Wedding Songs - Wedding Day by Seal

Wedding Day is from Seal’s 2007 album, System. The song was written by Seal for his wedding to supermodel Heidi Klum. Heidi, who duets with Seal on this song, admitted to being intimidated working with her husband: "Of course I was intimidated. He's such a professional that he acts very different towards me in the studio. I was a bit stiff and nervous and he was just going, 'Sing low and strong,' even though my natural singing voice is quite high. But he wrote the song on our wedding day [10 May, 2005] and asked me to sing it with him, so I did". In a beautiful way to honour their ongoing love, Seal and his wife renew their vows to one another each year on their anniversary.

I am sure most brides to be would be absolutely thrilled if their husband to be wrote a song for their wedding day. Wedding Day is a beautiful song and could be used for either the Register Signing or First Dance.

Please note: The Video Clip below omits a verse and a couple of choruses - as the clip is from The Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show, I assume that it had to be cut down due to overall timing issues.

Wedding Day

Today, I give it, all to you,
On this day we recall the memories,
Of what we're goin' through,

This day, we're gonna win it,
Givin' you all above,
Many minds will recall with us tomorrow,
Followin' our love,

In my heart a place,
A most special place,
And it's all for you,
You're my girl, you're my, angel,

The will's the same for us,
Honey they can't be wrong,
Cause everybody knows it was hard to break the sorrow,
Then you came along,

In my heart, a place,
A most special place,
And it's all for you,
You're my girl, you're my angel, you're my girl

Oo ooh, aa aah, oo ooh, oo oo oo ooh, oooh and you're the one,

In my heart, a place,
A most special place,
And it's all for you,
And it's all for you,

In my heart, a place, and it's all for you,
A most special place, and it's all for you,
And it's all for you,
You're my girl,
You're my heaven, you're my world,

In my heart, a place, and it's all for you,
A most special place, and it's all for you,
And it's all for you,
You're my girl, you're my angel, you're my girl

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Wedding Enquiries And Does Your DJ Really Care About You and Your Vision?

Most days of the week I receive at least one email enquiry that reads something like the following;

Hi
I am looking for a quote for DJ services for our wedding. Look forward to hearing from you.

Hi
Just after a rough price for a wedding DJ for 'specified month'- reception goes for 5 hours. Thanks

Hi there, was wondering if you could send me your wedding packages.

Or

Hello
I was hoping to obtain a quote for a MC/DJ for a wedding on 'specific date'.

It would appear, that the main criteria for these couple’s in making their wedding entertainment decision is price – no real issue with this as I fully appreciate individual circumstances may restrict the satisfaction of wants and desires. However I am a loss to understand why there is a general reluctance to wanting to speak with wedding entertainment providers. It is my belief that the best way of assessing the suitability of any wedding provider is to meet with them. Should this not be possible, an in-depth telephone conversation is recommended. Ideally, you would have both – an initial telephone conversation, followed up with a face to face meeting.

With limited information and not having at least spoken to the bride and/or groom, it is extremely difficult to provide a quotation let alone ascertain that I am able to meet the couple’s basic requirements and how this fits in with their wedding day vision. Accordingly, a polite response is sent requesting a contact telephone number and an appropriate time to call or giving them the option of calling me direct. In this way I am able to have a nice chat with them and determine exactly what is desired. Once I have established that I am able to meet (or exceed) all their needs and wants, I happily provide a quotation. Yet I am certain that these couples will receive quotations from other DJs without these DJs having any specific information about the wedding or understanding what their vision for the wedding is.

Of course, in many instances following my reply, I never hear back from the couple, having been discounted from further consideration because I have not provided a price and requesting the opportunity to speak with them to ascertain if I am the best match for their vision of the wedding. I have no issue with this whatsoever, but sometimes I wonder whether they got exactly what they actually needed and/or really wanted for their wedding.

It is unfortunate that the majority of replies received by these couples with a price will be from DJs that provide a very basic ‘cookie cutter’ type service. They simply turn up and push play, have had/will have very little communication with the couple, have not taken the time to find out exactly what is desired, nor are they prepared to put in the effort that is required to ensure their vision becomes a reality. Simply, price on its own will not convey if needs and wants can be met, nor will it provide details of inclusions. Of course no price (high, low or average) is a good price if the quality service needed is not received.

This leads to the question; Do they care enough about your wedding to put in the effort required to fulfill your vision?

It is a sad reality, that there are DJs in the profession simply because it is an easy way to make some quick money. Many see it as good money for little effort or the wedding as ‘just another gig’ and it is treated accordingly. Others truly appreciate and acknowledge the significance of the occasion, have a great passion for weddings, absolutely love what they do and will dedicate all the time and effort necessary to ensure that the wedding is nothing short of perfect.

So how can a couple discern between the two types of wedding DJs?, Well the initial thing to look for is their interest. When you first speak with DJs, pay close attention to the first few subjects that are raised. If money is one of them, it is possible that you may be speaking to a DJ that doesn't really care about you or your wedding and may just want to know what you can afford. If a DJ claims to be one of the cheapest, or offers to match/better any other quote you receive, you're almost certainly dealing with a DJ that is not concerned with anything but securing the booking. These DJs will need to cut corners and the resultant quality and service delivery will be negatively impacted.

What you want is for the DJ to ask about you and your wedding. Maybe he/she will offer congratulations on your engagement. They will certainly ask things like where you are getting married, how long you've known each other, how your envisioning your wedding and maybe how you and your fiancé met. If this happens, it may be time to finally let that smile emerge, because you may have just found yourself the right DJ!

The right DJ will also ask about your musical tastes, which is very important to know if they are going to perform successfully, yes? They may also offer some suggestions to assist in avoiding pitfalls as you go about organising your special day. Any experienced DJ that really is passionate about weddings will have more than a few bits of advice and tips to dispense to eager knowledge-seeking brides and grooms. And what's more, good DJs really like to share this knowledge without any guarantee that you'll hire them. This is a good thing; it shows that they genuinely care about you having the best wedding possible.

Now how would anybody be able to gauge any of these things if no conversation took place. Conversation will give you an initial feeling as to whether the DJ cares enough about your wedding to dedicate all the time and effort necessary to ensure that the wedding is nothing short of perfect. Follow this up with a face to face meeting to re-confirm your feelings and then decide. Entertainment is responsible for a large percentage of the overall success of a wedding day; those that do not wish to speak with or can’t be bothered speaking with their wedding entertainment are often left disappointed and usually end up with someone who also…can’t be bothered.

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Wedding Professionals Unveiled: Erica Blossoms

Today it gives me great pleasure to spotlight a modern and stylistic floral designer that until a few years ago was pursuing a completely different career. I first came across her work at Louise and Ben’s wedding earlier this year where I was immediately struck by the beauty and elegance of her creations. I introduce to you, floral artist Erica Elder of Erica Blossoms.

Erica’s work is always impeccable, unique and breathtaking. She is friendly and always excited to collaborate with clients to create the flower arrangement of their dreams. Even though Erica only recently become a floral designer, this florist is truly a master of her craft and it is obvious that floral design is her passion and this comes out in her attitude and her art!

Business Name: Erica Blossoms .... flowers for all occasions....

Contact: Erica Elder

Website: www.ericablossoms.com.au

Where are you located, and what geographical area(s) do you service?
Whilst I am located in the Blue Mountains NSW, service covers from Mt Victoria to Penrith and anywhere in-between, I am also more than happy to deliver to the Sydney metropolitan area. Wherever a wedding may be... flowers will travel!!

How long have you been in business?
Since April 2009

What drew you to Floral Design as a profession?
For 15 years I worked as a Special Education Teacher, but always knew my dreams and passions were with Floristry. So I undertook re-training for over 2 years, with hopes of owning my own business. That dream became a reality in early 2009 when I created " Erica Blossoms". Specialising in Wedding, Funeral and Corporate work. I have built a business around my passions.

What do you feel sets you apart as a Floral Designer?
I personally handpick all the blooms for each wedding, making sure the style of flowers reflects each individual bride and their special day! I only use the best quality and freshest flowers in all of my work, sourced directly from the growers. I am a dedicated florist who is extremely reliable and takes pride in making sure the flowers are absolutely perfect for each wedding day.

What do you love most about your job?
I love the pleasure beautiful flowers gives to each person - their delight, amazement and sheer joy at my flower creations! I enjoy the journey each wedding brings and I love sharing the joy of flowers with others.

If you had to describe yourself in one word, what would it be?
Meticulous

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Wedding Songs - When You Tell The World You’re Mine by Agnes & Björn Skifs

When You Tell the World You're Mine is a pop song recorded by Swedish singers Agnes and Björn Skifs. The song was first performed on the occasion of he Wedding of Victoria, Crown Princess of Sweden, and Daniel Westling on 19 June 2010. Prince Daniel, Duke of Västergötland engaged Jörgen Elofsson to compose 'a song that expresses what we feel when we fall in love with someone', especially for this occasion and as a gift to the bridal couple. The title and everything concerning the song was kept a secret until the actual performance during the wedding ceremony (see below).

To me, it has lovely Disney-like overtones giving the song a fairytale feel and would obviously be beautiful for use during the ceremony, but also for a first dance or cake cutting.

When You Tell The World You’re Mine

I'm standing by an angel
Tears well up inside
Feelings are belonging
Of gratitude and pride

I'm blinded by your presence
In this moment that we're in
If God was to describe you
Where would he begin
Your colours blend together
And you become the light

If only you could see the way you shine
Darling when you tell the world you're mine

You're the future I believe in
I know you through and through
Your each and every heartbeat every breath

Every time I look at you
I'm blinded by your presence
In this moment that we're in
If God was to describe you
Where would he begin
Your colours blend together
And you become the light

If only you could see the way you shine
Darling when you tell the world you're mine

You're mine against all odds my love
What we have it is unbreakable

If God was to describe you
Where would he begin

I'm blinded by your presence
In this moment that we're in
If God was to describe you
Where would he begin
Your colours blend together
And you become the light

If only you could see the way you shine
Darling when you tell the world you're mine

I'm standing by an angel

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Wedding Professionals Unveiled: Lacey Lou Designs

The invitation is really the moment when the scene starts to be set for your wedding. It is the first glimpse your guests get into the feel and vision of your event. Therefore, it is vital that you make sure that you use a designer that is passionate and cares about your wedding. With that, I introduce you to my next featured wedding professional Stacey Crowhurst from Lacey Lou Designs!

I first met Stacey on a bridal forum a few years ago when Stacey was in the process of planning her own wedding. I got to know Stacey very well and was very privileged to be able to share in most details of her exciting wedding journey. It gave me a great insight into the sort of person that Stacey is and I can assure that she will really look after you and make your stationery one of the easiest part of planning your wedding.

Brief Description of the business: Wedding/Engagement stationery for any sized wedding/budget.

Name: Stacey Crowhurst

Website: www.laceylou.com.au

Blog: www.laceylou.com.au/Our-Blog

Where are you located, and what geographical area(s) do you service?
Located in Melbourne but servicing all areas of Australia.

How long have you been in business?
12 months.

What drew you to Invitation Design as a profession?
I've always had a passion for paper arts. Event planning is a love of mine and when it came to designing invitations for these events, I spent hours researching the best products at the cheapest prices and spent hours mixing different materials together. It was actually my husband that told me to give it a go and see if others where interested in what I created after designing our wedding invitations 3 times. I found there was a lot of high end products and extremely cheap, 1 card invitations, but there was no in between.

What do you feel sets you apart as a Invitation Supplier?
Communication. The internet is just way too easy to hide behind, there are too many suppliers out there not willing to respond to potential clients ASAP. It was something I felt very strongly about, I want my clients to be able to contact me at any time of the day, knowing it will be only a few hours until they receive a reply. We keep in constant contact during orders, so clients feel at ease and get more and more excited every email.

What do you love most about your job?
The lovely words I hear back from brides about how their order has made their wedding finally feel real. Makes my day!

If you had to describe yourself in one word, what would it be?
Eager

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Wedding Songs - I Belong To You by Lenny Kravitz

I Belong To You is from Lenny Kravitz's 1998 album "5" and features a soft-rock and reggae inspired sound. It has beautiful lyrics and would be most appropriate for those looking for a wedding song which is a little different.

I Belong To You

You are the flame in my heart
You light my way in the dark
You are the ultimate star

You pick me up from above
Your unconditional love
Takes me to paradise

I belong to you
And you
You belong to me too
You make my life complete
You make me feel so sweet

You make me feel so divine
Your soul and mind are entwined
Before you I was blind

But since I've opened my eyes
And with you there's no disguise
So I could open up my mind

I always loved you from the start
But I could not figure out
That I had to do it everyday

So I put away the fight
Now I'm gonna live my life
Givin' you the most in every way

Oh, I belong to you
And you, and you
You belong to me too
You make my life complete
You make me feel so sweet

Oh, I belong to you
I belong to you
And you, you
You belong to me too
Oh, you make my life complete
You make me feel so sweet

Pa ra, ra pa pa
Pa ra, ra pa pa
Pa ra, ra pa pa
Pa ra, ra pa pa
Pa ra

I belong to you
I belong to you
And you, and you
You belong to me too
You make my life complete
You make my life complete
You make me feel so sweet
(Make me feel so sweet)

Oh, I belong to you
I belong to you
And you, and you
You belong to me too
You make my life complete
You make my life complete
You make me feel so sweet
(Make me feel so sweet)

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New Wedding Web Site Launches - Lane

Happy new financial year! Today a new wedding web site was launched. Inspired by her own experience as a bride and a event stylist, Karissa Fanning set about to create a site that really is a breath of fresh air in this segment of the market. LANE is cutting edge bridal fashion. It's raw, honest articles. It's beautiful content that moves and inspires you. But most importantly it's about real emotion, real passion, and real connections with it's audience.

But what impresses me most is the fact that they will not promote just any brand willing to throw money their way in the form of advertising. This appeals to my standards and ethics. The number of wedding professionals I have approach me that are willing to refer/recommend me for a "kickback" is mind boggling. I refuse these offers point blank - I only wish to be referred on the basis of the quality service that I provide, not because I am paying someone to do so.

Further the ideals and thoughts that Karissa expresses on the web site are very much aligned with mine. If I may quote Karissa, " My goal is to bring a new perspective to wedding planning, to break away from stereotypical fashion and wedding styling and help brides dream up a wedding that is completely unique to them. Style is personal. It’s about embracing who you are as individuals and allowing this to be reflected in every element of your wedding, from fashion to décor, to photography. It’s the passion and imagination a wedding exudes that makes it truly unique - the kind of stuff that gives you goose bumps. Style is the heart and soul behind the LANE brand." Whilst, Karissa has omitted to mention Entertainment, this is exactly what I do for each and every one of my couples.

As Molly Meldrum would say, do yourself a favour and check out LANE.

* DJ:Plus! Entertainment is not currently featured on LANE so this is an unbiased objective post.

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