Tag Archives: Kevin Dennis

See You at WeddingWire World!

WeddingWire World Los Angeles is right around the corner – will you be there? We will be! Kevin will be speaking, so be sure to stop by his session and say hello! We’ll also be around to chat and we look forward to seeing some of our industry buddies, as well as meeting new peers. The conference will be at the Anaheim Marriott between May 1-2. We hope to see you there!

Still need to register? No worries – grab your tickets here! Better yet, save $50 by using the coupon code: KEVIN2017.

Proudly serving Bay Area Weddings for over twenty years, Fantasy Sound aims to be engaged couples’ first stop- offering Disc Jockey, Videography, Event Lighting Décor and Wedding Planning services. They are fueled by great ideas paired with strong coffee, and will never turn down a piece of red velvet wedding cake.

Photo of the Week!

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This isn’t one of our normal “Photo of the Week!” photos, but we wanted to share anyways! Kevin recently spoke at the NACE Experience conference and we just received word today that attendees ranked his presentation in the top 5 of all the Experience sessions- what an honor!

Fantasy Sound in Special Events Magazine!

We were thrilled when the newest issue of Special Events magazine fell on our doorstep and we just couldn’t wait to share it with you! Our very own Kevin was featured in the article, “Four Trends and a Wedding” (which starts on page 21 for you subscribers!), sharing his thoughts on the emerging same-sex wedding industry.

FS Special Events

Many thanks to our friends at Special Events for this lovely feature!

Proudly serving Bay Area Weddings for over twenty years, Fantasy Sound aims to be engaged couples’ first stop- offering Disc Jockey, Videography, Event Lighting Décor and Wedding Planning services. They are fueled by great ideas paired with strong coffee, and will never turn down a piece of red velvet wedding cake.

Ask Kevin- How Do I Create A Budget?

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Hi Kevin,

I’m just starting to jump into planning my wedding, and I am at a loss when it comes to creating a budget. I don’t know what qualifies as a reasonable amount! Can you help me?

Thanks,

Anita- Dublin, CA

 

Hi Anita!

Creating a budget is a tricky process, so I am glad you asked! The first step to figuring out your budget is to figure out where all the money is coming from. Are you and your fiancé going to pay for everything? Are your parents footing the bill? Maybe you have a generous great aunt on your mother’s side. Regardless of who is contributing to your wedding, make sure to get hard numbers. Someone telling you they will give you $2,000.00-$4,000.00 is less helpful that having a commitment for $2,500.00. The average budget contribution breakdown for 2012 was:

  • 59 percent: You and your groom
  • 12 percent: Your parents
  • 28 percent: A combo of people
  • 1 percent: His parents

Once you have figured out how much money you have, it’s time to figure out how you will allocate the money. There are a couple of ways to help you get an idea of how you much you should expect to spend. One way is to ask your wedding venue how much a typical couple at their venue spends. Another way is to assign a dollar amount per guest that you are willing to spend. For instance, if you are willing to spend $200.00 per guest and you have 180 guests, you will need at least $36,000. Finally, if you attended a wedding that you love, and you are close with the couple, ask them how much they spent on their wedding and ask for some tips.

Wedding-Budget-Piggybank1

If you’re looking for a general guideline for how much of your budget to dedicate to each aspect, here is the average breakdown for 2012:

  • Groom’s Formalwear (Rental): 1.1 percent
  • Favors: 1.3 percent
  • Officiant: 1.5 percent
  • Hair & Makeup (Including Attendants’): 1.8 percent
  • Attendants’ Gifts: 2 percent
  • Invitations & Other Printed Materials: 2.8 percent
  • Transportation: 2.9 percent
  • Flowers: 5.7 percent
  • Wedding Rings: 6 percent
  • Music: 6.8 percent
  • Wedding Dress, Veil & Other Accessories: 7.5 percent
  • Photography & Videography: 13.6 percent
  • Reception Site, Meals, Cake & Bar: 47 percent

If you are having problems staying within your budget, figure out what’s important to you. Are you a huge foodie, but flowers aren’t as important to you? Go ahead and get that meal upgrade and cut back on your flowers. Don’t be shy about using any money saving tips you may have. Saturdays are typically the most expensive days, but Fridays and Sundays are almost as good and usually cheaper. Have a crafty friend? Have her help you make centerpieces, place cards, etc. Is your brother-in-law a professional photographer? Have him do your wedding photos. There is no shame saving some money wherever you can because you always want to plan for any unexpected charges, like the gorgeous pair of Louboutins you saw!

Make sure to keep track of your budget, either on paper or electronically. We like http://wedding.theknot.com/wedding-planning-tools/tools-wedding-budget.aspx from theknot.com. When you keep track of your budget, you are less likely to go over, which is important!

Wedding planning can be complicated, and it only gets more complicated when there are multiple people contributing money and opinions to your wedding. The important thing to remember is that it is YOUR wedding day. Discuss what you and your fiancé want for your big day and make sure you always stay on the same page.

Do You Want To Plan Your Wedding…Or Manage It?

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My good friend Alan Berg recently wrote a great article in the Beautiful Bride Magazine  about the importance of hiring a wedding coordinator and as a certified wedding coordinator I couldn’t agree more with his article. He brings up a great point in his article and asks brides this simple question: “Your wedding party is getting ready… but wait, who’s checking to see if the flowers have arrived? Who’s checking with the limo company to make sure they’re on their way? Who’s coordinating the band or DJ’s arrival at your reception venue?

If you answered your Maid of Honor, is that really the right answer? No doubt your Maid of Honor is someone very special to you. It’s her job to make sure you get ready and then, you want her to enjoy the experience of your wedding, along with the rest of your honored guests.

If you answered the Banquet Manager, it’s their job to ensure the reception and catering are on point, but it’s not up to them to make sure the rest of your chosen wedding vendors are where they’re supposed to be, when they’re supposed to be there. They may offer some planning help, but they’re main focus is the food and venue.”

That question really gets you thinking, doesn’t it? Don’t just take my word for it, check out his entire article below to get some great advice.

 

He ends his article with: “In my over 20 years in the wedding industry I know, first hand, that not having a professional planner is one of the two biggest regrets couples have after their weddings (not having video is the other).”

I have experienced the same thing Alan has, because whenever I ask brides and grooms what they regretted most about their wedding day, the answer was always not hiring a certified wedding coordinator or a professional videographer.  Please feel free to contact me if you are in need of a wedding coordinator or click here if you have a question about your wedding.  You will be helping yourself and other brides and grooms if I feature your question on my blog!

 Happy Wedding Planning!

Ask Kevin: Different Types of Event Lighting

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Kevin,

I’m currently looking at lighting for my upcoming wedding on 2/16/13, and I keep seeing all these different lighting terms. I am getting so confused! This might be a dumb question, but what is the difference between a pinspot, GOBO, and uplight?

Thanks!

Allison from Dublin, California

Hi Allison,

This isn’t a dumb question at all! It’s actually a really common question that we get all the time, so thank you for writing in! Some companies use different terminology, so it’s completely understandable that you have gotten a little confused. Here at Fantasy Sound Event Services, we use the standard terms of pinspot, GOBO, and uplight, and I will be more than happy to help you out!

 

Uplights usually serve as the foundation for any Event Lighting design. They are placed on the floor of your venue, and are used to create a color wash upwards on the wall or drapery. Gel overlays, which come in a wide variety of colors, can be used to customize the wash to complement your wedding’s color scheme. The image below shows an example of uplighting in pink.


GOBO comes from the term “go between”. GOBOs are metal or glass discs with patterns, names, or initials cutout in it. They are placed over the lens of the light. Their image can be projected onto walls or floors in a wide variety of colors. The picture below shows one of our most popular GOBO patterns, in a champagne color projected onto a wall.

Here is a Custom Monogram GOBO that has been projected onto the floor in a pink color.

Pinspots are lights that shine down from the ceiling, and can be used to highlight the bride and groom, musicians, cake, candy bar, centerpieces, tables, or other key focal points. These lights really help your wedding pop! These can also be called soft washes or spotlights. The image below shows some pinspots on floral arrangements down the aisle.

Allison, thank you so much for submitting this question! Like I said before, we get this question all the time here at Fantasy Sound, and we hope this is helpful to all the future brides out there. Remember, you can submit your own questions by clicking here!