Julie Blanner is the owner of Coordinately Yours, a Kansas City-based wedding and event planning company

Company: Coordinately Yours
Business type: Event Planning and Design
Website: www.coordinatelyyours.com
Owner: Julie Blanner
Phone: (913) 956-8030

Enthusiasm is a big deal. I considerate to be one of the biggest secrets to hiring the right people for your big day. Always look for people who communicate passion and excitement at the thought of being a part of your wedding. That’s why we are happy to introduce you to Julie Blanner of Coordinately Yours. She brings a terrific energy to her work and professon. We met Julie while working the wedding of Sarah and Jacob this summer. What a star! We sat down and asked Julie some questions about her work, wedding planning in general. Here’s the interview!

Q: What’s usually the greatest challenge when helping clients plan their wedding?
A: Accommodating not only the bride and groom, but their families’ wishes as well-they often conflict with the bride and groom’s.  While a challenge, it’s also why I love what I do!  I enjoy finding solutions that appease everyone.

Q: Why are you a wedding planner? What about it is calling for you?
A: I love getting to know a couple and their families during the months of planning.  I am invited to share in one of the happiest days of their lives-nothing replaces the gratification I receive by seeing the joy in their smiles at the conclusion a reception.

Q: What’s the strangest client request you have received?
A: I receive a lot of unique requests, often fueled by impulse and emotion.  It’s my job to help them refine their ideas to deliver their overall aesthetic.

Q: Why should a couple consider hiring a wedding planner?
A: Hiring a planner is like hiring a mediator between both vendors and family.  It can alleviate a lot of stress in addition to helping you make wise selections, providing savings to brides to be.

Q: What makes your services different from others providing similar services?
A: Wedding planning and design is constantly evolving-more brides are interested in diy options.  To accommodate, we now offer ala carte services to guide them and provide only the services they truly want/need.

Q: What are some common misconceptions about what it is you do?
A: Jennifer Lopez provided a lot of misconceptions in the movie “The Wedding Planner.”  It’s not nearly as glamourous!  I’m often crawling on the floor, lifting, engaged in stressful negotiations, etc.  It’s definitely not all design, in fact, that accounts for less than 30% of what I do.

Q: Tell us a little about yourself, (what do you love ot do in your freetime, favorite tv shows, movies, music, tell us a little about your family life and your background)
A: The months of March through October are primarily consumed with events/planning.  I find a lot of free time outside of those months to connect with family and friends, hosting intimate gatherings, going for a walk, an afternoon at a winery and seeking Kansas City’s best restaurants with my husband Chris and daughter Adalyn.  I find music to be one of my greatest inspirations and stress relievers.  From time to time, I even share some of my favorite songs on my blog.

Q: From your experience, is there any secrets or tips you have discovered to making a wedding truly wonderful for the couple, their guests and families?
A: Think of your reception as hosting guests in your home.  When you have guests in your home, you want them to feel welcome and comfortable.  Offer them a place to sit, food and a drink.
Keep everything in perspective, including your emotions and your budget.  Remember that little factors such as a friend who is unable to attend, a lopsided cake or another little glitch in the day doesn’t change the fact that you are marrying the love of your life and it’s official with only two witnesses and your officiate!

An image from a wedding we worked with Julie recently. Click the photo to see more!

Q: If I don’t have a large budget what are some ways you can help us plan and enjoy our wedding day?
A: Establish a firm budget and guest list before looking at gowns, venues, etc. The easiest way to trim your budget is by trimming your guest list.  In addition, doing so creates a more intimate and less stressful day while providing you time to speak with all of your guests.  Bigger isn’t always better.  We offer an ala carte Budget Development session where we create a realistic budget based on your allotment, style, number of guests, any predetermined factors and of course, cost in Kansas City.

Contact Us Right Away!

Or Call Us Right Now At 816.550.8830

Mike Westerman is the owner of Premier Sound, providing DJ services in Kansas City.

Mike Westerman of Premier Sound | DJ services of Kansas City

Company: Premier Sound
Business type: DJ/entertainment
Website: www.premiersoundkc.com
Owner: Mike Westerman
Phone: (816) 517-1927

Q: How long have you been in the industry?

A: I’ve been in the industry close to 9 years. I started Premier Sound a little over a
year ago because I saw a need in Kansas City for a DJ service that specialized in
weddings.
Q: What size is your music library?
A: I’m approaching 30,000 songs. I have a little bit of everything, and I update my
library weekly. But I look at it this way. Quality is better than quantity. So I
always consult with my clients in advance to make sure I’m playing what they want.

Q: Are you the DJ at the receptions or do you have a team of DJ’s?
A: I’ve DJ’d on my own for years. But I’ve partnered with a great DJ for Premier
Sound, Jeremy Legg. He’s been at this for as long as I have, and has a good read on
crowds. My wife of 10 years, Crystal, also DJs with me. We’ve really tried to
offer a personalized experience for our clients that you just can’t get with some of
the bigger companies. And I want to make sure we stick to that philosophy
regardless of how much we expand.

Q: What equipment do you provide?
A: We have sound systems for smaller parties all the way up to large ballrooms. We also offer lighting solutions for all kinds of events. Lighting has come a long way in recent years with L.E.D. technology, so we’ve started incorporating it into our system. It runs cool, uses far less energy, and has a huge advantage over traditional lighting in that you it provides a near infinite array of colors and patterns.

Q: How much time do you require for set up?
A: It really depends on the event. Most of our equipment can be set up in 30-45 minutes. But any time I can get to the venue and set up earlier in the day, or even the day before, I will. That allows us to make sure that not only all of the equipment is working correctly in advance, but it helps us to tune it for the particular venue.
Q: What is it that you love the most about being a DJ?
A: I love music. I love performing. But the best part is when a previous client tells
me what a great job we did for them, or how their friends can’t stop talking about
their reception. Helping people have a great wedding day is really rewarding.
Q: If a couple requires you to MC, are you capable of doing so?
A: Absolutely. But we typically steer clear of a lot of the cheesy games and jokes.
There is definitely a market for that. But we’ve found that most of our clients are
looking for a more elegant and upscale feel to their wedding.

Q: In your experience, what are some of the dos and don’ts when working with a DJ?

A: Remember that your reception should be looked at like a gift to your friends and family members. So DO work with your DJ to make it fun and memorable for everyone invited. Planning the day out with your DJ in advance is essential to ensure that everything runs smoothly. With that in mind, DON’T make your song playlist all about you. Work with your DJ to make sure music is being played that everybody will dance to. Your guests will thank you.
Q: What’s the craziest thing you have seen as a DJ?
A: Actually what I’ve learned from that is that part of being a good DJ is knowing how to control the event to make sure everybody has a blast, without any problems along the way. They want it to be a night to remember, not a night they can’t remember. But, yes, I’ve seen a lot of crazy things. A professional never discloses the happenings of a great reception though. What happens at a reception, stays at a
reception. Right?

Q: What makes you different from other DJ companies?
A: We are all about building good relationships. With our clients. With other vendors. I’m a firm believer in building a great network of high quality people around me, and not stepping on others to get ahead. I think that philosophy
benefits everybody involved. Also, being a smaller local company allows us to be very accessible to our clients. I give every client my personal cellphone number and email address, and they know they can reach me 24/7 directly anytime they need something.
Another great aspect of our company is that 99% of what we do is weddings. So clients can have complete confidence that we know what we are doing, and will treat their special day with the respect and professionalism it deserves.

Check out a gallery of images from this Kansas City wedding DJ’s work at a recent wedding.

Contact Us Right Away!

Or Call Us Right Now At 816.550.8830

EDITOR’S NOTE: In an effort to better serve our clients, we will be running a series of blog posts throughout 2010 profiling various Kansas City wedding vendors we have worked with before and we feel offer excellent services to couples planning their wedding.

Our first vendor spotlight is of Elite Sounds, a Kansas City wedding DJ. Elite Sounds is owned by Craig Loftis and they can be contacted at (816) 305-7291. We worked with Craig at an event in early August of 2009 and were impressed. One of the main criteria I use to judge a DJ is if they have a feel for the reception, can keep the dance floor pumping and actually make the effort to learn the correct pronunciation of the wedding party’s names (this is kind of a biggie for us.) Elite Sounds succeeded on all counts.

Here’s what the bride from that evening, Amanda Durnal, had to say:

I really enjoyed Craig. He was organized but flexible and kept my dance floor full. His reception plan sheet is very detailed and allows the couple to practically design their night and then he sticks to the plan. He helped us think through some of the things that we may have overlooked (special songs, announcements, etc) with his planning.

THE INTERVIEW:

• How long have you been in the industry? I have been in the industry since 2001
• What size is your music library? Our music library features tens of thousands of songs.
• Are you the DJ at the receptions or do you have a team of DJ’s? Elite Sounds has four DJ’s all of which have roughly 10 years of experience in the business. Our DJ’s have not only performed for thousands of wedding guests, but have also opened or worked with nationally touring artist such as Jessica Simpson, LL Cool J, Mya, Christina Millian, Tone Loc, Vanilla Ice, & C & C Music Factory. Each client has the opportunity to meet their DJ before booking if they would like.
• What equipment do you provide? We provide PA, microphone and lighting.
• How much time do you require for set up? Our set up time is 1.5 hours.
• Do you take requests? We take requests that fit into the music guidelines given by the bride and groom.
• If a couple requires you to MC, are you capable of doing so? Our DJ’s have experience working for local radio stations such as Jack FM, 95.7 The Vibe, and Magic 107.3 so we pride ourselves on the ability to be able to offer great emcees when needed.



• Will you get every song a couple wants, or do they have to provide you with the ones you don’t have? We offer what we refer to as an “endless music library” meaning we will get any song that a client wants with no additional cost to them.
• How will you be dressed? We prefer to dress just like a guest.
• What makes you different from other DJ companies?
  Since 2001 Elite Sounds Entertainment Group has set the standard for DJ entertainment in Kansas City for wedding, corporate, school, and nightclub clients alike with their eclectic song selection, mixing, and versatile style.

  Ask any previous client, and they will tell you why Elite Sounds was voted Kansas City’s Best DJ Company during KMBC’s A List competition this past year! Elite Sounds has found their niche in the market by providing technically polished Club DJ’s skilled in the art of seamlessly mixing records spanning from the 60,s , 70’s, and 80’s all the way to current Top 40, Rock, and Club. Although most guests don’t understand what the DJ is technically doing, they do understand and appreciate how Elite Sounds differs from the competition!

  Elite Sounds Entertainment Group has quickly become the go-to company for clients such as Ralph Lauren Fragrance, Sprint/Nextel, The Buckle Inc., Harrah’s North Kansas City, Cumulus Media, as well as hundreds of brides looking for a modern vibe not achievable by most. Once you experience Elite Sounds you will understand why they are considered the premiere DJ company in the Midwest.

Visit a picture gallery of dance floor images from a wedding in which Elite Sounds provided the reception’s entertainment. If you have a vendor you feel deserves a spotlight on this blog let us know about them!

Contact Us Right Away!

Or Call Us Right Now At 816.550.8830

Personal recommendations? Pictures you love at the right price? They are all relevant factors. Here’s what I would look for:

1. Experience: An enormous amount of photographers and studios out there have only been shooting “professionally” for less than five years. There’s been an incredible saturation of the wedding photographer market of people who bought a decent camera at Best Buy with no other experience and are now “professional photographers.”

Photographers with many weddings under their belt as well as shooters with experience in daily newspapers or magazines are wonderful choices for wedding photographers.

2. Integrity: Check their references and make sure they live up to their promises. Make sure they deliver their product and service on time. Is their second photographer truly qualified? The husband and wife photographer “team” you are considering is often nothing more than one photographer plus another person who is little more than a camera holder with virtually no qualifications.

Too many photographers get in over their head and start hosing clients due to a lack of integrity or a lack of experience or a lack of both.

3. Likeability: The right photographer for your wedding will make great pictures AND do so in a way that makes your wedding day even better. Are they courteous? Do they seem interested in you enough to ask questions? How do they handle pressure situations? You need someone who works efficiently, stays calm and polite and can deliver a professional result in situations that are often less than ideal.

4. Education: The vast majority of wedding photographers have no formal training in photography. Look for photographers with some kind of education in photography.

5. Price: Hey, it matters… especially these days. But ten years after your wedding you’re not going to be concerned how much you spent on photography, you are going to concerned about the quality of your pictures. With that in mind, don’t you think it is better to pay more than you expected rather than less than you should?

Contact Us Right Away!

Or Call Us Right Now At 816.550.8830