Time of Your Lives
Our monthly newsletter: May 2012
VOLUME ONE, ISSUE ELEVEN: May 15, “This one is for your parents”
Welcome:
My name is Stephen Scott, and I am a Wedding DJ, having worked in Honolulu, Kansas City, and now Springfield, Missouri. I have been performing at Weddings professionally since 1996, and I feel like I have picked up some wisdom on the subject. As a DJ, my perspective is always on how we can make events fun and memorable. I want everyone to have the time of your lives, hence the name of this newsletter. Normally I focus each month on something other than music and then show how easy it can be to incorporate it into your Wedding.
This one’s for the parents.
We’ve just passed Mother’s Day, and with Father’s Day soon to follow, I thought it would be a great time to think about the traditional Special Dances. There’s always a First Dance for the Bride and Groom, and depending on the circumstances there is usually a Father / Daughter Dance and sometimes a Mother / Son dance. This month’s newsletter will give you some things to think about when it comes to the Parent’s dances.
think small (and personal)
First of all, this does not have to be an elaborate activity. This is one of those special moments that is special because it is small and personal. There is plenty of time to take a few minutes and and just share a dance with one of your parents. The whole room will clear out and give you some space, and even though there will be music, enjoy this quiet time in the middle of the storm.
think about your parents (and why you want to dance with them)
Hopefully, you’ll have some good memories about growing up and what they have done for you. Think about what you would say if you had three minutes or so alone to let them know how you feel. It may be a few specific things, it may be a whole lifetime of feelings, but I know that you’ll remember what you say the rest of your life. The crowd will just morph together in the background, and it will be just the two of you, (for just one quick moment)
think about a song
Now that you’ve visualized that moment, was there a song already in your head? If so, go with your first choice. If you’re not sure, I have a few song suggestions below. I did a little research for this newsletter, and I made a list of every song I’ve played for these dances for the past fifteen and a half years. (that I still have notes on) Some of the popular choices get repeated over and over again because they were specifically written with this dance in mind. But notice that there are several, several other songs that have been chosen for one reason or another. There is no right or wrong choice in this matter* as long as it makes you two happy, it’s OK with me.
Popular Father Daughter Songs:
“Butterfly Kisses” has been far and away the most popular Father & Daughter song in my experience, with “I Loved Her First”, and “Because You Loved Me” close enough to call them a tie for second place.
Bob Carlisle: Butterfly Kisses
Heartland: I Loved Her First
Celine Dion: Because You Loved Me
Natalie Cole: Unforgettable
Frank Sinatra: The Way You Look Tonight
IZ: Over The Rainbow
Temptations: My Girl
Tim McGraw: My Little Girl
But you will also notice a wide variety of songs chosen for personal reasons.
Beatles: In My Life
Bellamy Brothers: Let Your Love Flow
Ben E. King: Stand By Me
Boston: Let Me Take You Home Tonight
Cat Stevens: Morning Has Broken
Celine Dion: Because You Loved Me
Chuck Wicks: Stealing Cinderella
Crystal Shawanda: You Can Let Go
Eagles: Best Of My Love
Enya: Only Time
Frank Sinatra: I’ll Be Loving You Always
Heart: Dog & Butterfly
Holly Dunn: Daddy’s Hand
James Taylor: How Sweet It Is To Be Loved By You
LuLu: To Sir With Love
Mikki Viereck: A Song For My Daughter
One More Time
Pattie Griffin: Heavenly Day
Paul Simon: Father And Daughter
Pink Floyd: Shine On You Crazy Diamond
Rascal Flatts: My Wish
Rod Stewart: Maggie Mae
Steven Curtis Chapman: I Will Be There
Tony Bennett: The Way You Look Tonight
Van Morrison: Brown Eyed Girl
Van Morrison: Tupelo Honey
Popular Mother Son Songs:
“A Song For Mama” and “The Man You’ve Become” are the most commonly chosen songs, but there are plenty of other choices.
Boys II Men: A Song For Mama
Mary Pasuti: The Man You’ve Become
Reba McEntire: You’re Gonna Be
Rod Stewart: Have I Told You Lately
Beatles: In My Life
Lynrd Skynrd: Simple Man
Randy Travis: Angels
photo by Jon Dunn
Backstreet Boys: The Perfect Fan
Barbara Striesand: Evergreen
Barbara Striesand: Memories
Ben E. King: Stand By Me
Bette Middler: Wind Beneath My Wings
Blake Shelton: The Baby
Dean Martin: When You’re Smiling
Diamond Rio: I Believe
Elton John: Blessed
Elvis Presley: Can’t Help Falling In Love
Fiddler On The Roof: Sunrise, Sunset
Five For Fighting: 100 Years
Fleetwood Mac: Landslide
Frank Sinatra: Young At Heart
IZ: Over The Rainbow
James Taylor: Fire & Rain
Jim Brickman: Valentine
Kenny Loggins: Danny’s Song
Louie Armstrong: What A Wonderful World
Norman Blake: You Are My Sunshine
Stevie Ray Vaugh: Life By The Drop
Stevie Ray Vaughn: Little Wing
Tracy Byrd: Keeper Of The Stars
Van Morrison: Magic Time
Waylon Jennings: Mama’s Don’t Let Your Babies Grow Up To Be Cowboys
But Wait, there’s more!
now that the elements are are all together in you head,
think about how you want to put them together
Sometimes, you might want to dance with a little flair. We can combine parts of a slow and fast song together if you actually want to “dance” for everyone. Or, if you (or your Parent) is a little shy, I can ask other couples to join you on the dance floor. We don’t have to have the isolation moment if you don’t want it.
Or, if you want to do something extra personal and special, I (and several other DJs) could help out by recording some of your thoughts and adding them in with the music. The voice overs will make sure you don’t forget what you wanted to say, and also lets your guests in on this private moment. You could say something about them, they could come in and say something about you, there are plenty of ways to make a song your own with the voice over technique.
Hopefully, the list of songs, or the visualization technique, or letting you know about the voice over technique will help you get an idea of how you would like this moment to be. Don’t stress out about what “you are supposed to do” – if you think it’s the right thing to do, it probably is.
And one last thing,
think about how happy you will make your parents feel by doing this.
Relax, have the Time of your lives.
The Real DJ Steve
Stephen has worked as a part-time Wedding DJ since 1996 under the company name Soundworks. In 2010, he accepted his own personal destiny and started Stephen Scott’s Amazing Weddings as a full time venture.
More information is available at Stephen Scott’s Amazing Weddings.com, Facebook, YouTube, LinkedIn, Twitter, and 417-595-0553.
After performing hundreds of weddings in and around Honolulu, and Kansas City, Stephen has moved to Springfield Missouri in May of 2012. I’ve seen many different traditions and picked up all kinds of behind the scenes knowledge. For example, the original working title for this newsletter was going to be “Stephen Scott thinks he knows everything about Weddings” but I wouldn’t want anyone to think I let it go to my head. There are always new things to learn. Experience does help, but every client is unique, and every night can be special.
Please email dj@stephenscottsamazingweddings.com if you would like to see our free Wedding Planning Guide:
“Making the Traditional Activities Amazing!”
MORE MUSIC NEWS AND INFORMATION ABOUT KANSAS CITY WEDDING DJs IN GENERAL CAN BE FOUND THROUGHOUT THIS BLOG AND ON OUR REGULAR WEBSITE: Stephen Scott’s Amazing Weddings
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We’ll be back next month with more ideas on how to ENJOY your Wedding
* ok, maybe there are some ideas that are better left as ideas. My favorite IDEA for a Mother Son Dance was “Super Freak” by Rick James. A bride and groom were joking about this when we were brainstorming and the thought of it just stuck in my head. They chose another song, obviously, but when I was talking to the Mom at the Wedding Reception, it turned out that happened to be one of her favorite songs when she was younger, and it was a well-known inside joke. She and her friends still like to dance to that when they go out. (Think about the ages and how long ago that song came out, I bet a LOT of parents liked that song when they were younger…) Using that for the Mother Son song would have been a little too much, because it would have embarrassed the son, but I was happy to play it later on in the night. And I noticed that the mom and her friends did enjoy dancing, along with the cousins and a lot of other people. It’s OK to have fun, just do it at the right time.
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All Good Things…
It is with a sad heart that I must announce that Some and I are now officially separated, in the process of getting a divorce. Which is the reason for my just finished / still unpacking move to Springfield, Missouri. We started dating in 2001, and just passed our 9 year anniversary in March. It’s a hard thing to let go and move on after all of that time, but we had passed the point of where we could stay together. Now that there’s nothing we could do to stay together, there is no point in fighting about things any longer.
I have gotten some advice that it would be better not to talk about the divorce online as it would be “bad for business*“, but that goes against everything I stand for as a DJ. Put simply, the Real DJ Steve does not deny, I embrace. Other DJ’s may get hired for this ability to be slick in any circumstance and keep things out. I think that people hire me because of my staying genuine, letting them into my lives as more than just customers. I may not be perfect, but I put everything I have into getting to know my clients, and I think that comes through in my performances.
So, from a practical point of view, there would no way I could be me, and try to pretend that the last 12 years of my life did not happen, or try to erase every picture or reference of my wife from the internet, or say I just moved to Springfield because I “felt like it.” I think I owe it to my public to embrace the truth. I know I owe it to myself.
And while I will not get into the specific reasons, the split has been coming for a while. We have both known it was inevitable for a long time, and the hard feelings are already starting to subside. I wish nothing but success for her, and I plan on staying in touch. It will be difficult for a while, but I think we both have a chance to be happy later on.
And the truth is, I will probably still love her for as long as I live, even though we won’t be together. Anybody meeting me from this point forward will just have to get used to that. (I’m REALLY not in the mood to hear any X-wife jokes) It’s a weird kind of personality quirk that I have, once I love someone that much, I’ll love them forever, even if I never see them again**.
So, to finish this part of the announcement, I have no intention of taking her pictures off of the website. We’re moving on, but for a while, she was here, and we were happy. In fact here’s a new picture from when we got started, and the end title sequence from our Wedding slide show. In my traditional way, I am sorry our time is over, but I am glad for our time together***.
Steve & Some @ Mall Of America, 2001
a couple of weeks ago
When I was close to defeat, I rose to my feet
I don’t think so.
Now that the jokes are out of the way, the question remains, what am I going to do? I am going to handle this the way I handle most everything in my life nowadays – I am going to completely throw myself into the music. Sometimes it helps to be lucky, as well as good. I chose to live in Springfield for a variety of reasons: I do have family in the area, I lived here for 6 years, (class of ’92 from SMSU), the economy looks good, it’s far enough away from KC for me to clear my head, and it’s close enough to KC that I can continue to work the dates on my calendar. I haven’t even been in town for a week yet, and it looks like I made a great choice.
The city seems to have grown tremendously since I left in ’95, and it’s gone quite upscale since then. I was a little concerned before I got here about the market being large enough to support a high end Wedding DJ, but my early indications are that things are going to be great here – more details in blogs to come. As a side effect of living in a college town, there is a good chance I could pick up some complimentary night jobs at bars in town during the week. I’ll always be a Wedding DJ first and foremost, but working at a club Tuesday through Thursday wouldn’t interfere with that – it would help me stay sharp with the music, and be a lot of fun too.
And now that I have actually worked out the logistics for being a traveling DJ to continue working in Kansas City, there’s no reason to stop working in Kansas City. My referral network up there still has leads coming in, and my relationships with a couple of hotels will actually be quite convenient now that I will need a place to stay from time to time. In fact, there’s no reason why I can’t continue to travel throughout the region. I obviously will have more connections to Kansas City, but the logistics for traveling will work in other places. There will be many more details about this coming soon.
We will see what the future holds, but for now, it’s wide open.
2012 was on pace to be my best year ever, and in many ways it probably will be. But thinking about the possibilities for 2013 makes it hard to contain myself. I have been blessed to live in interesting times with my personal life, and I take the bad with the good. I did not plan to be here by myself, but as a DJ, this is exactly what I want to be doing. I’ll have more info and updates as they come along. Expect good things, they are right around the corner.
Springfield Missouri Wedding DJ - The Real DJ Steve
* as a coincidence, I happen to know 3 friends that are also breaking up right now. 2 of them ARE handling it badly. I understand their pain, but I wish I could give them a gentle reminder that “you do realize people can read what you write on the internet, don’t you?”
** On a side note, I still love my Prom date from 1988, and I haven’t gone 4 nights in a row without dreaming about a particular island girl, and I left Hawaii 13 years ago (thanks subconscious!) To think I’ll “get over” Some is kind of ridiculous. especially when I don’t want to.
*** I shouldn’t die for another 50 years or so, but when I go, I am a big believer in the New Orleans style funeral tradition. Celebrate the good memories, forget the bad, and turn on my music! There should be plenty of tunes on the Mixcloud, or whatever they have in 2067.
MUSIC NEWS AND INFORMATION ABOUT SPRINGFIELD, MISSOURI WEDDING DJs IN GENERAL CAN BE FOUND THROUGHOUT THIS BLOG AND ON OUR REGULAR WEBSITE: Stephen Scott’s Amazing Weddings
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OR BETTER YET, IF YOU ARE PLANNING AN EVENT, CLICK HERE AND TELL ME SOME OF THE DETAILS. I WOULD LOVE TO BE YOUR SPRINGFIELD, MISSOURI DISC JOCKEY.
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Real Kansas City Weddings
Jordan & Scott: 2012.04.21
We were happy to perform at the Wedding of Jordan & Scott this past weekend. The Ceremony was held inside the Hawthorne House’s own chapel, with the reception following shortly afterwards. Chaplain Scott, also from Whiteman AFB performed the ceremony.
The reception started with a traditional grand entrance of the bridal party, followed by a blessing from Chaplain Scott. After a delicious dinner, the newlyweds were toasted by the Best Man: BJ and the Matron of Honor: Ashley. Then Jordan & Scott thanked all of their guests for coming and being a part of their day (and lives).
The Traditional Special Dances opened up the dance floor after Dinner – Jordan & Scott danced to Blake Shelton’s “Honey Bee“. Followed by Jordan and her step father Rick to “Let Your Love Flow” and Scott with his mother Karen to “The Man You’ve Become“.
One of the highlights of the night was their Anniversary Dance, where we fill the dance floor with all of the married couples. As the music gets older, we release the couple that have most recently gotten married. Jean & Bill, who have been married 38 years finish off with a dance by themselves and by wishing the newlyweds much happiness in their life.
Below are some links to the raw, unedited video feeds we were able to get from that night.
We stopped taking video after the Cha-Cha Slide, but there turned out to be quite a bit of dancing. Some of the crowd favorites included songs by Montell Jordan, Garth Brooks, MC Hammer, Merle Haggard, Def Leppard, Brooks & Dunn, The Beatles, Toby Keith, and of course, Journey. We also had some special moments with Cotton Eyed Joe, The Devil Went Down To Georgia, and The Twist Contest
Also, thanks to April’s newsletter, I couldn’t help not to notice the spectacular floral arrangements, provided by Das Hardin from the Village Flower Company. I have no idea what kind of flowers these were, but the blue and yellow theme was visible at the entrance, the head table, the tossing bouquet, and even the cake.
I want to personally thank Jordan & Scott for one of the best times in my professional life. It doesn’t come across that well in the video (we’re only amateur videographers) but being there in person it was obvious that most everyone was having a great time. It was a relaxing and fun night. I hope they enjoyed themselves as much as I did.
MUSIC NEWS AND INFORMATION ABOUT SPRINGFIELD, MISSOURI WEDDING DJs IN GENERAL CAN BE FOUND THROUGHOUT THIS BLOG AND ON OUR REGULAR WEBSITE: Stephen Scott’s Amazing Weddings
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OR BETTER YET, IF YOU ARE PLANNING AN EVENT, CLICK HERE AND TELL ME SOME OF THE DETAILS. I WOULD LOVE TO BE YOUR SPRINGFIELD, MISSOURI DISC JOCKEY.
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Time of Your Lives
Our monthly newsletter: April 2012
VOLUME ONE, ISSUE TEN: April 15, “Floral Arrangements”
Welcome:
My name is Stephen Scott, and I am a Wedding DJ, here in Kansas City (coming soon to Springfield, Missouri). I have been performing at Weddings professionally since 1996, and I feel like I have picked up some wisdom on the subject. As a DJ, my perspective is always on how we can make events fun and memorable. I want everyone to have the time of your lives, hence the name of this newsletter. Normally I focus each month on something other than music and then show how easy it can be to incorporate it into your Wedding. I step away from the mic this month and turn things over to our Guest Blogger: Andrea from Andrea K. Grist Floral Designs
Floral Arrangements for every Bride’s Vision
by
Andrea K. Grist
Engaged couples today are planning their weddings at an amazing time. A myriad of television shows, websites, blogs, and pin boards are giving couples more ideas than ever. However, they can also be a cause of stress and anxiety for couples who are bombarded with so many ideas that they have a hard time finding the vision for their own wedding.
Photo courtesy of www.epagafoto.com
Couples often ask me “What do people normally do, what are the rules?” My answer is easy. For me, there are no rules! A wedding is a truly unique celebration for each couple. Many people may use similar colors or a similar design concept (vintage, contemporary, elegant) but each wedding is different. I can honestly say that I have never seen the same wedding twice.
Flowers and décor can be an element that can really add a personal touch to a wedding. Many ceremony and reception locations remain very neutral in their colors and the additional of personal touches from the couple is what makes it special.
Photo courtesy of www.slater-studios.com
Some trends that I am seeing with regard to flowers and décor include the idea of using candlelight within the centerpiece. Beautiful stemmed glass candle holders can be beautiful with soft touches of blossoms and add additional soft lighting to a reception space.
Also, the decision to omit personal flowers such as boutonnieres and corsages for Bridal party and family members is being seen. These traditional elements can be cumbersome to lightweight or linen suits, and many ladies simply are not fans of the corsages. Multiple items like these can also add significantly to the budget.
Photo courtesy of www.studiochyree.com
Many couples are choosing to focus most of their floral and décor budget on their reception, multiple styles of centerpieces – in varying heights and designs. Bold and bright colors including tangerine, eggplant, yellows, and pinks.
Photo courtesy of www.freelandphotography.com
Most importantly, the union of two people is a wonderful life event that not only brings together a couple, but also two families. My job as a wedding professional is to ensure that our couples can put the vision of their wedding in our hands and we will deliver a beautiful, personal, and unique, memorable day created especially for them.
Thank you,
Andrea K. Grist
Andrea K. Grist Floral Designs
Andrea K. Grist Floral Designs
Andrea K. Grist
816-582-3860
Andrea K. Grist Floral Designs
Again, many thanks to Andrea for being our guest blogger this month. After reading her thoughts, I am struck by how similar her thought process is with flowers to my thought process with music. There is no such thing as the one approach that’s best for everyone. You don’t have to be an expert when you start: look around, ask questions, and go with what you feel is right. Leave the stress for someone else, flowers should be fun.
In addition to the pictures above and at Andrea K. Grist Floral Designs I have started two new PinBoards on Pinterest: Flowers for Bouquets and Flowers for Decorations. Just like with last month’s cake images, they will be updated on and ongoing basis.
The Real DJ Steve
Stephen has worked as a part-time Wedding DJ since 1996 under the company name Soundworks. In 2010, he accepted his own personal destiny and started Stephen Scott’s Amazing Weddings as a full time venture.
More information is available at Stephen Scott’s Amazing Weddings.com, Facebook, YouTube, LinkedIn, Twitter, and 913-208-7283
Stephen lives with his wife Some in Shawnee Kansas. They perform together all over the Kansas City metro area, Lawrence, KS and Springfield, MO. Stephen may be the face of the company, but Some helps out a great deal behind the scenes. For example, the original working title for this newsletter was going to be “Stephen Scott thinks he knows everything about Weddings” but Some quickly put a stop to that.
Please email dj@stephenscottsamazingweddings.com if you would like to see our free Wedding Planning Guide:
“Making the Traditional Activities Amazing!”
MORE MUSIC NEWS AND INFORMATION ABOUT KANSAS CITY WEDDING DJs IN GENERAL CAN BE FOUND THROUGHOUT THIS BLOG AND ON OUR REGULAR WEBSITE: Stephen Scott’s Amazing Weddings
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We’ll be back next month with more ideas on how to ENJOY your Wedding
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As a consumer, I think you should take all of these “awards” with a grain of salt. What I do is personalized, and whatever good things I have done in the past doesn’t necessarily mean I would be the best DJ for your particular event. We should spend some time talking about your ideas to find out. With that said, I do admit being addicted to applause, and it’s always nice when someone notices all of the extra work I’ve put into making my performances the best they could be. It’s a few months late in posting the notice (I’ve been a little busy lately) but we are proud to be named to Momentville’s Hot list, and I promise to continue to do everything I can to live up to their reputation.
Stephen Scott’s Amazing Weddings is Named to the 2012 Wedding Professional Hot List
4 Jan, 2012 – MomentVille.com one of the worlds leading wedding websites, is pleased to announced that Stephen Scott’s Amazing Weddings has been selected for the 2012 Wedding Professional Hot List.
The annual Wedding Professional Hot List recognizes excellence within the wedding industry, as determined by reviews from tens of thousands of brides and grooms. Stephen Scott’s Amazing Weddings was among the best reviewed vendors in the past year.
“The Wedding Professional Hot List recognizes best of class wedding professionals.” said Geoff Evason, MomentVille’s CEO. “Highlighting the success of the top wedding professionals is an exciting way to spread the word and help newly engaged couples find the right professionals for their own weddings.”
About Stephen Scott’s Amazing Weddings
My one and only goal as a Wedding DJ here in Kansas City is to make sure you have the best time possible at your Wedding. You have probably looked forward to this day for a long time, and it is my job to make sure you remember it as one of the best days of your life.
About MomentVille
MomentVille.com offers engaged couples and wedding enthusiasts a one stop place for planning and sharing a wedding. Offering free wedding websites, wedding planning tools, a gorgeous gallery of wedding pictures a searchable list of reviewed wedding vendors, and lots of helpful and inspiring wedding content, MomentVille helps newlyweds with all aspects of their wedding. For more information contact media@momentville.com
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Kansas City Metro plus Lawrence (Springfield, MO COMING SOON)
913-208-7283
http://www.stephenscottsamazingweddings.com
My one and only goal as a Wedding DJ here in Kansas City is to make sure you have the best time possible at your Wedding. You have probably looked forward to this day for a long time, and it is my … (more)
More Info 4 Reviews Contact Blog
MUSIC NEWS AND INFORMATION ABOUT SPRINGFIELD, MISSOURI WEDDING DJs IN GENERAL CAN BE FOUND THROUGHOUT THIS BLOG AND ON OUR REGULAR WEBSITE: Stephen Scott’s Amazing Weddings
Tweet
OR BETTER YET, IF YOU ARE PLANNING AN EVENT, CLICK HERE AND TELL ME SOME OF THE DETAILS. I WOULD LOVE TO BE YOUR SPRINGFIELD, MISSOURI DISC JOCKEY.
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