There are many questions you have to come to a conclusion on when planning your wedding.  And, truth be known, not all those questions are universal for every wedding.  It depends on the type of wedding, the age of the bride and groom, demographical area, budget, etc…..

Regardless, you still have to decide just what you are going to spend your money on.  And, what big ticket item(s) are really important to you and worth the investment.  Now don’t get sidetracked, because you will have plenty of people (friends, family, extended family, eavesdroppers at lunch….) who will tell you “Oh, sweetheart, you have got to have “x” at your wedding.”. 

It comes down to just what do you want to have at your wedding and the reception, and what’s important to you. 

MSN.com recently had an article about “9 Wedding splurges that are totally worth it” that I found interesting.  Those 9 items in order are:

- Lighting
- Ceremony Decor
- The Entryway
- Photo Booth
- Lounge Area
- Welcome Bags
- Special Entertainment
- Late night snacks
- Draping

It may help you decide just what is important for your budget dollars.  It may give you some new ideas that you hadn’t thought about.  check it out.

- I’m a child of the 80′s, so all the big hair metal and cheesy pop music that was played then, I still like
- I’ve seen Hall & Oates in concert, and it was a blast. (i’ve also seen Huey Lewis, Van Halen, Kiss, Rush, Beach Boys, etc…..)
- And, there are still lot’s of 80′s songs that we play at weddings cause they are fun to dance to.

With those points made, this is just a great creative way to do this song.  Kudos to the band for pulling it off.  And if you do a search on the internet for this band (Nicky Bluhm), you will find that they do this thing with several other songs all the time.  So, it’s obviously something that they have gotten good at.  Now add to that you got a couple of guys in trucker hats, and one dude in the back playing what looks like one of those little toy piano’s, great!  And a Kazoo!

Regardless, it’s fun to watch and listen to.  Check out the video here.

With spring, comes the wedding season and all the planning.  Now planning for me is often times very different than a bride and groom planning for their wedding.  I am checking gear, looking at new configurations that I cam up with over the winter, etc….But for my Brides and Grooms, they are often looking at what types of traditions they want to incorporate, and what they could do to have that extra special day.

I often times get asked what traditions are there that could be incorporated.  So I did some digging on Irish Wedding Traditions (since it’s March, and it is St. Patty’s day) and found a great article that lists all sorts of Irish traditions. 

Some traditions are nothing more than a wives tale or superstition.  Some are kinda fun (“when leaving the church, someone must throw an old shoe over the brides head so she will have good luck”) – have fun picking the shoe and picking who will throw it.  And some are very telling – (“The wedding party should always take the longest road home from the church”) – this explains why the wedding party is always arriving last. 

These traditions and more can all be found at this link “Irish Wedding Traditions”. (C) Copyright http://www.ireland-information.com  It’s a fun read.  And may give you some ideas for your wedding.

If you are going to be in Cedar Rapids this year on St. Patty’s day, the parade is downtown and usually starts around 1 pm.  Come down and have some fun.

Well, MSN recently put together a list of the top 10 movie wedding scenes of all time.  Now this is according to MSN.  But I will say, the list is pretty accurate.  At least I agree with #1.  Click on the link here, to be taken to the entire article and rankings of the top 10 scenes.

It’s a great list, and made me laugh as I remembered the scenes.  Who can forget the scene out of “The Princess Bride” where the priest is standing at the altar and says ”Mawage…mawage is what bwings us toge-wer today….”  Makes me laugh every time.  And, much to my wifes chagrin, it’s something that I quote to her all the time.

If you haven’t seen all the movies on this list, take some time and check them out.  Give yourself a break from all the planning and stressing, and have a good laugh, because, when it’s all said and done, it really does seem like it goes by very fast.

“Making people dance and getting their body moving to beat is an absolute blast.  When they are smiling and dancing and sweat is running down their cheeks, I know they are having a great time.  It’s a great feeling.”

“When I am working with a client, I see it as a collaboration. I first try to understand their vision, and then I help them make it real. It may sound cliche, but each event I help create is not only special to the client, it is special to me.”

Paul uses a mixture of his love of music, an eye for group dynamics and technology to produce exactly the right mood for the moment at any event. He can take a room from a subdued and cool reception feel to the red hot energy of a beat-mixed video club. But only if that meets with the wishes of his clients and the needs of their guests.

Professional, yet fun and creative is how Paul is described often by his satisfied clients.

While working at the 50′s era bar, Jeff got lot’s of requests to DJ weddings and private functions.  So, with the purchase of some equipment, and lot’s of 45′s (yes, 45′s), Jeff started his DJ Business.

Over the last 25 plus years, there has been many changes in the DJ industry.  From Records, to Tapes, to CD’s to now all digital.  Jeff has seen them all.  (he actually still has one of his original Techniques MK1200 turn tables).

In 2007, Jeff added a second DJ by the name of paul.  Paul has been DJ’ing since 1986.  Both Paul and Jeff have very similar DJ styles, and so it was a perfect fit for Paul under the Z-Music banner.

Z-Music DJ’s was started because we love to play music and get people to dance.  And that still holds true today.  Regardless of the technology, and lights, it’s about the music.  And, we love having fun.  There is something about watching people walk off the dance floor exhausted, sweaty and smiling from ear to ear and still bouncing to the beat of the music.  it still makes us smile.

- Up-Lighting

- Event Photography

- Event Videography

- Wedding Dance Playlist

- Monogram lighting

- And our new Self-DJ unit.  Very fun stuff

We will be at the Gazette Bridal Show coming up this Sunday the 15th in Coralville at the Marriott.  So if you haven’t decided yet on a DJ, come down and check us out.  We have a special “Bridal Show” offer only available at the show.  And, only good during the show.  Keep checking the site. – Jeff

We understand that this is a “Big” day. We get it.  Research shows that this day is one of the most stressful a person can go through. We also understand that the center of attention is the bride and groom. Z-Music will tactfully blend in with your reception and your guests. We will interact with your guests in a respectful manner. In short, we will communicate with “you”, your photographer, videographer, caterer, hall manager, etc., to help ensure that your reception is stress free for you.

Z-Music has a very comprehensive music library covering just about all areas and styles of music. All of our music is high quality MP3′s (ripped from the actual CD, not downloaded, and we rip our MP3′s at a rate that is equal to CD quality). Plus, we use “raided hard drives” for our back-up music library.   Our music spans from the swing and big band era through the 50′s & 60′s, the best disco right up through the 80′s and the current Top 40 of today. We always try to play as many requests (if appropriate) as possible and actively solicit requests throughout the evening. We believe this is the best way to program your reception dance. Playing the songs that you and your guests want to hear and dance to.

Since we concentrate on performing at weddings, we have experience in all aspects of any reception. We can help you pick the right music for background music and dinner music as well as help coordinate and announce the following:

• Grand Entrance of the Wedding Party
• Cutting of the Cake
• Beginning of Dinner
• Children’s bouquet
• Garter & Bouquet Tosses (from Classy to Wild)
• First Dance of the Bride & Groom
• Wedding Party dance
• Mother & Son dance
• Father & Daughter dance
• Dollar dance

We  coordinate with your photographer and/or videographer to ensure that none of these memorable moments are missed by anyone.

Some other benefits you will receive when you book your wedding reception with Z-Music are:

• Planning consultation (either in person, on the phone or by email – your choice)

• Coordinating your reception
• Picking the music you want played as well as what you “don’t” want played.
• Picking your requests by using our on-line music database
• PLUS – you never have to worry about “have we booked enough time?  Our rates are all inclusive for the day!!!