The Time It Takes...

A bride recently wrote in a local wedding forum about her experiences with a particular dj/emcee and how disappointed she was with this vendor. While many of her other vendors did well, this vendor will stick out in her memories and the memories of her guests. This is what she wrote:

xxxxxxxx got pretty good reviews from the knot so I was more than excited to work with him. He was always quick to respond to my emails. I really like his set up online where you can go through his music and pick out which songs to play. That was helpful. But come day of, everything changed. I am reluctant to give him a B-, but only because he was helpful beforehand. For starters, I was able to look back at the videotape and oohhh and ahhh over things but I was soooooo sad that our bridesmaids didn’t get to walk down to the song I had picked for them. I had 8 bridesmaids and only the last 3 were able to. They let the mom’s processional song play on and on…and didn’t even know the processional for the bridesmaids had begun. They started the song so late! Then when my father and I walked (keep in mind, the walk was VERY far), they didn’t get that music cued on time. We arrived to the reception and it was complete chaos. We hired him to be the MC as well. I assumed he would have order and get things in order for us to all be announced. He didn’t do this. My maid of honor had to do his job. Instead of going over some of the last names and making sure he was able to pronounce them correctly, he just read them and really messed them up. During the dinner music, after every song was over, there would be a long pause. It sounded terrible. People would look around with an uncomfortable stare. There was NOT a good flow! Lastly, many of our guests would request songs to be played and he would turn them down. OMG, I had had it! I sent my DH over there to handle it. Never ever turn down suggestions. He told them things like “we’re only playing hip hop right now”, “we have to go in this order, sorry.” NOT HAPPY AT ALL!!

I know this vendor well. He is a good DJ and very affordable. His emcee service costs only $100. So aside from the price, what is the difference between a budget emcee and a Certified Professional Master of Ceremonies?

For one, the time invested into each wedding is very different. Because he only charges $100 for his emcee services, a budget emcee has to work a full-time day job, which prevents him from having the time to practice the names of the people he must introduce, program & edit the music so that there are no awkward silences, and rehearse the entire presentation. Overall, he probably puts in less than two hours of prep time into a wedding. The result is a disappointed and unhappy couple who now have some unfortunately sad memories of their wedding day.



What would a Certified Professional Master of Ceremonies have done differently?

For one, he would have sat down with the couple, by phone or in person, long before the event to go over all of the details. All of the names would have been rehearsed in front of them to make sure he was pronouncing them correctly. The Certified Professional Master of Ceremonies would have helped them organize the timeline to make sure that it will flow very well, with no awkward pauses.

The Certified Professional Master of Ceremonies would have attended the wedding rehearsal to understand the music cues and timing of the presentation. After the rehearsal, he would have had an understanding of how long each song would be, and then make the time to edit the songs so that they properly fit.

The Certified Professional Master of Ceremonies generally invests 40-60 hours of preparation & rehearsal BEFORE the wedding in order to ensure a FUN, UNIQUE, STRESS-FREE, and MEMORABLE experience for his clients.

A budget emcee sees the wedding as another gig.

The Certified Professional Master of Ceremonies see a wedding as the most important day in a woman's life, and it is his job to direct the presentation, inform the guests as to what is going on, and guide the festivities to a predetermined outcome. And like the great Masters of Ceremonies like Billy Crystal, he will have prepared and rehearsed his role to make sure the presentation turns out right.

Of course, there is a greater investment in a Certified Professional Master of Ceremonies, but the overall return on investment makes him a better value.

On the positive side, the bride did save a lot of money by hiring a budget emcee. But is it worth the stress and bad memories? When it is your turn to make a decision as to who will represent you, will it be about saving money or getting the best value on the quality of memories for your special day?

Stuff to think about...

That nervous anticipation feeling

Maybe you can relate to this: you have a BIG presentation at work tomorrow, and you are going over your entire performance over and over to make sure it will turn out well. You have written it out, edited it, and now you practice your timing and delivery, synch it up to the powerpoint presentation, and repeat it again. After all, it's the day before the presentation, and did I mention this presentation is BIG? Like, if it doesn't turn out well, your company loses a key client, and your employers not only terminate you for being incompetent, but also sue you for botching up the relationship with their audience? And because you screwed up, you get blacklisted in your career field, meaning that no one wants to hire you? Really, there's no pressure...

In a way, that's what it's like to be me the week of a wedding. Except I do this almost every weekend. A wedding, after all, is the most important day in a bride's life, and it's up to me to make sure that it (and please excuse my bluntness) doesn't suck.

So what did I do this week for ASTRID & CHARLIE'S wedding this Saturday?

Earlier this month, I had a planning meeting with them by phone to finalize the details of the reception. For local clients, I meet them in person, but because Astrid & Charlie are planning this from California, we spoke for about two hours one Friday evening earlier this month and hashed out the specifics of their presentation. They chose the music for certain events (e.g., cake cutting, bouquet presentation, etc.), chose the unique activities to include (e.g., Circle Dance bouquet presentation), and I went over with them the pronunciations of their wedding party and all of the important guests I will need to recognize on May 31.

After the meeting, I got in touch with DIANNA SHITANISHI from Hawaii Weddings & Events (their coordinator), JAMES CHUN from Crane Media Productions (their videographer), and PAUL HAYASHI (photographer) to make sure we were all on the same page, and that they understood all of the unique elements that Astrid & Charlie are including in the presentation. A month before the wedding, things were starting to move fast.

Fast forward to this past Monday, May 26: I had my final in-person meeting with Astrid & Charlie to tie up the loose threads. After the meeting, the final program was put together.

Tuesday May 27, and Wednesday, May 28: scriptwriting, revising, and rehearsing. Taking all of the information that was given to me by the newlyweds, as well as from their coordinator and other vendors, I began putting together a rough script as to what I need to say, and how I should say it. Unlike other MCs who try to wing it through, my take on it is that the bride & groom have spent countless months planning and preparing for this big day. To go in unprepared and try to "wing it" means that an MC disregards all of the planning and prep that the couple has put in to make this day perfect.

Thursday, May 29: The script is finalized, and rehearsals intensify. There's a saying in radio called "hitting the post": this is where the on-air DJ talks over the instrumental introduction of a song and times it perfectly to end his speech right when the vocals of the song begin. At a wedding, there are times like the Grand Entrance in which "hitting the post" makes a subtle yet huge impact on the presentation. It may look easy, but it's not. The reason I make it look easy is because of the hours of practicing and rehearsing beforehand just so that it looks perfect on the day of the wedding.

Also, I begin putting together the musical soundtrack of the event, including making any necessary edits to songs and sound effects to generate a bigger emotional impact on the guests. Some songs are trimmed to start at the beginning of the chorus. Some songs (like the Father/Daughter Dance) are edited to be shorter, so the bride and her dad are not on the floor for a long time. For some moments, an instrumental version of a song would make a greater impact on the event than its normal version, so I scour iTunes, Musicmatch, and Yahoo! Music to find these tracks. Some song requests are not in my collection, so I also look for them.

I also start calling all of the presenters and speakers to make sure they all know their roles, and I can have a better idea of what they will be speaking about. If they are giving a toast, delivering the blessing, serenading the newlyweds, or performing a special dance, then I touch base with them.


Friday, May 30, the day before the wedding: three copies of the final script and timeline are printed and bound, along with some copies of the timeline to share with the other vendors. The musical soundtrack is finalized, and two copies will be burned. Tonight, I go to my storage locker to prep the sound equipment and load it into the van.

Saturday, May 31, the day of the wedding: I will get up late, around 9am, have brunch with my family, and relax all morning. Of course, the presentation will always be in the back of my mind, but I'm not one of those guys who will obsess over it. If I do not know it hours before the wedding, then I will not know it at all. (Just like finals in college!) Fortunately, because I have been rehearsing it over the past few days, I do know my stuff.

Because doors to the ballroom open around 4:30pm, I plan on leaving my house around 2:00pm, giving me enough time to drive down to the Ihilani without rushing. When I get there, I unload the sound equipment, move everything to an area near the ballroom, and wait until I can get access to it around 3:30pm. I quickly set up, soundcheck, and by 4:30pm...it's showtime.

Bonita & Victor, happily married May 2004,
at the JW Marriott Ihilani Resort (same ballroom as Astrid & Charlie's)

With everything right on schedule, I am excited about tomorrow's wedding! It will be a great time!

Yes, it is more than five hours that I work.

Many people I meet tell me that my job is the easiest in the world. After all, I allegedly work "only five hours", right? Five to six hours of the actual party itself, right?


Well, it's a little more complicated than that. I put in 20-40 hours in preparing for every wedding, with the goal of ensuring that the five hours of the party are the best five hours in my clients' and guests' lives. A lot of that time is invested in putting together the soundtrack, organizing the script and timeline, connecting with the other vendors to make sure that we are all on the same page, and other things in preparation of the celebration. On the day of the wedding, there's more than just "show up and perform." There's the setup and soundcheck before the presentation even begins. Let's use a recent example: JEN & MARK'S wedding.


This is me two hours before the doors open to the guests. Notice how messy everything is as my staff and I are busy setting up the sound system and lighting.

In those two hours, the sound system and light show are set up, soundchecked and lit, and finally tidied up, so by the time the guests arrive, this is what they see:

Neat and tidy, no?

In that time, too, my staff and I get ready, so when your guests arrive, we are smartly dressed in our tuxes/suits/aloha shirts/referee uniforms/whatever.

Our goal is to offer you and your guests more than just a DJ to play music and an MC to tell jokes. Our goal is to give you and your guests a fun and elegant EXPERIENCE that they will remember forever. On your wedding day, one of the most important days in your life, isn't that worth something?

Tonight's the big night!

It's finally here! For JEN & MARK, this is what months of planning and preparation comes down to. It's exciting to know that everything's all set and in place!

Over the last few nights, I spent much time putting the final touches on the program details, organizing everything, putting together the soundtrack, and rehearsing for this big day. Went to bed at 2am after rehearsing the custom "Sports Jam" Entrance that we're announcing the wedding party to. And as I type this, I have the other computer finalizing the soundtrack CDs. The printer is printing the final timeline and scripts for the night, and after this, I will neatly bind the paperwork into several black binders for a nice presentation.

Once that's all done, I head off to my storage site, load the equipment, then go home for a fast shower. Then it's out the door, to the venue, load-in, soundcheck, and give JEN, MARK, and their guests the time of their lives!

Here's what the final timeline for their unique party looks like:

Sequence	Time	Event
0	4:30pm	Wedding Ceremony
1	5:00pm	Cocktail Hour; Doors Open to the Guests (no receiving line)
2	6:00pm	Welcoming of Guests, Grand Entrance (Sports Jam Grand Entrance)
3		First Dance
4		Greetings & Welcome by the Newlyweds
5		Announcements (e.g., restrooms, signing of portrait matte, words of wisdom scrolls, etc.)
6	6:15pm	Meal (University Trivia Table Release, Tippy Cup Contest)
7	7:15pm	Recognition of Family
8		Zippy’s Apple Pie Cutting
9		Toasts & Speeches by Best Man GRANT; Maid of Honor ADRIENNE; bridesmaids JEN E., JEN Y., & JOS; banzais by Jen’s friend CHRISTY & Jen’s uncle JIM
10		Appreciation/Gratitude Speech by MARK & JEN
11		Anniversary Dance bouquet presentation
12		Traditional Garter Removal & Toss
13		Video Slideshow Presentation
14		Father/Daughter Dance
15		Mother/Son Dance
16		Money Dance (3-4 songs)
17		Open Dancing
18		Grand Finale
		Note: Party must end by 10pm, and all of the guests must be out of the venue by 10:30pm.

And the soundtrack for their celebration looks like this:

1. ESPN Sportscenter Theme (guest welcome)
2. Eye of the Tiger [Survivor] (Wedding Party Grand Entrance)
3. We Will Rock You [Queen] (Bride & Groom Entrance)
4. You Are The Love Of My Life [Sammy Kershaw] (First Dance)
5. Save Room [John Legend] (cake cutting)
6. What A Man [Salt N Pepa] (Best Man Toast intro)
7. 808 remix [Blaque] (Maid of Honor toast intro)
8. Don't Cha [Pussycat Dolls] (Bridesmaids toast intro)
9. Thank You [Dido] (Jen & Mark's Appreciation Speech intro)
10. Through The Years [Kenny Rogers] (Anniversary Dance bouquet presentation)
11. Let's Get It On [Marvin Gaye] (garter removal)
12. Another One Bites The Dust [Queen] (garter toss)
13. My Girl [Temptations] (Father/Daughter Dance)
14. What A Wonderful World [Louis Armstrong] (Mother/Son Dance)
15. This Guy's In Love With You [Harry Connick Jr] (Money Dance)
16. That's All [Michael Buble] (Money Dance)
17. Fly Me To The Moon [Frank Sinatra] (Money Dance)
18. When You Say Nothing At All [Ronan Keating] (Money Dance)

Cocktail & dinner music will be light jazz and easy listening music, e.g., Michael Buble, Jack Johnson, Frank Sinatra, Harry Connick Jr., etc.

Dance music will be a wide mix, with special requests and dedications to some of the guests. Requests will be honored. No techno.

Grand Finale will be Canned Heat [Jamiroquai, from the Napoleon Dynamite soundtrack].

"Pack up song" will be So Long Farewell [Julie Andrews, from the Sound of Music soundtrack].

Tonight should be fun! I will have a full report, and hopefully even pictures tomorrow!