Carolyn & Herbert

Old school cool. herb & Car celebrated 25 glorious years and we took it back to 1983 ! Jam-J-J-J-Jam on it ! Last year one of our staff members performed for Carolyn's daughter, a few months ago I performed for this daughter's friend Tawana. Carolyn was at both events and wanted something nice for her 25th. As we talked and planned we found ways to involve her guests into the celebration, and found ways to make her event distinct. Meeting with she and Herbert (herb always spells 'herb' with a small 'h'.) was great and we added an interview to thier "Full Movie". Description of thier justice-of-the-peace wedding were timeless. As the "Full Movie" played the guests laughed and cheered and their antics. On the dance floor we threw down ! Herbert chose "Magic Man" for the first dance and the entire room sang along with the quiet-storm classic. We decided to do an 'Extended First Dance' and all of the couples in the room danced and sang with our couple of honor ! Shouts out to Mr. and Mrs. Shannon & Sheronda who were still reveling in the glow of love from celebrating their first anniversary. From the entrance to the exit we got crunk for the couple. Carolyn simply blushed as one of the tables I coached serenaded the couple during the tour of the tables. Herbert is a true Jazz lover and he and I traded sounds as I segued from my Hip-Hop Jazz collection to his smoothed-out-and-funky smooth jazz. Playing music starting in 1983 was great for the dance floor and we even stepped back a little further in time as the crowd rapped along to Rappers Delight by the SugarHill Gang (Circa 1979)........."Hotel, Motel, Holiday Inn !"..... I'm sure you know the rest. This night was Tha' Bomb ! Thanks for allowing me to blow it up !

D.J. Seko

Shaun & Tawana

"Seko, you did an incredible job. Tawana and I appreciate your every effort in making our reception better than we ever imagined. We enjoyed incorporating your ideas and surprising each other. We are still having guests tell us how our reception was the best they have ever been to. They thought they were celebrities that night. Best wishes always and Peace and Blessings!"

- Shaun & Tawana Howard

Boy I enjoyed this event ! Shaun choose the Total package for this event. (He had already contracted with another D.J. to perform at his event. He later cancelled that performer and hired me.) He shared during our second meeting that Tawana was insistent upon Positive Vibes specifically you (Seko). Tawana's family had been in the catering business and she had seen my work previously although she hadn't seen the Total Package as performed by me. "It has to be you Seko, it can only be you Seko !" Tawana made it clear what she wanted.

We meet numerous times developing creative ways to touch their guests. Unbeknownst to Shaun we created a customized entrance which brought him to tears as Tawana graced into the ceremony. Unbeknownst to Tawana Shaun and I created a customized 'extended-three-song-plus' first dance which brought Tawana and all of the women in the reception to tears and all of the married couples in the room onto the dance floor area to celebrate the couples love. The 'Front-Page' can be seen in the background of this photo. The Front-Page is a video/photo montage that brands the event for the couple. As we entered the 'Full-Movie' following dinner the guests cheered and got really rowdy-rowdy as we celebrated the Couple, the couple's commitment to Christ, and the Friends and Family visually. The couple were going to Jamaica for their honeymoon and themed the event "The Tropical Paradise." The early music for this event branded the theme and took the guests from the waters of the Virginia Beach Oceanfront to the waters of Sweet Jamaica. "No worries Mon !" As the late Gerald Levert sang in the one of the first dance songs "Sweeter", tomorrow for them will be sweeter than it was today !

Photo credits: Mike Porter of Cherish The Moment Photography & Videography.

757-515-3144 - http://ctmphotoandvideo.com

Make Your Wedding Reception Fun

How to make your Reception fun!

By Walter Varner
Disc Jockey & MC
http://www.usdjva.com/
email: walter@usdjva.com
Note: Walter is a Positive Vibes D.J. and also runs
his own company in Northern Virginia.

Many wedding websites focus on the image of a Wedding: the dress, the perfect flowers, the candles, the linens, the chocolate fountains, etc. However, surveys of Brides and attendees at Receptions have found that what people remember most is not the color of the bows on the chairs or if they had chicken but whether or not they enjoyed themselves at the Reception. With the average price tag of a Wedding and Reception hovering around $20,000, you stand to lose a sizeable portion of your investment if your guests are bored and leave immediately after the cake is cut.

With that in mind, here are some things you can do to make your Reception fun and keep your guests from leaving early.

1. Pick a good site.

Many venues may look nice, but are not conducive to an entertaining event. Don’t, for example, choose an L-shaped room that puts half of your guests out of sight for important events, like the Cake Cutting or First Dance as they’ll feel left out. A large rectangular room, without poles blocking sight-lines, is ideal.

2. Pick a place that will work with you and your agenda.

Many venues like imposing certain things on their wedding clients. There are some hotels, for example, that impose noise limits on your party because there are guest rooms directly above the room where your Reception will take place. Other places will try to force you to do certain things at certain times, i.e. have the cake cutting early so that they can send their 2nd shift workers home and not have to pay them overtime.

You’ll also want a place that will allow your entertainment to setup next to the dance floor to better create an atmosphere conducive to dancing.

3. Choose entertainment that knows how to make an event fun.

I recommend a DJ or a Band. Many people see DJs, for example, as “just the music” and it is true that all Bands and DJs bring equipment and play music. The similarities end there.

Look for Entertainment that is able to not only play music, but to MC the party and special events, such as the Cake Cutting or Father/Daughter Dance. The better DJs and Bands will assist you in creating your agenda to ensure that the party flows well.

You’ll want to interview and audition your Entertainment. After all, that is the person or group that will be representing you at your event. Better Bands and DJs will be able to give you concrete examples of ways they can help make your party fun and should have no problem with demonstrating specific ideas like how they might introduce your Wedding Party or how they might giveaway the centerpieces at your table.

With these tips in mind, you’ll find it much easier to make your Reception elegant and, most importantly, fun.