Eclatante and Beautiful Blooms

At the beginning of May I was invited to the Eclatante and Beautiful Blooms open house. What an amazing thing Donna and Kendall have going on there.

Their new stores opened this month, in the Northern Liberties section of Philadelphia, and they invited all the industry folk to and check them out. It was a perfect night, with great food and great people. Donna does amazing work with her flowers and the store really is a breath of fresh air. Kendall is one of the area’s premier event planners and has been lucky enough to scoop up Leila Miller as one of her right hand ladies. Her shop is beautiful as well. Who doesn't love a place with a wall of flat screen TVs?!

If you get a chance, make sure to stop by and say hi to them! Check out their sites for pictures!

-Jason

Pennsbury Prom

Every year Pennsbury High School puts on one of the most spectacular proms in the country (there was even a book written about it). Instead of having their prom at a hotel or country club, they choose to turn their school into a decorated dream land. Every inch of the school is covered with that year’s theme, this year it was "A Novel Night." It looks nothing like a high school when all is said and done.

Once a theme is chosen, the preparations begin. Each year they paint murals reflecting their theme to hang in the gym and throughout the hallways. The hallways are covered in murals and in some places, life size diaramas. The gym is completely draped out in black and is turned into something you would see at a concert. The largest murals are hung there.

Before the prom starts, hundreds of people line the main driveway to the school to watch the students arrive. It is tradition to try and arrive at the prom the coolest, most original way possible. Helicopters, fire engines, trailers, whatever you can think of, they have done it. It takes about 2 hours to get all the students into the school. Once they exit their transportation, they walk a red carpet into their prom.

During the prom, dinner is served and there are two separate hypnotists that the students can go to. But the big show happens at midnight. Each year, the school tries to get a big act to surprise the students. A few years ago John Mayer played, this year it was Ryan Cabrera. He did a 4 song set that the students loved.

This is one of our favorite events of the year! We get the chance to be as creative as we can be and as you can see from the pictures, we don’t let them down. Thank you Pennsbury, for allowing us to be a part of this great event.

Thanks so much to our friend Jenn Childress, Jenn Childress Photography, for the amazing pictures! You rock Jenn!

-Jason

Melissa and Joe

Melissa and Joe were married in a beautiful outdoor ceremony at Knowlton Mansion. There reception took place inside and was a lot of fun! Matt and Chris were the DJ's and they had the dance floor packed with a few post-dinner sets of hip hop. We also did the lighting for this reception. We washed the walls in green, did a leaf break up pattern on the dance floor in green and projected their monogram onto the wall above the dance floor.

Here are some images by Robert Winton Wedding Photographer.

-Becky

Photo montages

Of our offerings, photo montages aren’t the most popular, but we do get a handful of requests for them each month. I think one of the reason’s they aren’t as popular as they could be is because most people just aren’t sure how to properly show them. Here’s a rundown of your options and what you can expect when you choose to show pictures or a DVD at your reception.

You have two options to play back your media (a DVD, pictures or powerpoint); a plasma screen or a projection screen. For many people, the projection screen is what comes to mind first. And, 90% of the time, it is the wrong option. Here’s why.

Projection screens offer a large viewing area, but that is about the only positive to them when it comes to photo montages. The screen itself takes up a huge footprint, so it can disrupt the visual layout of the room. With a projection screen, comes a projector, which means you need, on average, about 10 feet to 12 feet in front of or behind the screen so your media can be properly projected. Many venues have pull down screens, which means when you’re ready to show your slideshow, someone has to pull the screen down, set up the projector and run all the cables. All this while guests are enjoying their dinner and wondering what’s going on, not what most people want to have happen during their event. When the presentation is done, it all has to be moved or taken down.

Instead, we generally suggest plasma screens for your photo montages. Two screens are perfect for about 225-250 guests. They take up a very small footprint, visually fit into the room layout, and allow for instant viewing with no setup time. It is the best option for any type of playback.

Here are some of the different ways we've used plasmas at events:

-2 plasma screens, one on either side of the ballroom, DJ or dance floor

Jennifer Childress Photography

-1 screen set up during cocktail hour

-Plasma screens for your photographer to show the pictures they shot throughout the day.

James Michael Photography

-Instead of projecting your monogram on the floor or wall, use the screens to display it

Tom Welsh Photography

-Place a plasma at the entrance to your reception to welcome your guests!

-The plasma bar! Use this as a specialty drink bar or candy buffet table so your guests can relive the days moments and journey through your relationship while waiting for a drink or getting a treat!

Dollface Studio

-Jason

Dancing

We pride ourselves in being able to read your crowd and keep your dancefloor packed. Here are some of my favorite "dancing" pictures from recent events. These people know how to get down!

Jennifer Childress Photography

Hoffer Photography

Monika Broz, Cinematic by David M.

Stringer Photography

ADC Photography

Laura Novak Photograhy

Casual Candids

-Becky

Up lighting. What are your options?

Up lighting is one of the most popular lighting effects used at weddings right now. Everybody is doing it! And they should, as it really does enhance the look and feel of a room.

But, as with anything else, some companies are just trying to make an extra buck, and in doing so, are offering you the wrong advice and services. Let me explain to you the differences with up lighting.

-There are two different types of up lighting, conventional and LED. Conventional pars are probably the most popular option because they are cheaper than LED's.

-Conventional pars are small and put out a solid wash on the wall. LED’s tend to be a little bigger and put out a narrower “column” effect on the wall.
-Conventional pars stay the same the color the whole night, while LED’s can change colors throughout the night.
-We DO NOT suggest LED’s and here is why. Unless you have a very specific set of looks or designs that you are going for, having the walls change color can make your event look like a circus. Up lighting should be constant. It should be the base color for the rest of the room design. Going from pink, to purple to green and so on, can make the room look busy and can also frustrate your guests.
-LED’s aren’t as good as Conventional Pars at reproducing colors. Because they add red, green and blue to make up the other colors, they tend to be very inconsistent and not always true.
-“Ability to change colors” means someone has to program the lighting (sometimes called intelligent lighting). If you don’t have a programmer at your event, then LED’s are truly a waste of money. The programmer is going to design the room and then cue up those designs at the right time. I see many companies offering intelligent lighting, but then don’t send a programmer (or at least at good programmer) to the event.
-Dimming! Always use a dimmer. There is nothing worse then having this incredible lighting design and then when the dancing or presentations start, you can’t make the room darker. Unplugging the lighting is not an option.
-We always suggest conventional because the colors are much more vibrant, the fixtures make a smaller footprint and it is much cheaper.

All in all, when its time to talk lighting, make sure you are dealing with a company who is going to think about everything and knows the technology that is best for you! Sometimes the trusty, older fixture is the better way to go.

-Jason

Synergetic Gives Back

On Monday, I was lucky enough to take part in an event that meant a lot to me. My good friend Craig Mullen approached me about the Baseball Extravaganza The Andrew Farrell Spirit of Courage Fund was hosting alongside the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia. The Andrew Farrell Spirit of Courage Fund was established in honor of the late Andrew Farrell, a successful high school student athlete with a persona that proved to be larger than life. In April of 2004 Andrew lost his battle with Leukemia. Working with the Youth Advisory council at CHOP, we threw a party for a group of in-patients. What an experience to be a part of.


The kids enjoyed pizza, popcorn and cotton candy as other volunteers offered face painting. They also had the chance to meet the Phillies Phanatic! I will never forget the looks on their faces when he walked into the room. Dancing among the children and posing for a few pictures was more than enough to bring some happiness into the hospital.

I was very lucky to have met two of the children attending and got the chance to teach them a few things about being a DJ. It was an amazing experience to see them learn how to scratch a record and loop a song. The music brought so much joy to these children - they were the best “Celebrity DJ’s” I have ever worked with. Even though the party only lasted about 2 hours, I hope the memories and the happiness it brought the children will last forever. I know I won’t forget it.

-Matt

Q&A with Drew of Tangerine Media Group

I saw Drew, of Tangerine Media Group, at a networking event last month and we spent quite a bit of time discussing lighting, why it's important and the best ways to use it. After our conversation I thought it might be nice to pick Drew's brain and get a videographer's perspective.

Becky: How long have you been in the event/wedding industry?
Drew: I have been involved in the event industry for 15 years. I was a DJ for the first five and I have been a videographer for the past 10 years.

Becky: Why do you feel lighting is an important addition to a reception or event room?
Drew: Decorative lighting is the single most powerful and cost-effective way to transform your event space. Whether your event is in a hotel ballroom, a country club, an urban loft, a museum gallery, a historic mansion or an outdoor tent, absolutely any space will be greatly enhanced by the addition of decorative light. Lighting adds texture, depth and visual vibrancy. I often overhear guests say “wow” when entering an event space that has decorative lighting.
Lighting is also such a flexible medium that easily allows you to personalize your event space. Whether it is the use of your wedding monogram or corporate logo projected onto the wall or dance floor or the use of certain colors to evoke a specific mood or theme, lighting is the answer. It also can be strategically used to draw your guest’s eyes to the points of interest in the room that you want to highlight, such as the cake or centerpieces. When working with a lighting designer, they will ensure that the lighting scheme you choose augments all of the floral and decorative aspects in the room.
Decorative lighting also serves a very practical purpose in your wedding ceremony space. If you are getting married indoors in a location that is not a church or synagogue, etc., decorative room lighting ensures that your guests can see the ceremony and read the ceremony programs. If you are getting married under a chuppah, make sure that the chuppah is lit so everyone’s faces can be seen and the rabbi will have enough light to read the ketubah and blessings. Even if you want to have a “candlelight ceremony,” a good lighting designer can create that effect without making the room dark.

Becky: Is there something specific you always recommend to your clients? Why?
Drew: Often we find that many clients had not considered the possibility of using light as part of their décor. We always convey to them, if there is no decorative lighting, their facility typically has no choice but to dim the overhead fixtures usually leaving only “muddy,” unflattering light mixed with any candle light that may be on the tables. Bottom line, turning off or just dimming the lights doesn’t make the room atmosphere romantic or intimate, it just makes it dark, simple as that. So then what is the point of having beautiful flowers, linens, cake and elegant place settings in a dark and flat atmosphere?
Specifically, we usually suggest up lighting which tends to be the foundation of any lighting design. Then we suggest a nice color wash on the dance floor. We also suggest that the dance floor be evenly lit without bright “hot spots” and dark corners. From a videographer’s perspective, any pattern or design that is projected onto the dance floor area should be soft and diffused and not sharp. Sharp light patterns create a “Swiss cheese” effect on people’s faces as they are dancing, which is not very attractive. Also, any event with a live band should have the band lit with some color wash because it looks silly to have performers in the dark. If at all possible, it is preferable to have any monogram projection be on a wall ensuring that it will be visible all night long. A monogram projection on the dance floor disappears once guests start dancing.

Becky: How does lighting effect your job? Positively? Negatively?
Drew: Good lighting is almost a necessity to your videographer and your photographer. It helps us immensely because we can capture better images and video with depth and background. Decorative lighting allows us to use very little on camera lighting, sometimes none at all. That makes us be even more unobtrusive. We also “play” with the lighting to capture more artistic and dramatic video. Simply put, decorative lighting is a must.

Thanks so much Drew! it was great chatting with you and thank you so much for the insight!

Senior Prom, Sheraton Center City

We did a Senior Prom on Saturday night at the Sheraton City Center for about 800 students. They booked our truss rig that is put up around the entire dance floor. We used 100 feet of truss, 10 intelligent lighting fixtures and about 48 par cans for up lighting. Our PA system consisted of the JBL VRX Line Array speakers, one of the best small line arrays available. That room was jumpin!

Here are some pictures of the set up and the prom.

-Jason

Erin and Nate

Erin and Nate had their reception at Belle Voir Mansion. The couple chose pink and green as their colors and the pairing looked great! Matt DJ'd their reception and said the dance floor was busy all night. At one point the bride and groom got up on the stage with some of their guests and danced.


We did pink up lighting and a green Celtic heart wash on the dance floor in honor of the guests that traveled form Ireland to be there.


Erin and Nate, thank you so much for choosing us to be a part of your special day. We wish you all the best!

Thanks to Joyce from Casual Candids for the images.


-Becky