Wedding Painter, Sam Day, captures WMBA'11 on canvas

After presenting at last year’s Wedding MBA conference and seeing the amount of content and connections assembled under one roof, returning this year to the Las Vegas Convention Center as an attendee hungry for more was a no-brainer.   (Already bought my pass for 2012.)

The 2011 Wedding Merchant Business Academy, produced by the Hegarty family, once again featured the A-listers of the wedding professional community.

Seminars were presented and private events were hosted by industry notables like Carley Roney, co-founder and Editor-in-Chief of The Knot;  Sonny Ganguly, SMO of WeddingWire; Tammy Elliot, President of The Perfect Wedding Guide, Sasha Souza, celebrity wedding planner and founder of Wish Upon A Wedding;  Amy Wilkens, publisher of Martha Stewart Weddings; Peter Merry, author of The Best Wedding Reception Ever and director of the The W.E.D Guild; Susan Southerland, celebrity wedding planner and author of The Susan Southerland Secret; Andy Ebon, The Wedding Marketing Authority; Alan Berg, producer of the Wedding Industry Leaders Conference; and Kathy Ireland, CEO and chief designer from Weddings by 2be and Kathy Ireland Worldwide.

Carley Roney- Co-Founder & EIC of The Knot

Among the 10 new wedding trends that Carley Roney revealed was “a return to luxury and classic elegance.” She sees a lot more black-tie events on the horizon but was quick to add that “formal can still have personality.” Roney said that brides are seeking “pure, unadulterated exuberance” on their wedding day.  They want pleasant “surprises” and “ways to wow” their guests like a having bakery-styled food truck outside the venue so family and friends can enjoy a late-night snack on the way home from the reception or an early treat with the morning paper the next day. Another trend that Carley mentioned was something my wife and I did for our Wedding back in 2005.  For the non-traditional couples who don’t mind seeing each other before the ceremony, Roney presented the option of taking your portraits and family photos before the ceremony.  This allows newlyweds to enjoy and not miss any of the cocktail hour festivities (typically one of the best parts of the entire celebration due the abundance of cuisine and mixology, visiting opportunities and relaxed atmosphere).  As a Wedding Entertainment Director and Event Producer, I can help facilitate the timing of this desirable alternative with the planner, executive chef, venue principal, photographer, cinematographer and of course, your preferred sources of entertainment.

Andy Ebon, in his usual forthright-reality check-way reminded everyone that “just because you are unique, it doesn’t mean that you are useful.” And, “Don’t idolize, become inspired.”  And,  “You need to have 360 degree awareness.” He also reminded business owners that in a complimentary fashion to facebook and twitter, “blogging is still one of the most important things you can do for your business” to allow clients to discover the ‘online soul’ of your product or service.   Ebon, who helped me create the MMP Blog back in 2008, featured  photographer Jazmine Star and Marilla Cupcakes as stellar blogs.  He subscribes to the same philosophy of Sonny Ganguly who said that “social media allows you to humanize your business.” Speaking of Sonny, I really loved what he had to say in reference to Wayne Gretsky’s famous quote about being “where the puck is.” He said, “I’m not a huge fan of hockey, but I am a huge fan of greatness.” Well said, sir.  As always, the Wedding Wire guys entertained the crowd and encouraged us to go further with mobile technology.  They even offered a free QR code for their clients.

The Susan Sutherland Secret

Susan Southerland, who is one of the most dialed-in wedding professionals I know, shared her knowledge about how to manage client expectations of the personality-driven bride and how to deliver an experience that goes above and beyond simply helping a couple’s fairytale come true.  After interviewing numerous brides and asking how things went before their big day, Susan determined that wedding professionals who were great listeners, solution-oriented, respectful, humble and genuinely excited about their client’s celebration were swiftly chosen over their equally qualified  contemporary.  The classic staples like work quality and professionalism were mentioned as well.

Southerland is the Wedding Expert for Tammy Elliot’s firm, The Perfect Wedding Guide. Tammy did a great job of making all the attendees identify their current strengths and weaknesses as well as future opportunities.  Elliot also discussed the goal of being “consciously competent,” being able to duplicate your success at will. It was pretty deep and definitely made the gears start spinning.

The Knot offered up a few tech and social nuggets that had people checking their Klout score, looking into Qwiki and Uber- and then considering a Facebook business page view upgrade with Flipboard… which was just mentioned in Vanity Fair magazine.    The Knot also recognized a few companies in their annual “Best Of” awards which recognizes excellence in marketing, branding and social media.  The honorees included; Amy Zaroff, Michael Will Photography, The McNamara Alumni Center and Desiree Spinner. (I love her little messages: laugh. play. celebrate and dream. love. wed.)

Marcello Pedalino and Kathy Ireland, Wedding MBA 2011

Like many high school kids back in the day, The Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue was a highly anticipated annual highlight.   One of my favorite supermodels was Kathy Ireland.  Over the years, as my company progressed and I kept tabs on anyone who had a contagious entrepreneurial spirit, Ireland always stayed on my professional radar because the ability to utilize her brains and spirited work ethic as well as her stunning beauty became more and more apparent. Fast forward to 2011 at the Wedding MBA in Las Vegas… Ireland took a few hours out of her busy schedule to make a special guest appearance and share her journey from running a paper route as a little girl to running a 1.4 billion dollar enterprise. The 2000+ attendees, among whom included business owners from all over the U.S, Canada, Brazil, and New Zealand, were treated to personal stories of character building, photos of recently-launched Kathy Ireland 2be designs, (check out the gorgeous shots below) and some impressive video clips of her philanthropic efforts.

When I had the chance to chat with Kathy after her presentation, I told her that she had some of the most tweet-worthy moments of the conference yet when she said things like, “Its never been done- doesn’t mean it can’t be done” and “I never had a family business, but now I have a business family,” and “When it comes to someone’s wedding day, it’s got to be the best… you can’t mess it up.” That last one really hit home because it accurately describes the tremendous pressure we experience every time we’re given the honor and responsibility of playing a major role in someone’s wedding day.

Editor’s Note: I’m sure you can tell from the photo that, yes,… Ireland is still stunning.  *One of the funniest moments of the conference was when Ireland gave out her phone number so attendees could contact her for professional guidance, inspiration or business collaboration opportunities.  I’ve never seen men find a pen and paper so quickly to write something down!  Including me….  ‘cuz I don’t know about you, but having a supermodel giving out her number isn’t exactly a common occurrence.

Having breakfast for dinner with friends at the Blueberry Diner in Las Vegas. Life is Good.

It was a pleasure connecting with fabulous professionals and making some new friends this year:  Jane & Patrick Kelly from iDoAppointments, Keri Macana from TPC Las Vegas, Jennifer Fox from Perfect Planning, Gabrielle Lennartz from Black Swan, Charese Feliciano from CFD Floral, Chandra, Dawn and Bea from Mira Bridal Couture,  Christy Schimpf from Bride and Groom Planner, Barbie Howard from Rocky Mountain Bridal Show, Sheila Dunn from Wedding Guide Bridal Extravaganza, artist extraordinaire- Sam Day & my mate from New Zealand, Nick Logan.

Special thanks to Jodi Harris and her husband Pat, from Sight and Sound, for always making me feel so welcome when I’m in Vegas.  On the last night before returning home, they took me and my good friend, Ron Brown, to the Blueberry Hill Diner for what they said were the best pancakes in the country. I won’t argue that.  They were pretty awesome.  I’ll keep working out just so I can treat myself to meals like this every now and then.

See you next year!  -mp

Exclusive, Distinctive and Festive: The Bonnet Island Estate- Manahawkin, NJ

It was a pleasure to serve all the brides and grooms and their families last week at the gorgeous Bonnet Island Estate. The Weddings of Distinction team,  along with Merri Makers Caterers, arranged for a private multi-course tasting to whet everyone’s appetite for their big day.

MMP collaborated with our friends from Portraits by the Bay, The Studio Photographers and Stephanie Somodi’s Designing the Most Inviting Day- for a delightful afternoon.

We gave out complimentary copies of Peter Merry’s The Best Wedding Reception Ever!, Tom Haibeck’s Wedding Toasts Made Easy and our most recent article 7 Ways To Bring The Wow and Have the Best Wedding Reception Ever which was published on WeddingWire.com’s notable Four Aces blog.

We look forward to helping all of the newly-engaged couples plan and produce one of the best days of their lives.

Special thanks to Weddings of Distinction’s  Ginny Connolly and Merri Makers Executive Chef, Jack McCann III, for their gracious hospitality.  -mp

The WeddingWire network reaches over 8 million people each month via their impressive online social network that includes; Martha Stewart Weddings, Wedding Bee, and Project Wedding.

Wedding Aces is an online community that offers advice and tips for engaged couples via articles and blogs from experts in the Wedding industry.

The 7 Ways article highlights some of the best Wedding professionals in the New York City metro Area as well as several unique ideas that can make your event an exceptional experience.  I wrote the article for engaged couples that are like many of MMP’s clients who feel that the entertainment, ambiance and hospitality are a priority.  They demand dramatically different results from what they’ve seen and they are willing to invest accordingly.

A high resolution pdf of the original article can be viewed & downloaded here.

If I can be of service in anyway to help you Bring The Wow and Have The Best Wedding Reception Ever!, please call 973-366-9776, text 732-547-1677 or e-mail mmp@mmpentertainment.com to schedule a design session.  Best wishes! -mp

7 Ways To Bring The WOW and Have The Best Wedding Reception Ever! By Marcello Pedalino http://www.mmpentertainment.com/articles/7ways.pdf

Special thanks to the Wedding industry rock stars who gave me permission to interview them for the piece and to share their excellence with the world.  Jason Jani,  Peter Merry, Martin Hardy, Greg Lassik, John Arcara, Jim Cerone, Alan Berg, Mike Walter & Andy Ebon.

And to Sonny and Jeffra from WeddingWire.com, my sincere gratitude for including my work on their incredible site.

R.I.P Mr. Squirrel

Conference Producer- Robbie Britton

If you’re in the middle of producing a jammed packed two-day business conference and a curious squirrel somehow finds its way inside the hotel’s transformer- which subsequently blows up the transformer, causes the entire hotel to lose power- and obviously sends the little varmint to an early grave…. what would you do?      Some people would panic, some would start to make excuses and then some people, like Robbie Britton, would keep their cool, inform the attendees of the back-up plans, and then proceed to get a generator from their personal work vehicle to restore power to the essential audio/visual components within the hour.

As luck would have it, seasoned professional speaker, Rick Brewer, was on stage when the outage occurred.  Without skipping a beat, Rick continued his insightful presentation sans microphone and power point slides.  Robbie and his crew got the power restored in time for Rick to wrap up his excellent marketing advice regarding the psychology behind designing  appealing package options for your clients and to show a highly impactful video clip that gets me every time I see it.

Wedding Toasts Made Easy

That afternoon, I had the chance to sit down for lunch with Rick and Tom Haibeck, author the book, Wedding Toasts Made Easy.  If you’ve ever been to an elegant reception, gala or intimate dinner where the best man or person giving the toast was…  let’s just say… less than stellar- to put it nicely, that’s the reason Tom’s book has sold over 100,000 copies and people like Regis Philbin used it to prepare for his daughter’s wedding. After Tom’s presentation,  I bought a case of his books (that Tom was gracious enough to autograph) and couldn’t wait to give a signed copy to the next bride and groom that I met with.   This past week, I had a consultation with Jackie and Rody, who just hired me to Emcee their wedding reception for July of 2012.  They mentioned that the Best Man and Maid of Honor might want to propose a toast so I gave them a copy for each.  Look for Wedding Toasts Made Easy to be featured in an upcoming “Marcello Recommends” article.

As always, I gave Jackie and Rody a copy of The Best Wedding Reception…Ever! as well.  Peter Merry, TBWRE’s author, was also a featured presenter at the Armdjs conference.  Like his book,  Merry revealed some unique ideas that we can pass along to our engaged couples with regards to personalizing the  entertainment and tastefully highlighting traditional moments.

Customer Service A to Z

David Louis, who flew all the way from Hawaii to join the Tennessee roster, introduced a genius concept that I’ll be incorporating very soon to assist the 1/2 of MMP’s newly-engaged couples that usually need more help than the other…  David created a Groom’s Workshop.   There’s tons of information and resources out there for the brides, but not so much for the grooms.  If you’re a groom-to-be and would like to know… “What do I do now??!!” after you make an awesome proposal that’s worthy of a bazillion hits on youtube…  contact us at 973-366-9776 to schedule a private workshop.   And if you’re a bride who wants to sign up your future hubby so he doesn’t screw anything up, you can call us too and we’ll help you sign him up. These workshops are complimentary for our clients and simply considered part of the customer service level that MMP clients can expect when working with us.

Fellow Wedding Entertainment Director’s Guild board member and author of Customer Service A to Z, Larry Williams, went pretty deep into the finer points of customer care and hospitality during his session.   It was quite evident that he practices what he preaches…  His good friend and mentor, the legendary Dick Clark, has unfortunately been under the weather lately.  Larry arranged for several of us to record video get well cards for Mr. Clark to help raise his spirits. Larry knew that a situation like this required more than a generic Hallmark card.  It was a very classy and thoughtful gesture.

Running Your Multi-Op

The ArmDjs conference gave attendees numerous ways to go above and beyond the public perception of the norm and the status quo.  Industry veteran, and one of the most talented performers I’ve seen in action, Todd Mitchem, drove this point home when he warned the audience not to become a Ferrari on the Freeway.  It’s a ‘reality bites’ type of expression that I learned as a kid through a basic sports example.   If you are an exceptional athlete in high school, chances are you’re going to be in good company when you get to college.  Meaning:  You ain’t that special kiddo.  And if you happen to be fairly awesome compared to your university counterparts, don’t celebrate until you get to the pro leagues because again, there are already some incredible athletes out there.   Now, if you manage to stand out in the Major Leagues, the NFL or the NBA… then you can pop the champagne and celebrate a little.  THEN,.. If you can combine your uber-athleticism with intellect, social graces and business savvy… you’ve earned the title of a Ferrari on the F1 (Formula One) circuit.

Author of his first book release, Running Your Multi-Op, Mike Walter, who we featured here on the MMP Blog last month, should have rented a Ferrari to get to Tennessee to give his seminar.  Instead of flying out from New Jersey, he chose to break-in his new car and drive 10 hours to avoid one of his pet-peeves…  a connecting flight.   Fortunately,  in addition to being one of the most successful businessmen in the mobile dj world, he’s also a marathon runner- so he still had plenty of energy when it was showtime. The attendees expected Mike to dish out a lot of training and management-related nuggets from his book like he normally does when he’s on the speaking circuit, but they (and I) were also treated to video examples regarding common performance-related pitfalls that Emcees can avoid.  Essentially, knowing when to say something is just as important as knowing what to say.

Keynote Speaker best-selling author, Michael Port with Featured Presenters- Patrick Henry and Marcello Pedalino

While we’re on the subject of  good timing, I want to thank my friend, Alan Trisler, for sharing his photo coverage of the event. Like all great photographers,  he knows how to be in the right place at the right time.

 As we often do when we are brought in to speak at the same conference, Mike and I met up before the seminars began on day one to start the morning off with a nice run.  (We always invite everyone to join us, but it’s usually just us who end up meeting in the lobby at sunrise.)  I’d have to say that this run was one of the most memorable in the 10 years we’ve known each other.  Check out Mike’s running journal for the detailed recap.

As a father, something that was said that I’ll  never forget was delivered by Gitomer Cerified Speaker standout, Patrick Henry.   This was the second time I’ve had the pleasure of watching Patrick light-up the stage with his musical anecdotes that strike a sharp and humorous chord with his audience, but this was the first time I’d heard him say this…  “Some nights, I’ll be holding my beautiful baby daughter, Meredith, in my arms.  And all I can think about when I look into her gorgeous blue eyes is… Please don’t grow up to be a skank!” It was hysterical.   I don’t really tweet that often, but this one had to be shared with other fathers and anyone else in the world who needs a good laugh.  And if you appreciate this type of real-world humor with an edge like Patrick’s tweetable moment, check out Tina Fey’s prayer for her daughter from her new book, Bossypants.

Alan Trisler captures Marcello Pedalino presenting, "Energy" at the ArmDjs 4.0 Business and Performance Conference

When I think of professional goals, Book Yourself Solid, which was written by the Keynote speaker, Michael Port, can easily be considered one of the entrepreneurial bibles that I looked to in my formative years for insight and inspiration. His “Red Velvet Rope” philosophy is right in line with my business model and hard-earned company reputation.  Port gave an enthusiastic presentation that featured one gem after another on the subjects of marketing and branding.   No notes or slides necessary.   I guess that’s one of the perks of being considered an expert in your field and being the author of a NY Times Best Seller… the ability to effortlessly speak on your specialty subject matter becomes second nature.   Just fly to the next destination, engage, teach and wrap it up with a standing ovation.    Highlights from his seminar included Michael telling the famous, “If you try to please everyone, you might as well kiss your ass goodbye” story and his strong recommendation that you focus your efforts on “commitment and fulfillment” and “sharing information and compassion” when you are looking to build a deeper relationship with prospects and colleagues you already know.

The chance to see Port in person was very exciting.  The opportunity to speak with him for 15 minutes after his presentation was exhilarating.  And now that I’m kinda out of big adjectives, the fact that by chance Mr. Port and I sat next to each other on a connecting return flight home from Tennessee to Charlotte and talked about everything from the economy and the UFC, to the politics of politics and Donald Trump, to cross training, yoga and how to travel fashionably...well.. let’s just say… WOW!-  Life is pretty cool sometimes. And as if I needed another cherry on top,  Mr.  Port extended a  very gracious  lunch invitation for sometime in the near future. How surreal would it be to break bread at the home of one of your literary idols?

Marcello Pedalino presenting at ArmDjs 4.0

I’m delighted to report that my performance workshop on Energy, “The World Belongs to the Energetic,” was well received by the  attendees and that a lot of positive feedback has been buzzing around the industry’s social media outlets.

These are two comments that came in via MMP’s Facebook Page:

“I traveled to attend this event from New Zealand. I loved Marcello’s presentation.” -David Seel, The Perfect Wedding, NZ

Marcello Pedalino shows attendees how "the world belongs to the energetic"

“I have been a DJ for 24 years and although I perform at over 250 Mobile Disc Jockey events every year I have chose not to attend DJ Conferences during my career…..until ARMDJs 2011. The presentation put on by Marcello and Mike Walter was the best 2 hour investment of my career. Marcello not only gave us great ideas but he demonstrated how to implement them first hand. He is truly a highly talented performer. Mike Walter has an incredible perspective on business and talked about the details of our job that really matter. I look forward to learning from these two pros again in the future!” -Rob Vollmar, Grant Hemond and Associates, FL

Special thanks to Mark Maillet, from Eternal Lighting Company, for spotlighting my stage performance with the sleek  Premier 120- LED fixture.  It really enhanced the over-all presentation and helped me demonstrate how professionals can use lightscaping and special effects to adjust the ambiance accordingly and raise the level of energy in any room.

2012 Keynote- Gary Vaynerchuk

Apparently, Robbie Britton already knows how to create energy, end an event on a high-note and leave a crowd wanting more.  Like a little kid on Christmas Eve who couldn’t wait to open his presents, Robbie finally showed everyone a video clip of  next year’s keynote speaker giving a pre-recorded teaser of what’s in store for ArmDjs 5.0 in the summer of 2012…    Gary Vaynerchuk, the author of Crush It and The Thank You Economy will be  bringing “the hustle” and “the thunder” in a “serious way” because “that how he rolls.”  The attendees (including yours truly) were totally amped.

See you next year!  -mp

If you consider yourself a potential professional or a seasoned veteran who thrives on continuing performance education & training, Bartlett’s new DVD will be a worthy investment of your time and money.

When I checked my notes after viewing, Behind the Scenes covered several topics that are paramount for any professional Master of Ceremonies or Wedding Entertainment Director.  A few of the highlights you might also find beneficial were tips and techniques for prepping the room, creating believability, managing live toasts by the guests, letting a moment breathe,  facilitating a production agenda, and challenging yourself.

Like Peter Merry’s book, The Best Wedding Reception Ever!, which should be required reading- Randy’s new video, Behind the Scenes, should be required watching for all wedding professionals. -mp

To order Behind the Scenes, click here.

Andy Ebon, The Wedding Marketing Authority, speaks to the capacity crowd of 1500 at The 2010 Wedding MBA Conference

It’s nice when something lives up to the hype.    I’ve been hearing about the Wedding MBA for a few years…  things like, “It’s THE convention to go to if you are a wedding professional,” and “the seminars are above and beyond what you’ll find at your typical wedding industry gathering,” and “hold on to your notebooks, laptops and iPads… you’ll be taking lots of notes from some of the most successful special event gurus in the bridal business.”  The Wedding MBA delivered.

After 2 and 1/2 days of presentations from the likes of Sonny Ganguly & Tim Chi from Wedding Wire, Tammy Elliot & Susan Southerland from The Perfect Wedding Guide, Carly Roney and Alan Berg from The Knot, Julia Markel from the Association for Wedding Professionals International, Andy Ebon from The Wedding Marketing Network and Peter Merry, the author of The Best Wedding Reception Ever,  I’m exhausted and my brain hurts a little.

Mike Walter and Marcello Pedalino present "Take Care of Yourself" at the 2010 Wedding MBA Conference

There was barley enough time to squeeze in a few runs at sunrise and barely enough energy left over at night for some additional networking, but I’ve got at least 10 new ideas to share with our brides and 5 new concepts to implement into MMP’s 2011 business plan so it’s all good.   After speaking with many of the 1500 attendees, they all seemed to share the same sentiments.

Social Media was definitely the “it” phrase of the week.  You couldn’t go more than 15 minutes without hearing someone mention a possible tip or tweak for utilizing Facebook, Twitter, blogging or youtube marketing for SEO and staying connected to the e-universe we live in now. If you’d like to have your mind blown, check out this video clip that Sonny shared with the crowd about sixth sense technology.  We all had to pick our jaws up off of the floor.

from left: Wedding MBA Chancellor- Will Hegarty, The Knot's Alan Berg and Marcello Pedalino

Another golden nugget was the universal message from The Knot’s editor in chief, Carly Roney.  She said that “many brides and grooms now value personal expression more than tradition.”

The celebrate life team here at MMP Entertainment is happy to incorporate your unique personalities and preferences into your once-in-a-lifetime reception.

Speaking of personalities, you can visit Susan Sutherland’s bountiful site and discover her secret survey offering…  take this quiz and figure out what type of bride you are. It will help us enhance your wedding planning experience by understanding your planning personality. Susan was really dialed-in to the wedding industry and offered valuable insight into the psychology of  today’s bride.

from left: Marcello Pedalino, Author of the Best Wedding Reception Ever- Peter Merry, & Wed Guild members- Shawn Whittemore and Liz Daley

The convention rock stars were hard to miss as they each made several guest appearances and gave multiple seminars. Andy, Alan, Sonny and Peter always had a crowd around them in the halls asking for additional advice, photos for their wall and autographs of their books.

I was very happy to see that all of my friend’s and colleague’s  hard work and dedication to their craft was being recognized.

I’m also happy to report that our presentation, “Take Care Of Yourself,” was very well received . Mike Walter and I, as the new kids on the block at this gathering, spoke about the importance of a Health and Wellness program for the 21st century entrepreneur.

Peter Merry taking photos with his fans and signing copies of his new book, The Best Wedding Reception Ever.

We shared our philosophies and offered solutions on common personal and professional challenges like time management, prioritization, diet, exercise, dolce far niente and overall life balance.  In essence, if you take better care of yourself, you can take better care of your clients.  And if you take better care of your team, you’ll be taking better care of your bottom line.

Special thanks to Dr. Drax from the ADJA for the sponsorship and support, to Will & Patti Hegarty and Shannon Underwood from the Wedding Merchants Business Academy for producing  such a monumental event, to Ron Brown for his production assistance, to Sonny Gallardo for transportation, and to Liz Daley, for sharing a few of her photos for this entry.

... a quick mention to a few of the several hundred new friends and wedding professionals  that I met while attending the WMBA…

Mike Walter and Marcello Pedalino

Jean-Loup Bitterlin from Casa De Los Siete Patios in Mexico, Rachael Citron and Heather Balczarek from Glass Slipper Weddings in New Jersey, Jose Betancourt Jr. from Junior’s Band Orchestra in Florida, Olga Goddard from My Favorite Flowers in Utah, Carmen Hocking from A Beautiful Wedding in Kansas, Marc Conneely from Wedding TV in London, Kathi Evans from All The Best Celebrations in New Jersey,  Jody and Tammy Maxx from Music to the Maxx in Texas,  Patrick Kelly from I Do Appointments in Oklahoma, Ali Berberich from The Blue Angel Cafe in California, Eric Goldschmidt from Eventurous in Ohio, Doug Rice from Bridalicious in Texas and Pete Miller from Speaker Coach… who came all the way from Australia!!!

The logistics have been worked out and the scheduling details have been finalized, Mike Walter and Marcello Pedalino have been added to the list of notable industry presenters at the Wedding MBA for Wednesday, September 22, at 4pm.

The 7th Annual Wedding Merchants Business Academy Conference will feature 3 days of presentations from well known bridal-biz superstars like Timothy Chi from WeddingWire.com, David Katz from Conde Nast, Amy Wilkens from Martha Stewart Weddings, Alan Berg from the Knot, Andy Ebon from the Wedding Marketing Network and Peter Merry, author of the Best Wedding Reception Ever.

Walter and Pedalino’s seminar, “It’s All About You!… Seriously.  How To Take Better Care of Yourself So You Can Take Better Care of Your Bride,” will focus on the benefits of health and wellness as a peak performer and a wedding professional.

Like the other presenters at the Wedding MBA, Mike and Marcello will share some of their secrets to success as well as some underestimated lifestyle habits that are paramount for longevity in the special events industry.

Special thanks to the ADJA for the national endorsement and continued support.

If you will be attending the conference but haven’t signed up yet, the Wedding MBA has offered all of MMP’s loyal readers a $100 discount on their registration fee.

Lauren and Jerome definitely made the right choice with regards to the venue and event professionals, but what really took this reception from ordinary to extraordinary was the way they chose to personalize their event. At their initial design session last year, I gave them a copy of The Best Wedding Reception… Ever! It features ways to make your once in a lifetime experience more fun, unique and unforgettable.  You’ll see from the candid video testimonial below that you’ll get to choose your own adjectives when it’s your turn.

The personalization highlights started in the cocktail hour with an endearing conversational presentation. Jerome and Lauren supplied us with 75 photos leading up to the reception so we could produce a photo montage.  Not only did the collection include plenty of Kodak-worthy images featuring the newlyweds, the 7 minute media clip also featured cameos by everyone on the guest list. The final version of the montage included 3 of their favorite songs and was given to Lauren & Jerome on dvd as a keepsake.  (The version we played during cocktails was looped and muted.  This way, their requested background music programming for the hour which was playing could be enjoyed without distraction…   more importantly, the guests didn’t have to hear the same three songs over and over for the hour. .. and  because the montage was playing in loop mode on an unobtrusive plasma screen, their guests could enjoy the photos at their leisure and convenience.) It was a wonderful way to instantly reconnect all of their guests by sparking sentimental memories and lively conversation.

Another highlight was the father daughter dance.  Since Lauren and her dad couldn’t choose between four of their favorite songs, we produced a custom audio mix that included all four tracks.  After several weeks of tweaks and fine-tuning, we came up with a version that made the once in a lifetime dance with her dad a moment she’ll never forget and one he’ll always remember fondly. In case you are curious, the final mix included specific clips from Tim McGraw’s My Little Girl, Van Morrison’s Have I Told You Lately, Celine Dion’s Because You Loved Me, and Frank Sinatra’s The Way You Look Tonight.  It was a great way to make what could have been a  traditionally ordinary moment …refreshingly extraordinary.

Jerome and Lauren made a lot of classy moves throughout the afternoon like  taking a few minutes after the cake cutting to thank all of their guests and playing  their parent’s wedding songs later in the reception.   The love and respect for their parents was also evident during the grand entrance introductions when all the guests cheered for Jerome’s dad, who was given the honor to serve as Best Man!

I think my favorite part of the wedding,  (besides everyone singing and clapping along to one of the coolest first dance songs), was seeing Jerome dance with his mom.  Mrs. Genarelli worked in the guidance office of Indian Hills High School where I was a student volunteer.  Over the four years, I can’t tell you how many times she told me about “my Jerome”… like any proud mother would adoringly tell people about their son.  And then there I was, nearly 20 years  later, watching her dance with him on his wedding day. Between Mrs. Genarelli and Lauren, Jerome should thank his lucky stars. 

Special thanks to Nella Mellace and Marco Chivarillotti from the Crystal Plaza for their hospitality and professionalism.  It’s always a pleasure when we have the opportunity to collaborate.  Kudos and appreciation also goes out to Scott Bush from Scott Photography for sharing his photos for this entry.  Like I always say… when your venue, photographer and entertainment can work well together and are at the top of their respective games, you can focus on your job as a VIP guest of honor… relaxing, taking it all in and having the time of your life.

Marcello trains with Peter Merry, the author of The Best Wedding Reception... Ever!

How does an award winning entertainment and event production company stay on top of the latest industry trends and continue to offer their clients a fun, unique and memorable experience for their once in a lifetime celebration? Simple.  They put in a lot of time and effort when it comes to continuing education.

Case in point, Peter Merry, the author of the new wedding bible, The Best Wedding Reception… Ever!, was in town to deliver his Professional Process curriculum.  My hand still hurts from taking so many notes.

Peter is considered one of the top Master of Ceremonies in the business. When my wife and I got married five years ago, we flew him in from California to make sure our event was elegant, yet festive and that our guests attended a “celebration with style.”  And boy did he deliver.  Since then, Peter and I have remained good friends- and fortunately for my clients, Peter has been a non-stop source of extraordinary ideas to implement into MMP’s social and corporate events when the need arises.

The Best Wedding Reception... Ever!

Peter is also the President of the Wedding Entertainment Directors Guild, an elite group of 20 entertainment professionals from the U.S and Canada who specialize in wedding receptions. I’m proud to be the only member from the tri-state area who qualified.  It was a rigorous application process which took over 3 months to complete.   My acceptance and current membership helps MMP’s discerning clientele distinguish our level of service and talent from all the other available alternatives- and to justify the significant difference in investment; Peter’s hands-on guidance and educational content has proven to be a priceless source of validation to this end.

I look forward to introducing all of the advanced level techniques I learned regarding entertainment, decor,  hospitality and event production concepts at our upcoming design sessions and celebrations.

It’s funny, The Professional Process made me feel like Luke Skywalker hangin’ with Yoda for two days of Jedi training.

“There are plenty of DJ Entertainment companies out there.  They all play music and they all make announcements…  but with dramatically different results.” – Peter Merry

You be the judge.  At your convenience, compare this, or this, to that.

Rose & Joe having the time of their lives with special guest, Kim Sozzi

Last week, I assisted my Signature Events partner, Jason Jani with artist relations and event direction at the Palazzo Ballroom of the Venetian for Rose & Joe’s wedding reception.  Jason, owner of Sound Connection Entertainment, arranged for the dance chart-topping singer, Kim Sozzi to perform a surprise set for the guests after the first course.

Rose & Joe wanted their wedding reception to be exceptional, so they chose the Palazzo Ballroom of  the Venetian.  They wanted their entertainment experience to have a modern, yet elegant flair, so they chose Jason’s firm to handle the production.  Then, like many of our clients, Rose and Joe wanted their once in lifetime celebration to be extraordinary; so they asked us to come up with a WOW factor moment that they and their  guests would never forget.

Since Rose & Joe are both big fans of dance music and recording artist Kim Sozzi, having Kim make a special appearance and perform a personalized set of their favorite songs at the reception became the ultimate concept and desire; Jason delivered and made it happen.

An elegant, yet festive reception for Joe & Rose at The Venetian's Palazzo Ballroom

As a result, Rose, Joe and their guests experienced a dance set that deserves to be in the new book release, The Best Wedding Reception…Ever. After the first course was served, Jason played the classic ballad, At Last by Etta James to pack the floor with couples;  followed by an Italian family favorite, The Tarantella, to warm up the dance floor with smiles and laughter.    The stage was impeccably set for  Jason to “Crush It” and take Rose & Joe’s  wedding reception to the Signature Event level.

Kim Sozzi entered from the grand staircase into an eruption of  cheers and applause.  The guests were blown away and couldn’t believe that Kim was singing her biggest hits like “Feel Your Love” right in front of them. Literally!  A seasoned professional, Sozzi sang her songs down off the stage, right in the middle of the crowd, never taking the spotlight away from the guests of honor.  The room’s ambiance was filled with the best of both worlds, energy and intimacy. Rose and Joe looked like they were floating on air.  The joy on their faces was priceless as they were enjoying every minute of the moment. At one point, I checked in with Jason to confirm that all was right with the world and he said, “Look at how happy Rose & Joe are right now, this is why I do this.”

Special thanks to Jimmy Silva from the Venetian for his hospitality and professionalism; he and Dave Mocera always provide a first class experience for everyone that walks through their doors.

Ultra Records recording artist, Kim Sozzi with Marcello

While we are on the subject of the best that the Special Events industry has to offer, check out the cinematic excellence that Greg from Endless Wave Studios produced for the newlyweds. Greg specializes in producing mini-film featurettes for his clientele the day of their event known as “same day edits.” A couple doesn’t have to wait 6 weeks or 6 months to re-live the magic anymore. In Rose and Joe’s case, not only did Greg produce a professional music video that was played on the Venetian’s large drop down screens before their grand entrance, he also created a full production featurette of the days highlights that played right before cake cutting.  Greg’s latest blog entry goes into more detail…    “I think a story is only complete when you are there for everything, the making of the cappuccino in the morning, the giving of gifts, vows, and kisses, and right to the last song. This is why we can give back such a complete story.”

Check out his ‘same day edit’ artistry below.  One of my favorite parts is when Rose sent Joe a gift before the ceremony and later on when they made their grand entrance into the Palazzo.  I was there in the moment and it was awesome; watching it again with this level of connoisseur-like editing, camera work and musicality was just as breath-taking. The ultimate stamp of approval came from my wife who teared up after I showed it to her today.  With watery eyes she said, “tell Greg he did he a great job”… an emotional smile and a kodak-moment laugh immediately followed.

To see more highlights, live footage and behind the scenes interviews, check out Jason’s video log below.

I look forward to teaming up with Jason in the future for more Signature Collaborations.