Wow Your Guests With Amazing Party Set-ups!

When it comes to planning your wedding, don’t leave out one of the most important and memorable details! Don’t forget to talk to your DJ about their gear set-up for your wedding! After all, you’ve spent months, or years planning every last detail when it comes to your big day, so don’t leave this important detail out. After all, your DJ literally brings the party to your reception, as such, their set-up should both complement and enhance your party décor!

Presentation, Presentation, Presentation!

Here at SCE we’re all about presentation! We believe that our set-up – no matter how amazing and elaborate – should complement and enhance your décor aesthetic. So, DJ booths, light scaping, party lighting, CO2 guns, media displays and safe indoor spark fountains…big yes! But, a messy set-up, dangling cords or broken gear…no way!

Setting The Party Vibe

The right DJ set-up should add to the vibe of the party, and increase your guests anticipation for the night to come; while the architectural light scaping, monogram projection and specialty lighting effects will have an immediate wow factor when your guests first enter your reception space.

Enhance, Enhance, Enhance!

We’ve all been to parties where the DJ was reading the crowd and influencing the mood of the party like a master party conductor! Those parties tend to loom large in our memories. At SCE parties like that are our bare minimum, and after that we add extra oomph with enhancements. 

Step-up To The DJ Booth

At SCE we have an extensive and ever expanding catalog of DJ booths and DJ furniture. We have a party set-up to fit every vibe you could dream of. Going for a crispy clean pedestal style set-up with minimal lighting? We can do that! Looking to create a Vegas style nightclub experience for your guests? We can certainly do that! Looking to incorporate media displays to the DJ booth, for visuals, music videos, or a day-of wedding slideshow during dinner? Sounds great! We can absolutely do that!

Get In On The Action

At SCE we love couples who want to take the reins a little and get in on the action! And, I’ll let you in on a little secret… The couples who are willing to get out and rock the dance floor, shoot the Co2 gun, borrow a microphone for a little sing-along action, or step-up to the DJ booth to help hype the crowd, always have the best parties! That’s because if you’re all in on your celebration, your guests will be too, and you’ll all experience a once in a lifetime happening! Sounds pretty special right?!

Create Memories That Will Last a Lifetime!

If after reading this article you’re starting to feel pumped about your upcoming wedding, and you can feel creative wedding ideas bubbling up, get in touch! Here at SCE we love to help couples create some of the most amazing wedding reception experiences that the world has to offer! You could call us a one-stop wedding party shop! Let us – with all our vast experience and leading industry knowledge – create a core life and wedding experience for you, your sweetheart and all your nearest, dearest and rowdiest!

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Hosting a Spooky Halloween Wedding, Yes or No?!

I know it’s only August, and it’s still full summer, but we’ve been slowly starting to see Halloween decor and costumes arrive in stores and ads popping up online. And, truthfully, all of this has us thinking about Halloween weddings! OooOoo… Spooky!

First things first…are you interested in having a Halloween wedding, or hosting a wedding on Halloween? Because there’s a big difference between the two! If you’re planning on hosting a wedding on October 31st and not embracing the Halloween theme, you might want to think twice, and pick a different day not so imbued with its own lore and meaning.

If you decide to host your wedding on October 31st, chances are high that guests will be expecting the theme to be based around the holiday, and if that’s not your plan, you will have to be explicitly clear what your expectations are for your big day. Also, you may have guests with small children, or those that host their own annual Halloween parties that will be unlikely to attend your reception.

And, we speak from experience. We were once hired for a wedding on October 31st, with a decidedly un-spooky theme. The expectations were communicated to the guests in advance, and the guest list ended up being much smaller than the couple had anticipated! The party unfortunately ended up being a bit of a bust!

Spooky Wedding Celebration Ideas

Now… if you’ve decided to embrace the Halloween gala theme and go all in, what can you do to really rock your reception? Well, we’ve got a few ideas. Keep reading to find out!

Let your venue set the tone

If you want to really embrace the spooky tone of the day, a secluded estate or castle wedding would be perfect! Imagine your guests rolling up to a dramatically lit mansion, with spooky doormen. The mood for the night would be set! 

Here are a couple of venues to consider: 

Oheka Castle Hotel & Estate 

Just imagine the spooky possibilities of hosting one of the most important days of your lives, at America’s grandest castle. You and your guests can savor award-winning cuisine and dance the night away as celebrities, dignitaries, and heads of state once did during the golden age of the Roaring Twenties.

Park Chateau Estate & Gardens

This grand wedding venue will allow your guests to step right into the pages of a classic French Novel. They’ll be bowled away by the impressive Versaille like architecture, and gorgeous fountain and reflecting pool. The Estate is also located in East Brunswick, NJ, making it an ideal midway point for many families and friends in the tristate area.

Use Dramatic lighting effects

When it comes to planning a Halloween wedding, dramatic lighting – think pillars uplifted with red, and dance floor lights with a fire effect – and special effects will be your best friends! Just think, you could have your first dance with spooky fog rolling across the dancefloor. Or, you could make a magical grand entrance surrounded by safe spark fountains. And, since the sun will set by 6pm, you can get the most bang for your decor buck, by having your guests arrive for an evening ceremony, that flows directly into cocktails, dinner and then dancing. 

Hiring actors or over-the-top wedding entertainment

Chances are, if you’re thinking of hosting a Halloween wedding, you likely have a vivid imagination and a flair for the dramatic! But, not every guest will have the same ability! So, hiring actors or spooky impersonators to greet your guests, or mingle with them during cocktail hour might help create an immersive experience for your guests and draw them into the spooky party vibe. Or, maybe you want to hire performers to entertain your guests after dinner… think contortionists, creepy clowns, glow-in-the dark skeleton dancers.

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Do You Love Surprises?! Then Maybe a Surprise Wedding Is For You!

Can you picture this?! Your nearest and dearest friends and family arrive for (what they think is) your engagement party and, surprise! They are really there to be a guest at your wedding! Whatever your reasons, a surprise wedding can be an appealing alternative to a more traditional wedding ceremony and reception. Maybe you’re looking to avoid the drama (or expectations) of a traditional wedding, maybe you and your fiancé are unconventional by nature and want a wedding that celebrates that, or maybe you are simply working with a smaller budget and want to generate the very biggest bang for your buck!

We see more and more couples these days that wish to avoid a drawn out affair but still want something special. Many are forgoing more traditional nuptials for a surprise party that they spring on their guests with a clever ruse! And, really, what could be easier than inviting all your nearest and dearest to another big party, to keep up pretenses?! While all of that is amazing, it will still require quite a bit of work behind the scenes! You might even still want to enlist the services of a wedding planner to make sure that everything goes off without any hiccups!

Be Sure a Surprise Wedding Is Right for You

First things first! Before you and your fiancé start drafting your secret wedding plans, take some time brainstorming about your wedding day expectations. That will give you time to see if you and your partner are (really) both okay with giving up some of the more traditional pre-wedding festivities and gifts. Also, deciding to bypass a conventional wedding an often means missing out on some of the pre-wedding fun that goes along with it, like having a bridal shower, bachelorette or bachelor party, or wedding rehearsal dinner!

But, if you do decide that you’re the type of couple that really doesn’t want all the fuss, attention or pressure of planning a huge wedding, then you may just hit the jackpot with your sneaky plan!

Keep Everyone On a Need To Know Basis

The whole goal of your plan is to keep things under wraps until the big moment by only telling the people you absolutely must, such as your wedding vendors and their staff, and possibly your maid of honor and best man. This is where hiring a great team of professional wedding vendors could really work in your favor! After all, you won’t really be able to ask a lot of friends or family to help with the plan, but you’re definitely going to need help! 

Another consideration… In our opinion, sharing the secret with both sets of parents could be a good idea! Even if you just break the news the day before! This might be especially relevant if you’re worried about how they might react on your wedding day. Plus, they might be really excited and thrilled to be part of the planning, and in on the big secret.

Getting Your Guests There

To give credence to your ruse, you’ll need a big party-worthy occasion, to draw attention away from your secret upcoming wedding! Events such as milestone birthdays or maybe even your engagement would work! This will drive home the importance of your guests’ attendance at your party without showing your hand. 

Also, your cover story and invitation style should match your actual event in both kind and formality. For example, don’t use a casual barbecue as your ruse if you’re planning on hosting a formal cocktail party.  Another tip when planning your secret wedding is sending out the invites 4-6 weeks, and well in advance of your shindig. That invite timeline will seem more in keeping with a Birthday, Anniversary or Engagement party, rather than a wedding invitation. This will serve as another deflection, because who sends out their wedding invitation 4 weeks before a party?!

Logistics Are Still Important!

Even with a surprise wedding, you’ll still need to take care of all the traditional wedding basics,  like getting your marriage license and hiring your officiant, and taking care of any permits you might require. You’ll also need to hire your caterer and (very important… wink, wink) your entertainment. Also, think about the style of ceremony and reception you want, what kind of changes will you need to make to keep it concealed?! And, even though you’re sending invites out fairly late, you will need to have an approximate guest count when you meet with your caterer. That way they can work with you to create a delicious menu that will complement your party size and vibe, and be able to give you a more accurate quote in the first place.

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Jason Jani’s Top 50 Father Daughter Dance Songs

Arguably one of the most touching moments of any reception (aside from the couple’s first dance) is the sweet, tear-jerking father-daughter dance. To commemorate this meaningful tradition, you’re going to want a song that reflects your one-of-a-kind bond. But finding that perfect tune can be tricky! 

Lucky for you, we’ve compiled a list of Jason Jani’s top 50 father-daughter dance songs. From heartfelt classics to upbeat anthems, this list is sure to have a hit you and your dad can groove to.   

1. “My Girl,” by The Temptations 
2. “In My Life,” by The Beatles 
3. “My Little Girl,” by Tim McGraw 
4. “Dance With My Daughter,” by Jason Blaine
5. “God Only Knows,” by The Beach Boys 
6. “I Loved Her First,” by Heartland 
7. “Isn’t She Lovely,” by Stevie Wonder 
8. “Daughters,” by John Mayer 
9. “Sweet Pea,” by Amos Lee 
10. “How Sweet It Is,” by James Taylor 
11. “Butterfly Kisses,” by Bob Carlisle 
12. “Humble and Kind,” by Tim McGraw 
13. “Lullabye,” by Billy Joel 
14. “Godspeed,” by The Chicks 
15. “Cinderella,” by Steven Curtis Chapman 
16. “Stealing Cinderella,” by Chuck Wicks
17. “I’ll Be Your Man,” by Zac Brown Band 
18. “Wildflowers,” by Tom Petty 
19. “Shining Star,” by The Manhattans 
20. “Landslide,” by Fleetwood Mac
21. “Father and Daughter,” by Paul Simon 
22. “She’s Everything,” by Brad Paisley 
23. “Never Alone,” by Jim Brickman and Lady A 
24. “Just the Way You Are,” by Billy Joel 
25. “Somewhere Over the Rainbow,” by Israel Kamakawiwo’ole 
26. “When You Need Me,” by Bruce Springsteen
27. “I Love You This Big,” by Scotty McCreery 
28. “Your Song,” by Elton John 
29. “Stand By Me,” by Tracy Chapman 
30. “You’ll Be In My Heart,” by Phil Collins 
31. “Only One,” by Kanye West and Paul McCartney 
32. “Don’t Blink,” by Kenny Chesney 
33. “You are the Sunshine of My Life,” by Stevie Wonder 
34. “Daughter,” by London Wainwright III 
35. “I Hope You Dance,” by Lee Ann Womack 
36. “Walk With You,” by Edwin McCain 
37. “Daddy,” by Beyoncé 
38. “Someone to Watch Over Me,” by Amy Winehouse 
39. “Dance With My Father,” by Luther Vandross 
40. “It Won’t Be Like This For Long,” by Darius Rucker 
41. “Sweet Child of Mine,” by Orleya 
42. “There You’ll Be,” by Faith Hill 
43. “You’ve Got a Friend in Me,” by Randy Newman 
44. “My Wish,” by Rascal Flatts 
45. “Days Like This,” by Van Morrison 
46. “You Are The Best Thing,” by Ray LaMontagne 
47. “Hero,” by Mariah Carey 
48. “The Way You Look Tonight,” by Frank Sinatra 
49. “What a Wonderful World,” by Louis Armstrong 
50. “Have I Told You Lately,” by Van Morrison 

For a complete list of Jason Jani’s top father-daughter dance songs, visit his Spotify playlist!  

Still Can’t Decide? 

At SCE Event Group we can help you find the one, perfect song that embodies your unique father-daughter bond. Our seasoned entertainment professionals will meet with you, ask about your musical preferences and bring their own expertise to the table. Contact us today to learn more about our team and services!

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Relationship Advice: It’s Not Just About The Wedding

You’re getting married! Fantastic! We know that you’re excited and eager to get started on your wedding planning journey! But, we also want you to remember that although you want to have an epic celebration, it should never come at the cost of the peace and harmony of your relationship. After all, a wedding – as wonderful as they are  – is just one day, but a marriage is for a lifetime! So, here’s a few tips to smooth out the process and stay focused on what’s truly important!

Have an Initial Brainstorming Session

You and your fiancé might have entirely different ideas when it comes to planning and hosting a wedding and reception. The point of a brainstorming session is to see each other’s ideas/expectations in a free form, non-judgmental way. So get some paper and pens and write down every idea and expectation you’ve entertained for your wedding. You might find that your ideas naturally grow, and evolve as you share them, maybe even coming to a place somewhere in the middle. This is your starting point! You can even make it into a fun date night… just open your favorite bottle of vino and make (or order) a charcuterie platter before you get started! No one does their best work when they’re hungry!

Start Talking Guests lists

This one might take a while and can at times be a little emotional! Between both of your – and your family’s – expectations, and the opinions of your friends, it’s easy for a guest list to get out of hand! So, expect to create more than one list, and be prepared to refine it, maybe more than once, so you can create a reception with the vibe and experience you’re after, without breaking the budget! Also, the number of attendees will directly influence your venue and pretty much every other budgetary consideration.

Set Your Budget… And Stick With It!

We get it, you both want your wedding reception to be the ultimate celebration of your love, and the start of your new lives together! And, we think that’s fantastic! But, the reality is that you will have to make priorities and possibly a few adjustments when it comes to your reception. After all, you don’t want to start your lives together paying off a mountain of debt! So, pick the things that are most important to you, like having a wicked DJ and photo booth, wink, wink, and dispense with the things that may be less impactful like wedding favors or other small décor elements.

Take Time to Reconnect

We know there’s a lot going on, but don’t forget to spend some time away from the wedding planning, and take some time to remember why you’re getting married in the first place. Go for an evening walk, go out to brunch, go for a bike ride through the city, take a dance class together or simply snuggle on the couch and look into each other’s eyes. Your relationship is the most important thing! So focus on your biggest wedding priorities, be willing to let a few things go, enlist help from your friends and family to reduce the workload, and remember that some of the things you’re fretting about now will hardly be remembered by your first, fifth, tenth or fiftieth wedding anniversary!

Enjoy!

This is really the most important tip on the list! This wedding planning experience might be a lot of work, but it should also be fun! So, embrace whatever you need to, to make this experience a relationship enriching one! If any element is creating undue stress, reconsider its place at your celebration, if you decide that it’s a ‘non-negotiable’ consider hiring or asking someone to help you… Maybe a wedding planner, possibly a super organized friend or bridesmaid, or maybe you can offset some of the workload by hiring reliable and professional wedding vendors and doing less DIY for your big day!

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5 Grand Entrance Ideas To Rock Your Reception

So… you’ve said your “I do’s,” and your ceremony has come to a close, now it’s onto the party! While your ceremony is every bit as important (some would say, the most important), your wedding reception is where you get to celebrate your nuptials in whatever way you so choose!

So, whether you and your sweetie are planning a cocktail hour, a fancy sit-down dinner, or maybe even a beach party, making your grand entrance will help to set the tone for your reception and can help get the party started!

To that end… are you and your new spouse hoping to make a grand, surprising, jaw-dropping entrance, or are you simply planning something traditional or meaningful? No matter what you decide, and what your comfort level is, there are lots of great options for every couple. After all, this is going to be your first introduction as a married couple. Why not make it special?

Start The Reception Dancing!

You can have your DJ or MC announce your grand entrance, and play one of your favorite bumping dance songs! For extra effect, how about choreographing a little dance for you and your bridal party! If you’re ready to shake your groove thang, then this option may be for you! 

Reception Dance Train!

Maybe you want to enter the room conga line style with your bridal party, creating a winding path through the room, picking up guests along the way! The Conga line is over when every guest is up! Then once everyone is on the dance floor, your DJ or MC can officially introduce you as a married couple, to the cheers and applause of your guests!

Mariachi Time!

Whether you are planning a destination wedding and want to embrace the local culture, you want to celebrate and embrace your heritage or that of your new spouse, or you simply love mariachi music, you’re sure to bring the party with this grand entrance!

Take The Stairs!

If your reception space has stairs, be sure to utilize them! You could dress them up with overflowing bouquets or greenery, or keep things plain and simple if you prefer. Either way, a grand entrance down a grand staircase is sure to draw all eyes to the two of you as you enter the venue for the first time as a married couple. You’re sure to feel like the romantic leads in your very own romcom!

Dramatic Sparkler Entrance!

Planning on hosting an evening ceremony followed by a cocktail reception?! While a grand exit with sparklers is an ever popular idea, you can also do it in reverse! Our indoor fireworks add a dramatic WOW factor and set the stage for a truly magical reception experience!

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5 Reasons Why It’s Best To Hire a Professional Photo Booth Company!

We know the celebrations can be pricey, so we understand the appeal of freeing up some space in your – maybe larger than anticipated – party budget.  But, if having a proper photo booth experience at your event is important to you, that’s one area of the budget you don’t want to skimp on! In the big scheme of things, hiring a professional photo booth company generally only adds a relatively small amount to your overall budget, but that small outlay can and will  make a BIG difference at your party! Let us show you a few reasons why it’s a good idea to hire a professional like Snapshot Photobooths, which is a branch of SCE Event Group.

The Savings Will be Less Than You Think… Really!

After you finish going through the work of sourcing or making a backdrop, buying a nice variety of props, figuring out proper lighting (external flashes? studio lights?) and which camera to use (including remote triggers), your savings will be slim to none. In fact, it might even cost you more, depending on what you’re after! Not to mention all the time and energy you will have invested; meanwhile, a professional photo booth company will already have everything they need on hand to do your event! Also, they’ll have high quality/commercial versions of all of the necessary gear, which means the gear itself will be more reliable! Quality is of utmost importance, after all, it impacts the way you and your guests perceive your photo booth experience. But, it’s really not just about the gear! Professional companies will also have a history of experience setting up and running the booth. All of that comes together to mean that a professional won’t be trouble-shooting problems at your event when they could be taking photos!

No Offense… But It Probably Won’t Be As Good!

Not trying to insult anybody with that statement, just making our (very informed) opinion known! People really do always start their do-it-yourself photo booths with the best of intentions, but tend to find out rather quickly that sourcing all the materials they’ll need is both quite expensive and time consuming! And, that’s before we’ve talked about printing your photo booth photos! So, if your guests receiving prints at your event is important to you, and if your guests receiving quality prints is more important, it’s best to hire a professional! In the end, why go to all that expense to be left with an end product much less satisfying than the real deal? Your money, time and energy – all valuable commodities –  are truly better spent hiring a professional company and leaving everything to them! Trust us!

The Printing Is Complicated to DIY

With a DIY photo booth, you’re very unlikely to be able to offer your guests prints to take home at your event, due to the rather complicated process of taking the photos from the camera, and formatting them into a customizable and instantly printable format. And, trust us  – we’ve been to a LOT of events – the truth of it is that people LOVE the instant gratification of taking home photo booth prints!. For some guests, it’s really all about the prints, and many of them leave with a stack of photo booth prints, sometimes enough to cover their entire fridge doors, or tuck into every book as a bookmark! Photo booth prints are simply put, a great take home remembrance of your party for both you and your guests, and they could be used as a replacement for traditional wedding favors! 

Good Props Are Actually Pretty Expensive!

We’ve been to a LOT of parties, so we can attest to the fact that people really LOVE photo booth props! They’re entertaining! They’re bright! They invite you to Play! They can even act as an ice-breaker for some of your shyer or more reserved guests who aren’t keen on being the center of attention. They can also be a fun tool to unleash your guests’ creative potential, while also serving to get them into party mode! But, here’s the kicker! Props can also be kind of  expensive, especially when you’re building a collection from scratch!  Meanwhile, a professional photo booth company will have already invested the capital in a large variety of high quality props and signs. So if you were to do the math, and add up the cost of a comparable amount of props, in a comparable quality, that a professional brings out to their events, it would end up being pretty darn expensive! Why go to that expense and trouble? Hire a professional instead!

Do You Need One More Thing to Worry About On Your Big Day?

Weddings include SO many details, a mind boggling amount, so you really have enough to think about already! The last thing that should be occupying your mind, or causing worry on your big day is setting-up and running your photo booth! We also don’t think it should be the responsibility of one of your guests either, after all, you want everyone to enjoy your day, and it’s a big ask to leave the photo booth in the hands of a guest!  You, your new spouse and your nearest and dearest have memories to make, not a bunch of spare time to spend managing the photo booth!! 

But, when you hire a professional photo booth company they’ll take care of all of that work for you! They’ll show up at their scheduled time, get the booth set-up, run the booth throughout the night, engage with and help your guests with their sessions, make sure the whole thing runs smoothly, and pack up and haul their gear away at the end of the booking The best part is that it will all just happen. all without you lifting a finger, after all…It’s their business to ensure you and your guests have a wonderful photo booth experience!

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