Blog – Page 2 – MARX entertainment

Meeting with your DJ – How much is too much?

When planning a wedding a lot of brides and grooms utilize checklists provided by various event support companies online. These checklists are a great way to organize tasks, set deadlines and assist with making decisions about your wedding. Keeping information easily accessible and organized via a timeline is a great way to ensure you aren’t missing anything important!

Meeting with your vendors, particularly your DJ, is an important part of the wedding planning process. But how often is too often to meet? The answer isn’t black and white and involves many different factors.

On average, we recommend you meet with your DJ services three times prior to your event. Initially to book the vendor, a second more in-depth planning meeting, and one final meeting closer to your wedding date to firm up details. However, it all depends on how comfortable you and those in your planning party are in terms of questions you may have or other details you want to review. You should feel as though you have an open line of communication with your DJ and can contact them on a regular basis should you have questions.

In an effort to streamline the planning process, we recommend having the following items prepared for your meetings:

Important details of your wedding: venue, date, time, etc
Special songs you feel you want included in your reception
A list of questions you have compiled
Any concerns you may have about timelines, contingency plans, etc

The bottom line is you should feel comfortable and prepared for your big day. And most importantly HAVE FUN! Happy planning!

February 17, 2015

What do you want to know?

Having been offering event services and enhancements for over 35 years, we here at Marx Entertainment often forget that planning a major life event can be a first time experience for many people!

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It’s been a while since we’ve posted on our blog and we want to be sure that the information we are providing is relevant to your party planning questions and needs. So we want to hear from you! If you have a question or a topic you’d like us to cover, then please send us an email at info@marxentertainment.net, or leave a comment on this post.

We look forward to hearing from you and assisting you with your planning needs!

February 4, 2015

Bridesmaid Gift Ideas

Traditionally, the bride gives a small gift to her bridesmaids, as a token of appreciation for their part in her big day. A popular choice is jewelry, which the bridesmaids wear for the wedding. There are lots of choices, whether you want to gift a necklace, earrings, a ring, or something else entirely! Check out some cute ideas from Pinterest, below.

Best friends infinity ring.

Classic pearl earrings.

Pendants with initials.

Custom name bracelets.

If jewelry isn’t your thing, you could opt for anything special for your girls, like the fun flask, toiletry kit, or cute clutches pictured below. You could even go with monogrammed towels for your ladies!

Mason jar toiletry set.

flask

Burlap clutch with lace.

Custom towels are a great idea if you and your girls are having any kind of spa treatment before your big day!

Whatever you choose for a bridesmaid gift, consider writing a personal message to go along with it. After all, your bridesmaids are your best friends and family, and have been there for you through the years, and will be there with you making sure everything goes right on your big day!

Have a great idea for a bridesmaid gift? Let us know in the comments!

July 28, 2014

Everything Photo Booth

Photo booths have been a popular choice for weddings and events, and today are more popular than ever. What events are they good for, and what can you expect from a quality photo booth rental?

Weddings

Photo booths are a great option to add to your wedding. Guests can take pictures in groups, and you can keep a copy and they can keep a copy. It’s a great way to make sure you get a variety of fun pictures from all the guests, and get them mingling and having fun.

Bar and Bat Mitzvahs

You’re only 13 once! Mark the special day with a fun photo booth to get pictures that commemorate this important year.

Corporate Events

Any time you have a corporate event, it’s a good idea to have an “ice breaker” to get your staff mingling and having fun. A photo booth, especially with props, is a great option. Your staff can let loose with the props and be goofy without being inappropriate for a casual business setting.Birthday Parties, Anniversary Parties, and Class Reunions

Why a photo booth at a birthday party, anniversary party, or class reunion? These are all events with people you know and like, and want to make memories with. Photo booth photos are a memento you can keep for years, as a reminder of the good times from your event.

Remember when shopping for a photo booth that these are your memories, and you’ll want to look for certain things. Rent photo booths that come with a technician, so that a qualified staffer is there to troubleshoot and ensure that your photo booth experience is smooth. Also look for photo booth rentals that provide you copies of the photos, preferably on CD, so that you don’t lose any of your precious memories.

We provide quality photo booth rentals. Check out our comprehensive, reasonably priced packages to make your event as memorable as possible!

https://marxentertainment.net/photo-booths/

July 13, 2014

Weddings Through the Years: 1986

1986

Like most things, weddings have changes throughout the years. Trends go in and out of style, new songs become the favorites, old dresses or hairstyles make way for updated versions. In a series of posts, we’ll talk to brides and grooms who had their weddings at least 10 years ago. We’ll look at what’s different about weddings, what’s the same, and maybe even score some cool ideas from the past to incorporate into today’s ceremonies!

First name: Marc
Year married: 1986

Groom Marc had an indoor wedding, and chimes in for the guy side of the wedding planning.

Tell us about your wedding.
It was the second wedding for me, first for my bride.
In my first marriage, it was a cheap college students’ wedding. Bride and I paid for everything, but got the reception hall free because her grandma was a church member. For my second wedding, her family was college-educated professionals, I was a recently-graduated college professional.. it was a larger and more expensive event. We got married in her state far away.. there was paltry attendance from my side.

What do you remember from the planning? Flowers were catered, as was food for reception. We had a traditional cake with layers.

There was a reception with buffet like style food in a well-lit atrium where the quartet played at the church her entire family attended.

What did you wear? What about your bride? I wore a tux, as opposed to my first wedding when I just wore an off-the-rack gray suit. My bride wore an expensive white dress with hat and veil, makeup and hair done up at the beauty shop, everything.

What was your wedding song? We had Pachelbel’s Canon in D played, as well as a Mendelssohn wedding march, and Jeremiah Clarke Trumpet Voluntary. (The Olympics song!) There was a string quartet, a friend of my wife’s who is a blind singer, and organ music by a professional organist.

What’s a funny memory that stands out? The first time I ever met the bride’s father, he told me that there was still time to flee his family.

Is there anything you want to share from the guy side of weddings? The main things as a guy… I would say, if you’re tall compared to your man (as my wife is) consider wearing flats or ballet slippers! Some guys don’t care, but some do.

Don’t assume he doesn’t want to have input in some of the details. Spend what is appropriate but remember the amount spent doesn’t make the event better or longer-lasting, and debts can hurt the marriage from the get-go.

June 29, 2014

Flipflops for Weddings

tulle flipflop

Flipflops are everywhere, and if you’re like the typical American, you live in them during the summer. But are they okay for your wedding? Some people think that flipflops are too informal for a wedding, but we think these gorgeous designs will show otherwise.

Whether your wedding is on the beach (where flipflops aren’t only acceptable, but encouraged!) or in a more formal setting, flipflops can be a stylish and comfortable choice. Remember, it’s all about what YOU feel good wearing. If heels aren’t your thing, or you’d prefer a shoe that can take you from the ceremony to dancing all night, fancy flipflops are a great choice.

If you want a shoe that still has a traditional feel to it, try flipflops with pearl embellishments or satin bows or roses, like these gorgeous choices from Pinterest:

You can also make coordinated flipflops for your bridemaids, like these cute ideas. Use tulle puffs in your wedding colors to differentiate, or even use wedding colors flipflops for your bridesmaids with white bows, and white flipflops with wedding colored bows for you!

You can also get flipflops that will reinforce the theme, such as these adorable starfish flipflops for a beachy theme, or pick up a pair in your wedding colors to add an awesome burst of color and boldness that ties everything together.

And don’t think that just because they’re flipflops that you can’t get some height! These simple but pretty platform bridal flipflops are the best of both worlds.

After seeing these cute options, would you consider flipflops for your wedding?

June 15, 2014

Follow us on Pinterest for great ideas!

Planning a party or wedding? Be sure to check out our Pinterest page by clicking the Pinterest link above!

We sort through thousands of pins every week and organize them into easy-to-browse categories! Whether you need a prom or party idea, or are stuck trying to think up bridesmaid gifts, we’ve got a board for all your event planning needs.

Unlike other Pinterest boards, where there’s one board for a huge topic, we break it down into smaller groups. Brides, how many times have you tried sorting through a board just labeled “weddings”? Frustrating, right?? On our page, you can look through boards like Bridesmaid Dresses, Wedding Hairstyles, Rings, Tips for Brides, Wedding Cakes, Bouquets, Something Blue, Outdoor Weddings, Rustic themes, and more!

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Planning a different type of event? Check out our boards on Bar and Bat Mitzvahs, Corporate Events, Proms, Holidays, Birthday Parties, Theme Parties, and more!

Are we missing a board category that you’d like to see? Let us know in the comments!

May 2, 2014

Weddings Through the Years: 1991

Bride: Shauna
Year married: 1991
Shauna reminisces about her indoor ceremony followed by outdoor reception and what she’d tell brides today.

What’s something unique about your wedding? DJs weren’t big then so we had a friend sing and a harpist.

Were there any trends you included? I remember that puffy sleeves were still a thing, almost no one had strapless dresses. Our hair was still a little big back then. Big cakes were in, but nothing like today. It was a basic three tier frosted cake with pink flowers. We did a color themed wedding.

What was your wedding song? You Needed Me by Anne Murray (I just had to search for the song because I couldn’t remember the title! What a lovely song.)

Tell us about your husband’s outfit, and your dress. My husband wore a three piece tux in gray with a pink bow tie.

My dress was very traditional – lace, long sleeves, hit just at the shoe.

What’s a memory or story that stands out? We went with the most highly recommended photographer in town at the time. One thing we didn’t notice, but sure did when he was taking the pictures – he liked everyone’s head to be tilted to the right just so. In our photos my husband’s brother looks slightly deformed.

What advice would you give a bride planning her wedding today? For a bride today I’d give the advice to not overplan. Mistakes will happen. The most important thing is that you’re marrying that one person you love more than anyone else. Also – eloping in Vegas and putting a down payment on a house isn’t all that bad of an idea..

April 23, 2014

Recent Wedding Inside Look: September 2013

Between wedding magazines, Pinterest, and reality shows, wedding planning ideas are everywhere! In a series of posts, we’ll talk with brides who have gotten married in the last few years to see what they did, and get tips for couples planning their weddings today.

First name: Cait
Wedding date: September 6, 2013

Bride Cait and groom Tim tell us all about their indoor wedding at Cruiseport Gloucester in eastern Massachusetts.

Were bride/groom both equally involved in the planning? Yes! My hubby was fantastic and wanted to be involved (except I chose all of the flowers for the ceremony and reception. It was more my thing!)

What’s a challenge of being the groom during wedding planning? Not having much input on décor due to lack of knowledge.

What’s something that was unique about your wedding? We took a school bus in lieu of a limo. We didn’t have a wedding cake. It’s a waste of money because no one eats it! People want to drink and dance. We did a dessert station and used a cake topper for a photo of the traditional cake cutting ceremony.

Did you have specific ideas that you really wanted even before you started planning? I was going for chic rustic!

Were there any popular trends you included in your wedding? Instagram is huge right now. We included a chalkboard sign with a hashtag for people who use Instagram to “Instagram our Wedding.”

What was your wedding song? Wanted – Hunter Hayes

Tell us about your dress: I always thought I wanted to go classic when it came to my wedding dress and I ended up going very trendy. Dropped waist with silk ruffles.

What about the groom’s outfit? A traditional Vera Wang tuxedo. HANDSOME!

What’s a memory that stands out the most from your wedding? Everything happened so fast during the wedding ceremony then we went straight to photos with the bridal party. I didn’t have a moment to breathe until Tim and I went into our first dance and I got all choked up and teary the moment it was just him and me on the dance floor. “Holy crap we’re married!”

What advice would you give to a couple just planning their wedding today? Save lots of cash because most vendors only accept personal checks or cash for deposits and balances. No credit cards. Spend extra money on a reputable photographer – you won’t be disappointed. Choose the things that are important to you and don’t listen to everyone else’s advice. Trust your gut.

Love the awesome uplighting in these pictures from Pinterest? We can do that for your wedding or event! Contact us for details.

April 11, 2014

Something Blue

We’ve all heard the expression: “Something old, something new, something borrowed, something blue.” Those are the 4 things you’ll need on your wedding day to have good luck in your marriage. Even if your wedding color scheme has no blue in it at all, that doesn’t mean you can’t have your “something blue” without clashing. Read on for cool ideas on how you can work the color in to your big day.

Dress Accents

Using blue for a dress accent is best if your wedding colors include blue. But even if they don’t, a blue sash or some blue embroidery can add a classy and beautiful touch to your gown.

Garters

One of the classic ways to have a “something blue” is to purchase or make a blue garter. Since it’s hidden for (most!) of the day, it won’t clash with anything, but ensures you still have that blue piece. You can get garters that are all blue, or just ones that have blue accents like jewels or ribbons.

Underwear

Even though your dress may be white, it’s not likely to be a thin enough fabric to show the color of your undies! You can pick up blue lacy underwear, even some specifically for brides, like this cute pair on Pinterest.

Nails

Fingernails and toenails are another simple, classy way to include blue. You can paint your entire nail blue, or just use it as an accent, like to make a heart, or tiny polka dots.

Jewelry

Blue jewelry can look amazing when paired with a crisp white wedding dress. Sapphire and pearl earrings, a Swarovski anklet, or a simple silver and blue necklace can add a lovely touch to your outfit, while bringing in your “something blue.”

Hair Accessories

If you’re not big on jewelry, or if you just want something fun, blue hair accessories are a great choice. A blue hair comb can add elegance, or choose blue flowers for your hair for a spring or summer outdoor wedding.

Shoes

Don’t forget shoes! They’re another place you could choose to work in some blue.

There are many options for this. You could wear an entirely blue shoe, like the cute ones pictured above, or you could get some blue glitter soles, or blue crystal “I do” stick-ons. A cute secret between you and your groom!

crystals

Embroidery

A very personalized way to include blue is to have something embroidered in blue on the inside of your dress. You could have your wedding date, your married name, you and your partner’s initials, a heart, or anything else that is meaningful to you. Just make sure you get this done professionally, and only embroider on fabric that won’t snag or rip!

Did you include “something blue” in your wedding? Tell us about it in the comments!

April 4, 2014