A Step Above the Same Old!

A Groomsman and Bridesmaid make their Grand Entrance in style

First: what is a Wedding Reception "Grand Entrance?"  Your Grand Entrance is traditionally when you and your fiancé (perhaps as well as your bridal party, parents, grandparents, etc.) return from the typical Cocktail-Hour-Photo-Marathon to rejoin your guests.  Our Disc Jockeys like to make sure you stay "fashionably late" by entering in style.  Typically, your DJ/MC will spend a couple minutes to get your guests excited about your arrival and then will make a series of announcements as each family/bridal party member enters, counting down to -- last but certainly not least -- the bride and groom!  Your DJ/MC and Assistant DJ will work in tandem to ensure that you and your bridal party are prepared, that the MC has the pronunciation of each member of the bridal party's name correct, and that the music is queued and ready to go.

Of all the different traditional special events you have the option to include in your wedding reception, I think that this one is one of the most important, and even though you might feel a little bit nervous, consider this as you make your decision whether to include a Grand Entrance: your guests may range in age from 2 to 92, including family, friends, and co-workers from around the country and around the globe, and they have one thing in common: they all love you, they all want to be with you!  Your reappearance at the party is what they've been waiting all of cocktail hour for -- yes, the shrimp appetizers were very nice, and they appreciate having food and drink while they were waiting, but still, they didn't get all dressed up and travel across town or from another state for some shellfish!  Every minute, every person in that room is thinking "I wonder when Bride and Groom will get here?" and that hour of anticipation is what makes your Grand Entrance such a big deal to your guests.  Your entrance is typically followed by a blessing, toasts, and dinner.

A Very Grand Entrance

Your "grand entrance" to the wedding reception with  is the perfect opportunity to give your guests an upbeat preview of the type of music they might expect for the dancing portion of the evening, in contrast to your Cocktail Hour and Dinner music, which is typically of the down-tempo, non-rhythmic type (simply because this is the best type of music to talk over and to eat to -- try to eat with a fork while listening to hip-hop or electronica sometime; it's really hard).  Depending on your and your fiancé's musical tastes, you might choose anything between a top 40 pop hit with a great beat to a swinging Frank Sinatra hit for your Grand Entrance.  Both are great to dance to and consequently easy to walk to.

There are two really great ways to approach this song-choice.  First, you could think of it as sort of picking "your song," a song that describes some aspect of your relationship (maybe the have-fun part!) only instead of choosing a slow-dance song, you're looking for a party song.  Second, you could think of choosing a song that announces with music and with lyric "we're here; let's party!"  Regardless of whether you go largely with one of these approaches or combine the two, choose a song that has a happy beat and a fun and/or loving lyrical message to which you can easily picture yourself strutting down the "runway" in a ballgown.

Each couple is different, and of course what works for another couple may not be right for you and your fiancé, but here are some great examples of songs we've seen work well in the past that might be a little bit outside-the-box.  Check these out, and see if they get you thinking about which of your favorite songs would work well for your Grand Entrance to your Wedding Reception.  These are in no particular order:

Classic:  Come Fly With Me by Frank Sinatra and others: this song works well for a couple that doesn't enjoy current popular music but favors a more classical, elegant style and still wants to have an easy-to-walk-to track for their Grand Entrance.  This song works especially well if queued and actuated just after the Master of Ceremonies announces the couple's names.  The first few measures of this song provide an elegant little fanfare as they actually enter the room.  This song lends the glitz and glamor of days gone by and will undoubtedly be enjoyed and appreciated by your guests of all ages.

Pop: Tik Tock by Ke$ha: another excellent, upbeat, current top 40 hit, Tik Tok also works great as a combined bridal party and newlyweds entrance song, especially if timed craftily.  Again, this track provides a little bit of musical and lyrical suspense in the bridge at about 2:18 (DJ, you build me up, you break me down, my heart, it pounds, yeah, you got me) providing an excellent opportunity for your Master of Ceremonies to psych your crowd up a little building to 2:44 with an appeal to your guests to put their hands in the air (With my hands up, get your hands up, put your hands up), and allowing the guests of honor to enter just in time for their appropriate lyric at 2:49 (No, the party don’t start until I walk in).  Nice.

Old School: We Are the Champions by Queen: well, the most nerve-wracking part of the day is over, and guess what; YOU WON!  To commemorate your win, you are the proud recipient of a shiny new ring, and guess what; it fits perfectly!  This song is a great way to express the victory of your love, plus, it's a classic sing-along that might get your guests involved, too!  This is another song that will have a fairly broad range of appeal among your guests.  This song works especially well if queued to about 0:25 and actuated just after the Master of Ceremonies announces the couple's names.  Again, the first few seconds after this beginning will provide an energetic rock fanfare just as the couple enters the room.  This queue also eliminates the first verse, which is very solemn and not as fun as the chorus.

Hip-hop: I Gotta Feeling by the Black Eyed Peas: this song has been teased for it's repetitive nature, but, trust me, with its simple statement and its lively beat, it will provide an excellent summary of how you and all your guests will be feeling at the moment of your Grand Entrance!  This song is great to use if you have a smaller bridal party and you're planning to use a single song for both the entrance of the bridal party and the newlyweds, because its energy builds throughout the track, creating more and more hype for the bride and groom's entrance.  Depending on the size of your bridal party, and subject to a solid plan on the timing of entrances throughout the song, two great spots for the bride and groom enter are at 1:30 and 3:46, where the song transitions from the more subdued and suspenseful beat and drops the dance beat.

Ok, I think you've got the idea, so I'll leave you with some more fun starter ideas: Let's Get It Started by the Black Eyed Peas, Let's Get The Party Started, I'm Here for the Party by Gretchen Wilson, Starry-Eyed Surprise by Paul Oakenfold (ft. Shifty), (You Gotta) Fight For Your Right (To Party) by the Beastie Boys, Joy to the World by Three Dog Night, the Theme to 2001; A Space Odyssey, the Theme to the Newlywed Game, Sexyback by Justin Timberlake, Signed, Sealed, and Delivered by Stevie Wonder, White Wedding by Billy Idol, Let's Get Married by Jagged Edge, Bust A Move by Young MC, etc., etc.  Remember that not all of these are appropriate for all audiences -- review the lyrics to make sure there are no surprises; what some groups would find funny or charming, others might not -- you know yourself and your guests best.

Write to me and tell me your ideas!  Comment below or message me on Facebook!

DJ Justin with Brian and Stephanie, a happy Bride and Groom

It's that time of year, again!  Something New Entertainment accepting applications for the Something New Entertainment Bridal DJ Service Apprenticeship Program.

The Something New Entertainment Apprenticeship Program was originally established to seek out new disc jockey talent and to nurture it.  We continue to fulfill that same commitment to education and service, today, mentoring aspiring entertainers as they learn more about this exciting field in preparation for engagements of their own.  I am excited to announce that, our education program is growing, and we will be able to offer this opportunity to two additional apprentices -- four openings, total -- as Apprentice Disc Jockeys for the Summer of 2010!

If you're the life of the party with a touch of class, a natural leader with a sincere desire to help brides and grooms to make the most important day of their lives just a little bit more happy, fun, exciting, and memorable, and you're looking for your chance to break into the business, this is an excellent opportunity to learn about the exciting field of mobile entertainment in a hands-on environment.  You will be paired with an experienced DJ/MC and will learn by referencing a written workbook as you complete hands-on exercises and mentor shadowing.  This is a self-paced curriculum, focused on your individual learning style and talents, as well as core skills for a mobile entertainer, including music selection, event safety, client communication, vocal technique, electrical sound equipment set-up and engineering, best practices, and much more.

DJ AJ9 on the ones and twos!

DJ Triple D at the Club

We are pleased and humbled to announce that Something New Entertainment is a nominee for Best DJ in the Wedding category of the 2010 Best of the Akron-Canton HOT LIST!!!

After last October's unexpected Beacon's Best nod, (which we didn't even know we'd been nominated for until we got the congratulatory call from the Beacon-Journal), we thought it might be a good idea to let everyone know about this one!  Though it's exciting that we were able to become one of the Beacon's Best DJs without campaigning, you know us; we're not the complacent sort!  We are fortunate to have you guys, and we'll never forget it!

We are, again, competing against some of the larger companies in town, only hoping that the satisfaction and enthusiasm of our loyal past and current wedding clients will outweigh our smaller size.  As you may know, DJ AJ9 is extremely selective about staffing, and so that we can devote the time, energy, and manpower to each wedding that it deserves, we take a maximum of three bookings each Saturday -- less if we have a particularly large engagement.

On behalf of the entire staff here at Something New Entertainment Bridal DJ Service, I'd like to ask you for your vote for Best wedding disc jockey on the Akron-Canton Fox 8 HOT LIST.  Would you take a moment to show your support by visiting the Fox 8 site to vote for us and by asking your friends and family to do the same?

Voting begins March, 15, 2010 as soon as the clock strikes midnight on the Fox 8 HOT LIST site.  Remember: a review or recommendation is not the same as a vote, but we do really appreciate both reviews or recommendations as well as your votes!

About us (the Present):

2010 marks the our company's 10th Anniversary -- Something New Entertainment Bridal DJ Service (also known as Atomic Entertainment Club and Party DJ Service).  In ten years, what started out as the dream of one young man has grown into a multi-system operation with a full-time office staff dedicated to serving brides and grooms all across Northeast Ohio and beyond.   Something New Entertainment offers highly-personalized disc jockey and polished master of ceremonies services, as well as elegant dance floor lighting,  multimedia presentations and memory slideshows, while Atomic Entertainment also offers concert, club, theatrical, and event lighting and design, as well as graphic design, party planning, and much more.

Are you seeking a DJ for your wedding?  If so -- give us a call at 330-253-2900.  You can also visit our homepage for more information about our services.

How it Happened (the Past):

After working professionally with pro-grade sound, audio-visual, and lighting equipment as a theatrical sound and lighting designer and technician in live-sound settings (including Blossom Music Center, the late Carousel Dinner Theater, what was then Tower City Amphitheater (now Time Warner Cable Amphitheater) and several smaller school and community theatres), DJ Justin became interested in creating his own sound studio and DJ company.

In early 2000, Justin asked his family to invest in his business so that he could to purchase professional sound and lighting equipment.  Just a few weeks later,  Atomic Entertainment started providing disc jockey services to local school dances, homecoming parties, proms, birthday parties, graduation parties, local bars and restaurants in need of regular weekly DJ or karaoke entertainment, as well as community fairs and events under.  He also sub-contracted for several more well-known companies during this time.  In the following year, many guests of those parties were throwing parties of their own, many prom guests were now on prom planning committees,  and many of those graduates or karaoke-lovers were now getting married and needed a wedding DJ!  As Justin's list of satisfied clients grew and grew, so did his number of referrals.  He saw that he needed some help.  This was no longer a one-man operation!

As the business expanded, it took on additional staff, including Justin's father (DJ BDJ -- 2001) and Justin's brother (DJ Mike P -- 2001), as well as Justin's wife, Anna (ADJ AJ9 -- 2006) and five other entertainers.

However, "Atomic Entertainment" just didn't seem like a good name for a Bridal DJ company -- at least not to Anna, a former dress designer and publicist.  When Anna joined the staff full-time, she suggested that a different, more bride-friendly brand be created for services for weddings, sweet-sixteen parties, and bat mitzvahs, and quinceaneras.  Similarly, the company's slogans, "we'll blow the roof off" and "a high-energy party explosion" just didn't seem to her to be quite what brides were looking for.  For the 9:00 PM - 11:00 PM dance time?  Yes, but for cocktail hour?  Definitely not.

Though "Atomic Entertainment" definitely lived up to its reputation for inspiring a rocking, energetic dance floor, the name and the slogans seemed to sell short the sensitive and careful precision with which the DJs created an atmosphere of elegance.  The company began searching for a new name, finally choosing "Something New" in honor of the poem and of our innovative approach to planning process collaboration between couples and their DJs to create an event with a special musical style unique to your own personal tastes while still balancing the needs of the wide demographic of ages and styles of your guests, as well.  The new slogans "the marriage of elegance and fun," "a step above the 'same old,'" and "the official soundtrack to your fairytale" gave a more accurate representation of the kind of services we are able to offer to a wedding reception.

Where Are We Going (the Future):

It's hard to say.  One thing we do know is that we'd love to help you and your fiance plan the wedding of your dreams!  We love hearing your ideas and sharing in your special day!  We plan on continuing to provide the commitment and high-quality service our brides and groom rave about and growing when we notice a new talented entertainer.

After that, who knows?!?!  Something New Entertainment is always looking for new ideas about new services we should offer or how we can improve upon the ones we already do.  If you have a comment or suggestion for us, please don't hesitate to contact us, either by e-mail at ideas@SomethingNewEntertainment.com or by phone at 330-253-2900.