Posted by Jeremy Brech on Mon, Feb 20, 2012 @ 03:25 PM
Have you ever been to a wedding where it feels like things are taking forever and you just want the first dance to happen so you can finally go home? Don't let this happen at your own wedding! Creative Involvement is the second phase of a Wedding Entertainment Director TM.
Wedding events fail when there isn't Comprehensive Personalization and when it lacks Creative Involvement. It is hard to create creative involvement if your event doesn't have structure and guidance. Every single wedding celebration has potential to be great. Two things factor in to the equation for its success.
- If you allow it to be great
- If you are working with the right person to create participation and involvement.
We hear it all the time where the couple doesn't want the entertainer to be involved or interact with their guests. That is because sometime in their life they were at an event where the DJ/MC wasn't professional, was obnoxious, and created terrible moments. Now, they don't want to take those risks at their own weddings because of the previous nightmares they experienced.
Your event can be fun and entertaining with creative involvement when working with a true Wedding Entertainment Director TM. Creative moments can be created for introductions, buffet line dismissal, kissing activities, bouquet toss, parents dance, cake cuttings, last dance, and even your grand exit. There are so many creative ideas that Jeremy Brech with DJ Jer can provide for you and your event to make it stand out from the rest. Jeremy has two Creative Licenses from the Power to Create Workshop. Along with extensive training and networking from other great professionals through out the nation. Your event is only as fun as you make it. The execution is up to the Master of Ceremonies so make sure you book the right guy for the job.
Posted by Jeremy Brech on Thu, Feb 09, 2012 @ 02:33 PM
With technology today it is so easy to just copy something and call it good. Your wedding shouldn't be one of these things. Cookie cutter anything should be illegal at a wedding. Why? Because if you saw it at a wedding somewhere, chances are others at your wedding have also seen it. Make sure your event has direction and it isn't just a repeat of an event that your entertainer did the week before. Comprehensive personalization is one of the steps that a true Wedding Entertainment Director will work on with you. There are no set times during your event that your first dance needs to happen.
W.E.D.'s take the time to visit with you about your event from start to finish. They will also make sure to listen! This is important because if they aren't listening then it isn't about you, it is about them. Make sure they are working with you and not for you. Some of the greatest events such as the Oscars, Betty White's 90th Birthday Celebration, etc. take lots of time to prepare. They have a high amount of detail to make them successful. With out a team working together and fully understanding what is happening the event could easily be a flop. Your event needs to make sense and your W.E.D. TM will be able to guide you through event success. A good director will ask the questions "Why?". This is something that I learned from a great mentor of mine Mr. Bill Hermann.
The reason the questions why is so valuable when planning your event is because it make your event have value. Why do you cut the cake? Why do use a certain song for a certain moment in the night? Why are you having a wedding reception? Make sure all of your events throughout the night have a purpose. Make sure you have an answer when you are asked why.
The guidance that your event gets because of it's Comprehensive Personalization will undoubtedly create a easy flowing event so that you can sit back and enjoy it that much more. Your Master of Ceremonies will guide you and your guests through success.
Posted by Jeremy Brech on Mon, Feb 06, 2012 @ 12:56 PM
There are currently about 2 million weddings each year across the nation. There are currently 22 Wedding Entertainment Directors TM across the nation as well. That means for everyone to get the entertainment for their event that they need and deserve, each W.E.D. TM would have to do about 90,909 weddings a year. As you can imagine, this is not feasible. If you want the best for your wedding celebration, then contact a member of the W.E.D. Guild before your date is gone.
Wedding Entertainment Directors TM have proven that they provide the level of service above and beyond your "typical DJ". Two million people deserve to have the best entertainment since the entertainment is the number one thing that guests are going to remember from your event. Why would you risk using something that is typical when you can have something that is extraordinary.
Jeremy Brech aka "DJ Jer" of Sioux Falls, South Dakota is South Dakota's first and only W.E.D. TM. Some of other great W.E.D.'s across from the east coast are Elisabeth Scott Daily, Larry Green, Neal Howard, and Marchello Pedalino. The central region brings great entertainers such as Mike Anderson, Jim Cerone, Bill Hermann, Peter Merry, Ben Miller, Ron Ruth, Jay Sims, and my good friend Mitch Taylor. The west coast provides some great entertainers such as Mike Anderson, Randy Bartlett, Matt Graumann, Curtis Hoekstra, Doug LaVine, Mark Peace Thomas, Shawn Wittemore, and Larry Williams. Canada also provides Alex Tamas for high end entertainment services.
If you are one of the 2 million that are getting married this year or next year, don't risk your event with typical. Get what you deserve and get the best for your event. Get to know the professionals listed and understand what it takes to be one of the best, visit WeddingEntertainmentDirector.com.
Posted by Jeremy Brech on Thu, Feb 02, 2012 @ 11:41 AM
There is a new fad in the wedding industry that is never going to go away. It is called professionalism. Most services across the wedding industry have certain standards and ratings of quality. Within the wedding entertainment industry there is a standard or a goal that won't just improve how or what your entertainer does, but how the outcome of your event will be positively changed. Wedding Entertainment Directors TM across the nation have created a process that performs, provides, and personalizes at such a high standard that only a hand full have succeeded the application process. The best entertainers in the nation, along with Canada, have worked hard to provide their clients the professionalism that all couples deserve. Every entertainer that has been accepted into the W.E.D. Guild TM has completed the 7 steps to prove they have the talent and standards to provide you the highest level of entertainment for your wedding celebration.
Jeremy Brech of Sioux Falls, South Dakota has recently been inducted into the prestige honor. He quotes, "This process has been life changing for me and my clients. The people that I influence for each and every event are truly special to me because a wedding is all about L-O-V-E. Going through training and creating a higher standard within my business now provides my clients with top of the line entertainment and professionalism."
Most people feel that if they have been doing something for so long then they know it all. DJ Jer has been entertaining for over 15 years.In the last year and a half some of the biggest changes have occurred for his clients. The training and mentoring has been such an impact for DJ Jer and with the acceptance as a Wedding Entertainment Director TM, he now has proof that weddings in Sioux Falls have a new high standard.
The power of the W.E.D. can provide you one of the most amazing events for you and your guest to enjoy. Remember your wedding only happens once, why risk it with below standard?
Posted by Jeremy Brech on Tue, Jan 31, 2012 @ 11:32 AM
Like most people I want to find the most reasonable solution for things. I want some thing to make sense and I will do my research to make sure I find the best at the best price. These things have to do with value. I did a recent post regarding the value of the wedding DJ that will also help through this process of understanding value. Just because something is cheap doesn't mean it is the best value. Would you get on a air plane that was build by the lowest bidder without worrying about anything? Life or death situation you might not look for the cheapest but you may look for the best value.
So the question is, how do you find a DJ that has the value that you would require for the biggest event of your lives? There are a couple things you should ask your entertainment company when planning your wedding.
- What training have you taken to improve what you will do for my wedding?
- How will you guide us through our event that night?
- Can I see unedited video of your performances?
- What happens if the power goes out at my event?
- Why do you want to do my event?
If your wedding entertainer doesn't have answers for any of these questions, then they might not have the true value that you need to make your event successful. DJ Jer Events and Lighting Design strives to provide the value above and beyond your expectations. Let us help you plan your next great event.
Posted by Jeremy Brech on Mon, Jan 30, 2012 @ 10:58 AM
Like most jobs, business, or industries there is a standard of excellence. There is a novice position which all of us start with one way or another. There is also a advanced which everyone should be at. Then there are experts, who exceeds expectations.
In the wedding entertainment industry things are no different. Jeremy Brech aka "DJ Jer" has reached an area in the Wedding Entertainment industry that nobody else in South Dakota has. In the entertainment industry there are also standards created and the highest standard for DJs, Master of Ceremonies, and Entertainers is the nationally acclimated W.E.D. Guild TM. This is an extensive processes of professionalism that only 22 people in the nation have successfully been accepted into. The standards for the Wedding Entertainment Director is at such a high bar that the process will typically take a year or more to achieve.
Peter Merry, the author of "The Best Wedding Reception...Ever!" has created this group to create a higher standard or professionals in the entertainment industry. The purpose is to provide a higher standard and to exceed expectations of couples and their guests. Imagine your wedding with laughter, emotion, creativity, personalization, guests involvement, direction, and presentation. These key items are the things that a Wedding Entertainment Director provides you for your event. The comprehensive process focuses on 7 major aspects:
- Comprehensive Personalization
- Creative Involvement
- Event Direction
- Talented Spokesperson
- Music Programming
- Appropriate Presentation
- Quality Amplification
Make sure you keep an eye on our future posts which will explain each of the seven steps and why they are so important for the success of your event. So you need to ask yourself, what is it that you want from your event?
Posted by Jeremy Brech on Mon, Dec 19, 2011 @ 11:27 AM
If you would have asked a DJ 10 years ago about what type of lighting do you have for my event. They would tell you that we have an awesome disco ball and some crazy dance lights. "Dance lights" being the key words. Ambient lighting wasn't really an option until LED lighting made it feasible for DJ's to start getting creative. Creativity isn't something that is bought by a designer. By a consumer it can be bought and this is where your ideas can come to life. Creativity has always been in my blood ever since I was a kid and I even went to school for Graphics and Design. A good lighting designer will help create your perfect event by listening to you needs and wants. If the conversation starts off with, "look what we can do." Then you planning is already headed in the wrong direction. There really shouldn't be any lighting designers that still use the old halogen up-lighting cans. It is like your DJ still using cassette tapes for your dance. This is the unwillingness to improve the service you deserve. 
What about what is in or what will be in for your event. Well, as you may have noticed, people aren't using a lot of balloons for their weddings anymore. When was the last time you went to a wedding and said, "Oh, I love that balloon arch over their head table." Things become fads and many fads date your wedding. Most people love up-lighting, I loved it 5 years ago when we started doing it as well, but that is the problem. Your wedding is no different than the wedding that was in the same location as the one that was in there 5 years ago. Give your guests something different besides the same old lights going up the wall. Color washing can be very effective along with monograms, pin-spotting, and my ultimate favorite textures and patterns.
Design out of the box! If you don't think it is possible, just ask, you might be amazed what dreams may come true. Let DJ Jer Events and Lighting Design help you create the most amazing next best thing!!
Posted by Jeremy Brech on Thu, Dec 15, 2011 @ 11:27 AM
One of the biggest things we hear when we talk to area photographers is how bad the lighting looked at a past event they had shot. There are a couple things that a good photographer understands when it comes to the pictures and the environment surrounding it. They understand that the lighting whether it be accent lighting or house lighting will show up in pictures. Most people get that concept but what a photographer understands is that lighting reflects, saturates, and changes the tones of whatever else is in that picture. A good photographer will know how to prevent such things showing up in your pictures.
So the question becomes about the photographer, right? Wrong and right. A good photographer can only do so much and photoshop can only do so much. The lighting designer creates a good background by creating good positioning. The photographer is the one who has to explain why their pictures didn't turn out if the positioning was not done well. I have said it many times, any one can provide you lighting but only a few can provide it successfully with your best interest in mind.
Make sure that your designer is thinking of your wants and needs first. If you want your event to be successful, your other services should also want the same for you. Make sure to inform your other services about anything beyond the normal that you are planning to do. The more communication the better for everyone. Your lighting designer should probably call your photographer to discuss your lighting plans to make their job easier.
Posted by Jeremy Brech on Wed, Dec 07, 2011 @ 01:51 PM
Most people think the more, the better. This isn't always true when it comes to event lighting. It isn't about how much is used by how it is used. After many years of designing lighting schemes for individuals, we have found that the positioning and the use of lighting is more important then the quantity used. For instance, think of your entertainment for your event. Would you want 3 okay DJ's running your event or would you rather have 1 extraordinary DJ running your event. Multiple DJ's trying to do one job can just be obnoxious because they conflict with each other. If you have one or even two lights being used effectively then you will see how less is more.
Most lighting companies will tell you how much it would cost per light to make your event successful(in their eyes). This is great for lighting designers because they could tell you that you need 40 lights on this wall and 25 on this wall. Most people who hire lighting designers don't know any better and will agree to what they are told. Don't be taken advantage of and this is exactly why we work with you by the wall or section. This allows us to expand more lighting into your wall without you taking on extra costs!
Make sure the correct lights are being used for the correct technique. There are many different kinds of lights out there and they all do different things. As long as your lighting designers has the correct equipment, you will have endless options for your lighting. This means there is a difference in the fixtures used for a wall wash, narrow beam up-lighting, and textures.
Double check with your photographer and/or videographer regarding your lighting. You don't want to do a green lighting that over powers the room and makes all your guests look like the Hulk. Event lighting is an accent lighting or atmosphere creator. Keep in mind that your pictures are going to capture the memories so make sure your memories are in color. Make sure they are aware of now house lights that will be used so they can practice shooting with a different atmosphere.
Posted by Jeremy Brech on Thu, Nov 03, 2011 @ 09:03 AM
Think of your event as if it was a canvas. Where do you want to go with it. What is the over all feeling of the piece of artwork. Does it match your style and last but not least, do the color compliment each other. Using certain colors in your decor and making them fit in with the lighting can be very important to lighting success. You don't want your event to look like you couldn't decide on a color so you randomly threw a bunch of colors together. Maybe you do. Maybe you want your event to look depict a rainbow. If that is the style of event you are going for then make sure you go all the way with it.
Think of it this way. If you are holding an event for Breast Cancer Awareness, you are going to use pink lighting. You won't see red lighting or blue lighting. The event and the color scheme needs to make sense. It needs to make sense to everyone. This means if a random person who didn't know the theme of your event walked in, they could say, "I see exactly what they are doing."
Here are the guidelines to help make your lighting successful. We have touched base on #1 and #2 already and now are discovering the matching color scheme.
- What is the feel that I am trying to create(Warm or Cool)
- What do I want people to see or feel when they walk into my event
- What are the colors of everything else in the room and does it match my decor
- How much lighting do I need
- How is this going to effect my pictures
- What can I do that is different
So as you read in #3 everything should have a purpose for your event. Especially your lighting. If your doing breakup lighting, it should have a purpose. If you are looking for a certain color scheme, it should also have a purpose. For a fall event, some people like to use fall leaves or gourds on their centerpieces. Make sure your lighting matches the feel of the room by using warm colors such as; amber, red tones, orange tones, Ivory, Deep yellows and so on. Stay away from the blues and greens. The lighting should feel natural to the environment.
Last but not least make sure all the lighting put together makes sense. Don't do warm surroundings and cool table lighting. Table lighting can consist of Table Spot Lighting or Table Pin Spotting, and also keep in mind that your candles are a light source as well so make sure to build off of the full lighting surrounding your event. Make sure you are doing lighting because you want to, not because your DJ is trying to make more money off of you!