The Wedding Session

We sit down with our friend Alex of iDJ Services, a professional team each has the ability to perform for any crowd, in any genre! A variety of environments and crowds gives our team incredible experience!

We start off by reviewing the stats on just HOW MANY WEDDINGS we have done with iDJ. We have pulled off some amazing weddings together and we plan to do more! (Once the big ole C word is outta the picture!) We move into how we know each-other. How we each met Alex at separate weddings, and how we all got to work together on a wedding, which he just happened to bring his boat.

We get into how the flow of the wedding changes from day time to night time. No matter how elegant the wedding is, a party at 1am with a DJ looks the dame.

Weddings have so many different walks of folks come together, such as one side wants the electric slide, some want modern rap and some want SHOUT!  We compare how being a DJ at a wedding specifically can turn into a daycare very quickly, from all ages! We also highlight why Pacific Fairytales are the ones you need to hire to watch your kids at your next wedding or event.

Alex dives into stories which you can find on his IGTV stories. We don't always get to see these come to life on our events, but he has seen some CRAZY sh*t. Including being a chauffeur for members of the party or even the bride and groom home after the wedding!

You get a fantastic story about how his truck stopped a high speed Lamborghini after a DJ set in downtown Vancouver, and how his white Dodge truck ended up all over the news.

Tune in next week to hear the rest of this hilarious episode!

Give Alex a follow!
IDJ Services / Instagram
DJ Aside / Instagram

And check out his other businesses! 
Fallen Tree Vancouver / Instagram
Event Tent Rentals

Oh man! Are we ever happy you've decided to hire a Wedding Planner for your wedding day. *APPLAUSE*

As you begin the initial stages of looking for a Planner, you will likely meet/chat with them for a consult.  And there are definitely some questions that need to be asked before you decide to hire them! We believe in doing your due diligence for any of your wedding vendors, Planners included!!

We thought we would address some of those questions, using an article we found called 22 Questions to Ask your Wedding Planner. Listen in as we address these questions, and discuss which ones are excellent questions to ask and which ones are just plain silly!

What's in a name?! It's your identity, it's how people know you. And depending where you are in your career, it's been part of you making your stake in the world.

Did you know! (based on heterosexual couples, because that was the only link I could find, so please help us find other additional info!)

• (Approx.) 70% of women change their name
• 20% of women who have been married in recent years keep their last name
• 10% blend their last names together to create a new last name (Clark + Anderson = Clarkson)
• Typically, higher educated/higher earning women typically keep their last name after marriage 

Listen in as we share with you the different ways you can change your name, and things to consider when you do!

• When to do this!
• Where + How to do this!
• Which is the best option for you!  Do you, girl!

How to Change your Last Name in BC, Canada

Man's Best Friend. Fur Baby. Four-legged Friend. They are just as important as your other guests. However, is it always a good thing to include your dog on your wedding day? 

Listen in as we touch on the three very important things to think about if you decide you want to include Fido on your special day. 

We discuss: 
1. Is your Venue Pet-Friendly
2. Is your Dog a good candidate to have at your wedding
3. Have someone in charge of your Dog! Delegate Delegate Delegate!!

We love incorporating dogs at weddings! They always have a way of bringing joy to the day, and can calm nerves before you walk down the aisle. But remember, the last thing you want is to be stressed out and distracted on your day trying to wrangle your pooch when you should be focused on having fun!!

Giving a speech is a great honour at a wedding. But how do you go about writing one?

We kick off the podcast with our experiences giving speeches being maid of honours in our past. 
 
Next is how do you start?

• Write it down. Phone, notebook, email, pen and paper. Just get your ideas down. 
• Have a flow, and deliver the speech like an essay (A beginning, a middle and an end).
• Deliver a speech as you would. If you are funny, be funny. If you are emotional, be emotional. Don't be someone you're not. 
• Don't forget to mention the other half of the couple!

Tips to spice up your speech!

• First impressions (when you met the groom at the bar vs how you know him now).
• Child hood stories are always a hit!
• Share a story that made you proud.
• When you noticed the behaviour changes, when they fell in love.

TIMING IS SUPER IMPORTANT

• Keep your speech 3-5 minutes max.
• You have a lot to say, but so does everyone else .
• Speaking longer takes time away from the photographer, food, beverage and party time.
• If you have props, sort out the logistics first. Nothing is worse then f*&%ing around with a projector and computer in front of everyone before you deliver a speech. 

We cannot emphasize this enough, PRACTICE PRACTICE PRACTICE. Get comfortable with what you've written. Don't speak to the paper, speak to your audience. It is a guideline. 

Get comfortable - things that get sorted on the wedding day or close to 

• Figure out where you are speaking in the room (podium, to the right, to the left, back of the room, front of the room, at your seat)
• When are you speaking? Are you ok to go first? Last? Before dinner or after dinner? 
• Have it printed on paper - do not walk up there with your phone! (sometimes you can send it to the venue to get printed or US, the planners!) 
• Is there a microphone available or are you speaking from the belly?

If you're nervous before giving your speech

• Find the wedding planner or the person in charge
• Find a quiet space to rehearse or breath
• When in doubt, have a shot! 

No open speech, ever. If you think maybe it's a good idea, the answer is still no. 

These tips will make sure you are remembered for all the right reasons when delivering a speech on the wedding day! 

Ok. 

You're in the planning process. And you've hired the team, but one of them is starting to concern you as you get closer to the date. 

Do you stick with them, even if you've put down a deposit? What is the cost of your sanity, because remember - you can't photoshop a smile if you're upset with your vendor on the day of your wedding!

Sometimes it's contractual, and sometimes it's a vibe. How do you decide when it's time to end the 'relationship? Listen in, as we break down some of the reasons to consider, when you've reached the point that you might have to fire your vendor, and most importantly - how to do it. 

We continue the conversation with Erin Fraser. We review the importance of timeline, what is a shot list (and why we don't like them), and why a micro wedding might be the reality of 2021.

Erin Fraser
Erin on Insta'
Lauren & Gary's Winter NYE Wedding
Vancouver DJ Company

Oh Man! Did we ever have fun chatting with the insanely talented Erin Fraser, of Erin Fraser Photography.

If we learned anything from this interview, it's that regardless of shape or size, a Wedding still has the same elements to it. So whether you have 10ppl or 100ppl, you still need to get down the aisle! When you hire a Vendor, you're hiring them to perform a task. However, if you decide to 'skimp' on certain vendors - such as the Wedding Planner (for any reason, with the biggest concern being budgetary constraints), you're stretching the vendors onsite so thin, that they could lose magical moments in their original task!

Have you ever been to a Wedding that didn't have a Planner? And you know it when you see it because - Mom is a sweaty stressbucket, the Photographer is draping linen on guest tables, the DJ is driving the bridal party to reception in a limo, then list goes on. It's not always pretty, Mom's anxiety id through the roof, the Photographer missed some important photos of family members and the DJ should be behind the booth managing the tunes!! The Wedding Planner is there to enhance the experience and worry about all the nitty gritty.

Listen in as we go over why having a Planner onsite ensures you're other Vendors can do their job efficiently, and how Micro weddings have changed how we all work together!

Erin Fraser
Erin on Insta'
( Vancouver DJ Company and the Waltz! )

Well!! We made it to 2021, Woo! And we thought we'd recap 2020 with a breakdown of the last wedding we did for the season.

Wooooof. This wedding was, a labour of love. In every sense of the word. Ashley and Graeme were absolute troopers leading up to their day, with countless venue changes and protocol updates from the BC Provincial Government. They trusted us to ensure the day happened, and we were so honoured to be part of it.

Listen in as we walk you through the challenges and the solutions that happened to ensure this wedding went ahead. It's important to be open and to openly work with your Vendor team. Trust in us, we're here for you.  Cuz at the end of the day, we're going to get you married!!

 Ashley + Graeme on Rocky Mountain Bride

Thank you for following along as we interview some of the top Vendors in the Wedding industry, here in Vancouver. Regardless of where you live in the world, these episodes will hopefully give you some insight into some of the things to think about when your first engaged and planning your wedding. 

Episode #2: Why it’s important to hire your Photographer asap - with Victoria Black of The Wildhearts Collective

Episode #3: Why choosing the path of a healthier lifestyle is far better than a crash wedding diet - with Ryan Miske of Coach by RD and Theresa Lopez Vivere Forever

Episode #4: Booking an All-inclusive venue versus a Stand-alone venue - with Laura Nolan of Pinnacle at the Pier Hotel

Episode #5: Offsite Catering and getting to customize it all - with Jennifer Fryer of Lazy Gourmet

Episode #6: How to get the “Glow” for your big day - with Leah LaVanway of Essence of L Medi Spa

We learned so much with each episode, that it's inspiring us to help you even more! For those of you in the Vancouver area, don't forget to check out The Love Brunch! This intimate and interactive event (with very limited seats) is an opportunity for you to listen to some of Vancouver's amazing Wedding Vendors as we guide you through the first steps to planning your wedding. You're engaged! Now What?! Join us on January 17, 2021 and we'll get you started! Tickets are sold by the pair!