Lighting Trends

Almost everybody is doing uplighting, so I can’t exactly call it a trend - it is almost a standard. But, one of the things we have been seeing more of for weddings is intelligent lighting. While this trend is a more expensive one, it's gaining popularity.

Intelligent lighting gives you the best of both worlds. You have a very elegant, sophisticated look for the traditional parts of the wedding and then when the dancing starts, you can switch to an energized, lounge type look and feel.

Intelligent lighting comes in all shapes, sizes, options and looks. But I think one of the main reasons people like it, is because of its programmability. Having a Lighting Designer at your wedding, running the lights is different - and brides and grooms tend to want something different. And if you do get intelligent lighting, make sure there is a programmer!

If you are not sure exactly what intelligent lighting is, check out the following videos, or give us a call.

-Becky

What we're up to

This week is a busy one. We have a number of corporate events taking place over the next couple of days and 18 events to prep for this weekend.

- We're working on a project that includes providing audio for the 18th hole for a golf outing so the audience can hear the play by play.
-We have two huge weddings this weekend. One involves a nice drape design for the ceremony, and the other, a funky lighting design.
-We're prepping for the very busy weekend we have for the DJs - holiday weekends always seem to be some of the busiest days of the year.
-We're planning our first annual Synergetic Summer Picnic for July!

What are you up to this week? Do you have a busy holiday weekend planned?

{Testimonial} Rebecca and Dan

It is always nice to receive a kind letter from a client about the services we provided for their event. But when you receive a kind letter from a fellow industry professional about the services you provided for their personal event, it is amazing. We've had the pleasure of getting to know and work with Rebecca, from The Queen of Hearts Wedding Consultants, over the past few years, and we were thrilled when she hired us to do the lighting for her wedding this past March. Getting a referral from a fellow professional is one thing, but having them hire you for their personal events is quite another. We're so thankful for the friendships we've made in this industry and the trust our colleagues have in us.

“Jason and Synergetic Team

We really can’t thank you enough for all of the work you did at our wedding. When we began to discuss décor for our March wedding at the Knowlton Mansion I knew as a wedding planner that lighting was absolutely essential to creating the perfect ambience in my venue. As a bride I of course was conscious about cost throughout the planning process but I knew the money that I would spend on lighting would be some of the best money spent at our wedding. I wanted to create a warm, inviting atmosphere for my guests; I wanted guests to feel as though they were coming into our home and joining us for dinner and lighting was key to creating that atmosphere. The amber lighting you chose really warmed up the room and by dimming the house lights the color really popped in the room and created just the atmosphere I had been dreaming about. It all looked like it was candlelit which was just what I was going for. I also think the draping for the ceremony space was just perfect. I didn’t want our guests to get a sneak peek of the reception area and I wanted to try and create a separate space for ceremony and the draping did just the job.

I’ve known and worked with Synergetic for some time now so I know how easy you all are to work with. It’s always a smooth process, never any bumps in the road but as a bride I was able to see it from another perspective. You treated me as you would any other bride, with care, professionalism and always with our best interests in mind. Thank you so much for all the work you did for us! -Rebecca”

Rebecca and Dan hired a number of outstanding professionals, among them, The Queen of Hearts (wedding planning) and Laura Eaton of Laura Eaton Photography.

-Becky

Music Trends

The funny thing about DJing events is that no two events have the same set list, but they can both be equally as great! We change up what we play, we can be creative and we can have fun with music all the time. There is no formula that works for every event, that is what makes our job so much fun.

The last few months have been interesting in the music world. We had a strong winter season with good, solid songs that worked for the dance floor. Songs like “Dirty Bit,” “Hey Baby,” “Party Rock,” and “Only Girl.” The spring season really wasn’t that good in terms of music, even though there were some good radio songs, playing them at weddings didn’t get a great reaction. Songs like “On the floor,” and “Hit the lights,” just didn’t keep the crowds dancing as much as I thought they would have.

Personally, I am seeing a nice trend of more upbeat, dance music at weddings. Our clients are looking for a more top 40 based wedding, with quick mixing from song to song. I am also seeing a little swing to hip hop. Both classic R&B and late 90’s/early 2000 hip hip.

I must admit, I am fan of the “slow song, sing along.” It is something I have been doing for the last 2-3 months. Instead of the classic, typical slow songs, try something like, “I Want To Know What Love Is,” by Foreigner or, “Nothings Gonna Stop Us Now,” by Starship. Songs like that are really a hit and they engage the couples. Plus, it makes for great people watching as the guys sing to the girls!

Overall, I see top 40 dance music really holding strong. We will continue to see solid tracks released towards the end of summer and these will all be songs that will work at weddings/private events.

-Jason

Christi and TJ

Christi and TJ had their wedding at the beautiful Chestnut Club. We provided the white drape and were on hand through cocktail hour to tie it back for the reception.

Congratulations to Christi and TJ! We wish you all the best!

Thanks to Philadelphia wedding photographers Josh Finsel and Amber Breiner Photography, www.JFABphotography.com for the images.

-Becky

Visualization and The Event

A while back we did a post about a visualization we did for a bride. She was planning a tented reception and wanted lanterns, but didn't have a large budget. We told her that she needed about 70 lanterns to give her the look she wanted, but she didn't understand why - 70 sounds like an awful lot. So, we did a rendering to show her.

And here is what the tent ended up looking like.

Images courtesy of Zlatko Batistich Photography.

-Becky

{Video} This is Synergetic

Some fun we had at our recent photo shoot for the next big project!

{Big News} New West Coast Office

For Immediate Release

Contact: Becky Dissinger

215-633-1200

beckyd@synergeticsounds.com

PHILADELPHIA DJ AND PRODUCTION COMPANY EXPANDS

Synergetic Sound and Lighting Opens Up A Las Vegas Office

Bensalem, Pennsylvania – Synergetic Sound and Lighting, Inc. is now offering its DJ and Production services to the Las Vegas area. According to Synergetic President and CEO, Jason Weldon, they have purchased office and residential space in the luxurious Signature/MGM Grand, located directly on the strip.

“With the amount of work we have been contracting there for the upcoming year, this was the best move for us,” Weldon said. “I have always wanted to expand to this market, given that it is the world’s entertainment Mecca. And now we have!”

Finding the perfect space was the most important part of the expansion. “Location was key for us,” Weldon said. “We wanted to be able to attract new clients, attend all of the major industry events and be right in the heart of it all.”

Synergetic expects to produce close to 50 events in the Las Vegas area in 2012.

Synergetic Sound and Lighting, Inc. has been providing DJ's and lighting to the Philadelphia area since 1999. For more information on Synergetic, their services or the Las Vegas Expansion call 215-633-1200, visit www.sslproductions.com, or email info@synergeticsounds.com.

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Lauren and Rob

This blog is long overdue. Every year there are a few couples that I do not forget. Sometimes they have great personalities, while other times their wedding goes way above anyones expectations. Lauren and Rob were both. I initially met Lauren at one of our Lighting Demonstrations and she fell in love with our intelligent lighting. Her theme was winter wonderland and we immediately clicked on how to design her ballroom with lighting.

Lauren and Rob's wedding was to be held at the Emerald Room in Northeast Philadelphia. The room was great on its own, but when design lighting was brought into the mix it really popped out. Lauren had booked uplighting around the entire ballroom and intelligent lighting set on the corners of the dance floor supported with trussing. She had went with the “house” DJ initially as it was built into her package with the Emerald Room. As Lauren and I continued to correspond about her lighting design, music was brought up. The best part of intelligent lighting isn’t its ability to change color, or have specific movements; its about the lighting designer who is controlling the lights. You could drive the fastest car in the world, but if you don't know how to shift properly, you will not get the full performance out of the car. The same goes for intelligent lighting, music, and the lighting designer. Music was a very important part of Lauren’s wedding as she was a huge MJ fan.

When I met Rob, he explained to me that he really wanted the lighting to accent the room and also energize the dance floor. After that initial meeting I had a feeling that our package was going to change. Lauren called me the next day to tell me they wanted to go with me as their DJ. I was very excited as I knew I could now personally ensure that their wedding was a success on all levels.

Our design was to have snowflakes rotating around the room in a light blue accenting the darker blue down lighting (that actually was provided by the Emerald room). During cocktail hour I could tell right away that the crowd was going to be a good one. They say it’s a DJ’s dream to be able to play anything you want and the dance floor energy rises with every new song. This was the case for Lauren and Rob’s wedding. During dinner we played a great mix of old and new music to get everyone to dance. Once dinner was over Lauren and Rob wanted the reception to take on a “club” atmosphere. Jessica (our expert lighting designer) was on point with her cues as it seemed as though everytime I was ready to mix a new song she had the lights strobing or was changing movements and colors.

The Dance music had such a Vegas vibe to it because I was able to mix out of each song after 30-45 seconds while hitting the best part of each. Once set that shook the room (with guests jumping and fist pumping) was Firework (Jump Smokers RMX), by Katy Perry into Party Rock Anthem, by LMFAO.

There are weddings where you go home after and are satisfied with the job you did, and there are others that you can’t go straight home after because you are way too strung up with energy. Lauren and Rob had one of those weddings. I’ll never forget the good time I had DJing their wedding, and I’ll certainly remember how cool of a couple they are.

On a side note, weeks after her wedding we became friends on Facebook, and realize that she is related to me (by marriage). I guess me DJing her wedding was meant to be.

-Matt

Thanks so much to Barnyard Photography for the images!

Crystal and Tommy

Crystal and Tommy were married at the Regal Ballroom back in January. We uplit the room and projected their monogram for the ceremony and reception. We received this very sweet email from Crystal.

"The lighting was FABULOUS. The color of the room was perfect. I loved my monogram. When I walked in that day, I was amazed how much lighting transforms a room. Please thank Matt for me as well. If it wasn’t for him I never would have even known your company existed. Matt and I went to grade school together and hung out all the time. We found each other on FB of course and he noticed that I was planning. There was no question in my mind that whoever he was affiliated with was now my lighting company. It was just an added plus that the company was PERFECT in every way! The pricing was extremely affordable, the set up as quick and painless, and the outcome was BEAUTIFUL! Your company illuminated my ballroom, as well as my whole day! It was the exact color I wanted, and the position of the monogram was perfect for both the ceremony & reception. THANK YOU FROM THE BOTTOM OF MY HEART!

<3 – Crystal Schwartz-Wallace"

Crystal, we're so glad you had such an amazing day, and that we could be a part of it. Thank you so much for the kind words! Congratulations to you and Tommy!

Thanks to Michael's Photography for the images.

-Becky

{Video} Katelyn and Devon's Video Testimonial

Katelyn and Devon were nice enough to sit down with us and share about their wedding and the services we provided them. Thanks so much Katelyn and Devon! Congratulations again!

Our Team Has Grown Again

As we mentioned in yesterdays post, we're committed to you and your event and in order to provide you with the best service possible, we've added to our team again. As with every company, there comes a time to grow. And that’s what is happening at Synergetic! Back in March we hired a new project manager, a new warehouse manager and promoted one of our other employees and we owe all of that growth to you, our customers and partners!

Michael Kirch is our new Project Manager. Michael will be handling all of the details on our production jobs once they have been booked. Many of you will be hearing from him now that he is completely up to speed on our processes. He comes from an extensive background in production - both touring and stage, so he is the perfect fit and will help us grow even more.

Zackery Ritter is now managing our warehouse and handling all of the gear for every event. Zack also comes from a solid production background and has all of the skills needed to make each event perfect.

Nikki Kennedy is now our administrative assistant. Many of you are used to Joan, but in February, she decided to do something a little different with her career. Nikki stepped right in and has been a huge asset! Almost everyone of our clients, partners and prospective clients will get a chance to talk to her.

Make sure you introduce yourself to each of them, ask some questions and get to know them. We want all of you to know who is on our team and what their roles are.

Thank you for your continued trust in us. It is because of that trust that we can hire new people, when others seem to be letting go. It is because of you that we can do what we love everyday! Thank you, from all of us at Synergetic!