Tracey and Doug

I recently had the pleasure of working with Tracey and Doug Kaminski for their wedding at the beautiful Mercer Oaks Golf Club in Princeton, NJ. In speaking with Tracey in the months leading up to the wedding she had several ideas of what she wanted to have at her wedding. Most brides make the decision early in the planning whether to have a band or a DJ for entertainment. Doug and Tracey wanted both. Frogger, a local NJ cover band played for an hour and we DJ'd the rest of the evening. The couple also added a martini glass shaped ice luge with their monogram engraved on the side. Being that the color scheme was predominately red we decided to add some red gels under the luge to give it a red hue.


Tracey and Doug also added red up lighting, conventional breakup patterns, and a photo montage to be played during dinner. Let’s just say that Samantha Boudinot (Event Coordinator at Mercer Oaks) and I had our hands full with so many different variables throughout the evening. When all was said and done the room looked amazing, the food was delicious and most importantly Tracey and Doug had the wedding of their dreams. Congrats guys! We wish you the best!

Thanks to to Jay at Trenton Photographers for the images!

-Matt

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