How To Cut Your Wedding Cake

How-To-Cut-Your-Wedding-Cake
How-To-Cut-Your-Wedding-Cake

Cut Your Wedding Cake With Confidence!

Your cocktail hour has ended, the anticipation of a night of celebration is officially building as your guests are patiently waiting for you and your new hubby/wifey to enter the room for the first time. The DJ introduces you, your family and friends erupt with cheer, all eyes are on you. You make your way to the 3 tier cake and think to yourself, “How am I going to cut this without it falling over? How am I going to cut it period???” 

Stop right there… Take a deep breath, and watch the video below. I can promise that after you are going to realize that cutting your cake, is in fact, a piece of cake… (pun intended) 

Thanks to Leanne with You Name It Events and Nick with Newlywed Cinema you can now cut your cake with confidence! You can thank us later…

 
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How to Guarantee a Full Dance Floor

How To Guarantee a Full Dance Floor At Your Wedding

1. You Should Dance!

What do we mean? Well, we mean we want you to dance! Guests at a wedding want to be around the bride and groom as much as possible. We guarantee that if you are on the floor, your guests will be too! When we see the bride and groom disappear from the room, so do the guests. If you want a full dance floor, you’ll want to cut a rug yourself. 

2. Size Matters!

In this case, the smaller the better… If you want your dance floor to look full, you may want to consider a smaller dance floor size. Venues can often make the floor as large as possible to help fill the room. Although this makes sense, what is more important to you? Let the venue know that you would like a smaller floor because a floor full of dancers is most important to you.

I Want a Full Dance Floor!

3. Keep the Fun Close

The bar, photo booth, sweet table, and more should be placed closer to the dance floor wherever possible. Your guests will be much less likely to wander off and not come back. 

For the photo booth, you should consider our GoSnap Walking Photo Kiosk that essentially lives on the dance floor. It is the photo booth that comes to your guests so they don’t have to leave the party! 

4. Turn the Lights Down LOW

The darker, the better (when dancing starts of course). Guests don’t like other guests to see them dancing, it’s a fact and they certainly don’t want to be the first on the floor to kick off dancing. By turning the lights down, your guests will feel comfortable with their two left feet thus spending more time on the dance floor. 

I'm Ready to Party

5. Dance Lighting to Create the Party

Dance lighting can go a long way with multi color sound activation. It doesn’t need to be extravagant, just a little something to create the party vibe. It also helps if you have uplighting around the room that change color to the music. It turns the entire room into a party and that will improve your dance floor along with the guests who want to stay off the floor and socialize with a little hip movement. If you are interested, this is something that we offer. 

6. You Need GREAT Dance Music

It may seem obvious but we have all been to a wedding where the DJ was mediocre at best… When it comes to music selection, you can speak to your DJ about great music to play at your wedding. If you have already booked us, you can also utilize your client login to pick songs that you feel would be a great fit so the DJ can choose to use these songs at his discretion. We even have Spotify integration with your login to make adding playlists a breeze. If you don’t know what to play, you can always ask us, we are happy to help! 

Do You Need A DJ?

Our DJs at Amp go through a 1 year initial training with a required annual retreat so we can always be at the top of our game. With our services, we 100% guarantee your dance floor will be full based on our music selection. We know what works and what doesn’t and if you don’t believe us, watch this video on what past clients have said about our services.  

I Want You As My DJ

5 Reasons Why You Should Do a First Look

1. Calm Your Nerves

Seeing your other half before your ceremony can calm those nerves. Not to mention those first look photos that turn out amazing! Those natural smiles will shine through, we promise! 

First Look Wedding Tips

2. Alone Time

On your wedding day, you are going to spend A LOT of time with your wedding party and guests which is why some alone time before the ceremony can be the only time you get the entire day. With the alone time comes more calming of the nerves as you can talk while taking a deep breath together. 

3. Look Your BEST!

The best part about formal photos at the beginning of your day is YOU LOOK THE BEST! Your hair has just been done, makeup on point, and the tux is wrinkle free. Get those photos that you will cherish for years to come.

First Look Wedding Tips
First Look Wedding Tips

4. Get More Photos

More time = more photos. You will be less rushed between the ceremony and cocktail hour if you get a few of your couples shots before the ceremony. It would be a shame to look back and wish you had more time for photos. Remember, your ceremony can run longer which can only add to time constraints.

5. Spend More Time Celebrating

Enjoy your cocktail hour with your guests because you will have gotten more photos before the ceremony. The smiles are only starting at this point of the day, and they are all smiling at you! 

First Look Wedding Tips
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Our Favorite Wedding Vendors

Top Chicago Wedding Vendors

Wedding Planners

 
⭐️ Rosanna & Co. | Day of Weddings ⭐️
Rosanna Catapano – (630) 290-8348
 
⭐️ Sarah Kathleen Events ⭐️
Sarah – (630) 947-9421
 
⭐️ CM Planning LLC ⭐️
Carolyn McGee – (630) 631-2267
 
⭐️ The Gilded Aisle ⭐️
Lynne Kennedy – (312) 699-7959
 
Weddings By Jennifer Fox
Jennifer Fox – (815) 527-1654
www.weddingsbyjenniferfox.com
 
SC Weddings & Events
Sarah Hunkeler – (708) 269-0931
 

Urban Allure
Nicole Fauls – (412) 302-7570
www.urbanallureevents.com

Simply Elegant Chicago
Lindsay Mackey – (815) 236-4421
www.thesimplyelegantgroup.com

 

Photographers

⭐️ Lauren Ashley Studios ⭐️
Lauren Ashley – (708) 969-2668
www.lauren-ashley.com

⭐️ Something Blue Photography & Videography ⭐️
Liz Schenk – (224) 558-6854
www.somethingbluephoto.com

⭐️ Photography By Lauryn ⭐️
Lauryn – hello@photographybylauryn.com
www.photographybylauryn.com

⭐️ Misha Media ⭐️
Michele – (630) 935-7435
www.MishaMedia.com

Bella Tiamo Photography & Videography
Travis Heberling – (217) 827-5554
www.bellatiamo.com

Christian Yah Photography
Christian Yah – (312) 420-2728
www.christianyahphotography.com

Sarah Crost Photography
Sarah Crost – (630) 532-3229
www.sarahcrost.com

Videographers

⭐️ Lauren Ashley Studios ⭐️
Lauren Ashley – (708) 969-2668
www.lauren-ashley.com

⭐️ Something Blue Photography & Videography ⭐️
Liz Schenk – (224) 558-6854
www.somethingbluephoto.com

⭐️ Munaco Pictures ⭐️
Tom Munaco – (708) 435-9773
www.munacopictures.com

Bella Tiamo Photography & Videography
Travis Heberling – (217) 827-5554
www.bellatiamo.com

Frank Slow Films
Frank Slowinski – (708) 257-8007
www.frankslowfilms.com

Buller Media
Steve Buller – (312) 772-3754
www.bullermedia.com

Officiant

⭐️ Love Story Weddings ⭐️
www.lovestoryweddings.org

⭐️ The Wedding Rev. ⭐️
Rev. Dave Angle – (847) 769-5595
www.theweddingrev.org

Florist

⭐️ Town & Country Gardens ⭐️
(847) 742-1135
www.eventsbytcg.com

 Donna’s Custom Flowers 
(847) 949-9555
www.donnascustomflowers.com

Dress Shopping

⭐️ Diana’s Bridal ⭐️
(847) 423-2452
www.dianasbridalboutique.com

Still Need a DJ or Photo Booth?
check our availability below

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5 Mistakes Brides Make While Planning

5 Mistakes Brides Make While Planning Their Wedding

1. Reaching Out to Vendors Too Early

One thing that needs to be in place before you reach out to your favorite vendors is your venue. Why? Well, your venue is going to dictate what your wedding date is. As you may dream of your 10/10 wedding, that date maybe already booked with another couple at your dream venue. The first questions your favorite photographer is going to ask is “what is your venue and date?” If you don’t have an answer, they can’t really do much for you at that moment.

5 Mistakes Brides Make When Planning Their Wedding

2. Booking Key Vendors Before the Planner

Planners can be helpful in so many ways such as…

  1. Saving you money on key vendors such as DJ or photographer.
  2. Referring the best vendors they have worked with so you have less to worry about on your big day. 
  3. Working with vendors they have worked with before is key. Your vendor crew is a dream team and the planner is the coach. Let your coach guide to assemble the team for a stress free W!
Booking Key Vendors For Your Wedding

3. Procrastinating on Booking Key Vendors

Remember, the best vendors get booked first! Don’t wait to book the vendors that mean the most to you. Sit down with a pen and paper with your fiance’, and discuss what is most important to you on your wedding day. This will do a variety of things including get you on the same page in addition to getting you excited! Don’t forget to read reviews! ‘

4. Booking Videographer at the Last Minute

This follows up with #3, decide what is important to both you and your fiance’. Videographers can be pricey, but if you book the right one, the result can be breathtaking. Here is a list of our favorites!

“When I got married in 2014, a videographer wasn’t important to me BUT looking back, my wife and I wish we would have opted for a videographer. We would love to relive that day every year on our anniversary…” Ken Murphy – Owner of Amp Event Professionals

5. Not Securing Hotel Block Early On

This is something that is almost always left on the back burner. Then, when you do realize you need to reserve a block of hotel rooms for your wedding day, it’s too late… Or the block went from what would have been a block, to rooms being scattered all over the hotel. Bottom line is, you will always have out of town guests or guests who just want a night away from the house after your celebration. Make it easy, save them some money, and get the hotel info on the RSVP cards.

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Guide to Postponing to 2021 Due to COVID-19

Guide to Postponing Your Wedding Due to COVID-19

Don't Panic, We Got THIS!

First let me start by saying how much this stinks. We were SO looking forward to ROCKING your 2020 wedding. Some things are just out of our control… 😥

So let’s talk about how we can make the best of this unfortunate affair known as COVID-19 and make this transition the least stressful as possible. Below are a few ideas on what you can do to create synergy among your vendors.

1. Create a Google Doc spreadsheet

This is the best way to connect your vendor’s schedules in one place.

  • On the X axis you should put all the dates your venue has availability. 
  • On the Y axis put the vendors you have booked for your current date. 
  • Send a mass email to all vendors with a link to the doc and ask them to put a “Yes” or “No” depending on availability. This is going to make choosing your new date much easier than the back and forth emails.  
Easy planning for your postponed wedding

2. Choose your new date quickly!

Think about it, there are now almost 2 times the amount of couples looking at 2021 dates. You have the couples who already were planning a 2021 wedding and now you have 2020 couples looking at those same dates. 

We know how much this hurts for our clients but we encourage you to consider 2021 Friday dates over 2021 Saturday dates as this is how us wedding vendors make a living. We only get 52 Saturdays in a year to make a premium rate and with the 2020 dates lost, we are losing thousands of dollars every time we book a 2021 Saturday for a 2020 postponement. 

3. Postpone > Cancel

Please, don’t cancel. You have waited your whole life for this day to happen. You have planned for hours on end making sure your centerpieces are perfect for your guests to marvel at. By canceling, this makes matters worse. 

We know this is terrible and emotionally exhausting but you are so close! You can still have your dream wedding and it will be just as you imagined. You may just need to wait it out a bit. The goal is to get married and celebrate with friends and family. Don’t throw that away!

Should I cancel or postpone my wedding?
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How to Plan Your Wedding During COVID-19

How to plan your wedding during COVID-19

New Planners

Look for vendors w/ larger teams

With so many unknowns in place, it is important to consider vendors who have a larger team that will come through if you do need to reschedule your wedding. For example, if you book a DJ who is a single, part time DJ, he or she may not be available if you do (unfortunately) need to reschedule. Our team of DJs consists of 4 highly trained professionals that will provide consistent entertainment and performance across the board.  

Amp Event Professionals Team Vibes
2021 Calendar

When to Book in 2021

When considering a 2021 date, choose a date that is later than July 2021. With all the unknowns of when a vaccine will be released, you want to make sure you are planning a date that will happen the first time. Our team has seen so many couples have to reschedule their dates to 2021 and the tears that have come with it. You also want to book your date ASAP. Dates are filling up quicker than ever for 2021!

Current 2020 Couples

How to make your change less stressful...

First off, if you need to change your date from 2020 to 2021, we are deeply sorry for what you are going through. We want to help make this transition less stressful for you during this pandemic. Below are a few ideas on what you can do to create synergy among your vendors.

Lauren Ashley Studios Wedding
Easy planning for your postponed wedding

1. Create a Google Doc spreadsheet

This is the best way to connect your vendor’s schedules in one place.

  • On the X axis you should put all the dates your venue has availability. 
  • On the Y axis put the vendors you have booked for your current date. 
  • Send a mass email to all vendors with a link to the doc and ask them to put a “Yes” or “No” depending on availability. This is going to make choosing your new date much easier than the back and forth emails.  

2. Choose your new date quickly!

Think about it, there are now almost 2 times the amount of couples looking at 2021 dates. You have the couples who already were planning a 2021 wedding and now you have 2020 couples looking at those same dates. 

We know how much this hurts for our clients but we encourage you to consider 2021 Friday dates over 2021 Saturday dates as this is how us wedding vendors make a living. We only get 52 Saturdays in a year to make a premium rate and with the 2020 dates lost, we are losing thousands of dollars every time we book a 2021 Saturday for a 2020 postponement. 

Should I cancel or postpone my wedding?

3. Postpone > Cancel

Please, don’t cancel. You have waited your whole life for this day to happen. You have planned for hours on end making sure your centerpieces are perfect for your guests to marvel at. By canceling, this makes matters worse. 

We know this is terrible and emotionally exhausting but you are so close! You can still have your dream wedding and it will be just as you imagined. You may just need to wait it out a bit. The goal is to get married and celebrate with friends and family. Don’t throw that away!

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Laugh, Dance, & Smile In Your Living Room

Hit Play, TURN IT UP, and Get Ready to be ENTERTAINED!

It’s time to put a smile back on your face! With the COVID-19 pandemic, entertainment has been scarce. That’s when Ken Murphy (the owner of Amp Event Professionals) decided how much it was needed to put a smile on your face when you need it most. Ken has created a live stream on www.twitch.com/djkenmurphy that is a huge step up from anything you have seen before.

How did he do it?

All of the videos in Ken’s sets are totally custom made to give a whole new experience to your event! Here is just a taste of how the entertainment can be leveled up at your next event! Whether it be a wedding, corporate, or private party, we will take your event from memorable, to unforgettable! 

View Past Recordings

How Do You See More Streams?

EASY! Just join our Facebook group and if you want to request a song for Ken to special edit, just send us an email! 

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Day-of-Wedding Timeline

What to Consider for Day-of Events

There are a lot of things to consider when putting together you day of timeline. To make things smoother, have your venue send over what they see happening first. This will save you from having to do things twice. Below are some other considerations that need to be a priority.

💍 Here Comes the Bride!

What time do you expect your guests to arrive for your ceremony? Remember, there will always be those who arrive late. We recommend allowing 30 mins for your guests to arrive before your ceremony is set to start.

ie: If ceremony is at 5:30pm, we recommend putting 5:00pm on your RSVPs.

Open Bar Dude...

No, weddings are not about the alcohol but your timeline maybe dependent on your allowed bar package.

For example, if you have a 4-hour bar package, 1 hour is going to be for cocktails and the other 3 hours will be for during dancing after dinner.

Based on the previous example with the ceremony starting at 5:30pm…

Your cocktail hour will start at 6:00pm and go until 7:00pm in which the DJ will make an announcement (around 6:50pm) for guests to take their seats before lining up the wedding party.

The bar will then reopen towards the end of dinner around 8:30pm and remain open until 11:30pm. The reception will then end at midnight in this example.

Concorde Banquets Kildeer Wedding

No One Wants a "Hangry" Bride!

Next is your dinner. Sometimes venues start serving as soon as your wedding party is introduced. Most in the Chicago area allow 30 minutes between wedding party intros and dinner. This is the time to get cake cutting, toasts, and blessing done so your Maid of Honor can finally breathe after getting her fear of public speaking over with. To her calm her nerves you can share our Toasting Tips video come wedding time!

First Dances & Group Photo

Once dinner has concluded it’s time for the first dances. The order of these dances are as follows.

  1. First Dance (this is sometimes done before dinner)
  2. Father Daughter Dance (ladies first!)
  3. Mother Son Dance

After these are done, there is one more important event that needs to happen… THE GROUP SHOT! Yes, you need to get one of these at your wedding because it maybe the only time you get all your guests in one photo. Plus, how can you not want a photo like these?

Makray Wedding DJ
Venuti's Wedding DJ

Bouquet and Garter Toss

Let’s be honest, 60% of our weddings opt-out of the bouquet and garter toss but if you are still looking for the moment to toss your bouquet at your Maid of Honor, well get it done!

We like getting our tosses done about 30 minutes into dancing to give your guests a chance to get the blood pumping on the dance floor. It is very important you don’t have your guests waiting too long to get dancing going, as you don’t want them getting sleepy. We also want to make sure it’s not too late so your photographer misses the shot because the left before you did it.

Pro Tip: If you want to do something different, we can also fill 40 balloons, put the garter in one of them, and have the single men pop the balloons until they find the garter. Just an option but it’s different!

Indigo Hotel Wedding

The Grand Finale

After the party is just about over, your DJ has to remind your guests why they are there. We like to get all the guests around you and your spouse for the last song of the evening before turning up one last time.

If you are wanting to take it one step further, check out our Experience Package. The owner of Amp, Ken Murphy does something that you will never see at another wedding. Check out the video for a little teaser of what to expect for the Ken Murphy Grand Finale that will bring you to tears in one song.

99% of Our Timelines Look Like This

(but we cater the timeline to you)

5:15   – Guests arrive for Ceremony (at hall if applicable)

5:30   – Ceremony Starts at banquet hall (if applicable)

6:00   – Cocktail Hour begins

6:50   – DJ lines up Wedding Party/Guests take their seats

7:00   – DJ introduces the Bridal Party

7:05   – Cake Cutting/Freeze Frame Table Shots

7:10   – Best man/Maid of Honor Speeches

7:25   – Blessing/Prayer

7:30   – Dinner Begins

8:40   – Dinner Ends

8:50   – Dessert is Served/Newlywed Game takes place

9:00   – First Dances Begin

9:10   – Anniversary Dance with married couples

9:15   – Dancing begins for all guests

9:45   – Bouquet and Garter Toss

9:50   – Dancing Continues

12:00 – Reception Ends (this comes fast, enjoy every minute!)

How Do We Know This Works?

We learned all of this from our 1000+ events since we opened in 2004. During this time we have used all kinds of timeline layouts but this has been proven to be smoothest time and time again. Being able to adapt to your specific needs is also very important and not overlooked. Together, we will build a timeline that will be catered to you with our guidance. Consider this a starting point to planning your perfect day.

So if you are still looking for your wedding entertainment, please reach out to us by clicking the button below. We would love to make your day special! Together, let’s create an experience catered to you!

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Photo Credit

Lauren Ashley Studios

Something Blue Photo & Video

Jasko Photography

Rebecca Marie Art

Furla Studios

18 Month Wedding Planning Timeline

Wedding Planning Timeline

12-18 months out: Budget

After you have enjoyed some time celebrating your engagement, it is time to set the budget. This should be done within a month (2 at most) of the engagement. Depending on the time of year, the sooner you get this done, the better off you will be finding a venue.

As an example, think of all the social media posts about engagements around the holidays in addition to yours. All those couples are at the same stage as you in the planning process which means venues will be booking quickly between January-April for the current year into the following. If you want that September-October wedding, those dates book first!

Think about what you can afford as whole. Will you have family helping pay for the wedding? If so, how much will be contributed by the different parties? These are questions to ask as it will become very important come payment time.

Pro tip: Consider booking a wedding planner to help keep you on track and refer vendors to you.

Chicago Wedding DJ
Makray Wedding DJ
Adler Planetarium Wedding DJ
Belvedere Banquets
Makray Wedding
Belvedere Banquets

10-12 months out: Venue Shopping

Before you can book your DJ, photographer, photo booth, florist, or other day of vendors, you need to have a date set in place. There are A LOT of fantastic venues in the beautiful Chicagoland area to choose from!

Start with a google search in the area you want to host, then set a few dates aside to tour various venues. A lot of venues will even recommend coming in on a Saturday to see how your potential room will be setup.

You should note that by the 4th or 5th venue, they all start to blur together. Take your own pictures when attending these showings in addition to taking notes. The more organized, the better!

Here are some of our favorites!

Concorde Banquets (Kildeer, IL)

Makray Memorial Golf Club (Barrington, IL)

Palmer House (Chicago, IL)

Wandering Tree Estate (North Barrington, IL)

Adler Planetarium (Chicago, IL)

Stan Mansion (Chicago, IL)

Belvedere Banquets (Elk Grove Village, IL)

9 months out: Pick VIPs & Say Yes to the Dress!

Who will be standing up to represent you on your wedding day? Who will give the best toast as a best man or maid/matron of honor (matron represents a “married” maid of honor)? You can share our Toasting Tips video with these VIPs come wedding time!

You should also start dress shopping with the girls! Have fun, and if you happen to say yes, don’t forget your cocktail! You earned it girl!

This is also a good time to book a time for all your girls to go bridesmaids dress shopping. Make sure all your VIP’s are there!

Venuti's Wedding DJ
Lauren Ashley Studios Wedding
Chicago Wedding Planning with Simply Elegant
Chicago Wedding DJ

9-12 months out: Research and Book Vendors

Sit down, talk to your fiance’ and decide what is most important on your wedding date. Is floral important? How about that dance floor? What about a photographer to capture those memories? These are all things to consider when booking your vendors. Some will cost more than others but that is why you put together a budget in step one right? Be prepared to modify your budget based on what you find for pricing on your most important vendors. #YouGetWhatYouPayFor

Reviews go a LONG way, which is why we can’t stress enough to research and read reviews.You will learn a lot about a vendor by how many reviews are written, how they treat you as the client, responsiveness, and of course the outcome. Don’t just read one site, read many! You can checkout TheKnot, WeddingWire, Yelp, Google Reviews, and even Facebook.

Remember, the BEST VENDORS get booked first and spending a few extra bucks can go a LONG way on your special day!

6 months out: Details & Honeymoon

If you are considering chair covers, DIY centerpieces, or other fine details, this is a great time to start planning this. Pinterest is a great way to see what is out there for wedding designs. So what are you waiting for? Get to pinning! 

After this marathon of planning your are going to want to take a much needed vacation to celebrate your new life together! Start thinking about where you want to go and what the weather will be like at the time of travel. It is a good idea to book a travel agent for some insight.

Hotel Indigo Wedding DJ
Biltmore Wedding DJ
Belvedere Wedding DJ

5 months out: Invites and VIP Gifts

It’s time to send that beautiful stationary! It also maybe a good idea to add “a song you would like to dance to at our wedding” to the RSVP card to see what your guests may want to hear on your day of celebration. This doesn’t mean that you have to include it on the DJ or band’s playlist, but it doesn’t hurt to ask right?

VIP gifts are a great way of showing those who represent you on your day the gratitude they deserve. This can be a variety of things. Remember the Pinterest boards we talked about earlier? Well, here is another great way to utilize this. Also consider site like Etsy as most are handmade gifts but also supporting a small business.

6 weeks out: More Details

Organize your seating. Make sure close family is near your head table. It is also a good idea to keep the older guests away from where the DJ is going to be setup. It can get quite loud over there…

Share our toasting tips with your best man, maid/matron of honor, father of the bride and/or groom. There is a lot that can go wrong with a toast/speech and we want to offer you the best guidance to set the speaker up for success!

Write your vows. You should be adding little sentences here and there to a notes section in your phone to go through when writing the final draft to be read on your wedding day. Speak from the heart!

Indigo Hotel Wedding
Barrington Wedding DJ
Palmer House Wedding DJ

The Week of Your WEDDING!!!

Pick up dresses, tuxes/suits, connect with DJ or band to go over your songs, and get ready to enjoy one of the best days of your life! All the hard work and planning comes down to this. Remember your day is going to FLY BY, so enjoy every moment! Take a step back at some point in the evening and see what you created.

Cheers to a happily ever after!

Still need a DJ or Photo Booth?

If you are looking for your wedding entertainment, please reach out to us by clicking the button below. We would love to make your day special! Together, let’s create an experience catered to you!

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