Champagne, the perfect accessory to any party celebration: holidays, birthdays, New Year’s, and of course any Central NJ wedding. After all, what is a New Year’s resolution without making a wish at the bottom of a toasting glass at midnight? Today Hotels Unlimited asks our audience: is Champagne really limited to only black tie affairs? This particular blogger (and aficionado of Champagne) thinks not. A good Champagne, ( like any other type of fine wine) is not just limited to one kind of occasion, but rather a key ingredient in some delicious recipes to be shared with good friends and family at any time.
The Mimosa
A classic drink of Champagne and orange juice, the mimosa serves great versatility and is also a classy twist for any Sunday brunch. For a more flavorful twist, try adding some lychee for a sweet delight.
Champagne Sangria
What girl doesn’t love a good chat with friends while enjoying a pitcher of Sangria? Although Sangria is traditionally made with a wine base, Champagne can add a light bubbly flair for your cocktail by simply adding your favorite fruit to your champagne. For a refreshing holiday twist, try using orange slices and some sprigs of fresh mint.
What are some of your favorite Champagne recipes? Comment and share!
Have you ever wondered what it would be like to have your wedding at the Windsor Ballroom in East Windsor NJ? We have an insider’s perspective of a wedding that took place at our Central NJ wedding facility. Here our catering coordinators Tara and Jason will show you everything from our cakes, catering, linens, chairs, lighting, and our award-winning staff that is there to ease your mind and fill your every wedding wish. Enjoy our Windsor Trilogy series as we take you on a journey.
Part 1: The Wedding Ceremony at the Windsor Ballroom
Part 2: Transitioning the Ceremony to the Reception
Today Hotels Unlimited continues its Behind the Scenes series as we proudly introduce Bettse Birnbaum, our promotional items consultant. Bettse is the owner of All That Jazz a premiere promotional marketing company specializing in customizable items that people can use to personalize their NJ sweet 16, Bar/ Bat Mitzvah, NJ weddings, or corporate events. For example, when guests book their wedding at any of our facilities, inside their thank you gift bags are promotional items from All That Jazz.
HU: How long has All That Jazz been working with Hotels Unlimited?
BB: All that Jazz has been working with Hotels Unlimited for at least six years, and has been in business for more than 22 years.
HU: What kinds of items can people personalize for a social gathering such as a NJ Bar/ Bat Mitzvah?
BB: We have balloons and banners, sweatshirts and t-shirts. Most Bat Mitzvahs have a theme that we can always work with. For example we can create personalized CD covers, and aluminum key tags with event information to create a Broadway theatre themed event. We can create products to match any theme.
HU: What kinds of items can people personalize for a NJ wedding?
BB: All that Jazz can order favors and gifts for bridesmaids and the entire wedding party. We have done picture frames, chocolates, and mints with pictures of the bride and groom. We also have fortune cookies, with custom fortunes and flavors including Oreo flavored cookies. We can do edible cookies and chocolates with an imprinted logo which is good for both corporate and social events.
HU: What items are popular for a corporate gathering?
BB: Corporate items are our specialty. We can do pens, badges, folios, high tech computer accessories, journals, or totes depending on the type of corporate event. We can produce a myriad of promotional products including print and packaging services.
HU: What are your most popular bridal items?
BB: Some of our most popular items include: t-shirts, chocolates, purse hooks, picture frames, candles, wine accessories, bride and groom mint containers, and spa kits for weddings. For children-based events such as Bar/ Bat Mitzvahs and Sweet 16s, some items we have included pajama pants with a monogram logo and t-shirts, sports paraphernalia and more.
HU: What are your most popular corporate items?
BB: Our popular conference items are pretty much ordered on a client to client basis and are based on theme., exhibit stands are popular right now for the corporate realm.
HU: What hot trends do you foresee coming up for the holiday season?
BB: People are going back to basics. Commonly we have sold a lot of baskets with gourmet food. We have packaged mugs with treats and gourmet coffees and teas. Some other hot products for the season include desk products, umbrellas, computer bags, flash drives, and digital picture frames which can come pre-loaded and link back to the company website or the bride and groom’s website.
HU: Which of the items available are your personal favorites?
BB: I really like the picture frames. I will put in a piece of parchment with a card or invitation inserted into a picture frame. I also like giving out food in special packaging that can be used later for other purposes. Holiday cards that come packaged with music are a nice gift.
According to a recent article found on Business Insurance, event planners are showing a trend of NOT insuring their events. According to research, the article suggests that many of the 50,000 event planners across the country are independently operated and will only get insurance for an event at the client’s request.
Photos of some of our outdoor ceremonies & nearby beach weddings
But like anyone else, we are only human and cannot control everything. For example in last August, Hurricane Irene had ruined more than 6,000 weddings across the east coast according to a report from CNN Money. The average cost of a wedding is about $30,000 and about a whopping $70,000 in New York City.. ouch!
So would you consider insuring your wedding or large gala event? As we all have learned throughout life, poop happens and so does the weather. Although we always can hope for the best for anyone’s big day, we can only do just that. Hope.
It’s no surprise how quickly technology emerges and integrates into our daily lives. Although it has its advantages and disadvantages, today we ask the question of the role of technology in the wedding industry.
Is it improper to send out wedding invitations via E-mail or through a digital medium versus a traditional paper invitation?
Although every wedding has its own circumstances and variations based on the couple, we decided to analyze the pros and cons of each side.
Digital invitations:
Pros +
+1: No postage stamps required.
+1: Environmentally friendly. No paper required.
+1: Inexpensive. Many websites will let you customize your own for little to no cost.
Cons –
-1: If you are looking to invite the grandparents, they are probably not tech savvy.
-1: Mass E-mail distribution sites can sometimes be marked as spam and can get lost in cyberspace.
-1: Depending on the style of the message, can set the tone in a cheap way. A traditional wedding with an e-vite? Not so much.
Paper invitations:
Pros +
+1: are easily created and customizable to the couple’s theme/ personality. No template required.
+1: are portable for guests driving to your location for both the church and the reception.
+1: understandable by all ages and do not come with a computer incompatibility error.
Cons –
-1: postage stamps, card paper, and any specialized calligraphy writing will add up $$$ very quickly.
-1: depending on if one makes the invites or buys them, one has to consider gas and labor.
-1: takes longer to deliver and receive RSVP. Bridal party will have to develop manual system of RSVP.
Today, we have some lovely photos for our NJ Brides to enjoy at our Monmouth County wedding banquet hall. Featuring Melvin and Jamie, our happy couple enjoyed great food, fun, and looked stunning. Check them out!
Don’t forget that the Sterling Ballroom is also available for any Central NJ Bar Mitzvahs, Sweet 16s, anniversaries, baby and bridal showers, and corporate events.
Participants who book at any of the Hotels Unlimited facilities will receive a VIP card that will entitle them to exclusive deals and savings that cannot be provided anywhere else. Brides and other event planners can only get a Sound Connection VIP card by booking a Hotels Unlimited event, and can only get a Hotels Unlimited VIP card by booking a Sound Connection event. This card is designed to bring savings and is ready for use.
Happy Friday everyone and the unofficial last weekend of summer at the Jersey Shore. :-/ Although summer is almost gone, we start pulling out our warmer clothes and jackets and get ready for the weather ahead. With the cold, brings the holidays and the families together. Each season has its advantages and beautiful colors that come with it.
Did you know that it wasn’t until 1947 that diamonds became a standard for an engagement ring? It was not until a marketing campaign was released with the slogan ‘Diamonds are Forever’ that diamonds entered the wedding industry and are still prevalent today.
Engagement rings before 1947 usually had semi-precious gems or other accent stones. Today, one can find accent gems on dresses, pillows, garters, in floral arrangements, and just about any wedding accessory. When picking an accent stone one needs to consider the season, theme, and color scheme of the wedding.
For example during a Winter Wonderland themed Wedding, one might use shades of blue silver and white to accent their wedding with an ice theme. To compliment this hue of colors, one might select accent stones of sapphires, aquamarine, or crystals to accent this in their jewelry or floral spread.
Regardless of colors, neutral colored stones are always an easy bridal accessory. For example pearls, crystals, glass, and rhinestones are a neutral and less expensive alternative that one can use to accent their wedding. Be creative and explore the local craft and art supply store for beads to inspire an accent stone for a more personalized wedding.
What do Batman, Superman, Indiana Jones and a bride all have in common? Each has their own cued theme music. They take command of the center stage and stride into the crowd as the music plays in the background.
Whenever anyone plans a big NJ event the music can completely set the tone. Today Hotels Unlimited met with Jason Jani from Sound Connection Entertainment. Jason has been providing Hotels Unlimited with the latest beats since 2000. Hotels Unlimited is proud to announce in this exclusive interview that Sound Connection Entertainment is our #1 preferred vendor for the latest in music and entertainment for your NJ Wedding and NJ Corporate event.
How long have you been DJ music industry?
I have been a DJ for 16 years. I have done everything from private events to nightclub events, remix production and radio production work. Have done over 2000 events in my life and over 1000 wedding receptions alone.
How did you get started with Sound Connection Entertainment?
I founded Sound Connection 11 years ago. At the time, I was working with different night clubs and I was asked to do a lot of private events. Back then, a lot of private events consisted of doing the staple line dances and doing mostly interactive stuff. Not that I was against any of that, but I wanted to do something different and that was how Sound Connection was born. When I got invites to do weddings, social events, and corporate events I wanted to do a more modern unique presentation. We really wanted to do something that was outside of the box.
What inspired you to get into the industry?
That is a really good question. It’s really interesting to see how the industry has changed now from when I started. When I started, I thought of it as a fun creative job. As I evolved as an entertainer/ DJ, my responsibilities have taken on different forms as a business owner and with the event planning and production aspect. It has evolved so much and it still continues to do so. At SCE, we try to draw inspiration from anything. Movies, concerts, Broadway, industry conferences, music videos, and pop culture are all creative influences to us today.
What is your favorite part of the job?
My favorite part of the job is getting to know people and understanding their unique vision. When I meet with a client, it’s not just a business relationship but a personal relationship too. My favorite part of the job is at the end of the event seeing that everything the clients have envisioned is brought to life or surpassed. It’s fun to see the younger guests on the dance floor all night and the older guests too. It’s the combination of people at the end of the event that say ‘this is the best event I have ever been to,’ ‘It was perfect,’ etc - that makes all our effort and hard work worth it.
What separates Sound Connection from other music and entertainment companies?
Sound Connection Entertainment is different because of our staff. We are fortunate to have a very creative, talented and dynamic full time staff. We also aren’t limited to preparing our events a certain way. Everything that we do surrounds the clients’ ideas and vision. Everyone has a different idea of perfect and what they want for their event. We take the time to understand what that is and materialize it to perfection while keeping people entertained and happy. There isn’t anything we can’t do and we are not afraid to try new things for people. When a client comes to us with an incredible idea, the Sound Connection difference is we try to incorporate the idea into the production for that evening. Our events are as unique as our couples.
Sound Connection entertainment offers more than just music. What other features do you have to enhance the event experience?
Some of the enhancements that we offer include lighting and light-scaping. We will use lighting design to transform both the look and feel of the room. We can change the lighting with the mood and the feeling of the room. For example, when the bride is sharing the dance with her father the room goes pink. When the groom shares the dance with his mom, the room goes blue. When they cut the cake, the room goes white. If we know it is a fall wedding and everyone is eating dinner, we will light up the walls in reds, oranges, and yellows, and it is constantly changing so that the landscape in the room will always be changing and will always be different.
We also offer drapery which can transform any traditional wedding venue into something you would see in Miami or New York City. We will hang fabric up against the walls which really complements the lighting features we offer and it gives the room a new dimension. It really surprises people with how classy it looks, and how it accents the venue in a different capacity. Multi-media presentations, Lounge Furniture, Digital Photo booths, Atmosphere elements, and custom audio production are all services offered by Sound Connection
How long does it take to prepare for an event?
Every event is different so it depends on what the clients’ needs and services that they require. On average, I would say we put in about 20 to 40 hours per wedding production that we do. Some are more than that, others are less. It really depends on the framework or vision of the client. Some couples might want custom voice-overs, custom remixes, lighting design, venue touring, setting up equipment and even appointments that can sometimes last two to four hours.
What is your favorite genre of music?
From a DJ perspective, I am an open format kind of DJ. I am open to any form of music. I can go from 70s, 80s, 90s, top 40, house, rock, to hip-hop in one night.
When I am in my car, I will listen to something different to get a feel of what is going down in pop culture, but recently the 90s station is making a huge comeback for me. If I could only pick one music type though, I would say the dance music because of my club DJ background.
