Planning the finish of your wedding ceremony

Jun 22
2010
Guard of Honour for the Bride & Groom

Ben & Jennifer's Guard of Honour at Pukehou Church in Hawkes Bay

Picture the moment.

Your celebrant smiles broadly and introduces you proudly to all of your friends and family as newly-weds. Applause breaks out, your chosen recessional music plays and you walk down the aisle as a married couple, followed by your wedding party, family and guests.

It’s a wonderful moment, and one that probably hasn’t factored too highly in your planning, as it’s a given that it will be both emotional and exciting. What could possibly go wrong? What could need to be considered in advance? Read the rest of this entry »

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How I Learned To Bring Backup

Jun 02
2010

About 15 years ago, I was like most DJs in my market. I only charged around $500 for an event and other than finding out the most basic details, such as the venue and start/finish times, I really did no show preparation at all. For weddings, I’d know the couple’s first names and the song that they wanted for their first dance, but that’s all. Read the rest of this entry »

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Photographer misses the first dance!

May 30
2010

I was reading comments from a British DJ on a UK DJ forum today. At the last wedding he entertained, he was getting ready to play the first dance for the Bride & Groom. He got the song queued up, prepared the following song also, checked that the couple were ready to go, then announced the first dance. Read the rest of this entry »

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What effect do age and looks have on a DJ’s longevity?

Apr 24
2010

Jonathan Saunders from Sutton, United Kingdom asked me on my Facebook page the following in response to this post;

2 questions for you Richard.
1. What age do you see yourself DJing till?
2. Do you think if you didn’t look like an Hollywood actor, Read the rest of this entry »

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Bride & Groom’s initials as a monogram

Jan 18
2010

A few months ago I was fortunate enough to purchase an extremely compact data/video projector for an extremely reasonable price. I had the intention of using it to play video footage that I occasionally get asked to present at my client’s events. Read the rest of this entry »

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Ideas for the Stag Party!

Jan 07
2010

I read this recently and thought it sounded like a HUGE, yet amusing challenge for the Groom-to-be and his entourage:

Stag will be wearing a full wedding dress with a veil all day Read the rest of this entry »

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How to hire a great DJ part 7

Dec 28
2009

Will your DJ have back-up equipment in case of an emergency?

Even professional equipment can fail on occasion, so it is important to know whether your DJ has extra components, or hopefully another entire sound system available to them. Often only the top-end professional DJs invest the extra money to ensure that everything works on your event date and backup systems are in place. Read the rest of this entry »

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Fun wedding ceremony entrance

Dec 12
2009

Many of you will have seen this already, but it’s such a fun clip that I thought I’d link it for your enjoyment once more. I do love it when couples put some preparation into creating something fun and memorable for their reception. Enjoy!
Read the rest of this entry »

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How to hire a great DJ part 6

Sep 07
2009

What kind of equipment do they use & what is their technical expertise?

Determine if the DJ uses today’s professional technology. You are paying money for a professional and they should have modern, well maintained, quality equipment and know Read the rest of this entry »

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Music for signing the wedding register

Sep 07
2009

Here’s a tip for you to help with planning your wedding ceremony, whether it’s in a church, marquee or garden. Signing the wedding register in New Zealand (unless it’s been partly completed in advance) usually takes 5 minutes or more. That’s Read the rest of this entry »

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How to hire a great DJ part 5

Jul 06
2009

Can you meet with the DJ personally?

Does the DJ you’re considering tell you anything about themselves in their website or advertising, or are you hiring an unknown? Most people would like to know a little about the person who will be entertaining at their event, particularly if it’s a wedding, and a face to face meeting is the best way Read the rest of this entry »

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Swine flu & social events

Jun 25
2009

With the H1N1 Swine Flu now officially a worldwide pandemic, what thoughts have you given to preventative measures at your event or celebration?

Do you have sterilising hand gels in the rest rooms? How about face masks? Imagine, just for fun, a wedding group photo with everyone wearing a mask! What are your thoughts?

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How to hire a great DJ part 4

Jun 18
2009

What type of music do they provide and will they play requests?

It’s your party. Will your prospective music entertainer cheerfully accept your musical suggestions? Can they provide a play list with a wide variety of songs that you can choose from? Will they play Read the rest of this entry »

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Amazing Wedding Invitation Video!

Jun 11
2009

This is an incredibly novel concept. The amount of work and planning that must have gone into this is frightening, but I have to admit that it’s totally memorable. Read the rest of this entry »

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The 17 Biggest Start-Up Mistakes Companies Make

Jun 11
2009

By MARK HENRICKS, Entrepreneur.com

John Osher has developed hundreds of consumer products, including an electric toothbrush that became America’s best-selling toothbrush in just 15 months. He also started several successful companies, including Cap Toys. He built sales to $125 million per year and then sold the company to Hasbro Inc. in 1997. But his most lasting contribution to the business world just may be a list of screw-ups he jotted on the back of a piece of paper. Read the rest of this entry »

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The best wedding video EVER?

Jun 02
2009

Take a look!

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Big events or specific sound and lighting requirements

May 29
2009

Compared with many DJs, my equipment when set up, is incredibly compact and visually discreet. The aim is to not detract from the (usually) beautifully decorated venue with big speakers, lighting frames, cables and other equipment.

When the situation requires it however, I use substantially more equipment than most. Read the rest of this entry »

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How to hire a great DJ part 2

May 25
2009

How will the DJ you are looking at hiring make YOUR celebration unique? What will they do to ensure that your celebration isn’t just a music playlist variation from every other similar type of event they’ve performed?

If your event is a wedding, this question is all the more important. The couples I’ve spoken with over the last 23 years really don’t want their wedding feeling like a McWedding, or to feel Read the rest of this entry »

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How to hire a great DJ part 1

May 24
2009

For most people, hiring a DJ is a new experience. What do you need to ask? What are the differences between a great DJ and an average DJ? How can you be confident that you’ll get the entertainment experience you’re hoping for? How can you be sure that the DJ you choose will even show up?!

This series of comments on my blog will hopefully offer you some guidance to narrow down your choice. Once you’ve got a short list, Read the rest of this entry »

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Keeping the DJ set up tidy and compact

May 19
2009

For the most part, I talk with my clients about their celebration and how I can offer ways to help bring it to life while making it unique and fun. I don’t talk much about my DJ gear as it’s really only a tool I use to provide my service and deliver my entertainment, but it’s worth mentioning a few things about it.

Over the years I’ve worked very hard at making sure my DJ equipment fits several important criteria. Read the rest of this entry »

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“Can I see the DJ working at an event?”

Apr 28
2009

One of the questions I occasionally get asked by prospective clients is if they can come to one of my events to watch me work. Although I’d love to have my work observed and would love to be able to demonstrate what I can do to help make a wedding or corporate event really special, I obviously can’t invite people to somebody else’s wedding or celebration.

There are other factors too. The entertainment I offer is personally crafted to each client and Read the rest of this entry »

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Garden wedding ideas

Mar 11
2009

Garden Weddings

For an informal and very private wedding a beautiful garden is the ideal place to exchange your vows. From Spring to Autumn this is a backdrop to remember.

Bride & Groom in a beautiful Garden Wedding Ceremony How about at your own house? Romance is in the air, you love your garden, Read the rest of this entry »

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© 2009-2010 DJ Richard Mills, Award Entertainment Ltd All Rights Reserved