Extol August/September 2017 | Page 89

THE GUEST LIST DO choose your guest list based on families and friends from both sides. DON’T choose a venue that is too small for your wedding. “That obviously includes your décor and any type of tables. Don’t assume that even the best planner can shove it all in there,” Lott says. “It won’t look right. Give yourself enough room to make it look nice.” THE MUSIC DO use professional entertainment. “We’ve seen the DIY wedding reception with the iPod playlist go really bad,” said Brent Rogers, co-owner of Sounds Unlimited Productions. “When you handle it with a professional, what you’re going to get is someone who can read the crowd and understand if they’re responding to, say, old school hip-hop. They can also shift gears with that and bring in some disco or ’90s sing-along. Having a professional there who can read the crowd and rotate the danced floor is crucial for a successful event. DON’T restrict yourself into one style or genre. “We had a bride several years ago who was a huge Elvis fan and her entire playslist was made up of Elvis songs and Elvis cover songs,” recounted Rogers.” I suggested to her maybe we should shake this up a bit, and she insisted elvis was her guy and this is what she wanted. … We went through the formalities and once the party started, we had 300 people in the room. About 15 minutes into the reception, we had a group pf bridesmaids come up and tell us how terrible we were and told us the bride was in the bathroom crying because no one was dancing. I replied, “Here’s the all-Elvis playlist and the bride told us to stick to it … but if you give me 15 minutes and let me play whatever I want, I will get the dance floor back, get the party started and of course play some Elvis. Lo and behold, that’s exactly what happened. Don’t tie the hand behind the professional’s back. We know what we’re doing and want to do this for you.” LET OUR PLACE BE YOUR PLACE BRAD SEA NMLS# 425420 p: 812.989.7555 o: 812.945.4400 ext 12 f: 888.428.0507 e: brad@mysignaturemortgage.com 3001 Charlestown Crossing Way, New Albany, IN 47150 | NMLS #39183 (812) 945-4400 Office | (812) 945-8800 Fax | mysignaturemortgage.com PARTY ROOM AVAILABLE! 2441 State Street New Albany (812) 944-9999 www.tuckersaf.com /TuckersAmericanFavorites