Welcome to Skip-A-Beat Entertainment's February Bridal Newsletter...

WOW! February already... Winter is almost over and that is fabulous news! That means that a new wedding season is almost upon us. However, before we get to that, there is still a very special day to celebrate - VALENTINE'S DAY!!! A personal favourite of our team!

We hope that you will enjoy this month's newsletter. This is now received by nearly 7,000 brides across Ontario. This month's topics include:

• A Valentine's Day Contest that you won't want to miss!
• A review of Aphrodite Cooks - a unique business that specializes in cooking classes with a twist.
• 5 Tips on How To Take Your Reception From Good to GREAT!
• A review on an extremely cool venue in Toronto that you might want to consider.
• 5 conversation starters that you can have with your groom.
• A coupon for a free Jack and Jill Planning Guide.
• Much more!!!
  

COOKING CLASSES WITH A TWIST...

Are you and your fiancé looking to have a unique date before your Big Day? Then let us share an incredible find with you.

Aphrodite Cooks is a partnership between chef Vanessa Yeung and event planner Stephenie Summerhill in which couples or singles gather, share some good drink, learn how to cook a few new dishes and then sit down to enjoy great conversation with likeminded people while eating the culinary masterpieces that they helped create.

Classes start off with a welcome cocktail and there is always wine with dinner. How cool is that? Classes are intimate and quite affordable too!

Stephenie is also an experienced wedding planner who believes in delivering customer service that truly goes above and beyond...

Like the food you made? Why not hire Aphrodite Cooks to cater your reception? Only one thing... They don't have set menus... That's right! They actually work with their clients to ensure that your exact needs are met and that guests can enjoy a one-of-a-kind menu, specifically chosen for them.



Aphrodite Cooks416.792.3212
www.aphroditecooks.com
info@aphroditecooks.com


SKIP-A-BEAT HAS NEW FEATURES...

At the request of our clients, we have decided to expand our service line. We are now offering data projector and screen rentals. If you are thinking of incorporating a Power Point slide show or video clips in to your reception, we have you covered!
Our rates are quite affordable and offer our clients the convenience of one-stop shopping. Be sure to ask us about our rates.

We are also pleased to announce additional SPEAKER'S CORNER availability. If you would like to capture all of the special moments at your reception (Grand Entrance, speeches, first dance, parent dances, bouquet/garter toss, cake cutting, etc.) once again, we have got you covered!
Best of all, we will even capture the best wishes of your guests - all on DVD, shot raw and unedited and presented to you in DVD format at the conclusion of your reception. Yes, the very same night!
Our rate is unbeatable at $200!
VALENTINE'S DAY CONTEST!

Skip-A-Beat Entertainment in conjunction with Aphrodite Cooks is pleased to present a Valentine's Day contest that is super easy to enter!

Simply visit Aphrodite Cooks' website and click on the "About Us" section. Then, send us an email to info@skipabeat.ca and tell us what the first 2 words are under this section (hint: below the words "About Us"). We will put all the correct answers in to a drum and draw one winner who will have a chance to win a couples class.

The prize package is worth more than $200.00 and we ask that you only enter once. The deadline for entries is February 29th at midnight. Good Luck!
5 Conversation Starters
Each month we provide you with 5 interesting conversations that you can have with your Groom to help kill time while driving to appointments...

If you were offered your DREAM JOB, but it was overseas, what would we do?
What is one thing that you miss about your childhood?
Who was your best teacher growing up and why?
Aside from things we have done together, what is the one thing you had the most fun doing?
What historical event do you wish you could have been a part of and why?
5 Reasons Why Skip-A-Beat is Best In Class...
We believe in all-inclusive pricing with absolutely no hidden fees. That means that we include cocktail/dinner music, lighting, a cordless microphone, a searchable database for your guests to make requests from, etc.
We help you with planning by providing you with a detailed wedding planner, access to a fully-trained reception planner to ask questions of, and we provide unlimited consultations.
We believe in sharing! We are constantly sharing new ideas with our clients and writing new reports to ensure that you are able to make informed decisions about your wedding day.
We are fully insured, AVLA licensed, we carry back- up equipment to every reception and have DJ's on stand-by in case of emergency.
We care deeply about our clients and it shows! Our best form of advertising is through word-of-mouth from our clients.
Unbelievably Cool
Looking for a venue that will wow your guests?

There is no need to look further than St. Andrew's Club and Conference Facility.

This venue is very well known by its corporate clients who wish to have breathtaking product launches, business meetings, etc. However, it is somewhat of a hidden gem to the wedding market - meaning, you have the opportunity to be unique!

Located on the 27th floor of 150 King Street West in the heart of the Theatre District in Toronto, St. Andrew's provides its guests some of the best views of the city.

Dance the night away while looking out through the huge panoramic windows which provide amazing views of Lake Ontario.

Having performed there ourselves, we can personally recommend St. Andrew's food and hospitality. The staff are eager to accommodate and the food is truly top notch!

St. Andrews Club and Conference Centre
150 King Street West - 27th Floor
Toronto, Ontario
M5H 1J9
416.366.4228

Visit them online at:
www.standrewsclub.ca
5 Tips To Take Your Wedding From Good to GREAT!
Each month we present 5 unique tips that we think will be helpful to keep in mind as you plan your wedding...

Looking to liven up your ceremony? There is no reason that you have to use the standard Bridal March. Why not consider processional songs like: Chantal Kreviazuk's "Feels Like Home" or Rascal Flatts "God Bless the Broken Road" or maybe even Ben Folds' "The Luckiest". For recessional music, nothing beats James Brown's "I Feel Good" - it just starts the party off RIGHT!

When it comes to the Grand Entrance, we believe it is best to leave it up to the professionals... Most friends that we ask to act as Master of Ceremonies do not do public speaking as their trade. Given that a Grand Entrance should be fun and upbeat, why not have your Disc Jockey do the announcing. This will also allow him/her to control the timing and volume better.

Always mic the minister!During ceremonies guests will become fidgety and bored if they cannot hear you recite your vows. We suggest that you always provide a microphone to your minister. Some officiants will suggest that they don't require one, but this is not so much for the minister as it is for you... The natural reaction of someone who is nervous is to talk in a quieter voice.

Timing is Everything. If you have the opportunity to pick the timing of your ceremony, we suggest that you take a few things in to consideration. We have noticed that guests seem to have more fun and tire less quickly if the cocktail hour starts soon after the ceremony ends. If that is not possible, keep in mind that your out-of-town guests may not know what is available to them (restaurants, shopping, etc.) between the end of the ceremony and the beginning of the reception. Therefore you may want to include a little "Tips" sheet in with the invitations which outlines some cool things that are nearby.

DELEGATE DELEGATE DELEGATE!One of the things that most Brides and Grooms underestimate is how exhausting their wedding day will be. With this in mind, we STRONGLY suggest that you delegate as much as possible. Your friends in the wedding party are eager to help in any way that they can. A Best Man or Maid of Honour wants to be more than just a title.Therefore, try to make a list of everything that you can ask your friends to help with. Hold a "wedding team" meeting and go through the list, clearly outlining what needs to be done and who will be responsible - you be glad that you did!

Wedding Funnies...

"I think men with a pierced ear are better for marriage. They have experienced pain and bought jewellery" - Rita Rudner

They say that when a guy holds his girlfriends hand before marriage, it is romantic, but after marriage it is self-defence!

"Marrying a man is like buying something you've been admiring for a long time in a shop window. You may love it when you get home, but it doesn't always go with everything else in the house" - Jean Kerr

Marriage is an institution in which a man loses his Bachelor's Degree and the woman gets her Masters.

FREE JACK AND JILL PLANNER
Are you looking for a way to raise some funds to pay for your special day? Or perhaps just looking for an excuse to throw a party for you and your friends?
We have written a Jack and Jill planner that will help you with all the necessary details to have a FUN and SUCCESSFUL Jack and Jill. As with all of our reports, all you need to do is ask and we will gladly send you a free copy.

SKIP-A-BEAT ENTERTAINMENT Tel: 1 866 998 8637
www.skipabeat.ca
info@skipabeat.ca

Potential Client Drop-Ins at Receptions...

Every once in a while, we will receive a request from a potential client looking to book us, asking if they can come to an event and watch us perform. I believe that many of these requests come after a potnetial client has called or visited a large multi-unit disc jockey company* located in the GTA. This company encourages this kind of behaviour from their clients, and they indicate that this is a good way for the client to get a feel for their disc jockeys. On the surface, this might sound like a great idea, but it isn't.

When we receive these requests, we always respond in the same manner. We do not allow potential clients to visit our client events for a number of different reasons. Here is why we don’t allow this:

1) We think it is wrong to try to use an existing client’s event (keep in mind we are exclusive to weddings and corporate) to try and market ourselves, as it is a distraction from the job at hand.

2) We can not control how long the potential client will stay, how they will dress, how they will act and whether or not they would consume from the bar.

3) We firmly believe that it is tacky to use someone's wedding reception as our sales office.

Thoroughly checking out a disc jockey company that you are considering hiring is a very wise move, and is highly encouraged. With this in mind, we always ensure that potential clients have access to speak directly with past clients. We believe that this is a far more effective means of checking out a potential disc jockey as it allows you to ask an actual past client, that used our services, any question that you would like. Furthermore, they will be able to comment on the entire process - from the planning assistance/vendor referrals right through to the last dance.

Showing up at someone else's wedding only gives a client a snapshot of what kind of service was provided - a mere 5 - 10 minute window. It does not indicate how accommodating the disc jockey was when it came to special requests, the level of service that they provided when it came to discussing your ideas, etc.

Let's say for example that you visited a reception that your potential disc jockey was playing. When you walked in you immediately saw that the dance floor was completely empty but for one older couple. Wouldn't you have seen enough to base your decision? It looks as though this disc jockey doesn't know how to get a crowd motivated and on to the dance floor, so you leave. Unfortunately what you didn't realize was that the older couple was the Bride's Grandparents who were celebrating their 50th Anniversary that night and the Bride and Groom had decided to do a special song just for them - they were the center of attention for that one song...

As you can see, the "client drop-in" method of doing business is flawed on many different levels. We believe that our clients are the "center of the universe" on the night of their reception and no one else...

Thanks for reading...

Most sincerely,

Brad Owens
Skip-A-Beat Entertainment
Tel: 1-866-998-8637
Web: http://www.skipabeat.ca/
Blog: http://skipabeatentertainment.blogspot.com/
"We make your event a memorable one"

* Name ommitted purposely

5 Points to Ponder For Your Reception

This time we bring you 5 Tips or Ideas that you can implement to improve your wedding ceremony and reception.

Tip 1 - Tell the Story Behind the First Dance
Most couples choose a first dance song that has meaning to them. Perhaps it was the first song that you danced to, or the song that was playing on the radio when you met or maybe lyrically it has significant meaning. Why not have us share this information with your guests? It makes a special moment that much more special!

Tip 2 - Toiletrie Baskets in Washrooms
One of the most thoughtful things you can do for your guests is to place a basket of toiletries in each washroom. Guests are apt to stay longer if they are comfortable. Contents could include: breath mints, individually wrapped toothpicks, band-aids, Tylenol, a Tide pen or Shout wipes, Static Guard, cologne, hair spray, etc.

Tip 3 - A Keepsake For All Your Guests
We love requests! One of the ways that we get guests to make a request is pretty unique. Just prior to opening the dance floor (after the parent dances), we invite all guests up to the dance floor and we take a group photo of everyone that was there. We then invite guests to come up to the DJ table, give us their email address and make a request. At the end of the night, we supply the Bride and Groom with the email addresses, and the photos, so that they can send the photos to their guests and look like super stars!

Tip 4 - Guests Don't Have To Leave Early at Chinese Weddings
Most Chinese brides worry that their guests are going to leave immediately after dinner. However, that doesn't have to be the case. There are many things that can be done to encourage guests to stay longer. We have found that by visiting the tables to encourage guest requests and by doing an interactive game or two (some of the traditional Chinese wedding games are so much fun!) guests tend to stay longer.

Tip 5 - Consider Allowing Your Disc Jockey to MC Your Reception
We are often asked if we would be willing to MC our clients reception. We love doing it and don't charge extra for it. Some of the advantages of having us as your MC include the fact that the more opportunity we have to interact with your guests, the more likely they are to make requests. Other advantages include the fact that we can keep things on track and on time, you will not have to feel that you are imposing on friends, we will save you potential embarrassment, etc. The only downside is that we don't have years of stories that we can tell, but for some clients this is a positive!

Great Canadian Wedding Resources...

The internet is full of websites to help plan your wedding ceremony and reception, but so many of them are American based and therefore may not contain the information you are looking for if you are planning a wedding in Canada.

It is with this in mind, that we present 3 Canadian websites that are truly fantastic resources.

1) Frugal Bride http://www.frugalbride.com
This website features a bulletin board system that thousands of Canadian brides rely on to get product/vendor reviews, talk with one another and get new and interesting tips and ideas. The bulletin boards have separate boards by geographical region and specific topic. There is also a tremendous library of articles to browse through. Membership is completely free.

2) Canadian Bride http://www.canadianbride.com
From the publishers of Canadian Bride and Today's Bride. This site also features a great bulletin board system which is very similar to Frugal Bride. One word of caution with this site... The vendors do not have to pay to advertise on these bulletin boards which opens things to low-end vendors.

3) My Canadian Wedding http://www.mycanadianwedding.com
My Canadian Wedding offers a comprehensive directory which will surely help in your planning.

Best wishes with your planning!

Sincerely,

Brad Owens
Skip-A-Beat Entertainment
http://www.skipabeat.ca
1-866-998-8637
Click on this link to start receiving our FREE monthly email newsletter full of tips, ideas and give-aways! http://http://visitor.constantcontact.com/email.jsp?m=1101857992212

10 Tips On Having An Environmentally Friendly Wedding

Protecting the environment is on all of our minds these days. A wedding can generate significant waste and leave a HUGE carbon footprint. From food waste to the chemicals and trees used in the printing process of your invitations and programs, weddings are not generally the most environmentally friendly thing.

We have come up with 5 Ways That You Can Reduce The Carbon Footprint Of Your Wedding!

Tip 1: Don't Let Food Go To Waste!

Did you know that not-for-profit organizations like Second Harvest (http://www.secondharvest.ca/) will pick up your left-overs and ensure that they go to those in need? If you are using a caterer, share this idea with them and that this is what you would like to do. After all, many couples are leaving the next day for their honeymoon so a bunch of leftovers aren't what you need, but would certainly help the needy.

Tip 2: Choose your Favours Wisely!
There are lots of different ideas in which you can incorporate your desire to be Eco Friendly and still have favours. For instance, companies like Plant A Memory (http://www.plantamemory.com/) offer inexpensive seedlings in a decorative tube that your guests can take home and plant. They are around the $3.00 mark and are quite attractive. Other companies offer seed packages with wedding suitable envelops.

Many couples are opting to skip the idea of favours altogether and make a donation to their favourite charity. If you like the tree idea and would also like to make a difference in a developing nation, an organization like Trees For Life (http://www.treesforlife.org/) is a great way to go. For every donation of $1.00, they will plant a fruit tree in a developing nation. The trees will become a food source for those in need.

Tip 3: Plants instead of flowers!

Granted flowers are absolutely gorgeous and somewhat difficult to do without. However, why not incorporate living plants and trees in to your wedding instead? Topiaries made of living plants and manicured junipers with a set of LED lights look stunning and give you something to incorporate in to your garden that will remind you of your special day for years to come.

Tip 4: Avoid printing where possible

The amount of printing that goes in to the average wedding is quite incredible - from the printing of invitations, ceremony programs, name cards for the tables, itineraries and various emails, it all adds up. Avoid printing where possible, choose an eco-friendly printer that can print your invitations on recycled paper using vegetable inks.

Tip 5: Buy carbon offsets when flying

One of the biggest environmental impacts will come in the form of your honeymoon. Airlines produce a tremendous amount of carbon through their emissions and waste. The good news is that most of the major airlines offer customers the chance to buy carbon offsets. Basically, the small fee that you agree to pay in addition to your ticket goes to neutralize the carbon that you produced. That money is used to invest in wind farms, planting of trees, etc. The fee is minimal, but it allows you to have all the fun of the trip without the guilt.

Tip 6: Avoid conflict diamonds - buy Canadian

Many of us have seen the movie "Blood Diamond". It is a reality that there are diamond cartels that exploit women and children in to working in slave like conditions in order to harvest diamonds. Much of the money raised in these parts of Africa are used to finance civil wars which have been devastating for the people that live there. Many of these diamonds make their way to the North American markets, and it is quite difficult to tell if the diamond that you are buying is a "conflict diamond" or not. There is one easy way to ensure that you are not buying a "blood diamond" - buy Canadian! Jewellers will provide you with a certificate of authenticity and the quality is pretty much the same. One cool thing about a Canadian diamond - if you look under a microscope, most have been microscopically etched with a Canadian flag or one of our national animals (not seen by the naked eye). These diamonds are harvested in the Territories which brings work to areas in which work is scarce, thus improving the lives of our fellow Canadians.

Tip 7: Candles - Use Beeswax or Soybean and ensure that the wicks are lead-free!

Did you know that a lot of candles on the market today still contain lead? Most of it is contained within the wick, but even the colourants used can put harsh chemicals in to the air. Beeswax and soybean candles are usually safe alternatives, but I would still encourage that you confirm that the wicks are lead free.

Tip 8: Eco Friendly Disc Jockey

Did you know that even your disc jockey can play a part in ensuring that your wedding is environmentally friendly? It's true! For instance, we use digital music subscriptions which are the exact same quality as compact disc, but without the waste and environmental impact that comes from the associated packaging and the process of creating the disc itself. In addition, once our laptops no longer meet our needs, we donate them to an organization like Renewed Computer Technology in order that they can be used for training and development programs worldwide. All of the data is removed from the computer and the hard drive is re-formatted to ensure that none of our client information is ever compromised.

Tip 9: Insist on Organic and Free Range Foods

There was a time in which organic represented a monumental cost difference, but that is not quite the case anymore. Certainly you will pay a slight premium, but not it is not as earth shatteringly different as was once the case. If you are looking for an organic/free range butcher, then we can't recommend Cumbrae's (http://www.cumbraes.com/) enough! Their products are absolutely second to none, and one of the many reasons that they are the chosen vendor by so many of Toronto's best kitchens including Jaime Kennedy's Wine Bar and North 44.

Note to grooms: If you want to look like a superstar - invite your new in-laws over for a bbq featuring Cumbrae meats. I speak from experience, you will never hear the end of how wonderful you are. Want some good bbq recipes - drop me an email.

Tip 10: Pick vendors that are in close proximity

Try to pick vendors that are in close proximity to where your event will be. This will reduce the emissions caused by the cars used to get to your event.

Bonus Tip: A few honeymoon tips...
Rather than travel somewhere exotic, why not choose somewhere close to home that you have always wanted to visit, but just have never found the time. When renting a car, don't go overboard - hybrids are awesome as they don't produce emissions when they idle, but even compacts are usually a good choice. If you are going somewhere exotic, choose an eco-friendly resort or lodge. Travel agents have lots of eco-friendly packages to choose from. We saw one recently where you can walk along a canopy in the rainforest - how cool would that be!

As you can see, with a little effort, you can truly make a difference!

All the best with your plans,

Brad Owens
Skip-A-Beat Entertainment
web: http://www.skipabeat.ca/
blog: http://skipabeatentertainment.blogspot.com/
email: info@skipabeat.ca
tel: 1-866-998-8637

GLENNA AND ANDY MAKE IT OFFICIAL!

This past weekend, I had the pleasure of performing at Royal Ashburn Golf Club (http://royalashburngolfclub.com/) in the hamlet of Ashburn - about 35 minutes outside of Toronto.

Glenna and Andy held both their ceremony and reception there and it was an all Scottish affair! Most of the men in the room were dressed in kilts, which in itself creates an absolute elegance.

The ceremony incorporated Scottish traditions both through the attire worn, but also by having live bagpipers performing for the recessional, processional and signing. Bagpipe music is extremely moving and something that guests will never forget.

Our good friend Dan Deveau of Life In A Flash Photography http://www.lifeinaflash.com/ was the photographer for this wedding.

Glenna and Andy were just an absolute blast to work with - they understood the need to play an active role in their reception by being out on the dance floor as much as possible. They also took the time to attend the second consultation with enough time to spend so that we had an opportunity to get to know them both well. This allowed us to represent them in a way that was representative of the people that they are.

One of my favourite moments of the evening was watching Andy's Dad dance & skip along the dance floor as he really enjoys music and knows how to have fun!

Glenna also took the time to incorporate the Scottish theme in to her wedding through a variety of different ways - from incorporating Scottish music to using shortbread as a favour. They also incorporated their interests in to the wedding - they are both avid skiers and had a custom made cake topper that looked like them (with skis on) and had a cake made that looked like a ski hill - how cool!

Hats off to Jim, their MC, for a terrific job of incorporating humor in to his role - he was one of the best MC's we have worked with and had an excellent understanding of his role.

Skip-A-Beat Entertainment Launches A Monthly Newsletter!

SKIP-A-BEAT ENTERTAINMENT has officially launched a monthly "tips and ideas" email newsletter. This newsletter is currently being sent out to more than 3,000 Brides across Ontario.

The newsletter is full of articles, tips and ideas on how to improve your wedding ceremony and reception. We also promise to include a money saving coupon or give-away in each issue.

This newsletter is absolutely free and recipients can opt out at ANY time by simply clicking the "unsubscribe" button at the bottom of every email.

If you would like to be added to our distribution list, all you need to do is visit our website at http://www.skipabeat.ca or send us an email to info@skipabeat.ca and ask us to add you.

Thanks as always for reading our blog!