Florida Southern College’s annual Mocsquerade Ball had to be moved to the inside because of rain, but that didn’t stop the party. Quite a few unique costumes, including a crew of Officer Dangles, showed up. Lighting was simple, but effective for this room! Check out the pics and video below!

What an amazing reception! Kelly MC’d this one while I handle DJ duties (like the last two times) and the energy was intense!

To start things right, the location was Eaglebrooke which is always amazing. The crab-stuffed shrimp was amazing! The lakeland-based club was adorned with our uplighting, dance floor lighting, and monogram. Working with Tim Hicklin of Storybook Weddings, Kelly Day Photography, and Sassy Soiree made the night go ultra-smooth!

The music itself was very upbeat and I had a blast mixing all sorts of genres.. check out the video and photos to see what I mean!

And the video.. you can watch it in HD right on my blog now!

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!

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!

Eric and Robyn are a lot of fun! Though their wedding was in the afternoon, with the Florida sun shining bright, it didn’t stop them from dancing!

Good thing, too…. we need to continue my “BEST WEDDINGS EVER” Month!

You have to see the videos to believe how many people danced in the middle of the afternoon. The location, colors, setting, and everything was perfect and seemed to really fit their personalities!

First, the location was the beautiful Huntington Hills in Lakeland, Florida. Denise is one heckuva Chef, and her staff is always prompt, effective, and smiling! The big windows allow plenty of sunlight to come in, but their effective AC system keeps the place comfortable. It’s amazing how many weddings one has to do in a Florida Summer before you really appreciate air conditioning.

The colors were chocolate and apple green elegantly splashed throughout the whole room.

And of course, Maggie made the cake. It was delicious– you’re darn right I had some. Yum!

Lots of unique things were done, and I want to share a couple:

• Father Daughter Dance: The Hokey Pokey — the ultimate in cheese became something fun and special for Robyn and her father Bud
• Families were encouraged to bring in their own homemade cookies for a “cookie buffet.” It was very unique and delicious! Any wedding with Snickerdoodles, Chocolate Chip, and Oatmeal is a good wedding!
• Instead of a guestbook, there were cards to be filled out. Guests were able to fill out their best wishes in these cards, seal them up, and place them in the bowl.
• This wedding was another example of using colors wisely. Their wedding colors matched Huntington Hill’s signature colors perfectly!

Package chosen: Premier, upgraded to Entertainment Coordinator compliments of us.

Check out some great photos and a video in the link below!!

Half of the head table!

My setup!

Myself, Robyn and Eric!

And a YouTube 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!!!

If God ever chose a personal chef for Heaven, the Hilton Resort in Lakeland, FL would be a strong contender. The food was amazing…. and even better than the food was the service… and even better than the service was Jason and Pamela Todd. First off, anybody that has fun to Lil Wayne’s Got Money remixed live to the NFL intro song shows the sign of a really fun couple. The moment we opened the dance floor up, Jason was out there having a blast and his wife soon joined. Keeping the floor packed was NO problem at all.

I love couples like these: fun, easygoing, and the kind that just want to enjoy their reception. (If that sounds like you, call me at 863.324.7333 so we can discuss YOUR party).

I did not MC this party though. Kyle Davis (www.DJKyleDavis.com <– his blog) did the MCing and half of the DJing. I tagged along and naturally brought my system. Jason nor Pam complained about the free upgrade to the BOSE system. (In the photos, you can barely see the monogram projector elegantly rigged on top).

We left from that wedding pumped up– so many weddings in 2008 were a blast, and I am so glad to see 2009 will continue that trend.

Check out the video by clicking below. No pics? OH NO! My iPhone ran out of battery.

McKesson chose Tigertown (Detroit Tiger’s training stadium) in Lakeland, FL…. the only problem is that it’s an empty, metal hangar. How the heck can you beautify this place?

With the right vendors. That’s how.  

Enter Joette of Party People (http://partypeople.homestead.com) with her AMAZING balloon sculptures. Instead of boring you with text, I have supplied plenty of photos and video!

Our next step in transforming the hangar was lighting. They didn’t opt for uplighting, except in the Balloon Tunnel and entrance room. 

We used a two-column setup with LEDs that flooded the room with blue (it was a Winter Wonderland theme) with moving head lights that projected snowflakes on the dance floor.

The balloon arch surrounding the floor absorbed the lights and was bursting with color!

Enjoy some great pics and video below!

Update: Welcome DJChat and BalloonHQ members! Be sure to leave a comment!

Here’s Joette next to her giant balloon arch!

White trussing. While most DJs may use metallic trussing, we prefer white as it is more elegant. 

The left wall of the balloon tunnel.

Here’s the arch! No flash used, this is our LEDs at work!

You can see our dual-totem setup!

Here’s the arch, glowing in color!

The entrance room. Joette provided LED Christmas lights and rope light around the room while we supplied blue uplights.

SNOWFLAKES!

More white trussing.

Karen and Neville Williams. When they chose a DJ for this party, we were the obvious choice… after all, we did their wedding three years ago!!!

Here’s me. I’m blurry, lol.

This is my light tech, Derek, doing my job while I’m taking photos.

This little guy here is the life of the party. He was dancing and clapping to every song!

McKesson gave away some awesome gifts… but people had to run up to get them! This guaranteed hilarity! 

Paula, Edyta, Derek, Myself, Karen, and Neville. The three ladies in the photo are responsible for making the party happen!

We pulled the van RIGHT UP TO THE STAGE! It was a flush fit, too! How awesome is that. We loaded up in a matter of minutes!

Enjoy some great video footage below!

In case I haven’t told you: I LOVE Eaglebrooke. Their food is FANTASTIC! I was excited to hear that Trans-Phos chose this location.

The evening started with guests mingling. It was a small crowd of 40+ people, but you could tell they were here to party. Neil (the gentleman who helped put this all together) was going to use Eaglebrooke’s beautiful screen to hook his laptop up to in order to show a special slideshow. Unfortunately, his laptop did not have the proper hookups. Luckily, he had a Blu-Ray player which played photo CDs… unfortunately, the CD was not a photo CD as it was created into a VCD (Video CD).

I offered to step in. Using my Mac laptop (usually my backup), I played their slideshow on LOOP for the entire evening.

*whew* that’s glitch was avoided easily.

Other than that it was a fun party. They LOVED disco and slow songs. I think I played more slow songs this evening than I’ve ever done in 4 hours. At the end of the night, I played the Clash’s “Should I Stay or Should I Go” for everyone to exit out to. THEY KEPT DANCING!

Delores, a big dancer of the evening, asked me if I could sneak in Shake Rattle and Roll. I told her I couldn’t as I was already shut down. She was disappointed, but took the time to compliment me on my music selections and wished me in for next year. What can I say? I’m a sucker for flattery. I unhooked my Mac (my main rig was powered off) from the TV and played her request. Her eyes lit up and she ran to the floor to dance.

EVERYONE CAME RIGHT BACK IN! WOW! I decided to do one more song and did “Nothing But a Hound Dog”… the place erupted.

I left it at that and got a round of applause.. Sweet!!

This was a real appreciative group. Neil gave me a very nice set of thank you bills… always appreciated!

Enjoy photos and video below!

Eaglebrooke adorned my DJ setup with leftover centerpieces. It made my area smell Pine-fresh. I love the smell of Pine!

The staff at Eaglebrooke is serving the food. They are top-notch every time!

Surprise for me! Filet Mignon and Lobster… so good! I had to take a photo and IMMEDIATELY e-mail it to my wife and fellow DJs. Jealousy, arise!

Here are some of the real party animals!

And now a video below!

Happy Birthday to me!

Not much to say here… I’ve done Progress Energy before last year and the highlight of the evening wasn’t the dancing– it was the gift exchange. Let’s just say the humor was everywhere. I had to crop some stuff out of the video.  Enjoy some pics and a new video!

I DJed their party at the Cleveland Heights Golf & Country Club in Lakeland. I ate the grouper and it was DELICIOUS!!!

Click below!

Sometimes it’s the small crowds that are the most fun. Dundee Elementary’s teachers are a blast to work with! One of the things that makes their group unique is that they dance in sets and have “skits” for various songs. For example, we had a request for a swing song because two of the guests are professional dancers. Everyone sat and clapped along as these two tore it up to Big Bad Voodoo Daddy’s King of Swing.

I shot some video using the new Flip camera added to my arsenal of goodies.

Now I only need a better camera instead of the iPhone.

This was at the Admiral’s Inn in Winter Haven. I love working there… the staff and I get along famously and they’re an awesome team of vendors. The best part is that the Admiral’s Inn is 2 minutes from my house! Talk about an easy ride home!

Enjoy some photos below and video! Off to another gig I go….

And now.. video!

The last gig for this weekend was across the street from my house. The Admiral’s Inn staff has always made me feel welcome there…. and tonight was no exception, they even served my favorite, Chicken Cordon Bleu! It was a small crowd of 80 people but those who danced, danced HARD! I didn’t take a lot of pics, but enjoy what I shot.

The theme colors were white and red, so naturally I wore my white suit with a red tie. 

Package Chosen:

Entertainment Coordinator with complimentary Dual-VUEIII light show.

Steve & Deb Carey chose the Entertainment Coordinator package for one reason: Convenience.

Convenience of meeting at THEIR location and not our office.
Convenience of having my cell phone # 24/7.
Convenience of knowing whatever they need I can make it happen one way or another.
Convenience of leaving the most important day of their lives to professional that make it happen.

Steve & Deb are GREAT couple who wanted to skip some of the wedding “fluff” and just party with their friends and loved ones. They chose the Imperial Swan in Lakeland, Florida, and as usual I was ecstatic to work there.

The playlist was awesome, I wish I had saved it… almost an hour of 80s rock… it was so much fun watching everyone dance to Bon Jovi, Guns n Roses, and Aerosmith…then suddenly to Baby Got Back. This was truly an eclectic group.

One problem I had… I wear slippery dress shoes.. and there was a stage. Right in the middle of the reception I fell off the stage (walked off, really) as I was about to show them how to do the Mississippi Slide. It’s weird seeing everyone waiting to know you’re OK before they bust out laughing.

This was everyone, too.. all the guests… my assistant, the photographer, and staff. It’s all good though, minus the BIG bruise on my leg.

Enjoy some iPhone pics below, I will post some photos Monday given to us from KC Enterprises Photography @ www.polkphoto.com (my favorite photographers, they did my wedding!)

Package chosen:

Entertainment Coordinator
Uplights (purple)
LED FloodsAnimated Centerpiece
Starfield
2 Mic Ceremony System

Grand Intro Song:Peter Gabriel – In Your Eyes
First Dance:Beatles – In My Life
Dinner Music: 60s & 70s (upbeat)

Obscure song of the night: 10cc – Things We Do For Love (woo-hoo, love this song!)

LEDs flood the entire room. It’s hard to see, but the table was lit up a deep purple as well.

This is Jenny, our photographer.

This is Lil’ Kyle. He’s blurry.

Jennerz again.

First dance.

Couples join in for first dance.

Dance, puppets, dance!

Starfield, again!

Kyle, Deb, Steve, myself. We’re worn out!

Need a DJ? Want to contact me? Click here

This was a unique ceremony from the moment it started, and my wife and I enjoyed every minute of it. Even the dance floor setup was different than we’ve ever done here at the Magnolia Building in Lakeland, Florida.

The bouquet toss was supposed to be “rigged” so the maid of honor would catch it, however things took their own twist and we all played right along!

While it was a small dancing crowd, it didn’t stop them from going wild.

Our beautiful white trussing was lit with their wedding colors. Call me at 863.324.7333 and I can give you a live demo!

Check out pictures and a FUN video at the break!

Announcements.. and I think I swallowed a fly, lol.

Gorgeous cake!

Blisslight was underneath the skirt and later focused on the cake. Green and pink were the wedding colors, so it fit very well!

Is our photographer amazing or WHAT?!

And now, event pics!

*******

Photos with them… go figure! The only photo that wasn’t blurry was the one where I didn’t smile. Our photographer’s time was way up by then, so here comes the iPhone to the rescue.

Contrary to this photo, I was energized and ready to keep partying!

********

VLOG!