The Perfect Details: Meet Donna Kim

Boston Party Machine has had the pleasure of working with wedding planner and consummate perfectionist, Donna Kim.  When Donna named her event planning business “The Perfect Details,” she wasn’t mincing words.   Donna is a creative soul who has a firm grasp of the big picture, without losing track of the myriad of little touches.   We sat down with Donna to talk with her about her background, her work, and what makes her company unique.

Allison C:  Tell us a little about The Perfect Details.
Donna K:   We are a boutique event planning and design studio that specializes in event planning and design, custom invitations and long distance clientele.  We even had a client from Singapore who planned her wedding in Newport with us!

AC:  How did you get started?
DK:  Through music.  I am a classically trained pianist and vocalist with the Boston Symphony Orchestra’s Tanglewood Festival Chorus.  I always offered my musical services to my friends as a gift; then I began helping with invitations (because I’m a graphic designer); and then I helped with their menu (because I had catering experience).  One day, I came across an article in “Entrepreneur” magazine about Wedding Planning, and something clicked.  I launched “The Perfect Details” in July 2002, and haven’t looked back since!

AC:  What should a bride look for in her search for the perfect wedding planner?
DK:  Number one:  Pick someone you trust.  It will be a stressful day, and you need to make sure you pick someone that you believe understands you and knows what is important to you.  A good planner is your best bet for staying calm and enjoying your wedding day.  Ask my past clients!

AC:  What was your most memorable wedding?
DK:  They are all memorable!  But probably the wedding that was most memorable is the one that I planned in seven days for two wonderful men.  It was when gay marriage had just been legalized, and they were trying to get married before certain legislation passed.  We had a small window of time and all the stars aligned to make it an amazing day!  They walked in to song “Things can only get better”…and truly, it has!

AC:  What’s the current trend in wedding music – bands or DJs?
DK:  It is both.  It depends on the needs of the client from their budget to their venue.  The key to great wedding entertainment is having someone at the helm that can read the crowd.

AC:  How can people reach you?
DK:  The best way to reach me is by email:  donna@theperfectdetails.com or to go to our website at www.theperfectdetails.com and fill out our contact form.

AC:  Any question that I didn’t pose that you think should be included
DK:  Not really, but I would like to also add that I do invitation design and can do this for clients even if they don’t desire to have a planner.

Music at the Royal Wedding

Two billion folks around the world turned on their televisions to watch the Royal Wedding of Prince William to the beautiful Catherine Middleton on April 29, 2011.  We, at Boston Party Machine, opted to TiVo the royal nuptials.  We enjoyed soaking in this happy moment in history, while retaining the right to fast forward   In thinking about the possible musical trickle down from the Royal Wedding to brides and grooms who live state-side, we decided to take a look at the new Duke and Duchess’ musical selection.

According to the official Royal Wedding website, Prince William and Miss Catherine were very involved in all aspects of wedding planning, including music.  For the wedding service, reportedly attended by 1,900 guests, they featured British composers that were prominent (Elgar, Britton, Vaughn Williams, and Davies), as well as numerous lesser-knowns.  Fantasia on Greensleeves by Ralph Vaughn Williams and Pomp and Circumstance, March Number 50 by Edgar Elgar are two recognizable pieces from the Royal Wedding that may suit betrothed Anglophiles planning their non-royal wedding, as well.  For a thorough recap of the wedding service music, check out http://www.officialroyalwedding2011.org/blog/2011/April/28/Music-for-the-Wedding-Service.

The harp was the instrument of choice at the luncheon for 650 guests that followed the wedding.  Claire Jones, the Official Harpist for the Prince of Wales (what a title – how amazing would it be to have that gig?!), played her own arrangement of Poème, by Zdenek Fibich.

For their evening festivities, the Royal Couple asked Ellie Goulding to be their one and only performer at their reception for 300 friends and family.  There were no performances by Beyonce and Jay-Z, as predicted by wedding-watchers.  While 24 year old Goulding’s career had been more than launched with her album “Lights,” which hit #1 in Great Britain, her royal performance now makes her golden all over the globe.  Some of the songs Goulding performed were Elton John’s “Your Song” and her own “Starry-Eyed.”  If you’re not familiar with Ellie Goulding, check out her video of “Starry Eyed” at  www.youtube.com/watch?v=PULdPep_xfs.

The after-party continued into the wee-hours with a DJ spinning tunes for the younger set.  I read on one website that Prince Harry converted the throne room into a nightclub with club and rave style music.  Not sure of the veracity of this report…the artists or songs played…or if the Queen would have approved.

So…that’s what we know about the music at the Royal Wedding.  We look forward to hearing if any royally-inspired musical requests start rolling in.  As for BPM, we’ll probably be incorporating some of Ellie Goulding’s tunes into our repertoire.

Research gathered from the following websites:

www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/royal-wedding/8485697/Royal-wedding-inside-the-lunchtime-reception.html

http://www.nbcwashington.com/entertainment/music/Rising-British-Singer-Performs-at-Royal-Wedding-Reception–121043464.html

http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/culturemonster/2011/05/royal-wedding-coming-soon-to-a-choir-near-you.html

Don’t Be Overwhelmed By Song Selection

After a difficult, snow-covered winter, spring is here at last!  The days have begun to grow longer, the forsythia is blazing yellow, the crocuses are croaking…all of which are harbingers of wedding season in New England (of course ).  Gearing up for wedding season, for Boston Party Machine, means helping brides and grooms navigate the vast world of music they want for their big day.  For some couples, song selection can be overwhelming; others know exactly what they want; but usually, likes and dislikes aren’t exactly black and white.

Narrowing down the music that you love or that you really don’t is usually not as simple as reflecting on the contents of your iPod and CD collection.  Some folks like to draw from traditional options for special dances.  If that’s you, much has been written on these subjects, and is easily accessible for online research.   Some sites we recommend are:

http://www.weddingmuseum.com/tools/wedding-reception-music.htm

http://www.weddingwire.com/wedding-songs

http://wedding.theknot.com/wedding-planning/wedding-music-ideas

But if the more traditional songs don’t feel like a fit for you, picking the right band and band leader is really key in helping to make the music at your wedding your own.  Make sure that you have easy communication with the band leader, and that s/he takes the time to get to know you and your sweetie.  A band should have a music questionnaire for you to fill out as a starting point.  This collection of questions helps the band leader to design a set list unique to your musical interests.  Boston Party Machine never uses a boiler plate set list that’s trotted out from one wedding to another.  We take the time to learn what the bride and groom love via questionnaire and many conversations…and we’re always willing to learn those special songs that “make” the wedding.

May the songs that you select for your wedding  keep you and your love dancing together for many years to come.