in their library. If you are using a band you will have to get your requests in months ahead of time to allow them ample time to learn and practice new songs that they may not have in their repertoire.
DON’T
Hand the entertainer a list of 100 songs and demand that they all be played and in that order. Don’t laugh, it happens. Of course you should be involved in the selection of the music for your wedding day but if you do this you are severely limiting the entertainers ability to “read” the crowd and play the right song at the right time. A good entertainer will understand your musical tastes and incorporate that throughout the event in a way that will still keep your guests happy and on the dance floor. On those few occasions where a bride has held fast to her list and her order, they have always come up to me half way through the event and realized their mistake and end up giving me free reign. You are hiring professional entertainment for a reason; trust their experience and skill.
Say I want all this type of music and nothing else. Some brides and grooms tell me they love Hip Hop and that is what they want to hear all night. Take into consideration your guests enjoyment of the evening as well. Don’t you want them to have a wonderful time too? Grandma and Grandpa just might not like Hip Hop. Ultimately it is your night and the entertainer should do exactly what you ask of them but take into consideration the wide range of age ranges and musical tastes of your guests when making up your play list.
Run up to the entertainer and say I want this song next! Again, it is your wedding and they should do what you ask but the entertainer has put a lot of thought into the selection of songs to get to this point in the evening. If your song fits in with the current genres being played NEXT is probably a great idea. If you are requesting a techno track be played next and the dance floor is full of grandparents dancing to swing maybe you could ask that the song be played soon so the DJ has time to progress into that genre instead of scaring the living daylights out of the older folks on the dance floor.
If you follow these do’s and don’ts and hire professional wedding entertainment your reception will be an evening of dancing and socializing that all of your guests will thoroughly enjoy and talk about for years to come!
The use of movie review is now very much common for those people who are so much in love with watching films in the movie house or even in their personal houses. This is because the use of a movie review can somehow help the watcher to have a good movie experience. How is this possible?
A good movie review can be considered as a good one if they are giving the review of the movie without exposing the crucial information of the movie. This will of course result to more excitement for the side of the watcher. You can say if the movie review is good if it affects you and attracts you to watch the movie.
It is better that you consider reading a movie review because it can help you chose the right movie that is suited for you and even for your family. There are lots of cases that we want to watch a specific kind of movie depending on our mood. We want movie on where we can relate and we can be entertained. Considering a movie review will give you an opportunity to avoid the movie that is not good.
Movie reviews can also give you a glance on the actors and actresses in the film. They will somehow give their personal opinion if the actress or the actor has portrayed the role well.
The truth is that there are movie that are good and movie that are bad. To avoid wasting your time and money consider a movie review. Good movie review is not hard to find. All you need is an Internet connection and a computer. So if you are in the mood right now and you want to watch a movie but you still don’t have an option to watch, then get your finger working and surf the internet for a good movie review.
Every week on the Fox network, audiences around the world hear a familiar chorus as voices say The Simpsons as an all too familiar theme plays. The Simpsons, for almost twenty years now, is the longest running animated program in the history of television.
It is the characters of Homer, Marge, Lisa, Maggie, and, of course, Bart Simpson who bring audiences back to the town of Springfield with the crazy predicaments offered up by the towns folk. There have been fans of the Simpsons for years since the shows origins on the sketch comedy program The Tracey Ullman Show way back in 1987.
The Simpsons marked one of the first time that an animated TV show was treated as more than just kid’s stuff due to the salty language and sharp political and social satire underlined by what would be considered stupidity to the unenlightened.
As the Simpsons had gone into its tenth season, rumors had begun to circulate as to whether or not the Springfield citizens would ever make the leap from small screen to big screen. The rumors ran wild for years with fan expectations quickly building. Then the show’s creator Matt Groening announced that it would not happen anytime soon. Fans, while disappointed, could still take solace in the new season.
Flash forward seven years and the rumors began to rekindle after Groening had stated the potential of a Simpsons movie once again. And it was at the 2006 San Diego Comic Con that fans got their first peak at the movie. And now that the film is out, what is the verdict on the transition? Well, that would depend on the fan.
The film opens with an amusing Itchy and Scratchy piece which is revealed to be in a movie theatre where Homer begins to complain that he could see it on TV at home without having to pay for it and declares that anyone who would do that is a sucker.
He then points to the camera and says Especially YOU! This sets the tone of the rest of the movie which deals with Springfield’s heavy pollution, Marge and Homer’s marriage starting to crumble, Bart finding himself with father issues, and Lisa falling in love with an Irish/environmentalist/musician boy who is NOT related to U2 front man Bono.
The movie features every character from the series (which there are many). The Simpsons Movie is a great translation of TV to movie that, despite maybe not pushing the envelope enough, still delivers quite a lot of laughs.
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Pop art has been used in the production of wall art and posters for years and various different styles of pop art have been developed. Ranging from the most famous of all, the Warhol style, to the more revolutionary Che style based on the Che Guevara posters and t-shirts proudly displayed and worn for many years. The great thing about turning your photograph into a piece of pop art is that you can then have it printed onto a range of incredible looking, great fun personalised photo items.
Pop Art Photo Gifts
Giving personalised photo gifts is a treat that is perfect for any occasion and can be given to any recipient. By first converting a photograph of them into a pop art reproduction, it can add fun and colour to any of the great range of gifts that are already available. As well as pieces of wall art, including pop art posters and canvas prints, you can have a pop art reproduction added to any of a long list of photo items.
From Warhol To Che
Before you get to choosing the type of photo gift that you want to print to, though, you will likely want to decide on the type of pop art.
Andy Warhol was the most famous proponent of the pop art style and of al his work, the most famous was the four panel print of Marilyn Monroe. Not only were the prints colourful but they were modern and striking.
Che Guevara posters have adorned the walls of student rooms and flats, as well as t-shirts, for years. The use of a single colour screen behind a portrait really makes the image stand out and again allows the infusion of colour into any piece.
Another, perhaps less well known, method of transforming a photograph into a piece of pop art is the posterising process. This process sees several different colour washes and prints applied to the black and white outline of an image to create an American rock and roll style.
Add Extra Colour To Your Photographs
Regardless of the style of pop art you choose, it allows for a very unique and extremely striking use of colour with your photographs. While some software attempts to recreate these styles through the use of automated processes, the effects are rarely as good as they are when a professional art worker or designer completes the process by hand.
Printing Your Pop Art
Once your pop art print is complete, you can opt to have it printed a a poster or photo canvas to display proudly on your wall. Alternatively, you could have it applied to a handbag, laptop bag, or even a personalised apron. Not only are personalised gifts that use pop art ideal to keep for yourself but they can make extremely unusual, unique, and great fun gifts for any family member or friend celebrating any occasion. You can really let your imagination run wild in choosing the photograph, style, and item that you want to personalise.
There are many things to consider when planning a party. Sorting out how many people you are planning to invite, what sort of refreshments to offer and what sort of decorations or favors to use to add fun to the event all play a part in the planning process. One of the many things you might consider adding are ways to have fun and express yourself and an excellent way to do this is by using temporary tattoos. We don’t often consider fake tattoos a part of this mix of elements, however they can offer quite a bit of creativity and fun to almost any event. Temporary tattoos are available in many different varieties and at some stores you may be offered the chance to customize your own if you prefer.
What sort of parties could fake tattoos be a part of? Because of their wide ranging variety of styles, tattoos can be used at most any event you want. When it comes to children’s parties the sky is the limit. Kids often enjoy the fun colors and patterns of temporary tattoos and parents appreciate the limited time that fake tattoos remain. Birthday parties, slumber parties, holiday events are all great times to use temporary tattoos for the kids. Whether they are used at the party or handed out as gifts for later applications almost any child will appreciate them.
For adults fake tattoos could be used for buck and hen parties where the environment is more relaxed; this is also true of Halloween parties where creativity and expressing one’s self are part of the fun. Adding a fake tattoo to any outfit or costume can add a little spice to the look and help you take on a new persona if you so desire. Tattoos are no longer as limited or taboo as they once were. Using a temporary tattoo as an accessory can give you yet another way to complete the overall effect of many styles of dress and give you a conversation piece to get some lively discussions going. What could be a better way to add a new element to your party?
If you are planning on using fake tattoos for your event make sure to order several of each pattern so that your guests may mix and match them freely. This is especially important when throwing a children’s party where maintaining order is one of the more important planning considerations. If you are going to order custom patterns it is important to make sure that you design and order them well ahead of schedule so that there will be no unwanted delays. Make certain to verify if there are any special instructions you have to remember when designing your tattoos as well. Factors like a limited color palette and size range should be factored in before you begin working on your design. If you are looking for some specific pattern that is custom designed by you, you can also opt to get special tattoo paper that you can print your tattoos on at home if you like.