Could you plan a wedding using twitter?

“Follow Us” – It’s everywhere. You see it in commercials, on websites. There are always comments like “he tweeted this or that” in the news and on TV. Maybe you have even checked it out yourself. But how could you use twitter to plan a wedding?

Twitter is interactive.

Twitter is a stream of short (140 character) posts that show on your profile page. You can create a base of “followers” (people watching and reading your posts). At the same time, you can watch the posts of others too (following).

You have to play nice and share.

The key to Twitter is sharing. It’s not about getting something. It is about giving. What you are giving is information. Information has huge value on the internet. When you share (post) what you are working on, someone on Twitter most likely will share back. They share resources to help you be more productive. Resources like great wedding ideas. It’s a lot of fun once you learn some basics.

So Why Is My DJ On Twitter?

We use Twitter to share planning advice, tips, links to great articles and websites we have found. We have created lists of information, blogs, vendors and more on our Twitter profile to help you in planning your wedding entertainment and more. Sharing great content is what it is all about.

You are cordially invited to “follow us”!!! If you don’t have an account, start one. It’s free. Join the fun. Click http://twitter.com/romanticent. See you in Twittsville!

Jim Aldridge
Romantic Entertainment llc

These days, it seems everyone has a blog.  Sometimes blogs are like a journal.  Short stories of what the writer is thinking.  Sometimes blogs are written to inform and share knowledge.  Not all blogs are created equal.  Reader beware.

Ideally, a great blog will give credible information and offer some opinion too.  Sometimes blogs convey information that is bias or incorrect.  If you think “it’s on the web, it must be true”, you could find yourself the recipient of bad information.  If you have spent any time researching on the web, you know what I mean.

How do you find information that you can trust?  Here is a list of wedding blogs that will really add value to your experience.  I’m sure you will find their blog articles very helpful, honest and fun to read too.

1. The Planning, Forever Events blog by Saundra Hadley is so fun.  Her approach to wedding planning is insightful, accurate and blatantly honest.  I love that!  Her advice is right on the mark.  She will cause you to think, spawn creativity, and on occasion, make you burst into spontaneous laughter!  Way to go Saundra!  Go see Saundra’s Blog

2. The AlwaysABlogsmaid wedding blog is written by the staff and fans of Always a Bridesmaid.  They specialize in making unforgettable and amazing wedding memories. This blog will help you get married with less stress and more style.  Go to AlwaysABlogsmaid

3. The StyleMePretty blog is an awesome resource for inspiration.  It is full of pictures, colors, textures and ideas.  There is a DIY section with great projects to add detail to your wedding with very low impact to your budget. Go to StyleMePretty

4. The perfect palette blog is all about color.  What made me choose and share this blog is the wonderful inspiration boards posted here.  They show the many elements of your wedding, tied together with color, contrast and texture.  It is very inspiring and I am sure will give you many ideas.  Go to The Perfect Palette

5. On the Elizabeth Anne Designs blog check out the “Real Weddings” section where you can hear stories from real brides after the wedding.  It is full of wonderful stories and ideas shared by actual couples who had a very successful wedding day. Enjoy.  Go to Elizabeth Anne Designs

I hope you find these helpful.  They probably are not what you would expect from a DJ.  That is because we get it.  We are committed to helping you create an amazing wedding.  This means many ideas and attention to detail.

Bookmark these blogs to use as a resource throughout your planning.  Please feel free to come back and leave your comments below.  I would love to hear if you like them.  Share links to your favorite blogs too.  Enjoy and happy planning.

Recently, I had the wonderful pleasure of helping Kelly and Joey with their wedding celebration. The entertainment at their reception was so unique and special I had to share with you.

Kelly and Joey had a destination wedding and were married at a luxurious location in Mexico. Thirty of their closest friends and family took the journey to witness the joining of this special couple. After they returned, they met with me to plan the wedding reception entertainment to celebrate with friends and family here at home. The goal was to include video from the ceremony. We all agreed we needed to do something bigger than just play it on a small TV in the corner. What we did was absolutely awesome.

I produced a short video including the ceremony and some scenes before and after. Explaining to guests that we wanted them to see what they missed, I introduced the video by saying; “We take you now to a remote location in Mexico. Warm breezes and ocean sounds fill the air. It’s time for Kelly and Joey’s wedding ceremony.” The video played on a huge projection screen…

The emotion began to build through the video. At the end, the JP on the video said, “ladies and gentlemen, I give you Mr and Mrs…” Then I said, “Please rise and welcome our guests of honor” as Kelly and Joey entered the room with loud cheers from all who attended.

I love doing huge grand entrance productions. It really is a time to set the pace for a fun and entertaining wedding. For Kelly and Joey, their video grand entrance was really an amazing focal point to a wonderful reception. Every grand entrance is uniquely designed around your taste and style. What ideas will transpire when we plan your wedding? I can’t wait to find out.

Call for a free consultation 860.966.5620

Written by: Jim Aldridge

Jim is the Owner of RomanticEntertainment.com. Unique, Personalized Weddings Since 1992, Serving Connecticut and Western Mass. 860.966.5620

How do they do that?

Uplighting is accomplished by placing an led light fixture on the floor and pointing it toward the area you wish to highlight.  Different effects can be achieved through various placement and fixture types.  Some fixtures create a narrow tower of light while others have a wider spread.  Our lighting experts can discuss the effects you wish to achieve and then assign the correct fixtures needed to get the desired results.

The art of architectural lighting.

What can be done with Uplighting to enhance the architecture in a room?  With strategically placed fixtures, columns, fireplaces, windows, door frames, staircases, and more can be highlighted to create the mood you desire.  Tables can be lit from bellow or above to give them a romantic glow.  There really is no end to the creativity.  The process is learned through trial and error.  It really is an art form.

Different Uplights, all with unique looks.

Each fixture type will create a different effect.  There are light bars to cast an even flow in a wide area.  Par cans produce a wide beam to light up walls and under tables.  Pin spots are often placed on a stand and used to spotlight a smaller more focused area (like highlighting the cake itself).

Imagine the possibilities:

You are at the center of it all.  What is your favorite color?  Imagine having green accents on a sweethearts table with a subtle green glow coming from underneath.  The table blocks the light on top.  The table top stays white, while the area below changes color.  Pretty.

To learn more about how Romantic Entertainment can bring architectural lighting to your event, click here or request a free consultation.

Many of today’s hottest wedding trends are focused on personalization. Couples are seeking out wonderful ways to make their wedding unique and really stand out in a special way. We offer many creative solutions and suggestions for personalization.

One simple and fun way to personalize is Monogram Projection. Monogram or gobo lighting is about style, personality and making an elegant statement at your event. Each design is custom tailored to match your wedding theme and style to enhance and compliment your decor and surroundings.

We use only the best quality high powered light fixtures to ensures a sharp, crystal clear image at any distance or angle. Some gobo designs may even be available in colors to match your wedding decor. At your next consultation, ask to see our growing catalogue of options in monogram projection. This is an easy and affordable way to personalize your Romantic Entertainment event.

It’s football season! I love my Patriots. In the off season, my Sundays are filled with amazing weddings or meeting with great couples to prepare. Luckily, football and fall wedding season only have a slight overlap. This means that on Sunday, you will find me on the couch, remote in hand and ready for action.

If your not into football, here are 10 things you can do to plan a wedding while your fiancé is lost in the game.

10. Log into your RomanticEntertainment.com account and pick some music for your wedding. Pick songs that make you want to dance and feel like celebrating. Have fun with it. Log In

9. Start your own wedding website. This is an amazing planning and communication tool for your wedding. It’s a central location for everything about your day.  You can manage guest list, seating, gift registries, photos and more.  You can also share and communicate with guests too. It’s easy to do, check it out:

8. Video record your fiancé while he’s watching the game, then show him how insane he gets. (lol)

7. Call and schedule an appointment with us to discuss your wedding. I’m watching the game, but I will hit pause and answer anyway. My brides always come first

6. Join our facebook fanpage, follow us on twitter or both.

5. Check out some of the great articles on our blog. We’re here with advice and guidance.

4. Read Peter Merry’s book: ”The Best Wedding reception Ever”. This book is full of wonderful ideas and guidance for putting personal touches on your day. It should be required reading for every bride planning her wedding. (no really, you will thank me for it.)

3. To get your fiancé involved, have a “Football Themed” wedding! We can help you create a huge (stadium style) grand entrance. How about placing the garter around a football and have the guys run a scrimmage? Be creative.

2. Write down 5 things that mater to you the most on your day. Put them in order, number 1 being the highest priority. Print these out and hand them to your DJ, coordinator, photographer and to those helping you plan (ie: mom, maid of honor). This will help them to focus on the things that really mater to you.

1. And the number 1 thing to do while your fiancé is watching the game… snuggle up beside him and watch the game. (who says romance is dead) GO PATRIOTS!!!

Football aside, I hope you find some great ideas and inspiration in this article and elsewhere on our website. I want to offer you way more than you expect from a DJ. I hope you to have the perfect wedding celebration. Feel free to call and let me know how I can help.

Written by: Jim Aldridge

Jim is the Owner of RomanticEntertainment.com. Unique, Personalized Weddings Since 1992, Serving Connecticut and Western Mass. 860.966.5620

Photo provided by Corey Ann Photography. All rights reserved. Please visit Corey Ann’s website and blog to learn more about her services. Corey Ann, thank you for your wonderful artistic photos and creative inspiration.

Imagine the perfect outdoor wedding ceremony. Beautiful flowers in full bloom, birds singing, big puffy white clouds on a deep blue sky. Everything is picture perfect. Mother Nature will be there too and she may have other plans.

There are 3 basic approaches to planning for bad weather at an outdoor wedding ceremony.

The “wing and a prayer” approach.
“We are all praying for perfect weather.”
The “weather denial” approach.
“oh, it won’t rain on my wedding day”.
The positive, proactive approach.
“I have a plan B and I’m not afraid to use it.”

Planning for success is obviously your best choice. Here are some options to help get you started:

Discuss weather with your venue. If you are getting married at a reception site, they have had to deal with weather before. Do they have a plan in place? What had to be sacrificed to make their plan B work?

If your ceremony is not at the same venue as your reception (like a local park), would the reception venue allow you to arrive early and have the ceremony in the reception hall? Maybe they have a grand foyer or a library room with a fireplace. You could even have the ceremony in the same room as your reception. Though these may not be perfect, they do serve as solutions.

The important thing is a solid course of action. Don’t let a little rain dampen your day. Be prepared to make the “plan b” decision and enjoy your wedding experience.

Jim Aldridge
Owner/Director of Entertainment
www.RomanticEntertainment.com
Unique, Personalized Weddings Since 1992
Serving Connecticut and Western Mass.

For a free personalized consultation and to discuss your event, call Jim directly at 860.966.5620.

Copyright 2009 Romantic Entertainment LLC

Choosing the perfect song for your first dance is a hard decision for many couples. Let’s provide you with some insight into song selection and then give you some ideas.

Start by choosing several first dance songs. Try dancing and see what feels right. The lyrics are also key. If you google “artist song title lyrics” you should get results. Read them and see if they are appropriate or send you the right message. A great example is Bon Jovi’s song “I’ll Be There For You”. Although a very sweet power ballad, it is actually a breakup song. Guy screws up, girl leaves, guy begs girl for another chance, lonely guy writes a song about it. You get the idea. The chorus may speak of eternal commitment, but the actual song may not be right to celebrate a long and happy future together.

There are many lists of song ideas for your first dance. To find a unique idea, use these lists as motivation and avoid choosing the songs on the list. Are there any other songs by the same artist that speak to you? What song on your ipod right now reminds you of special moments shared with your fiancé? When you first met, what was the first song you ever danced too?

There are other ways to choose a unique and special first dance. Consider your first dance “something barrowed”. What was your mom and dad’s first dance? What was your Grandmother or Godmother’s first dance? Has a current artist remade that song? Make it special. Tell them you would like to barrow it for your first dance too.

Most importantly, “there is no right or wrong” song. It is your day. If you find a song that brings the right emotion, makes you feel special and reflects your relationship, then you have found the perfect song. Here is a list of the top ten most requested first dance songs to get the creative process started:

1 Etta James At Last
2 Brad Paisley Then
3 Rascal Flatts Bless The Broken Road
4 Jason Mraz & Colbie Caillat Lucky
5 Michael Buble Everything
6 Jack Johnson Better Together
7 Lonestar Amazed
8 Elvis Presley Can’t Help Falling In Love
9 Keith Urban Making Memories Of Us
10 Jason Mraz I’m Yours

(click to listen)

One final note: If you can’t choose between 2 songs ask your DJ for ways to incorporate both songs into events. I have great ideas, but that is a whole other article. I hope this helps!

Jim Aldridge
Owner/Director of Entertainment
www.RomanticEntertainment.com
Unique, Personalized Weddings Since 1992
Serving Connecticut and Western Mass.

For a free personalized consultation and to discuss your event, call Jim directly at 860.966.5620.

Copyright 2008 Romantic Entertainment LLC

Footnote: This list was dynamically compiled based on online requests made over the past year at thousands of events, where #1 is actually the most requested song.

Mary’s Place is a place where kids can go to grieve and learn to deal with the loss of a parent or sibling. On Friday, September 25th, Mary’s Place of Windsor CT held their annual gala fundraiser at the Hartford Golf Club in West Hartford. Over 250 people where in attendance to support this wonderful cause and raise funding for the coming year. It was a huge success.

At Romantic Entertainment, we have a soft spot for the kids. This is our second year providing sound and entertainment at the Mary’s Place Gala. This year, owner Jim Aldridge was asked to create a DVD presentation to open the event and share the kids special message about Mary’s Place. Jim says; “I thought, I have to interview kids and parents who are in morning, this could be a dark day. I was very wrong. Walking into Mary’s Place, I immediately felt warm and welcome. Everyone was positive and genuinely shared. Their words will move you. It is absolutely inspiring.”

Mary’s Place is a place for kids who have lost a parent or sibling to learn to understand the grieving process. They learn to put their memories in a special place and how to be kids again. These kids could go a very wrong direction do to their loss. Mary’s Place helps them be vibrant, happy kids again. They will grow up to be positive and compassionate people we can all be proud of. Mary’s Place is simply awesome. Please take a moment to check out Mary’s Place and if you feel moved, offer your support. http://marysplacect.org

Jim Aldridge
Owner/Director of Entertainment
www.RomanticEntertainment.com
Unique, Personalized Weddings Since 1992
Serving Connecticut and Western Mass.

For a free personalized consultation and to discuss your event, call Jim directly at 860.966.5620.

Copyright 2008 Romantic Entertainment LLC

Bridal Shows are one of the best ways to find everything you need for your wedding. You can find your hall, photographer, DJ and everything else from the vows to great honeymoon deals. In your fast paced world, attending a bridal show really is a great way to get a lot done in a short amount of time. The challenge is to get the most from a day at the bridal show.

Bridal shows are made up of wedding professionals who really want your business. This gives you an opportunity to see first hand and get an idea of what they are like before a trip to their office. The best vendors will want to talk and answer your questions rather than just hand you stuff. Slow down and take time with vendors you are interested in. Don’t be afraid to ask a lot of questions.

Here is a list of things you can do to make sure you get the most out of your bridal show experience.

1. Wear comfortable shoes. You may not have to many places to sit and will be on your feet for quite a while. Uncomfortable shoes will tire you out too quickly. Treat is like a day of shopping. You don’t want to cut it short because of fatigue or rush through and miss getting great information.
2. Before the Show; prepare mailing labels with your name, address, email address, phone number and wedding date printed on them. These will make is quick and easy to sign up for free offers and giveaways. You can find them at most office supply stores and print them on your home computer. You could also save a lot of money if you are the big winner! Good Luck!
3. Don’t forget food and drink. Most bridal show venues will have a concession stand or restaurant on site. This is handy but often expensive. Bring bottled water and some snacks to get you through. Warning: There will be cake samples! Mmmmmmm Amazing….
4. When filling out forms make sure to print VERY clearly. You’d hate to miss out on a door prize or lose track of someone you like because they couldn’t read your handwriting!
5. Put the bridal party to work. Delegate. Your Mom, Bridesmaids and yes, your fiance too. You’re going to need some help in carrying literature around and it will be nice to get others opinions when you are making decisions. Make sure they bring cell phones with them in case you get split up (and don’t forget to swap numbers too).
6. Take Notes!!! Before you dump literature into your bag, make a note on the vendors you like. Make a star in the corner or create a code of your own. What did they say that made you want to call later. The day after when you pour a huge pile of information onto your kitchen table, you will be grateful you did it.
7. Two Bags. One way to separate the good vendors from the not so interesting ones is to have 2 bags. Put the information you are excited about in a special bag so it’s easy to find later. Don’t be afraid to take everything. Sometimes plans change and you will wish you had the info you turned down.
8. Bring your date book with you so you can schedule your appointments for follow up. One way you won’t forget who you talked to is to ask the vendor to call you. Or better yet, just make an appointment. It’s like delegating the follow up. A bridal show cannot match the quality of a one-on-one consultation.
9. Skip the fashion show and visit vendor’s booths during that time. Since most everybody will be watching the fashion show, you will get more attention from the vendors. They can slow down and talk with you openly and you will gain more knowledge from it. Take advantage of this time.
10. Finally; HAVE FUN!!! Planning is a state of mind. Enjoy the learning process. Ask lots of questions and remember, we are here to help. Jim and the Romantic Entertainment team have performed hundreds of weddings. If it is not DJ related and we don’t have the answers, we have industry contacts we can call who will. You are not alone.

Enjoy the process!!!

Written by: Jim Aldridge

Jim is the Owner of RomanticEntertainment.com. Unique, Personalized Weddings Since 1992,  Serving Connecticut and Western Mass.  860.966.5620

Bridal Show video provided by Jenks Productions, provider of the largest and most popular bridal shows in the Northeast. Each event, a total bridal extravaganza, features the most prominent wedding professionals in the business showcasing a complete selection of products and services to compliment all tastes and budgets. Future brides and their family and friends enjoy the convenience of having all their wedding needs, expert advice, fashion shows, and seminars available to them in one facility. Learn more at JenksProductions.com