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Music Central is the Master of Experience

PHOTO: hrmphotography.com

EXPERT TIP BY: Rob Aitken, Music Central Entertainment (♥) (www.musiccentral.ca) Published Dec 25, 2022

Couples planning weddings for 2023 and 2024 are turning their attention to making sure that their weddings are experiential; shifting guests from their role as witnesses to active participants at their weddings. The hottest trend for 2023 isn’t new to the team at Music Central. They’ve always had a passion for amping up the guest experience. Rob from Music Central tells us how they can help you embrace this trend.

MASTER OF THE DANCE FLOOR:

DJs at Music Central are passionate about music and making sure that your wedding is memorable. “It’s important that we execute the vision for your wedding properly. All the details of your day are translated into a blueprint for your wedding. All the details without exception, get passed along to your DJ. We help make your day memorable. We’re making the soundtrack to your wedding. The next day you want to hear: ‘That was a party!’ ‘My feet are so sore. I’ve never danced so much!’ ‘Uncle Bob never dances, and he danced all night!’ We care about what we do. We’ll give you everything we’ve got. It’s our passion.

MASTER OF THE PHOTO BOOTHS:

While this has been a popular experience that seemed to be fading out popularity, couples are reembracing the open-air photo booth to commemorate the opportunity to celebrate together again. Open-air photo booths allow larger groups to join together to make photo memories. A side benefit of the photos is that it amps up your guest experience. Not only do they get to have fun posing with fun accessories and props in the photo booth, but they’re also more likely to hit the dance floor when they’re done in the photo booth. The photo booth gets them out of their comfort zone and gets them moving.

MASTER OF CEREMONIES:

Choosing your Master of Ceremonies is a more complicated decision than it can seem on the surface. Who you choose can impact the way that your guests experience your wedding day unfolding. Rob tells us, “The MC is the storyteller of your wedding. They make sure that you stay on track and steer the event along. They have 2 basic duties at your reception: first they coordinate with vendors, so everyone is on the same page and then they communicate the day with your guests. But the truly great Master of Ceremonies doesn’t just coordinate and communicate. They help to tell the story of your wedding; they help to create moments you and your guests will never forget. They tell the background story for guests that may not know the significance, they set the stage for the special moments that the couple want their guests to experience with them. A professional MC knows how to set the mood, the stage, tell the story, and then step back and let the moment unfold.”

MASTER OF EXPERIENCE

When you book Music Central for your wedding you get access to their limitless experience. “There are aspects to a wedding that are very subtle but make a huge difference. One of the most important aspects is flow. We can give you advice on how to keep your day flowing naturally, seamlessly, and stress-free. Keeping the day flowing enhances your guests' experience.” Speaking of experience… "Most of our team have 200, 500 and even over 1,000 weddings under their belts. Sure, some weddings go off without a hitch but what if there’s a hiccup? You want someone who doesn’t get rattled. With Music Central you’ll have someone calm and experienced to help get the day back on track and keep it on track.” •

ABOUT MUSIC CENTRAL: Music Central Entertainment is the area's most respected disc jockey service based out of London, ON. Music Central specializes in weddings as well as corporate events, and creating a unique event based on the client’s wishes, musicality, and suggestions. As well as their famous DJ services, they can also provide photo booths, lighting, special effects, audio/visual, karaoke, master of cermonies, and much more.

How To Outfit Your Wedding Party

EXPERT TIP BY:Jeff Alpaugh, Jeff Alpaugh Custom (♥) (www.jeffalpaugh.com) Published Dec 25, 2022

PHOTO: laurenmullaly.com

An engagement can be an exciting but often busy time in the life of a couple. Many couples may begin their wedding planning journey by discussing what their individual and collective visions are for their big day. Other couples may already have a clear vision in mind and may begin to shape this vision into a reality for their wedding together. Of course, the big decisions are often: The Date, The Venue(s), The Guest List, and The Budget. Once those are set or in progress, couples start to think of the finer details such as the bridal party, photographers, food, and what they will wear.

For traditional bridal dresses, most brides are advised to order a dress 8-12 months in advance unless they choose an off-the-rack option. Shopping for a dress is a staple event in traditional, North American wedding culture. However, when picking a tux, suit, or less stereotypical outfit, the rules seem a lot more fluid and less widely known. For many weddings, the tuxes or suit decisions are made at the last moment in lieu of planning bigger, and more exciting portions of the wedding.

Photos and videos offer some of the lasting memories of your special day. Your suit or tux selection will be featured prominently, not just on the day of your wedding, but also on your “thank you” cards, social media profiles, and will hang in your house for years to come.

Keeping this in mind, we would suggest that planning for your tux or suit look and the look of your attendants, outside of the wedding dress and bridesmaid dresses, should start roughly 6 months in advance or earlier. This means, if you are getting married in July - September, you should probably start thinking about your suits/tuxes in February – April. This will allow time for research on where you can find the outfit you have in mind, styling of your suit/tux, and the colour palette that will complement the rest of the bridal party’s outfit. It also allows ample time for sizing and any final alterations without the stress.

1. ATTEND A FIRST CONSULTATION AS A COUPLE

The number one, biggest error we see when someone comes in to buy a wedding suit is that often the person in the initial consultation does not understand the look or aesthetic of the day, or they have unclear instructions. We often hear, 'My fiancée purchased a dress, I think she *maybe* said it wasn’t totally white and she wants me to wear a tuxedo, or a black suit,' or, “I am supposed to buy a navy suit”. It’s easy to see how that train can fall off the tracks quickly.

We always encourage the couple to come together for an initial consultation where they can talk to us about the vision that they have for their day, show us photos of flowers, photography, venues, colour palette, etc. We then use all this information to help ensure everyone feels confident that the outfit(s) are in keeping with the vision for the day.

2. GET THE PEOPLE EXCITED!

Once you have had your initial consultation, it is time for everyone to get excited about the suit you will design. When people are excited about the clothing that they are wearing, that translates into excitement for the day, and this excitement carries through to the photos and the dance floor.

Often in the initial consultation we will encourage the couple to pick a detail or two that each person can customize and make their outfit their own while still maintaining the overall uniform look of the wedding. Some suggestions are completely customized memory liner (made from your own photos), a special monogram, or a little something dangerous on the back of the dress shirt or under the cuff or inside the collar.

3. MAKE GETTING THE SUITS AN EVENT TO REMEMBER

Just like choosing the perfect dress, getting fitted for a suit can be a great night out for the wedding party. After the initial consultation, we encourage the wedding party to come as a group, get measured, shoot some pool, and make an afternoon or evening of it. Again, getting excited and engaged in the process will lead to a better atmosphere, party, and the overall cohesiveness of the big day. If your wedding party is geographically dispersed, we suggest having the out-of-town people join us virtually. Many times, a wedding party may consist of the most important people from different parts of your life. The wedding party fitting is a great chance for all these people to get to know each other prior to the rehearsal dinner/big day in a low stress, relaxed environment. •

ABOUT JEFF ALPAUGH CUSTOM: Uptown Waterloo’s trusted source for custom clothing and alterations, specializing in wedding suits, tuxedos, and shirts, with 10 years’ industry experience outfitting men and women.

PHOTO: terryrichards.com PHOTO: jeffalpaugh.com

PHOTO: maggieknicklephotography.com