I got an interesting question from a bride to be and prospective client the other day, and I thought I would share my answer. The question was, “What is your favorite part of a wedding?”. Had had to think about it, and then I gave her my answer:
My favorite part of a wedding, is the planned, or unplanned, or secretly planned biggest hit of the event, and that is different for each wedding. I don’t mean this as a cop out,
I will give you a few examples of what I mean…
Wedding Ceremony
At a ceremony I did, probably 10 years ago, the groom just broke down crying during his vows. It was completely unplanned, and I think there was a bit of unnecessary, but understandable embarrassment on his part, but it was so incredibly endearing.
Another ceremony moment that really got me was just a couple years ago when the groom broke into song to recite his vows. When it was his turn to say his vows, his best man reached for a guitar hidden behind the riser where the ceremony was taking place and handed it to him. He began playing and sang his vows. It absolutely brought the house down!
First Dance
We spoke a bit about splitting a song. I had a couple who wanted to do this for their first dance. He was a big fan of the movie Back To The Future. He wanted to start with Earth Angel,
play for about 1.45 seconds, sound effect & say “now let’s give em something that really cooks”, a modified quote from the movie just prior to when Michael J Fox breaks into Johnny B Goode.
then play 2 minutes of Johnny B Goode. Again, an unforgettable moment that had the crowd going wild.
Parent Dances
More recently, I had 3 moments that really stand out. Planned – A brides dad had a video made with the father daughter dance song set to the video. I had a lot of uncomfortable moments trying to pull this one off with a bride who had a very specific vision in mind for the setup. We totally made it happen though, and there was not a dry eye in the house!
My favorite unplanned moment, there were actually 2 at the same wedding. First was during dinner at a wedding at the 1774 Inn, Phippsburg ME. The mother son song was called a mothers prayer, and I had strict orders to cut it short. At about the point I was getting ready to fade it down, the bride came out and joined the groom and his mom. it was a beautiful moment, because the next words of the song were something to the effect of “I pray you’ll find sweet bride who loves and cares for you” Of course at that point there was no way I was going to end the song early. 🙂
…and unplanned moments
We were about 10 minutes or so into the dinner, and I played Walking in Memphis by Marc Cohn. It was on their request list, and I didn’t see it as being a big dance song, so I figured it would be a great song during dinner. Little did I know it was apparently a big deal to many on the groom’s side because they all came out onto the dance floor and started singing with the song at the top of their lungs. It sent the wedding planner into a tail spin because she was still trying to get everyone through the buffet line. I chatted with her and convinced her that if she’d let it go I promise I’d play something they would have no interest in staying on the dance floor for next. Sure enough I played a light jazz tune and all returned to normal…
Lastly one of my favorite moments came during cocktail hour at a wedding on the bride’s families farm where her dad asked the musicians to play a jig, and he had a crowd around him while he danced to it with the energy of a teenager. It was a wonderful memory she will carry on for years to come.
Making A Moment
This is what is called making a moment. You see it in ad copy all the time for DJ’s, Entertainers, & Photographers all the time. Often with no further explanation, as if the reader should know what that means. It means different things to different people, but the result should always be the same: Wow! How did they do that? Or That was awesome or Beautiful, sweet or funny… moments create emotions in the observer. If done right, the performer just knows they did something really fun or exceptionally special. The reaction of your guests is priceless!
- One easy way to create a moment is to have fun with Glass Clinking during dinner. Here in Maine, and throughout New England, guests will clink their glasses as in a toast to get the newlyweds to kiss. Using Glass Clinking Alternatives is one easy way to create moments and get your guests in on the fun.
These moments creep into the conscience whenever the topic of your event comes up. They are the moments that make you smile when you hear the name of a friend or relative who came to your event that you don’t see often, or have lost contact with for a while. They don’t have to be big extravagant moments planned meticulously, they can just be a phrase that came out wrong during a speech. It’s just like watching a movie with a friend, and a memorable line is spoken. You can’t help but recite it every time the moment in your life resembles a moment from the movie, or any time the phrase fits. The only difference is that now it is your event they are remembering, and your event they are thinking of, not just when they are thinking of the wedding, but any time that song comes on, or every time the best man has to say something in public. or every time someone you see the brides dad, or his name comes up in conversation.
What moments await you?
There are so many more moments just waiting to be created. These are the moments that are my favorite part of every wedding and event I do. These are the moments I want to help create for you. Whether we stage them, or they simply unfold, there is one thing you can be sure of. The more experience the DJ, entertainer, or photographer is, the more of these moments you will have at your event.
What is your Favorite Wedding Moment?
These moments really are my favorite, and I can not get enough of them. I would love to know yours! Comment here, or send me an email to Mike@wickedgooddj.com, and I will include them in an upcoming post.
Thanks again for checking in! If we can help with your wedding or special event, drop me a note or give me a call/text at 207.450.4960 Chat soon…
~Mike
