A wedding ceremony is about love, a beautiful coming together of two people who love each other. There will most likely be tears and all eyes will be on you as you make your lovely vows to be together forever. After the beautiful ceremony and some gorgeous photographs (courtesy of Silverfox as well) you are onto a cocktail hour. Now a great way to elevate your cocktail hour from a hour of appetizers and chit chat to an experience your guest will remember is maybe having a jazz or latin trio set up playing live. This is a great way to make your event truly memorable, perhaps that isn't your thing though. So move onto your reception, the dance floor is looking a little empty after dinner since you are feeding your guests so much delicious food. Maybe your guests need a little encouragement to get on the dance floor. So maybe having a live percussionist encouraging guests to come and party is just what your guests need to have a good time and let loose.
Entertainment Snap Shots!
Dance floor snap shots!
We live for packed dance floors! Check out these favorites from Silverfox Photography of couples and their guests having the times of their lives. It's sure to make you feel like dancin'!
You said YES! Now what?!
You're freshly engaged and there's no doubt that this is one of the most exciting times in your life! Celebrate and jumpstart planning with these top 10 things to do after you say yes!
1. Call your parents!
They deserve the honor of hearing the news first! A phone call is great, but if you can celebrate in person, it's an excuse for some champagne and the start of making awesome memories!
2. Call friends & family
Before you post to Instagram, make sure that those closest to you hear the news from you rather than your profile! Their reactions will be priceless and you'll definitely want to hear them firsthand. ...Then you can immediately share photos of your new bling ;)
3. Treat yourself to a manicure
EVERYONE is going to be staring at your ring. Feel extra confident showing it off with beautiful nails.
4. Visit your jeweler
Get your ring sized, appraised, and insured to keep it protected.
5. Set a date
You might not want to get your hearts set on a specific day since your venue's availability might dictate that for you. Still, you'll definitely want to talk about and agree on the time of year and/or the month for your big day.
6. Come up with a guest count
This rough estimate will help you determine A LOT going forward in your wedding planning. The number of guests will be an important element in choosing a venue and setting a budget.
7. Set a budget
And allocate how much you might want to spend on each vendor. This will help you narrow down where to shop around.
8. Consult magazines and Pinterest
Maybe you've had your dream wedding pin board created for years, or maybe you've never even given your wedding a thought! No matter where you fall on the spectrum, check out wedding magazines and search online resources like WeddingWire, The Knot, and Pinterest for "wedspiration." With a time of year, a number of guests, and a budget in mind, you can have a better idea of what you want your big day to look like and what will be logistically possible.
9. Begin your venue tour
Deciding where your wedding will be located should be fun! A big question you'll have to answer before you go is where you want your ceremony to be. Your venue will need to know if they'll be hosting your ceremony or only the reception. Make sure you take LOTS of notes about their offerings, what you like, and what you don't. Keep a rough timeline in your head as you do so; you'll want to leave plenty of time for transportation and photo-taking.
10. Set regular date nights
We love this idea and cannot stress the importance enough! Your lives will seem consumed with wedding planning as an engaged couple, but you'll want to set aside time where it can be just the two of you enjoying each other and conversation away from all wedding topics!
Samantha + Joseph
The Inn at New Hyde Park was the glorious setting for the reception of Samantha and Joseph's wedding on August 7, 2015. The stunning couple shared their vows in their church before greeting family and friends for a night of celebration and dancing. We love this sneak peek from Silverfox Photography mainly because of how much fun the night looked, but also because they got some GREAT shots of Steven the MC! We're especially big fans of the group shot at the end :) Hope you enjoy, too!
Wedding Trailer Song Selections
Wedding trailers are revolutionizing wedding cinematography. They're essentially a highlight reel of moments from your wedding day edited to a song or two of your choosing. Captured by skillful cinematographers, the video quality is high definition and creative; featuring new perspectives, style, and movement only attainable with industry-leading camera equipment.
When complete, a wedding trailer should make you laugh and make you cry as you relive everything from the little details to the big ticket moments all in a matter of minutes. Gone are the days of sitting down at the TV and fast forwarding to the good parts. Wedding trailers are comprised of the good parts! They're sharable, downloadable, and by far one of the BEST things to happen to the wedding industry.
Since a huge part of creating a wedding trailer relies on the musical selections, we thought we'd start a playlist on Spotify exclusively for wedding trailer picks! Check them out and comment below if you have an idea for a great wedding trailer song!
P.S. check out some Silverfox Cinematography trailers for even more wedspiration!
#TBT Real Wedding Style
Here at Silverfox, we love seeing the finished products of our brides and grooms having a blast! In the spirit of Throwback Thursday-or #tbt as it's formally known ;) enjoy some of our select real Silverfox Wedding moments.
Robert & Christina - The Inn at New Hyde Park
Gorgeous hues of soft pink and purple uplighting and Silverfox DJs spinning a mix of Top 40 set the tone for celebration! Robert and Christina's darling personalities really shine through in every captured moment of this party-rocking event, while delicate cherry blossom branches loan a breathtaking finish to this springtime modern Long Island Wedding.
Candice & Brodie - Oheka Castle
Crisp whites, hardwood floors, and the incandescent flicker of candles made this classic Long Island wedding a living fairytale. Silverfox DJs curated a fabulous mix of classic standards and tasteful modern dance grooves that delighted and excited Candice and Brodie's guests, who happened to travel all the way from down under. That's right, Oheka Castle was a destination wedding for these two Australian love birds. Silverfox Photography captured some beautiful joy-filled moments!
Stephanie & Chris - Woodbury Country Club
This Wedding Reception was bursting with fun, playful energy! Woodbury Country Club boasts a gorgeous natural wood dance floor, offsetting the delicately dressed windows, and dazzling wall treatments of this room. You can truly see the love radiating from this bride and groom, surrounded by the warmth of their beautiful family and friends!
Janis & Charles - Westbury Manor
What a crowd! The Wedding Reception of Janis and Charles had incredible photo-ops. We love Westbury Manor's intimate and elegant setting, and with our loungey purple uplighting, it was a pumping party to remember. These folks got down until the very last dance, had incredible, emotionally charged speeches, and exploded with excitement on the dance floor.
Do's and Don'ts of Best Man & MOH speeches
The honor of being chosen for best man or maid-of-honor at a wedding comes with a HUGE amount of responsibility. If you've ever been one, you definitely know what we mean. Whether the title is familiar to you or not, these tips about the infamous speech you'll have to give at the reception are sure to come in handy.
DO: Introduce yourself
And we don't mean say "I'm the maid-of-honor." Most of the time, there will be guests at the wedding who have absolutely no clue who you are, regardless of how close you are to the bride and/or groom. Take a moment to say how you know the couple. This will give a nice perspective for the listeners!
DO: Congratulate the couple
Right off the bat, if you congratulate the couple, you'll get a nice round of applause from the room which will definitely calm your nerves and set a really positive tone for the speech.
DO: Use an anecdote
Quick stories about the bride, groom, or couple together are excellent for the body of your speech. Keep it to one or two short stories. When you first saw the couple together, the way the couple met, and maybe a light hearted embarrassing story or fun fact about the couple are classics. If you can pinpoint the moment you knew the couple was meant to be, that's the best kind of story. Pro tip: If the moral of your anecdote can relate to the moral of your speech, you're golden.
DON'T: Use inside jokes
We can all agree that's it's no fun when people tell inside jokes in front of us. Don't do that to a ballroom packed full of people.
DON'T: Forget to compliment the couple
Tell the bride she's beautiful. Tell the groom he's a lucky man. Tell them they are a perfect match. If there's one time you should go off-the-cuff, it's when you give compliments. Rehearsed compliments feel disingenuous. Let your compliments speak to the reality of the moment.
DON'T: Be afraid of humor
This is a heartfelt speech, but it doesn't mean you can't throw in a little bit of sarcastic joking or embarrassing facts about the bride or groom.
DO: Hold a microphone
The DJ should provide you with one. Hold it and remember to speak into it. The room will want to hear you and the bride and groom will want your audio to pick up on the wedding video!
DON'T: Be selfish
This isn't a speech about you. It's easy to start every sentence with I, but try your best not to do that.
DO: Limit your alcohol intake before the speech
Sorry. A couple drinks throughout the day is okay, Save the tequila shots for after the toast. Slurred speeches are hysterical but also really bad at the same time.
DON'T: Go off-the-cuff
Write a speech. You will feel more confident than if you don't. Writing down a speech (or at least an outline) will help you steer clear of rambling and saying the things that the signature cocktails told you to say.
DO: Rehearse
The best speakers always rehearse their speeches. Avoid the dreaded "um" and "uh" by reciting it a few times in front of a mirror. Rehearsing will also help you feel comfortable with the speech so you know when to stay strong during the emotional parts.
DO: Have a positive outlook
You got this and you're going to have so much fun! Just remember that this is one of the happiest days of the couple's new life together and that they love you no matter what.
Ceremony Sound Tips
A couple weeks ago we gave you a lesson on selecting songs for each section of a ceremony. Today, we want to add to the knowledge with some tips to use when choosing songs for you own wedding ceremony!
Brides have been walking down the aisle to Richard Wagner’s “Bridal Chorus” for almost 200 years in the Western world. It's a true classic, but what began as a church standard two centuries ago is being phased out with more contemporary music being phased in. While we respect and honor the tradition of "Here Comes the Bride," we also understand and appreciate when couples want to choose songs that reflect their personalities a little better.
With so many options, it can be a challenge to pick the perfect song for each point in your ceremony. Having played just about everything imaginable, here are a few useful tips for selecting ceremony music:
- Like what you pick – It's your day, so let the music reflect that! A song that speaks to your hearts as a couple will set the tone for the ceremony and dictate the emotions you and your guests feel. Any genre is welcomed as long as it has a positive vibe.
- Consider a cover – Maybe an original track you love is waaay over played. Search if any other artists have recorded a cover version. Chances are that it has been done! For example, "Make You Feel My Love" is covered by Adele, Billy Joel, Bob Dylan, and ortoPilot. Groups like Vitamin String Quartet and The Piano Guys offer classic instrumental renditions of modern music, too.
- Edit till it's yours – It's possible to customize songs that you choose with editing tools. Intros can be trimmed and songs can be mixed or looped to suit the length of your processional.
- Don’t sweat the timing – It's nearly impossible to match the length of your processional or recessional to the music. Let the DJ start and fade out the music at the appropriate time. Just make sure that the melody is suitable for a natural walking pace and enjoy the moment worry free!
- Make the recessional fun – This is really a grand entrance and exit all rolled into one. You've just kissed for the first time as husband and wife, and now the party can begin! The more upbeat the song, the better.
Make your musical choices a representation of your love and this special celebration. Now is the time to be original and create a personalized experience that's 100% you.
Check out our hand-picked playlists for some 'wedspiration' on SPOTIFY!
"You're Everything"
Michael Bublé has the smooth voice and lyrical ingenuity to reduce us to a puddle. Although "Everything" was released back in 2007, the sweet words and sway-worthy melody is definitely worth a revival. Highlighted below is the chorus and if your click through, you'll be able to watch the full music video and listen to each precious and relatable lyric. We suggest you do and consider "Everything" as a pick for your first dance as husband and wife!
Katie + Gordon
Time to celebrate the "Real Wedding" of SilverFoxy DJ couple, Katie and Gordon! These love birds said their "I do's" at a beautiful church before heading over to Woodbury County Club where they celebrated friends, family, and becoming husband and wife! DJ Oscar was accompanied by MC Steven, and together, they rocked the house. Some of our favorite moments include their "first touch" and the emotional father daughter dance. Take a glance at these highlights from the big day captured by Silverfox Photography!
Best "Wedspiration" accounts on Instagram
Ok, ok, we'll admit it- we're OBSESSED with Instagram! If you're planning a wedding or just love gawking at gorgeous images, we've complied a list of the BEST accounts to follow on Instagram. From the obvious to the obscure, you'll definitely want to take a look! You never know where inspiration might stick!
@WeddingWire has the best mix of photos, tips, advice, and humor packed into their Instagram account. They are the ultimate wedding planning tool whether your looking for vendors or taking silly quizzes to determine the best bridal hair style.
The Knot is a wedding planning staple. Whether you'd rather flip through the magazine or skim the website, @TheKnot on Instagram is a must! There are gorgeous photos and links to helpful articles posted daily!
Style Me Pretty is arguably the most popular wedding blog. It's all in the details with this account. Plan your bridal look from head to toe with inspiration from @smpweddings!
This Insta account is going to be your greatest addiction if you're in DIY projects and rustic details.
Photo inspiration is the name of the game with @JuneBugWeddings. Get unlimited ideas for your wedding portraits and couple poses! Take in some amazing views of nature and landscapes, too!
@TheCoordinatedBride account is always posting awesome links to "real wedding" features and places to buy unique items for your big day. Based in NYC, this blog is certainly up on all the trends!
The account name says it all! @AislePerfect is an awesome place to look for inspiring photos of the most put-together weddings. Get plenty of out-of-the-box ideas with their posts!
@LovelyBride is actually an account for a bridal shop! So if you see something you have to have, it's yours!
This one is a serious favorite. The beauty is overwhelming! We're confident you'll be scrolling through the @Loverly feed and lose track of time.
@WeddingSparrow is another account that features such strikingly beautiful photos, you won't be able to look away. You'll probably find your dream gown on this account... and your dream stationary, and your dream jewelry, and your dream everything else.
Martha knows what's up. Follow @Martha_Weddings for endlessly great tips and planning advice.
All things weddings posted by fantastically experienced wedding planners and bloggers!
@GreenWeddingShoes has the most gorgeous photos if you're interested in natural, rustic, or boho wedding styles.
This one is the ultimate distraction! @HowHeAsked is always posting the sweetest, most emotion-packed images of proposals around the world! The best part? The captions are always the proposal story told by either the photographer or the couple! Check out this funny post below!
Now that we've listed all our favorite Insta accounts, it's time to say sorry not sorry.. because now you're totally going to be glued to your phone for the next several hours (at least)! You're welcome ;)
P.S. Don't forget to follow us @SilverfoxWeddings!
Ceremony Song Selections
It's easy to get caught up thinking about making a reception playlist for your big day. Naturally, you want that perfect balance of Top 40 dance jams, some classics, a couple throwbacks to honor your younger years, and some romantic ballads for a slow dance or two. But reception song selection is the fun part! It's the ceremony music that's probably going to take some additional research and planning. Don't sweat it, though, we've got your back!
When you're thinking about ceremony music, you must first consider the type of ceremony and the venue where you'll be reciting your "I do's." A traditional ceremony in a house of worship may limit you to classic or religious songs, while a casual ceremony at a catering hall or outside will give you more flexibility. Remember that your ceremony has the potential to set the tone for the entire day and should be a representation of your personalities and your love. With that said, here are the moments in your ceremony where you'll want to think about music and song selection!
Prelude
The music that plays as your guests walk into your church or ceremony area, mingle, and take a seat This music will definitely play a big role in setting the tone. Regardless of the location, keep it light, romantic, and uplifting! The prelude typically lasts about 20-30 minutes, so choose several songs.
Processional
First comes the groom followed by the wedding party. This music can be whatever your heart desires as long as it moves at a reasonable pace suitable for walking naturally. Before the bride gets her cue to enter the ceremony, the bridal party processional song comes to an end and all of the attendees stand as a new song begins. This song should be a bit more dramatic. Nothing says drama like the opening of "The Bridal Chorus" better known as "Here Comes the Bride." A more modern bride might go for something like "At Last" by Etta James.
Interlude
Interlude songs are important to consider if you're going to perform any type of ritual, like a candle lighting ceremony, sand ceremony, or knot tying ceremony. Maybe a musical interlude will be in the form of worship, or maybe you'll want to have a loved one serenade you with a meaningful tune. Transitions during the ceremony are also a nice time to play a musical interlude.
Recessional
You said your "I do's" and sealed them with a kiss! Woo! Now it's time to celebrate! Pick a song to play while you exit your ceremony. Make it a happy one, because happy is probably an understatement as to how you'll be feeling in that moment. We suggest something like "All You Need is Love" by The Beatles, "Walking on Sunshine" by Katrina and The Waves, or "I Choose You" by Sara Bareilles.
Postlude
Take the songs that didn't make the cut for your recessional and put them in the lineup to play afterward while your guests linger at the end of the ceremony.
Happy listening! If you're stumped you can always ask the pros at Silverfox DJs for any recommendations!
A BIG thank you to Cherice & Leonard!
Our Wedding Vendor Dream Team
Earlier in the week, popular wedding blog Style Me Pretty posted something to Instagram that really caught our attention. Getting distracted by posts from @smpweddings is a daily event, don't get us wrong, but this one really resonated with us. The Instagram photo linked to a fresh post on their Wedding 101 blog written about the importance of choosing vendors who know each other. A few of the perks are getting "the most out of your vendors," "a smoother day," and "higher chances of being published." We can't help but agree with these perks 100%, still there's a bit more to it.
There's a certain level of trust that is achieved when all of your vendors know, like, and refer each other. The quality of work is sure to be high in this case, because companies would not want to associate with other companies who might do anything but improve their reputation. Not only will your day run smoothly, but the entire planning process will be easier when your vendors know and like each other.
At Silverfox DJs, we take the importance of knowing other vendors in our industry to a new level. It comes naturally since we're a division of Silverfox Photography & Cinematography. Yet, Silverfox Studios as a whole knows better than to stop there.
The choice to link up with a network of wedding and event professionals stemmed from a desire to make the wedding planning process easier for our brides and grooms. Being a one-stop-shop for photo, video, and entertainment services seemed like a no-brainer to us. For our #SilverFoxyCouples, it also means some extra wine or beer while they sit and relax though appointments rather than driving from vendor to vendor. See? When alcohol is involved it's definite no-brainer ;)
In an effort to continue making the vendor search as painless as possible, we linked up with some pretty awesome companies to refer brides and grooms to. We're proud to say we know them, but we are even prouder to call them our trusted friends.
If you or a friend is planning a wedding, consider these vendors a cut above the rest! They certainly get a #SilverFoxy seal of approval!
All Star Limo
Bridal Reflections
High Style Bridal Make-Up and Hair
1 Up Event Design
Why you should forget everything you learned in dance lessons
Your first dance as husband and wife is something you've fantasized about. It's that kind of experience where time stops and the world around you disappears. All eyes are on you, but all you see is your best friend and new life partner holding you close. You try not to cry, but let's be honest here, you're probably going to get a little misty.
For these reasons, you should forget everything you learned in dance lessons.
To be clear, this doesn't mean that you and your future spouse shouldn't attend dance lessons. Dance lessons are awesome. That might sound confusing. We'll back it up a bit. Your number one priority should be to feel comfortable on the dance floor. If either of you has two left feet, a few dance lessons under your belts well help you understand what it feels like to dance as a duo. In fact, we really do recommend that you sign up for a few sessions, because slow dancing with one another takes a different form of confidence than doing the Cha Cha Slide.
So then why should you forget the steps? It's simple- your time out there on the dance floor is precious. You likely agonized over your wedding song, so why drown out the melody and lyrics with "and one, two, three, one, two, three, back, center, right, center" ringing through your head?! Not to mention that you're probably going to step on each other's toes, anyway.
So instead of taking dance lessons too seriously, look at them as an opportunity to gain some confidence with your partner on the dance floor and a break from the stress of wedding planning. When it comes to the first dance, just sway to the rhythm of love (song reference to the Plain White T's, anyone?). Maybe you'll impress your guests with a spin or two, but most importantly, you'll be in the moment.
Photo booth remix!
Find out what it means to remix your photo booth for a guaranteed better experience at your next event in this week's edition of "1 Minute Wedding Tips!"
A Silverfox Studios original Foxblog video series hosted by owner and founder John Salkowsky.
This week's tip:
Category: Photo booths
Tip: Remix your photo booth
Tune in for videos every #WeddingWednesday
GO LIVE!
Owner and founder of SIlverfox Studios, John Salkowsky, sits down this week to give us a "1 Minute Wedding Tip" that will guarantee a packed dance floor at your next wedding or event. That tip: Go live! Watch to find out what it means to "go live."