Author Archive
“Don’t Overpay For A Shmuck DJ”
Posted by: | Comments
Once again, our happy clients provide the best advertising! Read what one of our clients has to say. Thankyou B.J. for this blog article! :
Good morning Mike & Music In Motion staff,
Now that the dust has started to settle from our wedding reception at Cascade in Hamen Connecticut, I wanted to send you a quick email to say thanks again for a job well done at our wedding. You made our big day that much better. I’ve seen plenty of crappy DJs ruin a wedding and this was not the case with you. I can’t tell you how many people said you did a terrific job. So thank you very much for sharing in our special day.
I have a friend who is getting married next July (I am in that wedding) and I told him if he doesn’t go with you guys at Music In Motion, I punching him right in the mouth haha.
Also, wanted to let you know that I wrote you a review on WeddingWire. 5′s across the board!
I can’t express my pleasure enough, thank you again and I will continue to recommend you and MIM to anyone who is looking for a top quality DJ.
B.J.
Here’s what B.J. wrote on Weddingwire.com
“I have been to my fair share of weddings where the DJ was absolutely atrocious and you think to yourself, “I hope they didn’t overpay for this shmuck”.
Trust me, you will not feel this way if you go with Music In Motion Entertainment. Their online planning tool is extremely easy and convenient; it’s also very expansive. Just for the hell of it, I typed in obscure songs and the system spit the song out every time. Dave was very quick to respond to any inquiries we had and made the whole process painless.
Everyone has heard the horror stories of how the DJ made the reception all about himself with ridiculous antics (I could tell you a story of a DJ that talked through the bride and groom’s first dance but I’ll spare you), Dave was not that way at all. His level of involvement and interaction was perfect.
I can honestly say that there wasn’t a moment in the night that the dance floor wasn’t packed (OK maybe at dinner time but that’s expected). It was a great mix of music and everyone, young and old were on their feet.
Thanks again Dave! You made our big day that much better!”
B.J. & Randi
What’s a Money Dance?
Posted by: | Comments
A client recently asked me this question:
Hi Dave,
I know we have a while to go before we really need to start going over songs for my wedding, but I was just wondering: what’s a money dance? Thanks!
V.
My response:
Hi V!
Thanks for asking! The Money Dance is a controversial wedding tradition! Formerly called a “Dollar Dance“, it’s a very old (early 20th century) ethnic wedding custom whereby the bride and groom would briefly slow dance (about 30 sec. or so) with guests for $1.00. The DJ introduces the dance and plays several appropriate slow songs. Songs that have a “friend” theme are better than those with romantic lyrics. The maid of honor collects for the bride and the best man collects for the groom. In addition to collecting the cash for you, the maid of honor and best man should act as gatekeepers to ensure that the dance with each guest is kept brief. Timing-wise, the money dance can be done any time after the cake cutting parent dances but prior to the end of the reception. The Money Dance ends when everyone has had a turn dancing with the Bride & Groom.
It’s purpose is to raise some extra cash for the honeymoon and give your guests an opportunity for some “alone time” with the Bride and/or Groom. Back in the 80′s and 90′s, the tradition gradually lost its popularity. But some ethnic groups and lower socio-economic classes still do it as tradition and to help the bride and groom financially. The name was changed from “dollar” to “money” because a dollar is worth practically nothing these days!
Advantages: you make some extra cash, you can dance and chat with many of your guests individually, and it’s a great photo opportunity.
Disadvantages: some people think it’s tacky or rude to ask guests for more money after they have already included a substantial sum with your card; and sometimes the dance goes on and on, creating a boring block of time for the other guests.
IMO the money dance is not very popular around here; I probably do one or two of these all year! But, it’s your choice! Ask your fiance, friends and family, especially the older ones, what they think. Then, if you want it, we can introduce it and play appropriate music for it.
Best regards,
Dave
A Casual Wedding in a Formal Setting
Posted by: | Comments
As a wedding professional, certain weddings stand out in my mind. In April, a wedding ceremony and reception that we did at The Aqua Turf Club in Southington was one of those standouts. The theme was “Forever in Blue Jeans”, named after the hit by Neil Diamond. All the guests, including us, were invited to attend in blue jeans! My normal attire is full tuxedo but I got to wear my jeans, which was a first for me in 25 years as a wedding DJ. The wedding cake, homemade by a family member, was sculpted and iced into a set of blue jeans. Architectural lighting adorned all the columns of the Wagon Room with, you guessed it, the color blue. The casual atmosphere allowed everyone to “let their hair down” and just have a blast. It was a non-stop dance party, reminiscent of my work in the nightclubs, spinning marathon dance sets that never seemed to end. LED multi-colored lighting kept a steady flow of pulsating colors to create energy and excitement on the dance floor. The photo booth was “buzzing” with most guests taking strips of snapshots, arcade style. But my opinion of this event really doesn’t matter as much as the opinion of our delighted clients. Here is what the bride wrote recently on weddingwire.com:
“Music in Motion Entertainment and, in particular, Dave Salonia, did a great job at our wedding. We engaged Music in Motion Entertainment because two of their DJs performed at a co-worker’s wedding and they did such a fantastic job in getting everyone out on the dance floor. Dave did an even better job at our wedding. He spent a lot of time with us to make sure that he understood what we wanted for the ceremony music, which was very non-traditional and somewhat eclectic, and he made some very helpful suggestions. He also made sure that he knew what our music tastes were and what the age distribution of our guests would be so that he would play music during the reception that people could not help but dance to. He did such an incredible job that people literally danced from 8 pm to midnight. The place was rocking! He also did a great job in personalizing the introductions of people close to us, the “newlyweds”, and some other special recognitions we asked him to make. We had the best time at our wedding and came home to three “thank you” notes from guests telling us that it was the best wedding they ever attended. Music in Motion Entertainment and Dave Salonia deserve a lot of the credit. We also rented a photo booth for the reception and everyone had a blast taking their “strip” of pictures. It also provided us with a nice keepsake since the guests could keep one strip of pictures for themselves and glue the second strip into a photo album and write a message to us. I highly recommend Music in Motion Entertainment to anyone who is considering a DJ for their wedding — you’ll end up with an invaluable partner in planning your special day.”
–Wendi