Synergetic in The Knot, New Jersey Magazine

Last September we were asked to participate in The Knot's South Jersey Vendor party at Currents, The Ballroom at Adventure Aquarium. We uplit the ballroom in blue, fitting for a room with a view into a 550,000 gallon shark tank, did break ups and "The Knot" logo on the dance floor, provided a plasma TV as well as our Plasma Bar. It was a great night for event professionals in both the Philadelphia and South Jersey areas. Check out a slide show of images from the night here, or pick up the Spring/Summer 09 issue of The Knot, New Jersey for more information on the evenings participants.

The pictures below are courtesy of Dollface Studio. Thanks ladies!

-Becky

The perfect best man speech

I was recently asked to be the Best Man in a friend’s wedding. After the initial responsibilities of being a best man sank in, I started to think about the speech I would give at the reception. You would think it would be simple for someone like me, who is exposed to Best Man speeches every weekend, to write the perfect speech. Yet, it is quite the difficult task.

In some speeches I’ve heard, the Best Man will tell an awkward joke or share a funny story about the friendship he and the groom share. There have been others where the speech lasted all of 20 seconds, and before you knew it, the salad was being served. This past weekend I got to hear (and see) one of the best speeches to date. Jimmy Yen was the Best Man at Elena & Mitch Baylarian’s wedding, held at the beautiful Manor House at Commonwealth. He approached me during the cocktail hour and informed me of this routine he and the other groomsmen had prepared for his speech. Unsure at first, I listened to the CD. The song was “Total Eclipse of the Heart” by Bonnie Tyler. All in all it took about 5 minutes, but it was one of the most entertaining speeches I have ever witnessed.

After the wedding I went home and reflected on what makes the perfect speech. Granted, Jimmy’s speech was entertaining, but that wasn’t what made it special. His speech was heartfelt and genuine. I personally believe the perfect best man speech should be mildly funny, quick and from the heart. Needless to say Jimmy’s speech helped shed new light on what a best man’s speech should really be and it took some of the pressure off. As a best man, the perfect speech is communicating how much you care about the new Mr. And Mrs.

Here are a few images from the speech, courtesy of Barton Paul Photography.

-Matt

Nichelle and Marc

Nichelle and Marc had a beautiful, Valentine's Day reception at the Merion Tribute House. We uplight the room in red and did a red dance floor wash as well as the couples monogram. The lighting really added to the romantic feel and ambiance of the night. Kyle kept the dance floor packed and everyone seemed to enjoy themselves. Nichelle and Marc, thank you so much for letting us be a part of your special day. We wish you all the best!

Thanks to Beth at Artistic Imagery for the beautiful images!

-Becky

Q&A with Mark Kingsdorf

I recently asked Mark Kingsdorf of The Queen of Hearts Wedding Consultants some questions about the use of lighting at weddings - trends he's seeing, suggestions he has, etc. With over 30 years in the event industry and 10 years with The Queen of Hearts, who better to ask?

Becky: If you had to estimate, how many weddings have you worked on?
Mark Kingsdorf: When we did the math – Queen of Hearts has worked with nearly 250 couples on planning Philadelphia weddings (ok a couple in south Jersey and Delaware too).

Becky: What are the emerging trends in terms of lighting for ceremonies and receptions?
MK: In general I think planners and couples finally see lighting as a really cost effective way to transform a room – to change color in a blah catering hall, to add focus to centerpieces or to add interest to the dance floor.

Becky: Do you have any creative suggestions for ceremony lighting?
MK: I don’t like to ‘over dress’ a ceremony … up lighting on architectural elements like columns or a light color wash on the wall behind the couple – especially if it's in a hotel ballroom with flat blah walls ... and some pin spotting on the arch, trellis or chuppah they are getting married in front of or under helps make photos pop.

Becky: Have you seen lighting used in an unusual way that you think more people should consider?
MK: I’m not sure how unusual it is but I ALWAYS urge clients to do some kind of lighting wash on the dance floor. When they don't, you end up with a 'black hole' in the middle of the room. Not only does it look odd in photos but I think photographers and videographers have to use more light to shoot people dancing, ( and then brides wonder why they see these huge flashes all night).

Becky: How about any unique lighting techniques you’ve seen?
MK: I really like when clients work with intelligent lighting and can change the colors of the wall washes part way through the event … it’s fun when people can transition from one space to another in a venue but not every space can accommodate that, so lighting changes the look of the room.

Becky: How has the use of lighting (for décor or conventional reasons) changed over the past few years? Are you seeing more or less of it?
MK: I'm seeing a TON more lighting – when I started some people were using it – mostly up lighting and some cheesy old school disco lights (I'm old), now I see a much wider use. There are more products available and I think people realize how affordable it really is.

Thanks so much Mark for taking the time to answer my questions!

Jaime and Erick

Jaime and Erick were married in December at Glen Foerd Mansion. They had a beautiful ceremony and reception and Jason kept people dancing all night. We recently got a very sweet thank you from Jaime and Erick. It said, "We can't thank you and your co-workers enough for the wonderful job you did at our wedding on December 13th. From the moment we signed with you right through the final goodnight - everything was perfect. That includes the beautiful lighting. We'll always be grateful and wish you all the best." Thank you so much for your kind words Jaime and Erick! We are so glad you were pleased and we wish you all the best!

The two images below were included in our thank you.

-Becky

"Refresh your Playlist"

Matt was asked for his opinion on ways for brides to update their wedding playlists. New songs, to replace the ones heard at most weddings. Matts' suggestions were published in the Spring/Summer 2009 issue of Brides, Philadelphia.

Here's what he said:

For the ceremony-
Instead of "Canon in D major," by Pachelbel, consider "Somewhere Over the Rainbow/What a Wonderful World," by Israel Kamakawiwo' ole for the Bridal Party Procession. For the bride's Procession, instead of "Bridal Chorus," by Wagner, consider, "Fairytale," by Enya. And for the recessional, consider Coldplay's "Clocks," by Buena Vista Social Club, instead of "Wedding March," by Mendelssohn.

For the reception-
For your grand entrance, instead of "Lets Get it Started," by Black Eyed Peas, think about "Lovely Day," by Bill Withers. For that all important first dance, consider "The One Who Loves You Most," by Brett Dennen, instead of "Better Together," by Jack Jonson. Instead of "How Sweet It Is," by James Taylor, consider "Can't Take My Eyes Off of You," by Lauren Hill for your cake cutting. "Daddy's Little Girl," is a great father-daughter dance song, but what about "My Wish," by Rascal Flatts instead? And for the mother-son dance, consider "Forever Young," by Rod Stewart, instead of "A Song for My Son," by Mikki Viereck. To get everyone up out of their seats try "The Way You Move," by Outkast, instead of "Brick House," by Commodores. And to end the night on a high note, consider "Take Me Home Tonight," by Eddie Money instead of "Don't Stop Believin'," by Journey.

There are millions of songs out there. Don't be afraid to try something different!

-Becky

Lauren and Mike

Lauren and Mike were married on Valentine's day and had a beautiful reception at Cairnwood Mansion. Matt and kyle kept the party going - everyone seemed to have a great time. Congratulations Lauren and Mike, we wish you all the best!

Here are some photos of their big day courtesy of Jim, James Michael, The Art of Photogprahy.

-Becky