Save BIG money for your BIG wedding day!

BIG! Entertainment djBiG.com

How to save BiGmoney for your wedding day                

Over the past 23 years I have worked with thousands of people in planning wedding receptions. I have witnessed the very decadent spending on just about everything. However, for most Brides and Grooms, it's been a challenge to figure out a way to pay for it all! Below are some of the ways I have found to effectively trim hundreds if not thousands from the over all cost. Currently, my local "price" as a Mobile Entertainer for weddings averages about $100 more than it was 17 years ago. My goal is to help you ultimately receive my services for half the price those same people paid years ago!

Create a inclusive budget

Treat everything as a "total" expense and create line items. Look at each area and make some changes to save money in each area if possible. Some examples:

1. Food- work your menu items. Changing on or two things can save you hundreds

2. Centerpieces - DIY: save hundreds again. Plus, show your own style! Plus you can resale some centerpieces either individually or as a group. There are many Goodwill stores within a 100 miles, shop around and have fun collecting interesting bases.

3. Floral - one of my favorites! Hobby Lobby, Michaels, etc all have big sales several times per year. Contact the store and buy when the time is right. Fresh flowers ARE amazing. Silk or artificial flowers can be resold.

4. Invitations- Shop around. Always best to work locally and support your community. However,  Wisconsin is a huge paper producing state. Get creative and explore your options

5. Disc Jockey- You get what you pay for...but at wedding shows you can save hundreds! Currently, BIG! Entertainment offers the following discounts:

a. Save $200 on Saturday booking

b. Save $500 on Friday booking

c. FREE Ceremony audio-------> Save $150

d. FREE Uplighting-------------->Save $125

e. FREE Projection A/V--------->Save $75

I have had receptions where the food is burned and the flowers are wilted...yet the gift opening was all about the FUN people had at the reception. Quality entertainment is important! In my experience, Education + Experience = Quality.

6. Photo Booth - BIG! specializes in entertainment. In 23yrs of performing wedding receptions we have our people on the dance floor. Props or not...this is what we do! We have great resources of professional Photo Booth people if you decide to pursue this. Typically, when a DJ service includes a photo booth in their price, they are making up for their lack of education in entertainment! Plus, almost everyone has a phone with a camera right? Why dilute the dance floor for something you already have covered by each guest? Again, if you really want a photo booth, hire a professional vs. someone who throws it in as a "deal". 

7. Choose "off" season dates and save big on hall rental. Friday dates will typically save you hundreds as well. Gift opening parties on Saturday allow for more relaxed family time as well as travel on Sunday for guests.

8. Avoid impulse buys! Try and be unique. In my experience, many Brides & Grooms use the last  10 weddings they attended as "their" standard. Your guests are there for you two, not necessarily to compare your wedding day to others. Take your time and talk through your plans together.

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Other areas to consider:

a. Monogram lighting: seems like a cool idea to have your initials projected on the dance floor right? In Wisconsin this can be a additional cost of $125-$300. In my experience, BIG! Entertainment keeps the dance floor FULL. Try using a final slide from your powerpoint/Slide show and project it where everyone can see it. Otherwise, it's not only hard to see, but truly a waste of money, especially with an experienced entertainer keeping the dance floor busy.

b. Limit guest list

c. Limit alcohol selection and times

d. Plan to follow through on creative budgeting for Honeymoon expenses...then enjoy!

Grand Entrance or Grand March?

After 22 years of performing creative wedding receptions nationwide, one of the top questions from Brides and Grooms is about the difference in Grand Entrance and Grand March. It's quite interesting and I believe the answer stems from the Midwest. 17 years ago, I was a panelist at the International DJ Show in Atlantic City, NJ. My spot on the panel was dealing directly with creative Grand Entrances. As I began to discuss some of the creative  "Grand Marches" I have put together for Brides and Grooms, the room of about 1000 DJ's became divided. Someone raised their hand and asked "don't you mean the grand entrance"? I asked for a show of hands to identify "who" knew about Grand March vs. Grand Entrance. I explained that in our area, for years, wedding guests would ask "when is the Grand March"? and it typically was between 9-10pm. Another DJ asked "why would you introduce someone halfway through the reception"? This brought up a great point for discussion. I asked people to show who knew or used a "Grand March". The majority of the hands up were all from the Midwest. We concluded that in the Midwest, many guests lived by farmers hours. They may not make the wedding ceremony and dinner, but they always made the party/dance! Therefore for many years, people would repeat the same thing they saw at "other" people's weddings carrying the tradition forward.

For the past 17 years, I have offered every Bride and Groom all options concerning Grand Entrances and Grand March. I have dj'd in 19 States so far and have performed receptions at the Marina Del Rey Ritz Carlton, Caesar's Palace/Vegas, St. Johns Banquet Ctr (Plymouth/Detroit) and many more high end facilities. They all insist on a Grand Entrance as a rule. But for the majority of receptions I offer both aspects to Brides and Grooms. Some use the initial entrance as the "formal" entrance and later, the Grand March for themed entrance (props, etc). Some Brides and Grooms have also accepted one entrance as enough and use the initial entrance as the only entrance. Simply put, there are choices and the wedding receptions I perform, offer flexibility to support the Bride and Groom having it any way they like it. Either way, my advice is to be organized, keep it fun and most of all not over produce the moment. A effective entrance works best with no words in the music to compete with announcing names. The goal is to introduce-Cheers!