A Different Perspective

Most people work in their chosen profession every day and never get to see things from "the other side." People tend to get deeply imbedded in their work and forget what it is like to be the beneficiary of that work. When a painter paints a house he does it to the best of his ability, collects payment and sees the satisfaction on his clients faces when they see their house for the first time. The painter doesn't get to experience that since he would be painting his own house. The Wedding industry is no different.


Back in November I had the honor of being invited to my close friends wedding. Frank and Tara met a long time ago and I cannot remember a time when I saw one without the other. It was a unique experience for me to attend their wedding as a guest. Jason and Ed were the DJ’s, and they also designed the room with up lighting, a dance floor wash, and the couple’s monogram. Frank and Tara held their wedding at the beautiful Blue Bell Country Club and Jen and Gina from Artistic Imagery were there to capture the day.

The reception was full of great food, drinks, music, and friends - but that is not what made this wedding different for me. Working weddings just about every weekend, I tend to be the painter who seeks satisfaction through his client’s reactions. So when I see a client’s face “light up” when they first see their reception room, or I mix in a perfect song that takes them back to middle school - it’s gratifying to know that I helped create that reaction. At Frank and Tara’s wedding I had no part in the design, setup, or execution of their wedding, however I was in the reception room when they first walked in. I was so glad to see both of their faces light up with happiness when they noticed every detail of the room. This time was different. I was witnessing two of my closest friends experience their wedding reception for the first time - and that moment will forever be embedded in my memory.

Tara was as stunning as a bride can be on her wedding day; and it wasn’t because she had her makeup done, and her hair “did.” It was because the love of her life was standing right next to her and they were experiencing their entire relationship bundled together in a series of moments throughout their wedding day. The moment I most remember is when they walked into the room, however I’m pretty sure their moment was when they said I do. Good Luck guys, I look forward to many years of health and happiness with the two of you.

-Matt

Alicia and Derek

Alicia and Derek had a beautiful reception at Brookside Country Club. Mark and Ed were the DJ's and they kept the dance floor busy all night! They also added to the warmth and ambiance of the room with some lighting. Mark said Alicia and Derek were one of the most laid back and easy going couples he has worked with!

We received this wonderful thank you from Alicia.
"We just wanted to write a note thanking Mark, Aaron, Matt, and Ed. When Derek and I were trying to find vendors for our reception we were totally overwhelmed. The only vendor we knew we wanted to book was Beth from Artistic Imagery. When I met with her she asked if we had chosen a DJ yet and when I said we hadn’t she immediately recommended Synergetic Sounds. She gave me one of your promotional DVDs and sent me home with it. When I got home Derek and I watch the DVD and checked out the website. We immediately liked what we saw and I called the next morning to set up an appointment.

From our first meeting with Mark we were super excited to work with him. We were thinking of doing some lighting and draping but we weren't sure exactly what we wanted so he suggested that we attend the upcoming Open House. At the Open House Mark sat down with us and went over everything we wanted to do. We added up lighting, draping - to section the cocktail hour off from the ballroom, and a breakup pattern for the dance floor. We couldn’t quite decide on a color for the up lighting so Mark told us he would bring the amber and the purple and we could make a decision that day.

About two months before our wedding Derek and I decided that we wanted a short saying projected on the wall above the head table. I called Matt asking if this was possible. He said he thought it would be okay but that he would check with Aaron and to send him the quote. We went with the quote “Two Hearts, One Soul” which was also engraved into our cave server. Aaron and I emailed back and forth getting the design just perfect. Aaron was so patient and knowledgeable. I couldn’t wait to see it.

The day before the wedding I spoke to Mark and confirmed our music selections. We weren’t very picky about the music played for some of the night’s events so I just wrote DJ’s choice and let Mark pick. We also weren’t sure what song we wanted to walk in to so Mark said he would have some selections for us when we got to the reception and we could decide then.

When we arrived at the reception the draping looked amazing. It gave us the definition we wanted for dividing the two spaces. We stepped through the draping to see the room and we were speechless. It looked absolutely stunning!! The quote on the wall looked beautiful and the up lighting looked great on the wood. Mark had some great songs for us to choose from for our entrance. His selections for the events that we hadn’t picked music for were awesome and the dance floor was packed all night.

It’s been a month since our wedding and people are still telling us how beautiful it was and how much fun they had. I think a lot of this is due to the great staff you guys have there. We absolutely loved working with you guys and we wouldn’t change a thing about our day. Thanks again for everything you did!!"

Alicia and Derek, we are so glad you were please with our services and your day was everything you wanted it to be! We wish you all the best!

Thanks so much to Beth at Artistic Imagery for the images!


-Becky

Andrew & Lauren

There’s something about the initial meeting with a client that I can tell a bit about how their reception is going to go. From the connection we have, to the descriptions about their friends and family, the meeting is where the foundation is built. The most important part of the meeting for the client is getting a chance to meet me and feel out my personality to make sure we’re a good match for the reception. The most important part of the meeting for me to figure what type of couple I am going to be working with. The strength of our relationship ultimately plays into the success of the reception.

Immediately after meeting with Drew and Lauren back in November of 08, I knew how fun their reception was going to be. Not only were they excited to be planning their wedding, but they were very interested in making their reception the best time anyone has ever experienced; and their goal was attained quite well. Drew and Lauren put together an amazing team of vendors in Cairnwood Mansion, Robert Fair Caterers, Artistic Imagery, Video from TJR, and Synergetic managing the entertainment and lighting. I had this wedding circled on my calendar for quite some time now, so when the day finally came I was excited to be able to take part in what was to be the best reception ever. However there was one huge problem.

The Eagles were scheduled to play against Dallas in an epic playoff matchup. When I learned that the game was to be played during their reception I was disappointed because I didn’t want it to take anything away from the hard work Drew and Lauren put in to making their reception a great time. After speaking with Drew we came up with a plan that would work not only for the reception but also for the after-party as well. DVR is a beautiful invention. The plan was for the guests to not mention any score during the reception, and all go to the afterparty to watch the game as if it were live. The key to the success of this plan was to make sure no guest mentioned anything about the game (good or bad) during the reception. So right before introductions I made an announcement that the Eagles had learned about Drew and Lauren’s wedding and made an agreement with the Cowboys to delay the game for 4 hours until the reception was over; and any guest who thought there was a “playoff football game” going on would keep the imaginary score to themselves. The planned worked perfectly, except for the Eagles loss, and the wedding lived up to its excitement. Lauren looked absolutely beautiful even though some of her pictures required her to outside in the cold with no coat!!

At the end of the reception one of Cairnwood’s staff members mentioned to me that you know it’s a great reception when the entire library’s windows are fogged to the point where you cannot see out of them. From myself, and the entire Synergetic team we wish Drew and Lauren the best of luck in starting their new family!

Matt

Thanks to Jen from Artistic Imagery for the amazing photographs.

Wedding MBA

Last week I had the opportunity to attend the Wedding Merchant Business Academy in Las Vegas. I went out with my good friend Albert Snyder (Alby) from Holly Hedge. Boy was it worth it!

We not only met a ton of great people from all across the country, but we attended a number of lectures and heard some great speakers - all of whom had insight into new things happening in our industry. Presenters included Bernadette Baillie, Vice President of The Knot, Timothy Chi, CEO of Wedding Wire and Tammy Elliot of The Perfect Wedding Guide. We came back totally energized to get back to work and incorporate everything we picked up.

One of the best things about the conference was getting new ideas from people based in different parts of the country. Although the North East has some of the most elaborate weddings, it can be the little things that make the biggest difference. Ultimately, our customers will reap the benefits of what I learned in Vegas, as we continue to make ourselves better in every way and implement new ideas.

Alby and I also ran into a few of our colleagues from the Philadelphia area while we were out there - Elizabeth from Michael's Photography and Lou and Nick from Artistic Imagery.

Alby and I had a great time and can't wait to go back next year!

-Jason

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