Mobile Payment Reader Square Coming to Wal-Mart


Square, a small credit card reader that can process credit card payments on a range of iOS and Android devices, will soon begin selling at Wal-Mart stores throughout the U.S.

The announcement marks a significant retail expansion for the device, which is already available at Target, RadioShack, Best Buy and approximately 200 Apple stores. Wal-Mart will bring its retail outlet total to more than 9,000.

The card reader itself, which plugs into the headphone jack of iPhone, iPad and a variety of Android devices, can be ordered for free at squareup.com or for $9.99 in stores. Those who purchase the device in stores can apply for a refund from Square online.

The low cost of entry has been effective in reaching the hands of Square’s target customers: small business owners who can’t afford to invest in credit card terminals. Some 800,000 devices have been shipped to merchants thus far, according to Bloomberg. The startup, which is now processing more than $2 billion in credit and debit card payments per annum, takes a 2.75% cut on all transactions.

Square raised $100 million in venture funding at a valuation of $1.6 billion this summer.



Mobile Payment Reader Square Coming to Wal-Mart

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Google to Launch Music Download Service in 2 Weeks


Google’s long-rumored music download service could launch within the next two weeks.

The music store will be an add-on to Google Music Beta, a free service that lets users upload and manage their existing music library in the cloud, “people familiar with the matter” have told The Wall Street Journal. Currently, access to the service is optimized for the desktop web and Android devices.

Like Apple’s iTunes service, songs will be available as MP3 downloads for about $0.99 apiece. The company plans to leverage its social network, Google+, to drive sales. Users can share songs with their Google+ contacts, who can then listen to those songs once for free with the option to purchase a download copy.

According to the Journal, Google is unlikely to secure rights to sell music from two of the four major label groups, Sony Music Entertainment and Warner Music Group, which would inevitably frustrate users who are unable to find songs they might be looking to purchase. Other music services, including iTunes and Spotify, decided to delay their U.S. launches until they had signed agreements with all four label groups.

Sony is reportedly unwilling to sign because it believes Google doesn’t do enough to stem piracy on YouTube and its Android operating system. Warner Music is unmotivated by the lack of financial incentive; Google Music is free and generates no revenue on behalf of the record companies — beyond driving sales through the downloads store, at least — while Apple’s forthcoming music locker, a $25-per-year service called iTunes Match, will share proceeds with the record labels.



Google to Launch Music Download Service in 2 Weeks [REPORT]

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Why the DJ Hates You!

Thanks to The DJ Gospel for this cool list.

100 Reasons the DJ hates you.....


1. The song you are requesting is being played.
2. You ask for a song that nobody will dance to.
3. You tell the DJ he sucks just because he won't play your song.
4. The only songs you know are line dances.
5. You want to hear every song by Britney Spears and Lady Gaga.
6. You complain that no one likes the song when the dance floor is full.
7. You think reserving a table turns the DJ into your own jukebox.
8. You ask to sing on the microphone like it's karaoke night.
9. You want to hear your song next or your leaving.
10. You declare that you just got to the club so the DJ should play all the hits just for you.
11. Your sad face does not move the DJ into feeling sorry for you and playing your request.
12. You have no concept that the DJ accepts tips.
13. You come to the booth and ask the DJ if he is the DJ.
14. You ask the DJ if he plays any good music.
15. Your requests aren't any where near the format the DJ plays.
16. You demand to hear your song because you are about to leave.
17. When we say we dont play a genre, you ask for more of that genre.
18. You keep asking what song is next.
19. You want to look at every song we have.
20. You don't dance to your request, then ask for more.
21. You think the dance floor is a portrait studio.
22. You make silly poses at the DJ like you are DJing.
23. You are part of a bachelorette party.
24. You grab or touch equipment while the DJ is playing.
25. You are so drunk you think the DJ booth is the bar.
26. You stay buy the DJ booth hoping to pick up women.
27. You keep trying to tell the DJ your life story while we are mixing.
28. You think you know what everyone wants to hear.
29. You ask for a song to be played again 5 minutes after hearing it.
30. You say you know the owner/manager in an attempt to get a song played.
31. You ask for the same song everytime you are there.
32. You take pictures of the DJ without warning him of the flash.
33. Your so drunk you keep falling into the DJ booth.
34. You spill a drink on the DJ equipment.
35. You ask that the volume be turned down.
36. You keep trying to get the DJ to dance with you.
37. You tell the DJ what songs go together that don't go together.
38. You stand by the DJ and stare awkwardly.
39. You think it's cool to just stand on the dancefloor and text.
40. You have to talk louder than the music by the DJ booth.
41. You think the DJ booth is a coat check.
42. You offer to tip but never do.
43. You run ladies off the dance floor.
44. You wear so much cologne/perfume the DJ's eyes water.
45. You ask us to play songs off your phone or download them.
46. You keep asking for a shout out all night long.
47. You want us to play a song you made.
48. You act like the DJ is your boyfriend when he is not.
49. You try to sing or hum the song you want to hear.
50. Instead of asking for a song you stick a phone in our face to show us.
51. You don't know the song just the number on the CD.
52. You get all of your friends to ask for the same song that we won't play.
53. You interrupt the DJ to get him to take your picture.
54. Your idea of good music isn't.
55. You think old school means 5 year ago.
56. You ask when do we start to playing something crunk.
57. When you hear a slow jam you think it's a signal to hump women like a dog.
58. If it isn't hip hop you just call it techno.
59. You keep asking for requests after the club closes.
60. You know the DJ and text him requests to get you in the door.
61. You know the DJ is working and you call over and over expecting an answer.
62. You ask for a song and stay at the booth until the DJ plays it.
63. You fart by the DJ booth.
64. You want something faster but are requesting something slower.
65. You keep trying to fist bump and high five the DJ.
66. You say the other DJ always plays your song when there is no other DJ.
67. You act worse than a 5 year old in the club.
68. You say you are spending a ton of money and we should play your songs regardless.
69. You want an in-depth explanation on how the equipment works.
70. Your requests are more like demands.
71. You vomit in or around the DJ booth.
72. You tell the DJ how bad the song playing is , then request an even worse one.
73. You ask the DJ to play something with a beat.
74. You threaten to get the manager to make you play a song.
75. Your song was played but you want it again because you were in the bathroom.
76. You think booty shaking music is just any hip hop song.
77. You make up a birthday so you can hear you or your friends name on the mic.
78. You give the DJ a napkin filled with requests and no tip.
79. You complain that the DJ DID play your song.
80. You hug and kiss the DJ and leave with some other guy.
81. You think after a DJ plays your song that he will play every song you want.
82. You ask for a song all night then you leave in the middle of it.
83. You want people to move off the floor so you can dance like a jackass.
84. You ask the DJ to hand out flyers to another club.
85. You tell the DJ his job is becoming obsolete because of ipods.
86. You tell the DJ that they quit making vinyl and his job will vanish.
87. You say you have a huge group there wanting a song when you only have 3 people.
88. You tell the DJ that you DJ too, when we ask where, you say your bedroom.
89. When you ask the DJ if he takes requests, then you have no clue what you want.
90. You run around the club telling people you are the DJ.
91. You think knowing the DJ is sure to get songs played for people you know.
92. You think dry humping the DJ is sexy.
93. You keep asking if you can try and spin.
94. You keep stomping on the floor just to get attention.
95. You still think it's cool to use your phone on the dance floor.
96. You spend more time updating your status online than dancing.
97. You ask the DJ to play something dirty.
98. You ask the DJ to play something you can dance to.
99. You throw up gang signs having no idea what they mean.
100. You are way too drunk.

Please reply and add more so we can make this list reach 200 or more!



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Halloween Music, Can You add more?



Here are just a few ideas for Halloween music can you add more in the replys?

Thriller
The monster Mash
The Purple People eater
The Munsters theme
The Adams Family Theme
Friday the 13th Theme
The Exorcist Theme
The freaks come out at night
Werewolves of London
Ghost busters
Nightmare on My street


What else can you name below in the comments section??

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Planing Your Wedding Part One: The Basics

"Planing Your Wedding Part One: The Basics"

BY DJ Tommy Mac & DJ Dollar Bill

So you've decided to get married! Congratulations!

By now you're starting to realize just how much planning and organization it takes to make a wedding day run smoothly, and are looking for some ideas and tips on the best ways to do things...that's why I'm here, to help you out.

Most wedding receptions today follow a pretty basic format, and while the order of certain events can vary from party to party, the general outline of events for the reception is as follows:

first hour: Cocktails - guests are just arriving, settling in, and helping themselves to some food and drinks. The Bride & Groom (along with the bridal party) may be there at that point, or may be off doing pictures somewhere and arrive later.

Once the bridal party has arrived and cocktails are over, what happens next?

The basic outline is:

Bridal party introductions

Bride & Grooms First Dance

Bridal party dance (optional)

Blessing of the meal (optional)

Toasts (optional)

dinner hour

At most reception halls I work at in this area, the caterers prefer the DJ's NOT to play dance music during the dinner service, as they wish the guests to remain more or less seated for easier service. There have been cases where there are longer gaps in time between courses and I have been asked to dance the guests for short spurts in between but this is usually a rare case. (Me personally I like to play Classics depending on your type of music you like; to keep guests heads bobbing, feet tapping, sing a long & a few may dance) I've noticed every crowd is different, some will dance during dinner & most wait til after cake cutting.

If there are 3 courses, i.e. Soup, Salad & Entree. I will do Parent dances ((Bride with father, Groom with mother) in between Salad & Entree. Approx hour after Bride & Groom receive their entree than:

Bouquet & Garter Toss (optional)

Cutting the Cake

The timing of these events varies from wedding to wedding, depending on both the timeline of the reception hall and the bride & grooms wishes. Your DJ can also help to coordinate all these events to make the day run smoothly, and in future posts I will go into greater detail with suggestions for the best ways to organize these events, as well as several different options and variations.

There will also need to be time set aside for the bride, groom, and family members to have pictures taken together. Make sure your photographer & DJ work together so that things don't get confused. For example, you don't want your DJ starting the cake cutting if the photographer is out in the lobby taking family portraits. A good DJ will always make sure the bride, groom, photographer, videographer and banquet manager are all prepared before starting any major event. Coordinating all these various events is a team effort and all contractors you hire should be willing to work with the others so that YOU don't have to worry about things the day of. If everyone is working together as a team and have coordinated their timelines beforehand, everything should run smoothly. I am not just your DJ....I'm your MC & Time Keeper (so you can let those of you with wedding coordinators, I got this :)

Keep in mind, there are no hard, fast RULES to what you must do at your wedding reception; some people enjoy things like the garter & bouquet toss, others feel that is not important to them and would rather skip it...the choice is up to YOU.

Some couples like to plan other special events for their reception, such as slide shows, or hire another entertainer, such as dancers, to perform at some point in the evening. Others have a family member or friend who they have asked to perform a live song for the bride & groom, either by playing live with an instrument or singing along to a musical track provided to the DJ.

While these things can be fun and add a special touch to your wedding day, keep in mind they need to be planned out accordingly at the proper times to make the day flow easily. Again, talking these things over in ADVANCE with your DJ, along with your banquet manager, will help things run smoothly.

In future posts, I will go into greater details on each of the special events of a wedding reception to give you a clearer understanding of why they are done and the best times to do them... or if you choose to do them at all.



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Planning Your Wedding Part 2: Let's Talk About Music"

Planning Your Wedding Part 2: Let's Talk About Music

A post Created By DJ Tommy Mac & Edited by DJ Dollar Bill

One of the biggest concerns, hands down, of any couple on the wedding day is what music should be played.

I generally run into two types of couples: Those who have very specific ideas of what they want and enjoy musically, and those who really have no clue and need my help.

Here are some helpful tips and ideas for you in arranging the perfect selection of music for your special day.

(note: while I will specifically be talking about weddings in most of these posts, they can be applied to any type of event as well)

First and foremost: Music selected for your wedding should be FUN. A wedding day is all about celebrating the union of two people and the joy of celebrating with family and friends, and the music selected should reflect that.

While there are no hard, fast RULES to any of it, in general the music selected should be fun and upbeat, appropriate for all age ranges (IE clean, no vulgarity or crude, explicit language) and lend it self to the joy and celebratory mood of the entire day...and of course, part of that celebration includes DANCING, so there should be plenty of songs chosen which are great to dance to.

Music, as with many other things in life, is a very subjective thing: what one person LOVES, another person HATES.

Keep in mind that, at your wedding, you will have a large variety of people there: Friends, family, co-workers...and not all of them will have the same musical tastes you do.

My general suggestion to my couples when selecting music is: allow something for everyone, try not to limit your music choices to just ONE style or era. You may LOVE todays latest club tunes or hip hop tracks, but think about whether your family or friends will enjoy hearing that all night long.

As your DJ, my job is to find the happy medium between what you, my clients, want, and what will make all the guests attending your special day happy as well.

I’m often asked how I as the DJ select the music that I will play for any given party, and my answer is simple: It’s combining selections from three different sources:

1: My Bride & Groom: The Bride & Groom’s requests take priority and are the basis for what ever else I chose to play through out the evening. I base my choices not only on their selections, but also what they have told me they do NOT wish to have played.

2: Guest requests: I am more than happy to take requests from guests, and as long as they fall into the appropriate guidelines I play as many as possible. Appropriate guidelines for guest requests are:

A: They meet with my bride & grooms specifications, IE are not on the “Do Not Play” list.

B: Are appropriate for the crowd: Unless it’s already been cleared by the bride & groom, a guests request for heavy metal or hardcore rap will NOT be getting played. Also any songs in general that are just inappropriate for the day: Break up songs, depressing songs, or songs that are totally obscure that no one else has ever heard of, will generally not get played.

(there are exceptions to every rule: I Will Survive is one of the most popular “break up” songs of all time and is requested and played regularly at many weddings, for example.)

3: DJ Knowledge: As a DJ with 25 years of experience, I bring my own personal knowledge of what works best to get a crowd up, dancing and having fun, and use my client & guest requests along with that knowledge to fill in the gaps and make it all flow together.

I am more than happy to accept any song list requests from my couples, and encourage them to choose at least 10-20 songs they definitely want played. Leaves me wiggle room to feel out the crowd & take some guests request. (On a AVERAGE ONLY 10-15 songs are played in an hour) My job is that much easier when I don’t have to GUESS what my couples enjoy listening and dancing to.

So I refrain from long 50 song list, most events not that long & doesnt leave room for any requests or for me to play something that crowd will dance to (Classics Always work)

Ex. I had a couple wanted nothing but 80's music & provide ALL the music for dinner & dancing, (which I tried to talk them out of, but said it's YOUR day...your wish is my command...Musical Genie) 1/2 way through event they came to me & said no one's dancing. I advised them, they picked the music not me & to break the chains off & let me do what I DO. They said go ahead Dollar & I kept the dancefloor packed the rest of the night.

2nd Ex. A couple picked few songs that wasnt popular & it cleared my dance floor, I immediately faded out song & re-packed dancefloor. That comes with experience & bride's mother thanked me at the end for not letting entire song play.

That being said, if you find your list getting very long, I always suggest giving me a “Top 10” of your favorite songs that MUST be played, and then allowing me to chose and select the best cuts from the rest of your requests to fill out the party.

I also encourage the “Do Not Play” list; it is almost, if not as important, as your requests. Again it helps me to know in advance the types of songs or music you simply, under no circumstances, want to hear at your party, so that should a request for one come in I know how to handle it. (I'm your BLOCKER)

While I have suggested planning and choosing your music with your guests in mind, this does not mean you can not choose some of your favorite selections and artists to be played at your wedding that may not be considered “standard” wedding music.

I get plenty of couples that enjoy such music as rap, alternative rock, hard rock, country, etc. that would love to hear some songs from these types of groups but worry that they shouldn’t have them played because of how the crowd may react.

Again, that’s where I can step in and help, for instance:

Even some of the most “alternative” or “heavy metal” bands have at least ONE nice acoustic or piano ballad type song that may just fit in as a slow dance or at least something that can be played during dinner.

I’ve also encouraged hard rock fans to choose something from that genre for their introduction music.

Same with rap: While it can be tricky at times depending on the song, there is no reason why some of your favorites can’t get played at your wedding, even if it’s only you and your friends who may dance to it. Not EVERY song played HAS to get EVERYONE involved.

My usual suggestion for these types of things is to perhaps save them for later in the evening; many times the older guests will start to leave early or at least tire out and aren’t dancing as much, and that’s the best time to work in some of those “alternate” choices. I also always suggest that the bride & groom should make an effort to actually come out and dance to these songs to make it clear that this is something THEY enjoy and chose to have played at their wedding; if the guests see YOU out there on the floor enjoying it, perhaps they will rethink their stance on the music and loosen up enough to join you.

As I said earlier, there are no hard, fast RULES to what can and can NOT be played at a wedding; in the end it is up to you to make those choices.

Select what you like, be willing to compromise, take into consideration your guests, and most importantly have FUN with it...in the end, that’s what it’s all about.

After All It's "YOUR DAY" and a Celebration !!



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BE PREPARED! Put together a Survival Kit for non-technical "Emergencies"

This post also appears on my Wedding blog at HERE
You know MURPHY (the one with the "LAW)" HE loves weddings!

After many years in the wedding DJ business I have seen just about every kind of emergency, big and small, that can pop up during the course of a wedding reception.  About 10 years ago I began carrying a Wedding Emergency Survival Kit with me to help out in case any of the typical scenarios (and some not so typical) happened at one of my weddings.  The kit was so useful that for a time I actually sold a modified version on the web.  I stopped producing the commercial version but I still carry all of the following with me JUST IN CASE!  Now I recommend that you carry a TON of technical emergency gear (adaptors, cables, etc.) this stuff is for the OTHER emergencies.  Why do it?  You can solve a problem and save the day making you not just a GREAT DJ but a SUPER HERO that clients will always remember and will talk about for years to come!  It's not only good business but hey...it's just awesome to be able to step in and help out to keep the day from taking an unnecessary turn for the worse.
 In preparation for the upcoming wedding season I did an inventory.  Here's what's in the kit right now......

Small sewing kit
Aspirin/Tylenol
Tweezers
Assorted Safety pins
Small scissors
Small can of hair spray
Hair pins
Tissues
Lint Brush
Cotton swabs
Band aids
Small snacks
Breath mints
Packaged Hair Brush
Small portable mirror
Hand lotion
Spot remover
Sanitary Napkins
Handkerchief
Clear nail polish
Nail file
Nail clippers
Extra earring backs
Baby wipes
Shoe polish
Scotch tape
Crazy Glue
Black Socks
White/Nude Panty Hose
5 "mini"umbrellas
Packaged Cake Knife & Server set
White Garter
Corsage/Boutonniere  Pins
Pens / Paper
Multi-Tool (Screw driver, pliers, knife, etc)
Bulldog clips
Sharpie Marker
Small Fake Flower Bouquet

Mini Coloring books/crayons
Several simple small "toys"
Ass't Batteries (9v, AA, AAA)
Flashlight
Ball of String
Spool of fishing line

It's all there in one big duffel bag and ready at a moments notice! Many of these items are one time use and they are replaced after they serve their purpose. I get lot's of this stuff at dollar stores because in a pinch you don't need a top of the line solution you just need a solution...period!

Let em KNOW!  


The key to the whole thing is making sure my clients know that I have this gear with me.  I usually like to mention it to the Mother of the Bride, Maid of Honor and Best Man too so that very little time is spent "searching" for a solution to a problem so time isn't lost from the party.  This is discussed in the final meeting with the client, it's in their "Welcome packet" but the most effective way is to just add it in during the line-up for the introductions.  "hey everyone just wanna let you know that I have a ton of stuff for any "little emergencies" or problems that might crop up.  If you need something from a safety pin to a breath mint come see me I just might have what you're looking for!"  Simple but REALLY EFFECTIVE!

I have used EVERY item on that list at least once at some event and many made their way onto the list when a situation arose that I was not prepared for at the time.  I expect that many more items will find their way into my Emergency Kit and that's just fine with me!

So am I missing something?  Got a recommendation for something I can add?   Let me know!





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The 2011 DJ Expo

Registration for the 2011 DJ Expo in Atlantic City is open! Don't forget that members of the US DJ Network can also attend the 14th annual "Poor DJ's Dinner" on the Wednesday night of the expo for great (cheap) food, networking, and more before we take in the DJ of the Year Awards and hit the big parties!

The 2011 DJ Expo



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Twitter....Facebook.....What the !!!!

I cannot tell you how many people have made the following statement to me in the last 3 months...

" I don't get (Twitter, Facebook)!"

It's a pretty universal feeling. I tried to step back and think of the best way to sort of encapsulate what these SM forums are and how they are different from one another.  I have settled on this....

Facebook is the equivalent of being invited into someone's livingroom and having a seat on their couch.  Twitter is the equivalent to booking a hall and offering free admission to anyone who's interested in hearing what you have to say.

So what do I mean?  Well let's look at them separately.

Facebook - If you are invited to a friends house to hang out and offered a seat on their couch...how likely would you be to launch immediately into a sales pitch about your DJ business?  Would you be more likely to ask them how they were and what was going on with them or would you dominate the conversation with info on what was happening in your world?  Most likely it would be a more natural conversation.  A back and forth with each of you showing interest in what the other had to say.  That's Facebook in a very simplified way.  We "friend" people on Facebook.  Our interactions there should be of a more friendly nature.  When you are interacting with potential clients you want to act like you're at a friends house chatting.  Showing genuine interest in what they are saying and what's going on in their world.  Commenting when appropriate on there status updates (wedding and non wedding alike) without acting like a stalker.  When (and if) the conversation comes naturally around to weddings offer your expertise but refrain from selling yourself.  After all if they know you are a DJ and they have need of one they'll be likely to inquire of themselves.  Once they open the discussion then fire up your sales pitch but only after you're invited to.

A couple caveats - Doesn't your Mom, your best friend, and your wife already think you're the Greatest DJ in the world?  Your past customers already benefited from your awesome specials and the current clients are anticipating your service but have paid their deposit and aren't concerned that "DATES ARE FILLING UP FAST!"  These are more than likely the people on your friends list (don't get me started on what value following every DJ in America does for any of us)  So FOR THE LOVE OF GOD PLEASE STOP POSTING THIS INFORMATION ON FACEBOOK!  How many times can we read about "Another GREAT event, for another GREAT couple, at another GREAT venue...blah...blah...blah" PUKE!  Instead what made THIS reception unique?  What happened that made this event unlike any other?  What was interesting?  I hate to say it but several of my fellow well respected DJ colleagues are hidden in my news feed for essentially spamming my wall with this type of repetitive posting.  Again consider WHO you are making these statements to. Give em something worth reading!

Twitter - You have information about what makes your business the most unique, best value, most exciting WHATEVER DJ service in your area or perhaps in the whole wide world!  Twitter is a great place to demonstrate this knowledge and these attributes...but hold on!   Before you go racing off to Tweet about your current "promotion" or "latest gear purchase" consider who's listening.  Who are your followers?  What information will they find interesting and how can you communicate it to them in a way that will keep them interested and MOST IMPORTANTLY will encourage them to share that information with their followers!  This is the goal!  RT (ReTweeting) is a MAJOR goal on Twitter.  Getting people with followers different from your own to repeat what you have said to their followers is a powerful way to get the attention of folks you might not otherwise reach.  So twitter is the Hall you book and then you open the doors and invite people in to hear what you have to say.  People will come in at first with their own agendas.  They want YOU to listen to them.  They are looking for you to RT what they have posted.  If you follow other DJ's don't expect to close ANY sales using Twitter.  They aren't going to help you out.  If however you follow all the banquet managers, venues (yes venues have their own Twitter accounts), planners, photographers, florists, cake designers, etc in your area and you find ways to communicate to them useful information you will raise your profile in their consideration.  If you take the opportunity to figure out who in that group is offering great information and RT that info to your followers you will become even more influential to those folks.

A couple caveats....don't RT any blog posts that you didn't read!  The worst thing is to see a DJ RT something from a planner and then to read the article where the planner disses DJ's.  Your reputation is at stake protect it and only promote the vendors that prove their quality.
Don't simply Tweet your own self serving information over and over.  You will find yourself talking to no one.  Instead post interesting articles you read on-line or genuine honest opinions about local wedding resources.  If you blog Tweet your postings, and do it 3 to 4 times in a day.  People access Twitter at different times so if you only post at 10am and someone doesnt sign on till 7pm they aren't likely to scroll back to see that tweet.  Instead try using one of the SM dashboards like HootSuite, Tweetdeck, or Seesmic to schedule the posts to appear at 7:30 am, 12 Noon, 7:30pm and 11pm (these are generally high traffic times on Twitter.  Those who see the posts multiple times will simply ignore them.  They are the most engaged and they will be used to this.

A word about Friends/Followers - This isn't a contest or a race to the most.  I asked this question on Facebook the other day... "Once EVERY person on Facebook has "liked" your fan page...then what?"  Seriously...what is the point of having 1,000,000 friends or followers if none of them are paying attention.  We have all "liked" things on Facebook for little reason other than that it was soooooo easy to do.  Tell me though...do you return to all those pages and participate on them?  Do you stay engaged in the conversation swirling around the funny video on your cousins page or did you watch, hit the like button and move on?  Be honest.  If you are honest you'll soon realize that a "like" is worthless by itself.  A like that is accompanied by engagement...ahhh now that's something else.  On Twitter it's even worse.  I know of a DJ who just celebrated his 100k followers on Twitter.  A close examination of his follower list and you can see he is being followed by about 95,000 twitter bots!!!  Those aren't people just programs...he is talking to software!  His Klout score (one of the metrics used to determine influence on the web) is low meaning he's not a "force to be reckoned with...he's just a dude who collects followers.  If that's what you want I can show you how to get there but you'll be wasting your time 100% guaranteed.

The goal here with all SM is to convert the influence and interactions to $$$ yes?  Then make sure there's ALWAYS some SOCIAL in your Social Media activity!



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Work FOREVER! (If you've worked in the past!)

There's a lot of time, money and energy invested in trying to capture new clients in the DJ world. There are an endless array of marketing options, seminars, workshops and videos that promise to show you how you can find clients and then sell them on your services. Many of these are fine strategies and well worth your time and investment. Some...well...not so much. However there is one really easy, highly effective and relatively inexpensive way to have future clients find you and enthusiastically book your services.



 So you wanna know what it is?
Your past clients.

Turn past clients into evangelists for your DJ service!
Yep...it's that simple.  There they are.  The folks who are best positioned to help you locate and sell future customers on your service are the folks who have experienced the value that you provide with your services!
Think about it....provided that you made your previous clients extremely happy...there is no one better positioned to promote your services.  Not even YOU!

Testimonials work.  Don't believe me?  Look at the success that WeddingWire.com has achieved in the heretofore completely Knot.com dominated wedding portal world.  What did WeddingWire do differently to come virtually out of nowhere and capture such a massive online market share?  It focused on reviews from real Brides & Grooms.  It allowed couples to read through reviews from other couples who had already taken the leap of faith with a particular vendor and get a glimpse into what their experience was.  The site has become one of the most dominant marketing placements for wedding services currently available.  Now as fantastic as WeddingWire is there's a more direct way to leverage this type of one on one, word of mouth referral power.

Earn it then Ask for it.

The goal is to exceed...not meet...expectations!
Uh huh.  That's how.  I know that appears to be really simple and honestly there is more to it than that.  It actually starts with something really basic but within the reach of every single DJ.  Actually caring about your clients and their events.  I mean genuinely seeking to understand what it is that your clients want from your services and from their event in general.   It starts by making yourself accessible to the client.  Make sure your clients know that you are ready and willing to work with them at every step along the way as they plan their event.  Be certain they have your email, phone numbers and understand that you WANT them to contact you with any thoughts questions or concerns.  THIS IS EXTREMELY IMPORTANT!  It gives the clients a sense of ease when they know they can get in touch with you when they need to.  Answer emails and phone calls as quickly as you can (obviously you can't take calls during another event or during a meeting but you can get back to the customer and let them know what the delay was)  I find that offering my cell phone number and an invitation to text me is a quick and easy way to answer many of the simple inquiries that my clients will have.  Talk about a positive customer service experience! When you reply to a customers text message in real time...well service like that is rare...you know it from your own experience!

Exceed the expectations!
The easiest way to accomplish this is by asking a ton of questions.  Information is power and it's also the key to over delivering on every single clients expectations.  By having clients identify what they are trying to achieve through their events you can go point by point through ensuring that you do everything necessary in the planning and then during the event to not only meet those expectations but....and this is important...to exceed them.
The 3 "touches"
One strategy to employ at every event is what I call the 3 touches.  Three separate times during every event I locate the client, physically turn them around to get a view of their entire event (you can do this casually by coming along side them and then just pointing to the center of the room) and ask these specific questions..

So how are things going so far? 


Is this how you expected things to be going at this point?


Is there anything different that I could do to make the event better right now? 


Listen carefully to the answers and look for clues in the body language of the client that indicate the level of honesty that they are giving you with their responses.  Often times clients don't want to be insulting or have a desire to avoid potential confrontation during their events even when they are not satisfied with the way things are going.  You need to be aware that a simple "Everythings great" is not enough unless it is accompanied by a relaxed posture, a big smile and a relative ease that says that they have relaxed into enjoying their event.  If the client gives you feedback on ANY aspect of the party that is not to their liking take immediate steps to gain control of that situation and to turn it to the clients expectation.  Sometimes this has more to do with other services that are being provided on behalf of the client.  It could be ANYTHING.  Remember that the whole is always greater than the sum of the individual parts.  If one part is "broken" it can drag all the others down with it.  Find ways to address any situation to help deliver to your client the experience they were seeking for their event.  Do this at the beginning, toward the middle and about an hour before the end of the event.  Rephrase the questions so as not to become "annoying" and  take any steps necessary as indicated by the clients response to not only meet, but again I say, EXCEED their expectations. I also make sure to take anywhere from 1-3 photos at every event of the client having a good time. (We'll use these later so do not skip this step.  It pays huge dividends.  We're not talking spectacular photos...just snapshots...in fact I most often times just use my phone!)

Now that you're certain that you have a clear understanding of what the client wants to achieve and you've taken the time to confirm that you are making that vision a reality you have positioned yourself to leverage their fantastic experience with your DJ services into referrals by taking some very simple but highly effective steps to turning past clients into evangelists for you company.  In the next blog post I'll discuss the strategies employed to get your past clients to bring lots of  future client to your door!  Subscribe to make sure you don't miss this info!

 



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Why you may not need "The top spot" on Google Search

Much energy, thought and effort is put in to securing the TOP spot on Google, Bing and Yahoo search results.  While this was an important consideration for Web 1.0 when customers were new to the web and had not figured out how to use the medium we are now dealing with web savvy consumers.  Todays web researcher is more intuitive and has a more acute BS detector which is set for a very low threshold.  While SEO (search engine optimization) does need to be a part of a effective overall marketing strategy it is becoming less and less a priority to simply capture that top spot as a means to success.  Here's why....

SEO...It's part of a larger picture
Truthfully though I am starting to think (realize) more and more that SEO is less and less effective. SEO for natural placement and discovery is akin to print advertising in years past.  Remember those Yellow pages ads where everyone wanted to add "AAA Disc Jockey Service" in order to get that first phone call?  THAT is todays SEO thinking only the web offers much more opportunity to engage and inform than the Yellow Pages ever did.  That's good and bad. Top organic search placement now feels more like gambling than strategy. You are hoping that you are placing the right "bets" (keyword distribution, reciprocal links, relevant content, etc) and that those bets will pay off in higher natural search placement eventually leading to sales. The problem is that the recent estimates on the number of small to large firms making SEO placement plays for payment put SEO at a $19B industry. We are all getting calls and emails from companies who claim to be able to put us at the top of the natural search results for various keywords. If this can/could be accomplished all your SEO efforts are worthless if a competitors SEO ranking company still gets him/her ahead of you in natural search. Consider this...no matter how much SEO anyone dumps into their website thanks to paid search results on Google, Bing and Yahoo paid advertisers will always come up above them on any keyword relevant search.  If you believe that the results of the Cornell University "Heatmap" research on clicks from 2006 still holds true (which in itself is questionable) those who are paying for placement at the top will still always capture the majority of the clicks.  If you feel this research still holds true then get into the CPC game and save yourself a lot of anxiety.  Just be prepared to shift a large portion of your marketing budget to this end.  


Now add to that the fact that most people still feel that the sales funnel to "conversion" success (getting from click to booking in our case) hangs on the so called "last click" when all other metrics are equal (same service options, similar pricing, equal prior brand awareness) So showing up at the top means the consumer search will start with you, but the consumer will desire at least one comparison and unless they recall your website and or brand as being in some way superior they will go with the last comparable click through as the end to their search. This makes being at the top a less desirable place.  The emphasis on being the first name that a consumer sees has diminished as people have learned to use the internet to research rather than as a simple resource for names, telephone numbers and pricing.  If your website isn't "up to snuff" you will not benefit in anyway from top placement.  Even if your website is entertaining, informative and engaging in all likelihood the customer is going to want to have something to compare it to.  This means they will be clicking on the next listing in their search results regardless.  



I am not suggesting that you ignore SEO entirely but I am saying that you should worry less about getting to that top spot.  Consumers will seek out multiple companies to compare and contrast.  Your goal should be to rank well (first page) and then to provide a dynamic site that makes a lasting impression.


Consider yourself
Think about your own internet search usage. If you are seeking a product or service where do you start? Let's assume for the sake of consideration that you have decided to use the internet to search out a service. You type in your search to your favorite engine and get 1000's of returns. You click on the first organic listing and the company seems qualified and their pricing is within your budget. Do you stop there? I don't. I want to see what else is out there so I go back to the original search results and click on the next link from a different company. I then compare the information on that website with the information I gathered from the first. If the service options are the same and the pricing is better I move them up to top consideration but i begin to wonder if their may yet be a better deal. so back I go to the results for another comparison. I stop when I feel 
I have a good idea of what the costs should be in comparison to the service offered and the budget I have in mind. If that first click didn't blow me away and the last click offered equal service for the same cost...I place my call to the page I am looking at. No reason to return to the previous sites. If the purchase is one of importance I may seek out personal referrals (posting to Facebook or Twitter "Anyone ever heard of or used __________") or look into online services (similar to Wedding Wire, etc.) that offer testimonials.  Including these type of 3rd party authoritative resources on your website will enhance your credibility and further encourage internet searchers to remember your service as they seek to compare your options and pricing.

So now what?
I think it makes more sense to make sure that what a client sees on our websites is motivating and memorable. Your website needs to out do the competition in every way to remain memorable. The ranking or the order in which it was clicked is far less important than the level of interest and engagement that the customer experiences when they are on the site. Working to make your site engaging and "sticky" (makes people take actions that keep them on your site longer) is a much more effective strategy than simply trying to catch them first.  Including items that are searcher friendly will yield big returns in brand retention.  This can be as simple as a Facebook or Twitter follow or "like" button, a link to your blog that lets people subscribe, or on the extreme a plug in or graphic that compares your offering to the competition.  If you can offer something that no one else is offering you give the consumer a reason to return to your site once they have completed the research phase of their planning.  I HIGHLY encourage opt-in email opportunities that will allow you to reconnect with those who have visited your website.  These can be as simple as a monthly or bi-weekly newsletter sign-up, a Top 10 Tips download, or even an exclusive deal.  Integrating Social Media opportunities into these offerings can further increase your chances to re-engage with a customer in the exploration phase.  For example offering an "Exclusive" deal to those who "Like" your Facebook business page or who follow you on Twitter.  Just make sure that you remain active and engaged in these mediums.  An untended social media outlet can result in your appearing to be absent something no customer wants.  content on social media should NEVER be advertorial (this looks and feels spammy) but rather should contain useful information for the customer.  I have read and agree with using a 60%-40% content strategy where you post 60% of content from outside sources and 40% original content that you create.  This strategy is maintainable without being overly time consuming.  Finally ENGAGE these social media contacts on a PERSONAL level.  Welcome new fans by name and start a conversation with them.  Give them reasons to return and interact (polls, contests, etc) and when the participate RESPOND!  That's powerful marketing that is alive and can grow into a sale or booking.



So how do I get them there?
So if you're not getting discovered through search how are you getting customers to your website?  Well I prefer a higher percentage of return than the gamble of SEO.  That's why my business strategy relies on my past customers becoming EVANGELISTS for my brand.  So how does that work?  Ahhh...I'm glad you asked.  That's the topic of my next post.   Subscribe and you'll know when it's been posted!



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The Anniversary Dance or Multiplication Dance

The Anniversary Dance is another great way to bring people to an empty dance floor. The Anniversary Dance can be done in many ways here is one:

1 - Starting with the longest married couples and working
your way down to the bride and groom.
2 - Starting with ALL the married couples on the dance floor
and working your way down to the longest married couple

(typically done in place of the "Garter & Bouquet").

I will typically do this before dinner
as a way to open / start my second set of then night if...
- The first set didn't bring many people to the dance floor
for whatever reason
- The bride and groom are looking for me to be very
involved, a lot activities, very lively, etc.
- The party / people need a good kick-start to get going
However, I will use this instead of the "WAFD" if...
- The crowd is on the older side
- There appears to be a significant amount of older married
couples
- The bride and groom are a fun couple, but not exactly
comfortable with a "fast dance" in front of all their guests
- A fast song might be too much for the guests right away -
I don't want to scare them away
- There are some family "situations" that make the
"WAFD" un-doable.
I will NOT do the "Anniversary Dance"
- If I'm aware of an older relative recently passing away
(could be uncomfortable)
- The bride and groom already want me to dedicate a song to
their Parents, Grandparents, Aunt & Uncle etc for their
Anniversary (it would be
repetitious)

Once I've decided I'm going to do the dance, I have to set
it up properly for it to be successful and the set up is basically the same as
the other two. The first thing I do is walk over to the B&G and let
them know that in 5 minutes / after this next song etc., that I will be doing
an activity to get things moving / people up and dancing. I do this to make
sure they stay in the room as they are the last and most important piece to the
activity. (nothing worse than inviting the B&G to the dance floor and
someone yelling out "The Bride is in the bathroom")

Next I walk out to the dance floor, and ask for everyone's
attention (it's very important to get everyone's attention for this activity,
because the instructions are very important and if you are unable to properly
convey those instructions to MOST of the guests, you could be setting yourself
up for trouble, as no one will know what's going on.) Once I have their
attention, here's my stuff...

"Ladies and Gentlemen, the next dance we'll be doing is called the
Anniversary Dance and it's a very simple thing to do. As soon as I start
playing the next song, I would like all of the couples that have been married
for ***50 YEARS or more, to please make their way to the dance floor.
After which, I will then invite all of those couples married ***40 Years or
more out to the dance floor, and so on until we have all of the married couples
here tonight out on the dance floor. So once again, when I start playing the
next song I NEED ALL the couples married 50 YEARS or more to make their way to
the dance floor."


Once I have made my way back to my equipment. I
start the song and once again announce "Will all those couples
married 50 YEARS or more please make your way to the dance floor."
It
is at this point you wait and see what happens. First off, if a couple
has been married for 50 years they're probably old and slow, so give them time
to get to the dance floor before moving on to the the next group (40 years).
Secondly, if you only get a few couples to come to the dance floor, it's time
to lay a little of your showmanship on the crowd and create one of those
moments that separate you from the average DJ. If I get 5 couples or less
out to the dance floor, I once again take mic in hand and make my way to the
floor. I walk over to one of the couples, politely lean in and ask them (off
the mic) "how long have you been married?". I then get on the mic and
announce "Ladies and Gentlemen ...54 years, how about a nice round
of applause."
I then do this for every other couple on the dance
floor (hopefully picking the longest married couple last). By doing this little
bit of showmanship you are
1 - Creating a very special moment
2 - Honoring some special people (typically the B&Gs
parents, grandparents etc.)
3 - Grabbing everyone's attention and guaranteeing that the
rest of the married couples will participate
4 - Showcasing your talent (trust me, if done right, they'll
know who you are)

Once done with this step, I move off the floor back to my
equipment and announce "And now L&G all of the couples
married 40 years or more, please make your way to the dance floor"
and
so on until you have everyone on the floor. Here's the order in which I proceed
1 - 50 years or more
2 - 40 years or more
3 - 30 years or more
4 - 20 years or more
5 - 10 years or more
6 - 5 years or more
7 - more than 1 year
8 - more than a day
9 - "all those couples married today,
please make your way to the dance floor"
(obviously the B&G,
and usually
accompanied by a round
of applause without asking)
10 - "and last but not least all of those couples
who feel like they're married, are fooling around, can't stand each

other"
etc (pick one or make up your own little funny punch line)

Once the song is over, I kick into one of the classic
wedding dance songs, because you have old and young people on the dance
floor and you want to keep them there.

Some quick little notes and thoughts about the
song and starting point. I always use the 5 minute version of "Always and
Forever" for my Anniversary Dance or "Through The Years", because the songs are classic known by
young and old alike and I need a good 5 minutes to pull this off properly.
While the song you choose is not as important, the length is. You cannot do
this properly in 3 1/2 minutes, especially if you do the part where you walk
out to the dance floor and honor the first few couples on the floor. As for the
starting point I used "50 Years" as an example, but I have started as
low as "30 Years", it all depends on the crowd. Before you start,
take a look around the room, if it doesn't look like anyone there has been
married for 50 years, back up a little. Better to be safe than start your dance
with nobody moving.

Make it your own and make it work. The B&G will be happy, the guests
will be impressed and everybody will be dancing. And what did you do? Nothing
more than take the initiative and play a song.



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What are some important question to ask your client you might have forgotten?



What are some important question to ask your client you might have forgotten?


What are some important questions to ask your client that you might have forgotten?
Here are just a few, please ad more to the replys below:

Are the centerpieces being given away?

What is your introduction music?

Are there disposable cameras on each table?

What time is Video and/or Photo Done?

What time do you have the hall to?

Are there any special announcements, Birthdays, or Anniversaries?

Is There Anything I missed?

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Boquet toss songs Can you add more?



Boquet toss songs Can you add more?


Bad Girls - Donna Summer
Where my girls at - 702
Calling all girls - ATL
Single Ladies - Beyonce
Girl all the bad guys want - Bowling for soup
Short skirt long jacket - Cake
Independent woman - Destinys Child
Rich Girl - Gwen Stefani
American Woman - Lenny Kravatz
Ladies night - Kool & the Gang
Supermodel - Rupaul
American Girl - Tom Petty
Cover Girl - New kids on the block (for a laugh)
Girls Gone Wild steel drum music
Girls Just wanna have fun - Cindi Lauper
Hot in Here - Nelly
Girls, Girls, Girls - Motley Crue
Lady Marmalade - Christina, Lil'Kim, Pink, Mya
Pretty Woman - Roy Orbison

Can You add any more? Please reply to this.

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Garter Songs Can You Add More?



Garter Songs Can You Add More?


Many men - 50 Cent
Dude - Beenie man
Hard workin man - Brooks & Dunn
Just a giggalo - David lee Roth
Good old boys - Waylon Jennings (from the dukes of hazzard)
Men in black - Will Smith
Bad to the bone - George Theorogood
so many men - Miguel Brown
Macho Man - Village People
Real men of genius (for a good laugh)
Sharp Dressed Man - ZZ Top
It's Raining Men - The Weather Girls
Country Boy'z - Tyra

Can you name any more? Please reply to this with them.
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Bride and Father dances or Father Daughter Dances



The following songs can be used for your Bride & Father dance.
CAN YOU NAME MORE?


The Times of your life - Lane and Nichols or Paul Anka
Through the years - Dorff and Panzer or Kenny Rogers
Turn Around - Belafonte, Greene, and Reynolds or Harry Belafonte
Thanks for the memory - Robin and Rainger or Bob Hope
My heart belongs to daddy - Porter
Thank heaven for little girls (gigi) - Lerner and Loewe
My Girl - Robinson and White or The Temptations
How sweet it is (to be loved by you) - Holland Holland, and Dozier or Marvin Gaye
Sunrise Sunset (Fiddler on the roof) - Harnick and Bock
Daddy's little Girl - Al Martino
Wind Beneath my wings - Siblar and Henley or Bette Middler
Daddy's Hands - Holly Dunn
In my daughters eyes - Martina McBride
My little girl - Steve Kirwan
Butterfly Kisses...Bob Carlisle
In My Life...The Beatles
I Loved Her First - Heartland
Lullaby (Goodnight My Angel) - Billy Joel



There are Hundreds more so PLEASE Reply to this and add your own!

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Basic Blank Wedding Introduction Worksheet

The Wedding introductions can be especially hard if you do not have an outline to follow or you read your notes that are not clear or you just scratched down while talking to your client so here is a sample for you. and the file is also attached as a plain rich text document.

WEDDING WORKSHEET

GROOM : _____________________________ BRIDE : ______________________________

LOCATION : _________________________________________________ DATE : ____________

Bridal Party Introductions

Parents Of The Bride : ___________________________________________________________

Parents Of The Groom : ___________________________________________________________

Bridesmaids Groomsmen

1 : ________________________________ Escorted By __________________________________

2 : ________________________________ Escorted By __________________________________

3 : ________________________________ Escorted By __________________________________

4 : ________________________________ Escorted By __________________________________

5 : ________________________________ Escorted By __________________________________

Flower Girl : __________________________ Ring Bearer : _____________________________

Maid / Matron Of Honor : ______________________ Best Man : __________________________

The New Mr. & Mrs : _____________________________________________________________

Blessing By : _________________________ Toast By : __________________________________

1st Dance : __________________________________By_________________________________
Song Title Artist

Bridal Party Dance : _____________________________ By ______________________________
Song Title Artist

Bride and father Dance: ___________________________By______________________________

Groom and his mother Dance: ______________________By _____________________________

Cake Cutting ? _______ Garter / Bouquet ? ______ Dollar Dance ? _____Centerpieces?_______

Announcements/Requests: __________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________________

INTRO SONGS: __________________________________________________________________

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Don't dump the Biz Cards just yet!

No more trading of business cards at conventions, bridal shows and networking events? Well maybe but we're not there yet.  You can however connect with other DJ pros and vendors in some pretty cool and high tech ways that just might be a lot more useful!
Business cards..well...they suck.  I'm sorry but they really do.  Whenever I go to a convention or a "professional mixer" networking event or even a bridal show, I come home with a stack of them.  In order to make them truly useful they need to be entered into my phone and from there into my database of vendors, sorted into the appropriate category and of course then shared into my email address book.  That's a TON of work for some information I may or may not ever need.  Well the good (and bad as you'll see) news is that there are a ton of companies trying to find a way to make it easier.  While it may seem like the days of the business card are numbered I don't think we'll ever truly get there but here are some great ways to get started using new millennium tools!
With the nearly universal use of smart phones in the DJ world you have many different choices for capturing and sharing that all important contact data on that small rectangle you've just been handed.  To start you can simply scan them using your all in one printer and then with the use of programs like ABBY convert them into searchable documents.  ABBY is character recognition software that will turn that scanned image into real text. This is a good start.  By creating a business card image folder you can make yourself a nice searchable directory.  Even if you don't create a separate business card folder using Google Desktop search can net you a pretty good return on a search performed by simply hitting CTRL 2x and typing in the search term.  If you want to go one step further you can cut & paste the info into your preferred contact manager ( I use Gmail so Google contacts is my default which plays better than nice with my Android phone!)  This is still pretty time consuming as you have to scan every card and then slice the data up.
Recently Hardware has been introduced that makes this job even easier.  You can pick up any number of business card scanners or a unit like NeatReceipts and the included software will instantly (though not always 100% reliably) sort that scanned data into a nice database that you can shuffle to where it works for you.  The big bonus to this dedicated software is that you can also use it to scan receipts for your business (something your accountant will appreciate at tax time.  Dude it's time to retire that shoe box!)  The downside...well they're kinda pricey and bulky and you have to sit down and manage the thing when you get back to the office.  It's still a process with too many steps.
This idea has been taken into the smartphone realm and now you're phone can do pretty much the same thing depending on the app you rock on your phone.  Using your phones camera and any number of either free (stay away from these they are frustrating in the that they limit the number of cards to something absurd or hold back the most useful features) or paid apps ($2.99 - $49.99) you can get the same result.  Simply fire up the app, snap a pic of the card and follow the steps on that program.  Pretty sweet!  Instantly available and depending on the app relatively simple.  But still a mulit-step process.
Enter the direct transfer.  If you have a Blackberry or you ever used a PDA (remember them) you've been using direct information sharing for years.  This process involves either clicking to transmit or "beaming" your contact info between to devices.  The end result all of the contact info immediately available right in you mobile device.  Already in the most likely place you'll want to use it.  Nice.  Nowadays the apps are many and varied that can accomplish this task.  This is good right?  Well, not really.  If you aren't using the same app as the person you want to exchange info with then there's no way to trade data or if there is it is less than straight forward in most cases and turns the process into a long a drawn out thing.  The beauty of the old skool business card exchange is that it's over in less than a second.  Sure it can be a mess to make that info usable and truly useful but the actual exchange is immediate.

To connect with people, first register at Hashable online and get the app for your phone. Once you’re set up, you simply use the standard hashtags, or you can create your own, then add a person’s Twitter handle and you have made your connection. Some examples are as follows.
#justmet @InsertYourName
#intro
#lunch
#coffee
#thanks
There’s also an Introduce feature, so you can play matchmaker on business and personal levels. Digital matchmaking in real time: who could have imagined?
To exchange business cards you simply use the Exchange Business Card feature. Once you’ve connected Hashable to LinkedIn your information is stored and ready to send electronically to your newest business contact or your latest love interest.
Hashable, now in Beta, available to the public without an invitation, recently released a new feature called, “The Inner Circle.” This allows users to see each other’s primary contact information and their interactions.
Before the official launch at SXSW, there will be several #HashUps. We, in the Chicagoland area are lucky enough to have Chicago pre-SXSW #Hashup next week on Tuesday, March 8th at Sushi Samba Rio!
While in its infancy, Hashable seems like a boon for the networking world. Give it a try and see if it enhances your business interaction and your social networking.

Be sure to check out the Hashable cheat sheet. Very handy for beginners.


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Mother son or Groom and Mother dance



Here are some ideas for the Groom and Mother dance. There are alot so please reply to this and add more!

I am your child - Barry Manilow
A song for my son - Mikki Verrick
Summerwind - Mayer and Mercer or Frank Sinatra
I get a kick out of you - Porter
You're the top - Porter
You are the sunshine of my life - Stevie Wonder
Wind beneath my wings - Siblar and Henley Bette Middler
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Wedding Ceremony Recessional Music

Here are just some ideas of songs you can use for your wedding ceremony recessional music.

Priests' March, The Magic Flute - Mozart
Toccata, Organ symphony No. 5, Opus 42 - Widor
Trumpet Tune - Stanley
Rondeau, fanfares for Violins, Oboe, Bassoon, trumpets, and Percussions (Masterpiece Theater theme) - Mouret
Bridal March - Hollins
March No. 4, pomp and circumstance - Elgar
Radetzky March - Johann Strauss Sr.
Benedictus - Simon and Garfunkel

Please reply to this post and add some of your favorite Recessional songs.
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Wedding Ceremony Processional songs

Here are Just a Few Wedding Ceremony Processional songs

Trumpet Voluntary - Clarke
Prince of Denmark's march - Clarke
Allemande - G Minor Suite - Pachelbel
Spring - The four seasons - Vivaldi
Apotheosis - Sleeping Beauty - Tchaikovsky
Music for a royal occasion - March - Handel
Air and Bourree - Water Music - Handel
Wedding March - A Midsummer Night's Dream - Mendelssohn
Wedding March - The Marriage of Figaro - Mozart
Wedding March - Bridal chorus AKA Here comes the Bride - Lohengrin - Wagner
Fanfare - Te Deum - Charpentier
St. Anthony Chorale - Haydn
Coronation March - Crown Imperial - Walton
Intrada - Sibelius

These are traditional and classical songs you can use.

Can you name any more in the comments below?

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Wedding Ceremony Prelude songs

Below are just some Ideas of Ceremony Prelude songs

Chant de May - Jongen
The Lors'd Prayer - Malotte
Adagio - Albinoni
Siciliano for a High Ceremony - Hoewlls
Wedding Day at Troldhaugen - lyric pieces Grieg
Largo - The New World Symphony - Dvorak
O Perfect Love - Burleigh
Benediction Nuptiale - Saint-Saens
Songs without words - #48 Mendelssohn
The Wedding Song - Paul Stookey

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Ballroom Dancing List - Fox Trot - Jitterbug - Rumba - Waltz - ect



Cha Cha:

Brand New Man Brooks & Dunn

Smooth – Santana ft. Rob Thomas
Dance With Me – Debelah Morgan

I Need To Know – Marc Anthony*
Friends In Low Places Garth Brooks
That Don't Impress Me Much Shania Twain
A Hard Days Night Beatles
Ain't To Proud To Beg Temptations*
Chain Of fools Aretha franklin
Do Wah Diddy Diddy Manfred Mann
Everybody Loves To Cha Cha Cha Sam Cooke*
Loco Motion Little Eva

Tea For Two – Tommy Dorsey*



Jitterbug:

In The Mood / Chattanooga Choo Choo / Pennsylvania 6-5000/Little Brown Jug – Glen Miller*

Take The A Train – Duke Ellington

Swing The Mood – Jive Bunny*

Rock Around The Clock – Bill Hailey & The Comets*

Jailhouse Rock / Blue Suede Shoes – Elvis Presley

Mack The Kinfe – Bobby Darin

Sexy & 17 – Stray Cats

At The Hop – Danny & The Juniors



Foxtrot

Fly Me To The Moon/ I’ve Got You Under My Skin – Frank Sinatra

L-O-V-E – Nat King Cole

Fever – Peggy lee / Michael Buble

Your Nobody Til Somebody Loves You – Dean Martin

It had To be You – Harry Connick Jr.

King Of The Road Roger Miller
Beyond The Sea Bobby Darin
Get Your Kicks on Route 66 Four Freshmen/ Nat King Cole
Mack The Knife Bobby Darin
Red Roses for A Blue Lady Vic Dana
There Goes My Baby Drifters
You Always Hurt The One You Love Henry Frogman
A Wink and A Smile Harry Connick Jr.

A Kiss To Build A Dream On – Louis Armstrong

Crazy Love / Have I Told You lately – Van Morrison


Triple Swing:

String Of Pearls / Tuxedo Junction/St. Louis Blues March– Glen Miller

Old Time Rock N Roll – Bob Seger

Runaround Sue – Dion

Still Rock N Roll To Be – Billy Joel

How Sweet It Is – Marvin Gaye

I Love You – Martina McBride

Im A Believer – Monkees / Smash Mouth

Im Gonna Be (500 Miles) – Proclaimers

Signed, Sealed, delivered – Stevie Wonder

This Will Be (An Everlasting Love) – Natalie Cole

This Kiss – Faith Hill

Rockin’ At Midnight - Honeydrippers


Foxtrot/Triple Swing:

Come Go With Me – Del Vikings

I Hear A Symphony – Supremes

Moondance – Van Morrison


Triple Swing/Hustle/Cha Cha:

My First, My Last, My Everything – Barry White


Foxtrot/Two Step/Single Swing:

Forever And Ever Amen – Randy Travis


Waltz

Come Away With Me – Norah Jones



Open Arms - Journey
Could I Have This Dance - Ann Murray*
Pocket Full of Gold - Vince Gill
A Lover's Prayer - Dion & Belmonts
Pretty Paper - Roy Orbinson
Rock & Roll Waltz - Kay Starr
Take It To The Limit - Eagles


Rainbow Connection – Muppet Movie


Viennese Waltz

Cant Help Falling In Love – Elvis Presley

I’ll Be – Edwin McCain

Delilah Tom Jones
Norwegin Wood Beatles
Scarborough Fair Simon & Garfunkel


Quickstep

Mr Sandman Cordettes
Summer In the City Lovin Spoonful


Rumba

Sway – Michael Buble’ *

A groovy Kind Of Love Wayne Fontana
A Summer Song Chad & Jeremy
And I Love Her Beatles
As Tears Go By Rolling Stones
Blue Bayou Roy Orbinson
Goin Out Of My Head Little Anthony
It's Now Or Never Elvis * (great one!)
Let's Get It On Marvin Gaye
My Cherie Amour Steve Wonder
Rain Drops Dee Clark
Under The Boardwalk Drifters*
I Cross My Heart – George Strait
Come Monday Jimmy Buffett
Best Of My Love Eagles
Slow Hand Pointer Sisters


West Coast Swing I Feel Lucky - Mary Chapin Carpenter
Mother In Law Huey Lewis / Ernie K Doe
Duke Of Earl Gene Chandler
Game Of Love Wayne Fontana
Mustang Sally Wilson Pickett
Joy To the World Three Dog Night
Maggie May Rod Stewart

The Way You Make Me Feel / Billie Jean – Michael Jackson

This Love – Maroon 5


Mambo

Mambo Italiano – Rosemary Cloony

Papa Loves Mambo Perry Como
Tequilla Champs
Because You Loved Me Celine Dion




Samba

In the Summer Time Mongo Jerry

Jump In The Line – Harry Belefonte

Cuban Pete – Jim Carrey
Rhythm Divine – Enrique Iglesias

Aint It Funny – Jennifer Lopez

Kiss Kiss – Stella Soleil

Tic Tic Tac – Fruit De Passion


Merengue

Hot Hot Hot Xaviar Cougat/ Buster Poindexter
Wolly Bully -Sam The Sham & Pharohs
You Can Call Me Al -Paul Simon
La Bamba Los Lobos/Ritchie Valens

Suavemente / Tu Sunrisa– Elvis Crespo*


Salsa:

Refugio De Amor (You Are My Home) – Chayanne

Sin Tu Amor – Christian Castro*

No me Ames – Jennifer Lopez & Marc Anthony


Swing/Lindy Hop:

Crazy Little Thing Call Love – Queen

Candyman – Christina Aguilera

Sing Sing Sing – Benny Goodman


Swing:

Jump Jive & Wail – Louie Prima/ Brian Setzer*

You & Me and The Bottle Makes Three – Big Bad Voodoo Daddy

Zoot Suit Riot – Cherry Poppin Daddys

Tell her About It – Billy Joel

Crocodile Rock – Elton John


Two Step:

River Of Dreams – Billy Joel

Lady In Red – Chris DeBurgh

Thank You – Dido


Tango:

Blue Tango – Leroy Anderson

Objection – Shakira

Boulevard of Broken Dreams – Tony Bennett*

La Cumparsita – Julio Iglesias

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