We’ve been in the wedding business since 1992. We love helping to create wonderful and lasting memories at wedding receptions for hundreds of newlywed couples every year. Beyond that, we really don’t have any insight, so we turn to others for their words of wisdom and advice when it comes to the institution we call marriage.  Here are a few fun quotes and sayings about marriage that might be of help long after the wedding cake has been eaten.

“I love being married. It’s so great to find that one special person you want to annoy for the rest of your life.”
~Rita Rudner

“Marriage is an alliance entered into by a man who can’t sleep with the window shut, and a woman who can’t sleep with the window open.”
~George Bernard Shaw

“A long marriage is two people trying to dance a duet and two solos at the same time.”
~Anne Taylor Fleming

“Never go to bed mad. Stay up and fight.”
~Phyllis Diller

“Matrimony is a process by which a grocer acquired an account the florist had.”
~Francis Rodman

“A man’s wife has more power over him than the state has.”
~Ralph Waldo Emerson

“Home cooking: where many a man thinks his wife is.”
~Author Unknown

“The husband who doesn’t tell his wife everything probably reasons that what she doesn’t know won’t hurt him.”
~Leo J. Burke

“A happy marriage is the union of two good forgivers.”
~Ruth Bell Graham

“For two people in a marriage to live together day after day is unquestionably the one miracle the Vatican has overlooked.”
~Bill Cosby

“Husbands are like fires. They go out when unattended.”
~Zsa Zsa Gabor

“My wife tells me she doesn’t care what I do when I’m away, as long as I’m not enjoying it.”
~Lee Trevino

“Any married man should forget his mistakes – no use two people remembering the same thing.”
~Duane Dewel

“The surest way to be alone is to get married.”
~Gloria Steinem

“The trouble with some women is that they get all excited about nothing – and then marry him.”
~Cher

“When a man opens the car door for his wife, it’s either a new car or a new wife.”
~Prince Philip

“Marriage is not just spiritual communion; it is also remembering to take out the trash.”
~Joyce Brothers

“The secret of a happy marriage remains a secret.”
~Henny Youngman

“My wife says I never listen to her. At least I think that’s what she said.”
~Author Unknown

Photo courtesy of Ryan Estes Photography – www.ryanestes.com

www.cuttingedgedjs.com

A few months ago I took a good hard look at the Cutting Edge blog.  As far as a DJ blog goes, I couldn’t be more pleased, but I must admit my favorite part of it is the music category.  I’ve had great fun reading and sharing the things I know and learn about music, as well as the articles that have been contributed by my staff.  As a DJ, music is a passion, and an obsession – all kinds, all genres and all styles.

But there was something missing… Not a single mention of Hip Hop.

Naturally, as a DJ and dance company, a lot of our staff are well versed in Hip Hop, both the music and the culture. I thought who better to reach out to and offer the opportunity to contribute than our two resident Hip Hop aficionados… or at least I thought they were aficionados, but after months went by with no submissions, I thought that perhaps they didn’t know as much as I had thought they did.  Maybe they could just talk the talk, but didn’t have what it took to actually put it to paper.

As the saying goes, sometimes, if you want something done right, you’ve just got to do it yourself. So Nate, Joey, pull up a chair because school is now in session.

I guess I could start at the beginning with DJ Kool Herc who started the movement in New York by “toasting”, or rhyming over instrumental tracks in the mid 1970s.  Or maybe I could touch on Grandmaster Flash & The Furious Five who coined the term “Hip Hop”.  I might even delve into Africa Bambaataa and the evolution of “Electro-Funk’.  But sadly, I think I would merely confuse the young lads with references that were too foreign to them.

Instead, I’ll make a bigger and bolder claim as to the greatest MC of all time.  Not these little wannabe rappers like Kanye, Eminem or Lil Wayne, but a real MC with skill and talent… Mr. William Griffin, a.k.a. “Rakim”, the true pioneer.  This isn’t opinion, it’s fact.  There isn’t another MC (or rapper) that can touch him.  Rakim is the undisputed, and is a master craftsman in the complexities of the lyrical arts.

Rakim’s golden age was in his early formative years with DJ Eric B, and the first three records they cut together set the bar so high that I’m surprised anyone else ever stepped up to the microphone. Just listen to “I Know You Got Soul” or “Follow The Leader” and his uncontested claim to Hip Hop’s throne becomes clearly apparent.  The rhymes are clear, concise, articulate and so devastating that to this day nothing even comes close.

I suppose there were others, but most had gimmicks or niches they had to create in order to carve out a place for themselves, and were only faint shadows of the true greatness that was Rakim.

Maybe that’s why Nate and Joey never tried to write blogs about hip Hop… because that’s all there really was to say.

Class dismissed.

-MC Craig

Illustration courtesy of Rick Cortes – www.RickCortes.com

The song “Makin’ Whoopee” was composed in 1928 by Walter Donaldson with lyrics by Gus Kahn, and was originally written for the Broadway Musical Whoopee.  The title, and the song itself makes no bones that Makin’ Whopee is a euphemism for sexual intimacy, and I can only imagine that it was considered quite risque for it’s time.  The song begins harmlessly enough, singing of weddings, honeymoons and early marital bliss, but quickly changes to the realities of babies, diapers and other inferences of responsibilities.  One definition I read even referred to the tune as “a dire warning, largely to men, about the ‘trap’ of marriage”.

Makin’ Whoopee has probably been played by DJs at thousands of weddings, and although it will probably continue to be played at thousands more,  a closer look at the lyrics makes me ponder if it should.

“Makin’ Whoopee”

Another bride, another June
Another sunny, honeymoon
another season, another reason
for Makin’ Whoopee

A lot of shoes, a lot of rice
the groom is nervous, he answers twice
It’s really killin’, that he’s so willin’
to make whoopee!

Picture a little love-nest, down where the roses cling,
Picture the same sweet lovenest, think what a year can bring.

He’s washing dishes, and baby clothes
he’s so ambitious, he even sews
But don’t forget, folks, that’s what you get folks
for Makin’ Whoopee!

Another year, or maybe less
What’s this I hear? Well can’t you guess?
She feels neglected, and he’s suspected
of Makin’ Whoopee!

She sits alone, most every night
He doesn’t phone her, he doesn’t write
He says he’s “Busy”, but she says “Is he?”
He’s Makin’ Whoopee!

He doesn’t make much money, only a five-thousand per
some judge who thinks he’s funny
Says “You’ll pay six to her”

He says: “Now judge, suppose I fail?”
The judge says: “Budge, right into jail!
You’d better keep her; I think it’s cheaper
Than Makin’ Whoopee!!

Personally, I think the song is harmless, and the fact that it’s a standard that’s been around for years and been covered by artists like Eddie Cantor, Louis Armstrong, Ray Charles, Frank Sinatra, Ella Fitzgerald and Rod Stewart gives it a classic chic that make the second part of the song somehow humorous and socially acceptable.  It’s been in movies like The Fabulous Baker Boys where Michelle Pfeiffer does a very sexy rendition sprawled across a piano, Sleepless In Seattle in a duet by Ricky Lee Jones and Dr. John, and two Woody Allen movies (Everyone Says I Love You and Husbands and Wives).  Cookie Monster even did a version on Sesame Street called “Eatin’ Cookie“!

Is it just cute irony, or is it bad taste?  Again, I like the song personally, particularly the Ray Charles live version where he injects his own name into the line “Ray, son, right into jail” and then asks the audience  “You know what I’ve been doin, don’t you?” and the crowd goes wild.  I laugh to myself every time I hear it.

So I pose the question to the reader… Is Makin’ Whoopee “okay to play” or is it best left alone? What do YOU think?

-Craig

Photo courtesy of  Scott Spitzer Photography & Design
www.scottspitzer.com

Once upon a time there were things called ‘binders’ (see photo) which were used to hold something called paper. The type of paper that was held in binders was primarily for office and administrative uses, and was used to document information. Long ago, in the early ages of computers, businesses and schools would have hundreds of these paper organizing tools, each holding hundreds of these paper units (they were called sheets or pieces). It might be hard to imagine, but this ‘paper’ was made from trees, and we (the people of earth) consumed so much paper and paper related products that it required entire forests to be cut down.  As the forests were cut down, new forests were planted in their place, but it wasn’t long before the rate of paper product consumption overtook the efforts to compensate for the loss of forest.  It was inevitable that the Earth’s forests would soon disappear forever.

In January of 2010, Craig Sumsky, the owner and Director of a small entertainment company, attended a N.A.C.E. meeting at The World Cafe Live in Philadelphia where he heard a woman speak about “Going Green”.  At the time, this was a term used for a movement in which companies both large and small could make changes that would save the earth.  The woman’s name was Lori Hill of Lori Hill Event Productions, and she inspired Craig to re-invent the way his company did business, and to be mindful of his responsibility to future generations.

Craig’s efforts sparked a worldwide movement, and within a decade all companies small and large had reduced their consumption of paper to less than five percent of what in had been ten years before.  This was the catalyst for a continuing effort that found viable alternatives to fossil fuels, and inevitably reversed global warming by the year 2025.  Shortly after, the nations of the world were able to use their resources to solve the problem of world hunger, while finding a cure for cancer and locating the island where John Lennon, Elvis Presley, James Dean and Jim Morrison had been in hiding.

All kidding aside, Cutting Edge Entertainment reduced it’s paper consumption by over 50% in 2009, and we are committed to continuing our efforts to conserve resources and eliminate waste.

Check out Lori Hill’s website, and help make a difference.

www.lorihillevents.com

In all of my years as a DJ, compiled with my pre-DJ years, I’ve been at least as exposed to the music of the Christmas season as the next person, if not more. As a DJ, and working at countless holiday parties, I’ve always made a concerted effort to try and play just the right mix of holiday tunes to keep things fresh. Old and new versions of classics, as well as newer additions to the season’s library have certainly provided an almost inexhaustible array of choices, yet still i find myself turning to certain titles and artists time and time again. I’m not trying to say these are in any way the ‘best’ of the genre, but simply a few of my favorites and why for me they are in the regular rotation of my personal playlist of Christmas songs.

“Snoopy vs. The Red Baron” by The Royal Guardsmen

Likely one of the most obscure of my favorites, “Snoopy vs. The Red Baron” was released in 1966, and by December had risen to number two on the Billboard charts (second to The Monkees ‘I’m a Believer’). It’s a ballad that tells the tale of Snoopy as the WWI flying ace who, when forced to land behind enemy lines by his nemesis The Red Baron, shares a toast with him in the spirit of Christmas.  I fell in love with it as a child, and it’s stayed with me ever since.

“Feliz Navidad” by José Feliciano

Simply a classic, this bouncy bi-lingual classic still gets me smiling, and is just one of those “I can’t bring myself to change the channel when it comes on” songs.  It’s probably one of the most redundant holiday songs with it’s repetitive chorus, but it’s likely one of the most fun sing-along Christmas tunes where everyone can join in and although I admittedly get lost in some of the Spanish it’s never stopped me from faking it.  Although “Feliz Navidad” never charted in the U.S. Billboard Top 40, it is likely one of the most recognizable pop Christmas songs of all time.

“Blue Christmas” by Elvis Presley

This song was originally recorded by Elvis in 1957 for a Christmas album, but later released in 1964 as a single.  I was surprised to find it had never charted in the Billboard Top 40, as it’s always stood out (to me) as his signature Christmas song.  It’s Elvis at his crooning best, and say what you will he’s still the King of Rock & Roll and it’s a song I never get tired of hearing.  There’s a whole back story to his recording the song, some saying he didn’t even like it and others saying he lit Graceland entirely in blue for Christmas he loved it so much.  Regardless, I love it and it makes my list of favorites.

“Rockin’ Around The Christmas Tree” by Brenda Lee

Overplayed?  Perhaps, but not as much as “Jingle Bell Rock” and certainly with more punch (in my humble opinion).  It first charted at number fourteen in 1960, although it had been originally recorded in 1958.   This pop/rockabilly styled Christmas classic is again one of those songs that I don’t change the dial from, and through my experience as a DJ is a sure-fire floor packer if you wait til everyone’s had just enough egg nog.  It’s just a fun song.

“White Christmas” written by Irving Berlin

Unlike the other selections on this list, I’ve named the writer of the song tin lieu of an artist.  I love “White Christmas” not just for the tune itself, but for everything it represents.  In regards to popularity, “White Christmas” is the song of songs.  Public opinion has put it so far above all other songs – Christmas or otherwise – that it has become the greatest selling song of all time. “White Christmas” embodies the American Dream.  The very existence of the song (written by a Jewish immigrant), it’s rise to unimaginable popularity and it’ s recurring interpretations over the years by literally dozens of artists (Bing Crosby, Elvis Presley, The Drifters, Otis Redding, The Jackson 5, Destiny’s Child and U2 just to name a few) is a testament to the song’s staying power and greatness, securing it’s place in the American ethos.  I never tire of the song not only because it is so good, but because it has been performed in so many different ways.

There were a few more that almost made the list, like “Wonderful Christmastime” by Paul McCartney & Wings, “Sleigh Ride” by Harry Connick Jr. and “Please Come Home for Christmas” by The Eagles, but they just didn’t quite make the cut.  Again, these are personal favorites and if you aren’t familiar with them you should give them a listen… I don’t think you’ll be disappointed.

-Craig Sumsky
Cutting Edge Entertainment

Photo courtesy of Jean Valentin Photography – www.jean-valentin.com

On Saturday, December 5, 2009, Cutting Edge Entertainment was given the great honor – for the second time in a row – of participating in the Kids Wish Network’s ‘Holiday of Hope’ event at Shriner’s Hospital here in Philadelphia.

In the spirit of the season and the event Cutting Edge spared no expense, bringing out the big guns to make this special day for the kids as magical as possible.  We brought the sound, the lights, and of course great entertainers and personalities,  including former American Idol runner-up Justin Guarini, former Eagles cheerleader and alum Monica Devlin, former Philadelphia Eagles lineman Brandon Whiting, Michael Lacivita (current Cutting Edge MC) and myself.

To say that this was an unforgettable and rewarding afternoon would be an understatement.  The joy and excitement that every contributor brought to the children at Shriner’s Hospital will stay with us and all of the volunteers for a long time to come.  There were bags of gifts and prizes for all, and the people at the Kids Wish Network truly created an event that will be remembered for years to come (we still remember the first one).

The following Monday I received an email from Margo Carter, Facility Coordinator for the Kids Wish Network, which read:

Hi Pedro!

I just wanted to thank you and Michael for all you did on Saturday! You guys, along with Justin, were a HUGE hit and the kids loved it!!!
It really is events like this that bring joy to these kids who have so much other stuff to deal with and the fact that you gave up your Saturday afternoon to hang out with them means a lot!!

If we are ever back in the area I will definitely be giving you a call and if you ever get the urge to visit sunny Florida, please look us up!!

Thanks again for everything!
Margo Carter

You’re very welcome Margo, and thank you for the opportunity to bring a little more joy to the kids this holiday season.  Happy Holidays Everyone!

-  Pedro Coelho
Creative Director
Cutting Edge Entertainment

P.S. Special thanks to Eli at Majestic Images for these photos, and for donating his time for this cause.

Majestic Images – www.majesticimages.net