Raleigh DJ Company, Top Notch DJ Service offers event planning tips, song recommendations and DJ thoughts to assist entertainers, event planners, future brides and grooms, wedding planners and fellow dj's.
Oh, those frightful
Holiday parties. You know the one's. They require you to dress up and
mingle, there is usually a sit down dinner, a speech from a leader/boss man/CEO
and perhaps a white elephant gift game, or prize drawing and that's a wrap. Not only
has Top Notch attended numerous events such as these, Top Notch has
unfortunately also serviced these events. With
the Holidays approaching quickly (exactly 36 days as I write this
until Christmas 2016) I have been requested by a number of past
customers for a new blog article focusing on some of the more recent
holiday entertainment and games that Top Notch DJ Service
incorporates into our Holiday and End of the Year Parties. Without
further ado, below is a list of just a few popular activities you
will find Top Notch DJ Service including in our 2016 Corporate Holiday
events.
Jingle Box-
Top Notch DJ Service Holiday Games - Jingle Box
How to Play: Jingle Bells
(or Sleigh bells) are placed in present or gift boxes. The game hostess
should have between 5-9 different present boxes for this game to
work well. Different quantities of the bells should be placed in
each box. Participants can determine the amount of bells in each box
by shaking and rattling the box so that the bells will ring. Participants are allowed 1-2 minutes to arrange the boxes in the correct order from the
least to the greatest number of bells. (Hint- for an
even more exciting game, require the participants to be blind folded
while they attempt to arrange the “Jingle Boxes”
2.
Saran Wrap Ball -
(compliments from website Awesome Jelly for posting this idea)
Saran Wrap Ball- picture from www.AwesomeJelly.com
How to Play: This
game does require some prep work as the party host will need to
create this enormous ball of saran wrap. Be sure to include fun
Christmas Candies and treats throughout the wrapping of the ball,
along with 1 major key prize in the center of the ball that all
participants will be eager to obtain. How to Play: Participants must
either sit or stand in a circle. The first chosen participant may
begin unraveling the ball, meanwhile the participant beside him/her
should have a roll of dice and attempt to roll doubles. Once the
participant rolls doubles the ball is passed to them and the dice to
the next person in the circle until all gifts in the Saran Wrap are
acquired and the ball has been completely destructed.
Image from the move "A Christmas Story"
3.
Holiday Movie ID-
How
to Play: Participants are formed into groups and are given either
buzzers, bells or chimers to ring in their answer. The party host
should state a list of buzzwords. These buzzwords can be various
words, items or phrases from specific famous Holiday movies. Along
with the list of buzzwords, the host should state a buzzword that is
in fact NOT a part of the Holiday movie category. The first group
that identifies the holiday buzzword that does not belong receives a
point. The team with the most points at the end of the game wins. An
example would be
“Category: A Christmas Story”Buzzwords: Red
Rider, Bunny Suit. “I Triple Dog Dare You”, Elf on the Shelf.
The buzzword that would not belong would be “Elf on the Shelf”
4.
Right Left Gift
Exchange- (also known as the The Grinch Gift Game) (original idea for game credited to Diva Girl Parties & Stuff)
How To Play: A short speech or holiday story is composed and
read by the party host that MUST include the words “Left” and
“Right” repeatedly (such as “When Santa left Bobby's home, he
jumped in his sled and immediately went right to Jenny's house, he went right
through the chimney and left only 3 presents” Participants must be
formed into a circle with unclaimed gifts in their hands. As the
party host reads the story, every time the word “Right” is read,
the participants must pass their gifts right, similarly when the
word “Left” is read, participants must bass their gift left.
When the story has concluded participants can keep whichever gifts
they are holding.
Image from "How The Grinch Stole Christmas"
NOTE:Alternative versions of this activity includes reading the story "How the Grinch Stole Christmas" and passing the gift one direction when the word "Grinch" is read, meanwhile passing the gift the other direction when the word "Who" is read (such as Whoville, Cindy Loo Who, etc)
How to Play: This
game is basically similar to “Junk in the Trunk” which Top Notch
plays at various pool parties, birthday parties and other types of
events. 2-5 empty tissue boxes are required along with string or
belts and jingle bells. Jingle bells should be placed in each tissue
box and tissue boxes are attached to the participants prior to the
start of the game. Participants must shake their hips in the attempt
to shake all of the jingle bells out of their box. The first to
shake all of the bells out within 1 minute wins!
Conclusion: Holiday Party games are not
only great Ice Breakers for any corporate or holiday event, but many
also incorporate teamwork, camaraderie and fun memories between
working peers. The result is not only good stories for water cooler
chat the next week at the office, but a shared sense of enjoyment
outside of the working environment for all involved. Along with the
activities listed above, Top Notch does utilize a number of
additional ideas and activities for Holiday parties that can be found
in a prior Top Notch post by clicking here.
Need More Help?
For even more games and
ideas, please feel free to contact Top Notch directly at
topnotchdjservice@gmail.com.
Thanks for reading!
Top Recessional Wedding Songs recommended by Top Notch DJ's
Picture of Nathan & Ashley Magiera from their wedding recession at Shady Wagon Farm, NC
The Recessional. A matter of minutes that bring an experience
and feeling immediately after a bride and groom have exchanged vows, sealed
their love with a kiss and are pronounced husband and wife. The recession is
also the initial moment of celebration for the bride and groom as well as their
guests. After all of the seriousness, nervousness and pressure that may arrive
with the ceremony, including walking up the aisle, the recession is finally a
bride and grooms time to turn, face their guests and say to the world “We Did
It!!”. Despite this fact, the song selection chosen for the ceremony recession
for a bride and groom is quite often overlooked. It’s understandable. A bride
may spend her time and efforts in finding that perfect song for her and her
bridesmaids to walk down the aisle to, meanwhile, the song selection after the
ceremony is often forgotten or neglected to be chosen. That’s where Top Notch
comes in!
Drew & Brittney Hutchins. Photo by Liz Grogan Photography
Here is a list of our top recommended and most popular songs
to play for the recession of a ceremony. These are selections are broken out
into 2 categories, which are the top most common chosen that we play along with
a few not so common, less cliché pieces that we often recommend for brides and
grooms during consultations. Please note that YOU WILL NOT find the traditional
“Bridal March” listed in this post. It is 2016 friends. Not only is “The Bridal
March” no longer expected, but it is also very conventional and somewhat
unoriginal. To play in place of“The Bridal March” Top Notch recommends the
following…..
Most Requested Recessional Songs
1. Natalie Cole- "This Will Be" (Everlasting Love)
2. Hall and Oates- "You Make My Dreams Come True"
3. American Authors- "Best Day of My Life"
4. Jason Mraz - "I'm Yours"
5. Etta James - "At Last"
6. The Emotions- "Best of My Love"
7. Ray Lamontagne - "You Are the Best Thing"
8. Zac Brown Band - "Loving You Easy"
9. The Beatles - "All You Need is Love"
(Note: this is youtube clip is a copy of the original song from a Tribute band"
10. Bruno Mars- "Marry You"
Top 15 Less Popular, yet excellent Recession Songs that Top Notch DJ Service recommends includes...
1. Queen - "You're My Best Friend"
2. Blue Swede- "Hooked On a Feeling"
3. Michael Jackson - "The Way You Make Me Feel"
4. Edward Sharpe & The Magnetic Zeros- "Home"
5. Pete Townsend - "Let My Love Open the Door"
6. Imagine Dragons - "On Top of the World"
7. Cheryl Lynn- "Got to Be Real"
8. Michael Jackson & Justin Timberlake- "Love Never Felt So Good"
9. Beyonce - "Love on Top"
10. Stevie Wonder- "Signed, Sealed, Delivered"
11. U2 - "Beautiful Day"
12. The Darkness- "I Believe in a Thing Called Love"
The reception has begun. It's
cocktail hour and guests are busy mingling, chatting and enjoying
drinks and horderves. The original plan was for guests not to be
seated. In fact, the bride and groom even opted to skip a plated meal
as they did not desire for their guests to sit through their wedding
reception. I hear the words “Dj, The Bridal Party has arrived.
There is not a wedding coordinator hired so they have asked for you
to assist them in coordinating their entrance, first dance, etc, can
you please leave your station and advise them in their Bridal Suite
located on the 5th floor”. Top Notch has performed
hundreds of weddings with the absence of a wedding coordinator. The
result of this is usually the DJ (aka us) stepping in to
control and assist in coordinating the overall flow of the event and
or reception. So, in this case of course I obliged, assisted the
bridal party and the wedding reception went fabulous.
Oh Wait! Let's rewind. There is a part
of this story that should be worth mentioning. The bride was awake at
the crack of dawn on her wedding day with her bridesmaids at the
venue setting up decorations, bringing in the wedding cake, stocking
up the beer and liquor and ultimately preparing for as much as she
could for the event. The conclusion of the reception was more of the
same, no grand exit, simply a “congrats” from the wedding guests
as the bride, groom and bridal party stayed behind to clean up the
venue. I see this scenario far too often. So much work. So much
preparation. So much effort placed into the event and one of the most
common statements I hear soon "wedtobe's" say is the following “I'll
Just be Glad When It's Over”. It's Your WEDDING DAY WE'RE TALKING
ABOUT HERE!! One should savor the entire day and relish in all of the
wonderful, magical moments that a monumental occasion such as a
wedding should be. That's why today's message focuses on the multiple
reasons why a bride and groom should hire wedding planner/day of
coordinator to assist them in scheduling, planning and running their
“Big Day”.
Save Time on Your Wedding Day!
Reason # 1- Save Time - Let's get the
obvious reason out of the way first. Brides know a wedding coordinator
will save them a tremendous amount of time in the planning
stages prior to their wedding as well as during their
wedding. From creating assigned seating charts, to ordering the
appropriate linens, an event coordinator can create and plan your
event to your standards and likings meanwhile saving you tons of time
in the initial planning stages. Furthermore, on your wedding day,
duties such as prep work, décor, meeting vendors to let them in the
venue, etc can all be completed via your assigned wedding planner or
day of coordinator, allowing you additional time to enjoy the day!
Save Money for your Wedding
Reason # 2- They Can Save you Money-
Wait? What? How so? An event planner costs money correct? In
actuality, Yes, of course hiring an event planner will require you
and your fiance to shell out a few extra dollars from the wedding
budget, however, trusting in the experience, and relationships of an
event planner can often save your wedding budge overall. For
starters, wedding and event planners know where to find the best
deals on items for your wedding day. Instead of the bride ordering
things directly through amazon or other specialty shops for specific
items that she has seen on Pinterest (yes this happens quite often),
a wedding planner may advise a bride or groom of a local shop or
store that can offer the same or similar product at half the price.
Additionally, wedding and event planners are familiar with the
standard rates for the majority of vendors that are hired for a
wedding. They can advise a bride and groom if the quoted price for
entertainment, photography or catering is high, or low, and often
their relationship with specific vendors will allow a bride and groom
to receive that vendors service at a discounted rate. Top Notch for
example often immediately provides a discount for specific weddings
and events that certain event planners are involved in planning
around the area. Oh, and let's not forget to mention the critical
point that wedding planners are usually
phenomenal for managing and
halting the overspending of a wedding budget.
That's 1 Stressed Bride and Groom
Reason # 3- Save Stress- Planning a wedding
can take a large amount of effort. Additionally many facets of the
wedding planning process can feel much more like homework rather
than a glamorous and fun duty in prepping for the “Big Day”.
Take the example mentioned at the beginning of this post. So much
stress could have been eliminated from the bride and groom if an
event planner was hired to assist them in coordinating and
performing the numerous actions their wedding required them to
personally handle.
Wedding Fires are bound to occur
Reason # 4- Save Sanity (when the fires
start)- On a wedding day something is almost guaranteed to go wrong.
It is inevitable. The ceremony could be delayed because the mother
of the groom does not arrive on time, the wedding cake is neglected
to be put at the reception to be cut for all to see (yes that
actually happened at a recent event), a bridesmaids dress suddenly
does not fit (I've seen this one happen too), the things that could
go wrong are endless. The solutions to solving these fires that will
arise will often be the newlyweds responsibility if an event
coordinator nor wedding planner is not present. Countless times I
have personally seen a bride frustrated at friends, loved ones, etc
on her wedding day because small items or requirements were
forgotten or slipped through the cracks. When a bride learns of these dilemmas during the ceremony or reception the result is her ultimately pulling away
from enjoying the event she has worked so hard to prepare for.
Wedding planners can serve as the “Go To”person, the designated
problem solver, the “Superwoman” that may resolve the dilemmas
before the small flame issues turns into fires that potentially
ruin a wedding. Top Notch performed a wedding earlier this year
when an assigned party neglected to bring the alcohol they were
responsible for providing. The result lead to the Groom leaving the
wedding 20 minutes prior to the ceremony start time to pick up
alcohol, and the ceremony being delayed nearly an hour. This example
is only one of many scenarios, Top Notch has seen that would have
easily been avoided if an experienced wedding planner was hired to resolve such rising situations.
Reason # 5- Save Your Experience &
Memories- A wedding is undoubtedly one of the most important days of
an individuals life. It should be full of positive emotions such as
fun, love, joy and excitement. Furthermore, the lasting impressions
after a wedding should hopefully be the same. When a wedding planner
is hired, the duties listed throughout this post are handled
appropriately. Worries of stress, time, schedule coordination,
money, and problems that may arise throughout the day are not placed
on you nor your spouses shoulders. The result is a bride and groom present
physically and mentally in the thrilling moments of their “Big
Day”. Additionally, their lasting impressions and memories of the
day will more than likely be similar, optimistic, and positive
recollections.
In Conclusion:
To enjoy the wedding day or to
run around frantically with responsibilities on your wedding day,
that is the question. Please understand, this post is not to deter
future brides and grooms that do not desire a wedding planner, it is
only to accentuate the tremendous assistance a wedding planner can provide to a wedding or event. It should also be noted that NOT ALL VENUE COORDINATORS that are present at a wedding are
assigned the responsibility of assisting a bride and groom. A venue coordinator and wedding planner can certainly be two different things, with different obligations in assisting a wedding or event. With that
being said, below are a few local wedding and event planners that Top
Notch recommends and works with on a regular basis. I invite all
future "wedtobe's" to research and even contact the below listed
parties to determine the many additional wedding services Top Notch
may have neglected to mention in this post. As stated in the title,
the above actions and duties of a wedding planner are from this DJ's
point of view only. As always, thanks for reading!
Event Planners Top Notch
recommends:
Happily Ever After
4. Right Left Gift Exchange - (also known as the The Grinch Gift Game) (original idea for game credited to Diva Girl Parties & Stuff)How To Play: A short speech or holiday story is composed and read by the party host that MUST include the words “Left” and “Right” repeatedly (such as “When Santa left Bobby's home, he jumped in his sled and immediately went right to Jenny's house, he went right through the chimney and left only 3 presents” Participants must be formed into a circle with unclaimed gifts in their hands. As the party host reads the story, every time the word “Right” is read, the participants must pass their gifts right, similarly when the word “Left” is read, participants must bass their gift left. When the story has concluded participants can keep whichever gifts they are holding.
