Albert & Jenni remind me a lot of my wife and myself. Albert and I are both Hispanic, love music, but aren’t dancers. Jenni and Monica both love country music, are very outgoing… and all 4 of us love the Lord. We were going to work well together!!!

Albert lied to me though: for someone who said he doesn’t dance, Albert was on the floor the ENTIRE time! This was one heck of a party!

Their wedding reception was one of the most unique things I’ve witnessed. Here’s some highlights:

• Reception held at Windy Hill Ranch in a quaint little barn (quaint meaning HUGE, haha) with AIR CONDITIONING!
• The most unique first dance ever. They created their own choreography. IMPRESSIVE!
• No wedding cake– Blue Bunny Ice Cream instead– DELICIOUS!!!
• Father Daughter Dance was Disney’s “Under the Sea.”
• Very Unique garter removal, thanks goes to DJ Rob from Indiana for his help!!
• Bridal Party dance was the Chicken Dance, the ultimate cheese was made FUN again!!!

Monica and I had a blast watching everyone dance to anything that was thrown in the music. I got to play some songs I’ve never played at a wedding before… you’ll have to check out the video!! There’s a few photos and 4 short videos, because I had to separate all the awesome clips– definetly worth watching!!!!!

This continues my “Best Wedding Receptions Ever!” month and I can’t wait for the next two.

Package chosen: Entertainment Coordinator

Click below for photos and videos!!!

The Windy Hill Ranch in Apopka was decorated in celebration of Albert & Jenni.

My setup. The big white holes on the bottom left are the AC intakes.

My setup with the super-cool new 19″ widescreen monitor.

First dance!

Best wishes were written on a “clothesline” as well as a quilt– VERY unique!

Monica, myself, Albert & Jenni!

Now 4 videos!

The first video is the longest. It features a custom introduction and the first dance. Must watch!

The second video the father/daughter dance introduction as well as the opening of the dance floor!

The 3rd video is the bouquet and garter toss.

4th Video is the finale!

Almost three years ago I did a wedding for Mr. and Mrs. Acevedo. This promptly led to creating an amazing reception for two more family members: Mr. and Mrs. Santiago. We got along so well that they invited me to their church, New Hope, in Winter Haven, FL. This has been the best decision in my life– I’ve finally found a church I can call home.

Fast forward to yesterday, Matt and Erica came to my office needing the wedding of the century. Knowing their family and friends, very little effort would be needed to accomplish this– and boy was I right. This was a party from the very beginning on out!

The photographer, Danny Cruz (with his son, Brandon) and Tim & Patti (with Storybook Weddings Videography) did an amazing job capturing all the special events. We felt very welcome not only as vendors but as guests by everyone there.

The ceremony was at Victory Church in Lakeland, FL and the reception was at the Lone Palm in Kathleen.

Highlights:

• Harry & Shannon Acevedo’s son, Davin, is 2 years old— he wasn’t even born when I met these two– how time flies!
• Very energetic introduction with a remix of Beegees with Lil Jon, Boom Boom Pow, and Right Round!
• MERENGUE!! NEED I SAY MORE?
• Lots of interaction without bordering on cheesy!
• My wife was there– despite her injured knee, she couldn’t lift anything up, but she handled the music very well! (I love working with her.)

Package Chosen:

• Entertainment Coordinator
• Extra Extra Extra Bass
• Uplights in Pink
• Extra Hour

It truly was a party– check out the many iPhone photos and videos, soon! As soon as I get footage from Tim, I’ll make sure to share it!

My setup… the pink uplights look orange thanks to the iPhone’s cam.

Cocktail hour arrangement… pretty hearty! Ha ha– get it? GET IT?

180+ people!

Preppin’ before guests arrive.

Uplights behind the candy buffet.

A beautiful cake by Karen (from Lakeland).. the tiers were THICK!

Everyone went for the Dove Chocolates!

The limo arrives. As you can imagine, the curb was NOT made for a limo that long to pull up. My eyes tell me this is a Lincoln conversion, judging by the chassis. Either way– it’s absolutely beautiful.

Dancing begins!

Tim, the videographer, getting his roll on!

Erica dancing with Anthony (the ringbearer).

As you can (slightly) tell, the uplights threw a hue of pink around the room!

Tim watching me DJ.

Monica, myself, Erica, and Matt.

And a YouTube video!

Erica & Matt– I wish you both the best! See you in church.. we love you guys!

Often, many DJs talk about wearing a suit/tux and count that as proper appearance. That’s good- but it doesn’t cover everything.
How clean is his setup? Will you see a web of wires that will earn him the name DJ Spiderman? Are his speakers clean, rust-free, and odorless? Yes– Odorless… many speakers have a carpet covering… carpet can absorb odors!!!

Most importantly…. will the equipment be an eyesore in the photos?

Let’s take it one step further and look at the setup we used for Mr. and Mrs. Ramnaught.

Look at these two photos:

Find the speaker!!!!

Give up?

Let’s look:

It doesn’t disturb the photos one bit.. and if it’s really that annoying– it can be Photoshopped out.

Neat, clean, and out of the way– how does your favorite DJ set up??

Chris was a really unique client– he’s a DJ as well. As a matter of fact, many of his guests are– NO PRESSURE THERE! He’s worked with such great artists such as Tony Mattehorn and Buju Banton.

The wedding was at the Radisson Celebration in Kissimmee, in the same banquet room as the Greg & Melinda Barned’s wedding.

Photos were taken by Jenny from KC Enterprises (except the very last one)… I know I’m biased saying this, but I love working with KC Enterprises!!

Check out some great photos and videos below!!!

Package chosen:

• Entertainment Coordinator

Chevy is helping me prep music for the night. Chevy knows reggae music very well so he and I made a great team!

Susan and Christopher enjoying a delicious meal!

The cake ceremony was done during the wedding itself. This was the delicious desert cake.

iPhone photo: myself, Chris, Susan, Chevall (notice we matched their wedding colors, lol)

And of course, a YouTube video:

Check out some sweet photos and a quick video clip below!

Package Chosen: Keynote System – Medium

• 14′ Screen
• Dual Live-Video Feed
• Custom PowerPoint
• MC
• Teleprompter System
• Heat-less floods
• Custom Slideshow Presentation
• DJ

Room presentation.

Getting last minute details ready. One computer is to control the entire system, one for the presentation itself, one for music, and the last one controls the camera feeds and video board.

…teachers are getting ready.

Yorkville speakers fill the room with a comfortable volume.

There is one really cool thing we have to talk about: the surprise concert. My boy, Thrill da Playa (from 69 Boyz) joined forces with the 4S0 2009 Prom Tour and we merged tours together for a few special clients– this one being the first. The place went INSANE! The staff, teachers, admins, and all the kids danced along with classics such as “Tootsee Roll, The Train, and Fresh Prince of Bel Air” as well as his new hits “Good Girls, Ery’Body Rock, and Slide.” OH YES THIS WAS A BEAST!!

Another cool surprise was Bob Moore Entertainment. Bob is a great friend and a swell entertainer– he brought  in his new toy. A graphics laser system. Watch the videos for amazing shots!

In the VIP room we adorned it with black lights. That was all that was needed. Mr. Casey and his committee did a great job with the room setup.

Trust me when I say no nightclub in Florida has what Club 0Nine does. NONE WHATSOEVER. I feel sorry for the prom next door.

Package chosen: Custom, but here’s some small details.

• Overhead truss setup
• Giant disco ball
• Intelligent light show featuring 50+ lights
• Starfield
• Haze (didn’t set off the fire alarm, of course)
• Concert by Thrill da Playa (for booking, call us at 877-994-4200)
• VIP Room setup with black lights and separate sound system.
• Custom designed logo projected on wall
• Custom website for shoutouts and requests
• 2 Custom Commercials
• Shoutouts from music artists
• Graphics laser
• Yours truly lol

Photos stolen from Kelly’s blog and the videos are of course mine.

Over 50 light fixtures, this was one amazing light show!!!

I was resizing the “lighting stage” to make sure the lights hit each spot we wanted.

Stars… everywhere!!

Black lights make the pillows glow in the VIP Room

All of the above photos show off the the Laser Skywriter, wonderful fixture, thanks Bob!

Thrill Da Playa with the HB Fraternity … bringin’ old school back!

Again– this was absolutely beautiful!

Over 500 Students, our dance area couldn’t contain them. They spilled over all the place past the floor.

Thrill … The Man, the Myth, the Legend! He added 500 hundred loyal fans tonight!

After Thrill left, I knew I had some big shoes to fill– these students wanted MORE!!!!

Thanks again to everyone: Thrill & the HB Frat., Bob Moore, the 4SO Crew, and of course Hudson High School’s Prom Committee!!!

Now videos!

The first one is a “preview” of the light show, as well as a review from Mr. Casey

The second video is the first half of prom.

The third is the concert.

And the fourth is the last hour.

I tried doing just one video– but I promise there’s too much I can’t skip!!!!

LEAVE COMMENTS!!

Choosing from our most popular series of packages, the Showstopper, this Orlando school chose one of my favorites, the Showstopper³. Featuring over 70′ of trussing and a 20′ wide screen; (not diagonal people, 20′ wide)!!!  The lightshow was amazing… I won’t delve too much into technical details but let’s just say you HAVE to watch the video!

Freedom is a very unique school; despite the urban population, the students LOVE techno, pop, and dance music… with the usual Rap, Reggaeton, Salsa, Merengue, and Reggae.

A couple highlights:

• Worked with the new Principal, Dr. Borders. A very nice person to work with and very eager person to help create an amazing prom.
• Ms. Light (the sponsor), did an amazing job finding a great balance between DJ, decorations, and location. This really was a perfect event!
• Complete DJ thing next: Almost 300 amps of power to play with!! I only needed 100, but the extra was always welcomed.
• 20′ screen.. need I say more?
• Very little grinding thanks to high energy mixes and 1000 glowsticks!!
• The kids did the Hokey Pokey– I kid you not… it was remixed in with the new dance craze, Stanky Legg.
• Mr. Youtz did a GREAT job with the Senior Superlatives… there were some unique categories!
• My crew! My wife (Monica), Derek and Ray are amazing workers who put 1000% into this job.. no matter what it takes!
• The ending!! Watch Part 2!!

Enough blabber.. watch the video & photos! I LOVE this school!!!!! CLICK BELOW FOR MORE!!

Photos were taken with my wife’s new phone…

The brains of the whole setup… my main rig which controls music, on the right is my Mac which serves as backup and also a sound board for remixes. On the left (not seen) is the rig that controls the lights.

The trussing on the right…

The trussing on the left….

A big zoom in of a small portion of the big light show

Derek (on my left), myself, and Ray. My wife took the photos.

The party begins!

We design our light shows with safety in mind. Even with the lights off (for dramatic moments such as announcing King & Queen), our blacklights flood enough light to allow the administration to view everything comfortably.

By the way, if you have a newer PC, hit the HQ button on the YouTube video… YouTUbe always darkens the videos.. it was a lot brighter than this!

Floating above their heads on the swag was a custom made monogram. This one was very unique as Alisha designed it herself. You really have to see the photos and videos to appreciate how it all turned out. We also had the chance to uplight the beautiful wedding cake made by Custom Cakes by Linda (407.673.0082)… the plexiglass base shone bright!

Next was the décor… it was STUNNING! Alisha’s mom, Suzanne, owns Suzanne Nichols Design Group (www.SuzanneNichols.com) and they did a beautiful job. I was blown away by the creative ideas!

Now, my dear brides & grooms.. Alisha  & James had some GREAT ideas that turn into AMAZING wedding tips. Let’s discuss, shall we?

• Use your surroundings! For the ceremony, the groomsmen arrived on a boat. It was awesome!
• GO ALL OUT! Mr. and Mrs. Borelli added a unique touch by including a white dove release. Some may say “it’s played out” but in all my years of being an MC, this is the second time I’ve seen it done. NICE!
• Design your own monogram! We’ll help you (some DJs won’t… but that’s them, haha)
• Guys– do something romantic and funny! James and his crew sang “You’ve Lost That Loving Feeling” a la “Top Gun” style!

Oh yes, I have to tell you about the food! Charles Putney, Event Designer of Arthur’s Catering, did an amazing job with the food. He and his staff were amazing to work with and created some AMAZING dishes. My favorite was the Coconut Shrimp! Theirs was the best I’ve had! I’ve work with so many wonderful couples who allow me the honor of partaking in the celebration by sharing dinner with the guests… so I’ve learned a thing or two about good eating… and the shrimp was phenomenal!!

Package chosen:

• Entertainment Coordinator
• Uplighting, Swag Lighting, Pinspot Lighting
• Ceremony System
• Monogram

Look at the photos in the link below and check out a cool YouTube video!

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!!

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!!!