How much time do you have?  I could go on and on about wedding budgets, but I'm going to keep it short and sweet because there's really just one concept I'd like to drive home.  It's the subject I spend the most time speaking to clients about, outside of event planning/substance.  Money isn't exactly plentiful these days, and we all want the best bang for our buck...I get it. 

     I have provided services at countless weddings.  One wedding that stands out to me is a particular one where the cigar roller did not show up (yes, cigar rollers are very popular at weddings).  The night went on without a hitch.  People danced into the night, had a resounding sendoff, and everyone still remembers that wedding as a blast.  At no point did anyone say: 'I wish the cigar roller showed up, the wedding would have been so much better!'  No one smoked hand rolled cigars that night, but no one even really noticed that there was supposed to be a cigar roller in the first place.  Now, let's apply that same concept to say, me, the DJ, Photo Booth, and uplighting provider for the wedding.  Do you think that people would have noticed had I not shown up?  Probably.  What if the venue didn't have speakers, or if no one had the wedding songs on their phone or tablet?  Try to picture a wedding with certain components removed.  When one takes that approach, it becomes quite obvious which providers play the most important roles in making your wedding a memorable and fun occasion.  

     When beginning to plan your wedding budget, ask yourself what you want.  What are your priorities?  What parts of your wedding and reception are most important to you and your soon-to-be spouse?  Maybe your answer is gourmet food- if so, you may want to set more money aside for a well known caterer or prestigious chef.  Maybe your focus is on the photos, and you want to spend more on a world class photographer.  What I have to say on the subject is that there is one provider who can make or break things when it comes to creating the environment for said moments to take place, and that's the entertainment.  Many people say that the music will make or break a wedding reception.  I like to say that the entertainment will make

or break a reception.  Music is definitely important, but it's only part of what

can and should be brought to the table.  Music is a tool, much like the camera

is a tool to the photographer, and the chafing dish one to the caterer.  Please

don't be convinced or fooled into thinking that all the wedding entertainer

does is 'push play' on the same set of songs event after event, and expect

consistent success.  It does not work like that.

    

     Entertainment at a wedding involves so much more than just playing music.  A quality enterainer will keep the pace of the night moving along, communicating with you (the bride and groom) other providers, and keeping the guests' interested in what's going on.  There are tons of ways to do that, and it's not very hard.  Quality wedding entertainment will use all of the tools (including music, timing, communication, prior planning, contingencies if need be) at their disposal to create an atmosphere where people are informed, involved, and entertained- therefore comfortable.  The amount of resources you are willing to put into the entertainment portion of your wedding is directly proportional to the success of your wedding.  That's why I strongly suggest that one spend more time thinking about how much the success of your wedding reception is really worth, and with that answer in mind- ask yourself how much you want to spend on entertainment. 

     No matter what your budget is, list your priorities, and then mold your budget from there.  If having an fun and memorable reception is high on the list, then set more aside for entertainment, and then do some thorough research. 

Thanks!