BLOGS 5 Wedding Favors to Wow Your Guests

October 10, 2022

Though not necessary, wedding favors are always a great addition to any wedding celebration. They’re a sweet gesture that shows gratitude and appreciation for your guests — so, if you can, why not reward them?

You don’t need to go above and beyond, either. If your budget allows for it, consider these 5 wedding favors that will wow your guests and leave them talking for years to come.

Chocolate Bars Make Wonderful Wedding Favors!

If you’re looking for unique wedding favors, try chocolate bars! They’re easy to order online and come in a variety of different styles and flavors. On top of that, they’re universally loved, and you can choose from an array of different styles and flavors to match your theme.

Another great idea to round out your chocolate bar endeavors is to personalize them! There are plenty of vendors online that can make your confectionery vision come true. Consider adding your wedding date over a sophisticated background to make for a memorable visual. Moreover, you have the choice of either dark chocolate or milk chocolate. Either way, everybody wins!

Bottle Openers

Bottle openers are another great choice for wedding favors. They can be used for opening wine bottles, liquor bottles, and pretty much any bottled beverage without a cap. There are many different styles of bottle openers available including ones that look like keys, guitars, and even the Millennium Falcon from “Star Wars!”

With bottle openers, you have an infinite number of possibilities when it comes to customization, as they come in different shapes, sizes, materials and colors and can be used again and again. Give your guest bottle openers as wedding favors and they’ll be thinking of you every time they go to crack open a bottle — creating lasting memories to come!

Personalized Wine Label

This one’s for all our wine lovers out there!

Personalized wine labels are a sophisticated way to show your guests that you have put thought into the gift they are taking home. They can also be a perfect option if you’re on a budget and don’t have much money to spend on favors. In fact, if your budget is tight, focus on the quality of the wine label rather than the wine itself.

There are many ways that you can personalize these little treasures, including:

Your name(s) and date of wedding
Names of the bride and groom
A fun quote or wordplay (for example, “Wine is constant proof that God loves us, and loves to see us happy” — Benjamin Franklin)

Leather Luggage Tags

Do you have any travelers amongst your friends and family? Leather luggage tags should be on top of your wedding favors list then! Luggage tags are a fun way to add some whimsy to your guests’ gifts. They come in many styles and can be customized with any font, so you can find one that matches the rest of your decor/crowd aesthetic.

Colored Pencils

Colored pencils are simple yet effective wedding favors to give your guests of all ages. They’re small and portable, making them easy to pack around. You can give them away as a gift or use them as party favors by putting them in decorative boxes with ribbons around the lids or spines of the containers, which makes for an even more elegant presentation.

If you want to get really fancy (and if your budget permits), you can even personalize your colored pencils further by printing out names on stickers and attaching them to each individual pencil (this would work best if you have kids at your wedding). This way when people take their gifts home from your reception they’ll know exactly who gave it to them!

Colored pencils are also useful for creating art projects such as pictures or drawings using different shades of color, so there’s no shortage of ways these fun little items can be used around the house!

The Everlasting Productions Promise

While we don’t offer wedding favors, Everlasting Productions is committed to creating… well, everlasting memories for your wedding! With a number of services — from DJing to photography to video production — Everlasting Productions provides you with an experience that you’ll surely never forget for your big day.

To learn more about our services and what we do, please visit our website and contact us today!

BLOGS Pros and Cons to Hiring a Full-Service Wedding Event Company

September 12, 2022

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If you’re planning a large and extravagant wedding, chances are you’re probably looking into hiring a DJ, Photographer, and other vendors. Of course, you’ll want to provide your guests with an unforgettable experience — and what better way to do so with a full-service wedding event company?

Though you may get services such as a DJ, a photo booth, and photography, you should still be wary of your choices. Here are the pros and cons to hiring a full-service wedding event company rather than multiple individual vendors.

Pro: A Full-Service Wedding Event Company Can Save You Money

Hiring a full-service wedding event company has several advantages — one being that it can save you money. These companies are cost-efficient in the fact that, instead of outsourcing work to each individual vendor (including photographers, DJs, and caterers), a full-service company provides all of these services for one flat price.

If you opt for individual vendors, those prices will quickly rack up by the end of your wedding expenditures. Plus, aside from its cost, managing individual vendors can be quite the headache — especially when there’s so much to worry about for your big day.

Pro: It Can Save You Time

On top of the headache it provides, hiring individual vendors can also be a huge time waster. To break it down, consider the amount of time doing your due diligence will take. From research to contact to trial period to payment, doing so for each vendor could swallow up a huge chunk of planning time. Add that with around 3 to 4 vendors and you’re looking at hours upon hours of wasted time.

With a full-service wedding event company, all of these spectacular wedding services are housed under one umbrella. In turn, you won’t be spending as much time researching, contacting, and offering trial runs to one person each.

Con: You Can Potentially Sacrifice Quality

As is with most services, with the pros come the cons. With a full-service wedding event company, you do run the risk of sacrificing quality when it comes to each service provider. For example, you may love a company’s photographer and the work they do, but their photobooth may be faulty and can potentially spoil part of your wedding.

Consider having a phenomenal DJ as part of the package, but the photographer’s work is not up-to-par. Generally, you get what you pay for, so if you choose to go with a less expensive full-service wedding company, keep in mind that some of the vendors could possibly not meet your standards and expectations.

In hiring individual vendors, you have full autonomy to choose providers that are up to your standards — with the trade-off being your time expended.

Con: A Full-Service Wedding Event Company May Not Be Flexible

When hiring a full-service wedding event company, another con you have to be aware of is lack of flexibility. Consider this situation: your wedding runs longer than usual and you need a DJ to keep playing music and keep the energy up. What happens if the DJ can’t stay late?

No matter how much money you offer, it still may not sway them into sticking around for the rest of the night. And what happens if the photographer has to leave at a certain time? Where will those precious late-night memories of your wedding go?

These are just some of the circumstances to consider when hiring a full-service wedding event company. You never know how your wedding will pan out, so having that flexibility is key for your vendors!

Hiring Everlasting Productions for Your Wedding

At Everlasting Productions, we are committed to make your wedding a day to remember. With our impeccable DJ service, photo booth, video production, and more, our experts are dedicated to creating an unforgettable wedding experience for you and your guests.

To learn more about our services and rates, please visit our website and call us at 516-307-0874 today!

BLOGS Tips for Choosing a Wedding Photographer

August 8, 2022

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Planning for a wedding is no easy task, especially when you have so many moving parts to take account for. Whether it’s remembering to invite everyone you know or coordinating with an event planner, wedding planning can certainly be difficult. Luckily, choosing a wedding photographer doesn’t have to be.

In this blog, we’ll take a look at some of the tips and tricks you can utilize to score the best wedding photographer possible. Here’s how!

Check Their Portfolio

Before choosing a wedding photographer, the first thing you’ll want to do is check out a prospective hire’s portfolio. Here, you should take into account what exactly you want out of a wedding photographer.

Analyze their photo style. Take a look at elements such as angling, lighting, staging. Other elements to be aware of include form, shape, size, color, line, depth, and texture. Understanding these elements and how they can really make your wedding photos pop and stand out can be really useful.

You’ll also want to ask yourself: what kind of lighting are they using? Do the photos look professionally taken? Are they using high-quality cameras? It’s also good practice to check their background for reviews that highlight a potential hire’s strengths and weaknesses.

Understanding Your Wedding’s Needs

Are you planning on having a huge wedding or a small one? Does it call for an elaborate photo and stage setup, or are you opting for something simple? Being honest with your wedding needs will help you in choosing a wedding photographer. In fact, depending on the size of your wedding, you may even need a full team of photographers.

Also, your guests should be in mind when choosing a wedding photographer. As they may want to see the pictures and receive Thank You’s afterward, ask yourself how you would like your photos delivered. Would you prefer physical or digital copies? Glossy images or matte? Would you like them framed? And since we live in the social media age — what are the best means of delivering these photos to your guests online? Consider turnaround time as well!

It is also important to make sure you and your photographer are on the same page about time. Having your photographer leave hours before the end of the wedding is a situation absolutely no one wants to be in. Make sure you are in constant communication with your photographer to make sure they’ll be able to stay for the majority of the event. Leaving an hour before the end is generally acceptable.

Offer a Trial Run Before Choosing a Wedding Photographer

When choosing a wedding photographer, you’ll want to weigh your options. One way you can go about such is by offering a trial run.

Once you settle on a photographer that may fulfill your needs, use this time to offer a trial run. A good time for a trial run would be your engagement photos — as you can test out a photographer’s (or studio’s) capabilities, see what services they offer, and how their customer service is.

Don’t Focus on Price

Lastly, don’t focus on price when choosing a wedding photographer. It may seem like an obvious choice to actually focus on price, but good quality photography and service is subjective and cannot be labeled.

If you want to shell out money for a huge photo studio, you still run the risk of receiving phoned-in photographs and/or shoddy service. Furthermore, a cheaper photographer may not be up to par when it comes to your standards — be it through their equipment, experience, or even customer service.

Let quality be the deciding factor in your wedding photography endeavors!

Everlasting Productions’ Commitment to a Successful Wedding

A successful wedding is a combination of many factors — and we here at Everlasting Productions want to help you bring your dream ceremony to life! With our experienced DJs and unparalleled service, Everlasting Productions brings the sound and makes sure that your wedding is a night you’ll never forget!

To learn more about Everlasting Productions and how we can make your wedding special, please visit our website and book us today!

BLOGS How a DJ Signifies the End of an Event

July 25, 2022

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Some events can feel like they last a lifetime that leave many wondering, “Is it over yet?” As an event planner, it’s important to hire a DJ that not only knows how to read the room, but also knows how to wrap an event up naturally. Here’s how a DJ can signify the end of an event.

Reading the Room

It’s easier said than done, but a good DJ can signify the end of an event just by reading the room. For example, if you’re DJ’ing at a club, take note of the partiers in the room and examine their behavior. Are they high energy or are they starting to gas out? Do you notice if people are showing signs of tiredness (heavy breathing, slower movements, etc.)? Are people slowly dispersing from the dance floor?

Whichever the case may be, you’ll want to control the room’s dynamics and leave a good lasting impression before the energy fizzles out.

Verbally Communicating with Clients

When signaling the end of an event, you’ll have to take a number of different factors into account. Consider this situation: your time on stage is running out and the crowd is tiring out. How can you wrap the event up? Well, you have a couple of options here.

One of the most straightforward ways to do so: verbally communicate with your clients! As you start playing your concluding songs, give the crowd a heads up with ample time (and thank them!) that the event is coming to a close. Think along the lines of: “We’re going to be wrapping in 10 minutes, we want to thank you all for coming out and making tonight one to remember!” This will give them time to begin exiting the dance floor and gathering their belongings.

Furthermore, when talking to the guests, you can weave in a message to the event gatherers, which will guarantee a pop from the crowd. Think: “Let’s give it up for the bride and groom one more time!” or “Let’s wish him Happy Birthday once more!”

Selecting a Final Song

While it may seem like a pressing issue, selecting a final song to end an event isn’t necessarily the be-all, end-all when signaling the end of an event. Despite such, it is a concept to be aware of depending on your type of gig. Consider this: you’re DJing at a 2000s hip-hop night. After running through a selection of high-energy songs, you’ll eventually want to segue into something at a slower tempo.

Lowering the tempo, however, isn’t necessarily indicative of an event’s end; rather, it’s a prelude of. Once that lull in energy is created, you can rope listeners and guests in one last time with a track they’ve been waiting to hear all night. So if we’re doing 2000s hip-hop night, you might opt for OutKast’s “Ms. Jackson” or Eminem’s “Lose Yourself” — songs that are easily identifiable by the masses. This will ensure one last burst of energy and leave a lasting memory of the event.

Tips to Signal the End of an Event

On top of verbally communicating and selecting an appropriate final song, you can begin slowly fading the music out by lowering the volume as time goes on. Eventually, that will dissipate the energy in the room and alert the audience the event is wrapping up.

And depending on the venue, once the final song of the night has been played, you can play some really low background music while everyone gathers their belongings. This is another chance to play something recognizable — like the “Friends” theme song.

Everlasting Productions’ Commitment to Excellence

At Everlasting Productions, every one of our team members brings many years of experience from under their belt. From weddings to birthday parties to school dances, we here at Everlasting Productions have done it all and have created everlasting memories for all — and we can do the same for you!

To learn more about how Everlasting Productions can elevate your next event, please visit our website and contact us today!

BLOGS 4 Tips for Holding an Outdoor Wedding This Summer

July 11, 2022

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As the summer shifts into full gear, many are looking to host an outdoor wedding — and who can blame them?! With beautiful weather, a wonderful atmosphere, and music curated to the audience’s needs, there are many factors to consider when holding an outdoor wedding this summer.

Good Practices for Holding an Outdoor Wedding

So you’re planning an outdoor wedding? Great! It’s a beautiful time to tie the knot, but as is with all wedding planning, you’ll need to stay on top of all the moving parts when planning an outdoor wedding. From maintaining optimal comfort for your guests to monitoring the weather, being prepared for potential pitfalls during your wedding. Furthermore, coordinating with your guests during the summer months — a time where most people go on vacation — is imperative.

Here’s what you need to know when holding an outdoor wedding this summer.

Check the Weather

This is most certainly a no-brainer, but checking the weather ahead of time will allow for key preparation before holding your outdoor wedding. When selecting a date, consider using a reliable weather outlet like weather.com or climate.gov and look at historical data of that day’s weather. Has it been characteristically rainy that day? Does it get sweltering hot? What about the humidity? This will allow you to make well-informed decisions when selecting the day of the wedding.

Beyond the historical data, you’ll obviously want to keep an eye on the upcoming weather as well. Weather.com offers a monthly look at the weather, so you can keep tabs on any potential weather changes as your big day approaches.

It’s also a good idea to avoid the hottest part of the day. As the sun is generally the highest around 3 p.m., consider holding your event in the later part of the afternoon/early evening.

Provide Ample Shade

On top of checking the weather, you’ll also want to provide ample shade for your guests. It’s summer, so it’ll be warm of course! Coordinate with your wedding venue to ensure that there are amply shaded areas on premises for your guests.

Consider the number of children who will be attending, for example. As many will be running around for the most part, leaving them with some shaded areas will give them an opportunity to cool off from under the hot sun. If there aren’t naturally-shaded areas with trees and other sources, you should probably invest in setting up a tent (and perhaps some fans to go along with them) to shield wedding guests from the hot sun.

Encourage Sunblock Use

When holding an outdoor wedding, encourage guests to use sunblock prior to the ceremony.

One of the biggest dangers of prolonged sun exposure is the dreaded sunburn. According to the Mayo Clinic, too much exposure to ultraviolet (UV) rays from the sun “increases the risk of other skin damage, such as dark spots, rough spots, and dry or wrinkled skin.” Furthermore, symptoms include “Changes in skin tone, such as pinkness or redness,” “Pain and tenderness,” and in severe cases, “Headache, fever, nausea and fatigue.”

The American Cancer Society (ACS) advises that people should use “broad spectrum” sunscreen that protects not only against Ultraviolet A (UVA), but also Ultraviolet B (UVB) rays. The Skin Cancer Foundation notes that UVA and UVB rays have been, respectively, tied to skin aging and skin burning. Avoid this by choosing the appropriately labeled sunscreen.

You’ll also want to consider the Sun Protection Factor (SPF). While no sunscreen completely protects your skin from all UV rays, choosing a sunscreen that has an SPF of 30 or higher is highly recommended. The ACS says that “SPF 15 sunscreens filter out about 93% of UVB rays, while SPF 30 sunscreens filter out about 97%, SPF 50 sunscreens about 98%, and SPF 100 about 99%.”

Carefully Choose the Wedding Catering

When holding an outdoor wedding, you’ll need to be mindful of the catering. With the sun’s heat, you’ll want to have refreshing foods for your guests. Think fresh vegetables, fresh fruits, and lighter meals. Avoid foods that don’t mix well with the weather, like hot soups and foods that are overly spicy. You’ll probably want to cut back on the steaks and red meat (depending on how thickly cut), too, as it can leave guests feeling sluggish throughout the day.

There’s also nothing wrong with opting for grilled foods. You can opt for more wedding-appropriate foods than the traditional burger and hot dog combo like grilled fish, thin-cut beef tenderloin, and more. You can also get really creative with kebabs!

Holding an Outdoor Wedding with Everlasting Productions

Once you have the venue and catering set for your outdoor wedding, you’ll have to consider the sounds of course! In fact, a good DJ can either make or break your event. Don’t settle for less.

With Everlasting Productions, we bring a team of experienced professionals who will keep the energy flowing throughout the night and make your outdoor wedding an experience you’ll never forget. To learn more, please visit our website and get in touch with us today!

BLOGS Establishing a Song Selection with Your DJ

June 13, 2022

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Curating a soundtrack for your special event can be challenging. Whether it’s a wedding, birthday party, or graduation, establishing a song selection with your DJ is crucial to ensuring a successful event.

Catering to everyone — from the young child to the grandparents in attendance — and maintaining the room’s energy comes down to a carefully-chosen song selection. Here are some tips you should consider in creating that perfect soundtrack!

Set a Meeting with Your DJ

Before your special event, it’s best practice to schedule a consultation with your DJ to go over the song selection. There are plenty of fine details to be ironed out to host a successful event, so holding a meeting with your DJ can help remediate any issues beforehand.

Common issues that can spring up during an event include an energy lull, not maintaining the interest of the crowd, and haphazardly playing songs on the fly. In meeting with your DJ before the event, you should establish a song selection that will avoid these pitfalls. Preparation is key!

You should also let the DJ know what kind of songs you want to hear, as well as songs you don’t want to hear. A “Do Not Play” list goes a long way!

You’ll also want to highlight the range of demographics of your party’s attendance. Consider factors like age, race, ethnicity, and gender when establishing a song selection. What gets the 5-year-old in attendance pumped up will most likely differ from what’ll get the 70-year-old grandfather excited. Try to find a sonic middle ground that’ll bridge the gap for all those in attendance!

Establish the Tone of the Event

Once you have the demographics sorted, the next step in curating the perfect song selection is establishing the tone of the event. What exactly is the occasion? Is it a birthday party for a 10-year-old? A party for a college graduate? A quinceanera? Informing the DJ of this will allow the performer to make the most informed decisions regarding the song selection.

As a DJ, you should then consider song qualities that’ll keep the crowd dynamics leveled throughout the night. Throw in a healthy mix of upbeat songs to have the room jumping. Keep the slow jams for when the audience begins to tire out (you’ll notice this when the dance floor begins clearing out and people start sitting down). Mid-tempo songs are perfect to segue from high-energy to low-energy music, and vice versa.

Another element to consider is the timeframe of your song selection’s release. Are you catering to millennials? Throwing in some iconic throwback songs from the 1990s and 2000s, for example, can ensure a big reaction from the audience. On the other hand, if it’s a party of Gen Z’ers, you can throw on some 2000s and 2010s hits. And who can forget about the TikTok crowd?!

Set Boundaries with Your DJ

Lastly, one of the biggest steps you can take in establishing a song selection is setting boundaries with your DJ. This mainly is a timing issue, which can partially be circumvented by choosing songs that are of appropriate length. DJs should also be hypervigilant of their allotted amount of time and should coordinate with the event hosts and venue to remain within their appropriate timeframe.

On top of that, if your event calls for multiple DJs, you should make it very clear about set times and what songs will be played by other DJs. If there’s an opening act, that opener should avoid playing the top hits that should be reserved for the headliner. Instead, openers should rely on throwbacks and mid-tempo tracks while ultimately setting the tone for the night.

Establishing a Song Selection with Everlasting Productions

Everlasting Productions is a DJ service based out of Melville, New York. With over a decade of experience and a team of fully dedicated professionals, Everlasting Productions is sure to bring you a memorable experience — curated song selection and beyond!

We even offer services such as a photo booth and giveaways alongside dedicated photography and videography — thus making your party last a lifetime! One satisfied customer said of Everlasting Productions, “They did music for my ceremony, cocktail hour and reception. My family and friends were on the dance floor the whole time and only had amazing things to say.”

To learn more about how Everlasting Productions can bring your party to life, visit our website and contact us today to learn more!

BLOGS How a Good DJ Reads the Entire Room

May 23, 2022

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Reading the room is one of the most important things you can do as a musician and as a DJ. Whether you’re there for a wedding or a birthday party, the hosts have spent their hard-earned money on you, and it’s up to you to deliver a memorable experience!

Remember — you’re not there just to play songs. You’re a multifaceted entertainer whose job transcends having to crank a few tunes to get the crowd going. As a performer, you need to understand an encompassing range of elements in order to read a room and gauge whether you’re doing a successful job or not.

In this blog, we’ll take a look at what said elements go into reading the room so you can be the best performer possible!

Doing Due Diligence

As with most professions, doing your due diligence will only serve you better in your endeavors, especially as a DJ. As you prepare for your upcoming gig, you want to be as observant as possible about your upcoming situation.

Where is your next gig going to be? Is it family-oriented? College-themed? Factor in as many key demographic details as possible, so you can easily tailor a set around the people in attendance.

Communicate with the Client

Another important step in reading the room is the hired DJ communicating with the client. Hosts and DJs should meet (ideally several times) to hash out all details and ensure smooth sailing during their big events. Some ideas to potentially discuss between host and DJ include song selection, a “do not” playlist, and demographic information for the upcoming event.

It can be challenging to curate content for an event when demographics are so widely encompassing. To entertain the 4-year-old all the way to the 90-year-old at the party requires an attentive and hyper-observant eye and ear to the dance floor. Discussing with the client to ensure the meeting of all guest needs will save a lot of time and demonstrate one’s commitment to putting on a great performance for all.

On top of that, shaping a schedule with the client is imperative to an event’s success. Appropriately timing slow dance numbers, energetic songs (and maintaining that tempo!), and segueing out for other festivities like cake-cutting and speeches will allow for a seamless event free of hiccups and other distractions.

Take Note of Body Language

The ultimate rule of thumb in reading any room — body language! There is absolutely nothing more important than body language.

Are people bobbing their heads to your curated soundtrack? Are they full-on dancing and getting down to the grooves you’re laying down? Or are they just standing around — meandering on their phones, waiting for the next track to come…

On top of that, your interjections play a crucial role, so know your personality type. If you’re a funnyman, use that to your advantage — but know your audience before making any wisecrack remarks! If you’re witty or energetic, use that to pump the crowd up if you enter a lull. People do get fatigued from dancing all night, after all.

Look for “Party Starters”

Yes, like the classic Will Smith track — keep an eye out for what we refer to as “party starters.” These are the high-energy individuals on the dance floor, who seemingly have their finger on the pulse of the room and can have other attendees eating out of the palm of their hands.

Party starters are an important guidepost for your performance. If they can get down to what you’re playing, then they’ll undoubtedly shepherd other partygoers to the dance floor. So if you’re struggling to read the room, pinpoint these individuals and you’ll be golden!

Everlasting Productions’ Commitment to Quality

If you’re looking for a team of seasoned DJs that have no problem reading the room, look no further than Everlasting Productions! Our expert DJs have spent years reading the room, perfecting their sounds, and cultivating their techniques.

With our multiple services offered, we promise the highest quality delivered for all of our clients. So if you’re looking to have some spectacular sounds for your next event, visit our website and contact us today!

BLOGS How Your DJ Can Make or Break Your Party

May 9, 2022

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Every party needs a good DJ curating the soundtrack and being aware of the dynamic, ever-changing environment they’re in. In fact, ensuring client comfort and happiness are essential to the job! And despite how it looks, being a DJ is quite a demanding gig.

It’s not as easy as getting up there and pushing a few buttons on your laptop and calling it a night — your DJ must be able to bring a lot more to the table than just playing those popular tunes throughout the night. From understanding crowd dynamics to developing charisma and a persona, this article will show you what makes a DJ great and how a DJ can make or break your party.

The Importance of a Good DJ

Not only does a good DJ play the appropriate songs for any given occasion, but they also understand the fundamentals of human communication and the party environment. They can make you laugh, fill you with joy at the opportune moment, and bring smiles to everyone’s faces.

On the other hand, a subpar DJ won’t adhere to these elements. It may be easy to “fake it till you make it” by playing the latest hits — but chances are the crowd won’t be left with any lasting memories beyond the tunes.

However, with these elements in mind, a good DJ can supercharge a party with the proper know-how.

Understanding the Crowd and Pop Culture

Reading the room is crucial to being a good DJ! Are you at a wedding? Are you at a Sweet 16? Taking stock in what kind of environment you are in, along with the crowd demographics, will help you dictate the culture and ultimately your own actions as a DJ.

Who’s in the room? Take into consideration key elements like gender, age group, race, and ethnicity. This will come in handy as it’ll help you choose your setlist for the night. For example, if you’re playing to a group of younger people, you’ll probably want to check out what’s trending on TikTok and Spotify to get a grasp of what to play. Tokboard is a great resource to see what’s popular on the Tok in real time.

If you’re at a wedding, throwbacks are certainly a move! Throw on some of the biggest hits of yesteryear (maybe even bring along a Walkman for the aesthetic) and you’ll be golden. It also helps if you have a playlist of “safe” songs that are instantly recognizable to the majority of people. Who can’t get down to The Killers’ classics “Somebody Told Me” and “Mr. Brightside?!”

Incorporating Dynamics

If there’s a DJ at a social gathering, chances are people want to turn up. Bring the energy with songs that are fast in tempo! Songs that are 170 BPM and above are good for getting the energy flowing in the room.

But, of course, people are people — and people get tired after a while. Some DJs probably won’t read the room and take this into account, but not Everlasting Productions!

A good DJ won’t have an endless barrage of noise throughout the entire party, so turn it down a notch with some slower jams once you see people filtering away from the dance floor and getting tired. Songs from 65 to 85 BPM are good.

And don’t be afraid to consider the “bathroom break.” As the night progresses, people will filter in and out of bathrooms — a good DJ will take notice of when people start disappearing for longer periods than not. At this point in the night, save all of the big banger tracks and either play some lesser known music and/or slower music. You don’t want bathroom-goers to miss out on a big moment when you’re three-quarters into the night and front-loaded the soundtrack.

Bringing the Charisma

Of course, a good DJ transcends the music. A good DJ knows how to speak to a crowd — speak their language, provide witty banter (depending on the circumstances), and listen to their audience in what they want. They also know what the crowd wants before the crowd wants it.

This means doing your due diligence in studying your audience and your upcoming gig — that way you can cater your personal performance to them. Not doing so can create a dull, drab performance — which a crowd can sniff from a mile away.

Smile, laugh, and be able to push the envelope with your radiant personality!

What Separates Everlasting Productions From the Rest

At Everlasting Productions, we boast a selection of seasoned DJs who have been honing their crafts for years on end. All avid music listeners, our charismatic crew here incorporates a multitude of music genres and backgrounds that will spice up any special occasion you may have. But don’t just take our word for it — just listen to our happy customers!

One client described Everlasting Productions as “An Excellent DJ Service” and wrote, “It is very easy to recommend Everlasting Productions … The flow of the reception was perfect, and they definitely brought the party and atmosphere we wanted. We only heard positive feedback from our guests, and we would choose them again in an instant.”

To learn more about Everlasting Productions, please visit our website today and contact us to turn your next event up!

BLOGS Top Event Planning Tips for 2019

January 17, 2019

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Source: In2Events

Event planning, no matter your experience, is a complex task that takes time, experience, dedication and creativity. As 2018 draws to a close, we thought we’d share our top event planning tips for 2019 to help you get ahead of the game.

Tip 1. Always Create an Event Brief:

Whether you are an event novice or an expert, there are some event planning staples that are vital to pin down for each and every event, no matter the size or purpose. Creating an event brief is one of them: produce a document that gives an overview of all the important information pertaining to your event, including the brand vision and overall objectives that are required to be achieved. With a strong plan and a realistic budget in place, the event planning process can begin with a clear focus.

Tip 2. Harness the Power of Data:

Data can provide powerful insights into events and provide intelligence that can shape your entire event programme. Data intelligence is key to measuring event success against objectives; creating delegate profiles to develop customised attendee experiences; analysing lead generation and sales performance and becomes a vital source of information for the planning of future events.

There are a various tools available to help event planners collect data, understanding from the offset what data you require to be collected from your event will help determine what tools are best for you to utilise.

Tip 3. Find a Venue That’s the Perfect fit:

Selecting a venue is one of the most important decisions in the event planning process and can influence so many other elements of your event plans and budget. Providing key information and asking the right questions is a must when liaising with venues and can help determine if a venue is a good fit for your event. To avoid any nasty surprises, it’s also advisable to visit venue options yourself to see the location and view the facilities first-hand.

Tip 4. Promote Your Event Effectively:

Get your event noticed with a well-thought-out event marketing strategy. Creating awareness of your event and engaging with your target audience before, during and after your event is a sure-fire way of contributing to its overall success. Understand your audience and reach them through relevant channels.

Tip 5: Engaging Experiences:

Your event has to resonate with and engage your attendees and this can come down to the content and the methods of interactivity included within your programme.

Keep your audience in the forefront of your planning at all times: anticipate how they would want information delivered and by who, incorporate opportunities for delegates to participate and interact throughout the course of the event.

From booking recognisable, highly-anticipated guest speakers through to implementing event technology that can enhance delegate experiences, there are a multitude of ways to deliver an event that creates an impact and leaves a long-lasting impression.

Tip 6. Ongoing Feedback:

Feedback should be collected before, during and after an event. Listen to your audience and how they are engaging with your event marketing in the lead up to your event. During the event create touch-points for attendees to provide live feedback and after your event has ended, incentivise your guests with exclusive offerings and ask them to provide their much-needed thoughts and opinions about their experiences.

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BLOGS 14 Top Tips to Planning Successful Summer Events

May 22, 2018

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22By Arthur Backal

Source: Special Events Blog

1. Location, location, location: The summer is short, so take advantage of the season while you can. Be sure to pick a venue that showcases stellar summer season views or has an outdoor space.

2. Save-the-date ASAP: Summer is the height of travel season. With so many of your guests planning trips during the summer months, you want to send out your save-the-dates ASAP.

3. Don’t underestimate invitations: Invitations are your first chance to grab guests’ attention and get them excited about the big day. Unusual invitations are perfect if you’re looking to create a memorable summer party, but stay true to the theme of your event as it’ll give guests a taste of what to expect.

4. Use clever themes: Whether you’re creating a fully themed summer extravaganza or a more low-key dinner, the most successful events always make clever use of the key messages of the host’s brand. Think about colored lighting to complement a brand identity or creative touches that nod to key messages.

5. Don’t underestimate the power of color: For spring and summer, the bright color trend continues with yellows mixed with other vibrant colors, such as hot pinks, oranges, and purples. For the rustic craze, white goes perfectly, as well as muted pinks, pale blues, and pastel yellows.

6. Keep guests cool and talk with building management about air conditioning: To ensure a happy crowd, be sure to discuss air conditioning with the venue staff when planning an indoor event during the summer. Generally venues will have constant air conditioning, but when large crowds are coming together in a smaller space, the last thing the guests should be is uncomfortable or sweaty while reveling and networking. Be sure to discuss this beforehand.

7. Plan labor around weather: For events that involve a lot of production and setup, it is wise to look at the weather for load in and load out times during the summer season. Setting up in 100 F-plus-degree heat for hours will be exhausting for event staff and the process may take longer. Be sure to speak with the venue to see if it’s possible to set-up in the morning or evening hours when it is cooler to ensure a speedy process and not to worry about heat exhaustion.

8. Choose menu items wisely: Provide lighter, non-creamy fare for your cocktail party stations and your meal, to reduce the risk of spoilage. Summer menu items of cold, refreshing veggies, cold seafood, mango skewers and gazpacho shots are far more palatable in hot weather than heavier, cream-sauce dishes … and they’re often less expensive. Also, healthy items will be a big hit as many of the event revelers will be conscious of their beach-season bodies!

9. Add frozen drinks and boozy ice pops to your bar menu: For your guests’ comfort and enjoyment, get creative with the ever-popular boozy ice pops!

10. Stay cool with infused ice: An easy and tasty way to cool off in the hot summer months. Infused ice is so versatile, as citrus fruits, berries, and even herbs can be used to dress up and flavor your favorite drinks or cocktails.

11. Visit your local greenmarket and plan your menu around what’s seasonal and local: This tip works for any season, particularly in the summer months. Build vibrant, colorful salads or crudité platters around what has been seasonally harvested. Crafting dishes based on what looks and tastes fresh that day will help you get creative. (At left, Apella, the event space at Alexandria Center in New York, overseen by Backal.)

12. Build charcuterie and cheese boards: An Instagram-worthy appetizer can be simple and fun to assemble. Be sure to experiment and make your boards diverse with an assortment of cheeses (fresh, soft, firm) to go along with either smoky sausages, cured salami or aged prosciutto di parma. Make sure to include other accompaniments to offer your guests a variety of fun, paired samplings off of the board. Examples include: jellies or jams, honey, olives, peppers or pickles. Don’t forget to add bread and/or crostini and crackers!

13. Seek out ceviches: A refreshing summer starter dish, and the perfect excuse to also try Tip #11 and use local, seasonal ingredients! This fresh app can be light and filling and can satisfy a multitude of flavor palettes, play around with your ingredients! For a kick, we recommend to use Fresno chiles.

14. Set guest’s expectations: Have a good idea of who you will be inviting to the event and the mix of your guests. It’s important to clearly communicate to guests the event details including type of event, attire, guest restrictions, event timing, logistical details, etc., to ensure that all guests are party-ready.

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