Here is blog challenge to my friend and author, Peter Merry, author of “The Best Wedding Reception… Ever!” www.tbwre.com

I officiated and acted as master of ceremonies for Nick and Carrie’s wedding. One of the bridesmaids made the greatest Facebook post ever.

That makes her my favoritest bridesmaid EVAR…. Except for the bridesmaid I married.

Not the picture I was hoping for.

The wedding and reception was held at Eagle Pointe in Bloomington. A great venue. Lindsay and Denny got married on the 1st green and had their reception on the patio. The last time I was there I was in the clubhouse with the ceremony on the 9th green. I discovered on the Monday after the wedding that Jim Cerone was the DJ on the other green. (I don’t know what the Indianapolis metro area did without us for the weekend.).

Much nicer.

Dennis paid me the nicest compliment at the end of the evening. He said… “when we were sitting down and planned this out, I had no idea how much stuff you would be doing…. Thanks”

That is the essence of what I do… Focused on the results. There are a million small things that add up to the difference in end result. It’s the difference between what I do and average.

It was posh. It was fun. Bridgewater Country Club did a great job. There was a bagpiper for the cocktail hour on the deck. Emily Gage was in charge of photography. Debbie Graves who I haven’t worked with in ages, was in charge of video.

This is Martha Ellen, a friend of Bride/Event Planner Stephanie and the P Diddy of day of coordination. She was great! She did a great job. I would hire her.

This is part one of my Dentist’s of Monroe County travelogue.

Daniel and Kelly live in Bloomington. Bloomington is a destination for a lot of bride’s in search of an outdoor venue. Over all the places to have a wedding day in their neck of the woods, they choose Avon Gardens in Avon, Indiana. I have to agree on their thinking here.

It’s really an amazing place. The owners and staff are amazing. The location is amazing. The overall vibe is a perfect antidote for wedding day jitters and nerves.

Lois Talley was in charge of photography.

An amazing collection of friends and family gathered to celebrate the day. It was awesome. (please donate synonyms to “awesome” to indyprodj at gmail.com)

Jennifer won a complete wedding package in the charity auction from Jon Bruce Entertainment.

The reception was awesome.  Crystal Catering’s The Fountains rolled out the red carpet. They did an excellent job.

Tamara Ehrgott was in charge of photography and a treat to meet.

I am now officially a college graduate! I am a Bachelor of General Studies!

You can call me Jon Bruce BGS.

I can’t believe I waited this long to get it done.

For perspective sake, as a DJ, I am probably in the top 5% by education level. It may be higher than that. I will have to call somebody and figure out the actual breakdown.

As a client, do you ever think to ask about education for your entertainment? Most of my clients are some college, college, post graduate degree holders. May I should start handing out a C.V…

My biggest gripe about this business is differentiating the service I provide from the super special DJ guy who never bothered to finish High School and is still living in his parents basement.

You might notice the asymmetry when Mr. Cheap DJ shows up in jeans with a couple of buddies for your black tie event. It couldn’t hurt to ask before hand and clearly establish you expectations.

and no… Black Tie, doesn’t mean Black blue jeans, a buttoned down shirt, with a vest and a clip on tie.

The big bonus was getting a tour of the zoo from Jon Wassner (he’s married to Jacob’s teacher). Jon is a zoologist and author. I have talked with Jon about zoo’s before but seeing him in his natural environment was an absolute treat! He had the entire pack of 1st grader’s complete attention and was funny, helpful and insightful.

America's Best Zoos: A Travel Guide for Fans & Families

If you want to book Jon for a guided zoo tour, give me a call and I may be able to introduce you.

Think I am kidding? Here is what Jack Hanna had to say about Jon’s book.

A fantastic resourse for people of all ages…If you’re hooked on zoos like I am, you’ll treasure this book! — Jack Hanna, Host, TV’s “Into the Wild” 5/8/08

The great part is Jon’s book is a lot easier to keep around the house and cheaper to feed than Jon in person (according to Mrs. Wassner).

oh and here is the link.

I went to reply and noticed she had sent her inquiry email out to SEVEN DJs all at the same time. In the interest of keeping the playing field open, I hit reply to all.

Here are the results I got.

One DJ replied to my email.
Four are probably familiar with me and chalked it up to Jon Bruce being Jon Bruce.
THREE were RETURNED TO SENDER!
-All three don’t have an active web page.
-Two of those don’t have let their domain names lapse.

Usually this means that on your wedding day, if the phones not ringing its your DJ calling. Take a minute and call or email your DJ today and make sure the number still works. The American Disc Jockey Association has an emergency DJ hotline for no shows on your wedding day. 888-723-5776.

When you book a DJ….

1. Get a contract in writing.
2. Meet the actual person who will be performing at your event. (And get a guarantee in that written contract).
3. Remember experience counts for something. I have had the same phone number for 14 years.

My email and indyprodj.com are coming up on their 10th anniversary.

What about your DJ?

Please send me an email or comment if the link has expired.

http://artwerksdesign.com/proofing/bnl/index.html

Yeah for Ben & Jerrys and Yeah to the Barenaked Ladies.

The person you select to be the Master of Ceremonies is representing you. It’s probably a good idea to meet them in person and know what they are going to say and why.