Wedding DJ or band? In Chicago, you’ve actually got 5 options.

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“Band or DJ for your wedding?” It’s the first question you might get asked as you start to think about your wedding entertainment. And it’s way oversimplified. I’ve been a musician, a wedding band leader and a DJ in Chicago’s wedding scene since 2003. Apart from an intimate knowledge of every hotel loading dock and country club kitchen in the city, it’s given me a decent working knowledge of what your choices really are. If you want a professional DJ or band for wedding entertainment, there are actually 5 different options you could take. […]

3 Do’s and 3 Don’ts for your Herrington Inn wedding

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There’s a right way and a wrong way to throw a Herrington Inn wedding. Of course, the same could be said of any wedding venue – but this boutique Geneva, Illinois venue is literally across the road from Backthird’s office, and just as charming as they come. We’re partial to seeing as many successful events there as possible. Our musicians and DJs have been working weddings at the Herrington Inn since 2005. Here are a few tips from the Backthird team to make planning your wedding there easy. […]

Backthird is supporting refugees this February.

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The concept of advocacy is central to how we approach our work at Backthird Entertainment. It’s your account manager’s job to help you navigate a world – the events business – that might be unknown to you. And it’s your DJ’s job to literally speak for you at your party, welcoming guests on your behalf and playing the songs you wanted played. That’s how we use our voices in our day-to-day profession. Who speaks for the people who come to America fleeing terror? This month, Backthird is supporting two such advocates. For every wedding reception we book in February 2017, we’re donating $100 to either World Relief or to the National Immigrant Justice Center. World Relief makes refugees’ transition easier once they come to the United States. The NIJC is speaking up to make sure they’ll be able to keep coming here at all. […]

4 things your DJ must know if your wedding’s at Morton Arboretum

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There’s no such thing as a Morton Arboretum wedding DJ. If you’re been engaged a little while, you’ve no doubt discovered this already: Your DJ (like your photographer, your florist, and whoever actually says “have you the ring?”) won’t be an employee of the venue you choose for your wedding. You’ll vet and hire the DJ yourself. Every professional DJ visits literally dozens of different wedding venues every year. Want a little insight into how we think? Backthird DJs are at the Arboretum several times a month for weddings and events – we even hold mock Arboretum weddings when we examine and certify our new DJs after they’ve been trained. Read on to learn what we always tell our new team members about Morton Arboretum wedding DJs work – or take a look at our most popular Arboretum wedding plans and prices right here. […]

Here’s the poem we make our DJs read so that they never suck.

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  “Every wedding DJ needs a liturgy” – said no one, ever. Which is too bad, because after more than 10 years of DJing weddings in Chicago, we’ve realized there are a few things you need to remember if you want to DJ well. And what better way to remember things than with a little poetry? […]

Planning a Hotel Arista wedding? Here are 4 things you should change.

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Hotel Arista weddings are pure class. From the upscale Grand Ballroom to the charming “living room” entry area to the sweet lighting in the bathrooms (seriously, check it out), this Naperville wedding venue has all the elegance of a boutique Chicago wedding venue – with some conveniences you just won’t get anywhere else. Backthird Entertainment DJs and musicians have been working at Hotel Arista weddings since 2008 – and we keep pretty decent notes. Here are our DJs’ tips about what wedding couples should – and shouldn’t – do to get the most out of an Arista wedding. […]

The only 10 songs I need at my wedding are…

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What if your wedding could only be 10 songs long? That’s the challenge I put before 6 of the top DJs in Chicago at one of our company’s DJ team meetings earlier this year. There was a catch, too: They couldn’t simply list their 10 favorite songs. They actually had to build a complete wedding reception – cocktail hour, dinner and dancing – that would flow like a real wedding should. What would you play? […]

Here’s where to dance at your Morton Arboretum wedding

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“Which room should we dance in for our Morton Arboretum wedding?” It’s not a question every engaged couple has to ask – most wedding venues have one dance floor to rock out on, take it or leave it. But not so at the Morton Arboretum in Lisle, where your wedding DJ might be playing in a historic library, in a banquet hall overlooking a lake, or even on an outdoor patio depending on the plan you line up with event staff. Often, the size of your guest list and the nature of your day will determine the best Arboretum wedding space for dancing. Other times, it’ll be up to you to decide where the dance floor goes. […]

These are the songs that killed at our Chicago weddings in October

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The weddingest songs from the weddingest month. For wedding DJs in Chicago, there’s no busier month than October. That was especially true in 2016, when our performers found themselves contending with several theme weddings, a lot of 90s hip-hop – and one World Series. Every Monday, I ask our DJs in Chicago a question: Which songs killed it on your wedding dance floors this weekend? Here’s how they answered for October 2016. […]

4 things your DJ must know for a Heritage Prairie Farm wedding

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There’s a lot to love about a Heritage Prairie Farm wedding: The views at this Elburn, Illinois wedding venue are sensational. The food is fantastic – and much of it was grown literal steps from where you’ll be eating it. And if you’re looking for some unique spaces to express your personality and make your celebration memorable, you can’t do better than the tents, barns and fields of Heritage Prairie Farm. Just as long as your DJ knows how to throw a party within those unique spaces. There’s a lot to love about a Heritage Prairie Farm wedding for DJs and musicians, too. We should know – our teams worked there 10 separate times this year alone. Here’s what we recommend to make the most of your wedding ceremony and reception down on the Farm …  […]