Creative Event Services is pleased to release our brand new website www.CasinoTablesforEvents.com. Let us Know what you think

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Dear Valued Customer You have trusted us with the DJ services for your event and we wanted to thank you again for deciding to go with us. We thought we would let you know that we have recently added Photo Booth rentals to our services amongst all the other event services that we offer. Since you’re an existing client we have an offer that we think you will really find of great value and will add to the overall success and uniqueness of your event. If you reserve a Photo Booth for your event within the next 45 days from today you will receive the special rate of only $795.00 that’s right over $600 off the normal price. This special package includes the following: Full service Photo Booth Rental for up to 4 hours Unlimited Photo Booth Sessions Professional and friendly on-site attendant Flash Drive immediately after your event with all images (including individual photos) Private online gallery with free downloads Delivery, set up and breakdown of the booth Customized print design Your choice of different backdrop colors Free Bonus - $95.00 Value Party Prop Bin Comes with a large bin full of funny hats, sunglasses, boas, wigs, masks and dry erase boards. Lots of fun! Please let us know if you are interested in adding this service to your account as this promotion will be ending shortly. Sincerely, Cameron R. Torkay Creative Sounds DJS www.CreativeEventSpecialist.com

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Nothing can be more frustrating for a DJ than bringing down the music volume a few notches lower just when everybody’s having a good time. Nobody understands the importance of having a good strong beat that pounds the dance floor better than a DJ. There’s no sense playing great music if you can let the crowd in a party feel the rhythm of the beat.

One of the easiest ways to get your guest’s spirits down is by turning the music levels down. This could be very hard for the crowd but for a DJ delivering the beat of the party, this would be a very big letdown on their part. There’s no use bringing the latest in sound equipment, having the best DJ and having a Huge event that costs $1,000’s when you’re only allowed to play music at 75 decibels or the sound produced by your Flat screen or Radio.

Planning an event means choosing the perfect location for the party. It is difficult for a DJ to keep the guests in the party happy when they can’t turn up the heat on dance floor with their grooving beats. The DJ’s fear of being banned to play at your event location again because of the sound volume restrictions can surely put the brakes on them raising the music volume a notch higher and that doesn’t even mean that it is super loud!

You’re only as good as your last party, and not being able to deliver at your last gig because your hands were tied down due to sound restrictions would slim down your chances of being invited at the next event. It’s all about reputation and letting people enjoy the event that gets DJs their next job.  With this said a lot of experienced and seasoned DJs that pride themselves on creating the most successful events are starting to steer clear of these restrictive event sites.

Planning a great party takes more than choosing the right location for the event. A perfect party kicks off when the first guests arrive right down to the last few who close out the night. This is why choosing a venue that doesn’t limit the amount of fun that guests and family can have is important to ensure that everything goes smoothly during the event and people leave saying “WOW, that was soooooooo much fun!!!”

If you’re planning to have an event, make sure that you know the regulations regarding decibel or sound volume levels in the area before signing on the dotted line.  But if you choose to have the party at your home it can be an excellent way of saving on some of the expenses but make sure that everyone in the neighborhood is on the same page. Also check ordinances in your area regarding how loud you can play the music and what the cut off time is for your city.

It doesn’t mean that just because you’ve booked a location you can do whatever you like or play the music as loud as you can. If you’ve booked your party in a hotel, be sure that you know the limits of how loud or strong your dance steps should be. Limiting your guest’s movements on the dance floor is not cool when you want them to enjoy the experience to the fullest.

Whether you’re planning to have your party indoors or outdoors it is always wise to check for ordinances or laws that regulate noise levels in the area. Wedding parties are once in a lifetime events and should be planned carefully to make this an occasion worth remembering. For more information on Sound Level friendly locations, please visit www.CreativeEventSpecialist.com or email us to check if your event location is party/fun friendly.

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Setting a party’s atmosphere and getting guests into a “party” mood all depends on the right music and why not get someone professional to give you this element of your party? Whether it is a special birthday, Halloween, a housewarming or just a house party with no real occasion, hiring a professional DJ for party entertainment can insure your party is a success. A professional disc jockey can keep your guests dancing and even make announcements regarding the party for you. Finding the right DJ for hire for your next get together necessitates a list of references, a thorough selection procedure and a contract.

The best place to start is with people you trust and by asking them for referrals. Think of someone who throws great parties and ask them what they believe is the ideal party entertainment company. Disc jockeys do advertise in magazines, on the Internet and in newspapers, but it is a good idea to speak to someone who has experienced the DJ’s performance firsthand. Wedding vendors and dance clubs will have an up-to-date list of popular DJs for hire. Interview the DJ for hire and ask the disc jockey questions to determine his experience, prices, set-up time and musical selection processes. If it is allowed, try pop in at an event that the DJ is performing at to gain a more “hands-on” feel of how they work. Many good DJs will be prepared to find the music you want.

Be sure to allocate a fair budget to the DJ when planning your party. The cost of the DJ is relatively low compared to the rest of the party costs. Look for a DJ that fits within your budget, but who has a good track record and contactable references. By hiring a disc jockey, you may need to stretch your budget a little farther, but after your event has had a great amount of success, you will be appreciative for the services that you have received. Be sure to book your DJ a good few months in advance, and ensure that he or she is contractually obliged to “show up” on the day. Confirm the date and time, schedule of events, venue requirements, lighting and equipment needs. If the DJ does not include this information in his contract, include an addendum to ensure that the party DJ incorporates all of your requirements, such as equipment and emcee duties, in his fee.

Avoid a party DJ who does not return calls quickly or fail to send you the information you requested. Trust your instincts: if you have a bad gut feel about a certain DJ, avoid him or her. Searching for the lowest price is simply a bad strategy: One of the biggest mistakes you can make is to go price-hunting, and book the cheapest DJ in town. Be sure to do your homework and find out about each company or DJ, to ensure that you are going with someone reliable who has a track record.

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If you’re planning a Wedding or other Special Event I’m sure you’re interested in how much it’s going to cost. If you’re hiring a DJ in the Los Angeles area, we know you are certainly concerned with your budget, but we all know that old saying “you get what you pay for.”

In this article, I want to point out some of the factors that influence DJ pricing so you will have a better understanding of how we determine our prices and you’ll realize that we truly can work with almost any budget. We believe having some kind of entertainment is better than none at all, but great entertainment and hiring a great DJ is paramount to the overall success of your event.

First I’ll list the “5 Most Important Questions” a Professional DJ should ask you to help determine your needs. If you can answer some of these questions for us, we’ll know exactly how to price and plan for your event.

5 Main Factors that influence Wedding DJ Pricing:

1.    Date, time, and location of your Event

-       By Knowing these details, we determine which of our DJ’s are available, what type of equipment you’ll need, the level of difficulty of set-up/tear-down, and if we’ll need to asses any other fee’s.

2.    How Many Hours of DJ Services

-       We build our prices first by determining the number of hours of Entertainment you need. As a rule, Most Receptions are 4-6 hours; Ceremony & Receptions are 5-7 hours.

3.    Do you need the DJ for the Ceremony & Reception?

-       If you require Music and/or microphones for the Ceremony and the Wedding Ceremony is in a different area than your Reception, we will generally need to provide an additional sound system.

4.    Overall for the Event

-       Your Event is unique, and we want your vision and personalities to shine through! By knowing the “feel” you’re trying to achieve for the event we can pair you with the perfect DJ to meet those needs. In addition, our Event Planning/Coordination staff can help you locate other vendors and offer great tips to help you achieve your dream of a perfect event.

5.    Overall Budget for Entertainment

-       We believe Great Entertainment is Priceless, but we can custom tailor a package to suit most budgets. Being up front about your budget will save you a lot of shopping hassle.

Other factors to consider:

Example: Bad DJ Setup

Should you hire based only on price? Looking across the services we pay for as a business that seems like a bad idea – We choose our vendors by balancing quality of work with results. You should consider doing the same. Some of the lowest price DJ’s are part time or just getting started, and their prices are often less to offset the risk you take by hiring someone without a proven record. At Elegant Event we have a long track record, we believe being a Wedding DJ is a career, not just a job, and we love what we do.

What else am I paying for?

The Experience of the DJ-

Most of our DJ’s, me included, has been in this business for 10-20 plus years. We’ve each Do’s thousands of events and have made the primary focus of our DJ career as Wedding DJs. We also understand the technical aspects of being a DJ and we purchase rugged, reliable, professional DJ sound and lighting equipment to bring to your event. A lot of “fly-by-night” DJs simply buy the Red-Tag Clearance Specials on the low grade equipment, so again they keep their overhead very low, but their equipment might also fail at an event, and unless they’ve come with plenty of backup gear as our company does, you’ll have a silent party.

Experience is Key:
Many of our DJs do not have a desire to OWN their own DJ firm, they don’t want to spend thousands of dollars and years of dedication to build brand recognition and build a business those other event industry professionals will know and respect. To achieve this level of success requires

a tremendous amount of hard work, capital investment, and endless dedication. Our company is designed to find talented DJs/MCs and train them to our very high standards. We provide them with the tools necessary to be successful at any type of event. In addition, our business works very hard to increase its exposure, so clients who are looking for a DJ or Entertainment can find that entertainment and book them through a trusted, time-tested company. Our system for gathering and storing the details and song requests for an individual client’s Wedding or Event is another aspect of how structured and professional we strive to be. We don’t simply rely on an email with event details or a piece of scrap paper with your songs requests; we use a fully automated web-based Event Planning Software. Our clients use this along with help and input from their DJ or our event planners and that information is stored safely and securely for your event and for many years to come. If you call us in 10 years to ask what your 1st dance Song was, we can most likely tell you within minutes, but hopefully, you’ll never forget that!

Keep in mind that our company and your DJ will spend a lot of time preparing for your event. This includes driving to and from the event, setting up and tearing down his gear, putting together song lists and time lines, gathering your personal song requests, meeting with you to discuss and finalize event details, answering your questions on the phone and email or in live chat sessions, and on and on…your wedding DJ works much more than the “6 hours” you hire him to entertain.

Not all DJs are created equally.
Even within our roster of DJs at EEE, there are different personalities and talents. Some of us are trained musicians and can add that your event, some can speak multiple languages, others are extremely talented with Cub Style Dance/Pop mixing, while others have an amazing knack for knowing and mixing music from All Genres for all types of listeners. We try to keep the “cheesy DJ” out of our personalities. However, we are a LOT of fun! There won’t be any polka dot vests on our DJs. Look at our DJ Bio page and you’ll see that our DJs are very professional.
Don’t be confused by some of the LA Hipster DJs who attempt to distance themselves from the “typical” wedding DJs, these guys may not have any idea how to effectively run and execute a Wedding. Your DJ should make announcements such as Grand Entrance, First Dance, Father/Daughter & Mother/Son dances, cake cutting, etc…and you need to ask if he does this because we have heard about some Club DJs who are trying to DJ Weddings and who refuse to make those important announcements, perhaps because they are “too cool”. Your DJ is also responsible for organizing the flow of events behind the scenes, with your coordinator if you have one, but it is his job to keep the party moving along in a fun/upbeat and professional way without bringing his EGO to your most important day.

Average Cost of a Los Angeles Wedding DJ
Think about how important the Entertainment is and make sure you’ve met with or had a long phone conference with your DJ before you contract him or the company representing him and make sure his name is on the contract you sign, he should be listed as the DJ.
The average price of a wedding in the US these days is still around $26,000.00 and the average cost of a great Los Angeles wedding DJ can be anywhere from $1200-1900.00 depending on your needs. Knowing the details of your event and by Using the 5 Factors I list above, you and the DJs you interview should be able to determine exactly what you need and how much it will cost.

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The “Bridal Party Introduction” is when the bridal party is formally introduced by the DJ to the guests during the reception. This can be professional, fun or insane. Here are some tips on how to make this part of the night work for your reception, as a memorable moment.

For the most part, the wedding DJ formats the actual bridal party line just before being introduced to the guests. One way to make sure this transaction pans out smoothly is to write out everything weeks ahead of time, even though you may be expecting a few changes last minute. This gives you and the DJ a base to start from. It often changes last minute, but at least you do not have to reinvent the wheel. So, if your DJ has not asked you during the planning stages of the event for the names along with the introductory song selection, draw up an outline with your couples names in chronological order. As simple as this sounds, this helps tremendously. If you can get this squared out ahead of time, there is a lot less confusion in the hallway a minute before you are about to go on.

So, who come first? Family, then party, then best man and maid of honor before the bride and groom is the tradition.

Usually for the introductions, it works best to acknowledge the grandparents from their seats, then have the parents come through the doors with no music. Next, the music hits and the wedding party comes in.

Lately for large bridal parties, a few different songs is a kind of cool idea, as long as it doesn’t create a huge hassle for the DJ who has to also announce the names at the same time. Very familiar songs are the key and also create individuality and characterization for the members walking out. Recently, one bridal pairing came out loosely costumed as Michael Jackson to Billie Jean and walked to their line on the dance floor complete with pearled gloves and surgical masks to boot.

A dramatic pause before the bride and groom is also cool, followed with a different song.

Some songs to choose from include:

Wedding Party Reception Entrance

• Black Eyed Peas – I Gotta Feeling
• Opera music – Carmina Fortuna
• Rocky Theme -Gonna Fly Now w/ Survivor – Eye of the Tiger follow up
• Anything Frank Sinatra
• Twilight Zone
• Mission Impossible Theme
• Olympic Fanfare – Emerson, Lake & Palmer
• White Wedding – Billy Idol
• Star Wars Imperial March Theme
• Pitbull – Calle Ocho
• Justin Timberlake – Sexy Back

Whatever you choose, make sure it fits you, as it sets the tone for the rest of the DJ fun for the night!

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The Mother-Son Dance is played just after the Father-Daughter Dance. This is usually a tear filled occasion as a mother’s love is very strong for her son. The dance symbolizes that a mother’s love is eternal, even though her son is now being taken care of by his wife. If mom is nervous to take the dance floor, try practicing with her for a few weeks before the big day or purchase dance lessons so that her mind is at ease. You will want your mother to focus on you and not which direction her feet should be going. When it comes to choosing the best groom and mother wedding music, there are quite a few factors that you should take into consideration for it to be a memorable and special time at your wedding. The groom and his mother can choose music that has a special meaning for the both of them or it can just be a lovely sentimental song with no meanings attached. Here are some suggestions:

1.)    100 Years- 5 For Fighting

2.)    A Song For Momma- Boyz II Men

3.)    Amor De Madre- Victor Manuel

4.)    Because You Loved Me- Celine Dion

5.)    Blessed- Elton John

6.)    Bop- Dan Seals

7.)    Child Of Mine- Carole King

8.)    Close To You- Carpenters

9.)    Don’t Blink- Kenny Chesney

10.) Fascination- New 101 Strings Orchestra

11.) Fernando- Abba

12.) Hero- Mariah Carey

13.) I Hope You Dance- Lee Ann Womack

14.) I Will Be Here- Steven Curtis Champman

15.) I’m a Believer- Monkees

16.) In My Life- The Beatles

17.) In Your Eyes- David Chamberlin

18.) It’s Your Song- Garth Brooks

19.) Love Like Crazy- Lee Brice

20.) Memories- Elvis Presley

21.) Moonlight Serenade- Glen Miller

22.) My Wish- Rascal Flatts

23.) New York State of Mind- Billy Joel

24.) Open Arms- Journey

25.) Over The Rainbow- IZ

26.) Some Enchanted Evening- Perry Como

27.) Sunrise Sunset

28.) Sweet Child O’ Mine- Taken By Trees

29.) The Honey Trees- Edelweiss

30.) The Way You Look Tonight- Frank Sinatra

31.) Wedding Coat- Wedding Coat

32.) What a wonderful World- Louie Armstrong

33.) When You Come Back Down- Nickel Creek

34.) Wonderful Tonight- Eric Clapton

35.) You Decorated My Life- Kenny Rogers

36.) You Raised Me Up- Josh Groban

37.) Youl’ll Be In My Heart- Phil Collins

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Some brides have their hearts set on having their wedding in the backyard where they grew up. Sometimes it is their parent’s backyard, or it could be their grandparent’s backyard. It is a place that holds special memories for them and that is why they want to be married there. It will add one more very special memory. Of course, the wedding ceremony and reception would have to be a small one, unless it is a huge backyard. But a nice, small intimate wedding has much to recommend it. Booking locations for the ceremony and wedding reception can be stressful, time consuming, and expensive. By having a backyard wedding, you avoid that and can enjoy the simple pleasure on decorating the yard.

For the wedding ceremony itself, you can rent a canopy and folding chairs for seating. By not having the expense of renting a location for the wedding and reception, you may be able to afford more on decorating than you would have otherwise. Even here, you can save by using tulle and ribbon for the biggest part of your decorating. Add in silk flowers here and there, and you have a beautiful setting for your nuptials. Arranging the yard for both ceremony and wedding reception is fairly simple. With a good sized yard, one side can be set up for the ceremony and the other side set up for the reception. With a small yard, the tow can be combined to an extent. At the opposite end of the yard from the canopy, a table for the wedding cake can be set up and another table for the other foods.

For a backyard wedding reception, the food can be as simple as a few snacks to go with the cake and punch, or be cold cuts or a barbecue. It can be more casual than weddings held elsewhere. As it is in a familiar place, it is so much easier to relax and enjoy the day. As with any outdoor wedding, one thing you will have to take into account is the possibility of bad weather. You may have to move everything indoors. Of course, another option that could keep it outside is to have canopies over a good part of the yard, as long as the wind isn’t blowing too hard.

Finally, planning a backyard wedding has many benefits. There is less expense, which helps a lot, so you don’t start your marriage in debt. There is less stress, partly because of the reduced cost. You will be able to relax and enjoy the preparations, even having a ‘decorate for the wedding’ party the day before. That will be a wonderful way to spend time with your closest friends and family before the wedding. It could even be part of the rehearsal.

A few tips for pulling off a successful Backyard Wedding:

1. Have the catering done professionally.

Hiring a professional catering service not only allows you to have a better tasting or better looking arrangement; it also removes the extra burden from the bride and groom by allowing professionals to handle the food preparation, as well as the decorations for the buffet table as well.

2. Hire a Professional Mobile Bar or Bartenders.
A clear advantage of this would be that the family wouldn’t have to tend to any food or drinks all night, and the beverage cleanup was done by the professionals as well.

3. Make the Ceremony Unique and Sentimental
Incorporate your very own ideas into the wedding ceremony to make it more fun and memorable for everyone. I once had a friend whose marriage ceremony was officiated by the groom’s sister, who was a practicing judge. To add a personalized touch to one of the most important events of your life, you could deviate from the traditional wedding setups to a ceremony that more describes you as a couple.

4. Dress up the tables with a little color and flare.

Use gorgeous, yet simple floral arrangements as well as and candles and some simple table favors placed throughout the reception and ceremony areas. The tables were spaced well throughout much of the backyard so no one will have a bad seat.

5. Do something totally unique

Find unique wedding ideas that you and all the guests will love. It could be an activity you really enjoy, or a hobby that you like to share with your guests. You could have them included in your wedding reception.

6. Hire Professional Entertainment

Hire a professional DJ for this event and we work closely with the Bride and Groom on music selection to make their day unique, as well as lots of fun for all in attendance. It’s what we do at Creative Event Services. Not to mention, as MC, we kept the party running smoothly along with the help of the coordinator. Our DJs work lots of private estate and backyard weddings, so please let us know if you’re having one, we’d love to provide the entertainment.

Consider how much money you could save on renting a facility when you could pour that money back into your own property. Remember, if you re-landscape or install features in your yard; try to make it tasteful for all occasions. Don’t just buy something that’s only appropriate for the wedding day. And finally, if you hire a professional photographer you’ll get great shots of the event and you won’t have to ask a relative to lug a camera around all night.

Even if you don’t have the luxury of mature trees and landscaping, as long as you have a good sized yard with privacy and intimacy, you can pull off a great backyard wedding. Ask friends and family for some help and hire professionals for the major aspects of the event. You’ll be glad you did it, and you’ll always have the cherished memory of having a Wedding on your family’s property.

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Weddings are very important events. It is the day that you celebrate your love with your spouse and invites the whole world to be witnesses. It is a grand occasion and no matter how small it is, you need to plan it thoroughly so that your guests are happy and comfortable. A wedding can be overwhelming with details. There is the transportation to see to, the photographer to contact, the florist to call, the officiant to discuss things with, the catering to do and the reception hall to book. Personally you will have to think about what to wear and how to accessorize it. You need to put all these things together correctly to have glamorous wedding. You will need to hire wedding consultant if you do not have time or are not very knowledgeable about holding such events.

A great wedding planner would know the bride’s likes and dislikes even if all the other vendors were somewhat misinformed by the bride, the planner should be taking the time and be organized enough to collect a ton of detailed information from the Bride and Groom to make sure the event is flawless. If the New York wedding planner in this article would not have known such detailed information, the flowers would have not been changed. That could have ended with the possibility of the bride being very unhappy, and thus, a failure on the planner and every vendor’s part. Great wedding planners know their clients’ needs and they know how to communicate those needs to all the other vendors. When Brides and Grooms have a great Wedding Planner on their side, they won’t be stressing about what will or won’t get accomplished or whether a DJ or photographer is doing his job or a florist has the correct flowers, or the caterers are on time…hiring a great planner helps you hire other great vendors, because great planners know great vendors, and ultimately, this makes for a great event!

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The decision to hire a DJ for a wedding is often given little thought. The dress and colors get hours of deliberation, the cake and reception menu are pondered over endlessly. Yet the man (or woman) who will set the tone at your reception is relegated to a place of almost no importance. This should not be the case. Instead you need to consider your options carefully and ask any DJ a number of questions before signing a contract.

When it comes to finding a DJ word of mouth is often the best place to start. If someone can say a DJ got the wedding part going, it is better to use this information, rather believing the DJ’s own promotional material. Do ask for references from other clients before you hire a DJ – one good night does not a DJ make. What music library does he have? While he may only play a limited number of songs on the night he should have instant access to most of the songs your guests are going to request. This is one area where the professional wedding DJ will have an advantage over the weekend warrior. Make sure you can discuss options with him.

Do judge a DJ on his responsiveness. If he doesn’t answer your call or return any messages within twenty four hours it doesn’t say much for his professionalism or reliability. Move on to the next one. What will he wear? You need to be comfortable that he will appear at your wedding fitting in with the general theme. What does he cost – if you are on a budget be realistic here. Know what you can spend and negotiate with that. The costs to hire a DJ vary from the guy who does it occasionally for fun through to the total professional. What sort of equipment does your DJ have? Is it professional sound and lighting? This is necessary to ensure your DJ will be heard and that music will sound good all night. Does your DJ have backup equipment of any sort, just in case something goes wrong with a speaker, a microphone or any other vital piece of equipment? Does your DJ understand the program for the evening and your requirements for music at critical times like the entrance, the first dance, the father daughter dance etc?

Make sure you DJ are willing to sign a contract. There are too many stories of DJs pulling out at the last minute but the bridal couple never had any written agreement with him to deal with any aftermath. Your decision to hire a DJ should not be a difficult undertaking. You should check out all the pertinent points and your research will pay off.

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