Newly Engaged or Planning Your Wedding? Visit the Fort Wayne Bridal Spectacular

Congratulations to all the the guys who proposed to their girlfriend over the holiday and congratulations to all of the newly engaged brides to be. To get your wedding planning off to a great start, plan to stop by the Fort Wayne Bridal Spectaular this weekend at the Allen County Memorial Coliseum from 12pm-4pm.


Erik Michaels and June Hoffman from Megasound will be on site at the Wedding Connection booth talking to everyone about the upcoming bridal dinner theater production of “Staycee’s Dream Wedding”.

June Hoffman will be working with the Wedding Place and One of a Kind Events as the MC for the New York style fashion show on Saturday at 2pm with an encore presentation on Sunday at 2pm. Bridal Spectacular tickets are available at the door both days.

If you are ready to start your 2010, 2011, or 2012 wedding planning, be sure to read our previous entry on “How to Survive the Bridal Show Whirlwind”. These timeless suggestions will save you a lot of time, money, and effort and help you to have a pleasurable bridal expo experience. Hope to see you this weekend at the Fort Wayne Bridal Spectacular.

Day #25: 25 of the 31 First Dance Songs from Megasound and Planning Your Wedding (PYW) Magazine

from Erik Michaels and June Hoffman of Megasound

Merry Christmas to everyone!!


We have a special present for all brides and grooms today...here are 25 of the 31 first dance songs from the article titled, The First Dance in the current issue of the "Planning Your Wedding" (PYW) magazine. June and I compiled these wonderful first dance selections from real Fort Wayne weddings.

1. "At Last" by Etta James
2. "Wind Beneath My Wings" by Bette Midler
3. "(Everything I do) I Do It For You" by Bryan Adams
4. "I Cross My Heart" by George Strait
5. "What A Wonderful World" by Louis Armstrong
6. "Because You Loved Me" by Celine Dion
7. "Love Of A Lifetime" by Firehouse
8. "Unforgettable" by Natalie and Nat King Cole
9. "All My Life" by Kaci and JoJo
10. "When A Man Loves A Woman" by Various Artists
11. "It's Your Love" by Tim McGraw and Faith Hill
12. "When You Say Nothing At All" by Alison Krauss
13. "You Are So Beautiful" by Joe Cocker
14. "Unchained Melody" by The Righteous Brothers
15. "Amazing Love" by Hillsong
16. "Song For You" by Michael Buble
17. "More Than Words" by Extreme
18. "We've Only Just Begun" by The Carpenters
19. "Bless The Broken Road" by The Rascal Flatts
20. "Making Memories Of Us" by Keith Urban
21. "Halo" by Beyonce
22. "Lucky" by Jason Mraz and Colbie Caillat
23. "Can't Help Falling In Love" by Elvis Presley
24. "Amazed" by Lonestar
25. "Wonderful Tonight" by Eric Clapton

If you would like a complimentary copy of the current “Planning Your Wedding” magazine or if you need additional song ideas for your first dance (or wedding party dance), give us a call today! We hope that you have a wonderful holiday and we are looking forward to sharing an awesome 2010 with you!

Day #24 Music To Eat With at Your Wedding Reception

From Erik Michaels and June Hoffman of Megasound

Happy Christmas Eve to you and your family! This is always a very special time for us as it is to so many people. Occasionally, we have been asked to do weddings during the holidays. These weddings become extraordinary memories simply because of the timeframe they were held in (but of course ALL our weddings become special memories for one reason or another). Here's hoping you and your family have some unique and exceptional memories of your own this season!

As a part of our “25 Days of Christmas: Megasound-style”, we wrote about cocktail music and how it is different from dinner music. Sometimes, couples request the same type of music for the cocktail hour and the dinner time. Also, not every couple has a cocktail hour. So, today we will discuss dinner music and what makes this particular music so important for brides and grooms and their guests.

Dinner music generally should be kept rather quiet. Compared to cocktail music, dinner music should be toned down a bit volume-wise. The important factor here is to create a most relaxing atmosphere for you and your wedding guests. It is important that guests sitting at the same table are able to talk and hear each other without yelling across the table. Aside from volume, another important factor in dinner music is to play music that is memorable for one reason or another. For instance, if you remember hearing big band music at your grandparents' house or your parents played light adult rock at various points, you could utilize those types of music for your dinner hour at your reception. Jazz is still one of the most popular types of music played for dinners and when brides and grooms ask for suggestions, we recommend this type of music (as you will have your highest number of older guests during your dinner time).

Many couples like to include adult contemporary selections for dinner music. we even had one couple who asked that we play 80's "Hair Band" music for dinner. That was interesting and memorable as we grew up in the 80's. Almost any type of music will work provided it is slower music. Music that is too fast (too many beats per minute) may cause indigestion, especially in older individuals. Generally, older individuals will leave earlier than younger people anyway, but you don't want to "push" them out the door with obnoxious music or music that is too fast for the atmosphere you want to create.

As always, should you have a question about your wedding; whether it is about dinner music or other areas of your planning, CALL MEGASOUND!

Day #23: Get the Tips for Wedding Toasting

From June Hoffman and Erik Michaels of Megasound

Presenting a toast at a wedding reception is an honor and a privilege for a best man or maid or matron of honor. We wanted to share some of the key points for preparing and presenting a wedding toast. We even included some things “not” to do/use in a toast.

Toast and Speech Basics:

1. Keep it brief (3-5 minutes)
2. Keep it simple
3. Keep it decent
4. Make it entertaining
5. Keep it meaningful
6. Keep the sentiment from the heart

Preparing Your Toast:

1. Start writing at least two to three weeks prior to the wedding.
2. Make notes—polish and remove anything irrelevant keeping in mind the 5 minute time limit.
3. Personalize
4. Practice/rehearse ahead of time


When giving a Wedding Toast or Speech:

1. Try to memorize what you want to say or have note cards with key points
2. Use a microphone if available and be aware of your distance from the microphone.
3. Speak so that the back of the room can hear you.

4. Speak clearly and look around at guests

5. Remember to breath

6. Remember to toast the Bride and Groom

7. Use words that are natural for you

The “DO-NOTS” of Toasting:

1. Do not apologize for not being a natural public speaker

2. Do not use vulgarities or risqué stories

3. Do not over-indulge in alcohol prior to the toast

4. Do not monopolize the toast time (especially if there are multiple people presenting toasts).

5. Do not reference previous “exes” or marriages

If you need assistance in writing or preparing your toast or just need some additional tips for presenting a wedding toast or speech, call Megasound. We are happy to assist you.

Day #22: Planning Tips on Planning Your Wedding

From June Hoffman and Erik Michaels of Megasound

Christmas is only a few days away. Girls: your Christmas present may be a beautiful engagement ring and with your answer of “yes” comes the challenge. First, take a few hours or days to bask in the glow of being engaged to avoid the frenzy (of planning your wedding).

When you are ready to start your wedding planning, here are a few tips to help you create your dream wedding.

- Set aside a time to talk with all of the “key” money players. Be realistic about how much money you have available for a full ceremony and reception.

- Consider the time between the ceremony and reception. A ceremony at 11:30am and a reception at 7pm would be too much time between these events (unless you have alternate activities planned for out of town guests). Your ceremony should be no more than a couple of hours before your reception unless you have a completely different guestlist for both events.

- Research (internet, bridal shows, and referrals) and interview (private meetings or consultations) your wedding professionals before signing contracts (and yes, written contracts ARE important).

- Use a wedding planning guide (download or wedding planning book or binder) so you have written notes and ideas when you need them.

For more wedding planning tips, contact Megasound today!

Day #21: Cocktail Music At Your Reception

from Erik Michaels and June Hoffman of Megasound

Some people think of cocktail music and dinner music as the same thing. While there is nothing wrong with playing the same type of music for your cocktail hour as for your dinner hour, your dinner music should be slightly more relaxing than the music played for the cocktail hour. You want your guests to enjoy their dinner and be ready for fun and (usually) dancing afterwards.

Cocktail music can be almost any type of music, although I believe that upbeat jazz is probably the most popular type generally played. "Rat Pack" type music (Frank Sinatra, Tony Bennett, Dean Martin, etc.) is featured fairly often for cocktail music, but other types of jazz also work well. Utilizing older types of music will impress your older guests and generally bring back memories for them. Another idea which can be used for your cocktail hour is to play old TV themes. If you want your wedding to be memorable, that will definitely do the trick! Just imagine peoples' expressions as they hear "The A-Team" theme! There are so many different styles of music one can use for the cocktail hour because there aren't any particular traditions going on at this point and people generally are not ready for dancing yet. Since there isn't much structure at this point, almost any type of music will fit the bill. You can use a single type of music or you can spice things up by choosing music of all different types. Themed music such tropical, heritage, and others work well here also.

Basically, the only rule of thumb for cocktail music is to have fun with it! Since dancing is not generally featured during the cocktail hour, other types of "listening" music can also be played during this time which would not fit in well later in the evening. Many couples generally have at least one song that just isn't "danceable" but which they want played at some point during their reception. This song would fit in very well during the cocktail hour. Keep in mind, of course, that the wedding party is not usually at the reception yet. This time is generally reserved for the photographer to take pictures of the couple, their wedding party, and the immediate families.

If you need examples of cocktail music, call Megasound TODAY!

Day #20: Rehearsal Tips To Save The Day

From Erik Michaels and June Hoffman of Megasound

Wow, here we are almost to Christmas!! Today, we will focus on tips to help you avoid troubles during your wedding rehearsal. “Practice makes perfect”, as they say. Rehearsals are all about practicing; and proper planning ahead of time will eliminate potential issues the day of both your rehearsal AND your wedding. Here are the top ten tips for your rehearsal:

1. Ask all attending the rehearsal to arrive on time. This would include all members of the wedding party. It is helpful to have the musician(s) or DJ to attend as well as any readers, ushers, and parents so cues and timing can be coordinated for the event.

2. Know in advance of the rehearsal any logistical obstacles (wedding arch, planters, urns, bodies of water).

3. If possible, have a few chairs to represent the front row. This will show the amount of space needed as well as give a chance for your Ushers to practice seating mothers for the ceremony.

4. Bring a mock bouquet and veil/train (if wearing them) to the rehearsal. This will help showing the girls all about carrying a bouquet as well as how things will look for the ceremony.

5. If there is to be an aisle runner, decide ahead of time who will put out the runner as well as when. Traditionally, the aisle runner is for the Bride’s walk down the aisle. Be sure to note if tape is needed (or some other type of adhesive or fasteners) to secure the runner to the ground. You never know when a strong gust of wind will happen during an outdoor wedding.

6. Decide if you want the groomsmen to enter with the Groom or with the Bridesmaids. If the wedding party is to walk in pairs, try to pair couples for height as well.

7. Consider practicing the lighting of the Unity candle. Each Unity candle and holders are configured slightly differently. Having the wicks pre-lit reduces the wick size and, in turn, the amount of time to actually light the Unity candle during the ceremony. If you are using an alternate “Unity” tradition (sand or others), know where placement will be for this part of the ceremony. Knowing where other traditions will take place is also important in case your Officiant has to step out of the way for you to get to the setup.

8. You will generally want to go through the steps of the ceremony two or three times. This will give everyone a good feel for the actual ceremony. It should only take two times with an all adult wedding party and possibly three times with younger children involved in the ceremony.

9. If you are including any special presentations that are a surprise for the recipient(s), plan on just the Bride and Groom remaining after all others have left to practice that part of the ceremony. One example is a presentation of a rose to the Mothers.

10. If you haven’t already given your Officiant your marriage license, bring your marriage license to the rehearsal. Traditionally, the Best Man is responsible for remembering this detail.

Feel free to contact us with any questions on your wedding rehearsal.