I recently had the chance to work with No Eye Has Seen Photography. They are the perfect example of what great wedding photography should be like. I spent some time getting to know Alicia (the owner) and found she has a very unique perspective on wedding photography.

The setting was LeChateau, a beautiful Mansion in South Salem, New York for Jim and Maria’s wedding. We had planned for many fun elements throughout the day. I have seen potentially great moments disrupted by photographers who were “un-aware” of their purpose; to capture emotion, passion, fun and record memories as they happen… naturally. Alicia refers to this as “a day frozen in time”. Stealth is the word I would use when describing what I witnessed. Moments were given plenty of room to evolve. I was blown away when I saw the photos.

The big misconception with photography is; “anyone can take pictures”. What Alicia does is a true art. A rare talent and inspiring. There is a depth, a texture and warmth. Each photo tells an amazing story. Maria is beaming in these photos. She looks like a magazine cover, absolutely gorgeous (if you don’t mind me saying). Shots like that don’t just happen, they are created. When you hire Alicia and No Eye Has Seen Photography, you will feel special. You will be treated like a longtime friend, with care and compassion. I highly recommend No Eye Has Seen Photography. Drop Alicia an email to learn more. I promise you will be thrilled you did!

No Eye Has Seen Photography
website: http://www.noeyehasseen.com/
email: info@noeyehasseen.com

Review by Jim Aldridge, Romantic Entertainment llc
RomanticEntertainment.com

A bride recently told me that a wedding DJ was going to charge her extra to have backup equipment on site. Asking you to pay extra for backup equipment is like asking you to pay extra for a spare tire for your new car. The use of backup equipment is an industry standard and should make you cringe if not followed. Why is this important and what does backup equipment mean to you?

Picture your wedding day. Everything is going great. All of your family and friends are on the dance floor having a great time and all of a sudden…POP! Dead silence.

DJ Solution 1: “I am sorry my amplifier blew at your wedding. I can’t play any more tonight. I will give you half price off your next event.”

DJ Solution 2: “I am sorry. We blew an amplifier. I am going to run out to the truck and get another one. We will be back up and dancing in about 15 minutes.”

A blown amplifier is an extreme situation. Even so, which solution would you rather hear? The reality is that Solution 1 still happens today when your DJ is not prepared. You need to know your DJ is ready for anything that may happen. Make sure they have a plan in place. Anything less is absolutely unacceptable and your wedding day is too important to risk it.

There are simple backups and more costly ones. Seventy percent of the DJ industry is now on computer. What happens if the computer should crash? A second computer or hard drive is a great solution, but costly. At the very least, your DJ should have a CD Deck and some backup CDs. If he has the top 200 most requested songs and a copy of your first dance and intro music ready to go, you are covered. If the computer did go down, CDs can be played while the situation is fixed. The important thing is, there is a plan and it can be executed smoothly. You may never know there was a problem.

Other backups can include extra speakers, batteries for microphones, cables & cords, and an extra tuxedo shirt. How about a backup garter in case you forget yours? Would you like white, blue or black? It’s all about making the perfect day for you and a plan to carry that out successfully, no mater what comes up. Backups are not optional. It’s called “customer service” and you should not be expected to pay more for it. If a DJ doesn’t have a backup plan, maybe he shouldn’t be your DJ.

Jim Aldridge
Owner/Director of Entertainment
www.RomanticEntertainment.com

Footnote: To my fellow DJs: If this article offends you, put a backup plan in place, at no extra charge. Take some pride in yourself and the service you offer and then you can write an article like this one.

Yay for 2011!!!

From the entire staff of Romantic Entertainment llc,

we wish you a happy, safe and prosperous New Year!

It’s football season! I love my Patriots. In the off season, my Sundays are filled with amazing weddings or meeting with great couples to prepare. Luckily, football and fall wedding season only have a slight overlap. This means that on Sunday, you will find me on the couch, remote in hand and ready for action.

If your not into football, here are 10 things you can do to plan a wedding while your fiancé is lost in the game.

10. Log into your RomanticEntertainment.com account and pick some music for your wedding. Pick songs that make you want to dance and feel like celebrating. Have fun with it. Log In

9. Start your own wedding website. This is an amazing planning and communication tool for your wedding. It’s a central location for everything about your day. You can manage guest list, seating, gift registries, photos and more. You can also share and communicate with guests too. It’s easy to do, check it out:

8. Video record your fiancé while he’s watching the game, then show him how insane he gets. (lol)

7. Call and schedule an appointment with us to discuss your wedding. I’m watching the game, but I will hit pause and answer anyway. My brides always come first

6. Join our facebook fanpage, follow us on twitter or both.

5. Check out some of the great articles on our blog. We’re here with advice and guidance.

4. Read Peter Merry’s book: ”The Best Wedding reception Ever”. This book is full of wonderful ideas and guidance for putting personal touches on your day. It should be required reading for every bride planning her wedding. (no really, you will thank me for it.)

3. To get your fiancé involved, have a “Football Themed” wedding! We can help you create a huge (stadium style) grand entrance. How about placing the garter around a football and have the guys run a scrimmage? Be creative.

2. Write down 5 things that mater to you the most on your day. Put them in order, number 1 being the highest priority. Print these out and hand them to your DJ, coordinator, photographer and to those helping you plan (ie: mom, maid of honor). This will help them to focus on the things that really mater to you.

1. And the number 1 thing to do while your fiancé is watching the game… snuggle up beside him and watch the game. (who says romance is dead) GO PATRIOTS!!!

Football aside, I hope you find some great ideas and inspiration in this article and elsewhere on our website. I want to offer you way more than you expect from a DJ. I hope you to have the perfect wedding celebration. Feel free to call and let me know how I can help.

Written by: Jim Aldridge

Jim is the Owner of RomanticEntertainment.com. Unique, Personalized Weddings Since 1992, Serving Connecticut and Western Mass. 860.966.5620

Photo provided by Corey Ann Photography. All rights reserved. Please visit Corey Ann’s website and blog to learn more about her services. Corey Ann, thank you for your wonderful artistic photos and creative inspiration.

Imagine the perfect outdoor wedding ceremony. Beautiful flowers in full bloom, birds singing, big puffy white clouds on a deep blue sky. Everything is picture perfect. Mother Nature will be there too and she may have other plans.

There are 3 basic approaches to planning for bad weather at an outdoor wedding ceremony.

1.  The “wing and a prayer” approach.
“We are all praying for perfect weather.”

2.  The “weather denial” approach.
“oh, it won’t rain on my wedding day”.

3.  The positive, proactive approach.
“I have a plan B and I’m not afraid to use it.”

Planning for success is obviously your best choice. Here are some options to help get you started:

Discuss weather with your venue. If you are getting married at a reception site, they have had to deal with weather before. Do they have a plan in place? What had to be sacrificed to make their plan B work?

If your ceremony is not at the same venue as your reception (like a local park), would the reception venue allow you to arrive early and have the ceremony in the reception hall? Maybe they have a grand foyer or a library room with a fireplace. You could even have the ceremony in the same room as your reception. Though these may not be perfect, they do serve as solutions.

The important thing is a solid course of action. Don’t let a little rain dampen your day. Be prepared to make the “plan b” decision and enjoy your wedding experience.

Jim Aldridge
Owner/Director of Entertainment
www.RomanticEntertainment.com

Trying to hire a disc jockey for your wedding could be one of your biggest challenges. There are many choices. Here are 3 things that you will find, put us above the pack.

1. Comprehensive Personalization – Your wedding day should reflect your style, taste and personality. This goes way beyond the music. Personalization is what makes your wedding unique and fun. Your opinions and desires are at the center. What did you love that you’ve seen done at other weddings? What did you hate? What is your biggest fear about your entertainment or the event as a whole? We need to recognize what you don’t like and focus on the positive to personalize your day and celebrate your relationship. After all, it’s your day.

2. Creative Involvement – Did you know that a wedding could be fun, interactive and entertaining without the chicken dance? You will be able to tap into our experiences at more than 300 wedding performances. We’re not afraid to shake things up and do things outside the “standard procedure.” When your guests are wondering what you will do next, they stay engaged and have more fun. We’ll help you through the creative process and share ideas to help create your wedding memories in a way that is as unique as your relationship.

3. Attention To Detail – You’ll have access to an extensive planning process, with pre-event questionnaires and on-site checklists to make sure every detail is taken care of. On your day, you won’t need to think about anything except having fun, because we will have already discussed your needs and wishes and make sure they are carried out. Everything is optional, and that means flexibility for you. The key to a unique performance week after week is preparation. The process is actually fun. We will discuss every aspect of your event. Things will come up you were not aware of and we all know the smallest things often make the biggest difference.

Comprehensive Personalization, Creative Involvement and Attention To Detail are the 3 things you can absolutely count on from us. A successful wedding is my goal and wish for you. Congratulations on your engagement and best of luck.

Jim Aldridge
Owner/Director of Entertainment
RomanticEntertainment.com

When you take the time for Romance at your wedding, people will talk. What they will say is: “They look so much in love.”  Don’t forget to slow down, be in the moment and enjoy your wedding day experience.

On your wedding day, your guests will all want to congratulate you, wish you well and share in your joy. The day will go by very fast because so much is going on, and you have so many people to talk to. A few special “stolen moments” shared between the two of you will be a great gift. Here are some ways to create a little extra romance during your wedding celebration.

1. Take a romantic carriage or limo ride. One of my couples took pictures at the ceremony site an hour before it started. As soon as the ceremony was over, they jumped in the limo. A few pictures were taken. Then they through the photographer out and took a 25 minute limo ride, just to be alone and enjoy their first moments as husband and wife. Bravo!
2. Have dinner together. Seems obvious. If you mingle during dinner, you won’t get to eat. Consider taking a moment to stop and dine together. Talk about the ceremony and share in the emotion.
3. Steal a long slow kiss (before the glasses clink).
4. Add a romantic message to your first dance. Personal recordings are a great way to share what today means to you, without getting on a microphone. Two or three sentences is all it takes. I will record you and add your words to each other into your first dance. It’s very sweet and special.
5. Share something chocolate, just for the two of you. (other than the cake)
6. Do something spontaneous – follow your heart.
7. Take a walk by the light of the moon – Many wedding facilities have beautiful gardens and manicured lawns. A romantic stroll could be just the moment you need.
8. Confess your love to everyone in the room.
9. Have your MC tell a story – When your love story is written and shared with guests, it reminds them why we are here. It gives you a moment to sit and listen, embrace and enjoy. It’s personal. It’s entertaining and romantic. By the way, every couple has a story, waiting to be told.  This is my specialty.
10. Swap love notes. A message from the heart.
11. Laugh together.


Donnie Sings To His Bride Rachel

12. Share a love token – A love token could include a song written by the groom for his bride, or a hand embroidered handkerchief for the groom. Whatever your special craft, whether it be painting, crocheting, wood carving, or any number of other ideas, just remember, the idea behind the gift is to give something of yourself, created with loving thoughts to the one you love.
13. Whisper “I Love You Because_____.”
14. Request a slow song and dance, not because you have too. Because you want too.
15. Do something unexpected.  Surprises are awesome! Share your ideas with your Disc Jockey. I can help make the moment better by setting up the scene, adding music or even distracting guests while you prepare. We have pulled off many wonderful surprises. It is always special and fun.
16. Hold hands…
17. Share a piece of cake – no, really. On my wedding day, so many people wanted to talk to my wife and I. We shared a piece when we cut the cake. Other than that, we didn’t get to eat cake until our 1 year anniversary when we took the top layer out of the freezer.
18. Give her/him a simple red rose.
19. Whisper a personal secret. Something know body in the world knows, but the two of you.
20. Write a Poem and share it only with him/her. Better yet, read it aloud so every knows how deeply you are in love.
21. Stop, take a deep breath, look into each others eyes and most of all: enjoy this moment.

Print this out and leave it for your fiance to find. That way they can plan ahead and help make your wedding day one of the most wonderful days in your new life together.  To the gentlemen, I have more ideas to surprise your bride.  I can keep a secret.  Call me… 

Jim Aldridge

Romantic Entertainment llc

Photo by Guardrail Photography. Ryan, thanks for your awesome inspiration!

These days, it seems everyone has a blog. Sometimes blogs are like a journal. Short stories of what the writer is thinking. Sometimes blogs are written to inform and share knowledge. Not all blogs are created equal. Reader beware.

Great Blogs are worth a return visit!

Ideally, a great blog will give credible information and offer some opinion too. Sometimes blogs convey information that is bias or incorrect. If your impression is, “it’s on the web, it must be true”, you could find yourself the recipient of bad information. If you have spent any time researching on the web, you know what I mean.

How do you find information that you can trust? Here is a list of wedding blogs that will really add value to your experience. I’m sure you will find their blog articles very helpful, honest and fun to read too.

1. The Planning, Forever Events blog by Saundra Hadley is so fun. Her approach to wedding planning is insightful, accurate and blatantly honest. I love that! Her advice is right on the mark. She will cause you to think, spawn creativity, and on occasion, make you burst into spontaneous laughter! Way to go Saundra! Go see Saundra’s Blog

2. The AlwaysABlogsmaid wedding blog is written by the staff and fans of Always a Bridesmaid. They specialize in making unforgettable and amazing wedding memories. This blog will help you get married with less stress and more style. Go to AlwaysABlogsmaid

3. The StyleMePretty blog is an awesome resource for inspiration. It is full of pictures, colors, textures and ideas. There is a DIY section with great projects to add detail to your wedding with very low impact to your budget. Go to StyleMePretty

4. The perfect palette blog is all about color. What made me choose and share this blog is the wonderful inspiration boards posted here. They show the many elements of your wedding, tied together with color, contrast and texture. It is very inspiring and I am sure will give you many ideas. Go to The Perfect Palette

5. On the Elizabeth Anne Designs blog check out the “Real Weddings” section where you can hear stories from real brides after the wedding. It is full of wonderful stories and ideas shared by actual couples who had a very successful wedding day. Enjoy. Go to Elizabeth Anne Designs

I hope you find these helpful. They probably are not what you would expect from a Disc Jockey. That is because we get it. We are committed to helping you create an amazing wedding. This means many ideas and attention to detail.

Bookmark these blogs to use as a resource throughout your planning. Please feel free to come back and leave your comments below. I would love to hear if you like them. Share links to your favorite blogs too. Enjoy and happy planning.

A gobo or gobos are a piece of flat steel or glass, which when placed in a lighting fixture projects the image that is on the gobo. The image can be a solid color, pattern, shape, design or even your monogram or name.

The word gobo is an acronym for the phrase “Goes Before Optics.” There are specific lighting instruments that can accept gobos. The most common is an ellipsoidal, which are lighting instruments that allow you to focus the light and gobo by moving the lens back and forth in the lens tube. Focus ensures that your monogram will be crisp and sharp.

A low quality fixture usually won’t be as bright and therefor, the fixture will need to be closer to the projection surface to be effective. This would also cause the image to be reduced in size. Professional grade fixtures are highly recommended for the best results. At Romantic Entertainment, we use the same high quality fixtures you would find in large theaters and venues.

Learn more about how monogram projection and gobo lighting can enhance your event.

Jim Aldridge
Romantic Entertainment llc

Weddings are a grand event and hopefully one of the highlights of your life. The secret to great wedding entertainment is to hire a wedding specialist. In any industry, there is a career cycle. You start off a beginner in your field and as your skill level advances, your ability to accomplish tasks in a smooth professional way become second nature. Your opportunities for advancement increase and your salary increases as a result. The DJ industry is no different.

Weddings are not just another gig. As the owner of Romantic Entertainment, I am a wedding specialist, not because it is another event to do, but because I love to do it. I use a 16-page questionnaire to make sure every detail of your event is perfect. Are there really 16 pages of information a DJ needs to know? When I first started doing weddings my planner was one page, both sides. As a rookie, I didn’t know what I know now. I charged $500 and treated a wedding the same way I did a sweet 16 party. Now, I view weddings as a grand production and specialize in creating little moments throughout the day that will add up to one of the “biggest moments” in your life together. It is a lot of fun! Creating positive and memorable moments takes skill and patience. There are simple details that have a huge impact on your event. You learn these skills by repetition and repetition takes time. You learn from your mistakes. You can’t walk into a new career and be promoted to CEO your first day.

Your wedding should be “the best wedding ever.” After personally performing more than 300 weddings, all that experience becomes ideas for you. I will give you suggestions and you can embrace or reject them. You can start with an idea and tweak it to reflect your personality. I will guide you through the process and then make sure your wishes and desires are carried out on your wedding day. It’s not about me. There will be another opportunity to share my ideas. It’s about you and your special moments.

When you hire a wedding specialist, your wedding becomes much more than just the music. Details are taken care of. You won’t get push back when things have to be adjusted. You’ll receive suggestions, choose a direction and we’ll make it happen. Things just run smoother. Romantic Entertainment was built with you in mind. All we do is weddings. I have one wish for you: I hope your wedding is the best moment in your life. I’m asking you for the opportunity to help you achieve that result.

Jim Aldridge
Owner/Director of Entertainment
www.RomanticEntertainment.com
Unique, Personalized Weddings Since 1992
Serving Connecticut and Western Mass.

For a free personalized consultation and to discuss your wedding, call Jim directly at 860.966.5620. He wants to hear from you.

Copyright 2008 Romantic Entertainment LLC