Wedding season is winding down, and as I reflect back upon this year, I must say that 2012 has been nothing short of incredible. I am so excited to see what 2013 brings! I have the very best job in the world, and I deeply appreciate each and every you (my clients) who have placed your trust in me during one of the most important days in your lives. I look forward to continuing the friendships that we have built, as well as hearing about your lives moving forward together.

One thing that I will promise all of my future clients is that I will continue to do the very best that I can to insure that your wedding celebration is the amazing, breathtaking event that you so richly deserve. I will do so by working closely with you to help you create your ideal wedding, as well as taking every opportunity that I can to improve the service that I provide to you through furthering my training through continuing education. I do so by attending a combination of Wedding Entertainment conferences, seminars, and small-format workshops in order to insure that I can offer you my very best. In order for me to do the best that I can for you, I have to learn from the best. 

To all of my friends and service providers in the Wedding industry: I also would like to thank you for displaying your trust in me enough to refer me to your clients. I wish you the very best as we approach the Holiday season. Wichita has an amazing group of talented photographers, caterers and bridal consultants to choose from, and I look forward to working together with you as we finish 2012, and move forward into 2013. Let's keep raising the bar! 

     Last weekend, I had the pleasure of working with Darren & Erin Anderson, as we displayed the finished product of  many months of planning and preparation for their wedding day. After multiple face to face planning sessions, e-mail & phone conversations, the day had finally arrived, and it was time for them to say "I do". 

     I tell couples everyday when they call an inquire into my services that the first thing that we need to determine is whether or not what I offer fits their style & vision, and this wedding was the perfect example of why I do that. Our personalities lined up, my style of entertainment matched what they were looking for, and we had worked together to plan a fun filled night that really captured who Darren & Erin were. 

      Darren & Erin had chosen to utilize every aspect of the venue. The ceremony took place in one room, the cocktail hour in another, and the guests were led to the banquet hall just before the Grand Entrance of the Wedding Party, where they got to witness firsthand, the transformation that the Grand Hall had taken on in preparation for Darren & Erin's celebration. 

     Blue Moon Catering did a phenomenal job in providing passed Hors D' Oeuvres and cocktails for the guests during the cocktail hour, meanwhile, Darrin Hackney of Darrin Hackney Photography was outside capturing phenomenal images of Darren, Erin & their wedding party, along with their special guest, Willie the Wildcat!

     Darrin completed their photos just as the cocktail hour ended, and we moved the guests into the reception area for their first look. Many guests began taking photos, wanting to capture what many of us had worked hard to put together on this lighting and decor makeover of the Grand Hall. Shortly thereafter, we brought Darrin, Erin & their wedding party into the room in fun fashion for their Grand Entrance. After the cake cutting and toasts, we had yet another surprise for the guests, as we introduced Willie the Wildcat, the honorary member of the wedding party in to the room for the first time. As the "Wabash Cannonball" rang out, the room was rocking back and forth, resembling game day in Manhattan!

     After a fun filled night of dancing, it was time for Darrin & Erin's send-off. As they made their way outside through a tunnel of sparklers, the night came to a close on what was definitely an epic wedding! Congratulations to you both, and thank you for choosing me to be a part of your day! 

     For more information on how you can create your one of a kind wedding celebration, you can contact me by e-mail, or by clicking here. 

Until next time!

     Those of you getting married in the future, and are searching for your DJ/Entertainer or even your photographer, how do you begin your screening process? Most will ask one and only one question: "How much do you charge?" but what do you really learn by asking that question? (other than a number!)

     There are so many options available to you when choosing the service providers for your wedding day, and I can assure you that with a lot of the service providers out there, it IS an apples to apples comparison. The key phrase in that last statement is "A lot". Notice that I didn't say "all", and there is a big reason for that. 

     Many of you may not realize it, but there is a BIG difference between the levels of wedding service providers out there, and they key thing that creates the large divide is a very important word in just about any other walk of life: "Education". Now I'm not talking a High School Diploma, or even a College Degree, but let's look at that for a moment. When you go to see your family doctor, you know from the fact that he is a doctor, that he has completed all necessary requirements in order for him to become a doctor right? The same can be said for many career fields out there. 

     My question is, when factoring in that same logic towards your wedding day, why not hold your chosen service provider to those same standards? I mean after all, your selecting someone to work with on what will theoretically be the first (and only) time that you're ever going to do something in your life. Let me put it to you another way. If you knew that you were only going to be able to buy one car in your lifetime, and that you'd have that car forever, would you buy a Ford Festiva? (sorry if I offended any of Ford Festiva owners reading this!) Or a different scenario, if you were only going to be able to eat at one restaurant one time, and you were never able to eat at another restaurant again for the rest of your life, would you really pick Burger King?

     My point being, as you begin your wedding planning, approach the day for what it is, a once in a lifetime moment for you. Hold your service providers to the same standards that you hold many other people in your life to (i.e. the family doctor mentioned above, the general manager at your place of employment, etc.) Find out where your service provider received their training and education, and that they make continuing education a priority with their business. Just because someone has the tools, does not make them qualified, much less a professional. I have a fairly impressive set of tools, but simply owning those tools does not make me a carpenter! (Far from it I might add)

     You may not realize it, but there are many ways for your service providers to receive continuing education on a regular basis. In my field, I am a member of the American Disc Jockey Association, they host an annual entertainment seminar/convention yearly The Las Vegas DJ Show, something that I attend on a regular basis. There is also Mobile Beat DJ Show that I've attended every year for several years. Expanding upon that, there are shows for all wedding service providers that cover a variety of fields from Photography, Event Planning, Entertainment, Decor and more, such as the Wedding MBA, you get the point, right?

     The bottom line is, you should definitely do your research and make sure that who you are choosing quite frankly is qualified to even be there. For more information, you can contact me on my website, or by clicking here. 

Thanks for stopping by, and til next time!