Sometimes ideas work and other times they do not because of certain circumstances;

 Tee lights in the bottom of  a paper bag with sand may be a cool way to light a path so long as it's not windy!

 A clear see-through tent is wonderful in the evening as the stars come out and the sun goes down. Trying to set tables with silverware during the daylight hours the silverware can become too hot to touch.

  A beautiful classic car may be wonderful  at the wedding for the photo ops and the thrill of being in an antique car.   A photographer once told me that during a photo shoot after wedding ceremony, that the classic car broke down and they had the pile into his car to get back to the reception.

When planning an event in Vermont or anywhere, it's good to know the downside of trying certain things and having the experience can save a lot of heartache later

Listen to the DJ, they have a real good sense of what is going on......

                                                       Photo by Lucas Desousa

 Trust me, I'm a big fan of live music in Vermont! There's nothing like great musicians to set the night on fire. But is there a Master of ceremonies in the group? A good DJ has their finger on the pulse of the event, and the really good ones have done this hundreds if not thousands of times and they understand the flow of the event.  Within the reception, some of the group are requesting certain songs, while others at the party are just sitting there tapping their fingers and waiting for the excitement to start.  Especially with the larger are events,  there is a lag time between finishing up dinner and when the excitement commences. With regard to the toast, you should really plan that just before the beginning of dinner. Everyone who was speaking  during the toast will be fresh and bubbly, having had a few drinks.

On one occasion at a wedding with over 300 guests,  the wedding planner had decided that the toasts should be after dinner. However, the DJ could sense that the crowd was getting impatient and wanted some action. The DJ approached the wedding planner who did not want to change the plans. By the end of dinner the father of the bride had consumed quite a bit of wine. The resulting toast was garbled and incoherent even with a microphone!  And the dancing was late in reviving the crowd. The best of both worlds would incorporate a live band with a DJ to control the flow of the event.