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

For 5 months now I've been representing the Omahabrides.com website as an interviewer. What we do is interview local wedding professionals to get ideas and advice for the Brides and Groom who visit the website. So far we have done 7 of these interviews. The seventh interview was posted yesterday and it is all about Jeremy Johnson Photography. I must say that Jeremy was a great interview. You can check out all the interviews so far by clicking on the link below.

www.omahabrides.com/weddingvideobroadcast.html

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

So we've been doing wedding vendor interviews for a few months now and we just finished one with Bill from Mr. Tuxedo. These interviews are a blast and I want to thank all the vendors who have agreed to do them. More to come...

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

Last Sunday was the Bridal Show Case at the Mid America Center. What a great show with tons of Brides in attendance. I even saw a few grooms there as well. We had the Bandstand Music booth staffed with 4 of my best DJ's including Mike Cohn, Jared Kuller, Curtis Pennewell and Julius Boatwright. A big thanks to all the Brides who stopped by our booth.

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

So at my gig last Saturday I was a bit confused by the Cream Soda Grooms cake. I've gotta tell you that the cake was tiny and very cute. I took a picture of it and put a pen in front of it to give you some perspective on its size. After some investigation it turns out the grooms nick name is Cream Soda.

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

Attention! It's the biggest Bridal Show of the year and it will be this coming Sunday (January 10th)at the Mid America Center. I recently posted an article that I wrote on OmahaWeddingArticles.com. This article contains some friendly advice and tips on how newly engaged couples can get the most out of attending Bridal Shows. You can read the article by clicking on the link below. Good Luck!

www.omahaweddingarticles.com/WEDDING-ADVICE/bridalshowtips.html

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

I thought this was a cool idea. Right next to the dance floor at my New Years Eve gig they had this couch and chairs set up. Once the gig got underway there were people there all night. It was the most comfortable I'd ever seen anyone at a wedding reception. In fact one guy fell asleep on the couch at the end of the night.

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

I always get a kick (as long as there are no injuries) out of drunk people at my gigs while they are dancing. You just never know what to expect and I've seen some crazy things. What happens however when you are too young to drink and you still have a dance floor blunder.
This young lady got a little carried away during the Cha Cha Slide at the New Year's Eve Gig my DJ Jared did. Obviously because of her age it wasn't alcohol so what excuse would you come up with??? Maybe she was distracted because Jared is so cute...

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

Here's a photo from the Wedding I djed last new years eve. This was the dance floor at the stroke of midnight. As a bonus I busted out the bubble machine. Tonights gig is downtown. Doing the DJing and a Photo Booth rental. Should be a great time. HAPPY NEW YEAR TO EVERYONE AND MAKE IT A GREAT 2010!

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

Okay... I admit that as a DJ the chicken dance is silly. It is one of those choices we give our couples before their reception (to have or not to have). We still get about 25% of our clients who request that we do the chicken dance at thier parties. I love it when they request it because I know it's going to get people involved and help break the ice. In this photo the Bride and Groom (who asked me to play the chicken dance)are in the middle of the circle whooping it up.
WHAT DO YOU THINK? As far as I'm concerned I say LONG LIVE THE CHICKEN DANCE!

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

I will be bloggin' quite a bit about the upcoming Bridal Show. We spend so much time and money getting ready for it and it really is a great chance for engaged couples to get ideas, save money, and win FREE STUFF. This years show will be at the Mid America Center in Council Bluffs on January 10th. This is a photo of just one of the vendor rooms from last years show.
For show info go to:
www.omahabridalnetwork.com

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

The annual Bridal Showcase will be held at the MAC in Council Bluffs on January 10th. This is the largest Bridal Show of the year and will have the more vendors than any other show. In addition this bridal show hands down has the best produced fashion show with tons of prizes to give away.
Last year during the show I hosted the Cake Eating Contest in the Groom Room. It was a blast and watching 6 guys devour an entire cake in just minutes was hilarious.
If your getting married plan on attending the show on the 10th. For more information go to www.omahabridalnetwork.com

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

In lieu of the traditional cake the Bride and Groom from this reception I DJed had random cake tables set up throughout the venue. There were 9 of these tables with cakes set up at random locations. As the guests finished dinner they were able to go to any of these cake stations to help themselves. This made the serving of the cake a lot easier and saved a lot of time. This was a great idea and each cake was a different flavor. Expensive I'm sure but ultimately a cool idea.

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

Recently I released my book "Wedding Reception Secrets Revealed". In that book I cover all kinds of things to make a Wedding Reception everything it should be. Most of the Brides I have worked with over the last 23 years have all had a few things in common including wanting guests to have fun and to not leave the party early. A big factor in hitting these goals is the venue that is chosen for the reception. In my blog I have covered some outstanding facilities. Check past posts for excellent venues and I will have more to come.

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

O.K.... So these young ladies at my last Wedding Reception wanted to do a train using connecting Balloon Hats. So after lots of hot air and plenty of twists I was able come up with this. Not the most pretty balloon hat but it did the trick.

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

I would like to thank the Metropolitan Hospitality Association for hiring me to DJ their annual December get together. It was good to see everyone again and I've got to tell you that this was the first time I had DJed in the Quest Centers Club Lounge. It was very cool and would be a great place for anyone looking to have a holiday party.

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

I know I have been posting a lot of location shots in my blog lately and that is because there are so many wonderful reception facilities in Omaha and Council Bluffs. This is a shot I took just after I set up for a Wedding Reception at Erin Court. Full catering and bar are offered. I always seem to have rockin' gigs whenever I'm at Erin Court.

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

I did a gig last night at the Quest Center's Club Lounge for the Hospitality Association and low and behold Karl was working. Karl has been one of those bartenders that I have worked with at various gigs over the last 20 years. It's always nice to go to a gig and see a familiar face and Karl and I always have fun when we do gigs together. Merry Christmas Karl and to everyone at the Quest Center Club Lounge.

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

We do a ton of Wedding Receptions at the Club Convention Center in Papillion. I stopped by one night to check our one of my best DJs in action. This is a photo of David Nihsen with a full dance floor to brag about. Dave is personable and always goes above and beyond for the Bandstand clients. Way to pack the floor Dave!

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

Did this wedding at the Mid America Center and there were a ton of groomsmen. They all went crazy half way throught the night and decided to take off their shirts and sport their vests only. They danced around the Bride to the song Macho Man. It was a riot and the guests ate it up.

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

It is time to play "GUESS THE LOCATION". Last night I DJed a company party here in Omaha. This was the view from the room we were dancing in. It was the perfect setting for a holiday party. The snowfall lasted all night and it was just beautiful to watch. By looking at this picture can you guess where this event was held?

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

Ahhh... the traditional removal of the garter. It's always fun when you've got a huge crowd getting into it. The willingness for the crowd to get involved always makes for a great night for the DJ. This photo was taken as the groom was about to remove the garter. I really like the little girl who is walking up to find out excactly what is going on.

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

A nice all inclusive facility is the Millard Plaza Ballroom. I DJ in there quite a bit and for DJ's we can be easily spoiled by the convienent load in. You can see the load in door right behind my DJ table. Could it be any easier??? The ballroom is elegant and has a huge dancing area for the guests. In my book www.weddingreceptionsecretsrevealed.com I talk about the importance of bar placement and the Millard Plaza Ballroom is one of those facilites in which the bar is perfectly located right in the center of the action. Great facility all around for any event.

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

I did a reception at 1316 Jones and the Bride and Groom took over the microphones and sang a duet together. It was so much fun that I actually can't remember the song they were singing. Anyway it was a blast and they were both great singers.

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

The cool thing about the groom cake is that you can have some fun with it. In my 22 years of being a wedding DJ i've seen some very creative stuff. If you looked at the history of this blog you will see that I often post groom cake photos. Here is one that I found to be very cool. A cake in the shape of an acoustic guitar.
Although it's hard to tell in the photo the guitar actually had strings on it.

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

I was DJing a wedding reception at the Durham Western Heritage Museum when suddenly this groomsman came over to my DJ table and asked me if he could use the microphone to sing a song. Not that I ever have a problem handing over the mic to whoever wants to use it but on this particular night the Bride wanted me to keep the mic away from people because she though it might get out of hand. Knowing this guy could snap me in half like a twig I quickly excused myself and ran to the Bride like a scared puppy. Told her this guy wanted to sing and she said sure no problem. Thank Goodness... Actually the guy was a pretty good singer and everyone loved him.

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