That is why we want to help you make your event a memorable one!

We are offering a few specials that will help keep those extra dollars in your pocket and still

get high-quality entertainment for you and your family and friends!

Through the rest of 2008, we are holding dates for events held by 8-15-09

for just $50. That’s HALF OFF your deposit.

We would also like to extend our offers for those of you who would like to get the details out of the way and pay in full

one month prior to your event. We will discount those events by another $50.

Remember this is only good for events through 8-15-09, so please call today to SAVE YOUR DATE!!!!

It was the 15th Anniversary Celebration of CASA! It was a special night to help raise funds for their organization!

It was a great success, they raised close to $20,000! We were privileged to be a part of it.

Thanks to everyone involved that night, “the powerless children - the abused and neglected in DuPage County -

will continue to have powerful friends who will ensure that each child’s voice is heard in court.”

Necks and shoulders are a prominent area of appeal, and more and more brides are showing them off. While previous years’ fads included heavy jewelry, in the year 2008 wedding trends, jewelries are now commonly worn on the dresses themselves.

The most widespread colors or motifs for dress designs are chic and sleek silver along with other beautifully bold but light colors. Fabrics like classic satin and laces are much more preferred, too. For wedding themes, the wedding trends are more appreciative of warm colors like orange, violet and red.

Coming up as a wedding trend for the first time is the green wedding, which focuses on environmentally friendly weddings. Whether the couple is planning an outdoor wedding to cut down on energy or using recycled materials throughout their wedding and reception it seems that something borrowed and something blue is getting something green as well. More 2008 wedding trends include second hand fabrics, gifts that recycle, and using technology instead of paper.

Nowadays, music has become such an integral part of weddings. Latin American music is the more common choice for 2008 wedding trends. Latin American music can add a sensual flair of fun and romance to any wedding reception. This choice of music is a special favorite for couples who love to dance.

Another popular music trend is the hiring of cover bands. These bands imitate other bands’ songs to the preference of the wedding couple. This has become a popular trend because couples get inspired by reality television shows that have wedding specials.

With this kind of trend follows the increase of both amateur and professional impersonators. Many couples also become inclined in hiring impersonators. They are hired primarily to entertain and greet the wedding couple’s guests during the reception.

Other wonderful trends have risen nowadays, and it only serves to increase the economical rise of the wedding industry. Couples both old and young celebrate their weddings with an enthusiasm and flamboyance only seen in our current societal time. That is why the 2008 wedding trends are full of diverse glamour and entertaining allures that continuously attract wedding couples to go full out on possibly the most important day of their lives.

Office 1-877-4-Production

Have no fear; it doesn’t have to be a stressful situation. Here are some things to consider when choosing those special songs for your big day.

Bridal Dance - This is THE most important song of the night. Next to seeing you kiss at the altar at the end of the ceremony, this is the one of your most romantic events; your big moment alone on the dance floor. So the song has to be special.

There are three very important things to remember when choosing songs. These may seem obvious, but you’d be surprised. Plus these “rules” apply to any song chosen for any of the ceremonial dances.

1. Make sure the song you choose is one that the two of you can actually dance to! You may be able to tear up a dance floor, but your groom may have two left feet. Picking a song with an odd tempo may make him feel awkward, especially out on a dance floor in front of his friends and family. Try to keep it simple.

2. Make sure both of you actually LIKE the song. For example, you may really like Lonestar’s “Amazed”, but if country music makes your groom’s teeth itch, you need to choose another song. Or, he may really like that “one” Metallica ballad, but you hate it. Next, please.

3. Is the song appropriate for a bridal dance? Let’s face it…you may both really like the song, but “Love Bites” by Def Leppard does NOT make a good bridal song. Don’t laugh…it’s happened! (And there were many rather confused wedding guests that night).

Still, sometimes you may think that you don’t have a song that is “yours”. What was the first song the two of you danced to? Is there a ballad by an artist that the two of you are big fans of? Was there a song playing in the background the night he proposed to you? These are things to think about.

If that doesn’t seem to work, start listening to songs on the radio a bit closer. Listen to the lyrics. Eventually you will find a song that will express what you want to say to each other on your wedding day…and that’s your song!

Another thing you may want to consider is the length of the song. “In Your Eyes” may be the perfect song for you, but the track is nearly 6 minutes long. That’s a long time to be out there - the two of you…alone with everyone’s eyes upon you…feeling paranoid yet? Don’t be afraid to ask your DJ to fade the song out early.

The main thing to remember - this is your big moment. Make it special not only for you, but for your guests as well.

Bridal Party Dance - The first question we often get regarding this song is “Does the bride & groom stay on the dance floor during this dance?” The answer is “Yes”. It looks a little strange when the bride and groom leave the dance floor with their closest friends on it.

Some couples are choosing to combine the bridal dance and the bridal party dance — one song for everything. This is a good idea if you have a small bridal party or if you are uncomfortable being the center of attention. Whatever you decide to do comes down to planning; making sure you let your DJ and your bridal party know what you want to do, i.e. when you want the bridal party to join you on the dance floor.

Some couples have chosen to allow their party members to dance with their significant others instead of whom they walked down the aisle with. This is fine, and may save a few awkward (and jealous) moments, but make sure that this is planned out with your DJ and your bridal party in advance. Doing this will double the number of people on your dance floor and a larger group of people will be a bit harder to keep in one place for very long. Make sure everyone knows what the plan is and what is expected of them. Plus, it is imperative that you have everyone’s names at the time of your consultation. Adding names at the last minute does increase the possibility of your DJ making an error, and we HATE making errors. But we are only human. The more you plan it, the easier it will go for everyone involved.

Some brides have been willing to drop the bridal party dance all together in favor of making life easier for everyone, avoiding awkward moments or because they just want to get to the party. This is fine, but keep in mind that the bridal party dance is a great opportunity for your photographer to get some good shots of your bridal party. If you still feel that you want to drop the bridal dance, make arrangements with your photographer to get pictures of your party during the day.

Having said all of this, actually choosing a bridal party song tends to be a bit easier. If you have been trying to choose between two songs for your bridal dance, you can use both; one song for the two of you and one for your bridal party.

You can also choose to be a bit light-hearted with this. “Friends In Low Places” can work, as does “With a Little Help From My Friends”.

Again, think about songs that may have special meaning to those you have chosen to stand up with you. For example, I attended a bonfire once with a number of good friends and there was a moment when someone pulled out a guitar and played “You’ve Got a Friend”…and there we all were; swaying back and forth. singing loudly, A couple of years later, one of the attendees at that bonfire remembered this and chose that song to be their bridal party dance. And sure enough, that moment happened again on the dance floor. Consult with the members of your bridal party; they can be a good source of ideas.

As before, another thing to keep in mind is the length of the song. For example, if you want your DJ to introduce your best man and maid of honor, the other 16 members of your bridal party, both sets of parents, and acknowledge your flower girls and ring bearers, choosing a short 2 minute long song like “What a Wonderful World” is NOT a good idea. The song will end before your parents are brought out onto the dance floor! Conversely, choosing a 5 ½ minute long song like Celine Dion’s “Because You Loved Me” when there are only 3 couples to introduce is a bit much. Again, feel free to have your DJ fade the song out early.

The main thing to remember is that this is your moment to share with the people closest to you. Make it meaningful, make it fun, and make it special.

Daddy/Daughter Dance - This is, of course, a tradition, but this doesn’t mean you have to be traditional about it. Sure, “Daddy’s Little Girl” is still used. Of course “Butterfly Kisses” was created for this moment. And it seems nowadays that there’s a new song coming out of Nashville about once a month that’s tailor made for the daddy/daughter dance.

The main thing to remember is that this symbolizes your “last” dance that your father will have with his now-no-longer little girl, so this is a song that should be special to both of you. This doesn’t mean it has to be a sappy moment. You can have fun with this if you like. It all depends on the personalities of yourself and your father. Naturally, your best bet is to consult with your father, and your mother as well (mothers tend to remember things better than fathers sometimes!).

One great example…one of our DJs was asked to play “Puff the Magic Dragon” as the daddy/daughter dance recently. This may seem like it’s an odd choice at first, but this was a song that the bride’s father would sing to his young children when they would go to bed at night. So when the song was played at her wedding, both the bride and her father were in tears, as were the bride’s siblings gathered at the edge of the dance floor. In fact, there wasn’t a dry eye in the house as 180 guests began singing along with the song! In another very similar situation, “On Top of Spaghetti” was once used, apparently having something to do with the bride’s love of spaghetti when she was a child. If there’s a song like this in your family history, use it!

In yet another example, a bride’s father was once considered a great disco dancer, so the bride chose “Last Dance” by Donna Summer…and then had the DJ open the dance floor to all of the guests when the song’s disco beat kicked in. So it need not be what “everyone else” does. Make the moment unique and special.

Mother/Son Dance - There are tons of ideas for daddy/daughter dances, but seemingly few choices for the mother/son dance. This isn’t necessarily true; they’re just not so obvious sometimes. The same rules apply as with the daddy/daughter dance; if there’s a song in your groom’s family history that means a lot to them, use it!

The daddy/daughter dance may get most of the attention, but the mother/son dance is JUST as important to your groom and his mother. Usually your groom’s mother will have ideas, but don’t keep your groom out of the loop!

But wait…there’s more…!

There are a few other points during the course of your reception that will require some music to help make the moments special. It may not seem like a big deal, but having music for these moments add to the overall presentation at your reception. They help set the mood and tone of the entire evening. Let’s take a look…

Introduction Music - This is the big moment; your Grand Entrance when you and your groom are first brought into the hall to the cheers of all your friends and loved ones who have gathered to celebrate your wedding. So naturally, you will want to choose music to highlight the moment.

There are a few things to consider. Will the bridal party also be introduced at this point? Will your parents also be introduced? Do you want one song for everyone, or do you want a separate song for your bridal party and one for you and your groom? Do you want something a bit mellow for your parents to walk in to, and then get a bit louder as your progress through the rest of the introductions?

Again, this is a BIG moment, and one you want to capitalize on. Use this moment to really pump up your guests.

Having said that, this moment can be as full of pomp and circumstance as you want, or can be as fun and rowdy as you’d like. There are some “standards” such as “Celebration”, “Let’s Get It Started” or “Get the Party Started”. But our DJs have used everything from “Here Comes the Bride” to the Austin Powers theme song, from “In the Mood” to the Blues Brothers, from the Chicago Bulls theme song to the Imperial March from “Star Wars”, from the U of M fight song to one of the songs used for the “C.S.I.” TV shows. As you can see, the possibilities here are quite endless.

There are no real rules for this one, so you can be as creative and individual as you like. Consult with your bridal party for this one, and check out or list of ideas here on our website.

Cake Cutting - Often couples will choose a song to highlight the cake cutting ceremony. This one isn’t really a necessity per se, but it does help to draw attention to the cake cutting.

We recommend something upbeat or mid-tempo for this and keep it light-hearted. And again, this can be almost anything. Some couples choose to let their Grand Entrance song play out if they go directly to the cake cutting after their introduction.

“Love & Marriage” by Frank Sinatra is popular here, but sometimes brides balk at using the theme to “Married With Children” (remember the Bundys?). If nothing else it does usually get a chuckle or two. Choosing a song with a food or sweets theme, like “Ice Cream”, “Sugar Sugar”, “Sweetest Thing” or “How Sweet It Is” always works. You can even go as far as Weird Al’s “Eat It”. Again, this is a light moment so have fun with it.

Bouquet Toss/Garter Removal/Garter Toss - This is something we will be discussing more in a later column. If you decide to do this, there will be several songs you will need; one song for the ladies for the bouquet toss, one for the gents for the garter toss, and a song for the garter removal. There may be others needed as well, depending on what you want to do. This is certainly the most lighthearted moment of the evening so you can have fun with this as well. Just remember…your grandmother is sitting right there…

How to find the songs - Didn’t think that there were this many songs to choose, did you? Have no fear…we’re here to help.

Most of the time there are obvious choices for your ceremonial dances. There’s that one song that the two of you have always considered “yours”. But maybe the choices aren’t so obvious. So how to find them…?

First of all, start early. Don’t wait until the last minute to choose the songs. These will be some of the most important moments of your wedding. Take as much care in choosing songs for these moments as you did in choosing the hall, your flowers or your DJ!

Listen to the radio. Go to your music collection. Browse through music stores. Poke around through iTunes or the like. Ask your friends, especially those who have already gotten married. Ask your family.

1. Choose a meaningful song. Select a song you both love and one that keeps an easy beat, especially if you’re beginning dancers. When your song lasts longer than the usual three minutes, ask your DJ to fade the ending. Remember: frazzled dancers don’t dazzle.

2. Take a couple of dance lessons. Group lessons can be intimidating, but private lessons remove the pressure of dancing for an audience. Your instructor will teach you according to your ability level. With private instruction, beginners can quickly master the basics with confidence. Dancing, like music, lifts the spirit and is so much more enjoyable when shared with your significant other.

3. Decide who leads and who follows. Gender no longer has anything to do with your decision. Choose the pattern that makes you comfortable. There’s nothing wrong with following a simple lead. The object of dancing is to enjoy the dance! Being able to follow the leader creates confidence in the follower and makes a more pleasurable dance for the leader, too. If you’re feeling brave and brassy, create a dance that switches leads once or twice during the routine.

4. Learn a couple of exciting steps. A pre-planned (choreographed) dip or a twirl makes a splashy statement without the tricky toe work of Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers. These moves are not only easy, but they offer impressive photo opportunities for still shots and videographers. When you look at them in the future, your photos will take you back to these moments with pride and a satisfied chuckle.

5. Plan your entrance and your exit. Will you clasp hands and kiss before you begin your dance? Will you sashay in from the left and leave to the right? Whatever you decide, be sure to tell your camera operators where and in what direction you will start and finish your dance, as well as any choreographed moves you plan to make. That way, they can prepare to capture the moment in its best light and with the correct angle.

6. Familiarize yourselves with the dance floor. Check out the floor you will dance on. Make sure you know its dimensions. Some styles of dancing (like Foxtrot) require a bigger space. Other styles like nightclub two step don’t require much space. Have a good idea of the size and shape your wedding reception dance floor will be so that you can practice and get used to dancing in that amount of space.

7. Practice, practice, practice. Practice on a busy dance floor in a public place. You can also practice at home, of course, (preferably in front of a large, floor-length mirror), but you also need the experience of dancing in front of an audience. Practice your routine at least a couple of times per week, for several weeks, until your feet seem to move without much help from your mind. Concentrate on having fun during your first dance, and your guests will jump to join you on the dance floor.

Wedding ring

The unending circle of a ring was thought to symbolize eternity; a wedding ring held the hope that love would last forever. The Egyptians, Greeks and Romans believed that a vein in the third finger travels straight to the heart. Medieval Christian grooms were said to place the ring part-way on the thumb, then index finger, then middle finger of the bride while saying the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Ghost. The next finger was the “ring” finger — and the groom left it there, presumably while saying, “I do.”

White gown

Until the late 19th century, American brides wore formal dresses during their weddings. Black was the color of choice. Queen Victoria popularized the wearing of white gowns in England, when she broke cultural norms and donned one at her wedding. At that time, white outfits were reserved for funerals and grieving. (They still are for Eastern cultures.) Some fashion historians say white represents purity and virginity but, by all accounts, wearing white first symbolized unabashed joy. Americans fell in love with white bridal gowns sometime during the early to mid 20th century.

Bride’s veil

At least three reasons are given for why brides wear veils during the wedding ceremony. Superstition led some to believe a veil would protect a bride from evil spirits. It’s also thought that brides wore veils to hide their faces from grooms during arranged unions. Today, the veil symbolizes a bride’s modesty.

Something old, something new, something borrowed, something blue. Wearing something old, usually given to the bride by a relative married for many years, was thought to guarantee a lifelong marriage. The “new” represented the beginning of married life. A borrowed item imparted the happiness of the giver to the wearer. The bride showed her modesty by wearing something blue.

Flowers

Flowers and herbs were important features in the pagan ceremonies which joined men and women long ago. Each variety, herb and color had its own significance. We further the tradition today when the bride carries a bouquet down the aisle or decorates the wedding and reception areas with floral arrangements.

Cake

In ancient times, the breaking of cake, like the breaking of bread, was seen as a fertility rite when performed during a joining ceremony. The practice of layering several cakes, one on top of the other, just to the tipping point, began much later. The bride and groom were expected to attempt a kiss above the precariously-perched cake. Their success in kissing without toppling the layers would result in a lifetime of good fortune.

Rituals

Candle lighting. In some Christian faiths, the bride and groom each hold a lighted candle and together light a third, known as the “unity candle”. It is a solemn ceremony symbolizing the joining of two souls to make one.

Kiss

In ancient times, Roman agreements were sealed with a kiss. A bride and groom are thought to exchange souls during their kiss in many of today’s cultural traditions. Once the kiss is performed, the marriage contract is said to be binding.

The toast

Hold onto your lunch. It’s called a “toast” because the French used to place a piece of bread in the bottom of a wine goblet, to impart flavor. Each celebrant quaffed and passed the goblet to the next hardy soul. The person for whom the toast was given would drink the goblet dry while slurping up the toast. Not just for breakfast, anymore!

Garter toss

In the 14th century, it was customary for the Groom to remove the Bride’s garter and throw it toward the single men in attendance. Legend said that whoever caught the garter would be next to marry. At the often-rowdy party following the wedding, a few drunk and impatient men would occasionally try to remove the Bride’s garter before the Groom had his opportunity. This ritual is being replaced by gentler, more modern affairs.

If you want to look simply gorgeous on your special day, you need all the help you can get. Here are some important pieces of advice from experts to help you cope with skin and beauty problems you might encounter on the day of your wedding:

Plan Ahead

The only way you can be stress free on your wedding day is if you carefully planned for the occasion for several months prior. If you want to get married in June, you need to start your preparations in January or even earlier. You can use planners and books that have step-by-step guide on what you need to accomplish to make your big day successful and stress-free.

Ask The Pros

Let’s face it, not everybody can afford having their make up done by professionals. If you are one of those who are brave enough to do their own makeup, you need to refresh your makeup skills for the big day. You would not want to wear your office makeup on your trip to the altar.

You don’t have to spend for makeup seminars or workshop because you can have makeup lessons for free. Just visit the cosmetic counters of your favorite makeup brands in department stores and consult with their specialists who are also trained to help provide every individual’s cosmetic needs. Some may even give you a free makeover and teach some tricks of the trade.

Don’t Turn Yourself Into A Clown

Your wedding day is not a time for experimentation. If you haven’t tried wearing bright blue eye shadow with green sparkly highlights, do not attempt to do so during the big day. Although wearing too much makeup and loud colors will really make you the center of attention on your wedding day, make sure that people will look at you not because you appear like a clown. For example, you may want to wear bright lipstick because a pale or neutral color will not look flattering on photos.

Prep Up Your Skin

In order to achieve a smooth and supple skin on your wedding day, you need to start taking care of your face and body for several months before the big day. Body scrubbing twice a month and a nightly ritual of applying lotion and cream will really help make your body soft, smooth and irresistible on your special day.

A facial once a month, for at least three months, is a must for every bride. A deep cleansing facial will help get rid of deep-seated dirt and grime, and also slough off dead skin cells so you will look glowing and rosy. You also need to start using a moisturizer that targets your skin problems such as fine lines, wrinkles, skin discoloration, and large pores. Find a moisturizer that will help get rid of all these problems months or weeks before your wedding.

Wedding

Wedding flower arrangements, as a matter of fact, can be preserved to provide you a lifetime symbol of your union. The decorations bring the day to life and finding the right local florist is the key to making the wedding day a blooming success. Florists and other members of the floral industry, wants every bride’s day to be perfect and they usually offer helpful advice for brides to be.

Flowers

Flowers are one of the most important elements and essential part of your wedding day; in fact they are treasured traditions of romance. It is also important to know what flowers are appropriate and what they represent as they are a big part of creating a beautiful wedding.

Wedding flower arrangements provide a wedding with beauty, style, and charisma. It is every girls desire to make her wedding day special, and wedding flowers plays a big part in it. Wedding Flowers are both decoration and a wedding tradition. There are many type of wedding flowers that provides detailed information about the wedding they include wedding flowers, fall wedding flowers, silk wedding flowers, spring wedding flowers and more.

If you are giving gifts to the wedding party or wedding guests you may want to consider using wedding poetry. Wedding poetry makes these gifts even more memorable.

The bride and groom may want to use wedding poetry to include in their cards to each other. Wedding poetry is also nice when used in notes to parents or other special family members.

You might wonder where to find wedding poetry. There are several places to find wedding poetry.

If you are creative you may want to write the wedding poetry yourself. A friend or family member may have a talent for writing wedding poetry. You can even take classes in poetry writing and hone your skills.

A great place to look for wedding poetry is online. You will find many ideas for wedding poetry on wedding sites.

Look for wedding poetry in books at your local bookstore or library. You may find just the perfect wedding poetry when you do a little research.

Wedding consultants may have suggestions of places to find wedding poetry. You can also look through wedding magazines to find examples of wedding poetry.

If you know what message you want to convey but are not able to write the wedding poetry yourself there is another possibility. You may be able to hire a wedding poetry writer. There are talented writers who will write wedding poetry for a fee.

For those who want to use wedding poetry as a way to make their wedding even more beautiful, there are many ways to accomplish this goal.

Craig Thornburrow is an Author and Business Owner.