6 Weeks before the party

When a student graduates from school, it marks an honorable achievement that should be celebrated by family and friends.  As a parent, it is important to know how to plan the perfect graduation party for your child.  DJ Z Music has taken the liberty of generating a Graduation Party Checklist for all you parents out there! This will make planning the party a summer breeze.

•  Check calendar and call school to get schedule of events
• Decide if you want to co-host with other parents
• Start collecting memorabilia and assembling scrapbook or boards
• Determine budget
• Pick date & location
• Call DJ Z Music to for Fun games and competitions, great music and all around excitement
• Call or stop by a rental company to see all the fun stuff for rent – order your
• tables, chairs and tent
• Call caterers or local restaurants for bids
• Order or start making invitations
• Start on invitation list
• Select caterer or ask a friend to help
• Rent tables, games, serving equipment?
• Buy thank you notes, stamps and return address labels
• Buy paper plates, napkins, silverware, glasses, etc.
• Buy decorations, including a centerpiece
• Order food & beverages
• Mail invitations 3 weeks before the party
• Buy cards and gifts for your graduate and friends
• Finish scrapbook or board
• Save or buy containers for left over food

The week of the party

• Pick up food & beverages
• Buy extra batteries and charge video & camera batteries
• Send invitations to school with your graduate
• Wrap gifts for graduate and friends
• Make cardholder and set up decorations/memorabilia
• Confirm hotel reservations for out of town guests
• Set up tent on the day before the party
• Review guest list and expectations with graduate
• Confirm delivery of rental equipment and plan to be there for a quick inspection
• Talk to your graduate about your expectations during the party

The day of the party

• Sleep as late as you can; you’re gonna need all the energy you can get!
• Set out trash barrels (and recycling boxes if serving canned drinks)
• Sweep the front entryway, driveway and garage (if you are using it)
• Pick up balloons and put up yard signs and directional signs
• Meet with your helpers. Give them detailed instructions
• Set tables, serving tables and beverages
• Set out non-perishable food early
• Set out perishable food at the last minute
• Give your graduate a letter saying how proud you are of them
• Give your graduate a big hug and let the celebration begin!

Your hard work and preparation combine with DJ Z Music’s extensive music library, games and competitions, and interactive dances makes for the perfect graduation celebration.

Since the beginning of human culture, dancing has certainly been an important part of ceremonies, rituals, celebrations and entertainment, and has always had a hint of sexual connotation.  As music genres such as Rock N Roll pushed the boundaries of appropriateness to the American culture, dancing also seemed to push the limits.   To the adults, Rock N Roll was the “devil’s music,” but to it’s youthful followers, Rock N Roll was described as hip, jive and cool.  Since then, popular music and dance have evolved to become  much more extreme.

Today, teenagers are constantly exposed to sexuality through all facets of media.  Urban music such as rap and hip-hop typically provoke this behavior.  Through disguised language  rap and hip-hop artists cleverly mask the sexual lyrics deeming their songs radio friendly.  The songs are released on the radio, the rap artists get their point across to the teenagers, and the adults are none the wiser. Even though the lyrics to these songs are edited, the sexual connotation is still in the midst of the lyrics.

So, how can we fix the problem? Fortunately, we at DJ Z Music have found a method that helps reduce the amount of promiscuous dancing that occurs.  We simply combine the use of custom line dances, competitions, skits, crowd participation and interaction into one amazing performance.  This approach is much more effective than an inexperienced DJ just playing music. We’ve found that our proactive approach to this ongoing issue pleases both the administration and the students.  We cater to all ages and all occasions.  At each occasion, all ages are not just pleased with our performance, but amazed! Check out our website, www.djzmusic.com to see why schools are raving about DJ Z Music.

Duchess Of Cambridge

By the time she walked down the isle as Kate Middleton, and walked back the Duchess of Cambridge, internet traffic on shopping sites had more than doubled due to envious women eagerly shopping to find a dress with similar fashion. Although Sarah Burton received credit as the designer of this tantalizing masterpiece, many instrumental workers from the Royal School of Needlework ages 19-70 devoted countless hours to the lacing of the dress. The skilled lace workers had to wash their hands every 30 minutes, and change needles every three hours to keep the thread and lace pristine. According to avid fashion followers, many designers are already hard at work designing similar styled wedding dresses which will be released just in time for the 2011 wedding season. Here’s a glimpse of dresses to come:

Designer: Sophia Tolli

Designer: Priscilla of Boston

Designer: Monique Lhuillier

I  dont know about you, but I have such a tough time purchasing a gift for my mom that I know she will enjoy.  My mother is the type of person that will go out of her way to purchase something for someone else. All she asks for in return is for a warm, sincere thank you and a smile.  So what do you get for someone who wants nothing for herself?  How about a Mother’s Day party.  Invite all of her friends and family members over to celebrate the world’s best mother.  Have DJ Z Music create one of their famous VIDEO MONTAGES so that your friends and family can see how wonderful your mother has been over the years. When the video montage is over, finish off the night by dancing under the stars to our top mother’s day songs:

  1. Dear Mama - 2pac
2. Mother & Child Reunion - Paul Simon
3. Mother-In-Law - Ernie K-Doe
4. Mama Told Me (Not To Come) - Three Dog Night
5. Mama Said - Shirelles
6. Mama Tried - Merle Haggard
7. Mama He Treats Your Daughter Mean - Ruth Brown
8. Your Mama Don’t Dance - Loggins & Messina
9. Mama Don’t Allow - Hank Thompson
10. Mothers Little Helper - Rolling Stones
11. I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus - Jimmy Boyd
12. My Mammy - Al Jolson
13. Tell Mama - Etta James
14. Have You Seen Your Mother Baby Standing In The Shadows - Rolling Stones
15. Mama Said Knock You Out - LL Cool J
16. Mom and Dad’s Waltz - Lefty Frizzell
17. It’s Alright Ma (I’m Only Bleeding) - Bob Dylan
18. I’ll Always Love My Mama - Intruders
19. Mama He’s Crazy - Judds
20. Mother - John Lennon

If a sincere thank you is all your mother desires on her special day, then this is a perfect gift to give.

Are you tired of cliché weddings in a hotel Ballroom?
Then you might want to have your destination wedding in a location which has appeared on “best of” lists.

“Best Places to Get Married” according to an MSN “best of” series:

Central Park – New York, N.Y.
Chapel of Love – Bloomington, Minn.
Columbia Gorge Hotel – Hood River Oregon
Disneyland – Anaheim, Calif.
Empire State Building – New York, N.Y.
Graceland Wedding Chapel – Las Vegas
Little Church of the West Wedding Chapel – Las Vegas, Nev.
Palace of Fine Arts – San Francisco.
Philadelphia Zoo – Philadelphia, Pa.
Westin Beach Resort – Key Largo Fla.

For those looking to have a “weddingmoon” (eloping), you might want to look at places which have topped honeymoon lists:

Top 10 List on the Ten Best Honeymoon Destinations Around the World, according to National Geographic

1. Paris, France
2. Rome, Italy
3. Venice, Italy
4. Bahamas
5. Florence, Italy
6. Sydney, Australia
7. London, England
8. Tahiti
9. French Riviera
10. Fiji

Top 10 List on the Ten Best U.S. Honeymoon Destinations, according to National Geographic:

1. Hawaii
2. New York City
3. San Francisco
4. Miami
5. Las Vegas
6. New Orleans
7. Aspen
8. Lake Tahoe
9. Martha’s Vineyard
10. Napa Valley

Picture this. It’s the morning of your wedding. You wake up, look outside the sun is shining, it’s beautiful out. You walk downstairs your dress, makeup artist and your hairstylist all anxiously waiting for you. You look absolutely stunning. You zip up your dress and take a look in the mirror; you take your breath away. Now it’s time for your ceremony. The ceremony’s perfect. Everything is exactly how you envisioned it.

Following the ceremony comes your reception. You open the double doors to see the reception hall and who stands in front of you but the DJ.  Your DJ’s wearing a golf polo shirt with khaki pants. He extends his hand to introduce himself, and tells you how beautiful you look only you’re distracted  by his home entertainment speakers which sit on two milk crates for speaker stands.  Once you see his speakers you take one more glance and set up. He doesn’t have a skirt around the table, so his tangled mess of wires is exposed to you and your guests for all to see.

It’s time for your first dance and the attention should be on you and your new husband, however everybody seems to drift their attention over to the DJ. He obviously didn’t take care of the CD that you carefully put together because the song that you selected for your first dance is now skipping overtop of his home entertainment speakers. Throughout the rest of the night you can’t enjoy yourself because you can’t trust your entertainer. Your guests are seldom on the dance floor leaving your professional photographer with not a whole lot of shots that are worth taking. Finally, the evening comes to an end and you thank the few remaining guests for coming. You are relieved that everything is over.

25 years passed and it’s now time for your daughter to get married.  She thinks it would be a great idea for you to host her bridal shower and to have your wedding pictures as the centerpieces to her bridal shower.  Immediately, you receive a lump in your throat because all of your wedding pictures taken by your photographer only show an absence of people on the dance floor,  milk crates for speaker stands and a sea of serpent like wires.  It breaks your heart to object to her request, but you feel relieved that you didn’t have to relive something that took you a quarter of a century to forget.

Let’s go back in time.  The day begins the same way.  You look stunning and everything is going exactly to your plan.  This time when you open the reception doors a man in a tux greets you.  His vest matches the color of your bridesmaids’ dresses.  His equipment is neatly organized, from the speakers up high to the wires down below. You’ve met with your DJ in person many times before today so you trust in him completely.  All eyes are on you and your husband during your first dance. Everyone applauds and cameras flash when you kiss, sending shivers down your spine.  There’s hardly any room on the dance floor for all of your guests to fit.  Before you know it, it’s time for the last song of the evening and you can’t believe how fast it went.

All of your guests anxiously wait to tell you what a great time they had at your wedding. After all of your guests express their joy, you go over to your DJ from DJ Z Music.  You hug him as if you’ve known him forever and thank him for conducting the flow of the evening in a fun and elegant manor. You graciously compliment him for all of his hard work and preparation and then you part ways. Then you smile and say, “we’ll see you soon!” What a wonderful night.

At the start of 2011 our focus at DJ Z Music has been directed towards weddings.  Since then we have received awards based on our quality of service, our responsiveness and our professionalism.  Many times, however, we receive calls and emails only inquiring about our prices.  I found this very interesting.  It made me think to myself, ” I wonder if I said to my prospective clients that my services were only $50.00, would that be the only reason they are hiring me? If so, why even mention my credentials?”  The more I researched the more I found out that people only inquire about my prices because they want to identify if we are in their budget.  Although, when asked, “What did you remember most about your wedding?” most would respond, “The entertainment.”  Entertainers are often the last wedding service to be considered in the budgeting process.  By the time we receive your call it is too late to reconstruct your budget.  For this reason alone we have decided to provide you with an easy equation to help you with your wedding budget.

According to the ADJA (American Disc Jockey Association) the average wedding budget in 2010 was $25,000. Keeping this number for demonstration purposes only, I am going to show you how much to invest in each wedding service starting with the reception site.  The reception site is often the first wedding service that the bride locks down for her wedding, and pricing includes the venue and the meals.  The estimated portion one should invest in the reception site is 46% or $11,500.  Following the reception site should come the music or entertainment.  The estimated cost for your receptions entertainment should be about 8% or $2,000.  Keep in mind if you are having a band you want to stretch that portion of your budget to 20% or $5,000.  Photography videography, flowers and attire should also be around 8%.  Your ceremony, which should include your Officiant, music, and wedding license, should only be 3% of your budget or $750.  Your decorations and stationary should also be around 3% of your budget.  Finally your transportation should only be 2% or $500.  These numbers are only meant to be a sample guideline for your wedding which means if one wedding service is more important to you than another, you can shift around the numbers until it suits your preference.  If todays blog helped you understand more about your wedding budget we’d love to hear about it under out contact section.  Thank you so much for reading.  Please check back next Monday for more helpful hints!

 

 

 

 

Hello everyone! My name is DJ Z, Owner of DJ Z Music and welcome to my blog.  Here at my blog you can see what we’re up to on a daily basis.  We will have the occasional vlog (video blog).  Our vlogs will include interviews, performances, and sneak peaks to new party packages which we will be offering our clients.  Besides our daily blogs/vlogs we have provided you with Free music downloads,  top songs of the month, and a FAQ section where you can visit for more information about my business.  Please take some time now to browse the site and don’t be afraid to leave feedback under our Contact menu.  Thank you so much for visiting my blog and please stop back daily to read all about the DJ Business.   To learn even more about DJ Z Music please visit:  www.djzmusic.com