{"id":1235,"date":"2012-09-14T15:19:22","date_gmt":"2012-09-14T19:19:22","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/shutterbooth2.wpengine.com\/photo-booth-rental-milwaukee\/?p=1235"},"modified":"2012-09-12T11:00:22","modified_gmt":"2012-09-12T15:00:22","slug":"wedding-entertainment-on-a-budget-in-milwaukee-wi","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/shutterbooth.com\/photo-booth-rental-milwaukee\/2012\/09\/14\/wedding-entertainment-on-a-budget-in-milwaukee-wi\/","title":{"rendered":"Wedding Entertainment on a Budget in Milwaukee WI"},"content":{"rendered":"

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Wedding Entertainment<\/a> on a Budget in Milwaukee, WI<\/strong><\/h2>\n

by Abigail Tanner<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

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It\u2019s been said that whatever your budget is for your wedding, be prepared to exceed it because you WILL exceed it. Funny how true that is. Now, by the time you begin planning the reception, you\u2019ve likely used up your funds on the wedding dress, venues, and catering. It is imperative that entertainment not be neglected. This is THE party of your lifetime. You are getting married!<\/p>\n

LIVE MUSIC<\/strong><\/p>\n

Taylor Swift is touring the night of your wedding and Coldplay is a little too expensive, so what do you do?<\/p>\n

1. Check out your local indie artists. Go to Open Mics, place an ad on Craigslist, visit ReverbNation. You\u2019ll be supporting local artists and putting some money back in your pocket.<\/p>\n

2. Look into local college music programs. If you are a jazz fan, call the school\u2019s music director and ask them to announce it to their students and make sure to compensate them. Students have a fresh passion for music and will be thrilled to play a paying gig.\u00a0 (From my experience playing gigs in college, $75-$125 per band member for a 3 hour gig was a fair rate.\u00a0 If you hired a jazz trio from a local college, that\u2019s easily less than $500 for live music.)<\/p>\n

3. Ask family and friends. Chances are your circles hold a few musicians. It doesn\u2019t hurt to ask if they\u2019d be interested in playing for an hour or two.<\/p>\n

DJ \/ iTunes<\/strong><\/p>\n

If you are a big dance fan, a live band isn\u2019t going to be your most affordable option.\u00a0 To find a full band that can give a stellar performance in any genre from any decade, you\u2019ll need thousands of dollars.<\/p>\n

1. If you want a really good deal, call a DJ a few weeks shy of your wedding. If they are available on your wedding date, they want to be booked! Politely negotiate a good price with them.<\/p>\n

2. Create a songlist on iTunes and play it on your iPod. Ask an outgoing friend or relative to emcee periodically. Make sure that all of your cables leading to the power outlet are taped securely to the floor and the back end of the iPod and\/or computer. At one wedding I attended, someone kept tripping over the cord and the song kept skipping \u2013 it was so annoying!<\/p>\n

DANCING<\/strong><\/p>\n

It\u2019s important to have a good mix of upbeat dance songs with slow dance songs. Some people are truly gifted with coordination and rhythm, others are not. The slow songs are for them.<\/p>\n

1. Call some dance studios and compare rates for group dance lessons. It\u2019s an affordable and unique twist to an otherwise predictable wedding reception.<\/p>\n

2. Call local dance companies and ask if they have any dancers preparing for a recital or dance competition who would like an opportunity to practice for a live audience.<\/p>\n

KARAOKE<\/strong><\/p>\n

If all else fails, rent or borrow a small sound system, hook up your computer to a projector, and make sure you have Wi-Fi. Go to www.youtube.com<\/a> and type in what you\u2019d like to sing, \u201cI\u2019ve had the Time of my Life\u201d for example, and you\u2019ll have instant karaoke and lots of laughs.<\/p>\n

Your Milwaukee wedding is sure to be unique and affordable if you follow these helpful tips. Let me know how it works for you!!<\/p>\n