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Nov 13
Love0
fairy tale wedding

You don’t have to be royalty to feel like royalty on your wedding day

By Lighting

Be honest: do you imagine your upcoming wedding day as a fairy tale wedding? A dream-come-true? Your day to feel like a princess?

I hope the answer is yes, because dreams can … and SHOULD … come true on your wedding day. Take a few minutes and watch the video above as Prince William and Kate Middleton exchange their wedding vows in the resplendent West Minster Abbey.

Your fairy tale wedding awaits

You don’t have to become the Duchess of Cambridge to feel like a Royal Highness on your wedding day. Even more, you don’t need to hold your wedding reception in the Buckingham Palace to feel like royalty. There are more affordable solutions.

Party Image Entertainment offers a way to level the playing field between your limited budget and the Royal Family’s bulging coffers. It begins with the power of fun. If people are having fun, they’re not focused on how much you spent on the flowers or the food, they’re focused on how great you have made them feel.

The power of fun unites wedding guests to be fully engaged in the true meaning of the day, which is the cherished union of two lives which has just taken place before their very eyes.

Party Image Entertainment knows how to create the fun that keeps a dance floor packed and your guests united in celebration of your glorious wedding day.

Sacramento's finest wedding DJs

Uplighting transforms any space into a ‘palace!’

Our wedding DJs are the ‘aristocracy’ of our profession, total pros, who know how to entertain without ever taking the focus off of YOU. But we offer even more affordable solutions to create a ‘regal’ feel at your reception: uplighting.

Uplighting is so very elegant. Party Image Entertainment can transform even the plainest hall into a palace. You may not be able to afford Buckingham Palace, but you won’t care, because you’ll be partying in your own dazzling palace right here in Northern California, or so it will seem.

If you want to feel like a princess on your wedding day, it really can happen. It begins with a phone call to Party Image Entertainment: 1-916-397-6517. Let’s start planning your fairy tale today.

Nov 06
Love0
Top classical songs for walking down the aisle

Top classical songs for walking down the aisle

By Ceremony

Classical music has been the gold standard for wedding royalty for centuries. Every bride is special.  One of these top classical songs for walking down the aisle will make you feel like royalty on YOUR wedding day. You can preview them on the video above.

Here are the top classical songs for walking down the aisle. Which is right for you?

  1. Air on the G String | JS Bach
  2. Suite for Solo Cello | JS Bach
  3. Clair de Lune | Debussy
  4. Arioso | JS Bach
  5. Jesus, Joy of Man’s Desiring | JS Bach
  6. Air from Water Music | Handel
  7. Canon in D (aka ‘Pachelbel’s Canon) | Pachelbel
  8. Bridal Chorus | Richard Wagner
  9. Prince of Denmark’s March Trumpet Voluntary | Clarke
  10. Trumpet Tune | Clarke Purcell
  11. Wedding March | Mendelssohn
  12. Ode to Joy | Beethoven
  13. Rondeau | Mouret
  14. Hornpipe – Water Music | Handel
  15. Brandenburg Concerto No. 3 | JS Bach
  16. Spring from Four Seasons | Vilvaldi

A word of warning on these top classical songs for walking down the aisle!

Do you have access to good local musicians? Do they have the ‘chops’ to play Bach or Beethoven with bravura? Can your budget afford a string or trumpet section that truly honors the majesty of the moment? If the answer is ‘no,’ we can help.

Party Image Entertainment not only provides dance floor-packing music and entertainment for your Sacramento wedding reception, we also provide a complete repertoire of the top classical songs for walking down the aisle.

Our sound systems provide beautiful, controlled music whether your ceremony is in a church or outdoors.

When you walk down the aisle, the music should be regal and beautiful, just like you. Party Image Entertainment offers the top classical songs for walking down the aisle that will create that magic moment you always dreamed of.


 

Oct 30
Love1
DJ integrity

DJ integrity is everything

By Wedding planning

Do you like the owner of  the DJ company you’re considering for your wedding? If not, move on. DJ integrity is paramount to a successful wedding. The first vibe you pick up from a company is often telling.

Trust your instincts.

Don’t look back. Wedding celebrations are special. And entertainment makes the event. If there is something about the personality of the owner of a DJ company company that just doesn’t sit right with you, find someone else.

For the record, that includes me!

Chemistry is important at weddings. Your DJ company has a disproportionate impact on the success of your event. Choose carefully, beginning with an assessment of how well you LIKE and TRUST the owner.

Now how do you do that? You need to make some sort of personal contact.

You can’t do that if you’re merely filling out a form on a website and hitting send. They’re a start. But better yet, pick up the phone and call.

Do you get a real, live person on the phone?

If not,  how quickly do you get a call back?

And here is the key: how well do they come across on the phone? Are they warm and friendly? Do they listen? Do they come across like they care about your event? Even more, are they excited about your event? Or do you get the sense that they look at you merely as a paycheck?

As wonderful as modern technology is, it does you no favors by de-personalizing the wedding planning process. Don’t let that happen to you. Pick up the phone and call us at 916-397-6517.

We’d love to talk to you about your event.

Better yet, set up a time to meet in person. This is the ultimate way for you to get to know the person who can make or break your event. This is the ultimate way for you to gauge their integrity. And DJ integrity is everything.DJ integrity

Oct 23
Love1
great American meatloaf

This great American meatloaf recipe is astonishing!

By Recipes

The ‘great American meatloaf’ just got even greater.  Want to start your new marriage with a bang?  Then add this recipe to your mealtime repertoire.

Okay, okay, I know meatloaf is considered to be too ‘lowbrow’ for many delicate palates.  But in your heart of hearts, you know you love it, even if you won’t admit it in polite company.

This blog maintains that every Northern California household needs a good, solid meatloaf recipe.  Well, we’ve gone further.  We created a recipe that isn’t just good, it is astonishing.

The great American meatloaf is the ultimate ‘comfort food’.

Here is the great American meatloaf recipe:

Ingredients make the difference!

√ 1/2 pound lean ground beef

√ 1/2 pound ground pork

√ 1/4 pound sausage

√ 1/2 cup dry breadcrumbs

√ 1/4 cup milk

√ 1 egg slightly beaten

√ 1 small onion finely chopped

√ 1/2 cup finely chopped red pepper

√ 1 small celery stalk finally chopped

√ 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme

√ small pinch of red pepper flakes

√ 1/2 teaspoon salt

√ 1/8 teaspoon pepper

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Put on relaxing music.  Then combine ingredients until just mixed. Don’t overwork it.  Mold into a loaf of about 8 by 4 inches and place in a shallow pan.  Bake for 1 hour.  Allow to stand 5 minutes before slicing.

This may not be gourmet, but it sure is comfort food!

If you’re looking for a great recipe for wedding entertainment, look no further than Party Image Entertainment.

But in the meantime, the great American meatloaf is a staple in great American marriages from coast to coast.  Enjoy!

Oct 16
Love1
celebrity marriage advice

Celebrity marriage advice. Beware!

By Wedding planning

Celebrity marriages don’t always work out so well. So celebrity marriage advice is always a little suspect. But it can be so much fun!

For us ‘little people,’ there are still some nuggets of wisdom worth considering from these larger than life figures. Or at the very least, we’ll get a good laugh.

The notorious actress and sex symbol, Mae West, offered profound advice to future wives:

“Don’t marry a man to reform him – that’s what reform schools are for.”

Comedienne Phyllis Diller’s advice was totally practical:

“Whatever you may look like, marry a man your own age – as your beauty fades, so will his eyesight.”

The 18th century German satirist, Georg Christoph Lichtenberg, provides ‘snarky’ advice, to use a 21st century word:

“Love is blind, but marriage restores its sight.”

Which leads us to Marilyn Monroe’s advice posted above:

“I’m selfish, impatient, and a little insecure. I make mistakes. I’m out of control and at times hard to handle. But if you can’t handle me at my worst, you sure as hell don’t deserve me at my best.”

Everyone is flawed. Everyone is going to have their moments with their spouse. That’s when love actually flourishes, for love isn’t a just feeling. If it were merely a feeling, it could never last.

Love is choice.

It’s a choice to mend fences, even when the love of your life is difficult to handle and you don’t feel like mending fences.

When you hit a rough patch in your relationship like everyone else in recorded history has, you might take some advice from the wisest man who ever lived, according to the Old Testament of the Bible, King Solomon. Writing in the The Book of Proverbs, his advice still resonates three thousand years later:

“He who covers over an offense promotes love, but whoever repeats the matter separates close friends.”

“He who guards his lips guards his life, but he who speaks rashly will come to ruin.”

“Reckless words pierce like a sword, but the tongue of the wise brings healing.”

In other words, guard your relationship by controlling your tongue! Now that’s a celebrity worth listening to!

Ready for more advice? Check out our wedding services. We can make your wedding reception look as great as it sounds! Get ready for fun!

Oct 09
Love1
Sacramento's finest wedding DJs

How to know if you’re in love

By Lighting

This is a great quote from the timeless Dr. Seuss. The same sentiment is at work when you hire Sacramento’s finest wedding DJs: Party Image Entertainment.

With us, your wedding reception will exceed your dreams. You won’t want your celebration to end, because it will be so much more than you ever dreamed possible.

Let’s be clear about something:  you don’t have to spend a fortune on your wedding day to experience the party you wish would never end. But you DO need to invest your limited resources wisely in one key area:  the entertainment.

Sacramento’s finest wedding DJs
Sacramento's finest wedding DJs

Entertainment makes the event.  Party Image Entertainment knows how to bring people together and fill a dance floor in celebration of your special day.  Our uplighting will transform a plain hall into a palace, so don’t worry if your decorating budget is modest.  We will make you feel like royalty.

It’s really true, like Dr. Seuss says.  You’ll have trouble falling asleep that night, because at last, reality has become better than your dreams.

Oct 02
Love1
alcohol wedding guidelines

Alcohol or no alcohol?

By Wedding planning

It got ugly fast. You will quickly understand why you need alcohol wedding guidelines at your wedding.

Uncle Charlie liked his liquor.  And it flowed at his niece’s wedding reception.  Charlie felt as if  he had entered the land of milk and honey.  (That’s a biblical metaphor for what our culture would call a ‘land of plenty.’)

As the party picked up the pace, so did Charlie’s imbibing, and so did his dancing … and it wasn’t pretty.  I had never seen someone doing Michael Jackson’s moonwalk to “The Way You Looked Tonight.”

He kept dancing after the music had ended.

His shirt was untucked.  You could see his eyes rolling, and his tie was tied around his head instead of his neck. Everyone was embarrassed.  And no one wanted to get back on the dance floor.

When the bride’s father tried to get him off the dance floor, he was belligerent.  As I said, it got ugly fast.

Alcohol wedding guidelines

When planning your wedding reception, think about how you want to handle alcohol.  As a DJ, I have a lot of experience dealing with highly uncomfortable situations at wedding receptions with out-of-control guests under the influence.

It doesn’t have to be that way.

For your sake and mine, I’ve posted some helpful guidelines above regarding booze, beer, and wine.  Based on my experience, these guidelines will eliminate most problems, and  I hope you find them helpful.

Some brides can’t afford an open bar, or don’t want to pay for it, which is perfectly fine.  The guidelines above still apply, but  simply replace ‘open’ bar with ‘cash’ bar.

Let us know what alcohol guidelines you’d like for your reception. Be intentional. The purpose of today’s blogpost is to help you to be proactive in your planning efforts.

Was this blogpost helpful? Be sure to share it with your friends. Don’t forget to subscribe!

Sep 25
Love0
bride on a budget

Bands vs. DJs

By Budget

Okay … you’re planning your Sacramento wedding reception, and you are a bride on a budget.

As we’ve written in a previous blogpost [“How much to spend on wedding entertainment”], entertainment makes the event.  The question is, what type of entertainment is right for you?

Every event needs music, and  DJ entertainment and bands each have their respective advantages and corresponding disadvantages.

Beware screechy bands!

For example, the energy of live music is a wonderful thing to behold, especially if you have a good band.  There’s the rub.  There are a lot of not-so-good bands around, and sometimes they’re so over-the-top that they steal the bride’s thunder. Or sometimes their sound devolves into the musical equivalent of fingernails on the chalk board. Ouch!  [WATCH the video above!]

Even with a good band, they are limited in the type of music they can play based on their personnel and instrumentation.

You may be a person of eclectic taste.  We had one bride who wanted “All of Me” played for her first dance, but before the night was through, she had us playing “In heaven there ain’t no beer.”  Go figure.

Here’s the thing:  most bands have a limited repertoire. DJs don’t.  We can play practically any song you request.

The sky is the limit with DJs.  Music is sung by the original artists, just the way most people prefer it.

There is another significant advantage with GOOD DJs (which, of course, is all we offer).  They are consummate MCs. DJ Gmix knows how to introduce the wedding party, and he knows how to make announcements and control the flow of events.

This is huge.

It takes professionalism honed by years of experience to master the art, and boy, we’ve got it mastered.

Bride on a budget

For a bride on a budget, which is about all of you, DJs will run half to a third of the price of a band.  That’s why DJ entertainment is the overwhelming choice for wedding entertainment.

Sep 18
Love0
babies at weddings

The definitive guide to babies at weddings

By Wedding planning

babies at weddingsGet ready for controversy: babies at weddings.

Your friendships are about to be tested.  If you’re prepared, you can minimize the damage.

I refer, of course, to that timeless issue of whether or not to let your friends bring their babies to your Northern California wedding.

You face two scenarios when it comes to babies at weddings

SCENARIO #1:  The sweet little things alternate between cooing and napping during your ceremony.

SCENARIO #2:  The little monsters scream to high heaven throughout the wedding ceremony.  You have to ask the officiant to repeat the vows a second and a third time before you can hear them over the din.  All of this is captured by your wedding videographer.  Forever.  And we haven’t even gotten to the reception yet!

Whew!

Okay … scenario #1 is the likely outcome.  Scenario #2 seldom happens, meaning infrequently or almost never.

But sometimes it does.

Here’s what to do:  you know your friends with babies.  Are they reasonable when it comes to their kids?  If their baby/infant/toddler gets fussy during the ceremony, will they discreetly step out to avoid disrupting your event?  Or are they the type that believes the world revolves them, their needs, their convenience, and their kids, who by the way, can do no wrong?

If you expect scenario #1, invite away.  If  not, don’t.

If in doubt, simply remember that this is your day, not theirs.

Most people do view marriage as a community celebration

Many brides and grooms love inviting families, complete with their kids.  Wonderful.  But you don’t have to.

Some brides recognize unique situations.  For example, if guests make a trek in from out of town, it may be tough for them to find someone to come in for the weekend to watch the kid(s), especially if a mother is still nursing her baby.

If you’re willing to include children for these reasons, you might want to make arrangements for a side room with childcare in case your guests would rather park their kids than tend to them during either the ceremony or reception.

If you make the decision that you do not want children, do so with this understanding:

  1. It is perfectly just, moral, and practical.
  2. You may have a friend/family member ask for an exception.

How to address the envelope

When sending out invitations, simply address it to the person who is invited:

Mr. and Mrs. John Smith

or…

Bobbi-Jean Smith & Guest

If kids are welcome, you’ll simply address the invitation as Mr. and Mrs. John Smith & Family.

If babies and kids are not invited, inevitably, your friend, Bobbi-Jean, is going to give you a call with this request:

“Say … you wouldn’t mind if I brought little Clarabelle, would you?”

This is key:  know exactly what you want.  Have a prepared response rehearsed and ready to go.

If you’re willing to make exceptions, then life is simple.  You’ll use Response #1:

RESPONSE #1:  “For you, of course.  Little Clarabelle is such a lovely little doll.  Would you like me to make arrangements for a side room and child care to give you more flexibility during the ceremony and/or reception?”

If you really don’t want babies, infants, or children at your ceremony or reception, you’ll want to use something more along the lines of Response #2:

RESPONSE #2:  “You know, we really looked at this closely with our Wedding Planner.  She really encouraged us to keep the event adults only, and we’re taking her advice.  [But she had a great suggestion.  She said if any of our guests wanted to bring kids, we can make arrangements for a side room and provide a list of reputable child care providers for those parents interested in the service.  Would you like me to forward you the list?]”

If you really don’t want to mess with around with kids, only use the first two sentences above and lop off the section in brackets.

What to do if your friend keeps pushing the issue about babies at weddings

If you have a particularly persistent friend or family member, you know the type who begs:

“Pleeez … couldn’t you make a teeny weeny exception for my sweet little Clarabelle.  She won’t make a peep.  You’ll never know she was there.  Pleeez, pretty pleeeeez”…

… be strong.

Stand your ground.

Calmly and without apology, simply say:

“I understand, Bobbi-Jean, but the answer is no.  We have intentionally planned for an all-adult wedding celebration, and we’re going to stick with our plan.”

You may have a better way to say it.  If yes, think it through and be ready in case you’re put in the uncomfortable situation described above.

Remember, this is YOUR wedding.

Okay, are you ready to sketch out your Northern California event? Give us a call at 916 | 397-6517 or simply complete our contact form. Was this blogpost helpful? Be sure to subscribe and share it with your friends. Thank-you!


 

Sep 11
Love0
packed dance floors

How much interaction do you want?

By Dance

 

packed dance floorsWhat single factor will determine the success of your wedding? Packed dance floors.

If you’re like the typical bridal couple, success is defined by the dance floor, but if it is empty, the wedding is considered a failure. And if it is packed, it is considered a success.

If it is packed all night long, well, that is the gold standard for wedding success, at least according to the many couples we’ve worked with over the years.

Party Image specializes in packed dance floors…

… and knows how to motivate wedding guests to get out of their seats.

Here’s the deal, though: each wedding couple is unique.  You’ve got your own personality and your own idea on what defines class, style, and energy.

Some Sacramento and Northern California brides want their reception to have the feel of a dance club, complete with high energy music and fabulous club lighting.

packed dance floors

Proper lighting creates the ambience just right for you

Others like elegance and dreamy lighting right out of a fairy tale, and some like a combination.  We’re flexible and taylor each event to the style of the wedding couple.

You also need to consider the level of interaction you’re looking for from your DJ/MC.  The more interaction, the more dance floor participation.  We are masters at making even your shy guests feel comfortable getting out of their seats and joining the fun on the dance floor, and we’re able to do it without cheezy gimmicks or tacky songs.

And we never, ever make anyone uncomfortable.

How much interaction is right for you?

Let’s talk.  Tell us about some of the music you’d like to hear played at your reception, and share with us your guest list and venue.

Together, we’ll establish the parameters that determine successful weddings.

In our hands, your wedding celebration WILL be a success, complete with a packed dance floor.

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