Cocktail Hour Music

Many of our clients enjoy classical music and suggest it for the cocktail hour.  We are happy to accommodate your wishes.  We would however like to make a suggestion.  Classical music is best listened to with attention as it has a variety of soft and louder passages.  When being played during a cocktail hour, the soft passages can not be heard above the conversation and the volume of the more intense passages is often too high for your guests to carry on a pleasant conversation. 

We suggest that you consider light jazz or instrumental versions of contemporary songs.  We can provide pleasant background music without the sleep inducing sounds so often associated with "elevator" music.  

 Wedding Tip of the Month

July

Be very clear to the Food and Beverage folks about how and when you would like dishes and glasses picked up.  I recently was at a wedding where the bride's mother had prepared herself a plate of appetizers, set it down at her seat, and then momentarily left to say hi to a guest.  When she returned to her seat the staff had already "cleared" her plate because she "was no longer eating it".  They did the same thing to a guest who had set his drink on the stage while he was dancing.  It was still 3/4 full. And how do I know about this?  It was distressing enough to the mother of the bride that she shared it with me. 

While you don't want to have a lot of dirty dishes laying around you also do not want your guests to be upset because their drink or food mysteriously disappeared.  If you are hosting the bar this can kill you financially becuase your guests are getting new drinks to replace the half full beverage that was cleaned up prematurely. 

Also, establish ahead of time who will be releasing the tables if you are having a buffet rather than plated meal.  some facilities will release the tables, sometimes it is the caterer and some times it is the entertainer/MC.  It is helpful to the entertainer/MC to know in advance is they will be releasing the tables.

June

Are you planning a formal dance for your first dance? Start with the bride going forwards, not backwards. When the bride starts out going backwards it becomes very easy for her to catch the hem of her dress with the heel of her shoes, even when the dress is bustled.

By the way brides and grooms, have you considered dance classes? In Loveland on Sunday nights, a couple named Judy and Eldon teach dance classes from 5PM to 8PM. The cost is only $3.50 per person. The first hour you learn a new ballroom dance step, the second hour is a country dance, and the third hour is spent on review of previous lessons. Scott and I went to the class on June 15 and picked up some great stuff. We would love to see you there.

If you are looking for something a little more private then give Dave Arns a call. For his contact information check our links page.

From Erin

"Our favorite memory of our wedding was the shoe game!  People are always asking/still talking about it."  Erin Maness

Erin and Chad were married at Wild Basin Lodge on May 25, 2008.

How Assured are You that Your Entertainment Will...

Greet your guests with a warm and welcoming ambience?
Provide fabulous music and master of ceremonies services at a comfortable sound level?
Provide sound free of irritating distortion?
Treat you as a respected client rather than a paycheck?
Keep your guests safety in mind while setting up the equipment?
Set up a system that doesn't have ugly loose wires hanging all over the place?
Dress appropriately for your event? And you decide what appropriate is!

Seeing an entertainment company live is not always easy. We would never invite someone else to come to your party. And so, we cannot invite you to see us at a private function. However, we would love to have you visit us during one of our public events.

We ask you to keep in mind that what you see will not necessarily be the exact performance you envisioned for your party; but, it will be what our current client wants. Each client has their own preferences and we do our best to exceed their expectations. So please come see us at one of the following events:

Gathering in the Garden - a fundraiser for Partners Mentoring Youth - Loveland. Will be at Chapungu Park at Centerra. Tickets are $25.00 (We will be providing Sound reinforcement only)

August 1, 2008 at Relay for Life in Estes Park CO. For more details please call us at 970-667-0646. Come support the American Cancer Society and hear some great musicat the same time.

Hiring a DJ or Entertainment

The first thought that comes to most people when they have never hired an entertainment service before is "what do they charge"? It is understandable that you want to know pricing so you can find the service that fits your budget. However, would you call a caterer and ask, "How much do you charge for food?" Of course not, you realize that the caterer will need to know if you want hamburgers and hotdogs, lobster tails and steak, or roast beef and chicken. And how many people you are feeding. It is the same with entertainment services. They need to know the date of your event, the location, time of day, exactly which services you need and any special needs you may have. That is one reason why you really need to speak with an entertainment service before asking about pricing.

You probably have a ton of questions and we’re happy to answer them for you. Of course, if you’ve never hired an entertainment company before you may not know what to ask. Here are a few things to think about.

*What are the results I want from my event?
*What is the age range of my guests and their music preferences?
*What types of music do I NOT want played?
*What is the experience of the entertainer that will be doing my party? Not the company, but the actual person at my party. And can I meet or talk with him or her before I decide which entertainment company to select? (for example, some companies don’t know who your disc jockey will be until the week of your party)
*Does my venue require that my entertainment company have insurance?

Brides, if you would like more to think about Click Here

Why knowing the location is important. Some people are reluctant to give the exact location of their party because they are afraid that if they say, “It’s at the Ultra Expensive Country Club”, the entertainment company will automatically raise the price because of the location. Solid Sound Entertainment does not operate that way. We have been in business since 1979 and we want to continue. The best way to be successful is to treat all our clients honestly and fairly and with excellent customer service. We do want to know the location because if it is in Colorado Springs or Sterling, we are going to charge you mileage we wouldn’t be charging if your event is in Estes Park, Loveland, or Fort Collins. Additionally, most event facilities have a reasonably easy load in with flat surfaces, an elevator, and electricity. But, not all do! If our staff has to hand carry lots of heavy equipment in order to reach their set up site, it will take more time. For sites without electricity we will need to bring our own power source. These circumstances usually result in a small extra fee. If we know this information in advance it will help us give you more accurate pricing.

From Courtney and Travis

"Thank you so so much for being a part of our special day. You two have been so helpful, energetic & a great addition to our day. We appreciate all your hard work and effort in making our day run smoothly."

Courtney and Travis were married June 14, 2008. Their reception went two hours overtime.

Great Music And...

Several years ago Scott and Diana were performing at Beaver Meadows. As we were setting up our equipment the cake arrived and the delivery person began putting it together. As she finished she realized she had forgotten to bring the cake topper. She said, “Oh well, I’m not going to drive all the way back to Fort Collins just to pick it up and bring it back.” We were shocked.

After she left Diana took one flower from each table centerpiece and made a floral cake topper. (That horticulture class at CSU came in handy after all!) The bride knew that it wasn’t her cake topper; but, the guests had no idea, and the cake fit with the overall décor.

At Solid Sound Entertainment we believe in taking care of our clients and making their event as stress free as possible, even if it means doing something that “is not our job”. We hope your event will trouble free. You can rest easy knowing that our staff not only plays great music; we will take care of you in any way we can.

Do you see the speakers? At Solid Sound Entertainment the guests want to look at you and each other. They are not interested in seeing big ugly black boxes. And yes, there really are great sounding speakers in this photo. We not only make you look good, you will sound wonderful!

2008 Testimonials

On May 2, Scott and Megan Ingram had a reception at St. Michaels in Greeley to celebrate their marriage. They were so happy with the services provided by their DJ, Mike, that they went an hour of overtime.

When asked to indicate what percentage the entertainment contributed to her wedding reception being a successful event, Alisa Bornhoft said, "100%". Adam and Alisa were married April 19 at the Stanley Hotel.

"The Stanley Hotel referred me to another company. By accident or FATE, I accidentally clicked on your link from an associated website. What a great mistake on my part! Diana went above and beyond in helping to plan over the other higher recommended DJs we looked at. Her level of customer satisfaction exceeded all expectation! The music Scott played to coordinate with our costume theme was one of my favorite memories from Christi's birthday party." Dan Duncan, April 5

"Thank you so much for the wonderful job you guys did at my 40th birthday bash. The music selection could not have been better. You are at the top of the list for any future events." Christi Duncan