Sometimes, simple looks better! Keith and Areej hosted their reception at the Winter Park Farmer’s Market (past Orlando). This is a former train station surrounded by brick, adorned sparingly but the charm is certainly visible.

They requested all white uplights and an all white light show, which blended perfetly with the venue.

Their family and guests were big partiers, dancing to everything from Top 40, club, oldies, and a large array of Arabic music, especially Dabke. Monica and I had a great time! Check out the pics and video below!

Package chosen:

Entertainment Coordinator
Uplighting
Dance Lighting
Under-Table Lighting

I gotta admit, this was a wicked cool wedding. Sean and Jennifer are an awesome couple who love to have fun and wanted to have a wedding celebration that reflects just that. With a very diverse playlist (Soulja Boy to Steve Earl), they were open to all ideas I had for them.

The Huntington Hills Golf & Country Club (Northside Lakeland) looked beautiful thanks to swags and drapes by Flowers by Marilyn. Our lighting décor also gave the perfect touch. Both Sean and Jennifer were awed by how beautiful the room looked!

Package chosen:
*Entertainment Coordinator
*Ceremony System
*Dance Under Stars
*Dance Lighting
*Full room uplighting
*Under-table lighting
*Pinspot Lighting (to highlight the cake cutting)

See the awesome pics and video below! Thanks to Tim Hicklin from Storybook Weddings for encouraging my wife to piggyback the camera behind his so we can take advantage of his camera light!

I adore penguins.

No other way to say it. I think these lil’ guys are the coolest creatures ever. I’ve no idea why…. but I want a penguin bad enough that I’d sell a lung to get one. Even though we were still wrapping up homecoming season, when Edward and Stephanie said “oh yeah, there’s going to be penguins at our event,” I just had to be there.

Glad I did, too, because these two (the couple, not the penguins) were the coolest, most chill people ever. They just wanted a stress-free wedding where they could enjoy the company of their loved ones, have a good meal while enjoying some awesome 90′s alternative, and dance to an eclectic mix of music.

All this while enjoying the enchanting sights the Florida Aquarium has to offer. I’m not going to lie, load in SUCKED as I had to walk a long way, but the amazing staff did everything they could to make this as super comfortable as they could. This was my first time there, and they treated me like family.

Edward and Stephanie also treated me like one of their guests and let Carlos and I have just as much as fun as they did.

Truly, it’s an experience I won’t forget. I always tell each one of my couples to find an element that turns your wedding day into an EXPERIENCE…. and that night was a huge #WINNING in my book!

Pics and video below!

We performed for Winter Haven years back, but after that our availability never matched up.
We finally got a perfect sync in schedules, and just in time, too! The students expressed concern over last year’s DJ who couldn’t put the committee’s vision to reality and also help boost ticket sales.

This year, the committee worked extra hard with us and tickets surpassed expectations! The students did a great job bringing some neat décor elements to carry in the Jungle Nights theme. With out iShowstopper featuring Source 4 projections of their two favorite animals coupled with 1000 glowsticks and a 20′ video screen the night was unstoppable!

On OUR side of things, we opened up a fresh new surface for our monster-sized 20′ screen…. there is NOTHING out there like a brand new screen!

Check out the amazing photos and videos below!

Package: iShowstopper CUSTOM
Crew Roster:
Arnoldo Offermann – DJ/MC/Crew Cheif
Monica Offermann – Lighting Design / Lead Tech / Special FX
Derek Rosenberg – Media Tech / Lighting Tech
Carlos Santana – Spotlight Tech / Roadie

First video showcases the setup:

And the overall view of the night:

Wow– am I behind on posts!

Lyman High School was one of our original tour stops, and they’re back again to be bigger and better than ever. After 100% polled complains on last year’s entertainment, they decided that 4SchoolsOnly is the only choice in Central Florida for amazing school dances!

Two dance floors were going to be set up, but the outside dance floor was cancelled by rain. No worries, we just doubled up inside and played a huge variety of requests. The lighting, lasers, uplights, and 12′ video screen with live video were a smash hit! Add 2000 glowsticks to the mix and Lyman got a homecoming they’ll never forget! Check out the photos and video below!

Package: Shock ‘n’ Awe CUSTOM

14′
20′
14′
70′

Those are the measurements of the screens and the truss rig. Needless to say, it was huge! They chose a circus theme this year and wanted it to be very visual. As students walked in, images and videos of the circus scrolled through the video screens as a spotlight (up over 25′ in the air) highlighted anything exciting going on in the dance floor.

Unfortunately, no haze is allowed in Pasco County Gym (yet) due to the alarms and air conditioners being tied together. Props to John Caniford for the Catwalk stage idea– EVERYONE LOVED IT!

Per request, here’s the package name and team roster:

Package: ShowStopper TripleDecker
Arnoldo Offermann: DJ/MC & Crew Chief
Monica Offermann: Media Specialist, Lighting Designer, Senior Tech
Derek Rosenberg: Tech, Lighting Operator
Brandon Franklin: Roadie, Dance Hypeman
Patrick Sullivan: Roadie, Photobooth Operator

Check out the amazing photos and video below!

And video below:

I love destination weddings– and this one had a twist. Most people celebrate their reception in Florida to go near the beaches, but Samantha and Terrance live in the best place for beautiful beaches: BAHAMAS. They wanted a change of scenery, so they chose the Lange Farms in Dade City. Now this is pretty cool, I think. The Lange Farm is a large venue, but still has a very quaint feel. It’s secluded, so there’s no traffic, and has a large outside area. Unfortunately it rained, which put the ceremony inside and cancelled the bonfire (where we were going to play Junkanoo music).

Mr. and Mrs. Kelly are so awesome that they didn’t let this detail ruin their day– they partied hard and made sure everyone, even the vendors, felt welcomed! Gino and I had a blast… check out the pics and videos to see a bit of the party and mixing. I got to jump from Reggae to Soca to Top40… it was a blast!

Crazy stuff, I’ve known Stephanie since she was eight. Her sister, Sarah, even took a job at our old skating rink. I also did the weddings for mutual friends Jeff & Casey and Adam & Bethany. Needless to say, I know this crowd always goes crazy.

Once again, Eaglebrooke (Lakeland), got to put up with me… but with rewards this time. Eaglebrooke had a totally new look thanks to our lights.

We had (write this down, and ask for it at your wedding):

• Cake Table side flood
• Memorial Table Flood
• Sweetheart Table Pinspot
• Accent wash over both sides of the dance floor over the tables.
• Accent wash on the floor.
• Dance floor color changing floods
• Dance floor centerpiece lighting
• Blue Liquid Laser Ceiling Projection
• Blue Uplights
• Undertable Light

A club member walked in and said “Oh.. sh**.” Yeah, my feelings exactly.

I set this up solo because my wife had to be sent to the hospital. An idiot slammed into us (he was picking something up of the floor) and it did damage to her back. Luckily she was released and decided to join me for the reception. Folks, my wife is a trooper and she can beat up your wife.

I got to play with my new American Audio headphones… these things are LOUD!

Check out the photos and video below.. trust me, this is a MUST-SEE!!!

There’s something about summer weddings in Florida, maybe the scorching heat, that causes people to go crazy on the dance floor. Good thing, because I am gearing up for 4SchoolOnly’s Homecoming Tour HCx11!

Megan and Matt had their reception at one of my favorite places, Eaglebrooke Golf and Country Club. As usual, their service and food didn’t disappoint. Nothing transforms Eaglebrooke like some beautiful uplighting and a ceiling wash, and that’s exactly what Mr. and Mrs. Cunningham wanted!

Their introduction song was U2′s “Beautiful Day” for the whole wedding party. To kick it up a notch for their personal intro, we dropped in the bassline from Trick Daddy’s “Let’s Go.” Check it out!

To top it off, they had a great request list of a little bit of everything, including some Hispanic (Salsa, Merengue and Bachata) music.

Check out the photos and video clips below!

Cameron and Courtney are one fun couple– and their guests proved to be in the same mindset. The wedding started off with a lot of energy and ended just as upbeat.

The ceremony worried Sagar and I, as the weather pulled through and was clear (and overcast, yay) just long enough for the ceremony and photos to occur. Luckily, the storms ended about 30 minutes before the ceremony began. *whew*

The reception itself was a blast, as I got to play quite a few songs that are on my personal favorites list, including Cheap Trick’s “I Want You To Want Me.” Their first dance, Lady A’s I Can’t Take My Eyes Off You, is also one of my favorite songs. Check out the video to see more!

We did the blindfold bait ‘n’switch garter replacement, per their request (these are always fun), but no one expected the switchee’s pants to come off– LOL!

The Magnolia building was well lit with our standard light show and also adorned with our laser starfield. Check out the photos and video clip below!

4 Points Sheraton AKA Chateau Elán in Sebring could not have expected the madness of this wedding… heck, Tim Hicklin of Storybook Weddings and myself (and wifey) included couldn’t have expected it. Every song was a floorpacker and the energy kept getting higher and higher!

Several of the family and friends were either Hispanic, Arabic (Lebanese, I believe), or a little of both. This presented some challenges from my end to make sure we could fit the cultural traditions/requests while keeping everything in balanced. This also meant I was going to have a huge dance crowd.

From the Belly Dancer during dinner all the way to the fistpumping last dance, Craig and Hannah were the most energetic couple I’ve seen in a long time. Hannah was a non-stop dancer, and the joy on Craig’s face told me he was enjoying himself. THAT, my dear friends, is a mission accomplished!

Check out the photos and video (now in HD) below.. and make sure to watch the fun Garter Replacement Switch! (Since the photographer was only contracted until a certain time, I was asked to snap a few shots of the grand exit.. shared below as well!)

Pure insanity: there’s no other way to describe it. They saw Gino and I’s performance at Iris and Jason’s wedding, and loved everything that we had to offer. They told me that their crowd would be just as wild…

….and they delivered! The dancing, joking, mixing, and partying was non-stop the moment the dance floor opened. The ceremony (at the Lake Mirror Dungeon) was beautiful, even when it was so hot; the reception, at the Terrace Hotel, did not disappoint either. The food was delicious. My favorite part was where they started cheering for us at the end of the night.. talk about a compliment!

Check out the photos and video below!

Watch in HD!

Aaron and Kelly’s reception, hosted at Lake Receptions in Mt. Dora, was totally unique. Their dinner music comprised of a few indie artists (such as Arctic Monkeys), their dancing included requests such as the Chicken Dance (a special request for their grandmother), and my personal favorite: Bride & Groom Gameshow. We did a few game shows, too. The first one had questions about Aaron and Kelly hosted by yours truly, and the other game shows were hosted by Kelly. These were just random trivia facts.

Like Jason and Courtney’s wedding, Kelly performed MC duties and I handled the music. Check out the photos and video below!

Watch in HD!

Every wedding has a unique playlist, but as a DJ, I see many songs requested again and again; this isn’t a big deal as I enjoy all kinds of music, but Kirby and Sharon’s wedding playlist was exceptional! They made no specific requests (other than Elvis and Black Eyed Peas), they just wanted to party all night.

As the evening went on, their intimate wedding reception (hosted at the Lake Mirror Tower in Downtown Lakeland) quickly tuned into a party. Though it was a small dancefloor, it had no effect on the energy that was unleashed. Suddenly, I got to play songs that I don’t often get to play: 867-5309, 500 Miles, Any Way You Want It, Are You Gonna Be My Girl, My Sharona, and What I Like About You… sweet!

Then I got some requests for music that have not been requested before, including David Bowie’s Golden Years and the Safety Dance… wow!

Check out the photos and video summary below!

Watch in HD!

I was looking forward to this wedding since I met Jason and Iris! Jason is the twin brother to my former high-school teacher, Justin; and both Jason and Iris gave me the best compliment: when they saw my videos they knew that I was the right DJ for them! Call it ego, but it never gets old hearing that… it’s a GREAT feeling! Jason wanted to have a good time to a mixture of music and Iris wanted her Latin family to get down all night. With a combination this powerful, I knew this would be a blast!

The ceremony was at the Lakeland Ampitheatre, near the Hollis Gardens and the reception took place at the Hollis Gardens. While 2 Sisters Event & Designs did the coordination and flowers, Flowers by Marilyn did the Linens and chaircovers, Affordable Catering did the food, and KC Photography did the photos alongside Bob Snyder who shot video. Overall, it was a great team of vendors whom I got to work alongside with several times in the past.

Gino and I got to experience a beautiful ceremony, touching speech and toast, and a packed dancefloor all night. The 4Bar Lightshow filled the Lakeland Magnolia Building with colors! Check out some photos I snapped and video below!

Watch in HD!

I met Brittany and her mom, Wendy, through Jillian’s Sweet 16, and also learned that Brittany is a student at Cypress Creek High and whose friends go to Freedom High . With these two factors in mind, I knew that we were going to have fun at her Sweet 16!

They chose a Cinderella theme, and having it at the Holiday Inn Castle in Orlando was the fitting choice. The former Doubletree is modeled to look like a castle, inside and out. It is definetly one of the more unique ballrooms in Orlando.

Because of the relatively size of the room (11′ tall ceilings and holds about 130-150 people max), Wendy didn’t need to order a huge Sweet16 package to impress everyone and fill the room. Our Video Explosion Lite package was perfect. The 6×8 screen was a nice centerpiece to the overall set up.

A custom grand entrance video was played (apologies to Disney, haha) to introduce her after the court came in. Check out that video, some photos, and a video summary below!

Grand entrance video…

Summary video!

Watch in HD!

Wedding afternoons can be a challenge because the broad daylight may hinder the dancing atmosphere…. but that wasn’t true for John and Diana’s family. It was a small wedding reception, held at the Leu Gardens in Orlando, but they had a great time regardless!

The reception really started off once the toasts began. John’s best man, John (there were lots of Johns at this wedding reception), put together the most creative wedding toast that had everyone, including me, rolling on the floor laughing.

I had to capture this speech…. it was priceless. Check out the audio clip below:

Several guests were from El Salvador, so they needed a Hispanic DJ (I’m from Costa Rica) that could play their Hispanic requests of Salsa, Merengue, and Cumbia Salvadoreña. I had a great time (and awesome food provided by John Michael Catering) and the Orlando-based Leu Gardens is always a beautiful place to DJ a wedding reception! Check out the photos and video clip below!

Watch in HD!!!

What an amazing school– they rocked the house again! I got a text from Mrs. Chacon, the sponsor who also put together their amazing homecoming dance. She wanted to create a Sadie Hawkins-style Valentine’s Dance for the school. This would be in no way the same sized crowd as homecoming, as there’d only be 100-150 students, but she wanted to create an unforgettable night!

The energy was through the roof as they danced to a lot of hip-hop/Latin mashups and lots of high energy dance and Euro numbers. The biggest request, Stereo Love, made everyone go insane!

Check out some awesome photos and video below!

Watch in HD

What an AMAZING wedding! First of all, I got to work at Paradise Cove in Kissimmee (near Orlando) with some amazing vendors: Karen Lupica (and her socks that rock), Shannon with delicious Big City Catering, Seth Cohen and his awesome video capturing skills, and Bill Peck with a non-stop frenzy of shutter-clicking.

Then we had Rayan and Sheila… Sheila is the bubbliest bride ever and Rayan was cool as ice about everything. With a couple like this– NOTHING could go wrong.

Then we have the guests– I believe everyone was Filipino which meant non-stop dancing.

Oh, and the coolest part? The groom’s party– it’s really hard to describe the epic awesomeness of their awesome epicness, just watch the video!

We brought out sound for both areas (tent and patio), three light trees with wireless control so there’s no mess of cables, a couple of centerpiece effects a lá discoball effect, a few rigged lights with their wedding colors to light up the patio and first dance area, and glowsticks. Yes, glowsticks.

Yes, I am aware that this is a LONG video at 13 minutes long… but it’s worth the watch, trust me! When we got to the club-style music, music was mixed in and out very quickly with some songs being 1-2 minutes and others only being 15-30 seconds long. Click below to see the awesome photos and video!

Watch in HD!

I love doing military weddings.. and this one was no exception! Held at the Surf’s Edge Club at Mac Dill Air Force Base in Tampa, FL, the weather couldn’t have been sweeter, the people couldn’t have been nicer, the Aramark-hosted food couldn’t have been better tasting, and the people couldn’t have been more fun!

The grand intro and first dance were a challenge as my sound system was behind  THICK curtain since a slideshow was to be played during dinner. However, it was no match for the BOSE sound system as the sound came through crystal clear!

Bonus: Once again, I got to work with Karen Lupica who helped make things flow extra smoothly. This wedding reception was nothing but pure party… I had such a blast!

=

Check out the photos and awesome video below!

Watch IN HD!

From Elegant to Latin-Flavor to Old School Freestyle to Rave to Crunk to CRAZY party.. in ONE NIGHT! WOW!

I must preface my overall gig log with the following statement: The Bella Collina in Clermont is HANDS-DOWN the most BEAUTIFUL place I’ve EVER been to. Designed with tribute to Tuscany and reminiscent of  many Italian heritages, this venue is a MUST-SEE!

Ron and Tharsis are an awesome couple, and I knew this right away after our sales consult. They knew exactly what they wanted and left me in control of the day to achieve their vision. The only thing I couldn’t stop was the rain, which didn’t allow for the BEAUTIFUL field to be used. It wasn’t a worry because the backup location, the lobby (with a beautiful fountain and scenic overlook), looked just as amazing.

The overall party was off the chain, that’s the only way I can describe it. We only had 45 minutes of dance time, but we crammed almost 2 hours worth of music in, thanks to some tight mixing, bumpers, and quick cuts. At the end, the family brought out a sound system, several instruments, and played Paranda music. The party did not end when the DJ left– that is a TRUE Latino family!

I had SUCH a great time and Ron and Tharsis treated Monica and I like family.. actually, their whole family did! Check out the AMAZING photos (second part also taken by wifey) and video below! Video shows lots of the mixing, of course!

Watch in HD!

Julie was not only the client, but she was the coordinator. She owns a styling company called Chick & Fabulous Designs & Events;  she put together an amazing display at the A La Carte Pavillion. While A La Carte handled uplighting, she chose to go to us for the snowflake projections. The low ceilings presented a challenge, as the bright lights could blind someone, but we managed to get the look she wanted without compromising safety.

Not a lot of video footage since I worked solo… but you’ll see that the kids loved dancing NON-STOP!

Watch in HD

Hmm, another wedding where the last name was Rodriguez, and they partied just as hard. Ironically enough, this was also at the Mystic Dunes where Juan and Kathy celebrated their Miami-style reception.

Danielle and Kelvin just wanted to party.. and party hard. With family and friends from Orlando all the way to Boston, the music list went all over the place. It was pretty cool going from Boston to the Romantics to Michael Jackson. Even Bon Jovi to Lil Jon… the sets were absolutely nuts! We had a special request for Pink Floyd’s Wish You Were Here and it packed the floor– good stuff!

A couple of vendor highlights…. I got to work with Orlando Harpist extraordinare Christine MacPhail. She’s amazing at her craft and seamlessly transitions from song to song and even takes requests! She’s like a DJ! Here’s a quick sample of my favorite song that she recorded:

I also worked with photographer Kim Chau who was very easy to work with! She did a great job!

No lighting at this wedding, but it didn’t matter, they came here to party regardless! Check out the photos and videos below!

Watch in HD!

What happens when you take our popular Video Explosion package used for homecomings and proms and modify it for a Sweet 16 to blow out all Sweet 16s?

Let’s talk about the decorations- beautiful! All done by Jillian’s mom, Judy. Judy gave us a very detailed planner that was beyond professional. All the vendors were impressed by her thoroughly thought-out planning! Speaking of vendors, the Embassy Suites on International drive couldn’t have been more accommodating. Monica and I were beyond impressed by all the work they put in to make things easy for us and the client. If you’re looking for a Sweet 16/wedding hall in Orlando– this is THE place!

We brought out lighting; uplighting; dance on the clouds; projected stars with our Source 4s; monogram; uplighting; table lighting; a 12′ video screen for music videos, custom videos, and photos; and of course, a crazy amount of bass. The entire hotel could hear the bass rattle so we had to keep the bass down, haha.

The choreographer, Billy, was incredibly easy to work with and adapted his ideas and work with some last-minute changes and ideas for lighting. The overall production was very VERY sharp!

Check out the photos I took below as well as three video clips. The first video is the custom video we did for Jillian’s grand entrance; the second video was shoutouts from her friends and a couple music artists; the third video is the event log!

Amazing stuff! Check it out!!

Shortly after we calle Jillian’s court in, the lights dimmed and all attention was focused on the screen.. check out her CUSTOM intro I made to hype everyone up before she walked in!

Watch in HD!

Next video shows some special shoutouts played on the big screen at Jillian’s Birthday from her friends… and a few music artists too:
Acafool, from the hot track Hatablockas.
TREAL (Not Locked Down, Swag On, Spaceship)
Thrill da Playa (With the 69 Boyz, makers of Tootsee Roll, Kitty Kitty… helped with C’Mon Ride the Train, Whoot There It Is, Space Jam)
And another shoutout from Cupid from the world-famous Cupid Shuffle!

Watch in HD!

And the event log!

Watch in HD!

Jodi and Jose had one vision in mind: a stunning wedding reception that exuded elegance but thumped like a nightclub when we cranked it up. Yup, there’s a DJ for that.

Now there’s something about the name Rodriguez that is synonymous with night club receptions, so keep ‘em coming!

That being said, we had one challenge: Jose is deaf and couldn’t hear the music. Using our powerful 4SchoolsOnly subwoofers and the awesome 4Bar setup, along with the 7′ video screen showing music videos, Jose was ableto feel and see the music.

While the Bayanihan offers LED uplights like we do, LEDs cannot do browns or certain teals accurately. Jodi and Jose’s colors were Aqua Teal and Brown… LEDs cannot produce these colors (brown– fugghedaboutit) so halogen uplights had to be brought in with carefully matched gels.

They were a great crowd– Kyle and I had such a blast! Check out photos and videos below!

And the video… I took an idea from a DJ friend, Jason Jani, about introducing what we’re offering in each video!

Watch in HD!

Oviedo wanted an out of this world homecoming… and that’s why their theme was Space. The students expressed a lot of complaints on last year’s music and they really wanted to focus on an amazing set of DJs to complement a big light and video show. Well, with DJ Chevy outside (300+ people dancing in 35º weather) and DJCraziAce (yay me!) on the inside, coupled with a giant 14′ video screen, the biggest light show Seminole County has seen, glow in the dark bubbles, and concert-grade lasers… I think it’s safe to say that the goal was achieved. Not to mention that three BlissLights flooded the ENTIRE gym ceiling and walls with stars.

While DJ Chevy held it up outside, Monica and Derek ran the lighting and Bob created an amazing array of laser shows using two areal lasers and one graphics laser on the screen. Nate brought our Snap Yourself Silly photobooth which was a popular hit!

WHAT ELSE DO YOU NEED?!?!?

Check out the photos and videos below!!!

The first video shows a very quick highlight reel that we want all the schools out there to see!

The second video is the event log… it’s a must see!

Watch in HD!

I met this awesome couple, who LOVE to dance by the way, through Jerell’s father, Alvin, whom I’ve done a few parties for in the past. They held the ceremony and reception at the Lake Mary Events Center (past Orlando) and everything looked beautiful. They chose a deep red color for their uplighting which really added to the effect!

Check out the photos and video below!!

And video!

Watch in HD!

…. Florida is very hot. Enough said. It must’ve been about 100º in the middle of the night with all the dancing.

Did it stop anyone? Nope. They only danced faster, harder, and sang a LOT louder! This is by far the most high-energy wedding I’ve ever done. Scratch that, make it the most high-energy event you could imagine!! I have a few schools that I’m going to have to tell to step their game up in terms of energy!

Then again, Derek and I knew this was wedding was going to end in epic proportions (the last song was Peanut Butter Jelly Time). Irene is Greek and George is Mexican…. you heard right, two amazing families who are KNOWN for being in a culture that throws parties often shut down by authorities.

I’ve done Greek weddings. I’ve done Mexican weddings. They’re always loud, proud and lots of fun! I even did another Mexican/Greek wedding that required me to get 18 hours of sleep the next day in order to recoup. However NOTHING, and I mean NOTHING, could have prepared me for this night… there was just SO MUCH ENERGY!

Located at the beautiful Bilmar Beach Resort, where Justin and Megan had a very similar-paced reception, music was flying in and out of cue. How fast-paced where we? 18 songs in 15 minutes… the second video shows you this megamix. This wasn’t a rarity, this was ALL NIGHT with the exception of Greek music which should never be mixed. Leave culturally-revelant traditions alone, I always say!

Check out the amazing photos, then videos below!! MUST WATCH! Treasure Island (or is it St. Pete Beach?) will never be the same again!

This is the main gig log… watch it full screen, it’s an HD video.. thanks to my new iPhone 4!

Remember that 18 song mix in less than 15 mins…? It’s below.. and it’s a must-watch!

First, I would like to share a poem I wrote about Florida:

#*&^, It’s Hot.

I most certainly hope your life has changed upon reading my classical piece of Shakespearean rivalry!

In all seriousness, it was hot… but it didn’t stop Robbie and Shannon and their guests from dancing ALL NIGHT LONG. Shannon is Elizabeth Voss‘s sister and I still remember that wedding clear as day. Kelly and I were worried that it may appear to be the same show…. we had the same family and friends, so would music and style be the same? Nope!

After talking to Anne, the super-cool mother of the bride, we were assured that they would be polar-opposites… and yes they were. One had air conditioning, one was at the beach. Just kidding, of course; In all reality, the weather wasn’t that bad… the outdoor ceremony was breathtakingly beautiful and the reception site was beautifully done including the Chinese lanterns that lit up the room in a soft glow.

The mood was kept upbeat the entire night as we played slideshows and music videos during dinner…. ooh, and I forgot to mention that we played Soca during cocktail hour. You can’t beat that!

Just like Jeremy and Elizabeth’s wedding, everyone danced all night! We didn’t have a chance to shoot photos at this wedding, but Tina Sargeant, the photographer, will provide me with some to share– I can’t wait to see it!

Watch the video below and check out an amazing party– including a hot old school set featuring Snoop Dogg, DMX, and Biggie, some Jersey-style Fistpounding, and double-dutch jump rope… without the rope!

It was an amazing evening… I can’t wait for this family’s next big party! Tune in about a year from now to see it!

Pete and Erin did NOT travel all the way from Cincinnati, Ohio to Ruskin, Florida for a beachside ceremony to see rain stop it all. Nope. A little drizzle never hurt anyone– and in the sunny weather, the COLD rain felt great– guests loved the light sprinkle!

Fast forward to the reception… the food at the Little Harbor Resort was fantastic! A tender prime rib, amazing mini-crab cakes, coconut shrimp, and stir fry created a very eclectic menu that everyone, especially yours truly, enjoyed. The sunset was AMAZING. I hear many travel to this area just to see the sunset. I can see why!

As for dancing– they were NON-STOP! The requests were all over the charts so as a DJ, I enjoyed NOT sticking to sets. I was mixing from disco to country to rock to rap to dance mixes… it was crazy– even the bartenders were dancing behind the bar!

Check out the photos and video below!

I was told not to expect much dancing as Efrain and Altagracia (they call her Tita) were not big dancers. Hmm… bummer. A nice big crowd of an all Puerto Rican family and no dancing? That’s not how my events go!

Sure enough… things changed. Kyle and I were busy on both fronts. Kyle manned the SnapYourselfSilly Photobooth while I DJed an ever-growing dance floor! The monogram was boldly displayed in the front near the head table!

And Tita and Efrain? They danced ALL NIGHT!

See? Events are living, breathing things: you’ll NEVER know how they’ll wind up!

Click below for photos and video!

Oh man… this wedding was just crazy good!!!

Megan and Vince are such an outgoing couple! We shared quite a few laughs during our final consult. Megan told me her family loved to dance, and she wasn’t kidding: we had a 90 year old guest and her son who danced non-stop– including during the cocktail hour and dinner!!!

Vince is one of the most easygoing, fun grooms I’ve ever seen. He didn’t leave the floor the entire night. He introduced me to think group called Slightly Stoopid. It’s a former punk band now turned reggae group– and I loved everything I heard!

The Bok Tower was such an amazing place to work at! Rita treated me like family, even though this was our first time working together. The best part is I got to work with Terrie Lobb, who provided the most delicious food ever. She even had chocolate covered strawberries stuffed with cheese cake. It was TO DIE FOR!!!

Couple cool things… Megan decided to do the coolest photo shoot as she took over my role! Check it out!

Then we had a young man named Ashton who wanted to play Mariah Carey’s “Always Be My Baby.” I let him cue the song up and play it as he became DJ Ashton!

Check out the photos and video below! The first set of photos are mine, and the second set, marked with ©RM, were provided by  R&M Photography. They were the ones who referred Megan and Vincent to us. Thanks!

Package Chosen:

• Entertainment Coordinator
• 4Bar Light Show
• Wireless Cocktail Hour System

Facebook seems haunted… here’s a YouTube video!

Wow— what an amazing reception– I’m still pumped up!

I’ll be honest, the day started in my least favorite form: a 115º heat index. Really, Florida… REALLY??? Kelly and I set up our awesome BOSE sound system along with our D’Elegance lighting and Starfield at the Bilmar Beach Resort in Treasure Island, Florida. While setting up, Kelly and I had a debate on whether Treasure Island is an actual city or a suburb of St. Pete… hmmm…

As we wired our setup to their TV system for the slideshows and music videos, the weather cooled down just in time for the ceremony… beautifully laid out by the beach.

While Kelly supervised the ceremony, I created an image in Photoshop to be shown on the screens as they walked in. It was their monogram laid out as “clouds” on the beach sky. A couple of guests were so impressed they even asked “when did the skywriter come in?”

Along starts the reception and the venue laid out sushi. Truth be told, it was the most delicious sushi I’ve ever had.  Kelly did the MCing and I did the DJing and lights… we’re a good team, this was a DOUBLE Entertainment Coordinator, lol.

The dancing started out like any typical Arnoldo/Kelly wedding (which is usually amazing).. but progressed into something even more….well… amazinger! We got requests for lots of gangsta rap (Snoop Dogg, Dre, 2Pac’s California Love), Old School (This is How We Do It, Jump Jump, Bust a Move), 80s Pop (I Wear my Sunglasss at Night, Walk the Dinosaur) and my personal favorite: FREESTYLE! I felt like I was working at the skating rink again (our good friend Tony would have a chuckle as he always made a joke about us being nothing but skating rink DJs, hahahaha).

You have to watch the video and look at the awesome photos that Kelly took. I must say, I am impressed.

Package chosen:

• Entertainment Coordinator
• Outdoor Ceremony
• D’Elegance Package
• Dance under the Stars
• Video Slideshows
• Music Videos
• Custom Ambients

I have to go now… but click the link below to look at even more photos! Ciao!

The setup:

The ceremony…

The most delicious prime rib in St. Pete!

Outside the hotel:

Dancing!

Video!

What an amazing wedding! I was the DJ whereas Kelly MC’d. (His blog can be found by clicking here.

The wedding was held outside Kayley’s father’s house in a huge tent in Avon Park, FL. The location was beautiful… what once was a steep hill was paved to a nice flat area with fresh sod to hold 400+ friends and family.

The coordinator, Gini Beth (http://www.ginibethsweddingsandmore.com), did an amazin