Last Saturday nights wedding reception had a huge cake and it proved to be a very popular attraction. Believe it or not most of the cake was gone by the end of the night. What is it about cake that people find so exciting. At one point the line for cake at this reception was 30 people deep. People sure do like cake.

Steve Bergeron
www.bandstandmusic.com
www.bandstandmusic.blogspot.com
www.weddingreceptionsecretsrevealed.com

Okay... I use the word serenade loosly but I've got to give the groomsman props as they serenaded the bride (Patty) 8 days ago at the reception I DJed. They all hung in there for the entire song and Patty was gracious enough to take it all in. By the way... years ago the groomsmen singing to the bride was common place. I don't see it much anymore and that's a shame. It's always a very fun part of the night and is just another way to remind the Bride of how special she is.

Steve Bergeron
www.bandstandmusic.com
www.bandstandmusic.blogspot.com
www.weddingreceptionsecretsrevealed.com

One of the goals of a Wedding DJ is get the Bridesmaids dancing. We figure that if the Bridesmaids are having fun that part of our job has been successful. The reception I DJed on Friday night was fantastic. The bridesmaids were all over the dance floor for most of the night. It's always nice when a bride see's here friends having a good time. By the way... my Bride and Groom were Angie and Cole and they were great fun.

Steve Bergeron
www.bandstandmusic.com
www.bandstandmusic.blogspot.com
www.weddingreceptionsecretsrevealed.com

Well here we go... Another grooms cake in the style of a Nintendo gaming system. I love these groom cakes lately. It seems the trend is to be as creative as possible. Attention: Have fun with your grooms cake. Find out what the groom loves and model a cake after it. It's fun and the guest's love it. Plus it gives your cake decorator a chance to really be creative.

Steve Bergeron
www.bandstandmusic.com
www.bandstandmusic.blogspot.com
www.weddingreceptionsecretsrevealed.com

I love it when people ask me what my favorite color is. Since the day I can remember (and I am not sure why) my favorite color has always been YELLOW. Imagine my excitement when the candy table at last weeks wedding reception was yellow themed. WOW! Yes I get excited about yellow candy. Although I refrained from indulging in the candy I was surprised to find out that the Gumball looking things in the middle were actually Malted Milk Balls.

Steve Bergeron
www.bandstandmusic.com
www.bandstandmusic.blogspot.com
www.weddingreceptionsecretsrevealed.com

As you all know I love to check out the grooms cake at all of the receptions I DJ. Here is the groom cake from last Saturdays wedding reception. Very cool!

Steve Bergeron
www.bandstandmusic.com
www.bandstandmusic.blogspot.com
www.weddingreceptionsecretsrevealed.com

For mobile DJ's we are one of the first to see the wedding party arrive at the reception. The way they arrive is always fun to see. I've seen everything from formal stretch limos, the hum-v limo, the VIP Party Bus, Ollie the Trolley, horse & carriage, hotel transport buses, and converted school buses. Over the last month I have DJed 4 receptions now that have used the Jone-Z party bus. At last Saturdays reception I snapped a shot of the bus and also got a great photo of the Bride (Patty) and the Groom (Dustin) stepping out of the bus. What a blast!

Steve Bergeron
www.bandstandmusic.com
www.bandstandmusic.blogspot.com
www.weddingreceptionsecretsrevealed.com

Let me say that a wedding DJ's worst situation is when nobody is dancing. Reality is that any mobile DJ will tell you that an empty dance floor will happen from time to time. And then... there a receptions where every song we play is eaten up by the guests. They just can't seem to get enough and we as DJ's can do no wrong. This picture is from the reception I DJed on Saturday night. This was the last song I played and as you can see the dance floor was packed. I could not think of a better way to have the bride and groom wrap up their reception. They will always remember that their evening ended with a full dance floor. Ultimately... that's what you want.

Steve Bergeron
www.bandstandmusic.com
www.bandstandmusic.blogspot.com
www.weddingreceptionsecretsrevealed.com

Here's a place in Omaha that is great for any kind of social event. This was the set-up right before the last reception I DJed there. The bar is in the upper left hand corner. This venue offers full service bar and catering. I love the layout of this room and it has plenty of space for anything you want to do. Also has a big open dance floor. Can you name the venue? Today's winner receives a huge pat on the back from the first person you see. Good luck!

Steve Bergeron
www.bandstandmusic.com
www.bandstandmusic.blogspot.com
www.weddingreceptionsecretsrevealed.com

Okay... so this has been on youtube for a while now but it is worth taking another look. I just talked with an upcoming bride who said she did not want to spend the money for a wedding DJ. She said she had an IPOD with all of her favorite music that she was going to play over the venues house speaker system during the reception.
I will admit that currently the music I play at receptions comes off of an IPOD. They are convenient and reliable. With that said, they can never replace a professional announcer and reception motivator.
Even though this video is painful to watch it is a great reminder of how you should be careful when cutting corners. Just my 2 cents!

Steve Bergeron
www.bandstandmusic.com
www.bandstandmusic.blogspot.com
www.weddingreceptionsecretsrevealed.com

Today's name that venue is a bit of a challange. Two weeks ago I DJed a wedding at this location. Take a look and see if you can figure it out. Good luck and today's lucky winner will receive and beautiful pleather grooming sponge.

Steve Bergeron
www.bandstandmusic.com
www.bandstandmusic.blogspot.com
www.weddingreceptionsecretsrevealed.com

Welcome to another round of "Name that Venue". Today's venue is located in Omaha. I took this picture from the stage looking out over the dance floor. Over the years I have DJed at the place a bajillion times. Good luck and the right guess gets a free genuine, leather-like, imitation vinyl trim, lens cap carrying case. Good luck!

Steve Bergeron
www.bandstandmusic.com
www.bandstandmusic.blogspot.com
www.weddingreceptionsecretsrevealed.com

Some may say that I'm getting desperate for blog posts but I say Nay Nay! At last weeks reception I wondered what all the hub-bub was over by the cake table. It seemed they couldn't keep the punch bowl full fast enough. So I trot over and took this photo. Turns out the punch bowl for cool refreshing treat of orange sherbet and 7up. I actually tried some and it was very tasty. For a cool party idea try this one. And for the adult gatherings spiking it with something may an adventure. I'm just not sure what you'd spike it with.

Steve Bergeron
www.bandstandmusic.com
www.bandstandmusic.blogspot.com
www.weddingreceptionsecretsrevealed.com

You know it's been a while since I have actually used one of my CD players at any of the events I have DJed. Now it's all computers, ipods, and other types of mp3 players. I always bring my disc players with me just in case someone brings a CD for me to play. At a recent reception I was discussing this with the photographer and he came up with a great reason to keep my CD players. Open CD tray and you've got an instant cake shelf. Brilliant!

Steve Bergeron
www.bandstandmusic.com
www.bandstandmusic.blogspot.com
www.weddingreceptionsecretsrevealed.com

I took this shot during the dinner at a recent wedding reception I was DJing in Omaha, Nebraska. Can you guess the name of this venue based on this photo? It has been around for a long... long time and is one of my favorite places to DJ.

Steve Bergeron
www.bandstandmusic.com
www.bandstandmusic.blogspot.com
www.weddingreceptionsecretsrevealed.com

I honestly thought this trend of showing slide shows at weddings would have ran its course by now. Actually it's quite the contrary. More and more people are doing it and it has almost become a "traditional" staple for wedding receptions. These slide shows are easy to create and almost anyone can do them on their own. This photo was taken at the Scoular Ballroom during a reception I DJed.

Steve Bergeron
www.bandstandmusic.com
www.bandstandmusic.blogspot.com
www.weddingreceptionsecretsrevealed.com

I was driving down 156th and Harrison heading out to DJ a Wedding Reception last weekend when suddenly this beautiful rainbow appeared. I took this photo with my cell phone and it hardly does the moment justice. I really wished that I had a wide angle lens because this rainbow was perfect and went from one side to the other. It just goes to prove that sometime life really can be sunshine & rainbows.

Steve Bergeron
www.bandstandmusic.com
www.bandstandmusic.blogspot.com
www.weddingreceptionsecretsrevealed.com

The latest edition of our OmahaBrides.com web show is out and I want to thank Jeremy Johnson for sitting down with me for this interview. Jeremy is a great wedding photographer and give some great tips and insight to Brides looking to hire their wedding photographer.

Steve Bergeron
www.bandstandmusic.com
www.bandstandmusic.blogspot.com
www.weddingreceptionsecretsrevealed.com

This is from a reception I just DJed at the Millard Social Hall. These trees were covered in wish cards that guests could fill out and drop in the box. Some guests even put money in the wish card envelopes. This was the first time I had ever seen wish cards and I thought it was a creative idea. For the Bride and Groom those wish cards will be fun to look at in 10 years.

Steve Bergeron
www.bandstandmusic.com
www.bandstandmusic.blogspot.com
www.weddingreceptionsecretsrevealed.com

Recently I have been experimenting with up-lighting at some of the weddings I have DJed. Here is some simple up-lighting I used behind the cake table. I thought it really made a difference. We have not gone full blown yet but a lot of DJ companies have been finding extra ways to make money and offering up-lighting around the reception venue is one of them. And why not? This effect is easy to do and really can have a dramatic appearance when placed properly.


Steve Bergeron
www.bandstandmusic.com
www.bandstandmusic.blogspot.com
www.weddingreceptionsecretsrevealed.com

As silly as this sounds I am always very eager to see the Groom's cake every week at the receptions I DJ. Over the years I've seen some pretty creative stuff. Props to all the cake makers in Omaha who have managed to pull off some pretty impressive designs. Here's a cake from the Wedding I DJed on Saturday night. Can you guess what the grooms favorite snack is?

Steve Bergeron
www.bandstandmusic.com
www.bandstandmusic.blogspot.com
www.weddingreceptionsecretsrevealed.com

Just did a wedding Friday night where the Bride was a Husker fan and the Groom was a Hawkeye Fan. So why not have your cakes go to battle. So not only did they have their standard wedding cake but they also had a Hawkeye Grooms cake and a Huskers Bride cake. Now that's a lot of cake. Just for the record more people at the Husker cake than the Hawkeye cake. I don't really know what that means.

Steve Bergeron
www.bandstandmusic.com
www.bandstandmusic.blogspot.com
www.weddingreceptionsecretsrevealed.com

We just recently provided our Photo Booth services for an after Prom party. What a riot! I am very happy to say that out of all the different things available to the students during the party that the Photo Booth was the most popular attraction. During the 5 hour event we never had a break in the action and over 300 photo strips were printed. Happy prom season everyone.

Steve Bergeron
www.bandstandmusic.com
www.bandstandmusic.blogspot.com
www.weddingreceptionsecretsrevealed.com

The Bride & Groom dance is one of the most important parts of the reception. For the most part I always see a very typical slow dance between the bride and groom but every now and again I see a very tasteful dance they have choreographed. This always makes the dance a lot more enjoyable to watch and I always appreciate the effort the bride and groom have put in. In this photo from a recent reception the bride and groom had a beautifully coordinated waltz and it was a really unique and tasteful way for them to get things started on the dance floor.

Steve Bergeron
www.bandstandmusic.com
www.bandstandmusic.blogspot.com
www.weddingreceptionsecretsrevealed.com

Last Saturday's wedding was awesome. The groom was the head coach of a local youth baseball team and 7 of his players served as the ushers. This photo is of the grooms cake. It was a fun night and you could tell the kids really loved there coach. Congratulations to R.J. and Jami on their marriage and good luck.

Steve Bergeron
www.bandstandmusic.com
www.bandstandmusic.blogspot.com
www.weddingreceptionsecretsrevealed.com

After last weeks reception was over I took this photo before the clean up started. Considering that there were only four guys sitting at this table I'm certain none of them were feeling any pain when they left. I just hope they had rides home. I not clear why but there is something very "manly" about the beer can pyramid.

Steve Bergeron
www.bandstandmusic.com
www.bandstandmusic.blogspot.com
www.weddingreceptionsecretsrevealed.com

I took this photo at the last reception I was the DJ for. Before anyone arrived I snapped this shot of the head table. I thought it was really cool how the bride and groom had gift packages on all of the chairs of their wedding party members. The contents of the bags included such things at beer steins for the groomsmen and comfortable shoes for the bridesmaids. This was a great reception and was held at Legacy Hall in Omaha.

Steve Bergeron
www.bandstandmusic.com
www.bandstandmusic.blogspot.com
www.weddingreceptionsecretsrevealed.com

For those that read this blog you are aware that when I am out DJing weddings I am always looking for anything fun and interesting to blog about. At Friday nights wedding I noticed these Bride and Groom toasting glasses over by the cake. I found it very cute that the glasses were dressed in a Wedding Dress and Tux.

Steve Bergeron
www.bandstandmusic.com
www.bandstandmusic.blogspot.com
www.weddingreceptionsecretsrevealed.com

I wasn't sure what the groom was doing last Saturday when he approached the groom cake. I actually thought for a moment that he was going to bury his face in it but it turned out it was just for a quick pose. If you looked at any of my past blogs you will see I post grooms cake pictures from time to time. There are lots of wedding coming up this year so I hope to get lots more. When I see a grooms cake that is unique I will be sure to post it.

Steve Bergeron
www.bandstandmusic.com
www.bandstandmusic.blogspot.com
www.weddingreceptionsecretsrevealed.com

..and not for the reasons you'd think. Based on the title of this blog post you might assume the bride had a terrible experience but it was quite the opposite. During the "panel of brides" meeting that I facilitated Samantha (pictured above) came to tears when asked what her favorite part of the wedding planning had been.
She explained that in the process of looking for her dress the sales lady had treated her like her own daughter. She had taken the time to make sure Samantha got everything she wanted and was very excited for her. It just is another reminder that as a wedding vendor myself its easy to look at a bride as just another customer. To all those in business don't forget to show your customers some excitement, enthusiasm, compassion and genuine interest and in the end you will get more than a sale.

Steve Bergeron
www.bandstandmusic.com
www.bandstandmusic.blogspot.com
www.weddingreceptionsecretsrevealed.com

Every year the Midwest Bridal Association puts together its "panel of brides". This years panel was absolutely terrific. I had the honor of facilitating the questions and answers between the many wedding vendors who attended and the brides who were on the panel.
These meetings are critical for the local wedding vendors to learn about how a bride goes about planning and making her buying decisions. It was an enlightening conversation and I want to thank all the brides for there candor and participation.

Steve Bergeron
www.bandstandmusic.com
www.bandstandmusic.blogspot.com
www.weddingreceptionsecretsrevealed.com

Getting up in front of a huge crowd to give a toast at a wedding can be very nerve racking. One way to cool the nerves is to have a little fun when giving the toast. Last Saturday the Matron of Honor did a top 10 craziest moments with the bride. It was very funny yet classy at the same time. So my advice to those nervous about giving a toast is to relax yourself and the guests by having fun with it.

Steve Bergeron
www.bandstandmusic.com
www.bandstandmusic.blogspot.com
www.weddingreceptionsecretsrevealed.com

I always have a lot of respect for the Brides and Grooms that make an effort to show appreciation for the kids that attend there receptions. Last Saturday my Bride and Groom tossed out a huge basket full of candy and just let the kids go nuts. It was total mayhem for about 30 seconds. It's amazing how fast kids can clean off a floor when its candy they are picking up. If all toys were made of candy imagine how clean our kids rooms would be. Hey... I think I'm onto something.
New Toy Ideas to guarantee clean rooms:
Sweet tart legos
Tootsie Roll Linkin' Logs
Laffy Taffy skateboards
Jawbreaker Marbles

Steve Bergeron
www.bandstandmusic.com
www.bandstandmusic.blogspot.com
www.weddingreceptionsecretsrevealed.com

One of the first things you see upon entering a reception is the guest book. It's important to have (whenever possible) the guest book at the reception before anyone arrives. Recently I DJed a reception in which everyone arrived at the same time. The guest book was placed right inside the entrance door. As the guests arrived there was a massive line of people waiting outside in the cold because of everyone waiting to sign the guest book. Whenever possible place the guest books in an area of the facility the gives you some extra space in case of a long line of people are waiting to sing in. I understand that you will want to catch the guests as soon as they walk in so they can sign but just be aware of the possible long line that can form.

Steve Bergeron
www.bandstandmusic.com
www.bandstandmusic.blogspot.com
www.weddingreceptionsecretsrevealed.com

Last Saturdays reception had quite the wedding party. This is a photo of the head table that almost filled the entire dance floor at the Millard Social Hall. As a DJ I absolutely love large wedding parties. Usually what happens is the bigger the wedding party the more fun people tend to have. This reception was no exception to that rule of thumb. The group of bridesmaids refused to leave the dance floor and they kept the night fun and exciting.

Steve Bergeron
www.bandstandmusic.com
www.bandstandmusic.blogspot.com
www.weddingreceptionsecretsrevealed.com

For a few years the Chocolate Fountains were a popular item at Wedding Receptions. It seems there popularity has dwindled a bit lately. Putting a new twist on the fountain, my bride and groom last Saturday provided a “cheese fountain” for their guests. It was brought out later in the night and was served as a help yourself mid party snack. What a great idea… and the guests ate it up (no pun intended).

Steve Bergeron
www.bandstandmusic.com
www.bandstandmusic.blogspot.com
www.weddingreceptionsecretsrevealed.com

One month before the Wedding the Brides brother was deployed to Germany. However, he was not far from the reception. As a surprise to the bride and groom her brother (dressed in fatigues)sent over a message that we played on a projection screen during the toast. The Bride was almost in shock as we watched her brother send his best wishes on her wedding day.
There was not a dry eye in the house last Saturday after the message was played and it got a standing ovation from the crowd. Sometimes as a DJ you get to see some amazing things. I really do love my job.

Steve Bergeron
www.bandstandmusic.com
www.bandstandmusic.blogspot.com
www.weddingreceptionsecretsrevealed.com

It sometimes can be very difficult as a wedding DJ to actually be a guest at a reception. Even though he was supposed to be a groomsmen one of the Bandstand Music DJ's Julius Boatwright managed to squeeze in some mic time during a reception I DJed. Julius almost made it to the end of the night without getting on the mic but just couldn't resist the opportunity to give the closing comments. You can tell by the untucked shirt that Julius had a fun night.

Steve Bergeron
www.bandstandmusic.com
www.bandstandmusic.blogspot.com
www.weddingreceptionsecretsrevealed.com

If you read the last blog post you know that Curtis (one of the Bandstand DJ's) got married last Friday. Here is a picture of some of the Bandstand Music group during the reception. Lots of the Bandstand DJ's are pictured here. I so glad that instead of being the ones doing the entertaining that they got to enjoy the night off as guests. Once again I want to say congratulations to Curtis and his lovely new bride Cassandra. Thanks for letting us all be a part of your evening.

Steve Bergeron
www.bandstandmusic.com
www.bandstandmusic.blogspot.com

On February 12th, 2010 our very own Curtis was married. Curtis has been one of my DJ's for a long time is really is one of the best. I will tell you that Curtis couldn't help but to work (even at his own reception). In this photo Curtis takes a moment to toast his lovely bride and the guests who attended. Speaking of working your own reception... Curtis also announced his wedding party at the beginning of the reception in an exciting Grand Entrance. Reception was held at Karen's Fireside in Papillion. What a fun night and Congratulations Curits and Cassandra.

Steve Bergeron
www.bandstandmusic.com
www.bandstandmusic.blogspot.com

Just wanted to say a quick thank you to my most recent class of Dale Carnegie Leadership Grads. What a fantastic group you were. Now go out there and live an intentional life. Enthusiastically yours, Steve

Steve Bergeron
www.bandstandmusic.com
www.bandstandmusic.blogspot.com

I was in Huron, South Dakota on Wednesday and Thursday teaching the Dale Carnegie Leadership Course at the Crosswinds Hotel / Event Center. During a break I saw this sign (sorry about the quality) and took a picture of it. The sign was advertising the upcoming bridal show. What is unique about this is that the two Bridal Shows I just did in Omaha were anywhere from 8 to 12 dollars per person (including the bride) to get in. It's hard to read but the bottom of this sign reads Admission: $1.00 / Brides are FREE. Wow, what a deal!

Steve Bergeron
www.bandstandmusic.com
www.bandstandmusic.blogspot.com

I know I talk a lot about reception venues here in my blog. There are so many wonderful facilities around Omaha and I am a huge believer that a good venue helps when it comes to having a successful party. Here is another one of those places. This was right before an event I DJed at the Georgetown Club located around 144th and Center. As you can see the dance floor and DJ setup is exactly where is should be... in the center of the action.

Steve Bergeron
www.bandstandmusic.com
www.bandstandmusic.blogspot.com

One of my favorite places to DJ at is Karen's Fireside in Papillion Nebraska. This comfy all inclusive reception facility has one of the best layouts for parties. For DJ's it's an easy load in and the Dance floor sits front and center of all the action. Seems that every reception I DJ there absolutely ROCKS! It's perfect for any kind of event.

www.karensfireside.com

Steve Bergeron
www.bandstandmusic.com
www.bandstandmusic.blogspot.com

I remember when I first started DJing weddings in the 80's that we used to call the Electric Slide the "Bus Stop". Well here we are in 2010 and let me tell you that the Electric Slide is still alive and kickin'. I play it at almost every event and it still continues to get a great response. Occasionally I will get a bride and groom that tell me they are sick of it and don't want it at their reception. I completely understand but it's always good for the dance floor. For those that are sick of the Electric Slide I hear ya... remember that in the end it's worth the 4 minutes of the songs annoyance to allow your guests to have a good time. Just my take!

Steve Bergeron
www.bandstandmusic.com
www.bandstandmusic.blogspot.com

I was running through some pictures of some of the stuff from January's events and I came across this cool picture of the wedding party from my New Years Eve party. I love how the groomsmen were all decked out in Top Hats and Canes. It's always fun when the groomsmen do something a little different and get away from the standard tuxes.

Steve Bergeron
www.bandstandmusic.com
www.bandstandmusic.blogspot.com

Last Sunday I DJed the Hilton Hotel employee party. Let me just say that the Hilton goes all out when it comes to showing genuine appreciation for their team members. The room looked beautiful and everything about the party was in line with their 4 Star service. Oh by the way... they also gave out some pretty cool prizes.


Steve Bergeron
www.bandstandmusic.com
www.bandstandmusic.blogspot.com

Recently I purchased a few laser lights to use at the gigs. Last weekend DJ Alexsed DJed a gig at the 415 in downtown Omaha and borrowed a few of my lights and rocked the joint to the ground. Alex always adds a little haze/smoke so you can see the laser beams. Alexsed runs his own DJ company called Digital Sound International here in Omaha.

Steve Bergeron
www.bandstandmusic.com
www.bandstandmusic.blogspot.com

I want to say thank you to everyone that came out to the Quest Bridal Show this past Sunday. Bandstand Music was there representing our Photo Booth and at one point the line to talk with Jared (our representative) was pretty big. It's another reminder of how popular these photo booths have become.

Steve Bergeron
www.bandstandmusic.com
www.bandstandmusic.blogspot.com