Chicago Wedding Times – February, 2022

Test Your Celebrity IQ 

Each of these celebrities was a successful athlete, either at the high school, college or professional level. What sport did each celebrity play? If you can guess 10 correctly, you’re above average.

Avril Lavigne
Sheryl Crow
Tina Fey
Emma Watson
Caitlyn Jenner
Paris Hilton
Jenny McCarthy
Britney Spears
Jason Lee
Jon Stewart
Kurt Russell
Burt Reynolds
George Clooney
Edward Norton
Chuck Connors
John Wayne
Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson (before wrestling)
Mark Harmon

The answers are at the bottom of this newsletter

Make Your Out-of-town Guests Feel Like Royalty with a Great Gift Bag

Imagine you’re in a strange city for a friend or relative’s wedding. You don’t know anyone but the couple. You don’t know the city. You’re stranded until the wedding. Don’t let that happen to the people who cared enough to travel long-distance to be part of your special celebration. Here’s how to put together a very special gift bag for your visitors’ hotel rooms. 

Tell them where to go. Your local tourism bureau probably has free maps of the city to pass out. They showcase local attractions, and often include discount coupons. Get some of those maps, and include one in each gift bag. If your community has its own magazine, get some copies and distribute them. Your guests are certain to find lots of inspiring ideas. 

Tell them where to eat. Offer your best advice about great restaurants near their hotel. 

Treat them. A great gift bag includes a personalized water bottle and some tasty snacks. Your caterer may offer a nice package of treats. Your planner may have some great ideas, too. It’s great to return to the hotel at the end of a long day, with some nice snacks waiting for you. 

Prepare them for emergencies. A small kit with painkillers, antacid, feminine products, safety pins, band-aids and so forth will be most welcome. 

Keep them connected. Provide each guest with a list of critical phone numbers, like your venues, a cab company (for folks who don’t have Uber), a local hospital, police and fire emergency, and a day-of contact person who can answer your guests’ questions. 

Help them schedule their day. Give them an outline of your wedding events — rehearsal place and time, ceremony location and start time, reception location and start time. Don’t forget to provide directions to each place (for guests who don’t use GPS). 

A wedding favor or special gift. 

A “thank you” note. 

You can, at your option, provide your own phone numbers to your guests,; but include a note that you may not be there to answer once the rehearsal or ceremony gets underway. 

A thoughtful gift bag will make your guests feel loved, welcomed, and connected to your hometown in a very personal way. It’s worth the modest expense!

Real Chicago Wedding – Feb. 4, 2022

Heather and Tony Biliunas took the chill off a cold winter night by hosting a warm, joyful wedding reception at the Orland Chateau in Orland Park. After dinner, the Chicago wedding DJ pros of Fourth Estate Audio turned up the heat on the dance floor.

11 Essential Pre-wedding Chores for the Groom

Some grooms seem to believe their only wedding responsibility is to show up. And while it’s true that a wedding with the groom is better than one without him, the groom has some important things to do on the night before the wedding. Here they are.

Proofread and practice your speech (if you’re giving one). What may look good on paper, may sound awful when it’s actually spoken. Practicing out loud will ensure that your words on your wedding night will have the desired impact.

Are you giving gifts? Grooms typically give gifts to their spouses and their attendants. Make sure you have them all wrapped and ready to deliver on your wedding day.

Are your vendor checks and tips ready to distribute? Your vendors and venue will want to be paid. And if you plan to tip the people who made your wedding special, place the cash tips in separate envelopes for each vendor, and give them to a trusted groomsman who’s not going to get drunk and forget to pass them out. 

Pack for your honeymoon. Include weather-appropriate clothes for both your destination and your return home. 

Make sure your tux is ironed and ready. Also be sure your shoes, socks, tie, cufflinks and any other accessories are all laid out next to your tux.

Visit the people closest to you. Your parents, siblings and close friends will have to compete for your time at your reception; so setting aside some quality time with them before the wedding will reassure them you truly appreciate them. 

Delegate the small stuff. If there are little chores that need to be completed, contact your groomsmen or your wedding planner to ensure that they’re all executed to your satisfaction.

Wind down. The night before your wedding is not the time to prove that you’re the ultimate party animal. You should have done that already. You need quiet time to relax and reflect upon the wonderful partner you’re about to take for the rest of your life.

Eat wisely. Indigestion, diarrhea, bloating or heartburn can take a lot of the charm out of your wedding day. 

Drink responsibly. You won’t remember a thing about your wedding day if you’re spending it nursing a hangover.

Get to bed early. If you’ve completed all of your preparations, it’s time for the best night’s sleep you’re going to get for at least a week. You have a long day ahead of you, and you want to be rested and focused.

Here are the answers to our celebrity quiz

Avril Lavigne played ice hockey
Sheryl Crow – Track (Hurdles)
Tina Fey – Tennis
Emma Watson – Field Hockey
Caitlyn Jenner – Decathlon
Paris Hilton – Ice Hockey
Jenny McCarthy – Softball
Britney Spears – Gymnastics
Jason Lee – Professional Skateboarding
Jon Stewart – Soccer
Kurt Russell – Baseball
Burt Reynolds – Football (Florida State)
George Clooney – Baseball
Edward Norton – Rowing
Chuck Connors – Basketball (Boston Celtics)
John Wayne – Football (USC)
Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson – Football (CFL) 
Mark Harmon – Football (UCLA)

How did you do? 

To learn more about professional Chicago DJ entertainment and lighting by Fourth Estate Audio:

Jay Congdon
President