Your Wedding day will be one of the most memorable days of your life. It is essential that you make the right choice in choosing your wedding venue. Below are a few key things that Toronto Wedding DJ Services believe you should take into consideration when choosing your wedding reception venue.

Book as early as possible

You will need to book the reception venue as early as possible. For some of the more popular sites, you will need to book a year or more in advance. It will be even more difficult to secure the venue if you are going to have your wedding on a Saturday. This is because Saturday is the most popular day for weddings in Toronto. On the contrary, Fridays and Sundays are less popular and you can secure your venue relatively easier if your big day is on a Friday or Sunday. Some venues may even offer you discount if you book for a Friday or Sunday. Of course you cannot just think of money saving, you will also need to consider your guests. Your guest may need to leave early if your wedding is on Sunday because of work Monday.

Space for dancing

You should make sure that the room your reception will be held in has an area large enough for your guests to dance. You may also need to make sure that there is also enough space to accommodate your Toronto Wedding DJ and that the venue has a loading area for them to bring equipment in and out.

Number of guests

You will want to carefully consider the amount of space available at the wedding venue. Is it large enough to hold your entire wedding party? Or if you are planning to have a smaller, more intimate wedding you do not want a site that is too large either. So with planning ahead based on the size of your wedding you are able to make sure the size and space at the venue will enhance the wedding and not detract from it.

Parking

This is something to think about when you visit the venue. Is there enough parking space for everyone who is attending the wedding? Do they have handicapped parking? Expecting guests to park far away and walk can really be a lot to ask. You want the event to be as easy as possible and ample parking can really help your guests feel welcomed. This is especially those guests that arrive fashionable late to the event.

Prices

Most receptions last between 5-7 hours.

Ask how many hours you will have for your reception. Some facilities will give you four hours and charge you additionally for every additional hour.

How much is the total rental fee and what does the price include?

Ask about the deposit, how much and when is the balance due? Ask if they have any wedding packages. Sometimes facilities will offer wedding packages including food, flowers, wedding cake and even a limousine. Although you limit some of your choices, it can save you time and money. Also ask about any extra charges

Proximity

Decide if you want separate venues for your wedding and reception. If you want to do them both separately, then choosing venues that are closr to each other is a good idea. Make sure that the reception venue is going to seat all the guests that attended the ceremony and a few more. Usually more people attend receptions than the actual wedding.

It is a good idea to ask if the venue has a relationship with local hotels/motels so overnight accommodations can be made for the Bride and Groom and your out of town guests. If it is a hotel, ask if you can you reserve a block of rooms at a discount?

You may also want to print directions to the ceremony and reception venue for your out of town guests. It may be wise to print directions to the hotel also.

Amenities

Does it have air conditioning?

Is there a room available for the bride to use during the reception to change clothes or just freshen up?

Make sure that if there are certain decorations that you see now and like, that they will still be available on your wedding date.

Many venues will have a Wedding Day Coordinator on staff and at no extra charge. The role of the Wedding Day Coordinator is to make sure that everything runs smoothly for your wedding day.

By visiting potential wedding venue sites before hand you can really learn a lot and then make an informed decision based on your findings. Do a walk through of each and every place you consider for your wedding. Bring a camera to document specific things you think make one site better than another. Also, carry a notebook and pen with you to make any notes or remember any questions you might have.The most important thing to consider is how you feel about the site. Trust your instinct and make sure the site is something that speaks to you. It should be a place that you can easily imagine yourself getting married at.

A wedding mc (emcee) is the Master of Ceremonies for the reception and as such his or her role is to ensure all the events at the reception flow smoothly. Here are a few tips to help you become a great wedding MC.

1. Have all important information written down in front of you.

Being a master of ceremonies requires you to remember a lot of information. Do not risk getting the information wrong, or going blank. Have a safety net so that if you are nervous and forget, you can glance down and find the information easily. You need to have this information available in the way that best suits you. Cue cards are quite common: this is where key points of information are written on a set of cards. However, just make sure all the cards are joined together in some way, so that if you drop them they can't get out of order. Alternatively, you may find it easier to use A4 sheets of paper with key words and phrases written on them in large print.

2. Keep everything and everyone to time.

As the master of ceremonies you are usually both an organiser and a speaker. Part of your job is to make sure everything runs to time. If this means you remind the father of the bride that he is to give a speech in ten minutes so he can go to the bathroom first - you tell the father of the bride. If you need to remind the DJ that the bride and groom will start dancing at 8pm, you remind the DJ. If you need to talk to everyone in advance about the length of their speeches and how to help them stick to time, then you talk to all the speakers in advance. You do whatever you need to keep to time.

3. Do your background research early.

Part of your role as wedding emcee is getting to know the bride and groom. You’ll need information about them so you can prepare your speech and include anecdotes.

4. Proper Pronunciation

Know the names of all the people you will be introducing, including how to correctly pronounce their first and last names.

5. Practice, practice, practice

Practice your speech several times before the wedding day. Memorize your opening and closing lines, including the toast.

6. Say Hello

Introduce yourself to the wedding guests so they know who you are and why you’re speaking.

7. It's all about them

Focus the wedding guest’s attention on the bride and groom. After all, it’s their special day and they should be the center of attention

8. Assemble A Running Sheet

Planning is vital if you are to make a success of your role. The only way you can keep the nerves under control is to know exactly what happens when and where and who’s involved. You need to prepare a running sheet that shows, minute by minute, what is to happen when, where and with whom and you have to liase with all the leading participants to ensure they know what they have to do and when. For example, do all those making a speech or toast know how long they have to speak for?

9. Remember

Do not make long rambling monologues. You are there to simply guide the course of events. The actual events have their own energy.

10. Be firm but respectful:

Perhaps one of the hardest parts of being a wedding master of ceremonies is having to manage intoxicated/inappropriate wedding speech givers. You may be called upon to cut short a speech which is causing offence (or boredom) to the audience, so be tuned to the audience and speakers at all times. This is yet another great reason to have the speeches early on.

Your choice of wedding rings is an important decision. There are many factors to consider to help ensure that the wedding ring you choose today will be one that you can enjoy for many years into the future. When selecting wedding rings, you will choose between styles, gemstones, metals, and cost. You will also need to decide if you and your spouse want matching wedding rings.

Set your budget

perhaps somewhat unromantic, but very realistic.

Your wedding ring should fit your lifestyle

so it can be worn everyday.

It should be well designed

so it will securely hold and protect the diamonds.

It should be durable

so it will endure and not wear out.

A larger diamond doesn't always mean a better diamond. Consider all aspects of the purchase such as cut, color, and weight. When making a purchase. Cut is what makes the light reflect the best. Order your wedding band at the same time you buy the engagement ring. Then the pieces are guaranteed to match and be perfect together.

A professional Toronto DJ or Master of Ceremonies (emcee) is responsible for creating the right mood while keeping everything organized for your reception, and sometimes even your ceremony. Here are a few tips to ensure you will have a smooth wedding day:

Always

Finalize your timeline with your DJ seven to fourteen days before your event. You will need to go over any last minute changes, discuss name pronunciations, music and your desired atmosphere. It is important that the DJ who will be hosting your event understands what you expect.

The First Dance

Don't wait forever to do it and don't do it forever. One of the special moments of the reception is the bride and groom's first dance. Having your first dance immediately following the grand entrance is a great way to start the party with a flourish. As you are introduced, all of your guests are seated and more focused on the two of you than at any other time during the reception. Entering the room and going directly to the center of the dance floor for your first dance is sure to create what we call the "wow factor." Delaying your first dance until after dinner or after you visit each table of guests will deflate the energy of your reception.

Seating

Avoid seating guests between the DJ and the dance floor. Guests who are forced to sit directly in front of the DJ speakers will inevitably complain about how loud the music is even before the dancing begins. Your DJ needs to monitor sound levels and interact with the dancers to create and maintain a high energy reception. He can provide his best service and maintain the energy of your reception when he is located adjacent to the dance floor.

A Good Toronto DJ

A good DJ is someone who can emcee your night, make all the proper announcements to make sure everything runs smoothly. Let him know the amount of interaction you desire: conservative, outgoing, or anywhere in between. Sometimes a DJ can do too much – this takes the focus off the bride and groom. Its not the DJ's night its your night.

Location

Your DJ's location in relation to the dance floor is a critical factor in creating a high energy reception. Avoid placing your DJ in a corner far removed from the dance floor. Sound and lighting will be compromised, or cables and wires will need to be placed between tables to locate speakers and lights at the dance floor. And that's impractical with guests and servers moving about. Also, your DJ should have a complete view of the room in order to MC reception events effectively. If you tuck your DJ away, your reception's energy level will suffer because your DJ will have difficulty seeing and hearing what's happening.

A small list of things to ensure your big day has no bumps in the road:

Aspirin and Gravol.

A headache is a good possibility and nerves could cause an upset tummy, make sure you have these two things stocked up

Something to eat.

Maybe prepare a nice cheese and cracker tray the night before, not just for yourself, but for your attendants too. It would also be nice to have one available for the groom and groomsmen. The one thing that people always forget to do is eat, so finger snacks are probably more practical.

Extra makeup.

This is especially important if you are not having your makeup person with you all day. We have no doubt that you will want to touch up your makeup several times through the course of the day. Make sure you have powder to get rid of shine and lipstick.

Stain remover pen/wipes

Just in case a nasty spot suddenly appears in all too wrong a place on your dress. And right before that all important picture.

Q-tips and tissues.

The makeup is going to run, you're probably going to cry. Be sure you can touch up easily.

Nail Polish and a Nail File.

Gee my nails look great! until you break one. Don't leave it to chance, be prepared.

Extra pairs of nylons and garter.

This is particularly important if you are planning the garter shot, which in most cases comes closer to the end of the evening. You're fresh pair of nylons you put on in the morning could be a nightmare by the evening, especially if you are wearing crinolines that snag the hose.

For your breath

You will be kissing people all day, remember to keep these close

For your dress

Static Guard. You may not need it, but your wedding party might.

For your hands

Hand lotion/sanitizer.

Safety Pins, Masking Tape, Stapler, Small Mending Kit.

Mirror

Small compact or hand mirror to go along with the makeup.