Test Your Pop Music Quotient
Here’s this month’s quiz:
Who is the only singer to be featured in three James Bond movies?
- Sheena Easton
- Rita Coolidge
- Shirley Bassey
- Lulu
Bon Jovi had a #1 hit with this song in 1987:
- Pour Some Sugar on Me
- Thunderstruck
- Dude Looks Like a Lady
- Livin’ on a Prayer
Emma Bunton was part of which popular girl group?
- Spice Girls
- Destiny’s Child
- Bangles
- En Vogue
Brothers Liam and Noel Gallagher are part of which band?
- Soundgarden
- Oasis
- Pearl Jam
- Creed
Which singer starred with Jane Fonda and Lily Tomlin in “9 to 5?”
- Madonna
- Olivia Newton-John
- Dolly Parton
- Sarah Brightman
Bono is the lead singer of which band?
- AC/DC
- The Who
- Beck
- U2
The country artist who wrote the pop hit “Joy to the World (Jeremiah Was a Bullfrog)” also wrote one of these songs. Which one?
- Della and the Dealer
- I Will Always Love You
- Whiskey River
- Ring of Fire
What was Vanilla Ice’s biggest hit?
- Ice, Ice Baby
- Ice to the Max
- Ice Time
- Play That Funky Music
Which artist had hit records in six different decades?
- Cher
- Michael Jackson
- Elvis Presley
- Beatles
Which singer or band is NOT among the top three best-selling artists of all time?
- Beatles
- Michael Jackson
- Elvis Presley
- Madonna
We’ll have the answers at the end of this newsletter.
What Does a Wedding Planner Do?.
One of the choices you’ll face as you begin planning your wedding is whether to hire a wedding planner, or try to do it all yourself. This article will give you an honest look at what wedding planners can do to make your event special and stress-free.
1. Do your grunt work. Let’s start with the simplest thing first. Your planner will do little things like counting all of your rented linens at the beginning and end of the night, setting out your guests’ table cards and having extra ones ready, and making sure your décor is perfect and that your flowers get moved from your ceremony to your reception site.
2. Keep your vendors honest. The planner reviews all the promises your venue and vendors made, and makes certain that everything is in writing, so there’s no “I never promised that” when your wedding day comes.
3. Win extra perks from your vendors. A venue or florist or DJ company wants your planner to recommend new clients; so it’s important for those vendors to bend over backwards to please your planner. That means any small disagreement that comes up will probably be resolved in your favor.
4. Get discounts. Again, vendors want to curry favor with your planner, in hopes of getting future business. So they’re more likely to offer reduced pricing or free upgrades that you wouldn’t be able to get on your own.
5. Keep you on time. It’s very easy to let the time get away from you when you have dozens or hundreds of guests all competing for “face time” with the newlyweds. Your planner will crack the whip on your photographer, florist, caterer, baker and everyone else to ensure that everything is on schedule, no one has to wait an extra hour for dinner, and your dancing starts on time.
6. Fix problems before they become problems. Your planner has the cellphone number of every vendor; so if the cake is late, or the flowers aren’t what you expected, your planner can get through to your vendors immediately to fix what’s wrong before it interferes with your perfect day.
7. Pass out the checks. Your vendor will handle all of your wedding day payments, including tips for your vendors, so you won’t have to worry about it.
8. Run interference for you. There will always a family member who wants to remake your wedding in his or her image; your planner’s duties include defusing all the little intra-family squabbles that are certain to pop up, and ensure that your wedding is indeed your wedding.
9. Schedule your other wedding-related events. Your planner can coordinate everything from your bridal shower to your rehearsal dinner to your next-day brunch, so you and your bridal party can just enjoy the experience.
10. Share insider secrets. Planners who have done lots of weddings have picked up all sorts of great ideas for streamlining your planning process. Yes, you’ll have to do some things yourselves, like writing and sending your invitations; but there are ways to simplify virtually every step of your planning process. Rely on your planner to know them and share those valuable tips and tricks with you.
The best planners may look expensive; but quite often, they’ll save you enough money to cover their fees and more. And the peace of mind of having a personal representative handling your stressful and time-consuming details is priceless.
Real Chicago Wedding – June 16, 2023
Amanda and Michael DePiero celebrated their new union in style at Salvatore’s Ristorante in Lincoln Park. A festive meal in the elegant dining room was followed by some high-energy dancing. Everyone went home exhausted! The Chicago DJ pros of Fourth Estate Audio provided the evening’s soundtrack. Now, it’s your turn!
Advice the Wedding Industry Is Afraid to Tell You
1. Don’t Do It Yourself, just to save money. If you truly have an artistic flair for decoration or design, then by all means let your creativity come out. But remember, a wedding reception is a party you throw for your guests. Too often, DIY efforts add nothing to the guests’ experience, and often detract from it. Like bad karaoke singing, a weak do-it-yourself project may be met with groans, not cheers. Want to try your hand at making a centerpiece? Try one, then tell friends, “Someone made this and thought it might make a nice centerpiece… what do you think?” When they don’t have to worry about hurting your feelings, they’re more likely to give you their honest opinions.
2. Get help! If you think you can execute every tiny phase of your wedding planning all alone, you’re going to end up frazzled, frustrated and bitter that no one appreciates all your hard work. If friends or relatives offer to help, let them! They can make some of your phone calls, help you address your invitations, scout out potential vendors, and run errands in those hectic final weeks. Be sure to thank them with nice gifts.
3. Just say no. Everyone is going to give you advice; that doesn’t mean to have accept it all. Once you have a vision of your dream wedding, weigh all advice – from friends, loved ones, vendors — according to whether it fits your vision. If it doesn’t, don’t be afraid to politely reject it. It’s your wedding, not theirs.
4. Who really cares? Don’t over-analyze your décor, your menu or your party favors. A month after your wedding, no one will remember them. So if you need to cut back your budget, they are all safe places to cut. Put your energy and money into things that will enhance your guests’ experience – like great dance music and creative personal touches that help your guests get to know you better as a couple. We have proven ideas to make your wedding memorable and fun. And we’re happy to share them.
5. Respect the weather. An outdoor wedding in August will almost certainly subject your guests to stifling heat. A basket full of paper fans and sunglasses would be helpful. Still, some of your more sensitive guests may have to head indoors. A winter wedding reception in a poorly heated venue can create an entirely different set of problems. Consider the comfort of your guests at all times.
6. Get points! If you’re going to be charging your wedding expenses to a credit card, get one that offers travel credits or other bonuses for every dollar you spend. Even if someone is reimbursing you for your out-of-pocket costs, you still get to keep the points.
7. Guests cost money. If you’re providing dinner for all of your guests, consider whether you really want to invite every acquaintance from work, or every relative you haven’t seen in three years. You know who the really important people in your life are. Everyone else can go on a “wish list,” and get invited only if you can afford it.
8. Have a policy on kids, and stick to it. If kids are welcome, fine. If they’re not, don’t be afraid to say so on your invitations. Perhaps you can arrange a supervised activity room for the little ones, so they won’t interfere with the adults’ fun.
9. Seat singles with singles, couples with couples. An unaccompanied guest would probably feel uncomfortable at a dinner table full of couples. Consider that, when you’re putting together your seating chart.
10. Can you hear me now? If you’re having an outdoor wedding, or a large wedding, your officiant will try to tell you, “Oh, everyone will hear me.” NO, THEY WON’T! Have a microphone for your ceremony, and tell your officiant to use it. There’s nothing more frustrating for your guests than attending a wedding, and not being able to hear what’s being said.
Okay, here are the answers to our music quiz:
- Shirley Bassey sang the themes in three James Bond movies.
- Bon Jovi rocked the world with “Livin on a Prayer.”
- Emma Bunton was “Baby Spice” in the Spice Girls.
- The Gallagher brothers are the core of Oasis.
- Dolly Parton appeared in “9 to 5.” She also wrote and recorded the theme song.
- Bono is the front man for U2.
- Hoyt Axton wrote “Joy to the World,” and his own country hit “Della and the Dealer.”
- Vanilla Ice’s biggest hit was “Ice Ice Baby.”
- Cher had hit records in six decades, starting with the 60’s.
- Madonna is not one of the three top-selling artists; but she’s number four.
To learn more about professional Chicago DJ entertainment and lighting by Fourth Estate Audio:
- Visit our web site at http://www.discjockey.org/
- Call us at (630) 654-4440. We’re here to help you.