Bridal show tips

Tips For Attending Bridal Shows

1. Register online and save time at the door. If you do not register online, make sure you register when you enter. Registering online will save you money, plus great Benefits to Registering:
   Receive a Free Wedding Planner at the Show
   Paid Subscription to Brides Magazine
   Up to the Minute Show News, Deals and Highlights
2. Create a temporary e-mail to be used while you are planning your wedding. That way you can delete it when you no longer are interested in receiving special offers or hearing from vendors. The amount of offers you receive at first may seem overwhelming, but take the time to read them or you may miss out on some very good deals.
3. Bring adhesive address labels, if you have them, or print some up on your computer. This will save you a lot of time when you register for prizes at individual booths. Most exhibitors will want to know your wedding date, so add that to the label.
4. Make sure you get your Bride and Groom-to-be-stickers when you register in order to receive special attention from the wedding pros.
5. Walk down every aisle and collect any information and talk to the wedding professionals that can help you with your wedding planning.
6. Bring your credit card or debit card to the show in case you want to book any services or hold a date. Some of your best discounts will be given at the show. With a large show the better vendors get booked fast.
7. If you are attending the Cavanaugh’s Brideshow a two day event on January 28-29 it’s Pittsburgh’s largest bridal show, so come prepared to spend at least 4 or 5 hours to visit with all the wedding professionals.
8. Bring your Bridal party/fiance  with you to the show make it a day. Ask your Mother and girlfriends for their help in your search for the right vendors. Go back around twice that allows you to really take in everything that you have seen.
9. Ask lots of questions, that’s what the vendors are there for. They want to help you and you are under no pressure to buy from them, so find out everything you need to know.
10. Wear comfortable shoes and have a great time!
11. Relax it might be to overwhelming with all the brides and vendors, just relax and take your time.

http://www.brideshow.com/fftickets.asp for discount tickets the code is MARKTISHKO act fast

All the hard work.

Timing is everything when it comes to details at a reception. Over the years of sitting down with couples and go over each details for their dream celebration and all the hard work we put into making this happen is priceless. Here is a review from a client.

Our wedding reception was amazing. Mark truly made it the best night of our lives.

Throughout the planning process, Mark was awesome. He leads you along the way and makes sure you won’t skip any little details. He made himself accessible when we needed him and he always answered his phone and e-mails. His professionalism is off the charts.

Additionally, he has wedding receptions down to a science which took the pressure away from us on the day of the wedding because we knew that our reception was in good hands. More importantly, he always kept the focus on the bride and groom. He always made sure we were doing what we wanted and not what other people wanted.

As a DJ, he was phenomenal. The interaction he had with our guests was second to none. By the end of the night, it seemed that everyone knew his name. The music choice was great – I don’t think the dance floor emptied the entire night.

We also used Mark’s photo booth – which was a huge hit. Everyone LOVED it and we had a line wrapped around the dance floor. Then at the end of the night, we got the photo album with everyone’s photos and messages written to us. It was such an amazing thing to have at the end of the night. Every time I look at this book, I find something new I didn’t see before.
Also, Mark provided the up lighting as well. Our hall was nice but it is an old church so lighting was an issue. His lights made the room look amazing. It really came to life with just a few strategically placed up lights. It looked phenomenal.
All in all, we couldn’t have been happier with how everything turned out. Our guests had a great time and it truly was the best night of our lives.
Thanks,
Pete and Cory

(weddingwire.com)

Without sitting down with your entertainer and getting the details of each event of the reception or maybe the magic my be lost. Details not just a don’t play list, but all the interactions of the night. Have a dream let it happen.

How to Choose Wedding Entertainers

Beautiful bride and glowing groom aside, the most important part of a successful wedding reception is the entertainment. Think of all the weddings you’ve been to throughout your life. Weren’t the most fun celebrations the ones with the liveliest music, plentiful food and drink and a touch of the unexpected?
Wedding entertainment has evolved greatly from when your mother planned her special day. Today’s couples have unlimited options when it comes to keeping those smiles on the faces of their guests. How do you decide what to choose? It depends on what type of wedding you are having.
Some brides give their wedding a theme, such as “Hollywood glamour” or “garden party.” Having a theme makes selecting wedding entertainment easier as you can group by type. For example, the Open Air PhotoBooth is great for a Hollywood theme having the guests as they enter the reception on a red carpet, set up an old fashioned popcorn machine or hire Big Band-style musicians. Keep guests entertained at an outdoor garden wedding with lawn games like croquet and horse shoes.
If you don’t have a theme, match your wedding entertainment to your location or family tastes. A zydeco band is perfect for a wedding in the South, while a luau featuring a hula show and fire show are a perfect match for a beach wedding in the South Pacific. If your family heritage is Mexican, consider a mariachi band. Scottish brides and grooms often have a bagpiper at the ready while leaving the ceremony or entering the reception.
Remember your goal is to keep guests engaged while still allowing them to enjoy each other’s company. Many couples have slideshows at their receptions but make the mistake of running too long or stopping everything and have it played in the middle of the dance floor. If you like to have a great photo slideshow have it played on a flat screen TV all night at the reception. Wedding entertainment should be fun for all the guest, not just the happy couple and their parents.
Your main focus when it comes to wedding entertainment should be the music. Whether it is just there for background noise or you’re planning a wild dance party, your music is going to be heard by your guests for hours. Plan your other live entertainment around the band’s breaks, or make arrangements with the DJ to step aside in order to feature any special entertainment.
Knock two items off your wedding checklist and save a few dollars by combining wedding entertainment with favors. A photo booth with funny props like hats and stick-on mustaches allows guests to goof around and gives them a fun token of your special day. A silhouette cutter is fascinating to watch and provides guests with a beautiful piece of art.
No matter what you choose, remember to always sign a contract that protects your interests and spells out any and all charges, as well as verifying that the company you are hiring has all proper permits and insurance. The peace of mind you’ll get will allow you to fully enjoy your wedding entertainment!
Traditional weddings are becoming a thing of the past and Themed Weddings have since taken its place, which is why Wedding Entertainers have become more in demand than ever before.

Pittsburgh Grooms Workshop

The Pittsburgh Grooms Workshop will be having 3 classes a year. If you would like to be on the free email list please send your request to info@DjMarkTishko.com

Getting the right entertainment for you

This year I have more than normal phone calls from brides that their DJ cancel or can not reach them. The last call went like this.

Bride-Can you help me I’m stuck with out a DJ for my wedding this weekend.

Me-Yes I can help you out by having a DJ for you this Saturday.

Bride- Great we would need him for 5 hours

Me- Ok the total cost for my associate would be XXXX.

Bride- Wow that’s more than the other DJ was charging for the same time it was a great deal, plus I paid him the $500.00 for that night.

Me- I guess you may want to look around to see if you can find somebody else that fits your budget.

Bride-But all the other company’s are all booked up.

Me- Please remember my associate is only open because he is heading on a vacation on Sunday. It’s not a great deal if the Dj is not going to show up.

Bride- Thank you I will call you back.

This is happen more this year then ever, like a friend from a friend is Djing our wedding and not showing up, why have that can of stress. Here some thing to make sure to have the right entertainment 1) Get an agreement no matter what. 2) Stay in touch at lest 2-3 months before you date. 3) Met the person face to face to see if you are a good fit. 4) Get a wedding professional. 5) Ask you other professional who you are looking as your DJ. The biggest thing you must be happy with the right person.

Emily and Brian Ondras wedding on June 25, 2011

It was a great celebration at the West Deer reception hall. The day was full of fun and memories when the guest came into the room we added the up lighting of a light green.

With one of the best photographer Amanda Wilson who work so hard that night to make Emily’s day so perfect.

And at the end of the night here is what Emily and Brian had to say about my services.

Photo Booths are not all the same

Not all booths are the same. Beware of cheap imitations. Home made photo booth kits are available on eBay. Be informed and be smart about what you are getting. Open Air PhotoBooth is a real photo booth with highest quality of prints.

Reliable, fun and simply the best booths on the market today.

If you are looking for something VERY unique and exciting, you have come to the right place.

It’s the BEST!!!

Open Air PhotoBooth is here in Pittsburgh

The Open Air Photo Booth at Dan Cavanaugh Birdal Show

It was a great weekend meeting over eight hundred brides and the lucky ones that stop at my booth

WeddingWire Awards Mark Tishko Entertainment “Brides Choice 2011″

Pittsburgh PA – January 25 2011 – WeddingWire, the nation’s leading wedding technology company, is thrilled to announce Mark Tishko Entertainment has been selected to receive the prestigious annual WeddingWire Bride’s Choice Awards™ 2011 for Wedding entertainment!

Recognition for the Bride’s Choice Awards™ 2011 is determined by recent reviews and extensive surveys from over 750,000 WeddingWire newlyweds. Our past clients are among those that shared their experiences on WeddingWire, the largest wedding review site in the nation.

Mark Tishko Entertainment stands among the top five percent of wedding professionals in the WeddingWire community, representing quality and service excellence within the wedding industry. Awards were given to the top wedding professionals across 20 service categories, from wedding venues to wedding photographers, and were based on the overall professional achievements throughout the past year.

“WeddingWire is honored to celebrate the success of the top-rated wedding professionals within the WeddingWire community,” said Timothy Chi, WeddingWire’s Chief Executive Officer. “With the annual Bride’s Choice Awards™ program, WeddingWire has the unique opportunity to recognize the best wedding professionals across the US and Canada. We applaud Mark Tishko Entertainment for their professionalism and dedication to enhancing the wedding planning experience last year.”

We are happy to announce that Mark Tishko Entertainment is among the very best wedding entertainment within the WeddingWire Network, which includes leading wedding planning sites WeddingWire, Martha Stewart Weddings, Project Wedding and Weddingbee.
We would like to thank our past clients for nominating us to receive the Bride’s Choice Awards™ 2011.

Photo Montage

Mark Tishko Entertainment has add to Pittsburgh Photo-Montage to his services, where you can have your photos displayed in video form at the celebration.

Plus by add the large screen TVs you can have it playing all night long, not for 15min like the other companies will do for you.