On a snowy October 29th, the staff of Cutting Edge Entertainment and I took off to KatManDu in Trenton, NJ, with one goal in mind, “Rock Out Morgan’s Bat Mitzvah”. Just like when we do weddings, we meet all of our mitzvah clients a few weeks prior to the party. We go over all the different party details as well as hang out and get to know each other. During this meeting, I sat with Morgan and her family and we went over the timeline, music, games, dances, and all the requests for the party. Being able to know all this information before the party made my job a piece of cake. The Bat Mitzvah was an amazing time; both the kids and adults crowded the dance floor once they finished eating, and danced until the night was over.

When I met with the family about their daughter Morgan’s Bat Mitzvah, I began anticipating DJing once again at KatManDu. Being a full time professional DJ, I have worked many Bar and Bat Mitzvahs, weddings, corporate events, proms, sweet sixteens, and even bars and nightclubs in the area. One place I worked at for many years was KatManDu and had an unforgettable experience working there. As I mentioned in previous blog posts, I really pride myself on being able to DJ many different types of parties. No matter the event I feel confident with my hard work and music knowledge I can make the party fun and memorable.

The staff at KatManDu did a great job, as I knew they would from my past experience. It is a great place to have a Bar/Bat Mitzvah or sweet sixteen, and I look forward to being back there again soon. I also worked with the crew from Hy Paul Studios. It was about seventeen years ago when Alfie, Barnett, and others from their staff were shooting my Bar Mitzvah. I thank them for letting me feature some pictures from the affair and can’t wait to work another party with them. Lastly I am very grateful that Morgan’s family let me be apart of her Bat Mitzvah day. I had a lot of fun working and getting to know their family, especially Mom-Mom (who is an incredible dancer).

From the entire staff of Cutting Edge Entertainment, Congratulations to Morgan and the entire family!!

-Richie

Images courtesy of Hy Paul Studios

KatManDu

Cutting Edge Entertainment
Bar and Bat Mitzvah
MC, DJ and Dancers
Philadelphia

Guest post by Kenn Dranoff

Typically the last thing done for your affair, and often times – aside from parental budget imposed upon them – one item of all the things that has to be done that the child has the most control of.  In essence, they get to pick a product and make a design that they like.

If handled correctly, this should be one of the less stressful parts of planning the affair.  I always recommend starting the process about six to eight weeks prior to the affair. This allows time to finalize the design and product, leaving you to just wait for the rsvp’s to come in.  For those clients wanting to start earlier (six months to a year) I would highly suggest waiting, as the childs’ tastes, hobbies ,and interests – all of which go in to the making of the design – often change as they mature from the age of twelve to thirteen.

Try to find a party favor supplier with their own art department versus just one that uses clip art, or, where you are limited to using their pre-selected designs. Kids like their design to look original, or to reflect something about themselves. It’s also important to find a supplier with many years of experience as certain things change. Today for example, girls like to wear their tees cut smaller (but their hoodies oversized) with a  thinner softer material like you would see in Old Navy or American Eagle, whereas just a few years ago everyone was wearing heavier oversized cotton tees. Sweatshirts are very popular, but they must be hoodies or zip hoodies. A crewneck sweatshirt would be a waste of your money. Keep in mind, in the case of a Bat Mitzvah, not to make the design too “girly” or to use feminine colors in the product or the ink colors. The boys may never wear it, and again you would be wasting your money.

As far as giving them out, there are lots of ways, one being to put the favor in a gift bag – available at any dollar store – putting each child/guest’s name on the bag and leaving it on a table for when they leave. This will avoid any chaos when giving out the favors during the affair.  Or, if it is something you might want them to wear at the affair, you could give them out at the beginning of the affair in a similar way.

Remember to carefully proof the final design. Nothing is more embarassing  than having the wrong date or a misspelled word! Just deal with a company that has been around for a while, don’t be afraid to ask questions or to see a sample if you are unsure about anything. The party favor is a fun item so enjoy and Mazel Tov with your affair!

Kenn Dranoff
Mr. D’s Tees
888-343-8337

www.mrdstees.com

We have been using Mr. D’s Tees for well over a decade now.  They are a fantastic company, and not only do they deliver a high quality product, but they own their own screen printers, and don’t ‘send out’ their orders to be done off premises.  Additionally, they stand behind their work.  Highly recommended!!

Craig
Cutting Edge Entertainment

Cutting Edge Entertainment
Bar and Bat Mitzvah
MC, DJ and Dancers
Philadelphia

On November 5th, 2011, I had the opportunity to perform as the DJ/MC at the Bat Mitzvah of one of the coolest girls of all time, Nikki. I first met Nikki and her family over a year ago at our office, where we were able to go over all of the different options for her party. At first Nikki was shy, but over time she opened up and let her awesomeness out. I started off my DJ career working mainly on Bar and Bat Mitzvahs, and although it seems like I’ve been doing a lot of weddings, it’s always nice to go back to my DJ roots. One of my favorite parts of doing Mitzvahs is the opportunity to be out there interacting with the crowd. The high energy from my staff of DJ and dancers did a great job of everyone into a party mode.

Nikki and her parents expressed to me before the party that they wanted as much dancing time as possible, including abbreviating the candle lighting. Back in the day when I was becoming a Bar Mitzvah, it was common to have lengthy candle lighting, inviting up family and friends – one at a time – to light the candles on the cake. The down side to having this, is that it would take somewhere around forty minutes to complete this ceremony. There has been a trend over the past few years to shorten the candle lighting to only three candles; one candle would represent the past, the next would be the present, and the final candle is the future. This saved us a lot of time, which we utilized later on the dance floor.

The affair was held at Maggios’ in Southampton, Pennsylvania. We have worked at this venue many times in the past and as always, Bette and the entire staff did a fantastic job. I also am happy to be able to feature the pictures from the party courtesy of J.D. Higgins Art & Photography. My staff also did a great job, and I am very grateful to have such a talented team of DJs and dancers with me.

However, a Bat Mitzvah can not be legendary without a totally awesome Bat Mitzvah girl, and Nikki was all that and more! Her smile was infectious and quickly spread to all her friends and family. We not only had the kids dancing, but Nikki’s mom, dad, big sister, and even big brother got out there and busted out some dance moves. I had an amazing time working with the entire Harvey family. Mazel Tov!!

-Richie

Images courtesy of J.D. Higgins Photography

Maggio’s

Cutting Edge Entertainment
Bar and Bat Mitzvah
MC, DJ and Dancers
Philadelphia

On Saturday Afternoon, November 12 of 2011, the Cutting Edge team and I had the absolute pleasure of being the DJ entertainment for Cally’s Bat Mitzvah party. First, it’s important to say that Cally and her parents were awesome to work with. The fun really began at the planning meeting, where everyone was laughing and having fun picking songs and games for the party. Cally’s parents – Marcy and Ross – were so laid back and so enthusiastic, that that feeling trickled down to Cally and her brother, and everyone seemed psyched even before the party started.

At the party, held at The William Penn Inn, the mood was electric. Often times, afternoon parties – or luncheons – for a Bar or Bat Mitzvah can have a different groove than an evening event, but not in the case of this Bat Mitzvah. From the minute (literally the minute) Cally and her friends came in the room, they were dancing non-stop. Of course, the adults quickly followed, and The William Penn Inn rocked from the beginning to the end of the Bat Mitzvah as if the guests had battery packs filled with energy. Grandparents, parents and kids alike were rocking out on the dance floor to everything DJ Adam would play, and our dancers did a great job of getting everyone involved in everything from games, to a soul train line.

The staff at The William Penn Inn did a fantastic job of executing the time line, to serving great food. I found their staff to be almost as enthusiastic about their work as the guests were about partying… But perhaps the energy was just that contagious. Sergio, the photographer, also did a phenomenal job of capturing the action (as you can see in these photos), without being intrusive… He was just that good. All in all, it was a great day. Great guests, great team, great party.

Thanks again to Cally’s parents for being such fun clients to work with, and to Cally (and her friends), for being so darn cool. It was an honor to be your MC and to have you choose Cutting Edge to provide the DJ entertainment for the Bat Mitzvah. I look forward to seeing you again soon.

Mazel Tov Cally

~Craig

Images courtesy of Photography by Sergio

The William Penn Inn

www.cuttingedgedjs.com

We couldn’t help but notice that the Google scribble on Tuesday, September 27th was a “Happy 13th Birthday”. We weren’t exactly sure if every September 27th Google posts a different birthday scribble (although it was less a scribble and more a photo), or if there was some specific significance to this birthday (we’ll have to check back next year to be sure). Then is dawned on us… “What if Google is Jewish?” Now that would make sense, as a Bar Mitzvah is observed on the thirteenth birthday.

But then we thought, “Well, maybe Google isn’t Jewish”, in which case it would be awfully silly to be wishing you a happy Bar Mitzvah, so we called a meeting of all of our top management in order to discuss the matter. After several hours of deliberation, it was decided that it was better to wish you a happy Bar Mitzvah and have you tell us you were not Jewish, than say nothing, in which case if it did turn out that you are Jewish, you might have been upset that we didn’t say anything.

Of course, the question was also raised “What if Google is a girl?”, in which case we should be we should be wishing you a happy Bat Mitzvah. Again we assembled our brightest executives, debating if Google were male, female, or perhaps no gender whatsoever (being that you’re essentially a search engine, and we don’t know too many search engines personally). Once again, after long hours of heated discussion, it was decided that you were likely genderless, and the more generic ‘Bar Mitzvah’ might be more appropriate.

At any rate, if you are Jewish, then Mazel Tov to you!  And if you’re not, well,
Happy Birthday Google!

With Love,

The Staff of Cutting Edge Entertainment

www.cuttingedgedjs.com

Meet Your DJ

This is a topic I’ve wanted to touch on for several months now, and was unable to find to the words until reading a blog post by wedding marketing expert Andy Ebon titled “Bella Pictures Saga Continues: Next Exit, Bankruptcy Reorganization?”. In this particular blog post, Andy quotes a FAQ (frequently asked questions) from Bella Pictures – a large National photography studio with a less than stellar reputation. The particular language in the section of the FAQ reads like this;

Q: Why can’t I meet my photographer?

A: We do the selective in-person screening for you, which allows us to keep our prices affordable. You will review your photographer’s portfolio and talk with them on the phone, so you will know exactly what to expect.Rather than spending their time in meetings, we allow our photographers to focus on what they do best, which is beautifully capturing the unique, emotional story of your wedding day.

This was Mr. Ebon’s response to such nonsense;

There is no other wedding professional that is more important to meet than a photographer.  For all the images one can see and phone conversations one can have, nothing is more critical than the chemistry between the bride & groom and their photographer.  The FAQ statement is the worst kind of misdirection and double-talk.

I would agree with Mr. Ebon, and add that the wedding DJ is likely as important to meet with and know before the reception, which is why in the past year our DJ company has made a complete shift in our booking practices. Not only do we offer brides and grooms, as well as Bar and Bat Mitzvah clients the opportunity to meet their DJ/MC prior to the event, we encourage it.

The funny thing is, I can understand why Bella Pictures, or any other company would make this claim, and part of it is true – it allows them to keep their prices affordable. By taking choice away from you, the client, they – the company – are left with ultimate flexibility, both in scheduling and in budget. Now imagine buying shoes this way; “We pick your style of shoes for you, therefore we can keep the price down”. No thanks, I’ll pick my own shoes.

If you the customer – whether it be for a wedding or otherwise – allow someone else to make these important decisions for you, you are making a conscious choice to relinquish your power in exchange for the cheapest price. Additionally, I interpret what this company is saying is that they are better qualified to choose what is best for you than you are. As a consumer of goods and services myself, I find this flat-out insulting.

The bitterness of poor quality remains long after the sweetness of low price is forgotten
– Benjamin Franklin

As a wedding and event DJ company, we run into the same sort of situation at times where we are selling against a company that offers a significantly lower price, with no guarantee of who the MC/DJ will be on the day of your event. They will claim that each DJ in their company is of a similar skill level, and therefore they do not assign a specific DJ personality until closer to the event.

Somewhere, somehow, if you want an unbelievably low price, there is always some sort of sacrifice or compromise.

At Cutting Edge Entertainment we offer both; Disc Jockeys of equally excellent skill level, and the opportunity to meet with that individual DJ prior to booking. As Mr. Ebon said about the client-photographer relationship, we believe the same to ring true of the DJ.  Any DJ company that denies you the opportunity to know who the DJ (or Photographer) will be the day of your event, does not have your best interests in mind.

-Craig

DJ Brain Illustration by Sean Gallo

www.cuttingedgedjs.com

How did you find this web page?

As a Philadelphia area DJ company, one of our greatest achievements – aside from performing at hundreds of weddings, bar and bat mitzvahs, sweet 16 parties and other events – has been our website, our online presence, and most specifically our blog.

Prior to 2008 (we have been in business since 1992), we relied primarily on print advertising and word of mouth to generate business, but, like so many other businesses hit by the recession, we found that we had to change and evolve; not just to remain in the Philadelphia DJ industry, but merely to survive in an unstable economy.

Initially, creating a DJ blog was a huge learning curve, and by trial and error we succeeded in re-branding ourselves – perhaps even re-inventing ourselves – in a highly competitive Philadelphia DJ market. What we found was that the blog, or ‘weblog’, would soon become our most valuable tool not only in letting potential clients know what we did, but also allowing us to show our work, one event after another. It has become such an invaluable tool that – sitting here today – it is hard to fathom that we ever did business without it.

By the summer of 2011, our Philadelphia DJ website and blog will be undergoing some interesting changes, very much like our company itself, while we will continue to showcase our DJ and Dance staff, our lighting, and events we have done, we will also strive to showcase the work of the other event professionals in the Philadelphia area whom we work with, to ‘share the wealth’ so to speak.

What I (Craig) am most proud of is that after three years of dedication and stick-to-itiveness, our Philadelphia DJ website and blog garners more traffic than not only any other Philadelphia DJ company, but just about every event industry website in Philadelphia, and this success did not come without help. Our staff – past and present – as well as old friends in the Philadelphia area and new friends we have met through social media have been instrumental to our success. The internet is reciprocal, and I am grateful to everyone who has helped Cutting Edge Entertainment to achieve this success.

So if you are shopping for a DJ in the Philadelphia area, please use our website as a resource to research what we are all about, and feel free to contact us to find out more, or schedule a meeting at our offices in Huntingdon Valley to meet with our staff, because behind all of the great events featured on our Philadelphia DJ blog, there are real people, professionals who are ready to help you to make your next event everything you can possibly imagine.

Craig Sumsky
Director
Cutting Edge Entertainment

From the Blog (click below to learn more)

Wedding

Bar & Bat Mitzvah

Sweet 16

DJ Image by Erin Duffy – www.erinduffyphotography.com

www.cuttingedgedjs.com

Ever been at an event where it feels as if an energy is flowing from right under the floor, up through your feet and filling the entire room? Well on February 26th of 2011, during Dara’s Bat Mitzvah at the Westin in Mt. Laurel, New Jersey, you could have harnessed some of that intensity and powered all of Philadelphia with it. From the moment of Dara’s entrance – which was accompanied by multiple aerials and back flips by our dancer Ron (whom Dara claims she could do better than) – the electricity throughout the party was palpable, and would get even the most steadfast wallflower’s heart pumping, with feet moving uncontrollably towards the dance floor.

This atmosphere was not only a credit to my awesome staff of DJs Steve and Joe, and Dancers Ron, Ashley and Brittany, but to the Giglio family and their friends. The dance floor was packed from the first song as we danced our way through the afternoon with Michael Jackson, KC & the Sunshine Band, Rick James, Aerosmith, Bon Jovi, Usher…and, of course, plenty of Justin Bieber – Dara’s future husband. During Music Trivia, all the kids stood up and sang every word to Justin Bieber’s “Baby”, complete with Dara’s trademark choreography. I even had my JB shoes on in just for the occasion! I’m still not sure who partied harder, the kids or the adults. I might have to review the tape to end the dispute. Dara breezed through her candle lighting ceremony cool as a cucumber, and the crowd was treated to a surprise montage created by her parents and older sister. There were plenty of games and prizes for the kids, and more dancing by everyone than Gene Kelly himself would have known what to do with.

We received this email at the office the week after the show:

The Giglio family just wanted to let you know that you did it again. Thanks to Cutting Edge our 2nd Bat Mitzvah was also a great success. Tony and his team were amazing. They took great care of us down to the last detail. The dance floor was full the entire time and the dancers kept the excitement going. Our family had a great time and our guests are still calling to tell us what a great time they had and how tired they were after dancing so much!! When it comes to entertainment Cutting Edge is the only call we have to make.

Thank You,
Susan, Jim, Jamie & Dara

I would like to thank Dave, Melanie, Tuwana and their staff at the Westin in Mt. Laurel who were phenomenal throughout the afternoon. A huge Mazel Tov to Dara and her family, Ya’ll are cooler than a polar bear’s toenails . Thank you for having my staff and me as part of your special day!

-Tony A.

Images courtesy of Benjamin Kramer Photography

To learn more about MC/DJ Tony, click here:
DJ Tony A. : Southern Hospitality

www.cuttingedgedjs.com

It was a Sunday in November of 2010, at a synagogue in Philadelphia where we (the staff of Cutting Edge Entertainment) rocked out at Abby’s Bat Mitzvah. The party was awesome, and – as always – we had the dance floor packed with kids and adults the entire night.

I met with Abby (and her father) prior to the party to go over the details, games, and of course Abby’s music selection, and she could hardly hide her excitement… which was contagious. She couldn’t hold back a huge smile the entire meeting.

Things got off to a great start, and once we were set up the family arrived and our staff met mom and Abby’s sister Rachel, and shortly after that the guests began to arrive. During cocktail hour, the dancers and I hung out with the kids. This is a great time for our staff to get to know everyone, and build a rapport with all of Abby’s friends who were equally enthusiastic and ready to dance.

After the cocktail hour concluded, we began the candle lighting ceremony, an old Bat Mitzvah tradition, and then had the guests up dancing to Hava Nagila, where guests lifted Abby and her family up in chairs to celebrate the joyous occasion. Throughout the evening, Abby’s friends were kept entertained with lots of fun dancing and interactive games like Coke & Pepsi, Singled Out, and Levitation (which is really cool to watch). My dancers for the Bat Mitzvah were Nate, Brittany and Ashley, who did an amazing job keeping the kids engaged and involved in the party, as you can tell from the photos. Justin was our DJ, playing hit after hit, and doing an awesome job keeping the energy levels on maximum… these kids just didn’t stop.

I want to express a big thank-you (and Mazel Tov) to Mom, Dad, Rachel, and of course, the guest of honor Abby. It was a pleasure working with you to create such an exciting Simcha.

-Richie

Photos courtesy of Mitchell Birnbaum Photography
215-837-7236

www.cuttingedgedjs.com

On Saturday, November thirteenth, I had the privilege of presiding as the MC and DJ for Shara’s Bat Mitzvah at Shaare Shamayim Synagogue in Philadelphia. It was an amazing party if I do say so myself. I’ll get back to that in a minute.

For me, I consider it a stroke of luck to have even been a part of this event. Although Dean and Heather had booked with Cutting Edge to provide the DJ entertainment, I was not originally scheduled to be the MC for this event, but a few weeks prior I got to hang out with Shara’s Dad, Dean, he’s a great guy and we hit it off almost instantly. After kibitzing for a bit, and playing some Jewish geography I realized that I was acquainted with so many of Dean and Heathers friends and family… it was almost like they were extended family I’d never met. After leaving that night, I called Craig and said I would be the perfect person for this party. Next thing I knew, Craig made the call to Dean and the deed was done.

A few weeks later, I met with the entire family for a wrap up meeting and we all seemed to really hit it off. We began to formulate our plans for the evening as well as the songs and games that Shara was interested in. We chose our candle lighting songs and that was quite a bit of fun listening to mom, dad and Shara decide who would light candles. Shara and her mom won out on all of those decisions (but Dean sure did try). We talked about what they envisioned for their party and I assured them my staff and I would take care of everything.

I was very excited to be a part of this special day for many reasons.  First, the family was amazing, Next, I knew quite a bit of the people that were going to be there and I like entertaining when I know the guests, and finally, I like detailed setups and this one would not disappoint.

My crew and I arrived that day about four hours before the party started so we could transform the room into everything that Shara and her family expected. We draped an area of the room and then added pink up lighting to add to the atmosphere and ambiance. We then had our effects lights, multiple stages and a percussionist to add a live feel to the music.

Finally, show-time had arrived. We danced all of the guests into the room and Shara and her friends and family packed the dance floor. My dancers and I could already tell it was going to be a great time. From the first song that we played until the final song of the evening people danced non-stop. Shara was truly in shock when her father surprised her with her Bat Mitzvah gift – backstage passes to meet Justin Bieber the next day – how awesome is that? The guests played along with Ben on percussion and all of the guests were involved with our dancers Ron, Louis, Q, Emily, Ashley, Brittany. DJ Foltzy did a great job of mixing it up with the music and as always Zack transformed the room into a nightclub. The icing on the cake was when Craig showed up and started spinning a few sets… He’s still got it.

From every aspect, it was a flawless party. The folks from Barclay Caterers were fantastic to work with as always. Our photographer was on top of the action for the entire party as you can see from some of these amazing photos. Thank you to Shara and her family for letting me be share in your special day. You guys are a great people and am looking forward to hanging out with you – as new friends – in the near future.

-Marc Mednick

To learn more about Marc, click here:
“Marc The Good”

A few weeks later, we received this email from Shara’s parents:

Before we started planning our daughter Shara’s Bat Mitzvah,  I naively thought;  you hire a DJ,  he shows up,  throws up a couple of speakers and plays his favorite mix of hit songs, people dance,  good times… done deal.

Boy, was I wrong….

Cutting Edge Entertainment not only impressed us with their incredible sound system and amazing light show. The entire staff was as attentive and as helpful as can be in the planning stages of our affair.  From the moment that I started planning with Craig, he put our minds at ease, that our guests would be entertained, from start to finish.

Our MC, Marc Mednick,  sat down with us about a week before and carefully interviewed Shara in regards to to exactly what music she wanted throughout the evening.  His attention to detail was incredible,  and we planned the entire play list according to Shara’s preferences.  Marc not only made us feel comfortable and relaxed in a time that was a little stressful for my wife Heather and I, but we left the meeting really pleased and surprised to see that Shara actually had fun visiting the Cutting Edge offices picking all of her favorite songs for the candle lighting, introductions and special dances…

When we arrived at the synagogue for the big day, and peeked into the ballroom, we couldn’t believe our eyes.  We went with a few upgrades from Cutting Edge – which didn’t cost us all that much extra – but were priceless enhancements.  The up lighting, pipe and drape and video screen provided a night club like atmosphere in a room that – quite frankly -  is normally pretty drab.  It was truly an extreme transformation!

From the start of the reception, Cutting Edge’s three female dancers provided a JOLT to the party with their infectious energy, they danced with the kids, and were equally engaging with our adult guests.  They naturally made everyone feel important.  Booty’s were shaking from the minute our guests entered the party, until the very last moment, because Ashley, Brittany and Emily were the catalysts! And the male dancers were like fireworks with their break dance moves, flips, and crazy antics.  Everyone was mesmerized by their incredible talent. The whole production was like sensory overload, and we were loving every minute of it… especially Shara!

No one had more fun than our daughter, and I’ll never forget the look on her face that evening; it was sheer joy.  Cutting Edge was solely responsible, because it was very obvious that they know just how to add each ingredient that is necessary to create an incredibly festive atmosphere, without losing it’s classic sense of elegance. Most importantly, Marc made our entire family (even little sister Laura) feel as if we were the center of the universe that evening.

We would formally like to thank to Craig, Marc and the entire staff at Cutting Edge.  We put Shara’s Bat Mitzvah in your hands, and you delivered in every way to provide a HOT party that was truly unforgettable for everyone that was there!

~Dean & Heather Rubenstein

Photos courtesy of Howard Karashoff – www.hkpphoto.com

www.cuttingedgedjs.com