Editor's Note: Today, Danielle and I bring you a special profile on Imagine Entertainment, a wedding entertainment company based in New Jersey. Because I know these great guys personally, Danielle was kind enough to let me collaborate on her column! So keep reading for a little from both of us...
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A few weeks ago, I had the pleasure of meeting Nick Cavaleri, the owner of Imagine Entertainment, a wedding entertainment group, and Cris Crapello, one of Nick's emcee/DJ's, while I was in Atlantic City. Cris and I got to talking about how Imagine had won WeddingWire.com's prestigious "Bride's Choice Award" as well as numerous mentions from TheKnot.com, and I knew I wanted to bring Imagine to Stylewhipped's readers.
Based in Ocean County, NJ (where I happen to have a house on Long Beach Island), Imagine has been around for eleven years (and Nick has emcee'd events in 28 states!). The first ten of those years were based in Red Bank, NJ, but after doing multiple hundreds of wedding just last year alone, I think Nick has definitely defined an impressive reputation for himself in the new locale (not to mention that he and Cris were so much fun in person, I could only imagine what they're like at "work"!). So I got on the phone with Nick to learn a little more...
An emcee/DJ for over 13 years, Nick started Imagine because he wanted there to be more quality (as opposed to just quantity) in the wedding entertainment business. He was determined to make the bride & groom the center of attention, eradicate the "cheesy" factor of a stereotypical wedding DJ, and make the music and entertainment of the event really reflect the bride & groom's personalities. With his 25 employees (DJ's, music mixers...basically everything you need for a full-service entertainment group) currently on staff, not only is Imagine able to perform at 5 weddings on any given day, but Nick is able to act as a bit of a matchmaker...pairing couples with an emcee whose personality perfectly matches theirs, who will make their wedding show them off in the best possible way. In effect, Imagine becomes true day-of coordinators, ensuring that the entire party projects exactly what the client wants.
All of Nick's employees have diverse experiences, tastes and personalities, so they can basically handle any bride & groom...or other type of client! Because while Imagine focuses primarily on weddings, they also cover corporate events (and have worked with big-name companies like Sirius and NBC...), holiday parties, fashion shows, you name it. And each of those employees also have some kind of experience as actors or working musicians...and this is for a very specific reason: Nick believes in a tried-and-true acting method (which is also used by singers on stage) called "transfer of enthusiasm." Instead of being that stereotypical emcee yelling "everybody get on the dance floor!," Nick and his guys never need to do that...they are truly having so much fun that the guests just automatically follow suit. Sounds like a perfect party, if you ask me...
Now, Danielle also had some specific questions for Nick, which he happily answered...
Danielle Aspromatis: What are some songs on your go-to playlist for guests who are reluctant to get on the dance floor?
Nick Cavaleri: Walking into an event with a playlist is truly commiting "entertainment suicide." Every event is unique so it really depends on the group of people. It's all about watching and observing. We are always making crucial decisions every 3 to 4 minutes on what to play next.
DA: Say you have a bride & groom who don't have "their song"...what are some that you suggest?
NC: It really depends. When we sit down at what we call our "creativity session," we take our clients through an interview process, [and discuss] which artists or bands they personally are interested in. We then start the exploration process. Picking first dances from suggested lists of songs off the Internet is boring, mundane, and does not ever hold any personal validity to the who the bride and groom really are. It's all about them, and spending the time to make sure it fits who they are.
DA: What are some of the biggest trends you've noticed in wedding entertainment right now? (I had a customized red carpet & backdrop at my own recent wedding!)
NC: I will quote a lyric from a song here..."It's not so bad being trendy, everyone who looks like me is my friend, please don't hate me because I'm trendy, they are not gonna laugh at me again." The biggest trend in the past 5 years has been uplighting, hands down. It transforms any room into a new and unique place. BUT...do you want to transform a room that has tons of character to it into a different place? That's one of the reasons we book a facility, because of the way it looks. Don't get me wrong, some rooms need it...but not one that's overlooking the ocean or the Manhattan skyline. I have [also] done a couple of waterwalls lately, and they are pretty cool...projecting images on a stream of water has a very grounded, earthy feeling to me. I also did a disco ball once...throwbacks are always really cool!
And there you have it...a ringing Stylewhipped endorsement of our new favorite DJ's. So if you're planning a wedding or important event (in the NJ area or anywhere else for that matter - I'm sure Nick will happily add a few more states to his roster!), definitely keep Imagine Entertainment in mind. Because I have a feeling you won't find warmer, more dedicated, more experienced entertainers for your special day.
~ Alison
