Fort Wayne Wedding DJs Will Miss Michael Jackson

by June Hoffman of Megasound

The music world mourns the loss of Michael Jackson. We, as disc jockeys, reflect on Michael’s great influence on Fort Wayne weddings. Looking back, six MJ songs have had the most play time at our local weddings over the last twenty-plus years. Of course, Michael’s music paved the way for many contemporary artists and their hit songs also.

From 1979, “Rock With You” brings back memories of roller skating and youthful endeavors.

“Billy Jean” (1983) still draws all sorts of “moon walking” dancers to the floor.

“P.Y.T.” (1983-Pretty Young Thing) offers many dancers a fun beat.

1984’s “Thriller” is probably one of most requested reception songs thanks to Youtube.

Many wedding couples use “The Way You Make Me Feel” (1987) as a breakout first dance song.

Whether it is the original or another group's remake, “Smooth Criminal’s” (1988) heavy beats burn up the dance floor.

All in all, Michael Jackson’s music touches people of all ages. His style and tunes will be fondly remembered and danced to for years to come.

How Long Should You Hire a Professional for Your Wedding Reception?

from Erik Michaels of Megasound

As a bride, this question will come up while planning your wedding. How long (how many hours) should I hire you for? At first glance, this may look like an absolutely ridiculous question. However, there ARE certain questions you will want to ask yourself before making this decision. The first question is how long have you rented your reception hall for? If you only have the hall rented for 5 hours, it would be silly to pay your MC for 6 hours.

The second question you will want to ask yourself concerns your guest list and the type of atmosphere you wish to create during your reception. Does your family like to dance? How about your friends? Will you be expecting 100 guests or 500? If you have a large guest list, you will want to have your MC on hand longer than if your guest list is small. If you know that your family or friends love to dance for hours, or if you are holding a cocktail hour before dinner, you will want your MC for longer than if you simply want background music for your entire reception.

Most receptions last 5 or 6 hours (and occasionally even longer), and hiring your DJ/MC for your entire event is generally considered preferable to hiring them for 3 or 4 hours and having them set up during your dinner or not show up until dinner is over. Unless there are certain reasons your reception is shorter than 5 hours (such as an early afternoon reception), you should probably hire your DJ/MC for at least five hours so that they will be ready to perform your introduction when you and your wedding party arrive and still be able to play music for open dancing for a couple of hours at least.

Keep in mind that most receptions don't actually get underway until the wedding party arrives. On average, for most weddings, the dinner and traditions take about 1 1/2 to 2 hours. This leaves, on average, 3 to 3 1/2 hours for dancing PROVIDED the wedding party arrives right at the beginning of the reception. More often than not, the wedding party is later than originally expected due to photos taking longer than expected, travel arrangements (such as a limo or trolley) arriving late, the ceremony starting late, and/or a variety of other unexpected situations (including weather, road construction, and traffic patterns). I can count the number of four hour receptions I have been hired to perform over the last ten years on one hand, and even then, several of those ended up hiring me for an additional hour during the reception (a much more expensive proposition than booking the extra hour to begin with).

One other suggestion I have to help with your overall reception plans is to make sure that you have your photographer hired to cover the first three hours of your reception so that they will be able to get pictures of all of your traditions as well as some of the open dancing. Recently, a bridal couple only had their photographer hired for the first two hours. Had their wedding party arrived at the beginning of the reception, this would have been just fine. However, they did not arrive until an hour after the reception started. This meant that the couple had to hire their photographer for an hour of overtime that night to cover the additional time. Planning ahead to allow for unintended situations and delays is always a good idea. Whether it is for your DJ/MC, your photographer, videographer, security, bartender, or any of the other professionals, hiring them for just a bit longer than you actually need will allow for a more relaxed atmosphere during your reception instead of having them rush around trying to get everything accomplished within the time frame allotted (and pushing everyone in the process).

Are You Hungry for Wedding Cake Cutting Songs?

by June Hoffman of Megasound

I must be hungry for wedding cake today. I just keep going through “Cake Cutting” songs in my head. So I have to share song ideas for a fun (non-smashing) cake cutting ceremony. These are a some musical genres to wet your musical sweet tooth.

Sophisticated Option: “L-O-V-E” by Nat King Cole
This song personifies love and is quite a classy tune.

80’s Rock Preference: “Pour Some Sugar on Me” by Def Leppard
You may feel like you are in school again when you have your DJ play this song.

Humorous Alternative: “Eat It” by Weird Al Yankovic
If you just want to be plain silly, this musical parody of “Beat It” will work for you.

Disco/Funk Selection: “Cut the Cake” by the Average White Band
The only song that I know that says “cake” 21 times and “gimme” 72 times.

Hip/Hop Choice: “Sugar (Gimme Some)” by Trick Daddy featuring Ludacris and Jazze Pha and Cee-lo
This song may be a bit too risqué for the family friendly audience although it might be a great way to transition from dinner to dancing. Also, they only say “gimme” three times in this song.

Whatever your specific style, work with your DJ/MC to find a cake cutting theme song that best suits your style as a couple. A cake cutting theme should enhance the ambiance of the celebration and help you transition into the dancing portion of your wedding reception.

Have fun!!

“Say Hey (I Love You)” is a Celebration of Love

by June Hoffman of Megasound

While I was doing music research for a recent wedding, I found a new song suggestion. Talk about stumbling across a totally fun and exciting last dance song! “Say Hey (I Love You)” by Michael Franti and Spearhead is a tropical celebration of dance and exemplifies the excitement of love. This song would be an upbeat way to round out the end to any wedding reception or destination wedding.