Neen James- It’s Australian for Fabulous, mate!

You know it’s going to be a great party when the hostess greets you at the door and offers you a beverage and a tattoo.

Super-Productivity expert and social media darling, Neen James, along with her Master of the Barbie and technology aficionado husband, Andy, held their annual Celebrate Australia soiree at their lovely home in Bucks County, Pa.

What makes a party fabulous?   First and foremost, it’s your guest list.  As I mentioned in the last post, 10 Tips for Celebratory Success, when you invite the people you care about and the people who care about you, the rest will fall into place. 

Neen and Andy are connected to an eclectic group of cool people and thought leaders from all over the world.  The house was buzzing with teachers, lawyers, publicists, professional speakers, realtors, media specialists, marketing managers, designers, make-up artists, yoga studio owners, tech experts, and even one special event entrepreneur who got a golden e-ticket this year.

The vibe was ultra-friendly and positive.   Laughter was a constant-  as was a nice mix of aspirational conversation, trips down memory lane and a sprinkle of networking for potential collaborations… Just right for a festively-chic night out.

Neen tweeted her guests earlier in the week reminding them to “bring your appetite.”   I’m glad I took her advice and also ran an extra 3 miles in the morning.  The constant service of delectable Aussie-inspired appetizers featured; prawns on the barbie,  meat pies, sausage rolls, lamb chops and specialty quiches. The aromas were as delightful as the flavors.

Neen Knows:  If you’re planning a party and want to create an intimate affair but don’t want the potential stuffiness and conversational limitations that can result from a sit-down dinner, opt for a heavy menu of passed hors d’oeuvres instead.   When paired up with the right mixology offerings, this ‘freedom to mingle alternative’ to being a seating chart slave can really enhance your guest’s experience.

Neen and Andy also came through in what I call the “little things” department.  They decorated the house with Aussie flags, played some cool Aussie beats in the pool room, offered everyone temporary Aussie tattoos, and had an awesome ‘Best of Australia’ photo montage playing on their huge living room plasma screen.   The images were stunning! All of these elements combine to spark fun and interactive exchanges among your newly-introduced friends.

It was a pleasure meeting everyone in the fabulous network of Neen.  No matter who I encountered, everyone agreed that her ability to ignite people’s productivity on both a personal and professional level is uber-impressive.  If you think you can keep up, fasten your seat belt and follow her on twitter. @NeenJames

Special thanks to Neen and Andy for their generous hospitality and friendship.

Continued health, happiness and success!

 

 

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10 Tips for Celebratory Success: Advice from The Grand Summit Hotel & Marcello for Your Wedding or Special Event

It was a pleasure meeting all of the beautiful and savvy brides, Bar Mitzvah moms and corporate meeting planners at the 2012 Grand Summit Gala Tasting.   The Grand Summit Hotel pulled out all the stops to show off their exceptional cuisine, service and hospitality.  The Grand Summit team, lead by Michael Marino, Jim Thornton and Teresa Garcia, along with the hotel’s discerning roster of preferred professionals, introduced the VIP guest list to exclusive event planning resources throughout the lavish brunch to ensure that they have the best special event possible.

After speaking with some of the Grand Summit Gala Pros earlier in the week, I compiled a top 10 list of planning tips that might come in handy for your upcoming wedding or special event...

1) All In One!  Consider a venue that offers your guests the convenience of attending your ceremony, reception, after party, over-nite accommodations and even the next-day brunch without having to worry about traffic, parking or being able to party like rock stars.   -Teresa @ The Grand Summit Hotel

2) Save It!  If you have any material left over from you wedding dress or bridesmaid’s alterations, don’t throw it out! The florist can use these swatches to wrap your bouquets.    -Matt @ Crest Florist

3) Think Big!  If your venue can accommodate larger tables, seat 12 guests together instead of ten and eliminate the expense of a few centerpieces.     -Matt @ Crest Florist 

4) Forever Young!  If you’d like to keep your bouquet for posterity, it’s recommended that you drop it off to your florist the day after the reception for ideal preservation conditions.   -Matt @ Crest Florist

5) Picture This!  You don’t have to reinvent the wheel when you walk into the bakery looking for your special cake.  Show the staff a photo of something you saw and liked to ensure that they can help you get exactly what you were looking for.  -Ralph @ Bovella’s Bakery

6) You’re Worth It!  Make sure that the make-up artist you choose only uses the highest quality make-up products on the market; there is a noticeable difference.  Your skin and photographer will thank you.   -Diane @ Bella Faccia

7) Don’t Worry, Be Happy!   Try not to micromanage your own wedding reception or special event.  Let the professionals you hired do what you paid them to do.   If you put the right team in place, you’ll be treated like a celebrity and be able to enjoy the celebration as much as your guests.   -Marianne @ Cupa Cabana

8 ) Money Talks!  If you are working with a planner, be candid and let them know your approximate budget right from the start so they can help you prioritize your investments and save you a lot of time throughout the planning process.   -Cindy @ Events To Perfection

9) Keep It Real!  Even though you and your fiancé think that Dub Step and 80’s New Wave music are totally rad, try to remember that your guests might also enjoy a great mix of some classic favorites and the current hits to dance to during the reception.  -Benny @ Karisma Music Productions

10) The Secret!   Regardless of your budget and your definition of the perfect day, the success of your wedding reception comes down to one thing- The Guest List.  If you invite the people you care about and the people that care about you, the rest will take care of itself.   -Michael @ Magical Nights

I’m proud to say that along with Benny and his fabulous band, Karisma, MMP is also considered a preferred source of entertainment at the Grand Summit.   We always make a great team when we have the opportunity to collaborate.   I had a great time serving as the Master of Ceremonies for the Gala tasting and look forward to the next celebration!

 

P.s    For more event planning tips, advice and resources, check out our last article called “7 Ways to Bring the Wow and Have The Best Wedding Reception Ever!”

‘Those Who Choose To Make A Difference’- The Sunshine Club Salutes Randy Bartlett and The ADJA

Earlier this year, I featured my good friend, Randy Bartlett, here on the MMP Blog to promote his latest DVD release, “Behind The Scenes.”

He is already well-known by the mobile entertainment industry and his clients as an extremely talented Master of Ceremonies, Wedding Entertainment Director and Keynote Speaker; but the fact that he has a serious philanthropic side to complement the wit and wisdom he shares with the world might be news to many.

Last month, Bartlett, who serves as the President of the Sacramento Chapter of the American Disc Jockey Association, raised over $20,000 for Shriners Hospitals for Children in a collaborative effort with his team and the Granite Bay Golf Club. Shriners provides world class medical care for children, at no charge.  Many of these children are burn victims, have orthopedic & spinal cord injuries or cleft lip and palate.

Randy shared a few of his thoughts…

“We are all lucky to work in a profession that we love so much, where we earn a living celebrating with people on some of the greatest days of their lives.  From simple birthday parties, to Bar/Bat Mitzvahs, weddings, school dances and holiday parties, we provide the entertainment that allows us to help others forget their worries and just enjoy life.

While we’re doing this, life goes on for others and unfortunately, it isn’t always happiness and joy.  There are countless organizations out there whose sole purpose is to raise much needed funds to deal with everything from stray cats to cancer, all worthy causes that touch each of us in different ways.

It’s said that “with great fortune comes great responsibility” and I feel very fortunate to have a profession that allows me to experience such joy with my clients.  With some other great like-minded people in the Sacramento Chapter of the ADJA, we’ve produced fund raising events in four out the last five years that have allowed us to give back some of our great fortune.

From our first effort in 2007, when we raised $2,600 for a local animal rescue facility called Happy Tails, to our latest effort, just completed on October 23-24, 2011, for Shriners Hospitals for Children, we have doubled our funds raised each year, this year reaching the $20,000 mark!”

Bartlett hopes the actions of the Sacramento Chapter will inspire other ADJA chapters and like-minded individuals to pay it forward.  

If you’d like to find out more information or inquire about making a donation, please visit www.golf4shriners.com.

Kudos for choosing to make a difference Randy.  Good on you my friend.

 

 

MMP Entertainment Rocks the Boat: Danielle’s Sea Cruise Bat Mitzvah at Fiddler’s Elbow Country Club

It was great to be back at one of our favorite New Jersey venues, The Fiddler’s Elbow Country Club, for Danielle’s Bat Mitzvah!  Not only does the club offer a gorgeous golf course view, an elegantly-appointed ballroom and fine dining- it features one of the most important components necessary for a successful celebration… An expert team of catering professionals.

Led by banquet manager, Barbara Bogado, who we’ve been fortunate to be working with for years, the Fiddler’s team is totally on point when it comes to facilitating a seamless time line and overall event flow.  Barbara’s desire to give her clients the best experience possible via exceptional hospitality and entertainment is right in line with MMP’s professional approach.  We’re looking forward to our next collaboration.

Danielle and her friends enjoyed our interactive game show and Minute To Win It tournament during the cocktail hour.  They also had a blast with the “Make Your Own Cd” Super Star Karaoke booth and a photo station during the reception in between the dance sets.

Speaking of dancing, there was no shortage of happy guests shakin’ their groove thing out on the dance floor throughout the celebration.  The Koslow’s were fans of everything from classic rock  to the 80′s and 70′s funk to all the way to the current hits of today.

It was definitely a textbook evening of multi-generational music programming which allows all of your guests preferences to be catered to.  This,  along controlling the volume, (an MMP Staple)  so none of your guests have leave the room to avoid a head ache,  makes for a very pleasantly-entertaining  evening.

Since Danielle’s had a cruise ship theme and they upgraded to our Signature event package, we created personalized video graphics with actual footage of tropical fish swimming under the sea that played on our plasma screens as we gave out authentic Captain’s hats to all the guest wanted to take their Sea Cruise experience up a notch.

As you can see from the candid photos that we took and later showed on the screens during the final dance set, Danielle and her family and friends had a fantastic voyage.  It was an honor to be a part of their crew and help navigate the evening’s festivities.  -mp

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Her Vision? “A 1950′s Supper Club” – Our Pleasure! YOUR Wedding, YOUR Way: Wendy and Roger Reunite at Perona Farms

When you can sing a love song as well as Barbara Streisand and you want your wedding to be one-of-a-kind, treat your husband to a concert-worthy vocal performance during the ceremony and then return to the spotlight later in the reception for an encore.     Not only was Wendy a beautiful bride on the inside and out, she had an equally striking voice.  And it turns out, so did half of the guest list.     Knowing this, Wendy came to MMP with a very clear vision…  she wanted her wedding to feel and sound like a 1950′s Supper Club.

If you go by the Wikipedia definition, a Supper Club wedding is one of our specialties when it comes to production-based events- and the venue Roger and Wendy chose, Perona Farms, was the ideal location.

A Supper Club, in general, refers to a dining establishment that also functions as a social club.  Supper Clubs tend to present themselves as having a high-class image, even if the price is affordable to all. These establishments typically are located on the edge of town in rural areas. They were traditionally thought of as a “destination” where patrons would go to spend the whole evening, from cocktail hour to enjoying night club style entertainment after dinner. They feature a casual and relaxed atmosphere.

Wendy’s vision and desired ambiance sure made for some refreshingly-sophisticated and elegantly-fun music programming.  I was able to spin some tracks that don’t normally make the play list.   Their requests included Shaynee Rainbolt‘s- Stuff Like That There, Peggy Lee‘s- That’s My Style, Ella Fitzgerald‘s- You Do Something To Me, Melinda Doolittle‘s- I’m A Woman, and the duet by Jamie Foxx and Beyoncé – When I First Saw You.

People ask me all the time, “we have a loved one that recently passed away and we’d like to recognize them during our wedding… what do you recommend?”   One of my favorite tributes is a butterfly release.    Unfortunately, Wendy and Roger had two special family members to honor.  Wendy’s brother and Roger’s father.  After the ceremony, we directed everyone outside to where the cocktail hour was taking place.   Pastor Hamlin said a few words about each honoree and then a short prayer.  The butterflies were released in their memory.  It was a very moving experience.   **FYI  The delivery, transport and release of live butterflies takes great care, coordination and attention to detail.  Please consider this and do your homework before you decide to include this at your special event.

When the budget permits, we always recommend live musicians to compliment the DJ Entertainment.  Wendy and Roger were fortunate to have their good friend, Robert, not only start off the ceremony with a cool acoustic version of Train’s Marry Me, but to perform an hour of some classic jazz standards during cocktails.  He even came back on after dinner with an awesome rendition of Paul McCartney’s My Love to re-open the dance floor.

Since I have a really solid relationship with my mom, and she happens to live 2 miles up the road, I always appreciate it when I see another son’s genuine love for his mother.  When Cameron, Wendy’s son, stepped up to the mic during the ceremony, most of the guests probably anticipated a few, quick, generically Hallmark-sounding sentiments to be delivered.  Instead, to everyone’s delight, including yours truly, Cameron offered up a genuine, heart-felt dedication to his mom that she and everyone else who heard it will never forget.

I’d be remiss if I didn’t mention my dear friend, and fellow Wedding Entertainment Director from Virginia, Elisabeth Scott Daley.   Due to her busy event schedule, she was already booked when Roger and Wendy called her to provide the entertainment so she was kind enough to refer my services.   Not only is Elisabeth an in-demand wedding entertainment professional, she’s also a former Broadway performer who can swoon with the best of them.   During the reception, Daley belted out a studio quality rendition of Mary Chapin Carpenter’s version of John Lennon’s smash hit, Grow Old With Me, and dedicated it to Wendy and Roger.

One of my favorite racing expressions has always been, “It’s not how you start, it’s how you finish that really counts.”    This philosophy transcends athletics and relates perfectly to event direction.  Wendy and Roger’s celebration got off to a great start, had a solid second act, and then thanks to the song… Day-O by Harry Belafonte, the Grand Finale was worthy of an encore.  I found out ahead of time that Wendy and Roger were going to Tahiti, Bora Bora and Moorea for their Honeymoon… so to get everybody in the mood for a piña colada on a gorgeous tropical island, we had the entire guest list on the dance floor smiling and singing their hearts out with the newlyweds.    “Daylight come and we wanna go home.”    I love my job. 

Special thanks to Ron Francis, Banquet Manager from Perona Farms, for his hospitality and professionalism.   Ron was instrumental in making sure that the celebration had a smooth flow to it from start to finish.   He was also kind enough to let us keep all of the equipment that we brought in  for the ceremony rehearsal and microphone sound check set up at the venue.  This saved us several hours of labor the next day and we greatly appreciated it.

I also want to extend my gratitude to Eric Kazmirek and Elisabeth, who graciously shared their photos for this entry.  -mp

 

Liner Notes: Wendy and Roger met a long time ago but each decided to take a different exit on the highway of life.  Then, 31 years later, their mutual friend, Sheri Burton, who originally introduced them, put them back in touch with each other.  Sheri flew all the way from Tuscon, Arizona, to be a part of the big day and got special mention during the personalized grand entrance.

Classy Move:    At many weddings, brides and grooms will spend hundreds, even thousands of dollars on a little trinket or some type of commemorative swag for their guests to take home.  In most cases, this stuff finds its way into the garbage or the bottom of a box in the basement somewhere.  Think about it for a second… do people really need another wallet-size photo frame or a few fancy chocolates?   In lieu of a gift for each of their guests, Wendy and Roger made a generous donation to the American Cancer Society and the American Heart Association.  Nice!!!

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