Chicago Wedding Times – January, 2024

Test Your Pop Culture Knowledge

1, Which legendary singer was born Robert Zimmerman?
2. Who was the first winning performer on The Masked Singer?
3. Tom Hanks and Meg Ryan co-starred in Sleepless in Seattle and You’ve Got Mail; but what was their first movie together?
4. Who voiced both Mustafa in The Lion King and Darth Vader in Star Wars?
5. What was Taylor Swift’s first movie?
6. What was Kramer’s first name on Seinfeld?
7. What day is known as Star Wars Day?
8. What pop singer is godmother to both sons of Elton John?
9. In online shorthand, what does “SMH” mean?
10. What is Rihanna’s real first name?

The answers are at the end of this newsletter.

Say This to a Bride, and She Has Permission to Hit You!

Check out these really dumb and inappropriate things people say to brides. If you know what’s good for you, you won’t say any of them!

  • “
  • I can’t believe you got him to settle down.”
  • “What time does the ceremony start?” (If you were invited, you already know; if you weren’t, you’re just embarrassing youself by trying to elbow your way in.)
  • “You want me to wear THIS?”
  • “Hi, this is my friend ***” (…an uninvited guest; did YOU bring a meal for that guest?)
  • “How much did you pay for all this?” (None of your d— business.)
  • “Can I change tables?” (The newlyweds spent a lot of time and thought in putting together their seating chart; and now you want to blow it all up for YOUR convenience?)
  • “Who requested this awful song?” (Won’t you feel like an idiot when the bride says, “My husband and I did”?)
  • “When are you planning to have kids?” (Like the bride hasn’t already been bugged enough by her mom.)
  • “Are you okay? You look tired.” (That’s especially stupid when the bride thinks she looks like a million bucks.)
  • “I can’t find the open bar.” (Maybe that’s because the couple didn’t have the budget for it; do you really want to rub that in their faces?) 
  • “Your gown looks great on you, even if it’s not MY cup of tea.” (Who cares about your tastes in fashion? You’re not the one getting married.)
  • “This trip cost me a fortune.” (Translation: “I’m doing you a big favor by coming to the wedding that you just spent $30,000 to $40,000 on; you owe me something.” That’ll make you REALLY popular.)

For God’s sake, THINK before you say something stupid, if you hope to ever speak to the bride again.

Real Chicago Wedding – December 31, 2023

Savannah and Andy Kryk shared their vows at Le Meridien in Oak Brook, then treated their honored guests to an evening of fine cuisine and well-chosen dance music, culminating in a joyful welcome to 2024 at midnight. Fourth Estate Audio was privileged to provide the evening’s entire high-energy soundtrack.

“Let’s Get Married in 3 Months” – a How-to Guide

Not everyone has the luxury of a 16-month wedding planning timeline. Sometimes couples get married in a hurry because it’s easier to find venues and vendors during certain months. Sometimes they just don’t want to wait to be together forever. Here’s how to make it all work on a shortened planning schedule.

Be clear about what you want. When you can envision your theme, your colors, your flowers, your music, and the other key components of your wedding, you make decisions much faster and with much less stress.
 
Embrace the list. Any good wedding planning timeline will tell you what you need to do. Make a list, and start checking things off as you finish them. Don’t worry that experts say you have to do something a year before the wedding. Chances are, you can do the same thing 3 months before your wedding. You can find a gown, a venue, a hotel, a DJ, a photographer and practically anything else in 3 months if you stay organized.
 
Be decisive. Don’t take forever to shop for vendors. Imagine yourself shopping for shoes. If you find the right pair at the first store, BUY them. Don’t keep shopping for the sake of shopping. If you like a venue, or a DJ, or a florist, and they’re available, HIRE them and get on with your planning.

Share the work. Many hands make light work. Put your fiancée to work on some part of the planning. Your families and your bridal party can run errands, make decorations, provide transportation, and make other contributions. They’ll offer. ACCEPT every offer. And be sure to show your gratitude.

Hire professional help for your wedding day. It’s probably too late to hire a full-service planner; but many planners offer their services as day-of coordinators. They may guide you toward great vendors, and get you some great bargains; but even if you’ve already hired your vendors and laid out your big day, you’ll appreciate having an experienced professional to help everyone work together effectively, and keep your wedding day schedule running on time. That leaves only one chore for you to do:
 
Enjoy! Your responsibility on your wedding day is to have fun. Remember, a wedding reception is just a party you throw for your friends. Here’s a quote from Fourth Estate Audio’s web site that appeared in Glamour Magazine: “Never lose sight of the fact that, even if the cake collapses, and your Uncle Todd gets drunk and makes a pass at the minister’s wife, and the sprinklers go off in the middle of the ceremony, at the end of the evening you’re still married; so you win!”

Here are the answers to our quiz

1, Robert Zimmerman = Bob Dylan
2. T-Pain won the first Masked Singer competition
3. Tom Hanks and Meg Ryan first co-starred in Joe vs. the Volcano
4. James Earl Jones was the voice of both Mustafa and Darth Vader
5. Taylor Swift’s first movie was Valentine’s Day
6. Kramer’s first name was Cosmo
7. Star Wars Day is May 4th — as in “May the 4th be with you”
8. Both of Elton John’s sons call Lady Gaga their godmother
9. “SMH” means “shaking my head”
10. Rihanna’s real first name is Robyn. Rihanna is her middle name

If you got 5 right, you’re average.

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