Reception Entertainment Director

Wedding favors are the perfect way to show how you feel. Though your wedding guests will already know that you care about them, wedding favors give an additional touch of thoughtfulness. They don’t have to be a major item or an expensive one. Something small but meaningful as a memento of the day is all that is needed. There are so many options to choose from in wedding favors. Only your imagination limits you. You can buy them already to give out, or you can make your own. It depends only on what you want to do and the time you have to devote to it. If you plan to buy wedding favors, you can choose something that is meaningful to you and your groom or matches the theme of the wedding ceremony and reception. Personalizing them with your names and the date of the nuptials will make them all the more special. One very good option for wedding favors is a small candle with a ribbon tied around it with a picture of you and your groom attached. A softly scented candle is a very good ...

So I’ve seen this idea of adding a line somewhere on the RSVP card where guests can suggest a song to be played at the reception.  It’s a great idea. But…. you need to plan ahead and know the advantages and pitfalls. Firstly, you need to order your invitations well in advance, so that you have plenty of time to correlate the songs from the RSVP.  Ask for no more than 3 favorite songs from your guests (If you’re tight on space and the back of the RSVP is blank you could ask guests to write their song choice there).  Put a disclaimer line that YOU (the Bride & Groom have veto power over ALL song choices.  This way requests for the Macarena, Boot Scootin’ Boogie, and the Chicken Dance will be null and void! Here are a few ideas on wording: 1 – “”We’re looking for song ideas for the dance portion of our reception. Give us your favorite dance song and you might hear it played!” 2 – “We’re taking requests! Please tell us if there’s a song you’d like...

Have you chosen your First Dance yet?  Ever wonder who else has used “your song”? Here’s a list of some celebrity couples and their First Dances.  You can just imagine your favorite celebrities dancing to them…. Prince William and Princess Kate – “Your Song” by Elton John, performed live by Ellie Goulding President Barack and First Lady Michelle Obama –  “You and I” – Stevie Wonder Ivanka Trump and Jason Kushner – “This Years’ Love” by David Gray Kate Moss and Jamie Hince – “If There Is Something” by Roxy Music Justin Timberlake and Jessica Biel – “A Song for You” by Donny Hathaway Angelina Jolie & Brad Pitt – “It Had to Be You” by Frank Sinatra Joel Madden and Nicole Richie – “What a Wonderful World” by Louis Armstrong Khloe Kardashian and Lamar Odum – “Angel”  by Anita Baker Shannen Doherty and Kurt Iswarienko – “My Baby Just Cares for Me” by Nina Simone Michael Buble and Luisano Lopilato – “Everybody Loves Somebody” by Dean Martin...

“Dj Sam at Atmosphere productions did such an amazing job at our wedding. Right from when we first booked him, he was very responsive to all our emails and questions. He is extremely organized which made it so much easier for us since we had so much going on with the wedding planning. On our wedding day, he did an outstanding job leading the whole reception. His voice was friendly, loud and clear and his music kept everyone on the dance floor all night. We also used him for his lighting service and oh, how beautiful he made the reception hall look!! We would 100% recommend him to anyone looking for a great DJ!! You definitely will not be disappointed! We could not be happier with our decision to choose Atmosphere Productions!!!” ~ Malissa & Ryan – Kensington, CT #itstibblingtime #tibbouzawedding Malissa and Ryan’s Introduction Music: Black Eyed Peas – I Got A Feeling (Custom Instrumental Intro)                       ...

Looking for a beautiful historic mill setting for your wedding vision? Or maybe a unique DIY reception? Or an intimate location for a Spring, Summer, Fall or Winter reception?…. It’s ALL possible at The Packing House in Willington, CT. Located on the main drag into town and situated on a small lake and waterfall….there’s so much to fall in love with, if your wedding planning! At The Packing House you have the freedom to work with vendors of your choice or Kia Martinson, the experienced on-site coordinator, will recommend vendors and assist you through the details and logistics of creating your special day in this unique space. The Packing House can comfortably accommodate up to 150 guests for a seated meal, or up to 200 for a cocktail style wedding. There’s also options for an on-site Ceremony and outdoor Cocktail Hour locations… plus lots of locations for pictures. Formerly, the Gardiner Hall Jr. Company’s Packing and Shipping Building, the Packing House, f...

Many of our clients dislike the custom of the Bride and Groom being ‘forced’ to kiss whenever glasses are clinked together. Some find it offensive. I know, from personal experience, that many of the guests like it and won’t understand why the Bride and Groom don’t want to “follow through” and KISS! So the question is often asked “What can I do that’ll satisfy my guests and make me comfortable?” “Clinking” of glasses may have originated from the medieval days when wine was often spiked with poison. If a host wanted to prove to their guests that the wine wasn’t poisoned, he would pour part of the guest’s wine into his own glass and drink it first. If the guest trusted his host, he would just clink glasses when the host offered his glass for a sample. (Hence the clinking of glasses has become a sign of trust, honesty, and toast to good health.) Another explanation claims that the practice warded off evil spirits. If your guests start clinking the glasses, don’t pa...

Picture it now: a nice warm gusts of wind, an outdoor setting, bright colors and the sounds of birds in the air without a single cloud in the sky… There are so many perks to summer weddings!!  It’s the perfect time of year for weather, scenery, and even the attitudes of other people, which are made much more pleasant by the presence of the sun and warm weather. Of course, you can’t really change the weather, but you can try to. The weather forecast is not always the most reliable thing, especially when you really need to be able to count on the five-day forecast. There are a few facets to summer wedding planning that any bride-to-be or wedding planner should keep in mind, and the first one actually is the weather. Many people plan their weddings for the summer time because the weather is a bit more predictable during this time. If you’re lucky, you will get beautiful sunshine, a light, cooling breeze and a nice clear night for the reception. If you are like any ...

ATMOSPHERE PRODUCTIONS can now provide you with numerous choices for your on-site Ceremony, Cocktail Hour or Dinner music. We have teamed up with some of Connecticut’s leading and most experienced musicians to offer creative and unique ways to make your event unforgettable. Here are some Ceremony Music suggestions: Prelude – Whilst Guests Are Seated: • Massenet – “Meditation From Thais” • Mozart – “Ave Verum Corpus” • Dvorak – “Humoresque” • Handel – “Minuet” • Schubert – “Serenade” • Beethoven – “Ode to Joy” • Mozart – “Viennese Serenades” • Haydn – “London Trios” • Handel – “Largo” from Xerxes • Mozart – “Eine Kleine Nachtmusik” • Tartini – “Two Sonatas” Processional – For Bridesmaids Entrance • Vivaldi – “Four Seasons – Spring” • Handel – Air From “Water Music” • Bach – Allegro From “Brandenburg Concerto#4” • Bach – “Air On G String” • Chopin  – “Nocturne In E Flat” • Tchaikovsky – “Waltz” (from Sleeping Beauty Act 1) • Traditional...

“DJ Sam is a true professional and was one of the reasons that our day was so special. We would recommend him to anyone.” ~ Kristen and Nick – Newington, CT Kristen and Nick’s Ceremonial Music: Jeremiah Clarke – Trumpet Voluntary Pachelbel Canon In D Brandenburg Concerto No 3 in G Major Kristen and Nick’s Introduction Music: Maroon 5 – Sugar / Chris Brown – Forever Kristen and Nick’s First Dance: Brad Paisley – Then Kristen and Nick’s Cake Cutting Song: James Taylor – How Sweet It Is Kristen and Her Fathers Dance: Celine Dion – Because You Loved Me Nick and His Mothers Dance: Boyz II Men – A Song For Mama Kristen and Nick’s Last Dance: Frank Sinatra – Last Dance Songs That Rocked The Dance Floor: Sister Sledge – We Are Family Neil Diamond – Sweet Caroline Pharrell – Happy Four Seasons – Oh What A Night Photography by Brian Ambrose Photography ...

Weddings have become a bit more complicated these days and narrowing down the guest list will be one of your most challenging and important wedding tasks. The size of your guest list will greatly affect your overall wedding expenses. It’s a rare bride and groom who don’t have to edit their original list, whether dealing with 30 or 300 guests. Most likely, you, your fiancé, and both families will be contributing names to the list, and each party will have their own ideas about who is necessary and who is not. Be forewarned, if more than one person controls the guest list, things can get stressful. Preparing the list and keeping all family members happy, requires diplomacy and tact. To help, try these list-cutting strategies: Start by setting a goal for your list size. Base this on your budget, on space limitations or both. Have everyone involved submit a list of the people they’d like to attend. From the top, they should rank the names in order of importance. Then, cross off any...

Wedding invitations can be as simple as one sheet of cardstock printed with the basics, or they can include a number of enclosures. Not sure what you need? Here is a complete guide to the various enclosures you may want to include in your wedding invitations. Depending on the nature of your wedding and your stationery budget, you may choose to consolidate and forgo certain invitation enclosures. Here’s what you need to know to assemble your wedding invitations. Outer envelope   Most wedding invitations consists of two separate envelopes.  The outer envelope (the one actually scanned by the post office) lists the complete names and addresses of all recipients and holds all enclosures. Inner envelope The inner envelope lists only the names of invited recipients. It holds all the contents of the formal, third-person invitation for protection during shipping. Reception cards  Reception cards specify where and when the reception will be held. These are onl...