Below is a blank copy of our format reception form for submission no earlier than one month before your wedding date. We’ll be using it to run your special day. We value your input as it helps us deliver your vision of the perfect wedding reception and maximizes your guest's potential on the dance floor. Please cut and paste the Format Reception Form from this email into the body of a return blank email. Next, remove the blank lines as you add your information. Lastly, email it back to us still in the body of the email. Use simple text, no scans, jpegs of hard copies, formatting, spreadsheets or proprietary file attachments such as MS Word, MS Works XLSX etc. We'll need it in that “simple text” format because we will be moving around your information. It’s that easy.


Wedding Reception Format Form


Names of Bride and Groom: _____________________________


Your Wedding reception venue: town/city, establishment, room and date_______________________________


Start time of wedding ceremony and its location______________________________


Number of people in attendance__________


Will any children be attending? Yes_____ No_____


Will we be providing you with officiant services? Yes_____ No_____


Will you be requiring our traditional DJ console behind a scrim?  Yes_____ No_____


Will you be requiring our 75 inch 4k flatscreen video DJ booth with live dance floor camera and bridal monogram?  Yes_____ No_____


Will you be requiring our photo booth? Yes_____ No_____


Will you be requiring indoor fireworks (Cold Spark Machines)? Yes_____ No_____


Will you be requiring low lying fog for your first dance? Yes_____ No_____


Will you be requiring our Giant illuminated L.O.V.E. letters? Yes_____ No_____


Will you be requiring our Ceremony Package for your wedding ceremony? Yes____ No____

The ceremony package uses the same equipment for the microphone if you are using live music.


Please provide us with an outline of your ceremony if you’ve selected our Ceremony Package


Ceremony Outline


Processional for Bridal Party____________________


Processional for Bride____________________


Recessional for all_______________________


Will you be requiring any of our Martin Intelligent Lighting Packages? Yes____ No____


Will you be requiring any of our Uplighting Packages? Yes____ No____


Number of uplight fixtures? 8,16, 24, 32, 40, 48, 56, 64 ?_____


Color preference on uplights if possible?_______________


Start time and room location of cocktail hour?__________________________________


Will you be requiring our secondary audio system package for your cocktail hour?Yes____ No____ (Normal used when cocktail is held in another location)


What type of cocktail music do you prefer? List artists or approximately 22 of your favorite songs you would like to have played during cocktail hour.


Cocktail Playlist (Song Title/Artist) Fill this out only if we are playing your cocktail hour.


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This nice little extra is used when our clients have selected a location for their cocktail hour that is not the main dancing area. It features a separate high quality JBL/Crown Audio System for background music that is played as your guests mingle prior to entering the dining area. The cocktail music we normally play tends to range from pop/jazz/easy listening, but can change to virtually anything depending on our feel of the event and/or your personal preference. The volume level during this time should be maintained so the person closest to the speaker can still carry on a conversation.


Will you be having other musical arrangements for your cocktail hour? No


What are they?_______________ 


Your Formal Entrance Into The Dining/Dancing Room 

We like to know the feeling that you are looking to achieve as you and your wedding party are introduced into the room. The emotion will be reflected in the background music as well as the voice-over.

To keep the flow of events moving, it helps to have all of your bridal party, including the parents and grandparents, in the introduction lineup area as the rest of your guests are making their way into the dining room at the end of the cocktail hour. The lineup area is generally determined in advance by the establishment. At this point the disc jockey will go over the lineup and double check the names on the list one last time. You should not have any drinks in hand as you are introduced. Depending on the establishment, they may take your flowers in advance of your introduction or your photographer may want you to walk in with them to enhance the photographs. If you do walk in with them, the establishment may take them just before you walk onto the dance floor or you may put them on the disc jockey's table or speakers during the dance. If the wedding party is joining the bride and groom on their first dance or if you are planning on a separate bridal party dance, they should wait with their backs to the disc jockey's sound system after they are introduced into the room. This will enhance your pictures by featuring your bridal party in the background instead of the disc jockey and sound system. A small percentage of photographers may have additional instructions such as wanting everyone to pause for a picture as they are introduced.

Feel free to configure your names and introduction list as needed. Any variations of the basic introduction format including triads, two best men, a maid and matron of honor are welcome. Make sure your wedding party knows in advance where to sit if you are having a head table. This can be an awkward situation, a.k.a. deer in the headlights, if not explained in advance. Fill in this list in the exact order you wish to be introduced into the room.


Family and Wedding Party Introductions


Wedding party introduction style to be announced by: mellow low key introduction _____ upbeat introduction______ wild introduction______


Note: Normally one song is used to introduce the entire bridal party into a reception just prior to the first dance. This allows forward momentum to be maintained. Selecting a separate song for each couple is not recommended as it greatly detracts from that forward momentum. If you would like some suggestions, we have several custom intros available.


Introduction Song (Song title and artist) _____________________________


Grandparents of the Bride: Will they be walking in? Yes______ No_______

Will they be recognized at their table?Yes______ No ______

________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________


Grandparents of the Groom: Will they be walking in? Yes______ No_______

Will they recognized at their table? Yes______ No ______

________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________


Parents of the Bride:

________________________________________________________________________


________________________________________________________________________


Parents of the Groom:`

________________________________________________________________________


________________________________________________________________________


Bridesmaids and Groomsmen:


____________________ escorted by ____________________


____________________ escorted by ____________________


____________________ escorted by ____________________


____________________ escorted by ____________________


____________________ escorted by ____________________


Flower Girl____________________


Ring Bearer_____________________

Maid of Honor_____ or Matron of Honor_____ 


________________________________

The Very Best Man


_________________________________

Bride and Groom:___________________________________ (as you would like to be introduced)


First Dance Song___________________________ Artist________________________


Will the first dance be held after your formal introduction into the reception hall? Yes_____ No______


Will the bridal party be joining you on this dance? Yes______ No______


If no, do you plan to have a separate Wedding Party Dance? (not required)Yes _______ No______


Song___________________________ Artist__________________________


Immediately following the end of the first dance or wedding party dance the entire bridal party should make their way to the head table as we play background music to fill this void. 


Will anyone be offering a blessing? Name__________________

(The person giving the blessing should also be briefed on the operation of the microphone as listed above.)


Will there be a toast? Yes_____ No_____ 


Very Best Man______________________


We will provide wireless microphone to the best man for the toast after everyone is seated. It should be held as close to the mouth as possible (1/4" is perfect) and the bottom of the microphone should point away from you as you speak. There is a tendency, due to nerves or stress, to hold the microphone away from the mouth or let it drop several inches down from the mouth. If this occurs only the groom or groom could drop the subtle hint for the best man to hold the microphone closer. The microphone will already be on when it is given to the best man. Please do not try and adjust any of the settings on the mic or turn it off after you have finished speaking. Just leave the microphone on the head table. The disc jockey, assistant or in a few cases, the photographer will retrieve the mic.


Will your Maid or Matron of Honor toast as well? Yes____ No____


Name______________________________________


If any additional remarks are made, the microphone should be passed directly to that person. It is a nice touch to have the best man introduce the maid or matron of honor as he hands the microphone to her. This avoids the disc jockey turning everyone's attention back to him and away from the head table for just a ten-second introduction line during an emotional moment in your reception. In some rare instances, some ministers will insist on performing their blessing before the toast.


Will we be giving away your centerpieces? Yes____ No ____ We have several unique and creative ways to accomplish this.

(The disc jockey will give instructions to all in attendance as this occurs)


Dinner Playlist (Song Title/Artist) This list covers the time after cocktail hour during dinner before the dancing starts. It’s background music and may be anything you wish, mellow, upbeat, anything goes. The key is volume level, as people want to converse more-so during this time period.  


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Getting the dancing started after dinner: Leaving the parental dances until after diner is a great idea. It gives you a powerful incentive to direct the guest’s attention back to the dance floor after dinner. To maintain the forward momentum, the parental dances should take place when the last twenty to thirty percent of your guests are still finishing their meal. The reason for this is the tables that are served first would be waiting around too long if we waited until all of your guests had completely finished their meals. The more guests you have at your reception the more important this issue becomes. All individuals participating in the parental dances must be present before the first dance starts. The father of the bride will be asked to escort his daughter to the dance floor for the father-daughter dance. Following this dance, the groom will be asked to escort his mother to the dance floor for the mother-son dance. Following the parental dances, your guests will formally be invited to the dance floor and the main body of the dancing will occur. A slow song is always used for the first open dancing song.


                                                                       After Dinner Events


Will you be having a Father Daughter Dance? Yes______ No______ (this dance is held after dinner)


If Yes, Song________________________ Artist_________________________


Will you be having a Mother/Son Dance? Yes______ No______ (this dance is held after dinner)


If Yes, Song________________________ Artist_________________________


Will there be a cake cutting? Yes_____ No ______


Note: The average time this occurs is about fifteen to thirty minutes after dinner or in accordance with the caterer’s preference. The reasoning behind the delayed timing versus cutting the cake right after dinner before the dancing starts is to allow your guests some time to get up, walk around, dance, digest and to give the staff ample time to clear the tables before the cake is served. Your guests will consume more cake with this additional time and the forward momentum will be maintained. You will be informed by the disc jockey that the caterer is ready for the cake cutting. You make your way to the cake table. Make sure the groom is still wearing his jacket to enhance your pictures. The announcement will be made to your guests that this event is about to take place to give them ample time to get their cameras ready. As some of your guests make their way to the cake for a picture, you will hear background music start. This is your cue to follow your photographer's instructions for cutting the cake and feeding each other. While it’s a rare occurrence, some photographers don't offer any instructions, so you may want to discuss in advance how you will perform the cutting and feeding.


Will you be throwing the garter and bouquet? Yes_____ No ______ (This is seldom requested but if selected it takes place about an hour after dinner)

The disc jockey will guide everyone through this event.


Would you prefer to present your bouquet to the couple who has been married the longest with an Anniversary Dance? Yes_____ No_____


Any other special events that will be taking place? Additional announcements such as Aunt Ira's birthday, an anniversary, or recent birth worth mentioning?


________________________________________________________________________


Please list any other songs/dances you would like to have included. 


REQUESTS: Song Title/Artist

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Copyright © 2000 Andy Pratt Professional Disc Jockey Service.  All rights reserved.