Last Minute Special for August Weddings:  Free Lighting with DJ Package, $100 off Photo Booth

Thursday, June 27, 2013

Are you a procrastinating bride?  Are you surprised with a little extra in your wedding budget?  You are in luck!  Cosmo Creations just announced a sale just for August brides and grooms.

Receive 10 free up-lighting fixtures with purchase of any wedding DJ package
$100 off any photo booth package

To learn more about the Cosmo Creation team, read our interview with owner Brent a few months ago.  To snag these August specials, contact Cosmo Creations at 931-265-2934 or via email.

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Posted by Ashley of Ashley's Bride Guide | Filed under: Contests, Giveaways, Specials, DJ, Band, Lighting + Transportation, Photo Booth 0 comments »

Spotted: Picture This Nashville as Photo Booth Entertainment at Luxury Nashville Wedding

Thursday, May 9, 2013

As I was looking through photos from Alana & Blayne's indoor garden wedding, whose floral design I featured last week.  I spotted a photo booth from my friend Elaine of Picture This Nashville.

If you are not familiar with Picture This Nashville, the booth style is different than traditional booths.  It is open air (meaning no structure to walk into for photos) and is operated by an interactive kiosk.  The associated photo album that you as the bride and groom will receive is highly customized, as you can read about in a via this link.

While their wedding was a formal event with an opulent floral design and seated dinner, I was happy to see that the couple didn't leave out the fun aspect.  They brought in Picture This Nashville as as sure-fire way to entertain their wedding guests.

Photos: Dove Wedding Photography

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Posted by Ashley of Ashley's Bride Guide | Filed under: Photo Booth, Reception Entertainment, Photo Booths 0 comments »

Should You Have a Photo Booth at Your Reception? What Should You Know?

Monday, April 29, 2013

Most brides are on the lookout for something that sets their wedding apart from everyone else’s. Some choose a unique venue. Some go with an outrageous dress. Some brides are searching for a grand gesture, while others are looking for just a little something to keep their guests talking for months and years to come. One of the most interactive ways to pep up the entertainment at your wedding is a photo booth.  Remember, a photo booth should NOT replace a professional photographer, but it's an excellent addition to your wedding.

If you are considering a photo booth for entertainment at your wedding, keep reading to learn more about booths based on our convo with Amy at Photo Booth Nashville.

Photos: Meishach Moore Photographers

ABG: Are photo booths still popular?

Amy: Yes! We get as many calls today as we did when we opened in 2007 as the first provider of digital photo booths in middle Tennessee from people saying “what a unique idea! I’d never heard of having a photo booth at my wedding until someone told me about a wedding they were at that had one.” Anyone that has seen Photo Booth Nashville at a wedding, party or corporate event can attest that it’s still a great way to preserve memories from the occasion and literally bring people together for some good, clean fun!

Custom graphics with your info + wedding date

ABG: What makes Photo Booth Nashville stand out amongst the crowd?

Amy: Our booths offer a choice of color or black-and-white prints and we offer a wide variety of props if clients choose to include them. It has been our experience that “busy” backgrounds tend to distract the eye from the people in the photos, and they’re typically obscured anyway, so although customized backgrounds are possible we advise against them. From small children to grandma and grandpa, photo booths bring out the creativity in everyone, so gimmicks like special effects on photos have never been necessary in our booths.

ABG: How does Photo Booth Nashville stay on top of the trends/technological advances in the industry?

Amy: We’re the only middle Tennessee photo booth company that belongs to the International Photo Booth Association (americasphotoboothassociation.com). We’re part of a large network that is constantly working together to improve our products and share ideas to make the photo booth experience we provide second-to-none. Many other providers build their photo booths in their garages so they simply don’t have the benefit of collective research & development and product support that we do.

ABG: What should couples ask before signing a contract with a photo booth company? Anything they should be aware of?

Amy: Especially in today’s economy, pricing is very important. We encourage potential clients to ask lots of questions about what is included in their rental. Is their advertised price inclusive of scrapbook, attendant, and high-resolution digital copies of the photos from their event? Many companies advertise a low price then gouge clients as the event approaches with expensive add-ons.

Almost every company advertises unlimited prints like we do, but it’s important to ask about sitting times. Unlimited prints won’t mean much if each sitting takes 4 or 5 minutes. Other questions should include quality of digital copies included (some companies provide only low resolution digital copies and up-sell for print quality discs), what city their booths originate from, and how many booths they own (make sure they have a back-up in the event of equipment failure).

Ask what their booths are made out of – ours are all-steel construction and weigh over 800 lbs. In other words, the size of the check you write is important, but the old adage “you get what you pay for” definitely applies for photo booth rentals. We like to say you can serve McDonald’s hamburgers at your reception and save a lot of money on catering, but you’ll be serving your guests McDonald’s hamburgers.

Guest comment book using their photo booth pics!  Photos: Joe Hendricks Photography

With Amy’s advice on how to shop for photo booths, I hope I’ve made your search for something exciting to add to your reception a little shorter. So put on your best smile or silly face, get out there and get creative with Photo Booth Nashville!

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Posted by Ashley of Ashley's Bride Guide | Filed under: Advice & Planning, Photo Booth, Reception Entertainment, Photo Booths 1 comment »

Get to Know Cosmo Creations, A DJ Co. that Exceeds Expectations, Offers Lighting and Photo Booths

Wednesday, February 20, 2013

When you think about DJ's and lighting do you picture disco balls, fog machines and strobe lights? Think again! The DJ and lighting professionals we're introducing to you today aren't one of those cheeseball companies. Cosmo Creations not only provides music to suit your wedding, they also will set up specialty lighting touches to create the right ambience for your special event. With lots of experience in the business, Brent Cantrell and his team are changing the perception of wedding DJs from corny to one of professionalism and class.

Contact Info

Name: Cosmo Creations
Main Contact: Brent Cantrell
Phone Number: 931-265-2934
Email Address: cosmocreationsdj at gmail dot com
Twitter: twitter.com/cosmocreations

Number of Years in the Business: 10 years

How did you get started in weddings? I started Cosmo Creations in 2001 after college because I love music and liked the idea of owning a small business. In 2003, after attending several of my friend’s weddings, I saw a serious need for a wedding disc jockey with a “not so over the top” personality, the rest is history.

What do you like most about weddings? As a DJ, it’s a great feeling to see a crowd at a wedding reception for the first time and try to read what style music they would enjoy listening to. It’s good to have input from the bride and groom for song selections but being able to read a crowd and determine what songs your guest would enjoy listening to is a fun challenge.

What is your service philosophy? We have been best described as “not so over the top” when it comes to DJ’n style. Also, we think looks are very important, that’s why we dress professional and bring professional looking gear! You have to have both; some brides may think they don’t care what kind of gear a DJ brings as long as it sounds good but looking good (and smelling good, not like smoke) is a must!

What are your strengths compared to others in your category? Why should a bride hire you? When choosing wedding entertainment, a disc jockey can usually play a wider variety of music at a more cost effective rate than live music. That being said, Cosmo Creations excels when compared to others disc jockeys in two main categories. #1) We leave our egos at home; the day is about the bride, groom, family, and friends celebrating one of those special moments in life. #2) We look great! Maybe not the most handsome, but we dress professionally and bring the best gear (and best looking gear), this is important and your guest will notice.

Who are your 5 favorite Nashville wedding vendors? It’s hard to pick just 5 of my favorite wedding vendors! But here goes…..

A Delightful Day Event Planning – Mary Alice Sublett knows how to stick to a timeline and she’s one of the sweetest people you will ever meet! She also runs StudioWed Nashville which is a great resource for Middle Tennessee Brides! I also happened to be Mary Alice’s disc jockey at her wedding.

Simply Stunning Events – Kristin Kaplan is the most detailed wedding planner that I’ve had the privilege of working with. I’ve know Kristin and her husband Brian (he’s a great photographer) for several years now and they are both members of StudioWed. Did I mention that I also DJed their wedding?

Kristin & Brian Kaplan's first dance. (Picture by McLellan Style)

Kyle Gregory Photography (KGImages.blogspot.com)  – Kyle is a great up-and-coming photographer! He’s very easy to work with and for a young photographer, he takes amazing photos! Cosmo Creations also DJed his wedding, we’re very fortunate to know so many talented and young wedding vendors.

The Country Music Hall of Fame – I’ve known Debbie Parsley for the past six years and she’s great to work with! Out of all the venues in Nashville, The Country Music Hall of Fame is my favorite to DJ. The history, architecture, and fantastic people to work with are just a few reasons why it’s at the top of my list.

Kristyn Hogan lifestyle photographer - Kristyn Hogan takes amazing photos! I met Kristyn through StudioWed and now it seems like we run into her all the time.

A wedding DJ-ed by Cosmo Creations (Photo: Kristyn Hogan)

What do you read/watch regularly to stay on top of wedding/event trends? I like to read Mobile Beat for music and lighting trends, Billboard, and Cool Hunting is also a great iPad App that gives me inspiration on colors and trendy stuff to incorporate into a wedding reception.

What are your favorite wedding websites?
StudioWed.net
WeDJ.com
WeddingWire.com

Does your company do anything special that a green bride might want to know?
5 years ago we would have brought dance lights that consume more than 4,400 watts. Today, to create the same lighting effect, we use less than 60 watts.

What is the biggest misconception about your industry? Wedding Disc Jockeys have earned a bad reputation over the years for being cheesy and sometimes unprofessional. Truth is…… the correct Disc Jockey can add much value to your wedding reception, making it a great day for all who attend!

Ashley Adds: Last year, Cosmo Creations added a photo booth and basic affordable wedding lighting to their service offering.  They are becoming an even better solution for brides looking to work with one quality vendor for multiple services.  Read about their lighting addition here and their photo booth here.

Photo booth by Cosmo Creations

Affordable lighting service by Cosmo Creations

Give Brent and his team at Cosmo Creations a call and let them know that Ashley's Bride Guide sent you!

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Posted by Ashley of Ashley's Bride Guide | Filed under: Helpful Vendor Interviews!, DJ, Band, Lighting + Transportation, Photo Booth, Wedding Resources 0 comments »