JD the DJ Emcees National Mobile Beat Tour

Galt, CA - On August 25, 2010, JD Firestone (JD the DJ) of JD Productions Quality DJ Entertainment was privileged to emcee the National Mobile Beat Tour as it made a tour stop at A Magical Place Entertainment & Party Center. The event, which was hosted by the Sacramento Chapter of the American Disc Jockey Association (ADJA), was attended by disc jockeys from as far away as Porterville, CA and Reno, NV. JD, who currently serves as secretary of ADJA's Sacramento chapter, told attendees about recent chapter activities including an improv workshop, a wedding marketing seminar, a SEO session, and round table topics. Tour speakers included Jason Spencer of Spencer's Wedding & Entertainment, who spoke on Building Powerful Customer Relationships and Ben Stowe of Northern Light FX, who discussed how to Take Control of Your Lighting. Attendees then perused the latest gear from Pioneer DJ, American DJ, Hercules, Odyssey & more! The tour was brought to the area by Mobile Beat Magazine which is an industry publication dedicated to the specialized interests of working mobile entertainers.

Wedding Tip #31 - May I Take Your Request

To add to your guest’s enjoyment at your reception, allow them to make song requests so they can listen and dance to music they like! If there’s a particular style of music or song you do not want played, however, be sure to let your professional disc jockey/emcee know in advance to not play those types of requests. A cute thing to do is to include a line on your wedding invitation’s RSVP for guests to write down a song/artist request and perhaps note its significance. As you get the RSVPs, compile a list of their requests to share with your DJ/MC, who can dedicate the song to them (e.g., “This song’s going out to Jim and Michelle, it was their 1st dance song when they wed 15 years ago”, “next up, we’ve got the Chicken Dance for Aunt Lisa”). By customizing the music to suit your guests tastes and personalizing their dedications, they’ll feel more part of the celebration and have great memories!

Wedding Tip #30 - Ceremony Rehearsal - Practice Makes Perfect

In rehearsing the ceremony, the best way to practice is: (1) begin with the bridesmaids and groomsmen already in position at the altar, so they know where they will be walking to; (2) next decide how you want them oriented (straight line, diagonally, semi-circle, etc.); (3) also determine where you want the flower girl and ring bearer to stand; (4) additionally have the guys coordinate how they hold their hands (i.e., in front or behind)so they all do it the same; (5) then do the recessional with the bridesmaids and groomsmen pairing up as they exit; (6) next have all participants, including parents and VIPs, line up in the order in which they will enter, having them pay attention to who they pair up with and those immediately ahead and behind them; (7) then run through the entire ceremony sequence dry, i.e., without music; (8) finally, do a run-through with music so everyone can familiarize themselves with their song cues and the pace they will need to match the beat.