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How to choose a DJ

2/16/2016

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When looking to hire a disc jockey (DJ) for your next event, there are many variables to consider.  The days of DJs spinning music in the corner of a room are long gone.  DJ companies have evolved throughout the years into full production companies.  They offer many specialized services ranging from atmosphere lighting, personalized monograms, lasers, snow machines, low level cloud effects, LED dance floors, Photobooths, video montages, event planning, pin spotting and much, much more.
    With all these services now being offered by your DJ company, you have a wider range of pricing which throws a curve into your possible budget.  To help you understand the costs of what you are getting it is highly recommend you visit each company you are considering.  This will allow you to see first hand what your DJ companies are offering and compare services to pricing and not hours to pricing.
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Photo by Tim Miller Photography

Q. Why do DJ’s have such a degree of pricing differences?

A. Pricing amongst DJ companies varies from a few hundred dollars to thousands.  You might be thinking, “I just need a DJ to play music, right?”  Wrong.  Choosing a DJ for your event depends on many factors. 

    Is your DJ a full time DJ?  Full time, what does this mean?  Does your DJ have a full time job during the week and DJ for fun on the weekends?  If this is the case, the concern would be: will your DJ be available during your entire planning?  How quickly will they get back to you with answers to your questions?

        What type of DJ are they?  A Club DJ, Radio DJ, Wedding DJ?  What does your DJ specialize in?  Finding a DJ that is full time but does not specialize in your specific event style may not be the best choice for you.

     In addition to being a full time DJ, do they continue to further their education?  Do they attend four of the major conferences yearly?  DJ Times Expo in Atlantic City every August, Mobile Beat DJ Expo in Las Vegas every February,  Wedding MBA in Las Vegas every October and LDI Conferences throughout the year.

    These are few examples of why some DJs may charge $500 to celebrate your 5 hour wedding and why others are able charge up to $5000 or more for 5 hours.  It comes down to Experience and also Peace of Mind.

digital dance floor

Q. Lots of people like to save money and have friends use speakers with an iPod or rent a portable system, what do you say to Brides who are thinking about this?

A. Having a friend who wants to give a gift to you by providing music may not be the best choice for your special event.  Your wedding reception is much more than playing your favorite music mix. 

    Although people will still hear the music playing in the background, it takes a true professional to be able to properly announce your evening and “read” your guests to get them involved throughout the night.  People can listen to their iPods in their car or home. This is a special event that you want people to remember.  Hiring a full time professional would give you complete “Peace of Mind” that your event will run smoothly.

Q.  If a crowd just isn’t dancing, what do you do to spark or ignite “fun”?

A. During your event there may be times that your dance floor is not full.  This is where a professional DJ team comes into play and you get what you pay for.  The ability and skill of your DJ “reading” your guests and understanding their musical preferences and know what they will like keeps them dancing.

    It may be going to a slow song, change up the genre or spark up the music with an all time favorite.  Whichever choice is made, it’s made on experience and the ability of the DJ to understand you and your guests wants and needs.

Q. If I have something special that I want to happen, will you help me plan it all out?

A. Absolutely! Every event is unique and special and is personalized to the exact specifications of the client. Your DJ should give ideas and/or suggestions to help build off your ideas to make your event even more personalized and memorable for you.

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Kevin Ramaley

Rockin’ Ramaley

RockinRamaley.com

Kevin Ramaley
Photo by Michael McNett
“Every event is unique and special and is personalized to the exact specifications of the client.”
-Kevin Ramaley

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6 Tips for Having The Best Hair on Your Wedding Day

2/11/2016

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Today's guest blog comes from Alyssa, owner and stylist at Revolt Hair Studio.
Alyssa definitely knows hair and I asked her to give some tips for how to prepare your hair for your wedding day!
You're getting married! Congratulations. You found the perfect guy, perhaps even the perfect dress. Now onto the 3rd MOST important thing in your check list. .....  HAIR.  ( or for some of you - that could have been your fantasy long before Mr. Right ).   Either way, let's get down and dirty with what you need to do to prep for the big day.

1. What color hair do you envision walking down the aisle?

Now... Don't get me wrong here; I'm all about rainbow, pastel, unicorn, mermaid locks. BUT. These glorious pictures are going to be around for a long time. Now is not the time to be adventurous.   If it is indeed a different color from where you are currently - get on that ride now. Test drive baby!  Marsala. Chocolate. Beige. Pearl. Whatever your pallet, be sure to figure it out at least 6 weeks before the big day.

2. Up. Down. In between. Boho. Glam.

Style, sister!  What do want your hair style to look like?  Is it simple and romantic?  Complex and  high fashion? Whatever your taste - for the love of God......  PLEASE do a trial!  We're not mind readers. Or Magicians. ( well, maybe I am.. But not everyone. ) <-  totally kidding. But seriously tho. Do a trial. I can almost bet, you tried on more than one dress, ate more than one piece of cake, tasted more than one appetizer. So why not try more than one hairstyle.
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3. Health is wealth.

Hair health is key to perfect color and style. If you're not blessed with soft, shiny, luxurious locks - by all means..... Fake it till you make it. Conditioning treatments & glosses are perfect for priming those tresses.

4. The dirtier the better.

Who doesn't love a dirty martini. Dirty joke. Dirty dancing. Hey now!  Behave yourself!  But us hair manipulators LOVE some dirty hair. We're not talking slimy, sweaty, grease ball that's part of the T-Birds. No, we're talking gritty texture.  Wash your hair 1 to 2 days prior to the big day. Dry shampoo and texture paste are going to be your new best friends.  Your hair will listen much better, lay much better, and look much better with a little dirty foreplay.
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5. Long hair don't care.

Long is not always better. Just sayin. This is where that trial comes into play. But if it is Rapunzel you desire I've got just the trick. Diet is key. Now I'm not talking go on a diet; but the better you eat, the better your hair grows.  Additionally. All medications, vitamins, trauma, etc effect hair health.  To kick the growth phase into overdrive use Surface Hair's Awaken trio ( shampoo, conditioner, and treatment drops )  found at Revolt Hair Studio. This killer concoction is packed with scalp benefitting ingredients such as Saw Palmetto, Cayenne, Peppermint, & Amaranth to name a few. Healthy scalp = healthy hair. Did I mention it's organic!?

6. Have fun dang it!

This is the best day of your life!  Relax. Enjoy the ride. Try something new. Love it or hate it - it's part of the journey.  And for God's sake. Do the dang trial!
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Hair questions? Tweet us @RevoltHair
Revolt Hair Studio on Facebook!
Follow Revolt Hair Studio on Instagram- @Rvolt_hair_studio
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Paint of Mind

2/4/2016

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The business behind the photos!

Paint of Mind LLC is a pop-up paint and create business. Kristina Cole walks everyone through step by step in creating their own artwork to take home. Paint Of Mind does public and private parties. Everything needed to create an art studio is provided (easels, aprons, brushes, plates,cups...)
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To see more about Paint Of Mind click here.
Like her Facebook page!
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Katelyn Lau, Painter

2/3/2016

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I got to photograph another painter!


Here is a little bit about Katelyn and her paintings;
I’m most interested in capturing the moods, expressions and overall likeness of my subjects-drawing the viewer in, both by scale and curiosity. I’m perpetually fascinated by how much of a difference the smallest detail can make, or on the other end of the spectrum, how the more underdeveloped and abstract something is, the more realistic it can look. The push and pull of tight and loose brush strokes throughout pieces allows things to remain uncertain; spontaneous, fun and sometimes frustrating.

portrait of a fine art painter holding a paint brush
portrait of a painter
Each painting is a study of a specific technique that I strive to master, which allows me to learn how to create different textures two-dimensionally, and keeps things interesting. One of the best things about painting is that there is always more to explore. There will always be more learning involved, more techniques to experiment with, and therefore, a greater sense of accomplishment.
Girl in front of painting with pant next to her
Take a look at more of her work here!
Katelyn is also showing her work in a gallery in Bethlehem right now check it out here and go see her work in person! The show will be up until April 9th.
Girl laughing holding paint brush
We had a lot of fun creating these images!
Contact me today for images as unique as your business!
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7 Wedding Day Tasks for the Bridal Party

2/2/2016

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This guest blog was written by Parker Radbourne, of The PK Photographs, a wedding photographer in San Antonio. He’s had a camera in his hand since middle school, and loves the winters, and even summers, of Texas since relocating there a few years ago. His obsession with weddings started with his first out-of-high-school job at a wedding retail shop that sold / rented everything wedding except for the dress, the ring, and the cake. A detail orientated photographer, he’s picked up on a few small and easily remedied situations that frequently pop up on the wedding day, and has put together a blog post for us on that topic!

A Less Stressed Bride

When your wedding day is finally here and the preparation, planning and hours with a glue gun are finally behind you, it’s time to enjoy your hard work. Yet, the big day can still be a bit overwhelming with everyone coming up to you with questions on where this goes, who is taking care of that, and what time so-and-so will be arriving, it can be a lot to handle. You’ve likely delegated a lot of tasks out to members of your bridal party in getting ready for your big day, but what about on the day itself? The more that can be taken off of your plate, the smoother and easier they day will be for you. I mean, it is YOUR wedding day. We have a few tips to help with this.

1. Have Someone in Charge of Snacks and Water

You won’t even think about eating until you smell the food at your reception, but fainting isn’t fun, either. Have them bring granola bars, bottled water, and other snacks for the bridal party and family to keep everyone full of energy and strength. Don’t forget about napkins or wipes, so nothing gets dirty!

2. Have one of your Bridesmaids be the Bustle Expert

Have a bridesmaid or two with you when you learn how to get your dress bustled at the store, and have her record a video of it and practice doing it herself, so it goes smoothly on your wedding day.

3.Give a Copy of the Timeline for the day to the Most Punctual Person on Your Team

If you don’t have a day-of coordinator or planner, make sure you give a copy of the timeline for the day to the most punctual person on your team. This is vital to keep everyone on time while getting ready, the ceremony, and formal portraits. Usually, the DJ or emcee will help run the reception events on time.

4.Give Learning Tasks to Groomsmen

Task one groomsman with learning how to tie bow ties, and another with learning how to fold pocket squares, (hint, the squares can be folded before the wedding day). As a wedding photographer I have diagrams on my phone showing how to fold a pocket square, tie a bow tie, tie a straight tie, and how to pin on a boutonnière. At almost every single wedding I end up texting these to a groomsman!

5.Let the Guys know Who Gets Flowers

Make sure one groomsman, or the groom himself, knows what different corsages and boutonnieres will be arriving, and which goes to whom, (hint, some florist's will label each one for you, this is a huge help).

6.Have Someone in Charge of Clean Up

Task one groomsman and one bridesmaid with keeping an eye on the cleanliness of the rooms while getting ready. Have them try to keep everything, (bags, purses, shoes, clothes, etc.), in one corner of the room so when your photographer and videographer arrive they can start capturing the moments then and there, and aren’t spending 10 minutes cleaning up the room so it is ready to be photographed.

7. Give the Formal Photo List to Someone in Your Bridal Party

Make sure a member of your bridal party who knows both families best has a copy of the shot list for formal portraits, and has made time to reach out to everyone on that shot list so they know to hang around after the ceremony. Too many times someone has to run and find Uncle Joe who was excited to eat, drink, and dance, and is already on his way to the reception hall. We don’t want to exclude him from these once-in-a-lifetime portraits, but we also don’t want you to be late to your reception. This member of your bridal party can also help the photographer expedite the formal portraits by having the next group ready to jump in as the previous group finishes.
Don’t forget the most important task of all: to have fun and help you celebrate your marriage! Make some memories with these very special people on your wedding day, and don’t forget to thank them for all of the time, energy, and support they’ve given you!
Thank you for the blog Parker Radbourne! Take a look at his photography here,
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Lancaster, Lehigh Valley, Philadelphia, PA
rachel@rachelamelio.com
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