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Merry Christmas from Paul The Party DJ

Merry Christmas from Paul The Party DJ

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Well we’re back from our break in Feuerteventura and so it’s finally time to get in the Christmas spirit… Merry Christmas from Paul The Party DJ.

As you may have seen on my FaceBook page my friend Stephen created the must-have Christmas decoration for 2017. Surely everyone will want to put this grumpy Hampshire Wedding DJ on top of their tree to wish all their families;y and friends a Merry Christmas from Paul The Party DJ! Move over Elf you are so last year 😉

Stephen says … “Now be careful with sharp scissors – you might want to ask a grownup to help you…
Cut all around it carefully, then cut along the two sets of dotted lines on the back so that you can wrap it around and slot the two pieces together.
Enjoy!”

I wonder if anyone will make one and send me a picture – I’ve got a bottle of prosecco for the best picture I receive c/o paul@thepartydj.co.uk

Merry Christmas from Paul The Party DJ

Here’s a few Christmas tunes from me with absolutely no Michael Bublé, Pogues or Mariah!

Let’s start with the last person I saw in concert, the amazing talent that is Jacob Collier
Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas ~ Jacob Collier & Tori Kelly

This next one was used by Apple for their Christmas campaign a few year back
Stevie Wonder and Andra Day ~ Someday At Christmas

I have a Fast Food Rockers story, but I’m not going to tell you 😛
This is a brilliant Christmas song …
Fast Food Rockers ~ I Love Christmas

As a long-time Chris Moyles listener, Christmas wouldn’t be Christmas without this one
Lou Monte ~ Dominick the Donkey

I think this is my favourite Christmas song
Dean Martin ~ Let it Snow!

Once again, Merry Christmas from Paul The Party DJ.

https://www.thepartydj.co.uk/creating-wow-wedding-20th-february/

Starting The New Year With A January Wedding

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January a month for new beginnings so starting the New Year with a January Wedding is the obvious choice for some couples.

Hampshire Wedding DJ

January is also considered a long month after the excitement of the festive season things can fall a bit flat, so starting The New Year With A January Wedding is a great way of putting some joy into everyones lives. It’s worth remembering that many people disappear off the radar over the holiday season so having all your plans in place well in advance will reduce stress in the final days before the wedding.

Again I went to MyWeather2 CLICK HERE for a summary of the weather conditions.

Temperature ~ January daytime temperatures will generally reach highs of around 9°C that’s about 48°F. At night the average minimum temperature drops down to around 4°C, that’s 38°F. In recent times the highest recorded temperature in January has been 15°C that’s 59°F, with the lowest recorded temperature -7°C, about 19°F.

Rainfall ~ The average monthly amount of precipitation has been recorded at around 73 mm, that’s 3 inches. Throughout the month you can expect to see rain or drizzle falling on 20 days of the month, with snow falling on 1 days.

Sunshine ~ expect the sun to shine for an average of 4 hours per day.

So weather-wise it’s going to be fairly bleak but there may well be opportunities to get some pictures outside. However, keep in mind it may be bright but bitter and guests will want to keep their coats on and you don’t want anyone to get chilled in the traditional sense of the word!

The pictures here come from January weddings at Sparsholt and Ampfield Golf Club

January Wedding

If you have any questions of ideas about starting The New Year with a January Wedding please let me know paul@thepartydj.co.uk

Previous clients, please help me!

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So, here’s a request for previous clients, please help me!

I’m particularly looking for couples, clients, you know who you are, who are on FaceBook and have Google to pop a review on for me. It will really help with my SEO and lots of things that I really don’t understand.

On FaceBook I have eleven so far and haven’t had any new ones since February this year and I know lots of people who use FB haven’t posted a review yet. I have ten 5 stars and one 4 Star (gutted). Thank you Gemma, Karen, Sarah, Charmaiine, Varun and Dik (who I don’t think I know at all and have no connection with), Fatma, Michelle, Jenny, Colin, Sarah, Jill, Emma, Sue, Hannah, Wendy and Lauren.

It only takes a second to click on the Star rating and a minute to post a comment AND it would be great if you could please make sure you have “liked” the page too, thanks x 😉

CLICK HERE to go to The Party DJ FaceBook page

On Google I only have five and the most recent one was four years ago, but they are all 5 star. Thank you Fern, Jason and the three “A Google User”‘s – Hayley and Stuart, Craig and Karen, and the last one from 5 years ago which I can’t remember who posted it. 🙁

If you search DJ Southampton in Google you should find a window a bit like this and (if you have a Google ID) you can then post a review – I hope that makes sense, if you’re having problems please let me know.

Oh and one last thing (I don’t ask for much do I), if you have any friends planning their wedding, please put them in touch with me – even if they already have their DJ sorted, because I’m running more WOW events soon to help plan great weddings!

So, previous clients please help me! It should only take a few minutes and I’d really REALLY appreciate it.

Right Tune RIGHT POINT Right Moment!

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Most DJ’s will tell you their job is to play the right tune at the right moment. Well today I want to tell you sometimes it’s about playing the right tune FROM THE RIGHT POINT at the right moment!

Charlotte and Sam got married at The Marwell Hotel on Good Friday.  They wanted their wedding day to be a magical day to remember and they wanted it to feel relaxed. They booked me to provide music and Master of Ceremonies services throughout.

Charlotte and Sam chose great music for their wedding ceremony in The Maplethorpe at Marwell and I had everything under control from my position at the back of the room (you can see my setup at the back on the right in the picture above). I played a selection of songs they’d picked while the guests took their seats, the music for the Bridal entrance and a few more while they were signing the register and having photos taken.  

Finally the Registrar announced them to the room for their recessional (walking back up the aisle) and for this song I created a special edit.

This is such a big moment at a wedding that is often over-looked. Frequently the Registrar makes the announcement and the couple are out of the room before the music has hardly started – and if it’s played from the beginning the tune has little impact.

The song they had chosen was Nickelback’s “Never Gonna Be Alone”, although the song is written from the point of a father to his daughter it works equally well from the point of a Bride and Bridegroom to each other.  I found the big moment towards the end  (2:38) and started it from there.

Then I mixed the whole song back on again (making it about 5 minutes long) so it was still playing as everyone followed Charlotte and Sam outside for drinks and photo’s.

I’ve actually written a booklet about wedding ceremony music and if you email me I’ll send you a link to it – just email paul@thepartydj.co.uk

So you see it’s about playing the right tune FROM THE RIGHT POINT at the right moment!

I'm On A Mission To Stamp Out Boring Weddings

I’m On A Mission To Stamp Out Boring Weddings

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I’m On A Mission To Stamp Out Boring Weddings

I'm On A Mission To Stamp Out Boring Weddings

If you regularly read this blog you may be aware that I joined Toastmasters International earlier this year. I go to the Hamwic Speakers group meetings at Tauntons College in Southampton. I’d recommend Toastmasters International to anyone who wants to improve their speaking skills, it’s a very supportive organisation. There are T.I. groups all over the World, so there’s bound to be one in fairly close proximity to you. If you’d like to find out more feel free to contact me directly (paul@thepartydj.co.uk) or click here to go to their website.

Yesterday I gave my second talk and it was all about my mission to stamp out boring weddings. I had to speak for between 5 and 7 minutes. The notes for this speech were …
“The speaker is to present a talk that is organised in a manner that leads the audience to a clearly defined goal.”
Ce suggested that I should consider videoing it, so here it is! I’ve edited in a few pictures to make it more interesting.

“I’m On A Mission To Stamp Out Boring Weddings” basically covers why I think the spark is missing from some modern weddings and how I use my “WOW Weddings” formula to create something more personal and unique. Of course “My Mission” also includes improving and developing my skills and T.I. is just one of the ways I try and do this.

Over 4,000,000 views in under 2 days

Happy Monday ~ I Really Love What I Do

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Happy Monday everyone, have I ever mentioned that I really love what I do!

I’ve just been taking a break from writing the WOW Countdown blogs and took a look at the wonderful card I received from Kelly & Neil over the weekend. I haven’t really posted much about this years weddings yet – it’s all been such a mad blur! Kelly and Neil’s wedding holds a special place in my heart because I’ve known him since he was a nipper, in fact he was The Party DJ for a while when I stopped DJ’ing to focus on other thing.

Kelly and Neil met while they were both working in Shanghai, Kelly is from Canada and they now live in Denmark … as you can imagine their wedding took a fair amount of organising! I was glad I was able to help with this.

Kelly and Neil chose the gorgeous Norton Park just north of Winchester for their celebration and it was perfect. The ceremony was held in The Hampshire Barn, then everyone went for drinks, canapés and photos by the Manor House. The wedding breakfast was back in The Hampshire Barn and then the evening party was held in The Norton Suite. I provided ceremony music, master of ceremonies and DJ’d alongside the excellent band Hitwave .

It was also the wedding where I finally got to work alongside the brilliant Az Rehman from Lemontree Photography. I can see why so many local photographers speak so highly of Az, he’s a lovely gentleman and his photography (as demonstrated by the pictures on this post) are absolutely wonderful.

I really love what I do

Here’s an excerpt from their message inside …

“Dear Mr T,

We can’t even begin to thank you enough, in this card, for everything you did to help us have the wedding of our dreams.

Your time and advice before the big day were invaluable, and your calm, patience, M.C’ing, organisation, DJ’ing and general ‘Paul-ness’ on the day brought everything together in a way that only you know how to do”

I’m so lucky to spend my time with lovely couples like Kelly and Neil at beautiful venues like Norton Park working along side great people like Az and Simon from Hitwave, and that’s why I really love what I do.

All images Lemontree Photography

Le Chanteclerc Wedding Fayre

Lainston House Wedding DJ

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If you are looking for a Lainston House Wedding DJ this event on Sunday is well worth attending 😉 …
because I’ll be there!

lainston-house-wedding-dj

Lainston House is, without a doubt, one of the top hotels in Hampshire. Located near Sparsholt and set in over 60 acres of beautiful Hampshire countryside, this is one of just a few 5 star hotels in the area. This really is a venue for couples who want the best.

Sundays wedding fair with PMN gives couples a great opportunity to take a good look around and also meet some great suppliers including yours truly. I was there for the spring wedding fair as were many of my favourite supplier friends and I was very impressed with what I saw. Always remember when attending wedding fairs that the various exhibitors are there to share their knowledge, so spending time talking to all of them is worthwhile – you never know what you may find out.

You may not have a 5 star venue budget but this is a great opportunity to see what it would be like and it may not be as expensive as you think!

I haven’t been a wedding DJ at Lainston House since my return in 2010 but I have DJ’d there in the past. I’d really like to play there again soon so hopefully Sunday will help me find a couple who want a WOW Lainston House Wedding DJ.

For more information about weddings at Lainston House CLICK HEREwedding-dj-lainston-house

Lainston House Wedding DJ

How Much Should You Pay For A Wedding DJ

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How Much Should You Pay For A Wedding DJ ~ How long is a piece of string?

How much is anything to do with a wedding – why does everything seem to cost more than a similar item for another event?
You could buy your wedding dress from Primark, you could do your own catering with food from supermarket saver lines …
But this is your wedding day, you want to remember it for all the right reasons – it should reflect the love and care that has gone to bringing everything together for this one day in a lifetime.

So in almost every service and item you buy you will have to decide what you think is a wise investment. Please don’t think that just because something is expensive it’s the best, check it out, there are people out there who will try and rip you off – always look for proof that what you are paying is a fair price.

There are DJ’s at all kinds of prices. In the DJ industry there is a type of DJ referred to as a Sid – a £60 Sid – now anyone can call themselves a DJ and that’s probably why Sid’s exist – they have some kind of equipment and some music and they want to have a go – and nothing can stop them.

You could even get a friend who DJ’s to do it for you free – just make sure he has the required insurances and that he is going to play what you and your family are going to dance to and doesn’t just cater for himself and his friends – keep music varied to appeal to all generations.

The important thing is that you find someone you like and who would be right for your wedding

I’m an experienced, professional wedding DJ – it’s what I do for a living, I love it and I continue to train and develop my skills because I want to be the best I can. I usually supply the music for the whole day and not just the evening party.

I’ve set out to provide a top service for my couples – I only do one wedding in a weekend and spend about 40 hours in preparation for each booking and then often over 14 hours on site on the actual day – so up to two weeks work goes into each wedding – and my prices reflect that commitment.

Make sure they can do what they say they can – look at their testimonials and talk to their previous clients
Make sure they have any insurances required – most venues require public liability insurance and require suppliers to have a portable appliance test certificate (PLI & PAT)
Make sure you like them – you really want to spend the day with good people who understand you.

Buying budget items or paying below the average price may be your thing but do you want your wedding day to feel like a bargain?

So, how much should YOU spend on a DJ – it’s totally up to you just make sure you get what you want and don’t let someone who calls themselves a DJ ruin your big day.

Here are some more of my previous videos that may help you (just click on the pink links) …
Promise video ~ Why I can Make My Promise
My Promise ~ Your Guarantee
What If Nobody Dances At Our Wedding
ABC/123 Episode 9 ~ Choosing Your Suppliers

the-party-dj-home-gallery-5

New Forest Weddings

Le Chanteclerc Wedding Fayre

Sunday 24th April ~ Lainston House

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It’s the Lainston House Wedding Fair this Sunday, 24th April.

Lainston House DJ

I’m really excited about this Sunday’s wedding fair at Lainston House. It will be my first visit for quite some time and the first time I’ve exhibited at a wedding fair there.

Located just outside of Winchester, Lainston House offers a huge range of rooms for weddings as well as outdoor ceremony and reception spaces. I’m quite looking forward to having a good look around.

I’ve just taken delivery of a quantity of my REAL WEDDINGS booklets and I’ll be giving some away on Sunday, so ask me for a copy! CLICK HERE to see Real Weddings online. – you may need to scroll down and click on the cover to open it.

For more information about weddings at Lainston House CLICK HERE

LainstonHouse_Internal

https://www.thepartydj.co.uk/creating-wow-wedding-20th-february/

Real Weddings

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Party DJ Real Weddings

Real Weddings from real couples just like you! That’s the idea and that’s what I’ve finally got together with a lot of help from some very special friends.

One of the things I’ve always believed in is only using real pictures of couples I’ve worked with – I hate misrepresentation and the use of “stock images” and even stolen pictures on websites. So my website and literature has always featured my couples – Real Weddings that I’ve been blessed to play a part in.

Recently a few people, fellow wedding professionals and even clients, have told me I should feature more about these Real Weddings and so I’ve started this new booklet. What I’ve tried to do is give a flavour of each wedding without listing everything that happened – hopefully it will give plenty of ideas to couples planning their big day. I will be adding more weddings both old and new as time goes on, every couple have given their permission to be included and have also been consulted about their entry because that’s they way I try and do things – I never take anything for granted.

PLEASE CLICK HERE to open Real Weddings and have a look.

This is one of a number of booklets going onto my website now, so please have a look at the changes I’ve been making with the help of my brilliant website designer Deon from Deon Design.

I’d like to thank Shellie & Matt, Sarah & Dave, Kate & Colin, Axy & Jez, Amy & Kristin, Karen & Billy, Lisa & Karl, Kat & Gareth, Emma & Simon, Josh & Max, Abi & Marcus, Emma & Craig, Charlotte & Simon, Lauren & Dave, Claire & David and Kerry & Ashley for their support.

If you are one of my couples and would like your Real Wedding to be included please let me know, thanks.

Wow Real Weddings