Summer 2012 New Jersey Wedding Trends

By Joe Hyer, Create Excitement Multimedia Specialist

"Spring Fever" is upon us, and soon enough we'll all have a case of "Wedding Fever." Since we've been in the wedding industry for more than 20 years, we know that now is the time we can start to see what is going to be popular at wedding receptions for the next year or so.

Single Venue Weddings
We've talked about it all year, but it remains true: single venue weddings are quite trendy. Brides and grooms seem to be deciding that they can have a wonderful wedding day if they hold their ceremony and reception at the same venue. After all, a single venue event is more convenient for the bridal party and the wedding guests. Everyone is able to enjoy themselves as they won't have to travel from one location to another. Plus, a cost savings could be involved since multiple venues and extra transportation won't be needed.

At Create Excitement, we ARE the Jersey Shore experts at making sure you'll have a perfect single venue celebration. We are happy to celebrate your special day from start to finish with you and your loved ones. If you're planning a single venue event, talk to us about how we can help to set the mood for your ceremony and reception. We offer packages that will keep the music playing, and bring our expertise to set a complete soundtrack throughout the day's events.

Pinterest
More and more brides are joining Pinterest for creative ideas and creative inspiration throughout their wedding planning process. Pinterest allows couples to share photos of their creations, and to be inspired by other brides across the area. If you haven't joined the site, we suggest that you follow categories like Wedding Events to gain some fresh and exciting ideas. These ideas could range from viewing photographs of bouquets and centerpieces to getting inspiration for wedding dresses and tuxedos. There are a a lot of creative people on the site currently sharing the photos.

The popular website Mashable.com suggests one of the best ways to use Pinterest is to gain feedback (if you want it), they write:

"Friends and other Pinterest followers can leave comments and feedback on pins to make the whole planning more interactive. If you are interested in hearing opinions, ask questions and invite people to tell you what they think."

Speaking of which, Create Excitement joined Pinterest this week! Follow us at: CreatExcitement to see what we're watching and share you thoughts with us. As you find exciting/inspirational wedding ideas, please share them with us! We'd love to spread the word with other couples. 
Other Trends:
- Music: If you're headed to a wedding this summer, you may think it sounds like 1999 all over again! We've been seeing a pop music surge so far in 2012. In fact, boy bands (like The Wanted and One Direction) are dominating the pop charts and our dance floors. After all, the music is cheery and has a great beat to it. Regardless of your musical tastes we're happy to work with you to find the right soundtrack for your big day.

- Fashionably: Long sleeves and lace are popular on brides dresses across the country right now.

- Photography: With the expansion of the digital age, couples are spending more and more money on photography for their celebration. Weddings are full of memories that are meant to last forever, and they should be shared digitally. We are happy to recommend our friend Russ Meseroll and Artistic Expressions for your photography and videography needs.

Are you planning a wedding or do you want more information about how Create Excitement can help you plan your big day? Use our contact form on our website. Or give us a call at 1-800-746-5558. We do our very best to respond to all requests within one day.

Online Event Planning with Create Excitement DJ Entertainment

By Joe Hyer, Create Excitement Multimedia Specialist

Create Excitement has always been ahead of the technological curve. The work for one of our events begins from the second you first reach out to us. Anyone can check out availability 24 hours a day on our site. After you have inquired about a date, we offer a totally modern online event planner. And this service is nothing new to us as we've been offering to our clients since 2001.

The online planner allows our clients to organize everything from music selection to ceremony announcements and vendor information. Think of it as our playbook for the festivities. And it helps you to keep organized as your event approaches.

Every client raves about our online planner:

Throughout the entire planning process, our clients will have access to the planning tools. The planner, which is accessible from any location, can be update 24/7. in fact, we've had clients that use the service to plan their events from overseas!

How does it work?

After inquiring about a date, you will receive a welcome email to the online planning tool. The email will have the setup instructions and password for accessing your event planner.

If you have any trouble logging in, just let us know. Ben and Ginette are happy to help!

To log in, you'll go to our website createexcitement.com and on the right hand side of the site select modify your event. Once you're there all you will need is to enter the date of your event, and your password which was emailed to you.


Once you're in, you'll see this screen.


The left hand side of the page will have your event information, while the right hand side will allow you to request music, submit notes to us, make payments, and others.

Music selection tool:

Perhaps, the most popular feature on the online planner is our music selection tool.


You can search for any artist or song that is in our music library. Once you find the song that you want you can add it to your priority request list, your additional request list, or your do not play list.

If we don't have the song you're looking for, you can manually enter the information, and we'll make sure we have it ready for the bid day.

Not sure if the song you're finding is what you want? Our online database will allow you to preview any song that you see listed! And you can always ask us for help with the lists.

We do our very best to follow this list. We bring this list with us to the event, and will use it throughout the event.

Don't be shy to add as many requests to it as you'd like! We'll use the list and our years of experience to mold the perfect soundtrack to your bid day.

Don't be shy with the do not play list! After all, isn't there nothing worse than hearing that song that you can't stand during a special event? We strive to make sure that guests enjoy every that is played.

Vendor information

As you're booking your vendor (wedding photographers, food services, event planner, etc) you'll want to make sure that we're aware of the information.

Our vendor information sheet allows you to share that information with us easily. You can enter their name, phone, number and email address.


This will allows us to communicate with them ahead of the festivities to make sure we're all “on the same page”.

Event worksheet:

We'll work with you to work on your event worksheet throughout the planning process. This includes everything from ceremony details to reception details and the bridal party notes.

You'll be able to access and update this sheet at any time. Don't worry, we won't leave you on your own to enter all of the information. We'll make sure that we bring our years of experience and expertise to work with you to figure out the specific for your event, but you can make changes whenever you want to the event details.


With Create Excitement's online planner, you are in control of your event at any time. Think about it, you could update the online planner in bed at work.

The online planner has tons of other features that we didn't cover today, like the ability to access great features like time sheets for festivities, and the ability to make payments online.

If you have any questions, let us know. We're always happy to help. You can call us any time at 1-800-746-5558, or use the contact submission form right on our website. We'll respond usually within 1 day to any request.

Create Excitement
www.createexcitement.com
1-800-746-558

Same Venue Wedding Ceremonies and Receptions – Our Guide to Setting the Mood

By Joe Hyer - Create Excitement DJ’s Multimedia Specialist

Your wedding is your special day. From start to finish it is critical that you and your guests recognize and embrace this. The magic of your wedding day begins long before you walk down the aisle.

For the wedding couple the magic begins the moment you wake up that morning. For the wedding guests it begins the second they arrive at the venue. At Create Excitement, we’ve learned the importance of creating a good mood for you and your guests ahead of time. The great feeling of celebration and the magic of love should last from the start of the day until the last dance of the night.

So far we’ve gotten a lot of requests for single venue events this year, and for us that’s exciting! That means we get to be apart of your special day start-to-finish. If you’re planning on a ceremony and reception being held venue, consider letting us master the mood of the entire day. After all, we’re experts in setting the right mood. We work on this for days and hours before we even arrive on site. And more importantly, when the big day arrives, we’ll go the extra mile to put in the necessary time to help create this magical feeling.

This starts before the ceremony. We can play music before the first guest even arrives. The right background music will leave your guests with a great first impression of your big day. We have a full list of traditional and unique prelude favorites - Wedding DJ Prelude Songs These tunes include tracks like: “In my Life,” by the Beatles and “I Do Cherish You,” by 98 Degrees, and orchestral favorites like Vivaldi’s, The Four Seasons: Spring Allegro.

As the ceremony begins we’re happy to work with you to find the right DJ wedding processional songs and DJ Bride Entrance Wedding Songs. If you don’t have the tracks in mind just yet, our website is full of lists that’ll guide you through both, and we’re happy to work with you one-on-one. After all, Ben, Ginette, and their staff have twenty years of experience in doing this.

During the ceremony we can offer you a full sound system for the ceremony that’ll be setup before the first guests even arrive. So they can enjoy the magic of the great company and scenery of the venue.

After the ceremony, nothing could be worse than an awkward silence. We’re on sight and able to help play the right recessional music and keep the music and feeling going through a cocktail hour or the beginning of the wedding reception.



So as your booking your single venue event consider hiring us to create the mood with you start to finish on your big day. If you don’t believe us, just do a web search to see our reviews!

Create Excitement
www.CreateExcitement.com
1-800-746-5558

Bride’s Choice Award 2012 – New Jersey Wedding DJ - We’ve done it AGAIN

By Joe Hyer - Create Excitement DJ’s Multimedia Specialist

Create Excitement DJ’s is proud to announce that we are recipients of the 2012 Bride’s Choice Award for DJ Wedding Entertainment.

This award, which is given to the top 5 of wedding professionals in the WeddingWire community, means we’re among the best in New Jersey. In fact, we are one of the only Disc Jockey Services to be awarded this honor in multiple markets. We won the Bride’s Choice Awards in BOTH North Jersey and South Jersey. It is pretty humbling to be ranked as one of the best Wedding DJ Services in New Jersey. It’s a big state after all, but it is nice to know that our hard work is paying off. We love what we’re doing, and wouldn’t trade it for the world!

We are no strangers to this honor either. We won the award in 2011 as well

What does it mean though?Well, the award is given to the professionals who are ranked highest amongst clients. This includes reviews submitted on our WeddingWire page. Newlyweds also fill out surveys that are sent directly from WeddingWire after their big day. We have five star ratings in all categories that are surveyed!

Let’s highlight just a few of these categories that we’ve been recognized for our excellence in:

Quality of Service –After you book your wedding DJ, some wedding professionals won’t call you until the week of your big day. Create Excitement works with you throughout the planning process. We work hard for you starting the moment you contact us about your big day.

The Create Excitement team puts hours into prepping our events. We don’t start just the night before by gathering some music files. We’re working hard on creating the right mood and preparing you and your guests to have a great time. We put in the hard work so you’ll able to enjoy the big day

Our reviews from newlyweds on WeddingWire all agree, take a look for yourself! Johnnymusc wrote in September, 2011 that his wedding was perfect thanks to Create Excitement:

Ben worked SO hard with us to make sure our music was perfect for our wedding. My husband and I are music fanatics and wanted to incorporate some offbeat music into our wedding, which Ben did seamlessly. From the ceremony music to the last song at the reception, the music was absolutely perfect.”

Responsiveness –The team at Create Excitement works to please YOU.

I have been with the team for about a year, and I can honestly say Ben and Ginette respond quicker to requests from clients than any other professional I have ever seen.

Junebride wrote after her June, 2011wedding that the constant contact with Create Excitement was great!

“Ben & Ginette were AWESOME!!!! We met with Ben before the wedding & were in constant contact with him via e-mail. He was always very responsive (replied within hours to an e-mail)… Post-wedding, all the guests have been commenting to us & both set of parents about how fantastic Ben was. To say he is highly recommended is an understatement! If you need a DJ - BOOK HIM!!!!!”

No matter the occasion, you can be sure that Ben and Ginette will respond and work with any requests you have. No phone call or email goes unnoticed. Their commitment to the industry is amazing.

Some of the other qualities that we were rated on include value, flexibility, and professionalism. We have five star rating in all those categories.

For the value, we’ve been told that our clients love that our prices are always listed on our website. That is important to us! We know that we’re offering the highest quality at the best prices possible.

Mxpwed spoke in September, 2011 on WeddingWire.com about the value of booking Create Excitement:

The prices for Create Excitement are easily accessible on the website. This made it easy for us to determine which of the many available services fit within our budget. There were never any surprises or fee upcharge for any of the elements that we selected. This made our experience with Ben and Create Excitement even more positive. We would definitely recommend Ben and Create Excitement to our friends and family.”

For flexibility, I think our more than twenty years of experience make the difference. We’re willing to adjust on the fly. Our twenty years of experience allow us to realize that no special day is ever the same. We’ve seen a lot of variables and our professionalism means you’ll never have to worry about a variable. We’ve seen a lot, but first and foremost, we work to please you.

KathySunberg wrote on her WeddingWire reviewthat Ben and the Create Excitement team worked pretty hard during Hurricane Irene in August, 2011:

This is the second time we had Ben as our DJ, two years ago and then on 8/27/2011 during Hurricane Irene. Not only was he always available, he double-checked every small detail to ensure our daughter's wedding was perfect.”

We are here for you. If you have a question or want to learn more, just let us know!

Create Excitement
www.createexcitement.com
1-800-746-5558

What to do immediately following your engagement?

By Joe Hyer, Create Excitement Multimedia Specialist

This past week has been busy for a lot of us! But I guess it has been a busier week for some more than others.

It is a estimated that 10 percent of all engagements begin on Valentine's Day. So if you're newly engaged, let us begin by offering our heartfelt congratulations!

Now that you're engaged there are a few things that we want to remind you of as you celebrate:

• Don't forget to call your friends and relatives! You may be so excited, and just want to announce the news all over Facebook, but try to avoid it.

Your relatives and friends will appreciate that you took the time to personally share the news (over the phone). After you've told them, post photos of the ring to facebook and let the celebrating continue!

• Enjoy the engagement: Take some time as a couple to enjoy each others presence.

The next few months will be a whirlwind, and you're going to get very stressed out. Take the time to go on a date and remind each other that you're in love.

It'll help a lot to appreciate the little things throughout the process. Do not burn yourselves out! It is okay to take breaks throughout the process. In fact, it is super important.

Now in terms of planning, there are a few additional tips that we can offer:

Set a date and develop a budget as a quickly as you can. It'll allow you to have mental deadlines in mind, and will allow you to have some goals.

The date can change, but it helps keep the couple and their loved ones on the same page throughout the planning process. Oh, and it removes that awkward answer to the “When's the wedding?” question that you'll get asked a lot!.

Picking a date early is helpful too. It effects the logistics (like cost and availability). We've noticed brides are favoring weekday for the big day because of discounts, so you may be surprised to find that your special day has been booked!

Begin finding your wedding professionals. Whether or not you're planning on a long engagement, and it doesn't hurt to begin meeting with professionals (caterers, venues, photographers, and of course DJ's!) as early as possible.

Finding the right Professional Disc Jockey Entertainers can be stressful, but we're here for that. We are a polished, professional and detail oriented DJ company. At Create Excitement we can help you visualize your ceremony and reception.

As the big day gets closer, take a look at our time-line for brides and grooms to be as well. You'll learn what you should be doing a month, week, and day ahead of your special day.

We have more that twenty years experience DJ Wedding Reception Ceremonies in helping coupled visualize the feeling of their special day. Our experience and Online Wedding Planner will help you select the music for your perfect day! Let us help you early on, and relieve some of the stress, so you can enjoy the engagement!

Take a look at our weddings page on our website today as they can help you begin to visualize your planning process!

And feel free to contact us at anytime. We're more that happy to help as you begin this exciting journey.

Bridal Party Introduction Songs

By Joe Hyer, Create Excitement Multimedia Specialist

We're kicking off a new feature on our website, music themed blogs! These posts will mostly be written by yours truly as the Create Excitement Multimedia Specialist, but you will also have the chance to hear from Ben and Ginette as well!

Each week we will talk about some trends in music, and some of our favorite songs (usually the posts will have a theme to them).

As always, feel free to comment with your thoughts on what we are saying. We'd love to hear from your! This week let's have some wedding fun.

If you're planning a wedding, finding that perfect introduction song can be difficult to say the least. So let's take a look at some of our quirky/unique suggestions for bridal party introduction songs.

Hey Ya- Outkast

This upbeat song, which was released in 2003, can be a lot of fun for the bridal party to enter any reception hall. Plus there's potential for a nice clap rhythm to the beat of the song from the wedding guests.

Celebration kool and the Gang

The song 'Celebration' is usually an icon at parties. Some love it and yes, we admit some don't. However, it may be a great introduction song to help some of the more shy members of your bridal party “come out of their shells”

Let's Get it Started. Black Eyed Peas

I Got a Feeling. Black Eyed Peas

We cannot deny that the Black Eyed Peas probably have two of the best modern songs for wedding introduction. After all both songs can definitely set a mood for a great wedding reception Words like “I got a feeling that tonight's gunna be a good night,” go for a long way towards setting a mood. Plus, even the shy members of your bridal party may feel compelled to rock out to the song “Let's Get it Started.”

This will be an Everlasting Love – Natalie Cole

I must admit this song, may be my favorite introduction song that I've seen used at any wedding. Many artists have covered it, but the 1975 Natalie Cole version is the most popular. It sets a magical mood of love and creates the feeling of an upbeat party.

Dynamite – Talo Cruz

If you want a fairly new song for the introduction of your bridal party. I'd recommend trying Dynamite from Talo Cruz. After all, as he says in the song. “I came to dance, dance, dance, I hit the floor,” and if you came to dance to a wedding... we're for a good time!

Of course, if you need any help picking out the right song, don't hesitate to ask Ben and Ginette for help! The Create Excitement team is always happy and excited to help.

What are some of your favorite introduction songs? What was used at our wedding? We'd love to hear from you!

Let us know by visiting our Facebook Page!

Summer Songs Play list

After Saturday's wintry mess, and with the possibility of more this upcoming weekend, we are all be beginning suffer from a case of the mid-winter blues – and it isn't even Groundhog’s Day yet!

This week we asked our Face book fans what their favorite “Summer Songs” were. We had a lot of great responses. We also dug through our own memory banks this week to recall some of our own summer favorites.

As we did this, we noticed a dew trends. The musical works of the Beach Boys will always remind of us summer, and country stars know hot to do it too!. There are lots of both on our list.

So if you're feeling blue this rainy Monday, fire up the Create Excitement Summer Playlist!.

The songs in this playlist appear alphabetically:

1.) Barefoot and Crazy- Jack Ingram

The folks at AOL’s The Boot found this to be the “Sun-soaked lyric” in the song that has a peppy beat:

"She's rocking that bikini top/My hearts skippin' like a rock across that water."

http://www.theboot.com/2009/07/02/best-summertime-country-songs

2.) California Girls- The Beach Boys

About forty-five years before Katy Perry changed the spelling of “California Girls” to “California Gurls,” the Beach Boys sang about their favorite ladies in the land in this timeless hit.

3.) California Gurls- Katy Perry featuring Snoop Dog

This song ranks Billboard Hot 100’s Number one Summer song of all time. After all they say, “With an unabashedly synthy beat and breathy vocals about a "warm, wet and wild" place and the women you find there, how could Katy Perry's perfectly timed hit -- with a smooth assist from Snoop Dogg, not have been the top song of summer 2010?” The song skyrocketed from #18 on 2010’s list to #1 in 2011.

http://www.billboard.com/charts/summer-songs

4.) Dancing In the Street- Martha & The Vandellas

The idea for this song just may epitomize summers in Detroit. That’s because the idea came to the song’s co-writer as he watched people on the streets of Detroit cool off in the summer in water from opened fire hydrants. Apparently, they appeared to be dancing in the water.  Marvin Gaye is credited as a co-writer of the song.

http://www.songfacts.com/detail.php?id=3313

5.) Girls in their Summer Clothes- Bruce Springsteen

This is New Jersey, so we have to include Bruce Springsteen on the list, right? I guess the chorus of this song may remind a few guys of a favorite summer hobby?

“And the girls in their summer clothes / In the cool of the evening light
The girls in their summer clothes/ Pass me by”

6.) Surfin’ U.S.A.

Penny Bubadias Ferone suggested this summer song on our Face book page. Penny's right! It creates a summer feel, and makes me want to surf. Although, I shouldn’t because I doubt I’d be any good.

7.) Heatwave- Martha & The Vandellas

This lyric from the song’s chorus always makes me feel like it is 90* outside again, but of course it isn’t!

8.) In the Summertime- Jerry Mungo

Jerry Mungo sings about having a little fun in the summertime. The catchy beat and sun-soaked lyrics force us to include it on our list! 

9.) It’s 5 O’Clock Somewhere—Alan Jackson featuring Jimmy Buffet

MaryAnn Smith suggested this on our Face book page, and we can agree. Jimmy Buffet and Alan Jackson come together for a great song that may remind any adult of drinking on a beach somewhere.

10.) Margaritaville- Jimmy Buffet

A million Parrotheads can’t be wrong, right? To this day, the song remains Buffet’s #1 single of all time. Thanks to MaryAnn Smith for the suggestion.

11.) Red Solo Cup- Toby Keith 

This new diddy from Toby Keith blew up the country charts in late 2011, and is sure to remain there this upcoming summer. Penny Bubadias Ferone told us the song, “Reminds me of my party's or hanging out in my backyard in the summer time”

12.) Summer Nights-  John Travolta & Olivia Newton John (Grease)

You know that you remember the words. Billboard Magazine says the song remains “popular everywhere from bar mitzvahs to karaoke bars.” The song ranks #10 on their “Top Summer Song List,” and everyone seems to have a memory with this hit. For me, I’ll always “fondly” recall my awkward middle school days as we performed Grease (I had the role of Sonny).

http://www.billboard.com/charts/summer-songs

13.) Summertime- Kenny Chesney

The songs co-writer Craig Wiseman told The Boot that this song came to him while he was working on music for Tim McGraw. Wiseman stepped outside and "It was that first night when it stays warm, and you can smell the grass growing. I walked outside and was like, 'Man ... summertime! Smell that!' It was that first warm night of summer. It was great.” The song was written the next day.

14.) Under the Boardwalk- The Drifters

It may be a right passage in New Jersey to have fond memories of the boardwalks at the Shore, but whatever the case is this song is a true classic. Can’t you just smell the boardwalk foods mixing with the salty air of the Atlantic Ocean? I know I do! 

15.) Wouldn’t it be nice?- Beach Boys

The Beach Boys round out our list this week! Bianca suggested this on our Face book page! Thanks, Bianca!