Today, times are tough. We are seeing traditions broken daily and hard decisions have to be made. Maybe you really want to get married but know that your venue bill will be 15 to 20 times the size of what the DJ bill will be, and you know you can’t afford it. That’s right. Your average wedding venue bill with food is $10,000-$30,000 today! Weel, what can you do?
POTLUCK! BRING YOUR OWN FOOD?!
A Potluck Wedding Can Actually Be Better!
Before you dismiss this as an unacceptable option, let’s look at history. One hundred years ago, there was no prime rib. There were no candy tables. There was no open bar tab. Almost every wedding reception was catered by the guests!
Part of the wedding gift was your loved ones sweating over a hot oven. Then, they would show up with their labors of love bearing a covered dish for all to partake, in the name of the bride and groom.
Another trend of guests bringing their own food to a wedding reception to be shared by all happened a little more than only fifty years ago. In the ‘60s, dematerialization and sharing also was a big part of that generation’s mindset. This bled over into the matrimonial ceremonial trends. At this time, Potluck weddings were about sharing all kinds of things.
Believe it or not, the idea of guests bringing the food to the reception was not low-brow at many points in history. It actually used to be the norm. However, in the “instant gratification” materialist world that we live in, and now with the economic state that our country is in, this trend is making a comeback at weddings.
Here are a number of tips to keep in mind, in order to make the idea of covered dishes work at your reception:
PLANNING A POTLUCK WEDDING – While this is a great idea, there may be some materialistic money-grubbers who will oppose your quest for crockpots. Many wedding halls will not allow you or guests to bring in food or alcoholic beverages. In most cases, this directly affects their bottom line, as providing high end dishes is an integral part of their income and overall profit. In order to have a potlock reception, you will first have to locate an appropriate hall to your liking that allows self-catering, and one that still fits the atmospheric-setting role that you are looking for.
PROMOTING YOUR VISION – Whenever you can, consider a theme! For our house warming, we held what we called a “cultural covered dish party.” You couldn’t just show up with hot dogs and chips. We challenged our guests to recreate and share their favorite ethnic dishes from all around the world.
For our cultural covered dish party, we communicated with out friends and family to see what area their cuisine would come from. Once we heard one country or area was being represented, we might mention that to another person. Then, each guest would bring some really cool things to the table.
One friend could represent Mexico, another could represent Italy, and so on and so forth, so that many different and fun dishes were represented. We then put little flags in front of the dishes, upon receiving them. It felt like Disney’s “It’s a Small World” ride, but much tastier!
Potluck Wedding Dishes Are Fun and Can Be A Great Conversation Starter at Your Party
CHEF TO IMPRESS & RESTRICTIONS – Tell your people to all bring entrees, not side dishes. Push the idea of “CHEF TO IMPRESS!” You always have the handful of loser relatives who want to only bring soda and chips. Make it clear that side dishes will make for a poor spread. Side dishes are very lame and that each guest needs to try and provide at least one entree, with any amount of supporting sides that they wish! If you get entrees across the board, there will be some really great food and fun for all!
TAKE INVENTORY & COMMUNICATE – It is crucial that you make an ongoing list of what guests would like to bring so that you don’t get a dozen meatball dishes, for example, and nobody shows up with some succulent shrimp or chicken! (Gotta have chicken!) Consider using facebook to make communication easy.
TIMING & STORAGE – Let the people plan early. Put your food information/request right on the invitation. When the wedding day finally comes, the best way to organize is to put someone in charge of receiving the food, before the ceremony actually starts.
CROCK POTS – Rule. Enough said.
PREP TEAM & CLEAN UP TEAM – Since there are no caterers waiting on your guests, this does mean that there will be more work that will need to be done on your behalf. It is best to ask for volunteers to man food prep & clean up. With two separate teams, the brunt of work doesn’t fall heavy on one or two people’s shoulders. You will need one group to organize and set up the food, and also another to break down, preserve and get the containers ready to go back to the original owners.
MUSIC – Everybody knows that music makes it better. Food is best consumed with music, so get a DJ! (I know a good one!) Your savings on food allows for even more fun to happen!
DISH PRESENTATION – We don’t want this to look like your average party. Since you are potentially saving thousands on the food bill, you may want to make everything look as classy as possible.
To avoid the stigma that a hodge-podge potluck wedding reception could receive, try and create some kind of uniformity in presentation. Another trick is to elevate entree dishes on your buffet tables with some kind of milk crates or soda riser-trays, then cover the boosters with linen.
If you really want to change people’s minds about being thrifty, stay away from dollar store table cloths to avoid cheap presentation of good food! To remain classy but still save money, if your hall does not provide linens, you can always purchase sale fabric at a discount fabric stores.
If you don’t want to go all the way with a potluck wedding, you could just do potluck desserts!
POTLUCK DESSERTS – Maybe you still want the dinner catered, but love this idea. How about potluck desserts only?!
ADDITIONAL GIFTS ARE OPTIONAL – Remember, since guests are providing the food, it is customary to accept the fact that the dish could be considered the only gift to you, or at least a portion of the gift. Encourage this and embrace it! You are saving thousands of dollars!
Food is love and when prepared by your friends and family, love as well as scrumptious scents will be in the air. The possibilities are endless. People will go out of their ways to really show off their skills, and at the same time, impress you.
Having a successful covered dish wedding reception is all about cooperation and fun with people who are important to you. Your friends and family will love the idea and probably go out of their ways to really make it a spread that will impress everyone.
If done correctly, your wedding reception could turn out to be much better than any catering company could ever deliver.
Custom Decorations For Dishes Can Also Be Fun
A Potluck Wedding Can Actually Be Better!
If you don’t want to go all the way with a potluck wedding, you could just do potluck desserts!
Potluck Wedding Dishes Are Fun and Can Be A Great Conversation Starter at Your Party
East Providence, Rhode Island – On April 18th 2010, the 5th Annual New England Pro Wrestling Hall of Fame Induction ceremony held its second annual dinner banquet (with the first three ceremonies taking place during wrestling event intermissions.) The New England PWHOF honored twenty international wrestling superstars and personalities for their impact on the professional wrestling in and around New England. Kenny Casanova was inducted for the class of 2010.
DJ Kenny Casanova has been a wrestling personality since 1994. In this realm, Kenny Casanova is a wrestler, a wrestling manager, a ring announcer, and also a color commentator who has provided sports broadcasting voice overs for hundreds of international wrestling shows and DVDs.
Inducted Into the Class of 2010
Kenny’s wrestling and managing (acting as a villianous mouthpiece for “bad guy” wrestlers) was based on crazy showmanship, humor, interacting with the audience, and spontaneous improv when needed. His character was and still is a big success in the professional wrestling world. However, the character eventually also, as you know, morphed into a second brand of entertainment.
“Kenny Casanova” the wrestler is a lounge-lizzard/karaoke-singing wrestler that would sing his own entrance music, as he walked into the ring for a match on a cordless microphone. It was only a matter of time before select wrestling fans wanted “The Karaoke King” for personal appearences. They booked Kenny to MC karaoke parties and events, as a spin off from his staged personna. The party thing caught on, and because Kenny Casanova also has a very musical backgound, the MC / ring announcing hype-man side of him easily transitioned into providing the entire entertainment needed for full-fledged disc jockey gigs, including sweet sixteens, proms and even top-notch weddings.
However, Kenny did not turn his back on the original brand; pro wrestling entertainer.
On April 18Th 2010, the 5TH Annual New England Pro Wrestling Hall of Fame inducted Kenny Casanova for his impact on the wrestling circuit in the North East.
Two Fan Festivals kicked off the event. On Saturday, a memorabilia and meet-and-greet autograph signing took place to hype up the fans for the next day. Vendor guests included Former ECW Heavyweight Champion Justin Credible, WWE and WCW Superstar Brian Clarke (Adam Bomb aka Wrath), Rick “The Model” Martel, John Cena Sr. (The current WWE Champion’s Father), Matt Bourne aka Doink The Clown, and Barbie Menegan.
Fans were also pleasantly surprised to see Mick Foley (Mankind aka Cactus Jack) do an unannounced drop by run-in on the fun.
Superfly Jimmy Snuka also inducted.
On Sunday, the day of the induction, the Fan Fest meet-and-great was extended. Highlights for fans included pictures and signings with “The Living Legend” Larry Zbysco, Referee Danny Davis, “Superfly” Jimmy Snuka, Ox Baker, Melissa Coates, Lushious Latasha, “Spirit Squad’s” Kenny Dykstra, and Japanese Wrestling Sensation Shockwave The Robot who was added special to the Sunday line up. There was also plenty of food for everyone, on the house. (Mmm… Delicious premium calzones! The Philly steak and cheese calzone was scrumptious!)
Come time for the actual Induction Ceremony itself, the seats were practically sold out with standing room only, with about 200 plus guests. The Class of 2010 New England Pro Wrestling Inductees included some very well known wrestlers:
Superfly Jimmy Snuka (Inducted by Rich Palladino)
Larry Zbyszko (Inducted by Mike Messier)
Dangerous Danny Davis (Inducted by Mike Sparta)
Public Enemy (Inducted by Joel Davis)
Kenny Casanova (Inducted by Referee Todd Taylor)
“Duke of Dorchester” Pete Doherty (Inducted by Peter Riendeau)
"Living Legend" Larry Zbysco, another inductee.
Tony Ulysses (Inducted by Paul Richard)
Angelo, Mario, and Tom Savoldi (Inducted by Brian Webster)
John Rambo (Inducted by Chuckie Manson & Cory Bush)
* John Cena Sr. received The 2010 Manager of The Year Award.
* Robbie Ellis received The 2010 Life Time achievement award
* Referee Tim White received The 2010 “New England Icon” Award
Kenny Casanova was inducted by referee and long time friend, Hotbod Todd Taylor. Taylor roasted Kenny for being a big mark for the business. He cited several ridiculous quick antidotes including Kenny being kicked out of several WWF locker rooms for his shenanigans by Tony Garea and fellow inductee Referee Tim White, as well as scrambling to pick up “Golddust” Mylar chips from an arena floor.
Kenny walked up to what was a rather tame induction to a chant of, “SING! SING! SING!” and decided to turn it up a notch. “The Love Boat” television theme kicked in and Kenny gave the audience what they wanted. He lap danced and serenaded Jimmy “Superfly” Snuka and Lobsterman, then moved towards Larry Zbysco, who sold it hard and ran out the door! Kenny thanked the late Captain Lou Albano for giving him his first opportunity in the business and also thanked Superfly Snuka for singing inappropriate blues songs with him in several locker rooms before shows. Kenny also mentioned how as a baby, he had won a beauty contest where the Pennsylvanian town had dubbed him, “The Duke of Carlisle.” Kenny recalled asking his mother at his first live wrestling event if Pete Doherty, who was also known as “The Duke of Dorchester,” perhaps had won a beauty contest, but then confided that, “after seeing Pete Doherty here today, …I now know the answer.”
Kenny Casanova finally thanked promoter Mike Sparta for booking him on many occasions in New England with WWA wrestling, he thanked Maria and Buttery Bert, then thanked the New England Pro Wrestling Hall of Fame and Joe Bruen for the honor.
Recognizing all of New England and the entire east coast, Hall of Fame Commissioner Joe Bruen created the venue because he wanted to recognize North East professional wrestling talent in a public forum for the impact they have had in the area, over the years. “There hasn’t ever been proper recognition for local wrestlers and might have never been,” said Bruen, who himself is a former ring announcer, as well as manager, booker, and promoter.
Again, in his own public forum, Kenny Casanova thanks Joe Bruen for the call.
Pick songs that are important to you, AND your guests.
Of course, the bride and groom’s song choices outweigh anyone else’s at the wedding. However, it is still very important to try to incorporate lots of music that their guests will enjoy. Think about it for a second. Who wants to put on a wedding where people hate the entertainment!?
The purpose of playing music at all is to set an atmosphere. Therefore, the real logic behind planning your reception music should be to create an atmosphere where people will have fun, rather than expose your guests to music you like.
Throughout the years, wedding receptions have changed. They are vastly becoming the party dancing part of the wedding, while the ceremony holds the classy and more serious peaceful part of the day. Therefore, the trend now for receptions is to be far more upbeat and fun. If this is the atmosphere you want, the possibilities of song choices are endless. However, picking songs that ONLY you like can be a big mistake.
Most bride and grooms want to select songs that are special to them. Sometimes the songs relate to how they first met or the couple’s first date, or perhaps some other memorable event. It is very important, to do this, however, if the whole playlist are “special songs” to the bride and groom, they may not be special to everyone else.
If you want to have a finger on the playlist, as you plan songs for the wedding reception, seek out a second opinion from friends or family. With the internet, you can easily send out emails and get a feeling for what people will like.
If your overall goal really again is to create a fun, dancing atmosphere, you really have to pick songs that people can dance to and songs that people like to dance to. Even if you do not like “dance music,” if your guests do, you will need to pick songs they like to get the atmosphere that you are looking for.
I heard this song the other day, “Bulletproof” by La Roux, and thought it sounded WAY 80’s. I was like, “Wow. That sounds old school.”
It turns out that this is actually the brand new video for La Roux’s third single – Bulletproof. Turns out she might be trying to sound that way, as the video is very retro in style. Check it out though. Pretty cool!
Over the years, I have seen a lot of trepidation from customers who want to hire a DJ for their wedding. They have already decided that hiring a band is limiting, but they don’t know really what extra stuff a DJ will bring to the table. It is true. There are a ton of people out there who consider themselves “Disc Jockeys,” but they all offer many different things. There are a number of things to look for, to make sure you pick the right DJ for your wedding ceremony and/or wedding reception.
If you are in The Capital District, you are already going to hire me of course! So the rest of this article is for the rest of the world. (Just kidding!) …There are a number of questions and things to think about when hiring a DJ. Here is my Top 10 list of topics:
1. DO THEY KNOW MUSIC? Make sure they know about the music you like, and also the music your guests like. This is very important. If they are not very familiar with songs or artists across many genres, the music you get may not be what you are looking for.
2. PERSONALITY. Are they fun? Are they professional? Are they willing to meet you face to face if possible before hiring them? Will they share stories of experience, or pictures of them DJ’ing in action?
3. REQUESTS Do they have a huge library? If so and they are able to provide your party with pretty much any song ever, how good is their ability to screen requests? Make sure they are willing to take requests and customize the night for you and your guests. However, make sure they have a plan on eliminating song that people may ask for that you do not want at your reception.
4. CUSTOMIZABILITY. Can they cater to your specific needs, or do they force you into buying everything by saying everything is included? Individual packages are the key to finding an affordable DJ. If you don’t care about karaoke and lights and a smoke machine, but it is all including, you are probably being charged for it. Ala carte when the prices are reasonable could save you good money and get you exactly what you want without paying more.
5. EXPERIENCE ACROSS THE BOARD. Weddings have a little bit of every demographic. Try to find someone who has been doing it at least 3-5 years, and not only at a bar scene. Bars these days hire ANYONE, and the demographic is not exactly what you will find at your wedding.
Your DJ should have experience across the board and be able to tell you stories about all kinds of different parties that they have worked for. Sweet sixteen’s and school dances mean they can handle your young guests without a problem. Holiday Parties and other events may prove young to middle age is no problem. Anniversary and retirement parties mean they have experience in catering to older clientele. Make sure they have good experience in all categories and all your guests will be satisfied!
6. FAIR PRICE. Look around and see what other experienced DJ’s are charging. Find the DJ who seems right for you and in the ballpark.
Cheap DJ – Very cheap quotes may spell inexperience or desperation and could destroy your party. Make sure you know exactly what kind of gear the DJ uses, and also what kind of experience they have. Do they have different packages available? What do they do at weddings that make them worth looking at?
Expensive DJ – Overpriced DJ’s, on the other hand, may warn you not to go with any DJ who charges under, say $700, or whatever the overpriced DJ wants to charge you. They may say that under a certain price means a DJ is “not a professional” or “will do a lousy job.” This is ABSOLUTELY NOT TRUE. This only said to command more money and scare you into hiring them. Using fear tactics and negativity to try and secure your business is NOT GOOD BUSINESS. Trash talking other DJ’s openly is also a bad sign.
7. PROFESSIONALISM. Can they actually blend the music together? Some DJ’s have moved over to laptop set ups which can be great, but if they do not have professional DJ programs, then there could be gaps of “dead air” between songs. Ask about this first, as dead air in any dose can kill your party.
Do they offer something in writing? Do they have professional gear? Do they have a web site or something you can look at? Do they have a business card? Do they have back up DJ’s and or equipment available? Or is it only them with one set up? Can you see them publicly in action somewhere?
8. FLEXIBILTY. The DJ cannot be “stubborn” or “set in his own way.” They are there to serve you and do what you want. If you do not want The Dreaded Chicken Dance, then don’t let him tell you that is going to happen!
Are they okay with playing music that they do not like? Some DJ’s refuse to play certain songs, because they feel it may not get them gigs by potential customers at your party. However, if this is the case, then they are more worried about their image than they are doing a good job for you. They are there to work for you, not be a commercial for themselves. Make sure they will do what you ask them to, within reason. At the same time, make sure they do also know what is appropriate to play and professional. As Ali G says, “Respect!”
9. REFERENCES – Ask for references! Duh!
10. FUN AND CLASSY? – Can they do both? It takes a great DJ to be good in both departments. If it is your special day, you will probably want some seriousness, as well as craziness to remember.
Last Saturday Maria & I DJ’ed an 80th Birthday Party at Burden Lake Golf, Burden Lake, NY (which is right near Averill Park, about 15 to twenty minutes from Albany). I had never done anything at this venue, but it’s a nice little place.
They seat about 150 people comfortably, with round tables and lots of windows all around. There are some little ponds outside, streams and a lot of green, so the atmosphere is nice. They have a full long bar with seating and also they have a built in slide show arrangement in the corner so you can do powerpoints/slide shows. (I believe it is also wired for PA, though we used our own set up).
Just thought I would give them a plug, as it was a nice little place I hadn’t heard of.
