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I have so many lovely couples!

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I have so many lovely couples!

Last Sunday was my first wedding fayre of the year. I set everything up and then snapped a quick picture to post on FaceBook to “check in”.

The video I run has lots of quotes from real couples like the one you can see in the picture from Kat and Gareth who’s wedding was at Audley’s Wood.

It was a very busy event and I didn’t really get a chance to look at my FB feed again until I was home with a cup of tea.

Imagine my surprise when I logged on and saw this message from Lee who’s wedding to Charlie was held at The Beaulieu Hotel.

“My wife Charlie and I did the same after one meeting we changed our budget so we could have Paul Taylor all day. Paul was amazing he helped us to have the best ever experience for both me and Charlie and all our guests. I would highly recommend Paul”

Then this one from Vicky and Rob who had a party to celebrate their wedding after they held the ceremony in Canada. They chose The Bartley Lodge

“Paul was fantastic he almost Taylor made our evening celebration as we did it slightly different as we had been away . He took charge of the evening and it was perfect with all his extra touches 😀10 months ago now and never will be forgotten thanks Paul !!!!”

As I said above, I use quotes from real couples – no fakes, nothing made up, real people – just like you. I have so many lovely couples, if you want to talk to any of them just let me know.

September weddings

Married In May

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Married In May is the latest of my series looking at weddings in each month of the year.

May in Hampshire, and particularly the New Forest, is a wonderful time of year. Spring has truly sprung and the rhododendrons look amazing (even though they are considered a weed by The Forestry Commission because they are not originally from the area (CLICK HERE for more information)).

The first and last Mondays of May are Bank Holidays ~ May Day and Whit Monday (now sometimes referred to as Late May Bank Holiday). It is a popular month for weddings and so dates at some venues might already be booked – but there are always alternative venues and dates!

What will the weather be like if you chose to get Married In May? Once again I turn to MyWeather2 (click here to see the full page). Here are the best bits …

Temperature ~ daytime temperatures will generally reach highs of around 17°C that’s about 62°F. At night the average minimum temperature drops down to around 9°C, that’s 47°F. Recent highest recorded temperatures in May have been 29°C that’s 83°F, with the lowest recorded temperature 0°C, about 32°F.

Rain ~ The average monthly amount of precipitation has been recorded at around 45 mm, that’s 2 inches. Throughout the month you can expect to see rain or drizzle falling on 15 days of the month.

Sunshine ~ For May expect the sun to shine for an average of 9 hours per day.

Married In May

One May phenomenon that has emerged in recent times is “May the fourth” also known as Star Wars day. When a couple with the surname May who love Star Wars got married it wasn’t a surprise when they picked the fourth. I was able to hook them up with Darth Vadar and a couple of Storm Troopers who arrived during the wedding breakfast and dragged the groom outside – an amazing moment from a truly memorable day.

Married In May

The pictures in this blog post come from couples who got Married In May at Skylark Country Club, Winslowe House, Bartley Lodge and The Kings Arms – click on the venue names to get more information.

September weddings

April Weddings

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What can I tell you about April Weddings …
The second month of Spring and, as I mentioned last time, it’s another month when the schools might be on holiday. Easter can fall any time between March 22 and April 25.

So what’s the weather likely to be like at April Weddings? Here’s a link to myweather2.com CLICK HERE. In summary it says …

Temperature ~ generally reach highs of around 14°C that’s about 57°F. At night the average minimum temperature drops down to around 5°C, that’s 42°F. Recently the highest recorded temperature in April has been 24°C that’s 75°F, with the lowest recorded temperature -4°C, about 25°F.

Rainfall ~ The average monthly amount of precipitation has been recorded at around 51 mm, that’s 2 inches. Throughout the month you can expect to see rain or drizzle falling on 17 days of the month, with snow falling on 1 days.

Sunshine ~ For April expect the sun to shine for an average of 9 hours per day.

Traditionally April is known for “April Showers” and in one day the weather can change from springtime sunshine to winter sleet and snow. So perhaps the question shouldn’t be “what’s the weather likely to be like at April Weddings?” but actually “what ISN’T the weather likely to be like at April Weddings?”! I guess the important this is to lease with your photographer and venue to explore all the possibilities for photos.

The first of April is April Fools Day, a date which has been popular with couples who wanted a fun-filled wedding day.

I’ve done some wonderful April weddings. The ones featured in the pictures here are from The Marwell Hotel, New Place and Bartley Lodge. (Click the hotel names to find out more about getting married at these three excellent venues).

My daughter is getting married in April next year (2018) so I’ve got my fingers crossed for a great month!

What comes after April Weddings? That’ll be May Weddings – see you next time 😉

Party DJ!

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Party DJ Hampshire

I just wanted to say … I’ve still got it!

When I first purchased the Party DJ domain I had no idea I’d still be DJ’ing in 2015 and loving it more than ever.

I’ve categorised this post as “soap box” and I guess it’s a bit of a rant. The problem is anybody can call themselves a DJ – there are no qualifications that you need to have. The only criteria anybody calling themselves a DJ should meet is holding public liability insurance, and many don’t even have that! The market locally, nationally and globally is flooded with people who call themselves DJ’s although they have no little to no experience, they’ve cobbled together some cheap equipment and downloaded illegal music. People expect to pay a couple of hundred pounds for a DJ because they’ve never seen one worth more than that – when they actually see a proper DJ they are blown away.

So far this year I’ve done three weddings, I spent time in advance with each couple finding out what they loved and hated to make sure their party was as good as it possibly could be. Each of them have been great fun and I’ve received some amazing feedback both from my clients, their guests and even the staff at the venues. Each of these three couples took my advice and set up a FaceBook page in advance and invited their friends and family to make suggestions for the reception playlist, it worked really well.

First up was Kat and Gareth’s wedding at Audleys Wood. The golden rule for a busy dance floor at a wedding is wherever the Bride and Bridegroom go their guests will follow ~ Kat and Gareth spent the whole night on the dance floor!

Audleys Wood DJ

This one’s from Tara and Rob’s wedding at the Bartley Lodge ~ not one of my photos, this one turned up on FaceBook ~ thanks Nik and the ladies for wanting a selfie with me!

Party DJ Bartley Lodge

Finally for now, on Friday I was at New Place for Emma and Simon’s wedding, their friends and family had suggested nearly eleven hours of party music and I think some of them would have danced to the whole lot. You’ll find plenty of pictures from their party HERE on my The Party DJ FaceBook page .

New Place DJ

There are plenty of DJ’s out there, wherever you are, but not all of them really know what they are doing. NEVER book a DJ without having a good chat with him/her first, ask them about their experience, check they have insurance, don’t waste your money on a muppet wannabe … well I did say it was going to be a bit of a rant didn’t I.

I’ve been a DJ for a very long time and I won’t be giving up any time soon.

Sophie & Tom in Wedding Ideas magazine

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1 coverThe April edition of Wedding Ideas magazine arrived in the newsagents this week and one of my couples from last year are among the featured weddings. Hey it’s Sophie & Tom in Wedding Ideas magazine.

Their wedding was held at Bartley Lodge, almost a year ago, at the beginning of May. In fact it was on May the fourth which explains some of the pictures you’ll see in the article.

I was introduced to Sophie and Tom by Mia, their photographer, and I was able to help with plenty of ideas that were included in their amazing day. Tom told me after their wedding that when we first met he couldn’t understand where I was going with my questions about their vision for the day but by the time I left he was really excited about my involvement with their planning.

At just £2.99 Wedding Ideas is great value for money with lots of great ideas to help couples plan their wedding day. There are also competitions with over £10,000 worth of fabulous prizes to be won including a chance to win a Photo Booth from our friends at Gigglebooth!

Sophie & Tom 1

Sophie & Tom 2