Just back from a site visit for Phil and Nancy’s wedding next month at the beautiful Larmer Tree Gardens on the Dorset / Wiltshire border.
We met with Gail, the wedding co-ordinator, who explained the layout and how the day will unfold. We’ll be playing in The Pavillion (pictured above) which was originally built in 1886.
It really is an enchanting venue and we look forward to being part of a fantastic day.
This video is for DJ’s and anyone interested in the new Pioneer DDJ Serato Itch controller.
A quick introduction to us, The Party DJ, and our involvement in the Pioneer Control Freak promotion. We’ve been selected to loan a Pioneer DDJ-S1 for 14 days and see what it does and what it can do for us.
We found out about this promotion from Jonathan, the DJ Tutor at www.djtutor.com
This is a fabulous resource for DJ’s of all abilities from beginners through to professionals with product reviews, tips, business advise and competitions from Jonathan and his friends around the World.
So, on Saturday 4th June 2011 at just after 8am, a courier delivered two packages – find out more in this series of videos.
It’s all a bit mad here at the moment – weddings, meetings, Joe’s got exams, and we are currently in the process of building a whole new website for The Party DJ (well we’re not building it but we are contributing) and, to be honest, there are not enough hours in the day to everything we’d like. So anyway, I’m very aware that I haven’t done any new tips videos lately – sorry.
As maybe some of you haven’t scrolled back through the old pages I thought it might be a good idea to replay a couple of the older posts. So, in best Blue Peter style, here’s one I prepared earlier …
Disposable cameras at weddings – what is that all about!
Who really needs a 400ASA 27-exposure film disposable camera with a personalised stand?
Have you ever taken a great photo on a disposable camera?
Yes it’s a nice idea to have cameras on every table for your guests to take snaps but how many of the pictures on each film will actually be worth printing?
We’d guess that at least 50% of your guests will either have a digital camera with them or a phone that takes pictures which will be much better than anything you’ll get on a disposable.
PLEASE – if you disagree with this let me know – especially if you are one of my couples who have already done this, please get in touch.
So why not ask your guests to use their own cameras and take as many pictures as they can on your behalf. For a bit of extra fun you can even incentivise this by offering prizes for the best pictures in various catagories, for example pictures of …
the Bride and Groom
the Parents
the Best Man
The Bridesmaids
The venue
the “gang from work”
the lads from the football team
Dancers
I’m sure you can come up with lots of ideas to suit your guests!
If you plan to do this make sure you let your family and friends know well in advance of your big day so that they come prepared. You can slip an extra sheet into their invitation pack with full details of the catagories and prizes.
Just get everyone to post them on facebook, email them to you, or put them on a disc or memory card. Then when you get back from your honeymoon you can judge them and maybe arrange a night at your local to give out the prizes! Hey, we could have another party!
Here’s another video of Hank the mobile DJ.
Bonus points to anyone who come up to me and asks for the track that goes “da-da-di-di-de-da-da-da-da-di-de-de de-la-la-la”
I hope to be post more from Hank in the coming weeks.
In the latest edition of Wedding Magazine (www.weddingmagazine.co.uk) there’s an article in their “Planner” section on “What To Ask” your wedding suppliers to make sure they are the right ones for you. So I thought I’d take a few moments to give you my answers.
Your Entertainment
Does your DJ have a versatile play list?
Yes, yes and yes again! We want the soundtrack to your big day to be exactly what you want it to be. Because we sit down and plan together we will make sure the right music is played at the right time.
Does your band play recorded music between sets?
A good live band is an absolutely wonderful way of entertaining your guests but they won’t be able to provide continuous music throughout your day.
We love to work with bands when our clients want the best of both worlds. We always consult with your chosen artistes to make sure our selections compliment theirs to create an unforgettable event.
Can your band provide a demo CD?
We can provide recording from actual events to give you an exact representation of how your party will sound. We also have YouTube videos from previous events.
Do they need a meal on the day?
Please don’t worry about us – we’ll look after ourselves. We certainly don’t want you to incur unnecessary expense paying for a full meal – our focus will be on entertaining you and your guests. Incase you are wondering what we drink, we will only ever drink bottled water, cola, orange juice and lemonade, tea or coffee at any function.
Do they need a room to get changed before they perform?
Again, please don’t incur unnecessary expense paying for a special room for us to change. We will need to change but we are more than happy to use the public rest rooms. Most venues have somewhere they will be happy for us to use without you having to worry about it.
How long do they need to get set up?
We can have music on in around 20 minutes, it usually takes us about an hour to have the full show set up. If the room is available to us we are happy to set up earlier in the day, if the room has to be “turned around” after your wedding breakfast we’ll be ready to set up as soon as your function manager gives us the go-ahead.
Who would have believed Norm’s little sis’ could be 50!
A quick video of Glenda’s 50th Birthday Party, held upstairs at the Slug & Lettuce in Winchester. As you will see it was fancy dress with Glenda hosting as Wonder Woman, and Mike as Buzz Lightyear and Lou (of Little Britain’s Lou & Andy fame). Brilliant costumes, great turn out, good times!
Glenda had selected over 5 hours of the music in advance and I did my best to fit in as many as possible – can you identify the tracks in the video?
Thanks everyone who made it such a great night.
As you may know we talk to DJ’s all over the World and watch their YouTube videos. Here’s a track that gets featured in lots of videos from America at functions for all ethnic groups – The Cupid Shuffle by Cupid.
BONUS POINTS if you turn up at one of our gigs and ask for this track and teach everybody the dance.
It’s on iTunes, so why not download it today and start practising.
Cupid has a new tune with a new dance coming soon – watch this space!
Last week I did this YouTube video, it’s aimed at venues who want to book a DJ who really cares about delivering great service. I’ve emailed it to most of the venues local to me and it’s been watched a few times, but so far no response.
If you know someone who might be interested please forward it to them, thanks.
I originally started this video as a reply to a video Ellaskins (Jonathan) did on the DJ Tutor www.djtutor.com site asking DJ’s to share tips on how to make New Years Eve a success. So I gathered my thoughts and added some footage from my NYE gig and this is the result.
Although it’s based on New Years Eve I believe it is still relevant to all the function work any DJ does.
I think you’ll find stuff of interest whether you are another DJ or a potential client. It’s all about attention to detail – don’t just blag it – think about it in advance and plan it.
Please post your feedback, give it a thumbs up, and subscribe if you’d like me to continue with these videos.
Cheers, Paul
DJ’s, you can find The DJ Tutors original video is at
Drops by Wavey Davey – a true gentleman, a great American voice, and very fair prices …
and British voiceover legend Peter Dickson, from his iPhone ap, Peter Dickson’s Pocket Announcer CLICK HERE
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