Eddie and Amber saw us TWO years ago at a bridal show and said “we HAVE to have you… and the BOSE… and that sub!” They are a young, Christian, enthusiastic couple who had MANY ideas about an exciting New Year’s Eve wedding celebration with their closest friends and family.

So the challenge? The location was a church gym; A gym with a balcony that allowed some of the lighting to have a higher vantage point.

The easy part? I worked with Joette from Party People Celebration Company and Marilyn with Flowers by Marilyn. EASY WORK! These two ladies, coupled with Monica (my lead lighting designer) and Derek (senior tech) made the gym transformation super easy. I promise you won’t even recognize that it’s a gym!

Oh yeah, and there was a WICKED COOL balloon drop!!

So what did the lighting include?

• Well, we had 4 totems around the dance floor lit in a cool white (camera didn’t show it as cool) with a moving head on top of each one.
• Baby blue uplights adorned the entire room, even warming up the swag and drapes that Joette set up
• White trussing held scanners (which were used as spotlights), special requested effects lights, and dance floor floods. Trussing was lit up in wedding colors.
• The balcony held two leikos which projected a really nice pattern on the wall. The pattern rotated super slowly!
• The balcony also held floods which lit the entire area where the tables were placed. A couple of blacklights gave the white décor a very subtle pop. We didn’t want to saturate it.
• Blue and green stars grazed the area between the balloon drops.
• A blue liquid sky made a special appearance that transformed this beautiful wedding into a chic night club!

LOTS of beautiful pics and three videos… two timelapses and an event recap! What an AMAZING New Year’s Eve!!!!!!!

Oh yes, and a Snap Yourself Silly Photobooth added to the perfect ambiance!!!

First time lapse (from up high):

Second time lapse (floor level):

And the event itself!

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 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!

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!

Michele heard about us from her friends Alan and Sheri whose Lakeland Wedding I DJed a while back. They wanted a fun reception that would keep their friends and family dancing or having fun at all times– despite it being Superbowl Sunday (Packer VS Steelers).

It wasn’t too hard from my end– these people came to party and have a good time. Held at the Magnolia Building, the room layout included both the ceremony and reception. They didn’t have any lights, but that wasn’t the look that they wanted and they didn’t need it with the elegant design they chose!

Check out some amazing photos and an awesome video taken with my new HD DSLR!

Watch in crystal-clear 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!

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!

Sing Along, you ask? Watch the video and you’ll see what I am talking about!

Alan & Sheri George are an amazing couple– the only thing that could’ve topped this wedding was… well… um… I don’t know! As Pete and I were watching everyone have the time of their lives, singing along to every song I played, we both asked the same question: Where do I begin on this blog?? So much coolness happened, so I’ll describe everything one piece at a time.

Location: Eaglebrooke Golf & Country Club in Lakeland, Florida.
Food: DELICIOUS!!!!!
Cake Decorator: Piece of Cake by Maggie– it, too, was delicious!
Flowers: Not sure, but he did a GREAT JOB!!!
Photographer: Jenny from KC Photography. Who else?

Sheri and her family: She’s from New Jersey – they wanted 80s, freestyle, 90s, and top 40.. oh yes.. and TECHNO!!!!
Alan and his family: They’re from Texas– lots of country, rock, and 70s-80s.
Both of them: a non-stop party. At no point did the floor clear. It was crazy how they sang along to everytune!!!!!

Dinner:  I can still taste the mashed potatoes..mmmmMMMMmm. The Centerpiece Giveaway Game and the Alan & Sheri Jeopardy game were a hit!!!
Game Show: It went great! Categories where: Dating Life, Curious Georges, Alan Wrenches, My Sheri Amour, Wild Card

Dancing: A HUGE PARTY!!!! WOW! This video goes by quick because there’s only 15 second long clips… every song seemed to get them pumped up!!! They crowded around the TVs and danced while watching the music videos!

In summary: IT ROCKED!!!! You must watch the video!

Package Chosen:

• Entertainment Coordinator
• D’Elegance Lights (Monogram,  Uplights [pink, yellow, and orange], dance floor lighting)
• D’Elegance Video with Music Videos, Slideshows, and the Game Show System

Check out the photos and video! Note: Photos were taken by KC Photography. However, they didn’t edit these… I played around in LightRoom until I get the final product from Jenny!

The setup…. Pete is getting some last minute details ready!

Bryant says the prayer. You can see the screen behind him with a custom graphic!

The game show is about to begin… the buzzers light up!

The game show begins! Guests laugh at the custom questions full of inside jokes!

The categories made everyone laugh!

“What’s that answer again…?”

“Oh… THAT’s the answer?”

Alan preps for a high energy garter toss!

Wait– isn’t it cheating if the Replacements are engaged???

Guests all focus on the excitement in the middle of the floor.. except for the guy in the red shirt, lol!

And now dancing!!!

The monogram! Sheri describes it as this: “We like it a lot! We decided it doesn’t stand for ‘Alan’ ‘George’ ‘Sheri’… it stands for Arnoldo’s Got Skills! Thanks again.”

Taken with my camera…

Pete, Alan, Sheri and myself.

And finally… a YouTube video!

Immediately following Rich & Melissa’s reception, Pete and I set up sound and video for Safe Harbor’s summit in the hotel room right next door.

Through a scheduling hiccup (no fault of us or the Hilton), the cocktail hour for Safe Harbor was bumped up an hour early. This means that as soon as Rich & Melissa’s reception was over, the next event began! No problem– we made it work. The Hilton’s phenomenal staff rotated rooms at lightning speeds while our cocktail hour sound system was wirelessly linked to my laptop. This means music played while the equipment was moved over.

Partnered with KC Photography, our A/V division (APE – Pro! @ FLProDJ.com) provided crystal clear sound through our BOSE sound system, as well as a 7 foot wide video screen that was visible with ALL the lights on, thanks to a super-bright REAR-PROJECTION monitor.

As guests had dinner, they enjoyed photos from their golf tournament shot earlier that day. Once the photos played twice, the newest table and group shots done by KC Photography appeared on the big screen.

Our videographer, Tim Hicklin, documented comments from every investor and took some great footage of the keynote speech by author G. Edward Griffin (Creature from Jekyll Island). The line-array nature of the BOSE sound system ensured no feedback or audio dropouts would embarrass Mr. Griffin while the room was filled evenly with sound.

Click below for some photos from the event!

Our sound tech, Pete, stands by as guest begin to pour in.

A clean, elegant presentation projects your company’s professional image to its guests. Pictured is the pristine-sound quality BOSE system and large 7′ wide screen. The podium is provided courtesy of the Hilton Gardenn Inn.

Jenny, the photographer takes a quick break while Tim (the videographer) shoots the next testimonial.

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!

I just did a graduation party in Winter Park— it was a lot of fun!! I brought out a bigger light show than expected– instead of just a pinspot box, I brought out a lightshow similar to a wedding/small teen party light show, but it flooded the area really well! My batteries were low, so not much footage was taken. Check out a quick highlight video of the night as well as the really cool lights that sit elegantly on top of the BOSE speakers!!!

Wow, what a wedding!

To the future couples reading this, take the following tip: if you don’t want dance floor lighting, but still want the most unique of atmospheres, choose color-changing uplighting!

Very few DJs in Florida have color-changing uplighting, and this is one of the many reasons Elizabeth and Jeremy Voss knew we were the right DJ company for them. Being in the middle of prom season, I was worried that my “high-dance energy rush” I’ve been stuck on may be a bit too much for the wedding. Alas, the opposite was true. These people were here for two reasons: 1) to celebrate a once-in-a-lifetime moment with Mr. and Mrs. Voss 2) to party, and party hard!!

Ashly with Olivier Events did a great job creating the room setup– you have to check out the photos! She helped Jeremy & Elizabeth create some details that really made the wedding pop. One of my favorites was choosing a Norwegian Brand of water, Voss, to serve guests. I had to find out if Jeremy was associated with the company (same name)…. but it was just a [really cool] coincidence.

When you click the link below to see the photos, hijacked from Kelly’s blog, and the video, be sure to pay attention on how much the uplighting changes the room ambiance.

Speaking of Kelly, he was the MC for the event whilst I DJed and took care of the lighting. As always, he did an amazing job customizing every part of the reception. I will brag here, I rocked the house! I can’t lie there– I left the wedding pumped up and energized even after helping break down 42 cans of uplighting. That’s a LOT of cable! Cypresswoods is an easy load-in/load-out… not to mention their food is exquisite and service is out of this world!

By the way, just to throw in a shameless plug (no punintended) on how energy efficiency: the outside setup had 12 cans of uplighting and our BOSE system setup to handle the 200+ guests as well as our console (computer, mixer, CD player, peripherals, etc) and everything ran on ONE outlet! This is a huge advantage to anyone who’s doing a wedding outdoors where power is limited OR where the hotel charges and arm & a leg for power.

Highlights of the evening:

• The uplighting!
• Tri-location setup: cocktail, dinner, and dance floor all in different sections.
• Very elaborate decorations
• Hip-Hop was the preferred genre here, but everyone of all ages got down to it!
• Old Time Rock & Roll is still the ultimate party starter song!

Package chosen:

• Entertainment Coordinator
• Color-Changing Uplights
• Static Uplights with custom colors
• Compact Dinner Sound System

Now click below for photos and video!!!

Check out the beautiful room without uplighting…

…. Now we plug in the switch and …

…to quote the Kool-Aid man, “OH YEAH!”

Elizabeth and Jeremy’s 1st Dance

James is delivering a well-written toast.

Showing off our LED uplighitng, it looks even better in the video!

Ann deserves the award for one of the coolest parents in a wedding!!

Can you believe this is a TENT?!?!

The happy, (and worn out), couple!! Congrats guys!!

And now, a YouTube 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 amazing job putting everything together.

This was definetly a country crowd who enjoyed hits such as I’m a Cowboy, Amarillo by Morning, Cowboys Like Us, Copperheard Road, and many other hits.

A few things Mr. and Mrs. Cobb did that are great wedding tips!

• When having your reception outdoors, make sure the DJ/band has plenty of room and coverage from the sun & wind
• PortaPotties are NOT fun. Consider renting a “trailer restroom” like they did. Spacious, air conditioned, and has working plumbing!
• Purified Water available! (Especially tasty when tap water may come from a well)
• Match your surroundings! They chose a nice green to match the grass and flora surrounding the house.
• DJ in front of dance floor. Yes! NO ONE SAT IN FRONT OF THE SPEAKERS!

Check out the great photos provided by Alex Gilliard as well as some stolen (again) from Kelly’s blog. Alex’s photos are watermarked so you can tell which ones are his. Be sure to stop by his blog and check out even more photos!

There’s also a GREAT video!

Oh yes, and there’s one more thing…. with 400 people, Kelly and I wanted to try a new speaker arrangement, so we brought out BOTH of our BOSE systems. Can you imagine a wedding with $10,000 just in speakers filling the room with rich BOSE sound?

Package Chosen:

• Entertainment Coordinator
• Extra BOSE system (compliments of A Premier Entertainment
• Monogram

Again, pictures & video below!!

2 Pairs of BOSE systems =  $10,000.

















And below is a GREAT video!!

Josh & Jennifer O’Neal had a secret they didn’t tell me: they were BIG partiers! She told me she liked to dance, but she didn’t tell me that she & Josh could kickstart a reception!

The wedding started at the Hollis Gardens in Lakeland, FL. The ceremony was highlighted by two gentleman singing. Nathan sang Kenny Chesney’s Me & You while uncle Roy sang “I Do (Cherish You).” Wow.. they’ve got a set of pipes on them!

As for the reception, the catering was amazing!! Chef Terrie Lobb (who makes exquisite edible treats) reminded me why I love this job.

Fast forward to the reception: the sound was amazing. The Sorosis Building (also known as the Junior League Center) has nothing but wood paneling on the walls. Can you imagine what that does to the already-rich sound of my BOSE system? Oh yes, sound was at a perfection. The acoustic panels guaranteed NO echo or harmful reverb.

You have to check out the video located in the break below. Jenny, with KC Enterprises Photography, did a great job with the photos as always!

Highlights of the day:

• Great singing during ceremony
• The grandfather being the life of the party
• Everyone dancing to Soul Man
• The ending song

Package chosen:

• Entertainment Coordinator
• Ceremony System
• Monogram

So check out the photos and videos at the link below! Leave a comment if you enjoy what you saw, please!

Ceremony was beautiful!

The amazing BOSE sound system provided enough sound without pulling away from the beauty that is the Hollis Gardens.

Grand Entrance– very unique!

Terrie Lobb’s amazing display. The palm tree is made from shrimp! MMmmm….

Each table was elegantly laid out….

Our system was cleverly hidden using plants that Jen & Josh provided. The sound was NOT affected!

The monogram!

Wiki-wiki-ing!

Dancing would not stop!!

Derek, my assistant, always does a great job coordinating and keeping an eye on the technical things while I focus on the music.

This, too, can be your DJ! lol

Don’t get me wrong– it’s never “all about the DJ” but who doesn’t like photos of cool equipment?

An overall view of the room before the party started.

This gentleman here was the life of the party! I hope I can be that full of energy when I’m his age. He really made the night!!

He did a great job doing the worm!

Josh shares some special father/son time. His son was adorable and was fascinated by the DJ equipment. I gave him one of my LED lights that we use as flashlights.

More dancing!

A great bouquet catch!

And now.. the replacement.

Bob, the videographer, was invited to enjoy some of the most delicious groom’s cake we’ve tasted!

Yes.. we were rockin’ out hard!

Monogram up close.

Myself, Jennifer, Josh, and Derek (his DJ name is now DJ Dent… long story, haha).
Check out the video below!!!

What better a way to end this busy week than a GREAT afternoon wedding?

Celebrating their ceremony and reception in the cozy Kennilworth Lodge, Abraham and Roxie knew exactly what kind of ceremony they wanted… even before we met!

Choosing many traditional things, they still wanted to add their own spin on things. For example, Roxie isn’t a big fan of cake so instead they opted for a cheesecake and dessert quiche buffet… it was DELICIOUS! Not to mention that all the food was provided by Simply Trish… Trish’s food is amazing!

Another unique touch was the open bar’s selections… the menu of drinks were laid out under the traditional “something new, something blue, something borrowed” phrase seen at many weddings.

I’ve posted my iPhone photos, but will soon post up the photos given to us by Kurz Studios.. they were great to work with and took some great shots!
(http://kurzstudiophotography.com)

Derek, my DJ, and I never laughed harder than at the beginning of the wedding…. we saw two grandmothers chatting to each other as they sat in their wheelchairs waiting for the ceremony room to open. One of them looked up and asked “Do you want to drag?”

That made my day.

The crowd was awesome and they were ready to dance… which was awesome, especially for an afternoon wedding. Enjoy iPhone pics and videos below!

Package chosen:

Entertainment Coordinator w/Bi-Lingual DJ
Ceremony System