Rain Plans, Backup Equipment, and Song Requests: How New Jersey Wedding Vendors Handle the Unexpected

00:00 Welcome to We Love That For You, a wedding podcast with personality, perspective and plenty of heart. We are Chris and Jackie from Lime Line Entertainment, and we’re here to help you plan your best day ever.

00:12 Without the stress. Hey, what’s up everybody? Welcome back to an episode of We Love That For You. Today, we’ve got Joe on the show.

00:20 Joe, welcome. Hello, Joe. Thanks for having me. Of course. Thanks for, sitting in with us today. Yeah. so today’s episode is, we’re going to be talking about wedding Recaps wedding weekend recap.

00:32 Yeah, it’s Monday morning. It’s Monday morning. Ish Monday afternoon-ish and and we had a good along but a good wedding weekend this past weekend and some really fun stories to tell so I wanted to hop in and and chit chat with you guys about stories from the field went on yeah what went on this weekend

00:53 so. So Jack you you and Joe were out together Saturday, right? Yeah, we were up in Sparta. I was not supposed to be on that wedding.

01:04 It was supposed to be a couple other members of our team and we I’ve been holding this date for some reason in the back of my mind.

01:15 I’ve been holding this date open. Had a lot of offers for things to do on this particular Saturday and wanted to keep it open because we I just have a very busy month ahead of and I wanted the date, you know, available.

01:29 Well, turns out I held it open for a, for a reason, the universe wanted me to have that date open because Corey, one of our photographers, unfortunately, had to, couldn’t work.

01:43 He had a death in the family, he had a funeral, he had to attend. Nobody else on our limelight team was available to take that for him so that he could be with his family.

01:56 So I was available and I took it and there was just something in me that was saying I had to be there and I’m so glad that I was there.

02:08 You know, it’s also I also thought to it’s great to know that like I have the availability. So like I take a certain amount of dates a year, the team takes a certain amount of dates a year.

02:23 and it was just nice to know that I had that option, but I’m glad I was there because it was a challenging wedding day.

02:29 I was glad you were there too, because at the moment, we walked up the stair, I did the event and so it was me and my sister and then the photo with Guy, we walked up the stairs and as soon as we opened the doors and see you guys were like, oh good, all of it.

02:41 Really? Yeah, it is a relief. It’s like all of, we just know like, it’s already being coordinated according to how we’re gonna be, like we’re gonna be in touch, we’re gonna know what’s going on Yeah, so like it’s it was a huge relief just like walking up the stairs and seeing you guys communications 

02:55 is is easy Yeah, yeah, it’s just easy. I know I feel the same way awesome. So how was the wedding?

03:01 How did it go? It was challenging It was good. It was really good. Good challenging You know what it’s always good.

03:09 Well, I mean yeah challenge is a challenge Of course not fun in the moment sometimes, but like no, but it is I mean, it’s like it’s it’s yeah I thought it was good challenging in a sense because it I mean it always teaches you something to always Yeah, the challenge is always good because it’s always

03:23 it was like the challenge on your end though Well, so this particular so for for one this particular wedding, you know It was a good 80 90 mile drive So but the drive was probably the easiest part for us And then also this particular venue is is one of those venues that is It’s really all for your outside

03:45 photos. It’s not an indoor photo place very, very, and I mean, very limited. We had two indoor options for groups.

03:57 I mean, when we’re doing individuals, when we’re doing just a couple, it’s easy because you’ve got two people and you can set them up on a stairwell.

04:06 You can set them up here or there. But when you’re having to think about a large wedding party shot, that could be anywhere from 10 to 15, 16 people or more, in one shot, or family formals can be upwards of 10, 12 people in a shot.

04:26 You need that space. You need somewhere to line these people up, or at least have a good corner, and it’s just the ballroom was the only option, and we were just faced with a lot of challenges throughout the day.

04:38 We had beautiful, we had beautiful getter ready spaces, so that worked out in our favor. And we had a ballroom, but the ballroom, and this was all coordinating, so I come in, and I got locked in the elevator, and meet Lisa from the front desk of the members section.

04:57 Lisa shows me a ride to use the elevator, though. I had no idea you guys talking to the elevator. Did you use the elevator, though?

05:02 No, no, no. How did you get your stuff upstairs? They had the service elevator. They had a service elevator? Yeah, yeah, yeah.

05:08 You know, you put, like, it was actually great. You put all of the equipment on it, and then you just hit that button.

05:12 And then you meet the elevator up there, oh, you have to beat it That’s the challenge. That’s the challenge of the day Elevator so no one’s in the downstairs section It’s really just like a lobby and then I looked around there stairs and I looked around there’s an elevator I’m like my stuff’s heavy.

05:28 I’m going up the elevator So this elevators is old little elevator and it’s narrow and it’s got this accordion door So the accordion door shuts and brings me upstairs, but then the door to the elevator has this very weird little handle thingy and I’m thinking it’s a pocket.

05:46 I’m I open the door. I know it’s not a pocket but for some reason in the moment I think it’s a pocket door and I’m trying to get it open and I can’t get it open.

05:54 I’m like I’m stuck in the elevator all day. This is gonna be my day and this lady walked by and I’m like tapping on the glass and her name’s Lisa.

06:02 She’s like hey you know she shows me around. I get to meet the staff. I get to you know walk around and I’m like okay, it’s not a lot of stuff going on here, it’s not a lot of options.

06:12 They’re like here’s an option here and I’m like okay, and here’s an indoor option here like okay, but you know It was nice to me to be able to meet the staff.

06:23 They showed me around they got us all You know welcomed in and you know, we had great getting ready locations We had and then the staff was long story short the staff told us we have till 3.30 in the ballroom before the servers have to come in and start setting up.

06:41 So that was the coordination I was doing behind the scenes. Upon arrival, it was just figuring out who needs to use what spaces when, what spaces are available us till what time and just being there to make sure I could support our lead photographer Shelby who has to make all these decisions.

07:02 So with all these challenges, is, how did you set up the day just to ensure that you’re going to be able to produce all these beautiful photos with a couple?

07:14 Yeah. It’s really just that. It’s like on site decision making constantly. That’s really, honestly, what you’re doing the whole time.

07:25 So it’s like, I’m photographing groom, getting ready in groom details while texting my team and asking them and showing them locations that we have.

07:34 And at first I was like, hey, this groom suite is really cool. We can maybe do some portraits of just the couple here.

07:40 And then I find out that the venue is shutting it down at 3.30 and taking all of the grooms men’s belongings and bringing them to the main building.

07:49 So I was like, never mind. So it’s just a lot of coordination throughout the day. It’s like, the team there at the venue walked me to a couple first look option places or locations.

08:01 and I took pictures and I sent them to Shelby. Shelby talks to the bride, asked the bride, we made a decision on the ballroom.

08:07 I was like, I think the twinkly lights, the mirrors on the wall is gonna add depth, it’s gonna make really pretty photos.

08:14 I think this is our best option and we started there. But then we had to, we had to shift things around.

08:20 We wanted to, we would have loved to just shoot everything in the ballroom if we had that option, but because they needed to set up in that room, We didn’t have that option so at that point in time.

08:33 I was like, let’s get all of the wedding party in here for a full wedding party shot We have a five more minutes till 3 30 and the servers need to come in here and then let’s pick new Locations for the group of bridesmaids the group of groomsmen and things like that So and then we had to pick another

08:51 location for family and it just it all ended up working out But it’s just a lot of decision making on site.

08:57 Yeah, that was I think probably even the first of and why us coordinating was so helpful because that was the first of my challenges when we came into because it was like because of the rain, which is completely unpredictable for any day, of course, it makes everything a challenge, but they had set up

09:12 the the ballroom for the ceremony. So we are kind of having in the, you know, so the venue’s going like, can you move this a little bit this way because we’re going to put up a divider here like these all these things and it’s like, like, okay, that’s no problem, because we could always come back during

09:23 cocktail hour and switch things around and stuff. So it’s not a problem, but we had the photo booth and our photo with Guy Criss comes up to me and he’s like, Jackie said we can’t set up yet because we have to use this face for our photos.

09:34 And I was like, if that’s what she wants to do, she knows what she’s doing. I’m like, there’s no way that I was like, this little back room, that’s what she’s doing, but I’m like, there’s a reason.

09:43 I don’t know the reason, but there’s a reason. So trust it and I’m like, just help me out here. We’ll go, I’ll go help you out later.

09:49 You know, like so like we just fine. It’s not gonna go according to plan, but it’s that’s the plan Oh, he’s has to be that nothing is gonna go according to plan Yeah, like to some time you have to pivot You know just to ensure that things go smoothly yeah, but and again I would say not to like stress

10:08 on this but like if it was some other You know company that I just heard like they’re using this space.

10:14 I’d be like all right I’m gonna go talk to them. Just see what’s up like But because he was like, you know, I was like, whatever, let her do her thing.

10:21 I don’t really like, and we’re all with it. But I mean, yes, either even still, if it was another team, I would have talked to them and just asked the question.

10:28 And I still would have rolled with it, but. Rolling with the punches is honestly the best way. But like I was telling Chris yesterday, I was like, yeah, you know, we had nowhere.

10:38 But I told you today, I was looking at a lobby room when I was getting the earlier tour of the spaces.

10:44 I looked at a lobby room that at this point in time for family and Bridesmaid’s groomsman photos was locked and shut down.

10:52 It was like the members section of this country club. Locked lights off, shut down and I was like, okay that’s not an option anymore.

11:00 So and like I said, there’s just not a lot of spaces. It’s like a hallway to the bathrooms and there’s some pretty decor in that room.

11:08 But it’s It’s not meaningful for family at all whatsoever and doesn’t make any sense for bridesmaids, groomsman photos, but I had just gotten done too.

11:21 I was like picking up Cox, so me and Shelby picked that location where Chris was supposed to set up the photo booth and there were cocktail tables.

11:28 So I’m like picking them up and moving them. I picked up like six or seven cocktail tables, moved them off to the side and I’m like cleared it all up for her and I guess Chris too And Chris comes walking in and I can tell he’s holding like the photo booth and I’m like what are you doing?

11:43 He’s like setting up the photo booth. I go where are you setting it up? And he points right to the corner that I just cleared all the tables out of yeah And I was like I need this space for like 20 minutes and then I promise you and I did not hold this promise I was like but I promise you it’ll be a 

12:01 whole hands-on deck. We’ll help you set up this photo booth I’m sure you were busy with more important things, right?

12:09 We were photographing and I normally like to end about 40 minutes before the ceremony starts. So everyone has time to set up for the ceremony.

12:17 The couple has time to refresh, hair and makeup, all that. But we were photographing up until like five, 10 because the sun came out and like we had locations in mind and family, formals went smoothly, but when it’s a rainy day, you get backed up a little bit.

12:37 That’s why I build the timelines with extra time in them, but on a rainy day, you lose time here and there, for sure.

12:44 The things slow you down, and you’re just, it’s not as easy as running and going all with all natural light.

12:51 You’re taking, you’re setting up lights, and plus because the sun came out, you wanted to take advantage of that opportunity to take some outdoor photos.

12:59 Yeah, we didn’t get outside, though, until after the ceremony. Okay. The ceremony came first, the ceremony came first, but you know, and we did, we got through everything, and then we took some photos up, and they had this really pretty upstairs, getting ready location with all the, like I said, with

13:18 just the couple, it’s easy to put them in places. So they had a really pretty stairway with like a chandelier, we photographed them, And then they had a window.

13:27 It over looked like the lake and the mountains and we took photos there But then we you know the sun came out.

13:34 We wanted to get them outside and We’re sure they appreciated that right? Yeah, that was their one thing I mean that is why you book this venue is for the outdoor portraits Yeah, on a lake on the mountains So we were really pushing for them to like even give us five or ten minutes outside and and the

13:54 bride was a little worried about her dress and getting it wet but you know we just kept gently I even had to do this last weekend.

14:03 Prior previous me but I was just gently reminding I’m like gently pushing because and that’s what I’ll do like I’ll gently push because I don’t want you to turn around in a year from now and be like why didn’t we go outside yeah why am I looking through my wedding album and I have no portraits with this

14:20 beautiful lake as my background and I don’t want you to I regret that, so I’m gonna gently push you and you can gently tell me no, or firmly tell me no, but I’m gonna gently push you because I just don’t want you to regret it.

14:33 I don’t remember what it was the last time I did that and they were like, thank you, and I was like, no problem.

14:39 I always have to put myself in that mindset a little bit of like, you know, because like when we go there to DJ, I’m like, I’m just thinking about how am I gonna get these children to dance for the most amount of time possible?

14:46 Yeah, of course. I always have to think about the other vendors and think about like the other, I mean, even just our photo booth too.

14:51 I’m like, I know people wanna do that. And I think the one I go drink and I know people want it like they got a wonder they got it have to So it’s like just to at least put myself in that mindset of like of being a guest at the party Or being in the mindset of the bride and groom Especially is like what

15:06 did they really want to get out of today? And so that’s one of the things. It’s like if you booked this beautiful venue like, you know I know the rain was a challenge But like if they have that opportunity then yeah, look and go outside and yeah get that Yeah, we had a bright bright made advocating for

15:19 us. She was like here you know, you’re not gonna look at this dress again. I mean, maybe you will, but you’re gonna get it cleaned.

15:27 You’re gonna get it cleaned. But you were gonna look at your wedding photos forever. And if it wasn’t for her friend also pushing, I don’t know if they’d gone out.

15:38 But. It makes total sense though, right? Like, all right, yeah, the dress is gonna get wet a little bit. And they’re walking outside on a rainy day.

15:46 I, yeah. You’re gonna get the photos that you’ve been thinking about For months, you know, I would have been like her too though because you said it to me on Saturday I was like, oh yeah, but it is going like right and you were like yeah, but it doesn’t matter like you’re just you know It’s the one time

16:01 to get it. I’m like yeah, we’re gonna walk and we’re gonna fluff you down It might get wet but we’re gonna carry it.

16:06 Yeah, it’s not gonna drag right we’re gonna walk in We’re gonna fluff you down and might get wet. It will dry.

16:11 I promise you you and you get it cleaned It will come clean. Yeah, yeah, yeah, but I didn’t even think of this and I saw it happen later on she’s bustled But I watch two different people step on her train step on her dress I see it happen all the time at receptions because the they usually switch to 

16:30 flats Well when a bride gets her dress altered she gets it altered and measured and all the things with her heels on Yeah, but when she gets to her reception those heels come off and her flats go on and now she’s got two inches or an inch drag at least an inch, dragging on the floor and people step on

16:50 the back of the dress all night long. I’ve seen some brides get so frustrated because they just keep getting stepped on and I watched it happen too.

16:59 And at the end of the day your photos are gonna last you forever. Your dress will last you forever but you’re not gonna do much with it afterwards.

17:08 You’re really not. Yeah. Yeah you’re photos. We pulled them outside and one of their particular locations was the bridge and we did some with the lake in the background the sun was just hitting the trees it was super pretty glistening photos lake behind them all this and then we’re like let’s go to the

17:32 bridge it’s on there it’s on there like it’s the one request that they had let’s go let’s go to the bridge and we’re at the bridge and me and Shelby are like all in it yeah yeah my phone’s going and My phone’s going and then I looked out at his joke because we had them.

17:47 The only opportunity to take them was when they started moving guests into the ballroom. That’s when we took them. So that was Joe’s cue to let me know that he’s ready for introductions.

17:57 Yeah, and then you have to go over there. We’ve got to wrap this one up and she, we wrapped it up, we headed back and it all worked out.

18:07 I have a new, oh god. So they got their photos and they got to their reception introductions on time. Perfect.

18:13 Oh yeah, yeah. I have a new perspective on Jackie’s work flow though, work ethic now. Yeah. I have done it during that gig.

18:23 I just never noticed this before. I don’t know if other people do that. Maybe it’s standard. I have no idea.

18:28 But Jackie had her laptop set up like, I’m like this ledge next to me. And she kept like running back and forth and like doing something.

18:35 And I’m like, this is a one point. I’m like, what are you doing? What are you doing? I’m And she’s like, yeah, I’m not going to leave that up to chance like for tonight.

18:42 I’m like, good for you, man. That’s great. I’m like, I don’t want to do it. I want to clock in the morning because that’s my estimated time of arrival at home tonight.

18:50 And I want to get home, unload, and get to bed. Yeah. Yeah. No, I mean, I thought that was great.

18:56 I don’t want to do it tomorrow. So I just did it. I mean, we talk about backup all the time, right?

19:01 Yeah. Like backup equipment. And, you know, backing up the photos. I mean, that’s got to be super, super important, right?

19:06 Yeah, I just wanted it. I wanted it backed up. I didn’t want to wait until I didn’t want to wait till the next day and I didn’t want to wait till Monday.

19:13 Yeah Today, so yeah, and you don’t want to rely on on those just living on an SD card inside of a camera, you know Yeah, I mean don’t get me wrong, you know When it’s my wedding if I have my laptop that I my laptop always comes with sure if it’s my wedding I’m uploading them right then in there.

19:31 Yeah, I have OCD too. Yeah Yeah, yeah, well, it’s one of those intrusive thoughts, like, what happened? Oh, I don’t know.

19:40 It’s built off, I mean, yeah. Doing what’s important. Yeah, like if I could get it on Dropbox that evening, I’d try to release the lead photographers photos if I could get those on Dropbox that evening, I’d like to, because, you know, again, those intrusive thoughts and, like, at least in the cloud.

19:55 Yeah. So, but it was a good day. fun story. When I got to the venue I start getting all my stuff together again.

20:05 My stuff ready and Eric our assistant got pulled over on the way so we all aim to get there 30 to 40 minutes early and thankfully Eric’s getting pulled over and he’s still made it on time and then I’m putting all my stuff together and I’m looking for a camera battery bag and I’m like where are my camera

20:25 batteries and I can’t find them anywhere. I cannot find them anywhere. I’m like, they are not here. I don’t remember dropping my bag.

20:34 I sent Eric back to my car. I’m texting Chris and I’m like, can you check here? Can you check here?

20:39 I just want at this point, I just want to know that they’re somewhere. But at the same time, I always have my two cameras always have the batteries in them.

20:53 I’m not the kind of person who takes the batteries out at the end of a wedding day and leaves the cameras with no battery in them.

20:59 So thank God my one camera has a battery grip had two batteries and my other camera had one battery. So I have three batteries and I always travel with a battery charger always.

21:11 So I started literally a rotation right by where Joe’s station was set up and I started a rotation. I just had one on that charger at any given time with the other one in my pouch and then any time I’d have a dead one it’d go and I’d switch it in my pouch and then I’d put it on the charger and it rotated

21:29 enough that I didn’t even need an Eric. Eric, my assistant was a he’s a Canon shooter so he had extra batteries on him too.

21:37 I was like, Eric, do you have batteries on you? And he’s like, I do. I was like, okay, good. Can I have one?

21:43 But I didn’t even use his. I didn’t even need it. And I, and I just had, so thank, I think the wedding gods that I carry a camera battery charger, and then I always have two cameras, and they always have batteries in them.

22:02 This is the first time this has ever happened in my entire career. I’ve never gotten to a wedding, not going wood.

22:07 I was going to say, I mean, I think it’s good that you’re bringing it. I wasn’t even going to say it because, you know, whatever, but like, you handled it so well.

22:14 These things happen. I’m sure. Just yes, but you had that you had the backup, you know, the rechargeable ones and you just got to figure it out It’s just one of those things, man like you know There’s just nothing that we could like if I there was a long time when I was going out to gigs on my own Yeah

22:30 , like on my own. Yeah for a long time and what a nightmare that is just For little things like that.

22:37 Yeah, like it’s just There was a part of me that was just like I could do this It’s it’s you know, I don’t need anybody whatever, but even if the person you’re with does nothing for 90% of the time It’s worth it to pay them.

22:49 Oh, absolutely. It’s worth it just to have that for that security. And so it’s just like Yeah, it’s it’s you lead into something that Even when I started so my first wedding season ever 2015 even if I was going out by myself.

23:04 I had an assistant with me. Yeah, I’ve never ever skimped on having an assistant with me it’s just important because it’s just it’s just your plan B it’s your backup plan if you need something so in this situation Eric he just started with us but he’s a strong strong photographer he just needs to learn

23:28 the limelight way I would have been like Eric photograph the groom I got to get to the nearest camera store or Walmart or Target or some Homeware, but thank God he shoots Canon also and he carries extra batteries and because if I was on with just only Sony shooters, I’d be like, guys, I got to figure

23:50 something else out. But this, this, that would never happen anyway because I always, everything happens for reason. I always carry a camera battery charger and I always leave my batteries in everything like I leave the batteries in the flashes, I leave the batteries in the cameras.

24:06 So like if somebody were to hit me up and be like hey emergency, I need you I can literally run out there with some chargers and start shooting right away But I don’t need to be like hey give me 30 minutes to charge everything.

24:19 Yeah, yeah, I can pick my camera up and go Yeah, so yeah, it was it everything worked out. It worked out as I felt at the end of the night Were there any other challenges just like throughout the night that you know during the actual reception or anything during the reception I mean, they at first wanted

24:35 to do photos with every table and then we talked to them into like a photo dash, yeah. I just think that the photo dash makes the most sense.

24:43 When you are talking about stopped staged photos at every table where the photo dash is maybe two songs long, you know, maybe six, seven minutes to get the whole room.

24:54 If you stop and pose everybody at each table, you can definitely add another 15 to 20 minutes on there. and then that’s part of their.

25:03 My thinking is like, here’s my thoughts on anything that a couple asks me is my thoughts are I’m here to work.

25:12 I’m not here to have an easy day. So I’m here to work. If you want me to photograph through cocktail hour, if you want me to photograph at you at every single table, I don’t care because that’s what I’m here for.

25:25 Yeah, right. I want you to enjoy your wedding day though. At the end of the day, do you want to spend 25, 30 minutes of cocktail or taking extended family photos?

25:35 Do you want to spend 25, 30 minutes of your reception taking table photos? How does that make you feel? And if you want to do it, I’m there.

25:47 I’ll be your cheerleader. I will be like, yes, we will do it, and I will do it. But I want you to enjoy what you what you planned, what you paid for your guests, like I want you to enjoy everyone, everyone and everything.

25:59 So if it’s gonna, that’s gonna add to your enjoyment, let’s do it. If it’s not gonna add to your enjoyment, let’s find an alternative.

26:07 Let’s find a different way to do this. That’s a great, great point, because again, from our perspective, it’s like how can I keep you guys dancing for as long as possible?

26:13 But I’ve had the conversation before, like there’s, it’s like a cultural thing where sometimes people wanna have time to go up and to go up to every table and talk to each individual family or talk to each, you know, and they need a period of time for that.

26:27 And I remember asking one of the other event hosts that we have, I was like, you know, I don’t want to talk them out of that because it’s a cultural thing and they seem like they want to do it.

26:35 But how do I communicate that like I like I also think it might take too much time for what, you know, he was like just just say from your perspective that like your your prime motivation is to keep them dancing for as long as possible and but but again just be honest with them and say like if this is

26:49 what you guys need to do fine, but I just want you to know my suggestion would be, how can we, you know, make you allow the most people to have the most amount of fun for as long as possible.

26:59 So. But again, like you said, I’m here to work. I’m here to do exactly what the brand is going to do on it too.

27:04 I have no ego in this. It’s just like that. Exactly. That’s just, would be my suggestion, but, you know, you want to make sure that they’re enjoying themselves.

27:11 You want to make sure that guests are enjoying themselves. Right. And that’s how they’re going to enjoy themselves. Great. I have no problem.

27:14 Yeah. But as long as you’re there to inform them that, hey, if we do X, then why is going to happen most likely?

27:23 Which a lot of times, I mean, that’s the case, even yesterday, which is a different wedding than what we’re talking about.

27:27 But like, there was another, I had it on my thing that they wanted to do a photo dash. Photographers didn’t have that, so I just had to coordinate.

27:34 And so, okay, I know. That’s simple, though. Yeah, it was fine. I went into the ride and I’m like, do you still want to do this, you know, but just trying to say, like, well, we’re kind of at the tail end of dinner already.

27:44 Do you want to do that? It might take a little bit of time. And then she was like, oh, no, don’t worry about it.

27:48 So it was just a matter of communicating the, like, some level of suggestion of, like, I think we, if we just dance for the rest of the night, you guys are going to have a great time.

27:55 And she was super happy. So that’s good. I think what I find on my final calls, and I don’t know if you guys find this, I feel like sometimes they, because we are one team, they think that the questions that I’m asking them also pertain to the entertainment aspect or the music aspect and like they might

28:14 remember telling you photo dash but they didn’t tell me photo dash but then sometimes they’ll tell me about some kind of music event that’s happening I’ll be like okay just make sure you let your DJ know your event host no on your final phone call with them because I don’t I keep separate notes then 

28:34 you guys keep like I’m not going to keep notes about cake cutting songs. I just need to know what time you’re cutting that.

28:40 That’s right. But so I don’t know if you guys find that they kind of sometimes get their details mixed up between the two of us.

28:48 A little bit, I get, I mean, I don’t know if you can speak on it, but a little bit. I think sometimes when they hire a limelight as a team, there’s sort of that idea of like just that it’s one phone call, might be the whole thing.

28:58 Yeah. I think so. I always try to make, you know, I know they have a phone call with you. Yeah.

29:02 I always just try to make that call. Yeah. I just want to focus on the photo details but I do let them know when they do mention an entertainment detail I say let make sure that you include that information in your final call with your event host.

29:16 Yeah I’ve never I’ve never felt that way I’ve always felt that like when when I’m on the call it’s really entertainment yeah it’s it’s all entertainment and then they know that they’re having a photo video call with you and then we I just ensure them that you know we’re going to make sure that everything

29:33 aligns after our call this way the day runs smoothly for you and that’s kind of yeah you know how I how I move forward with that yeah I also works out really well yeah I also think it’s like heavy communication on the wedding day yeah oh yeah we’re we’re we’re heavy communicators on wedding day anyway

29:51 you have to be so if you know you have photo dash on your list and I don’t, you’re gonna tell me about it anyway.

29:59 Yeah, yeah, yeah. So anything about anything you wanna go over about yesterday’s wedding or like any fun facts? Yeah, no, it was funny just thinking, it was like reflecting on the weekend because like the wedding that we did on Saturday, the bride had sent me, and this is great, like I’m not, I have 

30:19 no, but it’s like, she sent me easily 50 songs probably to play, you know, I’m one thing, and in our phone call, she was like, I like EDM, I like Skrillex, I like, you know, Zed, whatever, it was a bunch of, you know, names that gave me Tiesto, stuff like that.

30:36 And I was super excited to play it, and I was getting ready to play at Daft Punk too, which I always loved to play.

30:42 And you know, showing up on like, you know what, I don’t think it’s gonna work, not for this room, not for this, trying to guess they’re kind of, I just mean older people, that’s And so I tried it for a little bit and just didn’t feel like it was vibing, so I stopped and I don’t think care, even when

31:00 people send, I want this and I want that, I do think unless communicated otherwise, which I really try to parse out with people, but I think they want just people to have a good time.

31:10 So I think they’re happy with you to some degree. But anyway, that was Saturday. They want you to read the room.

31:16 Which you did. You’re like, I’m reading the room right now and I’m not really feeling like this is going I used to be a lot more nervous about that.

31:22 I used to be like, okay, they asked for this. I have to play this. And of course, like, I want to make sure that, Wiggle it in.

31:29 Yeah. But yeah, I understand now that I think both people want you to read the room. But anyway, then yesterday, the bride and the groom, they were like, they must have sent me two songs on the room.

31:40 Yeah. And I was like, is there any, And I texted them a couple days ago, too. I’m like, just, you know, if there’s anything else you want to hear, let me know.

31:47 But they were like, no, read the room, have fun. And, you know, they’d say like 90s to now, like that was the super general.

31:55 And it was so much fun. I ended up playing a lot of hip-hop, I played some dance hall. Some EDM they wanted, but it didn’t really work.

32:03 So I like, yeah, this is yesterday. So like whatever, again, it was just reading the room which was just happening.

32:07 And then the bride at the end of the night, she was like, I know I didn’t give you anything, but you killed it, like what did I?

32:12 It’s like, that’s the best. I was like, it’s kind of nice that you did, Like because then it gives me more leeway.

32:18 It’s just my personal preference. I’m just like okay. I’m just gonna Your hands aren’t tied right exactly you see the guests reacting to something you can stick with yeah Yeah, yeah, and you know half you don’t have a list.

32:29 You’ve got to check off. Yeah Right even so sad I just fun sometimes, but it is yeah, I do love that freedom sometimes Yeah, you know where the I’m always good with requests lists Yeah, because it allows me to understand like where they want to be where they don’t want to be musically but sometimes I

32:45 like having the freedom of, you know, no request list. And then the couple’s just like, hey, Chris, we trust you, you know, do your thing, read the room, have fun with it.

32:54 You know, we like, we like these genres, and we think that these decades would work perfect. Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.

33:00 That is all I need, you know, because then I have the freedom to just kind of like, do my thing, read the room, and just have fun with it.

33:09 And I feel like a bounce around a lot more like in situations like that. Yeah, bounce around from decade to decade genre to genre and it makes it kind of fun and interesting because you’re not necessarily like stuck in the 2000s for too long or you’re not stuck in the 2000s.

33:27 You know, you’re not stuck in hip hop for too long. Yeah, you can stay surprising people. Yeah, exactly. That’s so much fun.

33:32 Yeah, I like the dance floor. Yeah, yeah. Yeah, I like when the genres are all mixed up. Yeah, like when you bounce around genre to genre.

33:40 I think that’s really fun. I think it’s fun when you could go from like an 80s song to like a 2000s song, to like, you know, another classic single.

33:48 Yeah, especially finding ways to make that work, like finding the similarities in the songs that that makes it more cohesive like that.

33:54 That’s that’s the challenge for me in my mind is turning, you know, turning something that’s almost too freeing of a thing, like if you have too much like room to wiggle with that and finding ways that they like kind of, you know, something sounds like an 80’s song, but it’s really two thousand.

34:09 Yeah, yeah. That makes it exciting for you. That’s really, really fun. Yeah. Yeah. I like that. That’s cool. Yeah. And Saturday’s wedding.

34:16 They had fun though. You know, like you were, you had them dancing and you were playing really fun songs. I even liked your dinner music.

34:23 I told you that. What was it? Cheryl Crow soaked up the sun into the Beatles Oblady. Yes. I was like, uh-huh.

34:32 This is fun. Really? Yeah, well kind of they what they gave me like artist names and it was well Well, those were very fun dinner songs like I like dinner music that keeps you Bopping I think that that is important because it flows you into your next sunset after dinner It’s it’s sometimes I get it like

34:51 also sometimes you want it really chill and calm I do I do but yes my preference if I can If I see people singing at their chairs during it.

34:59 Yeah, they’re just staying ready like like yeah, bop in their seats. Yeah, not enough to get out. So when they see Beatles, I’m like, okay, I’m playing Oblado Beatles, I’m playing it, you know what I mean?

35:10 It’s like that population. The bride was dancing during that point. I feel like I saw her with her niece like dancing around.

35:17 So I thought that was really, it’d be like you got to keep people moving. I get it if you like the Sinatra style, but it’s all you.

35:27 It’s why we personal. That’s why we personalize every event, but I like a fun dinner, like dinner music. Yeah. I think we did the same thing.

35:37 Yeah, definitely. I have like, clean on our dinner set. Yeah. 100%. I remember, queen came on and I got up because I wanted to sing and our food had just come down and Chris grabbed me by the back of my dress and he sat me down.

35:53 He’s like, sit down and eat. Yeah, you are not going to eat for the rest of the evening sit down and eat I just want to dance.

36:00 I just want to sing Read a plenty of dancing, but it was I saw those many recently. Yeah, the only time that we got a chance to eat until McDonald’s that night.

36:11 Yes. Oh God. We’re not another talk about that one. Yeah That could be another podcast that Chris only had his dress shoes, so he had to walk across the street and nose with no shoes on Or did you wear your dress shoes?

36:25 I don’t. You must have worn your dress shoes because most restaurants are no shoes, no service. So, that you were like his sweatpants and dress shoes over to McDonald’s, we got this on McDonald’s at the end of our wedding evening.

36:38 That’s it. I’m blue. Cool, well, that was just a great little recap here. I think that it’s important to highlight the behind the scenes coordination and communication that’s so important for a wedding day to be successful.

36:54 Yeah, definitely. Even though we were faced with challenge after challenge after challenge, that day, that day was still so successful.

37:02 We got amazing photos. They had a great party and it all worked out. And then I got home and I found all of my camera batteries.

37:12 Hey, there you go. I knew exactly where they were the whole time too. Good. Anyway, hope you guys enjoyed our little wedding recap.

37:22 And yes, stay tuned for more more fun stories like this, more behind-the-scenes vendor information. If you have questions about planning a wedding, if you have anything for us, please feel free to email me at Jackie at LimelightEntertainmentNJ.com and wherever you are and whatever you are planning, we

37:43 love that for you. Thank you so much for hanging out with us today. If this episode was helpful make sure you follow or subscribe so you don’t miss what’s coming next We love hearing from you So if you have a question a planning struggle or an episode idea email me at Jackie at limelight entertainment

37:59 NJ dot com. There’s a really good chance for question becomes a future episode And if you’re planning a new Jersey wedding and want vendors who truly care you can find us at limelightwetting.com And remember wherever you’re planning and whatever you’re dreaming.

38:14 We love that for you You