Mustache Mania

No longer reserved for the Off Beat Bride, mustache mania has swept the wedding community with its clever photo opts and wide variety of accessories. Check out a few of our favorite Mustache Musts:

The wedding couple sporting the 'stache.

Share the fun with your guests.

Register for these fun mugs at Up Town Avenue.

Table Names? Very cool!

And of course, the sweets! I'm lovin' these mustache cookies!

Does this facial hair trend fit the Michigan Bride? Click here to share with us!

www.mikestaff.com

Email us or call (248) 689-0777

Become a Facebook fan.

Cool Custom Cuff Links

Customizing your wedding is a must. All your girls are dressed to a "T" - of course matching the theme and color scheme. But what about those groomsmen?

If you're not one of those converse wearing weddings, try this classy, and subtle touch: Custom Cuff Links

Everyone loves a little Betty White

Or tie in your sports theme with your favorite sports arena. This one is from Yankee Stadium.

Or how about a tech-y theme?

See all these and over 500 more at Etsy.com.

A Halloween Theme

The best way to keep your wedding looking uniform and fun is to stick with a theme and a color scheme.

Check out this Halloween themed wedding board.

When working with a theme, make sure it stays classy and not over the top cheesy.

No go eat your leftover Halloween candy.

Iggy Pop Crashes MSP Wedding

Any wedding reception with a Mike Staff Productions DJ and a Shutterbooth Photo Booth is bound to be an awesome night, but add in All-American (or should I say an All-Detroit) rocker Iggy Pop, and the night will have memories to share.

Check out this pic from a wedding we DJ'd last week.

Definitely a wedding for the MSP history book! We dig it!

Video Of The Week: Scott and Kristy

The wait is over! It’s time for……. VIDEO – OF – THE – WEEK (In my game show host voice)!

This week’s video comes from Scott and Kristy who were married on July 31 at St. Corneilus with a reception to follow at Twin Lakes Golf and Swim Club.

I love the fun choice of music here. You just know there is a great party to follow.

Did you catch those groomsmen getting down?!? Talk about a fun night!

Click here to capture all those priceless moments with wedding videography from Mike Staff Productions.

Put A Ring On It

That is exactly what these guys did!

Our Marketing Manager, Marta, has been on location getting all the juicy details from Detroit Area brides, and now we are back to report how ridiculously, romantic those details are.

Take a peek at these happy, newly engaged couples dish their proposal stories:

Isn't great how unique all these stories are?

Share how your man put a ring on it below or click here to start planning your wedding details.

Voted Best DJ in Metro Detroit

Detroit has voted and once again the incredible team of DJs at Mike Staff Productions has won WDIV-TV Channel 4’s “Click On Detroit Best Of” Contest for the 4th consecutive year (and every year that they had the contest)!

Thank you to all our brides, grooms, and vendor friends who thought us worthy of winning. Thank you as well to our all our DJs for your deep desire to make your brides happy, your hard work, commitment, and super-human DJ/MC abilities!

While the best gauge of how well our DJs are doing always comes from the “hug at the end of the night” … it is still extremely rewarding to be recognized publicly. I am so very honored to be able to lead such an incredibly talented group of people. Thank you for making it all worthwhile.

Video of the Week: Anthony and Ann Marie

Our second Video of the Week comes from Anthony and Ann Marie. Their wedding was July 17,2010 with the Ceremony at St. Columban and the Reception at Addison Oaks. The outdoor romantics are just beautiful. Enjoy!

Click here to capture all your wedding moments with a Mike Staff Productions Videographer.

Cartoon Your Wedding Details

For years brides have been personalizing their wedding with custom monograms and color schemes, but a new trend popping up just this year is the custom cartoon. Check out these sugar cut out found on The Knot:

So creative and personal.

Our in house bride, Marta used them to personalize her wedding invites stationary, too.

Capture all your custom details with a Mike Staff Photographer.

Click here to start choosing yours!

Strut Your Style

Your wedding is your day to make a statement about you and your man's love, style and personality. Check out the recent wedding of Victoria and Stephen. They owned their personal style in all their fun wedding details.

Look at those custom cloth bouquets.

This face is just priceless!

Computer chip boutonnières? Maybe new trend!

Embroidered converses. Comfy and totally rockin'!

More Celebrity Weddings This Summ

Not that I am a huge Hilary Duff fan, but you have to give this girl props for going from Disney child star to functioning member of society (no Lohan drama here.)

The 22 year star wed boyfriend of two years, NHLer Mike Comrie Saturday night in an intimate candle light ceremony in Santa Barbara. Of course Hilary donned a beautiful Vera Wang dress.

Not to get mushy, but even in these blurry images she looks like a beautiful Disney Princess.

Graffiti Wedding Proposal

We love great proposal stories, but this one tops the chart for creativity, uniqueness, and just being flat out cool. Check it out…

Want to capture your one-of-a-kind proposal?

Click here to start planning your unique video.

Staycation: "The New Budget Vacation"

Is wedding planning getting the best (and worst) of you and your fiancé? With all your finances tied up in wedding planning, a relaxing vacation is not anywhere in your crystal ball. Or is it!?! Why not try a "staycation?"

The word "staycation" is a combination of stay (meaning stay-at-home) and vacation. The term "daycation" is also sometimes used.

Benefits

Staycations do not have the stress associated with travel, such as packing, long drives, or waits at airports. It is also a great opportunity to try that new Greek restaurant downtown, visit your city's museums (haven't been to them since your second grade class trip), and to boost your local economy without breaking your budget.

Beware
As a staycationer you are close to your place of employment. Do not be tempted to go to work or stay connected. Balance these temptations by strictly adhering to rules that make the experience feel like a real get-away, such as "no checking email".

Get Started
1. Map out the dates and time of your vacation. For example: Friday at 4:30 you are officially staycating!
2. Make your Rule List. For Example: No more emails or facebooking. Try no chores, too. (Yipee!)
3. Plan your activities. You risk not doing anything new if you don't plan your day trips.
4. Take Pictures! You are on staycation after all. Document all your fun!

Want to ease wedding planning stress?

Click here to bundle and save with Mike Staff Productions.

Honeymoon Adventure: Walk Across America

Looking for a unique honeymoon adventure? Why not walk across America?

A video of a man footing it coast to coast from the Brooklyn Bridge to the Golden Gate Bridge was this weekend’s viral sensation. It racked up over a half-a-million views since its debut less than a week ago.

The video is popular not just because it’s a jaunt past American landmarks, but because of a unique visual effect created by a combination of stop-motion and time-lapse video. The finished project consists of 2,770 still frames shot over 14 days. The filmmakers actually traveled cross-country in an RV, “living on the Gatorade diet” and stopping at scenic places along the way to do their shoots.

Check out the shot of their Google Map:



Sound like your kind of honeymoon?

Whistle While You Work - or Plan Your Wedding

Planning your wedding can feel like a full time job, so why not whistle while you work with this small collection of our favorite whistle-enabled songs.

Want one of these songs played at your wedding reception?

Click here to start planning your "Must Play List."

Welcome to the D

Everyone who knows me knows I am a huge Detroit fan (2 shouts out to D Town!). When I heard about this Detroit themed wedding, I knew I had to share it with all you Detroit Area brides.

To start the wedding weekend, out-of-town guest were greeted with welcome bags saying, "Welcome to the D." The bags were stuffed with local goodies like Better Made chips, Faygo, and local sports teams' memorabilia.

The theme continued at the reception with table names such as Belle Isle, Cobo Hall, Joe Louis Arena, The Whitney, Renaissance Center, Detroit Opera House, and more.

If that wasn't Detroit enough for you, Paws from the Detroit Tigers made a surprise entrance to none other than "Eye of Tiger." – great choice from MSP DJ, Kevin Joint. Paws was even kind enough to pop in the Shutterbooth for 15 minutes with people.

I would love to see those film strips!

Hot Tracks for Your Reception

Who isn't loving this awesome, summer weather?!? To keep the fun going, and help you get to the weekend faster check out the Number 1 song right now, "California Gurls" by Katy Perry and Snoop Dogg.



Want this song played at your wedding reception?

Click here to start planning!

A Party Fit for the Red Wings

Check out this email I got from one of our DJs about a recent wedding he worked for Red Wings defenseman Doug Janik.

"Great crowd, lots of oldies, Motown and 80's music. At 1am, I thanked the guests and turned the music off. The guests went crazy and were chanting "One More Song" over and over. It was loud! I tried to explain that the hall said we were done at 1am and I couldn’t play anymore, but the crowd just got louder. Finally a hall representative came over to me and suggested I keep playing. We finally shut the music down around 1:30 and everyone was happy. Great ending to a great night."

Sounds like a party I want to be at!

Do you want a wedding reception fit for a Red Wing?

Click here to start planning yours.

Congrats Mr. and Mrs. Turnbull!

Congratulations are in order for our Marketing Manager, Marta, and her new husband Jimmy Turnbull.

Check out these great pics from her wedding:

You may kiss the bride.

Who doesn't dig guys in kilts?

Check out those massive balloons!! How Cool!

At the marina in beautiful Traverse City, Mi.

Congratulations you two! Enjoy your new lives together!

Custom Wedding Stamps

Every bride knows the anxiety of heading to the post office, ready to get those Save-the-Dates in the mail for her summer wedding, and all the post office has is polar bear stamps – that's right polar bears! What will people think when your summer themed wedding has polar bear stamps!?!

Ok, so maybe I'm over reacting, but check out these custom stamps that people will really talk about…

All you have to do is upload your favorite picture, text or both. You could even make a custom stamp for your Thank You cards, and use a favorite shot from your wedding.

Click here to get your custom stamps or go to www.zazzle.com/custom/stamps.

Photo Monatge: Michal and Josh

Check out this just in photo montage. I love this location!

Photographed May 30, 2010

Ceremony Location: Troy Marriott

Reception Location: Troy Marriott

Michal & Josh from Mike Staff Productions, Inc. on Vimeo.

Custom Cake Toppers by Ginger Babies

In the world of weddings, DIY details rule! Or at least things that look Do-It-Yourself. I think that is where the phenomenon known as Esty.com comes in.

Our in-house, bride-to-be, Marta, found just the DIY looking detail to "top" off her wedding planning.

Check out this custom made wedding topper from Ginger Babies on Etsy.com:

Modeled after Marta's dress and hair, and even her husband-to-be's Scottish Kilt. So cool!

Click here to get your custom made cake topper from Ginger Babies on Etsy.com. You will love them.

Sex and The City Music for Your Wedding

Your groom may not love the idea of a whole Sex and the City-themed wedding, but I'm sure you can sneak in a few songs from the show.

In honor of Sex and The City 2, here is a playlist of some favorite wedding-appropriate songs from the show.

Are any of these songs making your "Must Play List?"

Click here to start planning you wedding reception entertainment.

All weddings are unique, full of tradition and rich in personal style. I wanted to spotlight the wedding of Sachin and Suma for this exact reason. What a great couple!!

Check out their wedding highlight video. It really is eye and ear candy!

The Wedding of Sachin & Suma from Mike Staff Productions, Inc. on Vimeo.

I love the music, color, and culture in their wedding video!

Their ceremony and reception were held at The Ritz-Carlton in Dearborn, Michigan.

Sports Illustrated vs. ESPN

I received an email today from Rachel Cytacki of All Things Creative. We now have the honor of sharing the insight of her husband, Dan, a wedding enthusiast. Dan's insight into the wedding industry is impeccable, and to be honest, I couldn't have said it better myself.

Question: If you had a subscription to Sports Illustrated, do you think that would mean you’d no longer want to watch ESPN?

Recently, while working at a bridal show, our booth was near a videographer and I was amazed by the number of brides that told him, “I don’t need a videographer, we have a photographer”

Here are a couple of analogies that came to mind after hearing what the brides told this gentleman...

“What kind of drinks will you be serving?”
“We aren’t serving drinks; we’re going to have food instead”

“I notice there are no chairs for your guests”
“Yeah, we decided to go with tables”

“Where did you meet you’re husband?”
“We haven’t met yet but I’ve seen a ton of pictures”

Ok, maybe I’m overstating things a bit, but in my years of wedding experience, I’ve never heard a couple say “I’m really glad we don’t have a video of the day.” Pictures are wonderful.  I’ve been lucky to work with some of the best photographers around, but there are aspects of the day no photo can capture.

While watching the sample work at the show, there was a great moment captured by the videographer I hope will help you understand where I am coming from. The Bride is putting on her veil, getting ready to head to the church. The camera cuts to her father standing in the hallway seeing his daughter in her wedding dress for the first time. He’s smiling and holding back tears. He moves into the room to hug her. As the father puts his arms around his daughter we can no longer see his face, until the camera pans around the bride to reveal that he’s lost his battle to keep back the tears. He’s beaming with pride as the tears role down his face.

On a side note: here I am. Standing at our booth at a bridal show. Watching this, and thinking about my own daughter crying.

This is just one moment in a day full of moments you’ll want to have, keep, and share with your children and grandchildren.

You probably won't pull the DVD out on a Saturday night when you don't have plans or want to stay in, but wouldn't it be nice to have the option. I think it would be really cool to see my parents wedding, and their wedding was so basic. Weddings have come a long way over the years and being able to document the day is priceless.

About the Author ('s wife)

Rachel Cytacki has been in the wedding industry for over 12 years. With that time comes a wealth of knowledge and relationships making her and All Things Creative a leading choice for wedding and event planning throughout Michigan. Rachel’s goal is to assist you in planning your event so you can enjoy the day with your family and friends.

10 Ways to Have More Fun at Your Wedding Reception

Your wedding ceremony and reception are not intended to be exercises in expert planning and execution, but celebrations of your new life as a married couple. It’s easy to lose sight of the day’s meaning in the clutter of so many preparations. Here are a few suggestions that will help you enjoy your wedding reception …
1. Get a good night’s sleep the night before. Try to plan a day of rest by having everything done two days before the wedding, including your rehearsal dinner. Don’t stay up late addressing party favors or making place cards the night before your wedding. Recharge your batteries by taking a day to breathe and relax while doing regular activities you enjoy.

2. Don’t drink too much (or at all) during the day. If you’re going to drink on your wedding day, wait until you arrive at the hall. Be sure to eat something, too.

3. Wear or bring comfortable shoes. The bride, groom and bridal party should choose great-fitting and low-heeled shoes for the gala affair; or bring a second pair of shoes or slippers that make their feet happy -- especially while dancing.
4. Plan an exit strategy. Ask responsible friends and family members to help you by assigning them end-of-the-night duties, such as removing decorations, taking gifts to a pre-determined destination and settling up with the hall. Parents and trustworthy friends are often asked to handle the latter.

5. Let people come to you. Don’t feel compelled to “hang out” with everyone. Once you’ve finished greeting friends and family during the receiving line or visited with them at their tables, you no longer need to keep them company. Guests will come to you, particularly while you’re on the dance floor.

6. Relax. Don’t sweat the small stuff. Hundreds of details have been planned. How and when they are carried out is mostly out of your control. Let go of things that are not in your power to change. When your best-laid plans go awry, keep things in perspective. Remember that this is one moment of many in a day, and one day of your life. Your sense of humor is your second best friend on your wedding day.
7. Trust your DJ. If everyone isn’t on the dance floor by the second song, don’t start to panic. You can’t rush the party. A great DJ knows how to handle a reluctant crowd and build momentum with the music. Give him some space to do his job, and your patience will be rewarded.

8. Don’t compare: Every party is different. Don't compare your wedding reception with others that you have attended. Each party has its own personality based on a variety of factors. Day-to-day events at home, school, work or in the news can all affect the energy level of the room. Allow your reception to take on its own identity and you'll enjoy it more (and so will your guests!).
9. Spend time with your new husband. A couple can spend so much time apart at their reception, working the room with a “divide and conquer” mindset, that they often forget the day is meant for them. Memories of your wedding reception ought to include moments shared with your new spouse that aren’t staged by a photographer. Make your togetherness a priority, and you’ll save yourself a lifetime of regrets.

10. Dance. Above all, have a great time at your party. Eat, socialize and meet your spouse on the dance floor. Your fun mood is contagious, and guests will follow your lead.

Win Your Dream Wedding!

The Embassy Suites Hotel Livonia is giving away a FREE WEDDING! If you or someone you know has wedding bells in their future enter to win the prize package worth over $15,000!


The package includes a wedding and reception, music, photographer, flowers, wedding cake, custom linens and chair covers, hair and make-up, custom jewelry, a four night honeymoon with a 2010 Lincoln MKS to drive for the week, and much more!!

And of course, Mike Staff Productions will be the DJ’s on what is sure to be one of the best wedding receptions of the year!


Want to have the wedding of your dreams without paying a dime?

Click here to check out the details on how to enter and WIN!!

Shawn Marie Rockwood, Honored for her Photography Work

One of our photographers, Shawn Marie, has been honing her photography skills for over 25 years, but finally worked up the confidence to enter her images into her first Professional Photography competition.

I guess good things come to those who wait because Shawn Marie received the highest total scores for the year, for first time entry from the Professional Photographers of Michigan and was awarded with a full ride scholarship to Great Lakes Institute of Photography. Because of Shawn accumulative scores on her entries, she received the honor of ranking in Michigan's top 7 Photographers.

That's not all! She was one of two people in Michigan who were awarded The Fuji Masterpiece Award for Wedding Photography. She also received the Court of Honor which is awarded to the judges' favorite in of each category in the competition.

She was very excited and honored to receive these awards. She says it has taken her many years of attending print competitions, and awards banquets watching other photographers receive these awards, to have the guts to enter her own images. With the support and encouragement of her mentors she decided this was the year to try. She is "proud and surprised" with the results, and she now has the competition "bug."

She has recently entered 4 prints in the Professional Photographers of America's National Competition, and is anxiously waiting for her results from the Judging at the end of June.

Shawn Marie believes that these photography competitions allow her to fine tune her skills and be the best she can be. She loves seeing her improvement reflect in her wedding photography.

Congrats Shawn Marie, and thanks for always striving to be the best!!

Photo Montages - Perfect for Sharing

Everyone loves looking through wedding albums, and yours will be no different. But for all those people who can’t make the trip to see all your wedding photography, we have a solution…

Photo montages are a great way to show the highlights of your wedding day and the emotions you felt. Have your favorite song played in the background, and it is the perfect way to share your wedding memories with everyone.


Check out one of my favorite Photo Montages...

Brooke & Michael from Mike Staff Productions, Inc. on Vimeo.

10 Mistakes to Avoid when Planning your Wedding Reception

Your wedding day is a time of celebration with light-hearted, good times that create happy memories. Above all, the day is supposed to be fun.

The less stress you feel on your big day, the more fun you'll have. Great planning helps you avoid forgetting important details. Avoid these stumbling blocks that threaten to ruin your happy day:

1. Not prioritizing your budget on the important things. The banquet is over, and now the party begins. If the majority of your reception time will be spent listening to music and dancing, it makes sense to allocate a proportionate amount of your budget to the vendor responsible for your entertainment. Whether it’s a band or a DJ, the key idea here is QUALITY.


2. Not communicating with your vendors. Have a thorough conversation with all of your vendors, and let them know EXACTLY what you expect. Don’t assume that, because they are professionals with years of experience, they automatically know what you want. Each bride’s vision is different. Vendors want to avoid disappointing you, so share the details of your dream with them from the beginning.

3. Not communicating your needs and expectations with your bridal party. Let each person in your bridal party know, prior to your wedding day, where they are supposed to be and when. Important moments at your reception can’t be rehearsed, so prepare a timetable for your bridal party that includes the Grand Entrance, speeches and toasts, bridal dances and any planned photo opportunities. They will be grateful for your organization.

4. Waiting until the last minute. Finish everything on your checklist at least two days before your wedding. You don’t want to be scribbling place cards at 2 a.m. on your wedding day. Give yourself and your groom a task-free day or two before the wedding to relax and rejuvenate.

5. Having too much to drink early in the day or the night before. Not only is it a good idea to avoid alcohol until the final party hours, it’s best to stay hydrated by drinking water or other non-alcoholic beverages. If you can’t resist a good nip, be sure to eat something.

6. Spending too much time taking pictures. There are the photographs of special moments you MUST have, pictures of spontaneous moments that are FUN to have, and staged photos that become a nuisance. Don’t be afraid to say NO to your photographer when you’ve had enough.

7. Losing your perspective. Keep your mind on what the day is about, and on the things and people that are really important to you. Don't get bogged down in so many details that you forget to have FUN! If something goes wrong, try your best to take deep breaths and think about the big picture. Don’t let the little things that might go wrong ruin your night. Above all, keep your sense of humor!

8. Getting stressed or overwhelmed. Eat! Talk! Dance! Have Fun! Keep things simple. After you’ve greeted your guests, let them find you if they wish to visit.

9. Not planning an exit strategy. Assign end-of-the-night tasks to others you trust, so you can leave unburdened. Final duties might include gathering gifts and transporting them “home,” paying the hall, and removing decorations -- including flowers, centerpieces and other wedding notions.

10. Immediately leaving on your honeymoon. Try not to plan a 6 a.m. departure the day after your wedding. Give yourselves a day to recuperate and get your things together. Better yet, go back to work for a week before leaving on your honeymoon.

Great Reception Song: Electric Feel

Is your wedding all about tradition? Or are you looking to put your stamp on how Detroit Weddings should be done?

A great way to make your wedding unique is by choosing music that represents your personality.


Try an eclectic, fun song and really set the mood. How about MGMT’s Electric Feel…




Your bridal dances don’t have to be stuffy and slow like a junior high dance. C'mon, you're fun and one-of-a-kind. Let your music show it, too!

11 Ways to Pack Your Dance Floor (all night long!)

Every bride wants their reception dance floor packed, and years of experience as a wedding entertainer have taught me a few tricks that can make your dance floor vibrate with the celebratory beat of numerous feet. Following these easy tips can make a bit difference in the success of your dance party.

1. Rent a smaller dance floor. A huge dance floor can appear empty, even when a nice-sized crowd is jamming on the floorboards. Smaller dance floors look full faster, ramping up the energy level in the room and giving shy guests the courage they need to join the fun. Rental companies may insist that you need 2.5 square feet per person for your dance floor. Instead, rent a floor that’s 25 percent smaller than the suggested formula. If people want to dance, they’ll do so whether there’s space on the official floor or not. Leave plenty of room around the perimeter, (free of tables and chairs), for additional dancers.

2. Turn the lights down low. A dimly-lit dance area works best. Keep in mind that daylight lasts as late as 10:00 p.m. in the summer months. If the hall’s windows face west, make sure there are shades you can drop or blinds you can close to keep out the last rays of light. Keep an eye on your photographer, who will try to brighten the dance area for picture-taking, and delegate someone to keep a hand on the light switch.

3. Say no to videographers that require “spotlights” on the dance floor. There’s nothing like the sudden glare of a spotlight to make camera-shy guests scurry from the dance floor. New high definition (HD) cameras allow videographers to avoid the use of harsh lights and capture dancers on tape much more unobtrusively. Be sure to ask around and find a videographer that uses HD.

4. Keep the hall doors closed. Busy hallways can be distractions for your guests. Redirect their attention to the dance floor by closing doors that lead to gathering areas outside the room.

5. Locate the bar inside the room, if at all possible. After dinner, the dance area is the focal point for your party. Guests leaving the room for drinks can’t hear the music and won’t be able to dance if their requested songs are played. Placing the bar in the room keeps guests within listening range and able to respond to their favorite songs on the dance floor.
6. Play requests. People like to hear familiar music and dance to their favorite songs. The more your DJ honors song requests, the more likely your dance floor will be filled. Ask him to leave plenty of room in his music schedule for their requests.

7. Keep “do not play” lists to a minimum. You may have a lengthy list of songs you don’t want to hear, but those may be the tunes people are waiting to dance to. Allow your DJ to play the songs that will bring people to their feet, and you and your guests will enjoy a livelier party.

8. Limit your “must play” list. Include most of your requests on a “try to play” list. It’s thrilling to hear lots of your favorite songs at your party, but playing too many takes time away from familiar and requested songs that others are anticipating. Your DJ can sense the crowd’s mood and decide when a song on your “try to play” list will match the feeling. Generously share your music time with your guests, and watch them respond in kind on your dance floor.

9. Put the DJ right next to the dance floor. Don't hide him in a corner or out of the way. In order to do his job well, your DJ must be located where the party action is, not separated from the dance floor by tables, walls or other barriers. You and your guests need easy access to him for announcements and song requests, and he needs a direct line of sight to read cues from the crowd.10. Hire a Great DJ, and then trust him. Each party has its own personality. Some guests may pack the dance floor right away; others may need a little more time to warm up. An experienced wedding DJ has played to every type of audience and knows what works. Give him time to perform his music magic, and you are sure to be enchanted by the results.

11. Get out on the dance floor and DANCE! Your friends and family want to see you have a fantastic time and will take their cues from you. If you and your groom are enjoying yourselves on the dance floor, they’ll want to be there, too.

Videography for you wedding...

Did you know that a recent poll found that less then 20% of brides had videography in their top 10 Must Have Items before their wedding, BUT over 91% wished that had professional, videography after their wedding?

Just so you don't miss out on capturing your once in a lifetime moments, I wanted to give you a sample of a recent wedding highlight video:

The Wedding of Lisa and Chris from Mike Staff Productions, Inc. on Vimeo.

I just love it!! What do you brides think?

Dressing the Parents

I was talking to a bride today, and she is stressing over what her parents are going to wear. Although fashion isn't by forte, I do have some insight on the subject.

This is a big day for parents, but it's not their day. Offer suggestions as to what they wear. They will appreciate your insight. Many Southeast Michigan brides choose colors for the moms that coordinate with the bridesmaids, but don't match exactly. Have your moms try on classy, elegant, but low-key dresses. This will make her feel comfortable and beautiful on your day.

For the dads, having them in the same tuxes or suits as the groomsmen is a great idea. It will look sharp in pictures as well as really make them feel included.

Ending Your Reception on the Right Note

After planning the date, finding the venue and arranging all of the other details needed for a great wedding, you may have thought about the last song you would like to have played at your reception. In my experience it can really put an exclamation point on the end of a terrific night. However, deciding the last song of the night before your wedding day has even arrived can be like calling the last play of a football game before it is has even started. You don’t know what is going to be happening at the end and who will be there. It might be good to have a couple of options.

Ending on a slow song

If there are a lot of couples left at the end of the night and everyone is pretty tired out from the long day of partying, ending the night on a slow song can be fitting. It is usually wise to pick something that all generations will know. You want everyone there together dancing at the end.

Sing Alongs

Playing a group favorite that’s easy to sing along to can be a fun way of ending the night. Once again bridging the generation gap can be essential if you want to have people from all age groups dancing ‘til the end. Some suggested sing-along songs are “Sweet Caroline” by Neil Diamond, and “Friends In Low Places” by Garth Brooks and “Piano Man” by Billy Joel.


They’ll Leave Wanting More

If you have a crowd that is just tearing it up at the end of the night, there is no sense in putting ice in the boiling water. It is best to just let it flow and end on a very high note. It could be your favorite club song that everybody knows. “The Grease Megamix” by Olivia Newton-John and John Travolta is always a fantastic song that your guests will be singing all the way home.



I Just Don’t Know

If you cannot think of anything to have played at the end, the disc jockey usually has something good in his back pocket to finish the night. That is what he gets paid for. Experienced disc jockeys have played hundreds of weddings and know how to finish it right due to their years in the business. Many times there is a great song that a guest had requested that just did not fit in earlier and yet makes the perfect last song.
So, my suggestion is that if you want to pick a final song, have a couple of options. But if you don’t pick a final song the disc jockey will have you covered. You never know, the perfect song could pop into your head at the end of the night and you can request it then. The mood at the end of the night should dictate what the last song is going to be.