Anaheim DJ » Entertainment

Hiring a DJ

Don Panzik — Thu, 26 Aug 2010 03:29:09 +0000

If you’re planning a party out, why not hire a DJ. DJ’s can be a great investment to keep your event rolling. You can pick out your favorite music, have it perfectly orchestrated to suit the mood… just try that with your ipod. Plus a good DJ can emcee and keep your party alive watching the pulse of every moment.

Here’s a scenario a DJ might experience that you’ll be thankful you’ve hired a DJ…

The dance floor is dead. Ugghh. You thought for sure everyone would like to hear Beyonce “Single Ladies” you had cued up on your mobile device. You knew for sure the place was going to light up light a Christmas tree at the first of December. Not this time. Yikes!

Now if you had a Pro DJ, he or she might simply have 3 other songs cued up 1) a slow one, 2) a hip-hop and 3) a country swing. Your DJ notices a lot of couple in the room who don’t want to be out there with everyone staring them down (at least not yet). DJ hits the slow song. Good choice. In less than 20 seconds the dance floor is packed with loving couples. Maybe we should have another slow one lined up in the next cue, just in case we need the double whammy.

Okay you ipod jocks out there… how are YOU going to handle it?

photo credit: Landii

Synchronized Grand Entrance Songs

Don Panzik — Wed, 10 Mar 2010 02:36:21 +0000

You may have heard of using music synchronized (sync’d) Grand Entrances. Maybe not. Well, here’s an outline for you. It’s not a complicated as it sounds. It’s really the job of the DJ/MC to make it happen.

As a brief description, this is where you have designated song clips for each member of the Bridal Party as they are announced into the ballroom. They are short snippets, say 10-20 seconds each. If your DJ is on the ball, he will have each song prepared to the perfect moments in the song that’s most suitable for that announcee. It may be the chorus of the song or the part that’s well known for its dance routine on a music video. It all depends on the song and the individual.

Sometimes it’s done with couples which are matched up. Say, Joe and Julie were tango dancers… slip on a little tango thing, or a Shakira song. Maybe John is a science-fiction freak. You could play the Starwars theme or some such track. Maybe your Flower Girl is really into Taylor Swift. You could have a section played from “You Belong To Me” or “Love Story”. You get the idea.

Of course this means that the Bride and Groom are going to require an extra powerful moment when they are announced in. The DJ should save the extra volume of the music for the main attraction. If there are colored lights, they should certainly be turned on at that moment.

… I hope this sparks some fun ideas for you. Enjoy!

Thank You from The Barbours

Don Panzik — Sun, 17 Jan 2010 19:06:12 +0000

Dear Don,

Thank you for making the music so special for our 55/75 Celebration!

Our friends enjoyed your mix of danceable tunes and the background music earlier was super. I was surprised at the Anniversary Waltz. I was expecting the Al Jolson selection.

Thanks again for a super job.

Eleanor Barbour

click here to view their son’s comment on Contact Us page

Paul & Eleanor Barbour 55/75 Celebration 11/14/09

Wedding Activities

Don Panzik — Sat, 09 May 2009 07:36:52 +0000

In our modern times acceptable wedding activities have expanded to not just the traditional activities like First Dance, Bouquet and Garter toss and so on. Today’s wedding will sometimes include other activities that keep the party upbeat and lively. Now again this would be entirely up to the bride and groom’s taste as to whether or not they would want these activities.

Here are a few activities to consider:

The CONGA LINE is a fun activity to get the guests motivated and out of their seats and on to the dance floor. We find it’s most successful when lead by the wedding party starting with the bride then the groom, followed by the rest of the wedding party and then family and friends. It should be lively and exciting. You now have a full dance floor and can go on to next song with a dance floor full of people.

CENTERPIECE GIVEAWAY
During the meal, the D.J. will ask someone at each table to hold up a dollar bill. When the music plays, the dollar bill is to be passed around the table counter-clockwise (to the right). When the music is stopped, the person holding the dollar is to become the In-Charge for the rest of the guests at the table during the remainder of the reception. They are to make sure that anybody who needs a drink or anything else, will get serviced. That peson keeps the dollar for their efforts in this regard. Now the folks who initially held up the dollar bills have just bought themselves the table centerpiece! (Very fun game to get the crowd motivated.)

ELECTRIC SLIDE – A very well known and simple line dance which crosses over into many different styles of music. There are even some Electric Slides that are not of the country genre but are more pop and one mix even has a techno feel to it.

LINE DANCING is very popular. There are many different country-swing style songs that do nicely for this activity. This well known line dance is for those who are familiar with country line dancing. If this is among your song and style choices, I would think that many of your guests would also enjoy country music.

THE TWIST – Tried and true, this tune is fun for young and old. It brings them out on the floor. Most guests are very well acquainted with this piece and know how to move to the beat.

Getting all the men to sing “You’ve Lost that Loving Feeling” to all the girls, or just to the Bride is a lot of fun. Also, your DJ can come around with a wireless microphone to those who like to “ham it up” and sing a love song to the Bride and Groom. This game is one that will definitely be remembered.

There is a wealth of activities that can be done at a wedding reception. Our games page has dozens of different ideas and suggestions. If you are looking for an even broader list of game ideas, give us a call.

A Modern Wedding Reception

Don Panzik — Sat, 09 May 2009 07:34:48 +0000

As the guests arrive from the Ceremony site, they will come in to the reception hall, get oriented to the room and start socializing. This is generally known as the Cocktail Hour or social hour. Some nice easy listening music played lightly in the background works well for this.

The Bride, Groom and the bridal party will begin to arrive after post-ceremonial photographs are taken. The DJ/MC (Master of Ceremonies) and Coordinator will organize a “Grand Entrance“ aka “Bridal Party Announcement”. There are many great songs that will accompany this event.

As everybody finds their seat and people start to think about eating, the Best Man will be the first to propose a Champaign Toast to the Bride and Groom. It is then traditional with many faiths that a Blessing be made before the meal.

Then the Dinner or lunch announcement is made. The Bride & Groom are the first to be served.

Toward the end of the meal the Bride and Groom, having been fed first, will begin a Table Visitation to thank their guests for sharing their wedding day with them. The Emcee could go into a variety of activities during this time, such as a Centerpiece Givaway, the longest married couple, the furthest travelled, etc.

As the post-meal activities end, it is generally the time to begin a block of dancing. Traditionally, the Bride and Groom will have a chosen personal favorite song for their First Dance. This is usually followed by various appropriate family dances, such as the Father/Daughter Dance and the Mother/Son Dance. This may be followed by inviting the Bridal Party out on the dance floor to get things moving a little more. The dance floor then gets opened up for everyone to join in the fun.

After about a half hour or so of dance floor excitement, the Cake Cutting is announced. Everyone is invited to the wedding cake to witness the bride and groom cutting and sharing the first taste of their cake, afterwhich, the cake will be served up for the guests by the vendors.

This can be a good time to start off a Money Dance or an Honor Dance. This activity is a chance for each guest to be able to have a one on one dance with the bride and groom – usually to the beat of soft love songs and ballads. If it’s a Money Dance, the guests may offer monetary gifts to the couple.

As the DJ sees the Honor Dance line finish off, more popular dance songs are put on to get the crowd going again on the dance floor. Then within this new block of dancing, the guests should be quite warmed up to doing the Bouquet Toss and Garter Removal. These traditions are to signify that whichever unmarried lady catches the bouquet will be the next to get married as well as the bachelor who catches the garter.

From there, dancing may commence until it is time for a Send Off of the newlyweds or a Last Dance for the event.

Choosing Your Entertainment

Don Panzik — Sat, 09 May 2009 07:32:02 +0000

Do I hire a band? Do I hire a DJ? Do I hire a “wedding singer”? How about a caricature artist, harpist, string ensemble, magician? It is unlimited as to where you could take your own wedding reception. I think that the two main things to consider here are your imagination and your budget.

Most couples are working with a budget for their wedding planning and they usually find this as a main consideration on choosing their entertainment. Many times couples will try to get the most value from their dollar.

Entertainment, like any of the other wedding services, can come in all sorts of packages. Vendors have lots of options to choose from and it can make wedding shopping overwhelming. The one thing that you don’t want to cut corners on is the quality of your entertainment. Your DJ or band can literally make or break your reception – so you want to choose experienced & reputable professionals. Also, if you decide to go with a band, make sure they have an emcee who is good with wedding announcements. Remember too, that bands do not work straight through and will need to take breaks, so it could be to your advantage to have a DJ to provide music during breaks and emcee if the band doesn’t have an experienced emcee. Another option could be a band with a member who can emcee and DJ.

Some of the things you could ask for to make sure you are dealing with a professional might be: are they licensed?; are they insured?; what groups are they affiliated with, such as the American Disc Jockey Association or the local Chamber of Commerce; do they have certifications, permits, if required…you get the idea. You could even ask some trick questions, like…what songs do you recommend for the cake cutting or bouquet toss? So you’re in the know and won’t get tongue tied on this one, “Cut the Cake” by the Average White Band and “Chapel of Love” by the Dixie Cups would be acceptable answers on the cake cutting. “Man, I Feel Like a Woman” by Shania Twain or “Girls Just Wanna Have Fun” by Cindi Lauper are a couple of good bouquet toss songs.

Also, check for references and testimonials. Most importantly, set up a personal interview with them. You want to be sure that this person is right for you. There are lots of personalities out there to choose from. Get to know the actual person or persons who will be performing and establish a relationship early on.

Remember that in most cases it is the professionalism, showmanship and presentation of your entertainment that will set a high standard for you and your guests. Choose your entertainment well and you will be in very good shape on your wedding day.