Brandon Lindsey “A Different Kind Of Wedding DJ”

Thank you for visiting my blog. I’m a Cincinnati based, professionally trained Master of Ceremonies, Wedding Entertainemnt Expert,  and Disc Jockey.   . My company is Hey! Mr. DJ Entertainment llc. I’m available for booking in Cincinnati and Nationwide.  Call Today!

(E) Brandon@heymrdj.net (W)  HeyMrDJEntertainment.com  (P)513.617.5817  

The Grooms Workshop & After Hours Bridal Show At Great American Ballpark

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An exciting event is coming up for engaged couples. Great American Ballpark will play host to The After Hours Bridal Show and The Grooms Workshop all in one night. It’s an unusual twist on the usual bridal show. This is not your typical cattle call bridal show. This is a night with some of the top wedding vendors in Cincinnati. Have a cocktail while you take in the views Of Great American Ballpark. The show will feature a $20,000 wedding giveaway! Paul Mitchell School will be on hand for free up-do’s. I will be personally hosting the Grooms Workshop in the Diamond Club starting at 7:00.

What is the Grooms Workshop and why are bride’s not allowed to attend?

Simply put it’s expert wedding tips for the groom. Bride’s are not allowed because we share romantic and thoughtful ideas for the groom and we don’t want the surprise and romance spoiled when the bride hears it from us instead experiencing it for themselves on the wedding day. Grooms will also learn tips and tricks to:

  • Getting Involved In The Planning
  • Select The Right Tuxedo
  • His Responsibilities
  • Stirring Emotion In a Good Way
  • Captivating Your Guests At The Reception
  • Looking Better In Your Pictures and Video
  • Honeymoon Tips

Other FAQ…

What’s the cost? How about FREE!

Do we need a ticket? No you just need to be at the Diamond Club and in your Seat by 7:00

Can I bring my best man? Yes.. I will even have a couple of tips for him.

Do we really get to hit in the Batting cages at GABP?  Yes!! How awesome is that.. I can’t wait to take some cuts myself.

Is this just some sales pitch?  NO! It’s just great advice. Guys who have attended these workshops have given them great reviews.

This workshop is going to be great don’t let your groom miss it! If you have questions call me personally at  (Cincinnati Area Code)617-5817

Quick quotes from one of our past grooms workshop attendees….

“I didn’t know what to expect. To be honest my fiance made me go. I left the grooms workshop with a page full of notes and a new excitement about my wedding day. I can’t wait to use some of these ideas” – Chase

“It’s been a few months now since my wedding and we got our wedding video back. I thought I would take a moment to write you, Brandon. I can tell you that so many of the moments that stand out on our wedding video are things that I got from the grooms workshop. The great thing is, the guests, my bride they all attribute those moments to me. I am romantic and fun but it was the inspiration from the grooms workshop that made me feel comfortable about incorporating that into the wedding day.” – Brian

7 Simple Ways To Better Enjoy Your Wedding Day

  1. The night before your wedding day, take it easy on the alcohol and get to bed at a decent hour. – We know rehearsal dinners are fun and can turn into a party on their own. Go ahead and have a great time. Just don’t overdo it. The last thing you want is to wake up with a hangover on your wedding day.ID-100235774
  2. Make sure your wedding party has a printed or text messaged schedule of where they need to be on the wedding day. – Make sure the schedule includes when and where they are meeting to get ready. Make sure they know the location of pictures and that after the ceremony before heading off to the reception they will likely be needed for more pictures. You don’t want one uninformed groomsman to screw up your entire schedule and have you rushing to get tot he ceremony or reception. There is a great blog post on DIY schedules like this here atlast-weddings.blogspot.com Itenerary_for_Bridal_Party
  3. Schedule your Honeymoon flight for Monday morning-  This is a tip I got from a good friend and expert in honeymoon travel. Jerry Katz over at First Discount Travel. If your reception is a good one, it will usually be a late one. there will be people you have not seen in a long time and you may end up staying out late or having a few too many drinks. Take Sunday to recover, savor the night before, and to maybe open gifts with family. Then on Monday morning you will be refreshed and hopefully on time for your honeymoon flight. romantic-16955_640
  4. Hire a professional MC. – I don’t want this to sound like a sales pitch for my services but I really do believe this. Imagine getting up early, getting ready, getting pictures taken, and going through the most emotional moments of your life in front of everyone who is special to you. When all that is over you finally make it to your party. Wouldn’t it just be nice to be able to relax at that point and know that your professional MC has thing under control.   The peace of mind to know he will take care of the schedule, will call you by the right name , will help make your reception fun and perfect. brandonmc
  5. Eat – Sometimes it’s a combination of worrying about fitting into the dress, nerves and time restraints but many brides don’t eat very much on their wedding day. Wake up in the morning and have a good sensible breakfast. Have a light lunch and then when your reception dinner is served take time to enjoy it. It’s important that you feel good a healthy on your wedding day. It will also help not to be drinking on an empty stomach.    Besides you scheduled dinner..everyone else is eating. You should too. 20121003-143357.jpg
  6. Savor the little moments – I read an article posted on Facebook about the secret to happiness being taking in all the small moments in life. In the moment realizing how good our food tastes, how beautiful a day is, how perfect a sunset can be, the subtle moments in a friendship. On your wedding day appreciate, savor, bask in the fantastic little moments as they happen. Getting ready with your best friends in the world, having a photo shoot with them, dancing with them, that look in your dads eye, that sunset, the feelings in your stomach, the hug of a relative, the perfect tone of a song. Enjoy it all. 
    Jason and his Mom Share a Dance

    Soak it in!

     

  7. Don’t sweat the small stuff – It’s your wedding day so everything is going to feel like a big deal. That groomsman who is joking around when you want a serious picture, that small delay before you are introduced into the reception, the guy on the dance floor who drank too much, the weather, the lighting,  it may not all go according to plan. Just keep it all in perspective and take a deep breath. Try not to dwell on it or snap. Then see #6 again and realize you have each other.

    Crista and Eric Dance, the last dance of the night

    You have all that matters

12 Things You May Not Know About Hey! Mr. DJ Entertainment

 

1)      Jason stumbled into DJing when Sue Cummins bought a PA system and had Jason and her son Jeff DJ car cruise-ins for Lykins Oil.

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Jason’s and Jeff’s mixer.

2)      Brandon stumbled into DJing when he bought a sound system with his tax return in 1999. He had rented a karaoke system a few times for parties and decided to get a system to use for deck and basement parties at his house.

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Brandon’s system being put to use in his basement.

3)      Hey! Mr. DJ Entertainment LLC was formed in Brandon’s basement just before Brandon and Jason left to go to a high school football game in 1999.  Brandon wasn’t real happy with his wedding DJ a year earlier and Jason said , “I was thinking of getting into this more seriously”.

 

4)      Brandon and Jason’s first event together was an anniversary party at the Blanchester Armory. It was Jason’s event and Brandon tagged along to see if he would like it. That night a kid locked himself in the bathroom and it took guests about 20 minutes to get him out. That entire time they asked for no music to be played. That same night a woman fell so hard in front of the DJ table while dancing, the CD player skipped. 

 

5)      Hey! Mr. DJ Entertainment’s first bar gig was at The Valley View in Williamsburg Ohio. They have since performed at many major bars around the city.

 

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Jason at the Valley View

 

6)      The name Hey! Mr. DJ Entertainment was conceived by Brandon at his desk while working as a computer programmer. It was one of 5 names he had considered. Jason immediately liked the name and it was decided. The logo was created by a graphic design student who was a friend of a lady Brandon worked with. 

 

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7)      Greg Poole and Chad Ward were the first guys Hey! Mr. DJ Entertainment brought on to help with events. After Greg’s first event he got a fantastic thank you card in the mail from the bride.

 

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Brandon, Greg, Chad and Jason – The Original Crew

 

8)    Brandon became the wedding forum moderator at an online DJ forum sometime around 2001. Since then he has presented seminars at DJ Conferences in Tennessee, Toronto Canada and Las Vegas. He has also written articles for a DJ magazine.

 

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Brandon and other presenters including Jeffery Gitomer at ARMDJS 2013

9)   Brandon also has traveled to Los Angeles, Las Vegas, Minnesota, Chicago, and Louisville to attend professional DJ training workshops. He also took an 8 week comedy class and performed at the Funny Bone on the Levee on a sold out night.

 

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Brandon live stand-up at the Funny Bone

 

10)   Zach Albers, who has been an MC with Hey! Mr. DJ Entertainment  since 2007 has won Cincinnati Idol. He has also appeared in several TV commercials including State Farm and Speedway commercials.

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Zach with Justin Case on the set of a a Safe Auto Insurance commerical

 

11)   Myron Heggood, while working with Hey! Mr. DJ Entertainment, did events with David Tueterra from My Fair Wedding. He also did events with Demi Lavato and with Cody Simpson.

Myron with Pop Star Cody SimpsonMyron and David Tutera of WETV Fame

12)   In 2009 on the way home from performing at a wedding Brandon and Glenn Spencer witnessed a single car accident and stopped to check on the people inside. The car came to rest on top of a very high overpass bridge that was about 100 feet over the road below. The driver was drunk and climbed out the driver’s side. Glenn grabbed him and drug him across the trunk of the car and saved him from falling off the bridge 100 feet to the pavement below.

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The Value Of Good Wedding Entertainment

    It’s January and so many excited brides are in search of their wedding vendors for 2013 and 2014. You are Googleing vendors, going to Bridal Shows and thumbing through every wedding magazine you can get your hands on. Meanwhile you are dreaming of the beautiful day you are planning. You picture yourself walking down the isle. You picture your soon to be husband or wife’s face the first time you see each other that day. You picture your guests.

How do you picture your guests? In your dreams are they eating? In your dreams are they walking around admiring your centerpieces?  I doubt it! Most brides and grooms envision their guests smiling, laughing, talking and DANCING.

Right now you are thinking, “OK tell me something I don’t know.” How about this. Did you know that according to studies and surveys of brides before the wedding 51% are most concerned about the food at the reception. 13 % of brides are most worried about the ceremony. 16% are most worried about the dress, tux and bridesmaid dresses. 12% of brides are most concerned with their photos. In fact only 8% of brides are making their entertainment a priority concern.

All that is understandable. All of those things are certainly important. But did you know that 71% of brides surveyed after their wedding wish they had made entertainment a bigger priority?  That means 71% were not completely happy with their entertainment and how “entertained” their guest were. 71% realized too late the value of good wedding entertainment.   

That is such a shame. Because even the most expensive DJs are generally less that 10% of what The Knot says the average wedding cost ($28,000) is in 2013.

You see it’s hard to put a percentage on the impression good entertainment has on your wedding day. What percentage of the success of your reception falls on the DJ or Band and their ability to keep your guests happy, comfortable, enjoying themselves? What percentage of your guests memories are directly related to the FUN or emotional moments facilitated by great DJs or bands vs average DJs or bands? It’s hard to say but 71% of brides realize it is a LARGE percentage and they realize it too late. 

It’s January 2013 and brides are calling looking for vendors. When they call us at Hey! Mr. DJ Entertainment. they often first ask “What do you charge?” I’ll tell you all here and now what we charge. We charge less than 10% of that $28,000 average wedding cost. Instead of asking that question, how about just asking when you can come in and meet us to hear about what we do? You’ll find out that 71% of brides made the wrong decision, many of those choices were made based on the price. If you don’t come meet us, you’ll never know what you are missing. Don’t end up at your reception and wishing you had spent a little more for great entertainment. Call us today 513-617-5817. We have openings this week and next to hear about your wedding dreams and show you how we can make them happen. 

* Sources the Knot, USA TODAY, Simmons, The National Bridal Service, Brides Magazine and Big Time Entertainment

March 7th 2013 – Great American Ballpark

On March 7th Great American Ballpark will play home to A Bride’s Mafia Afterhours Bridal show and “The Grooms Gameplan”. 

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The Bridal Show will feature a wedding giveaway worth $20,000! you’ll get to meet the top wedding experts in Cincinnati and view the amazing facilities available at Great American Ballpark for weddings and receptions.

“The Grooms Gameplan” Is a workshop to be held during the show, overlooking the field in a private area of Great American Ballpark. You’ll here from me, Brandon Lindsey as I present ideas that grooms can incorporate into your day and into the planning to make you look like an all-star and to make your bride feel really special. You’ll also hear from a few other experts with tips on Travel, Tuxedos, Venue Selection, Photography and more. This workshop is for grooms only.  To RSVP text 513-617-5817 with your name and the word GABP. 

 

See you at the show. Oh and Admission is FREE!

Check out A Brides Mafia for more details. 

Hey! Mr DJ Entertainment Brandon’s Top Hits of 2012!

2012 was an amazing year for us at Hey! Mr. DJ Entertainment. We started the year by winning “Best Of Awards” “Brides Choice” Awards. As wedding season kicked into high gear we were able to work with so many amazing and wonderful clients.

We expanded our market in 2012 and did several weddings in Dayton and Lexington. We had several couples who used Dayton’s Schuster Centre for their events. What an amazing place that is! We also made a few trips to the Dayton Country Club and to the Packard Museum. We also traveled to Lexington for three weddings in 2012. One of those events was at The Red Mile Race Track where guests could bet on live racing during the reception. Another we had in Lexington was for Ryan and Jane Mosser at the Griffin Gate Resort. Here is a quote from Ryan from our Facebook page

I don’t just like Hey! Mr. DJ…I love them. They made our wedding the best day of our lives. Everyone of our friends and family are still talking about them!!!

We also continued work at some of our favorite venues in Cincinnati. The Elements Event Centre was host to several of our clients events and maybe our funniest introduction moment of a wedding party member all year when we tricked the brides sister into thinking we had a video of her as a child acting like Marsha Clark during the OJ Simpson trial. When we said let’s turn to the big screen for that video the sister almost died, and when we revealed that we were joking the room erupted in laughter.

Another venue were we did several wedding and multiple corporate parties was the Manor House.  For 2013 they have added a new building to their property called the Carriage house. Make sure you check it out.

The Country Clubs we worked this year were as always so accommodating and awesome. I was very sad to hear about the passing of my Friend Julie Gutzwiller at Shaker Run. She was always so incredible to us and did such a great service for her brides. It is nice to know that her dear friend Ryan Gilley has taken over for her and will carry on what she has started out there. One of our events at Shaker Run this past year was especially special to me because there were several families who’s weddings I had done all in one room. The Kocon family had hired me and it was great to also see the Ballard’s there and here how people still talk about both weddings so much.

Just this past weekend at Clovernook Country Club I had the pleasure of working the Rebecca Barclay’s wedding and I got to see her sister and her husband who’s wedding I did  2 and a half years ago. Megan and Rob Fausz are doing awesome and it was so great to see them again.

Also to stick with the Family connections. I was able to DJ one wild wedding reception, that even featured the UC Bearcat. That reception was for The Adkins family. I had previously DJ’d for Bill and Helene and it was great to see their family always knows how to party from the first song till the last note.

Drees Pavillion this year we had some GREAT parties one of which featured an Ohio State like entrance that brought the house down.

I really enjoyed my first experience DJing weddings at Great American Ballpark in 2012. I remember telling the Love Story of Meredith and Brandon and looking up ans seeing so many people in tears of joy. That was one awesome moment!

We had some amazing wedding party introduction moments in 2012 as well. Katie and Michael at Greene Acres where it was not only beautiful but the introductions of the wedding party had the entire place in laughter.

Other top moments:

Matt and Charlene at Elements where we used a video of Charlene singing with joy right after the proposal was hilarious.

Long distance toasts we were able to provide for our clients who had those important family members who couldn’t attend.

Ryan and Jane’s first dance where I was able to put the vowels they wrote into the first dance song. Great moment!

Our DJ Patrick Ray got married and we used Skype so his uncle who is battling cancer could see the wedding.

Our former MC Myron Heggood getting married and his wife singing to him At Last. that was very cool.

Gangam Style at Rachel Ha’s wedding with her Korean family!

All the guys at weddings this year that we caught singing Call Me Maybe lol

Some of the tearful father of the bride speeches that moved everyone in the room.

There are so many moments and this article/post is getting way too long. I just want to thank all of my amazing clients from 2012. You know who you are and I truly enjoyed working with each and every one of you. I’m sure our other MC’s and DJs feel the same way about their clients. I heard so many awesome stories from their weddings this year from people suddenly dancing during dinner to surprise entrances into the room to sparkler exits it was a fantastic 2012.

I look forward to all the clients I’ll have a chance to work with in 2013 and making some amazing moments for them as well.

I really love working every year with some of my favorite vendors and meeting new vendors as well. You also know who you are and it was a pleasure as always. I look forward to more of it in 2013.

Mastering Your Wedding Timeline RSVP Today

The timeline of your wedding day is one of the most important elements that will impact how you and your guests feel about your big day.

A great timeline will reduce your stress,maximize your time at the reception and allow you to relax and enjoy your day. A good reception timeline will highlight all the important moments, flow smoothly and get you to dancing quickly.  This information will be invaluable to you.

Normally this session is offered at $20 a person. This one is FREE.

RSVP soon as we expect limited seating as the day approaches.

You can RSVP by emailing Brandon@heymrdj.net or calling 513-617-5817

Amazing Venues

Wow! Hello again. Wedding season has been in full swing for us and it has been difficult to keep up with blogging. 2012 has been an amazing year. I have personally worked with some of the most amazing couples this year. I love meeting them, getting to know them, watching them share their big day and then following along with their lives afterwards on Facebook.

Another thing I love is the variety of venues I get to work at over the course of a wedding season. This year has been exceptionally amazing in that regard.

Here are a few of the amazing venues I’ve had the pleasure of working with this year. I hope this gives some of you some great ideas for your events. Keep in mind these are only a few. There are links to many more great venues right on this page.

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Griffin Gate Resort -Lexington (above)
Get married on the Mansion lawn and party in this awesome tent. Yes I’ll go to Lexington (Louisville too)

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Green Acres – Indian Hill Ohio (above)

This place is amazing. Talk about a Mansio! Google pictures of this place or see the ones I posted on our Facebook page.  The grounds features a large fountain, a massive rock wall and a permanent tent that is just insanely beautiful.

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Krippendorf Lodge at Cincinnati Nature Center (above)

For an outdoor wedding and reception this place is perfect. The lodge has a wrap around porch that can be used for seating. The patio works for seating and for dancing. Great for those who love nature.

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Newport Aquarium – Newport KY (above)

The Aquarium has a beautiful ballroom and also features added entertainment for your guests. They can view the aquarium then come dance the night away with a city view and a patio right on the river. For a few extra bucks you can even have a penguin visit your reception.

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The Hilton – Hall Of Mirrors (above)

This historic room is one of the nicest in the entire city. With a wrap around balcony this room can be decorated with light and transformed into anything you can imagine. With 5 star service you’ll be sure to impress your guests here.

Drees Pavillion – Devoe Park Covington Ky (above)

It is no surprise that this place sells out every year. The room is awesome and the view of the Cincinnati Skyline is simply breathtaking. The gazebo is a great setting for your ceremony and the patio is perfect for cocktail hour. Then the guests will move inside for the party.

The Schuster Center – Dayton Ohio (above)

This venue is incredible. The Wintergarden features giant palm trees and is surrounded with glass. A giant staircase makes the entrance to the room dramatic and the separate bar area can be used for the cocktail hour.

The Bell Event Centre – Cincinnati Ohio (above)

This renovated historical church is simply one of the most impressive wedding venues in Cincinnati.  Front of the room still features the classic church feel and is perfect for your ceremony. The Veranda outside is elegant and a nice change of pace for your cocktail hour. Then when your guests move back inside they will find that the room has been transformed into a very modern vibrant reception.

Again there are many great venues to choose from in the Tri-State. These are just a few of the amazing places. For links to other places we recommend check out the links on the side of this page.

Finally,. think about this. As amazing as these venues are, without great entertainment your reception could still fall flat. Hire a proven professional. I’m available nationwide.

Until next time… have fun planning your big day!

Three From Hey! Mr. DJ Heading to ARMDJS

Jason, Bill and I will be heading out to ARMDJS next week. This is one of the best business and DJ conferences anywhere. We are excited to bring back some ideas and concepts that will continue to help us innovate and create with our clients. One thing is for sure in this business. Clients want amazing, fun wedding receptions and  not the same old cheese. You can’t improve if you never look outside of what you are already doing. So we’ll be there for a 5th year in a row.

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New wedding Venue In Cincinnati! The Center

Last week I was able to stop in at The Center for a wedding vendor networking party put on by The Knot. The Center is a new event venue in downtown Cincinnati. The place is awesome! Windows in the venue overlook Fountain Square. The space was big but divided up just enough to offer an intimate feel. I’m sure they offer many options for decorating the venue. At the party I attended the place was popping with fabric on the walls and uplighting used to make the place shine. Some of the space had been set-up in a VIP nightclub feel with lounge furniture. It was very current and modern and really beautiful.

Here is a link to a few pictures on their blog so you can see for yourself.

http://thecentercincinnati.blogspot.com/2012/04/knot-cocktails-and-connections-recap.html

The Center is of course surrounded by many downtown hotels and would make the perfect place for out of town guests to party and get safely back to their rooms.

If you are considering downtown venues for your reception, put The Center on your list to visit.

http://www.thecentercincinnati.com/