Weddings have changed so much over the last decade. Ceremonies are as likely to be on a beach or garden as they are in a church or synagogue. Wedding receptions may be a formal affair in a ballroom or a picnic in the park. How do you tell your guests what to wear? Its all about the invitation.

Invitations should set the tone for the event. The look itself gives lets the guests know what they have to look forward to for the evening. So when selecting your invitation, consider what impression your guests will have when they open the envelope. The traditional, engraved invitation should be used for a formal wedding, not for a barefoot ceremony on the beach.

If you are concerned that the look of the invitation is too subtle a hint, consider putting your fashion requirements right on the invitation.

• Black tie invited or black tie optional is a cue to your guests that the men should be in a tuxedo or dark suite, and the ladies should wear evening gown or formal dress.
• Semi Formal indicates that the men should be in a suit or jacket and the ladies should be in an elegant dress or dressy suit.
• Cocktail Attire indicates that the men should wear a dark suit and the ladies a pretty cocktail dress.
• Casual Attire indicates that the men should wear nice pants and a collared shirt and the ladies may wear a simple dress or nice pants.

In addition to the above, I usually suggest giving more information if your wedding is taking place in the sand or in the grass, both of which can reek havoc on shoes, consider adding: We will be celebrating on the beach so be prepared to feel the sand in your toes, or Dinner and dancing will take place in the garden under the stars and in the grass. These are both clever ways to warn your guests to stay away from stilettos and ultra-expensive shoes.

Please remember that no matter how clearly you spell out exactly what you want your guests to wear, you will have some that will show up inappropriately dressed. My best advice is to forget it! Relax and enjoy your wedding day and ignore the couple in jeans.

If you want more information on wording your invitation click here. If you have questions or comments on invitations or anything relating to your wedding, post a comment here or email me at susan.southerland@pwg.com.

Happy Planning!

I find wedding DJs to be among the most challenging of all wedding vendors to choose. There are many talented ones, but there are also a great number who are inexperienced and uninformed when it comes to the formalities of the wedding day. The person with the microphone has the most visible job on the wedding day, so you want to be sure you choose someone who not only suits your personality and style, but one who is able to engage and entertain your guests. Here are my top ten tips to finding the perfect DJ for your wedding day.

1. Get recommendations from friends and wedding vendors. Your friends will be able to tell you whether or not a particular DJ was entertaining or a dud. Other wedding vendors will be able to tell you if he or she is easy to work with. Both qualities are important on the wedding day.
2. Interview two or three DJs. It is important to meet with a DJ in-person. You need to take note of his or her appearance and personality. The face-to-face interview will also give you an idea of how the DJ carries himself and how eloquent (or not) he or she speaks.
3. During the interview, make sure the DJ is familiar with how a wedding day flows. Being a DJ for a wedding is quite different from being the DJ at a club. Your DJ needs to know all the wedding formalities from introductions and toasts, to cake cutting and bouquet. This takes wedding experience.
4. Some suggest going to see the DJ perform. I have mixed feelings about this. I have had some of my favorite DJs playing to a crowd that just wasn’t interested. I have also seen lousy DJs perform to a crowd that would dance to someone playing solo-harmonica. In either case, you can get a skewed vision of that DJ’s talent. I think the face-to-face interview is the best indicator as to whether or not the DJ is right for you.
5. View pictures of the equipment. Some DJs have very sleek presentations that don’t require any decor. Others may have exposed wires and a sloppy appearance. This will require additional decor. If you decision is going to boil down to budget, you must to know if you will need to spend extra money on decor.
6. Your DJ must be receptive to your questions and requests. Some entertainers behave as though they are the focus of the wedding day. This is most definitely not the case. If you sense an attitude, keep looking.
7. Make sure the DJ has the music you want to hear. If he or she doesn’t, check to see if it is okay to provide the selections he or she is missing and find out whether you need to provide a CD or an MP3.
8. When comparing pricing, make sure you know everything that is included in the DJ’s package. Some DJs include lighting, backdrops, special effects and video screens, others only have a basic setup. Don’t worry if the DJ you adore doesn’t have all the extras, some wedding facilities have the extra equipment, or you can look to your decor company and other rental companies for the extra “stuff.”
9. Make sure you interview the actual DJ that is going to perform on the wedding day. Some DJ companies have multiple performers. You don’t want to fall in love with the DJ you interview, only to be disappointed on the day of the wedding when someone else shows up.
10. When its time to sign your contract, in addition to the performance fee, make sure the following are in your contract: DJ’s name, setup time, sound check completion time, attire, power requirements for the equipment, number of hours he or she will perform, overtime charges, and any other requirements like does the DJ require water and sodas throughout the evening, does he require a meal (most don’t), does he take a break (most don’t).

As with all wedding vendors, when you are interviewing and hiring your DJ, listen to your inner voice. If you are uncomfortable for any reason, move on. There are lots of DJs in the sea… or in the Perfect Wedding Guide. With a litte persistence, you will find the perfect one for you.

If you want to learn more about hiring a wedding DJ, check out this article on perfectweddingguide.com.

If you have any stories about your wedding DJ, please share it with me. You can leave a comment here, or email me at susan.southerland@pwg.com.

Happy planning!

Happy New Year everyone! I know I owe you some more Do It Yourself Bride postings, but I am briefly interrupting that series to let you know that starting this month, my blogs are going to coincide with some great articles on perfectweddingguide.com. I will still be posting my advice from my point of view, but now my posts will also contain links for you to get more in-depth information. I think you will enjoy it.

Also, for those of you who don’t know, I am hosting FREE webinars on getting your wedding planning started. You can get more information by clicking here. The first couple of dates are already full, so sign up right away.

Happy Planning!

Susan