Anthony, Jeff, Sean and Trevor will be at the Washington Bridal Showcase on Sunday, January 29, 2012 from 11am until 5pm at the George Mason University Patriot Center. If you haven’t already gotten your tickets, you can grab some online here or purchase yours at the door. Wherever you are in the planning process, you will find tons of vendors ranging from transportation to florists, venues to bridal salons. You can even speak with financial planners to get advice on kick off married life on the right financial foot!

We can’t wait to see you there!

I could explain how lighting is a complex service, deserving of its own specialist provider, but don’t just take my word for it — I also consulted some experts in the field.   Renowned D.C. lighting expert Eric Hertsch of John Farr Lighting Design was kind enough to chat with me and share his thoughts on how professionally designed lighting can enhance a wedding.

“Most venues are already adequately lit, in that you don’t have to strain to see things, but a professional lighting designer uses lighting tools to take it to the next level,” Eric says.  ”We can enhance the architectural beauty of a room, accent key decor pieces such as floral arrangements, or even change the mood of the room through judicious use of color.”

The key to an outstanding result, he says, is translating his clients’ vision into a reality. “The biggest part of my work is listening to what my clients want.  I don’t have any kind of expectation that a couple know any technical terms; instead, I listen to what they think is important. Do they love the architecture? Do they have a specific style, mood, or image that appeals to them? This type of information guides the choices I make as a designer.”

So what makes professionally-designed lighting better than the lights thrown into package deals from other types of vendors?  “If my car mechanic also offered to fix my dishwasher, I’d probably be a little bit skeptical,” Eric says. “There are a lot of people out there who look at what I do, figure it’s not too hard for them to put up a few lights themselves, and make a little extra money. On the flip side, there are some companies out there who decided to branch into lighting, and made serious investments in both the equipment and staff to do it right. Sometimes telling which is which is difficult.”

He continues, “In my experience, serious lighting designers will come up with a design, as opposed to set up gear. So if someone tells you that they will do 12 uplights for a set price, what does that really tell you? Will these twelve uplights be sufficient to light a room? Will they be in a color to complement the decor? Does the venue have the electrical power to support this? A professional lighting designer will find the answers to these questions. An amateur will take your money and try to figure it out once he’s on the site the day of your wedding.”

Now, reading that you might think “OK, maybe lighting professionals are biased. Of course they are going to recommend couples use a lighting professional!” Makes sense, right?  Sure, until you consider that professional photographers seem to share the same opinion.  I also reached out to the talented and much-lauded Amie Otto of Amie Otto Photography to get her thoughts as a professional photographer who has been the victim of bad DJ lighting more than once in her career.

Check out this example she gave us of what happens when bad DJ lighting takes over the dance floor, marring every photograph with thousands of annoying little dots:

Or here’s another from the same reception that shows how distracting those little dots can be:

Amie says, “The main problem with bad DJ lighting is that it is directed onto the subjects, which creates distracting blotches of color, random dots, and awful skin tones.  My least favorite are the red and green dot lights. They are projected everywhere and there are a million of them. To take them out digitally in every single reception photo would literally take hours of retouching.”

Phantom dots aren’t the only problems in photos, however.  “Colored lights that are projected onto the dance floor create the issue of unnatural skin and hair tones,” Amie points out.

Take a look at this example of unnatural hair tones caused by bad DJ-provided lighting:

Bad lighting is, of course, bad for photos — but ambiance created by professional lighting can change the entire feeling of a room without distracting from the subjects of photos, says Amie.  “Rooms that are lit professionally by a lighting or event company focus on creating an ambiance and light the walls or other key elements of the reception rather than the subjects of the photos. This allows the photographer to light the subjects as she or he chooses, giving a much more natural and dynamic look. And the best part is, there is no need to fix anything later!”

Case in point, this setup:

Notice how the professional lighting enhances the already stunning architecture without at all distracting from the couple.

Lighting is a decorative element, like flowers and linens, and if you like the effect, then by all means go for it!  Just make sure you’re using a professional, and are choosing lighting that will enhance, not detract from, the beautiful event space you’ve chosen and your lasting memories of the wedding you’ve worked so hard to plan.

If there is a single thing we love about our jobs (besides being a part of one of the most important days in a couple’s life), it has to be working with our amazing clients. They never cease to impress us with their creativity, and Becky + Brian’s Glen Echo Park wedding last summer certainly upped the ante on unique weddings. What other wedding do you know that featured a rickroll during the father-daughter dance? Yeah, that’s what we thought.

Becky + Brian’s wedding was already featured on their photographer’s site, so if you want to see more (we know you do), head over to the Blink Blog.

And if you’ve got some tissues handy, click over to United With Love to watch the incredibly touching, tear-inducing humanstory films video. Don’t say we didn’t warn you.

Videographer:  William Gaff and Martin Montgomery from humanstory films
Venue: Glen Echo Park
Photography:  Blink Photography
DJ:  MyDeejay
Event Coordination:  Social Scene Events
Catering:  Star Catering
Florist:  B Floral and Event Design
Cake:  Buzz Bakery
Makeup & Hair:  Amie Decker Beauty

Cheese Wedding Cake No, we don’t mean cheesecake… CHEESE as a cake. Click over to Emmaline Bride to see what we mean.

Our Top 2012 Wedding Trends on NBC! Recycled Bride hits the teevee with some ideas on 2012 wedding trends.

colorful kid’s table Maria at Ritzy Bee shares a great kid’s table idea that might just change the way you feel about being stuck with the kids at their table.

A save the date, thank you card, reply envelope with single reply card inside or single card/invitation (standard size) will now cost 45 cents a stamp (disregard if you hoard Forever stamps like we do), up one cent from the previous rate.

An invitation set including the invitation, reply card, reply envelope and any additional cards or envelopes included (up to 2 oz.) will run you 65 cents each.

Response postcards have increased from 29 cents to 32 cents.

Don’t forget that any non-standard size item that cannot be run through the USPS machine (like square envelopes or large envelopes stuffed with goodies) will still require additional postage. Check out the USPS Postage Calculator for more details (note you will have to calculate each based on the Zip codes it is going to and coming from).

Conveniently, the USPS just released a new 65 cent stamp featuring a wedding cake created and designed by renowned DC pastry chef Peter Brett of Park Hyatt Washington’s Blue Duck Tavern and photographed by DC food photog Renée Comet.

I came across this post “Ten Signs of Real Love” on StumbleUpon the other day and having been in phony love more times than I care to count and real love twice in my life (lucky me), it struck a chord.

How do you know when you’re in real love?

The post, from Penelope’s Oasis, describes ten signs of a good relationship. The overwhelming theme is one of mutual respect, acceptance, and that intangible but hard to ignore excitement you get at the thought of seeing the one you love. Real love means confidence in your relationship, fighting like adults (and yes, fights do happen), and being present in the moment for this relationship now, not any that came before.

Coincidentally, Truly Engaging recently asked “what is love?” but chose to get their answers from little kids. Our favorite entry? 6-year-old Chrissy described love as “when you go out to eat and give somebody most of your French fries without making them give you any of theirs.”

Yup, that’s about right.

So, please take a moment between pinning wedding inspiration, calling vendors, DIYing escort cards and arranging seating charts to remember what it’s all about: love.

Now, you might want to get comfortable, this blog post is going to take awhile. Check out the pictures and you will quickly find out why.

This wedding was so amazing it had to be blogged in two parts. Leo blogged the ceremony here and the reception here. Oh, and don’t miss Kelsey and Jonnie’s super cute engagement session too.

One of my favorite shots from the whole wedding, how cool is this certificate signed by President and Mrs. Obama?

The newlyweds emerged all decked out and ready to celebrate!

Kelsey and Jonnie shared their first dance as man and wife to Rob Thomas’ “Little Wonders”

LOVE this shot.

Kelsey, you have to tell us, who did your hair? Love!

Shots like these represent the reason we even bother to get out of bed in the morning. When a couple (and of course their guests) can get out on the dance floor and enjoy themselves like this, we feel honored and grateful to be a part of that.

Kelsey and her mom getting down – love how mom coordinated with the awesome navy/orange color scheme.

No idea what was going on here… whatever it was, we’re jealous Jeff was the only one who got to be there!

Hey that face looks familiar… do we know that guy?

Know what we love even more than helping our couples and their guests have the time of their lives? Getting amazing feedback like this: Said Kelsey, “Jeff was AWESOME and I know every single guest would agree. Getting the group dancing was one of the most important aspects of our wedding.  We provided flip flops – “dancin’ shoes” in the ladies room – to keep everyone with uncomfortable shoes dancing!  Jeff did a great job feeling out the crowd and the dance floor was packed all night long. He was extremely professional and helpful from the very beginning.  He went above and beyond (set up speakers and microphones for our ceremony and worked directly with a family member who performed during our cocktail hour).  He also kept in constant contact with us throughout the planning process and provided several vendor recommendations when requested.  We can’t say enough good things about him.”

Ah, nothing like a happy ending, eh? Congratulations, Kelsey and Jonnie!

Venue and Caterer: the fantastic folks at Tidewater Inn
Photographer: Leo Djiwatampu
Florist: Flower Child
Officiant: Rev. Amanda Tate
Ceremony Musicians: Chesapeake Strings

MyDeejay is proud to announce that, in honor of our many clients who are current or former military service members, we will make a donation to The Wounded Warrior Project for each military wedding we book, starting in 2012. This wonderful organization provides support and services to injured service members.

Jennifer’s dad (Army)

Military weddings hold a special place in our hearts. I was raised an Army brat – my father spent many years as an officer in the U.S. Army, and after retiring as a lieutenant colonel, he spent another 20 years working in military intelligence for the federal government. He officially retires this summer after a lifelong career serving our country, and I couldn’t be prouder. My dad is my hero. Evan’s dad, too, served in the U.S. Navy, being stationed all over the place, and Evan and I collectively have grandparents, uncles, cousins and friends who have served or are currently serving in the armed forces.

Evan’s dad (Navy)

MyDeejay has always been privileged to provide music for many military men and women each year; we’ve done numerous weddings at the Fort Belvoir Officers’ Club, Fort Myer Officers’ Club, Naval Academy Officers’ Club and Alumni Hall, and Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium. One of our fantastic DJs, Sean Johnson, happens to be a military veteran himself, having served eight years as a combat support MP in the U.S. Army.

That’s our Sean Johnson on the right!

If you’re a military service member, current or former, and are planning to hire a wedding DJ in 2012, we hope you’ll consider MyDeejay. We’re honored to donate to The Wounded Warrior Project for each military wedding we book this year. To learn more, please contact us or visit our DJs Sean Johnson, Brian Jones and Trevor Blake at the Fort Belvoir Officers’ Club Bridal Fair on February 25, 2012.

Get comfy, strap in and let the beat blow your mind.

The latest first-dance songs are neither Top 40 tunes nor old classics. “Couples seem to be putting a lot more thought into finding that one song that really speaks to them, as opposed to going with the old standbys, “ says Evan Reitmeyer of MyDeejay. Modern, quirky tracks like “Home” by Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros have made appearances on the dance floor. So have Daniel Lee Kendall’s “Lost in the Moment”—which gained traction from a recent television commercial—and the Avett Brothers’ “January Wedding.”

We can’t wait to see what our 2012 couples do with their playlists! We’ll let you know later in the year if Evan’s vision comes true!

Is Your Groom Tough as Nails? A unique take on the classic wedding band for men… bet he’ll want to wear this one!

Tightwad’s 5 Ways to Save on Wedding Favours We’re especially digging the CD-as-a-favor idea, which was used by our own Evan and Jennifer at their wedding.

Pro Advice: 5 Tips for Seating Guests United With Love shares some seating tips courtesy of Dan of Social Tables, check it out!

Tickets are $15 in advance or $20 at the door, so grab your fiancé and head over to one of the best venues in all of the Chesapeake Bay area to check out way too many amazing vendors to even begin to list here, sample treats from the incomprable Beach Club culinary team and get lots of great design inspiration!

We can’t wait to see you there!

You’re definitely going to want to check out Bayside Bride’s comprehensive vendor guide for suggestions. And no, we’re not just sharing this info with you because we were chosen as a 2012 handpicked vendor for the list (thank you, Bayside Bride!).

The list features the best of Annapolis vendors, covering everything from venues to bakeries, florists to officiants. When you start making phone calls, be sure to tell them you found them on Bayside Bride.

Enjoy!

The first thing you are going to want to do before you pick up the phone and call a single DJ is print out (or at least leave open on your computer if you are environmentally-conscious) our comprehensive list of 40 questions to ask a DJ. If you come up with any new questions that you think we should add to the list, leave them in the comments!

Oh, and download our free eBook Don’t Hire That DJ! while you are at it. You can thank us later.

Now, this next bit of prep work should be the easy part. You need to grab the love of your life by his or her cute little hand, sit yourselves down and decide what you want to hear on your wedding day. Believe it or not, this part can be the hardest part of DJ shopping for some couples! You could have a music library of 50,000 songs and not know where to start or you could be the kind of people who really do like all varieties of music. Even if you want to leave a lot of the music selection up to your DJ, it’s important to think about your musical tastes as a couple and what sorts of songs you enjoy.

Maybe you don’t have any must-plays in mind but you know for sure you both don’t like country music – that’s a start. Maybe you love everything Motown but dislike any funk, that’s OK too. Any little bit helps, so start thinking about the vision you have for the soundtrack of your special day before you make a single phone call to any DJs you’ve been scoping out.

We wanted to get our fantastic DJs’ input on this all-important part of wedding planning so we grabbed Trevor Blake to see what he had to say. “It’s always easier to work with a couple that has at least thought about the type of music they want for cocktails and dinner,” he said. “I find that couples always know what they want to dance to but almost never think about the cocktails and dinner music.” Great point! Remember that your wedding music is more than just processional, recessional, cake cutting and first/last dance songs!

The last little piece of advice we have is to start DJ shopping NOW for peak 2012 wedding season dates. See our recent post on why you should book your wedding vendors NOW for more details. Basically you’re trying to beat the flood of other couples who recently got engaged over the holidays that are starting on their planning as well as the rush of bridal show attendants who will quickly start filling up your desired vendors’ calendars once bridal show season kicks off.

Check out this really helpful wedding planning timeline shared by Jeannette Tavares of EVOKE via Washingtonian Bridal Party. Obviously the first thing you have to do is pick a date – once you have that, you’re ready to start searching for vendors. This timeline will help you get an idea of when to book your florist, photographer, music and more. Remember, it’s important to book early so you get your first choice of vendors but you do not need to feel like you absolutely must book all your vendors a year and a half before your date. When you’re ready to book your DJ, you know what to do…

RSVP to this January 7th webinar hosted by innovative Washington DC event planners Invited. Pavaune Pearson will give you 5 things every couple must know when planning their wedding and plenty of good advice on how to pick a date, set a budget, and even get a little fun out of the wedding planning process.

You’ll also want to check out Evan’s post about when to book wedding vendors. He tirelessly scoured the major wedding planning sites for guidance on when to book your major vendors and offered his own advice based on his expertise after countless years in this business.

Like these tips? Stay tuned, we’ll be back with more tomorrow, including specifics on how to beat the bridal show rush and go DJ shopping!

Now that we got that out of the way, here are some of our favorites from 2011. We couldn’t have had such an epic, butt-kicking year without our wonderful clients and the talented vendors we’ve had the pleasure of working with this year, so THANK YOU. We cannot wait to kick off 2012 with a bang, and look forward to a year filled with fun, amazing playlists and awesome clients!

Now, let’s look back on some of our best weddings in 2011!

Hardest Partying Father of the Bride
On the surface, Jenna and Mike’s Naval Academy wedding was elegant, classic and sophisticated. But once the ceremony wrapped, the real party kicked off. With a fake Lombardi trophy, keg stands and a paper plane send-off, this reception tops the list for most off-the-hook party of the year. Jenna’s dad and his friends are officially invited to every party we throw from here until eternity.

pic credit: David Spence via Amy Raab

Most Beautiful Pair of Bridal Gowns
It’s hard enough finding a single wedding gown, can you imagine how difficult it is to find two, and two that match one another at that? Somehow Tiffany and Meredith pulled it off.

pic credit: Michelle Frankfurter

Most Touching Ceremony Moment
We don’t need to explain why Chris and Ashley’s tender moment at the altar is so moving that it won out as most touching ceremony moment this year.

pic credit: Cynthia Kirsch

Most Colorful Washington DC Wedding
Brian and Shruti’s wedding at the Washington Marriott early this year combined her Indian heritage with standards like 80s and Top 40 to create a warm, welcoming atmosphere for all.

pic credit: Erin Scott

Most Fitting First Dance Song
Brooke and Frank were married at Brooke’s parents’ farm back in June. Horses from neighboring farms joined in the celebration, lining the fences to witness the day! So it was only fitting then that Brooke and Frank shared their first dance to Rolling Stones’ “Wild Horses” – perfect!

pic credit: Amy Raab

Best Use of Stormy Weather
Sarah and Michael weren’t going to let a little stormy weather ruin their patriotic-themed July wedding at the Chesapeake Bay Beach Club. In fact, their photographer made the most of it by capturing this stunning shot along the water.

pic credit: Mike Busada

Honorable mentions

We asked our DJs to recall some of their favorite wedding moments from 2011, here’s what the boys had to say:

Anthony Simpson: “A couple married at the Hotel Monaco in Washington DC back in April had a really creative first dance song – Magnetic Fields’ “Book of Love” – and chose a unique indie playlist for cocktail hour. They didn’t pick many songs for dancing, which gave me a lot of room to get creative myself and keep the dance floor packed all night! Then there were the dual Hindu/Christian ceremonies at the Ronald Reagan Building which were fun – pretty hard to beat riding in on a horse – and a James Bond-themed wedding I did at the National Press Club which was also really unique. It’s hard to pick, there were so many great weddings this year!”

Brian Jones: “A bride secretly took a year of private voice lessons so that she could surprise her husband by singing a song for him in front of everyone at their wedding. It was awesome. He’s a musician and would always sing for her and write her songs, but she could never repay the act because she considered herself tone-deaf. She nailed the song, though, and there really wasn’t a dry eye in the whole place. The song was “Book of Love” by Magnetic Zeros. She even added a custom verse. Epic.”

Michael Bell: “A wedding I did at the Newseum in July had both the best food – catered by Wolfgang Puck – and vows. They wrote their own vows for the ceremony that was on the terrace of the 8th floor with the Capitol in the background. In my line of work, I hear a lot of ceremonies but their vows were so good, it gave me goosebumps. Then there was a wedding in October; they had a pinata full of airline-sized bottles of booze, candy and lottery tickets! It was pretty awesome.”

William Steward: “I did a wedding at 2941 Restaurant that did not include your typical bridal party introductions. The bride’s friend – who flew in from Pakistan to do all their announcements at the wedding – introduced the bride and groom, but only the groom walked out to the applause of the crowd. The bride’s friend asked “where is the bride?” Just then, I turned on the music, Bad Romance by Lady GaGa. The bride and 4 dancers came out and performed choreographed dance routine while the groom sat and watched. He liked it so much that he got up and joined in the choreographed dance routine. He was part of the routine and had obviously practiced with the bride and the other dancers. It was AWESOME!!!”

Happy New Year, all!

Better add Crimes to the list now, they’re on their way.