David and Nancy are an awesome couple… they love Disney (well, they also work there), watch The Office, and adore “How I Met Your Mother.” Perfect, Barney Stinson could’ve co-hosted this wedding with me. On top of it all, they’re huge Glee fans. (You know, huge isn’t the word to describe it, so I’ll begin with dedicated.) This means that on top of a great sense of humor with creativity, they’re gonna have a very eclectic music taste.

Boy, did I profile this one right. The overall party was a blast, and I had a lot of fun with the HIMYM references! With Carlisha as their coordinator, they created very unique centerpieces portraying various Disney movies.

As usual, the Paradise Cove in Kissimmee was beautiful, and a blast to work in. After the photos of the wedding, you can see some shots of the place itself. Make sure to check out the video, too!

Watch in HD!

Chris and Bridgette Waters were a lot of fun– it breaks down to being that simple. If you’re a baseball fan, you may recognize his name as he plays for the Orioles– but they were the most modest down-to-earth people you could meet. They just wanted to have a good time.

Now, I’ve been at the Peggy Brown Building in Lakeland HUNDREDS of times, even had my own wedding there, but the place has never looked as good as it did that night- thanks in part to Flowers by Marilyn. Marilyn and Bill did an amazing job with the  swags, linens, and head-table backdrop.

Michelle and Rachel with R&M Photography were not only incredibly fun to work with, but they also set up a backdrop in the foyer for guests to get family portraits taken and printed on the spot, compliments of Chris and Bridgette.

Check out some great iPhone photos and video below!

You can see our uplights highlighting the room, even in broad daylight!

Our simple “4Bar” light show flooded the Peggy Brown building and lit up the beautiful swag!

First dance. Check out the amazing monogram!

RIght in front is my brother-in-law, Nate, and his girlfriend Angela… turns out Nate went to school with Chris– small world!

Myself, Chris, and Bridgette!

And a video… I’m done with YouTube.. I’ll be using Facebook.

James & Joie Campbell had a ROCKIN’ wedding reception– need I say more?

When Joie’s mom, Marti Peavey (not related to the speaker family, hahaha), told me about James and Joie, I was really excited. This was not going to be an average wedding. They wanted to keep things simple, fun, and active. Joie gave me an eclectic, but unique, playlist with awesome artists such as Bob Marley, Sublime, Johnny Cash, Drake, Biz Markie, Easy-E, and A Perfect Circle— NICE!

Then she added Hendrix, Joplin, Zeppelin, and AC/DC– double nice!

Plus, they gave me cheese cake– ROCKIN’ NICE!

Kyle and I had a blast– check out some info below and then click below to see photos and a cool YouTube video!!

Highlights:

• Her maiden name is Peavey– how cool is that? lol
• Centerpieces were soup cans that had custom Campbell’s labels… check out the photos to see more! (Their last name is Campbell)
• First Dance: Bob Marley’s Is This Love
• Father Daughter Dance: Jimmy Hendrix – Angel (Acoustic, home recorded version) — YOU READ THAT RIGHT!
• We switched the girl who caught the bouquet with her brother while the James blindfolded the garter catcher.
• No lunch or dinner, instead there was a huge dessert buffet –mmm, mmm good! (No pun intended)
• Chalk on each table allowed guests to write messages to the newlyweds on the black paper drapes on each table. I really liked this idea!

Package Chosen: Entertainment Coordinator

Photos and video below!

Room layout at the Women’s Clubhouse in Zephyrhills

The chalk allowed guests to draw and sign the table drapes. This was a cool idea!

How cool is this???

First Dance!

Dancing begins!

Kyle, Joie, James, and myself!

YouTube video below!

Thanks again, Mr. and Mrs. Campbell– enjoy your honeymoon!

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!

Lots of videos and lots of photos on this blog post!!!!

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!

June kicks off the “BEST WEDDINGS EVER!” month!

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 in the DJ community there are many arguments about what makes a DJ. Many old-school turntablists say you still need to use turntables or some form of controller… not just pressing buttons on a laptop. However, I’ve seen many DJs who keep a floor packed without beatmixing and with just one button on a computer.

I personally use a computer with a controller, and I can tell you I can outmix anything I could do with CDs or Turntables.

With this thought in mind, take the following at note. I went skating today, which means I busted out my raggedy, dying, need-to-replace skates– they still work… and they probably do better than 80% of the skates out there. Quality never dies, lol. The DJ there uses Microsoft Windows Media Player. 

We always make fun of him, but not because of his choice of DJ software, after all he also uses high-end Denon CD Turntables and always manages to trainwreck his mixes. Even then, that’s not why we pick on him.

The crowd is 99% preteens to teens. I think I’m the only person there that’s old enough to drink, hahaha. Adult night’s are always on days when I’m working so I’m stuck skating on teen night. Many of the patrons are jam skaters (people who skate to the beat of the music and have set routines).

The DJ doesn’t read the crowd very well: he played rock songs NOBODY recognized (not even I), rap music with profanity, and obscure music that made everyone shrug their shoulders. Of course, when it came time to make announcements everyone ignored him as there was little respect for him. His attitude could’ve been a bit better– unless you were a single girl, you were not going to get any kind manners from him.

Since he would rather stay outside or talk to girls, he ignored the 10 second gap between each song. We watched in amazement as people kept leaving the floor.

Here’s why we laugh: he calls himself a DJ.

With the description I have given you, would you call him a DJ?

No?

So why believe anyone who says they’re a professional DJ?

Where’s the proof?

Don’t ask a DJ what he uses to mix with– that’s irrelevant, what’s important is his style.

• Does he read crowds?
• Does he take requests?
• Can he mix the music with a smooth transition that will keep the appropriate level of energy on the floor.
• Can he earn respect on the microphone?
• Will he be too busy flirting with girls to do his job?
• Is he courteous to everyone, including those who are less than pleasurable to talk with? (I’ve had my fair share of those)

I’ve also had the delight of talking to an amazing bride who’s doing very thorough research. As a matter of fact, she may be reading this right now. We’ve communicated several times, and even though she likes our company, she’s still researching before she makes the decision! Right on! If she chooses us, I know that she’ll be 100% confident and appreciative of what we will offer for her wedding day.

She has also gone as far as asking for proof of the DJs availability. Whether it’s YouTube, a DVD, or any form of video. Peter Merry’s Book The Best Wedding Reception… Ever!, talks about how every DJ should have a highlight reel (or numerous ones) as well as UNCUT footage. I can take the worst wedding DJ and make them look phenomenal on tape– it’s all about editing skills– so ask for raw footage.

As the aforementioned bride has done, ask for proof of MCing style. While the wedding you see may not be your wedding, a good MC should be able to shape your style into the event.

Is this a shameless plug for our company’s YouTube page? Well– yes… but many DJs in the area have videos, too. Remember, ask for real event footage, not testimonials (really, who will post a BAD testimonial), not demo reels (people dancing with music layed over), and not a generic reel. Ask to see their MCing, mixing, and interaction with the crowd.

Don’t ask to see them at an event… if they say no, it’s because they don’t want to invite people to someone’s special day, not because they’re hiding something.

One last thing– EVERY DJ can provide proof of their work. Even if they don’t have someone to film every event, they’ve worked with a videographer at some point. That videographer can provide a sample video. There’s just no excuse.

After all, you wouldn’t buy a cake just because it looks pretty on a photo without ever tasting it.

I wanted to share another wedding tip on choosing a very important wedding vendor: YOUR DJ!

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??

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!!!

When Greg & Melinda first met with me at our initial sales consult, I knew right away this would be an amazing wedding! She’s Puerto Rican whose family hails from Brooklyn, and Greg’s Jamaican, representin’ Queens. We kept in contact a lot recently through Facebook and I got to learn a lot about them… which helped me create some very exciting and unique introductions for them.

Fast forward to May 16th, Amanda and I are setting up at the beautiful Radisson Resort in Celebration (Kissimee), Florida. The monogram (which was designed by Melinda’s niece) looked beautiful on the dance floor. The draping white swags were glowing with color thanks to our LED floods perched gracefully on top of our BOSE sound system.

Outside, the sun finally hid and the rains stopped to create a slightly breezy, yet warm, warm atmosphere by the gazebo for their ceremony.

Watch the video for some cool clips. I’ve also attached some photos from my iPhone.

Some quick highlights:

• First dance, God Bless the Broken Road, was sung live by close friends. They were amazing!!!
• VERY custom introductions featuring a song for each couple!
• One of a kind monogram designed by family!
• Rumcake!!

Package chosen:

• Entertainment Coordinator
• Ceremony System
• D’Elegance Lighting: Floods Only

The beautiful ceremony!

Hamilton, Melinda’s father, was choked up with joy as he danced with his little girl.

Everyone’s ready to dance.

Myself, Greg, Melinda, and Amanda!

And the video:

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!

James & Alisha created the perfect wedding today! They chose Lake Buena Vista Watersports’s Paradise Cove, which in itself is a beautiful venue…. but we got the opportunity to transform it. Using the in-house swags, we used lights carefully aimed at various sections to color the entire reception area with an Aqua blue (one of their wedding colors) while the swag behind the head table was lit up in their secondary color (pastel pink).

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!

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!!!

Brides & Grooms: What have you done to make your wedding unique? Watch Rock the Reception and you’ll see what I am talking about. Now, not everyone can do something as fancy as that… but you get the idea.

This really isn’t a tip as much as a segue to the coolest toast I’ve ever seen. I’m not sure where this video came from, because I’d love to meet the people who put this together!

It’s supposed to be the happiest day of your life… so why do you feel so stressed? There is no such thing as being born a Bride/Groomzilla…. it’s just what happens when you don’t take the stress out. So what can you do?

1) CHILL OUT!

Whenever you begin to feel stressed out, take a breather. Go enjoy a movie, a walk in the park, or visit a spa! Stressing out is not going to fix anything nor will it put you and your fiance in a good mood for the wedding. You should never have to associate feelings of stress and dispair with weddings! Whatever you do to relax, just make sure it has NOTHING to do with your wedding. So CHILL!

2) Being emo can be nerve-wracking!

One minute you’re super-excited about your wedding cake. The next minute you’re upset because you can’t find sashes in your wedding colors! Then you’re excited because you found beautiful photography, but suddenly you realize you’re behind in your planning. ARGH! How is it that you haven’t pulled all your hair out yet? This emotional roller-coaster can set you off in a frenzy!

It’s going to happen and it’s perfectly natural! Find someone to vent to… someone who ISN’T your fiance. Find someone who isn’t stressed out about the wedding and ask them to help you think with a clear head!

3) Trust God.

Enough said there. The best way to deal with the stress is to just pray… but beyond that, talk to your pastor. You and your fiance will learn A LOT about each other in the next few wedding planning stages… be sure to attend a marriage class.. not to mention the state of Florida will give you a discount on your license if you do! SWEET!

4) This is why you hired….

…a professional. Don’t stress about the day-of wedding timeline. Talk to your entertainer/coordinator about your concerns on creating the perfect day and let he/she handle the rest. If you can’t trust them to do this… find a new one. If they’ve done this plenty of times, they’ll have a plethora of ideas to help you!

The same applies for photos, cake, food, etc. You hired a pro— let them help you! Give them the vision of what you want and let them handle that stressing out stuff.

5) A wedding planner doesn’t plan YOU.

Wedding planners and coordinators are great people to have on your team.  Again, trust them to handle the stress and take their advice the best way you can… they do this several times a year and you’re only getting married once! However, they can’t control what you do…. so prioritize! If they’re helping you step-by-step with wedding plans then there’s no worries, but if you only have day-of coordination (or none at all) then you need to sit down and come up with a schedule of what’s the most important things to you, then make sure those are checked off FIRST.

6) The day before the wedding should not be the day before the wedding.

DO NOT, I repeat: DO NOT use the day before the wedding to finalize all details. Work as hard as you can to have everything done at least 3 days before the wedding. Why? Because you can enjoy these three days to lose ANY stress/jitters you may have. Spend time with your friends… go to a movie, beach, SOMETHING FUN! You should be looking forward to your wedding… not wishing you had one more day to finish planning!

7) CHECK!

If possible, pay all your vendors two-three days before the wedding! If you’re anything like me, signing paychecks will induce stress. If you plan on tipping (and you should, lol) make sure to do it in cash. Have everything separated in envelopes for easier management.
CHECK! LIST!

I’ll make this one short: DJs have checklists. Caterers have checklists. Planners have checklists. Do you? No? MAKE ONE!

9) Internet and friends are dangerous!

Have a question about your wedding? While asking your friends is important, their suggestions may reflect their style and not yours. As for the internet, stay away unless it’s coming from the keyboard of an established vendor! The best wedding tips come from the professionals you’ve hired and learned to trust. They will work hard to build rapport with and get to know you. They will apply this information to any info/tips they give you!

10) Weddings are NOT a barometer of happiness.

Can something go wrong at the wedding? Maybe. Possibly. So? Roll with it! Marriages aren’t perfect, but they will be held strong if you have faith! Weddings are living, breathing creatures and just because something went wrong doesn’t mean your marriage will go bad. Did you show up? Did he show up? Did you say “I do?” Did he say “I do?” Then you’re good to go— you’ve accomplished the mission: the rest is just icing on the cake.

Brides and grooms: don’t stress! As vendors, we’ll do everything we can to take that stress of you… but ultimately it’s up to you to make sure you don’t stress out. Don’t confuse stress for anxiety… you will be very anxious for the day you’ll be standing on the altar.. and who can blame you? Just remember to ENJOY your planning… as you’ll only do this once in your lifetime, too!

Did I forget a tip? Leave me a comment!!

Have I told you guys how much I love Lake Ashton? Well in case I haven’t– you’ll hear all about it again!

Kristen came to us wanting an elegant lighting package; she was very worried that the lights would make her reception look like a nightclub. After she saw the D’elegance lighting setup, she knew that would never be the problem. The lights were set up so discreetly, you could barely see them until they were turned on!

They chose their uplights to be solid white, to keep the contrast at a minimum and have the centerpieces pop out a little bit more.

To make a long story short, this crowd knew how to party… they danced the entire time.. even as they were walking out for the grand exit!

As usual, were did the ceremony as well for Lake Ashton. Aside from the music, we coordinated the entire thing, so Kristen and Bobby were able to enjoy their own special day.

You have to click below to check out some awesome photos from the wedding, provided by the best photographer known to weddings: KC Enterprises. I’ll post their blog up, soon!

Package chosen:

• Entertainment Coordinator
• Ceremony System
• Static Uplights: White
• D’Elegance Lights: Custom

The ballroom, notice how you can barely see the speakers and the light show on either side of the stage.

The lights in action!

Cupid Shuffle!

My wife, Monica, and the photographer, Jenny, from KC Enterprises photography!

And alas, an AWESOME video!

I absolutely love Lake Ashton… the food and service are stellar. It’s even better when you have AMAZING weather and the bride and groom are the best people to work with. Yup… this wedding went VERY well.

Christine and Blake wanted to have a good time… whether people danced or not wasn’t their main concern as much as it was making sure that everyone left with a smile on their face.

My wife and I enjoyed setting up, there was a member of Lake Ashton practicing for the talent show… he blessed us with his talents on the piano playing songs from Van Halen’s “Jump” to Queen to Disney… for the first time ever, I asked for a request!

The emotion flowed through Lake Ashton during the ceremony, Christine and her father, Davis, were so excited that they shared tears of joy before David escorted his little girl down the aisle.

The reception was  a blast! The photographer, Sofia (http://www.PhotographyBySofia.com), was a lot of fun to work with and I hope to be sharing some of her photos here soon! Christine and Blake worked really hard to plan their special day to make sure their guests felt special, too… and I think they achieved that goal!

The uplighting was awesome… we designed it to change colors throughout the evening…. during dinner, they alternated between their wedding colors.
Check out some great iPhone photos as well as a cool YouTube video. The lighting setup was elegant (no trussing, no ugly tripods, but it flooded the room with color… even the uplighting changed color according to mood!)…. YouTube doesn’t do a great job of keeping the video as bright as it was originally, so click the HQ to see a better quality video.

Package chosen:

Entertainment Coordinator

Colorchanging Uplighting

Light Columns

Dance Under the Stars

D’Elegance Lighting

Ceremony System/Coordination

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

Kyle MCed this wedding and I let loose DJing tonight! WOW am I still pumped up! The energy was through the room from the moment we walked in those doors. It was a beautiful sunny, yet breezy day at the Hollis Gardens and Magnolia building.

I really wish we shot more video because the crowd really turned this wedding into a night club… well, nightclubs WISH they could turn into this wedding. Mixing the hottest music remixed to house/break beats, the floor wouldn’t stop moving.

I want to focus on this picture for a minute:

What do you notice? Look how elegant the DJ setup is. Megan and Jesse wanted the head table in front of the stage with us behind them… they were confident that our setup would be clean and discreet so their photos would not be ruined. The small-footprint lightshow is part of our new D’Elegance series and has JUST AS BIG AN IMPACT as our normal light shows. Look how elegant it sits on top of the 4″ thick BOSE speakers.

The uplighting changed colors throughout the evening and was synchronized to the music and mood.

Package Chosen:

• Entertainment Coordinator
• D’Elegance Lighting (Dance Floor Lights, Monogram, Static Uplights)
• Upgraded static uplights to color-changing, wireless uplights
• Reception Under the Stars
• Ceremony System

Check out some GREAT photos taken by KC Enterprises. www.polkphoto.com. Their blog should be up soon with even more photos from one of the crunkest weddings I’ve been to.

Oh yes, and a great video, too!

Click below!

When this school decided to do the very first dance in their gym instead of a hotel, they wanted to do something special… so they used their favorite DJs from Orlando *ahem ahem* and created an amazing Valentine’s Day dance featuring Orlando Superstar group, TREAL.

What NO ONE expected was that Cupid was going to make a surprise appearance. But that’s what happens when you’re rockin’ with the best.

You already know how much we can rock school dances, so we’ll just talk about the concert.

3AM opened up for TREAL, and the ladies LOVED them! Their choreography was phenomenal and they really had a great stage presence. They set the right tone for TREAL to come out to! They opened their first set with songs about the special ladies in the fella’s lives. I could see teachers dancing in their position as the students sang along with the group.

The second set consisted of extremely hyped up songs– no grinding here, that’s for sure! TREAL’s a clean, all-ages group who puts out school approved shows that will get even the pickiest student jumping. They have the most unique stage presence I’ve seen– as much as I love rap, I’m not a fan of rap concerts but I’d line up to see TREAL any day!

Then the lights flash quickly as they jump to their smash hit, Not Locked Down. The lights shut off for a second and when they reappeared Cupid was on stage as they all performed the live remixed song! The students couldn’t believe their eyes!

Check out the link below for pics and video. As bright as it was inside, YouTube likes to dim videos quite a bit… but you’ll get the idea! Interesting in booking an amazing performer? Leave a comment or contact us at 877-994-4200

The stage lit up!

My wife with Elisio and T-Sick.

TONS of LED floods and one heckuva laser show!

Elisio on MySpace… I told him we’d catch him!

Poetic waits for the dance to begin.

The first student catches the laser’s liquid sky about to begin!

DJ CraziAce AKA The Crunk Speciali$t

TREAL had fun interacting with the students and showing everyone that grinding ISN’T the only way to dance!

Leanin’ and Rockin’

The stacks of speakers were HUGE!

Poetic and Cheeze.

Eliseo, Cupid, and Poetic!

The guys posin’ with my wife.

VIDEO!

Be ready to be amazed brides, schools, and everyone else who’s reading.

Imagine your first dance beginning as the lights dim… a field of stars span across the entire ceiling… as you and your husband share your first dance you feel the cool whisk of clouds stream across your feet.

Pretty, huh?

Not just for weddings… how about your prom?

I’ll post more in this soon, meanwhile… why not check out the official test of our “Cloud Machine.”

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!

Need an entertainer for your community party? Someone that can entertain people of all ages and represent your community in its chosen flavor? www.apremierentertainment.com

How about a kid’s party? www.BubbleManiaParties.com

The community of Dundee did a great job putting together a Halloween festival for everyone of all ages to enjoy. While everything was outside, I was inside in the “break area” where people could eat. This was also where the pie-eating contest and the costume contest were held.

My stage was set up like a graveyard, and I was asked to DJ in costume. No problem… I got in serious character for the evening… I was the grim reaper, better known as the Death Jockey.

My voice and acting classes from my (Art-based) high school REALLY came into play here. I had a great sound clip (no video– too many kids) but it got corrupted of the voice used. It wasn’t a traditional screechy voice (like Tales from the Crypt)… it was a monotone-ish, devil-sounding voice. Lots of humor was thrown along with the announcements to make sure no kids got scared AND to not make it so “evil.”

My head stayed down at all times (no mask, too hot) except when I put the cape over my face to see what was going on (it’s a one-way fabric.. I can see out, but they can’t see in).

It was HARD to be interactive and lead line dances without people seeing your face!

It was fun! Check out the link below for pics!

Need a DJ? Want to contact me? Click here

Want to book an amazing DJ/MC from a company that deals ONLY with corporate parties? Click here

Florida Housing Coalition has been our clients for years… and there’s a good reason: we rock the house every time! This year, they chose the beautiful Butler room at the Rosen. You may remember this room as this was one of the rooms used for the wedding for Douglas Gordon, producer of upcoming National Lampoon movie RoboDoc.

I love this crowd… they don’t all dance at the same time as they have varied tastes (it almost feels like a night club), but they don’t complain about the music at all and will try to dance to everything.

Reggae, Salsa/Merengue, Rap, and soul really hit the spot for them!

I cannot express what a BLAST I had! This really is one of my favorite annual events!

Click below for some GREAT pics!

Check out the Butler room at the ROSEN Hotel in Orlando, FL. It was a two-story room with a wraparound balcony. At night, the Starfield effect made the balcony feel like a planetarium!

So many guests! They were inside the room, upstairs, outside, and in the lobby!

The setup, of course. This lightshow flooded the room with color and REALLY set the tone!

It’s hard to appreciate the starfield in a photo.. the guests were starstruck (no pun intended) at how beautiful it looked!

They danced from the very beginning.

So much lighting, even the back of my setup was lit up! The best part– all of it ran on ONE CIRCUIT!

Lots of dancing.. a packed dance floor ALL NIGHT!

More starfield shots!

Playing with a SLOOOW ISO.

I didn’t shoot a video this time.. I was too busy mixing music. I worked this event solo, no roadie.

I like to keep tabs on who reads my blog. I’ve noticed that several people needing a Jamaican DJ have landed on my blog. While I am not Jamaican, I do have a Jamaican DJ in our company. We also have DJs, myself included, who know reggae very well.

The great thing about island music, just like Hispanic music, is that it’s very regional. When you interview your DJ, ask him about some reggae songs that fill the floor. While it’s not guaranteed to work at your wedding, at least you’ll know what he/she is talking about.

If the disc jockey/Emcee answers the above question with something like “Sean Paul” and that’s the only artist mentioned, they may not know the genre well enough.

If you asked a DJ experienced in various reggae riddims, like us (shameless plug), then we’d not only tell you, but SHOW you how songs such as Tiny Winey, Ting a Ling, or even Hot Hot Hot (either Arrow or the Dragoneers) will create a great upbeat vibe that everyone can enjoy.

When looking for a DJ experienced in Jamaican music, make sure he has a little bit of everything to please ALL of your friends and loved ones.

And if you’re wondering, my favorite reggae song is Wayne Wonder’s No Letting Go

Check us out, and call us today at 1-877-994-4200

www.apremierentertainment.com

Need a DJ? Want to contact me? Click here

What can I say about this wedding? I was BORN to do these… Stephen is from Puerto Rico and Monique is from Jamaica.

How many guests? 250+!

The wedding started amazingly, with guests dancing during the intro! Everythin was perfect– we went overtime, of course. I got to play some amazing reggae, soca, and calypso hits that I haven’t played in a while, as well as classic goodies and the best merengue and salsa you can imagine!

Some great hits of the night:

Tiney Winey, Dollar Wine, Follow Da Leader, Signal Di Plane, Baile del Beeper, Mississippi Slide, Double Dutch Bus, Fresh (Kool and the Gang), Parliament’s Flashlight.

Some cool things they had: Rum Cake, a Coffee “bar”, and Marble Slab ice cream “buffet”

Unfortunately their cake never showed up, however Publix Supermarket created a beautiful cake last minute!

This was at the Polo Grill in Lakewood Ranch, Florida. I bought a basic lighting backage, uplights, and monogram. The pictures and video do no justice on how big (and bright) the monogram was.

Click the break below to see photos and video!!!

Room with uplighting around.. again, the pics do no justice.

****************************

Setup

*****************************

*****************************

Marble Slab ice cream buffet.

******************************

THE PARTY!!

********************************

Monica (my wife and coordinator), Monique (Bride), Stephen (Groom), and myself.

********************************

Vlog!

Need a DJ? Want to contact me? Click here

I did a bubble party.. and it was my first video log, but there were too many kids and I didn’t want to post pics or video up.

I also did a corporate event Friday, but I need to remove photos with the kids.. again, safety reasons.

Friday was a fun wedding. It was a destination wedding. Wei, the groom, is Chinese and Eileen, the bride, is from the Philippines.

This was the first wedding where I did very little coordination, everything was handled through a coordinator who handled everything (and did a great job at it).

Lots of changes were made during the wedding itself, but it went along great! The floor stayed packed the entire time– I love weddings like these!

Click the break below to see photos and video!!!

The room and decorations. This was at the beautiful Wyndham Hotel in Orlando, Florida.

Dancing

Hmm.. I took a few photos of my system, not sure what happened… I’ll look.

Chevy, myself, Eileen, and Wei.

I do have to mention a slideshow was done. It was created by Eileen, who is in the graphic arts, and I have to say it was the most beautiful slideshow I’ve seen. Seriously, I doubt I’ll ever see any slideshow that will impress me this much….

And alas, my video-blog!

Need a DJ? Want to contact me? Click here

Wow! Three event weekend! Lots of photos and descriptions of a karaoke event in Davenport, a wedding in Lithia, and another one in Plant City. Check it out below!

First one was a karaoke party for the Providence Golf & Country Club in Davenport, Fl.. this place is GORGEOUS!

It was raining like never before, streets were flooding, cars were water skiiing, not a pretty site.

I was actually facing the right side of the picture… my van started spinning… and I was only only driving 15MPH! Only spun halfway through but it was enough for a new change of underwear. Driving down the road I saw a few other accidents and several cops, one at each stop light, to prevent any more accidents.

Flooding on the sides.. the photos do no justice on how deep the water is.

Just arriving there…

Inside the gates… really nice area.

The clubhouse.

The Karaoke setup, featuring the BOSE.

15 minutes into the event and we’re full!

The crowd dancing in between Karaoke!

The kids were singing Hannah Montana’s If We Were a Movie.

This is Stephanie, she is an amazing singer.. apparently going pro. She was the crowd favorite. We also had a group of girls called the Cash Sistas who had coordinated dances as the girls sang karaoke.. they were also a crowd favorite!!

******

Move on to Saturday!

So here we are in Lithia, FL. We had no idea if we were in the right neighborhood until BAM! Out of nowhere appeared one of the most beautiful venues we’ve seen.

Matt & Karen were amazing with a crowd who not only were a lot of fun, but also danced to everything.. including Cher’s Believe, a techno version of Sweet Caroline, Electric Avenue, and other assorted goodies. Although she is Polish, it wasn’t a traditional Polish wedding. Kelly was the MC and I did the DJing. It was fun not having to MC for once and just enjoy being on the ones and twos (and threes and fours!)

Karen & Matt’s colors matched the carpets and ceiling

This room screamed “UPLIGHT ME!” Next time we perform here, we’ll discuss uplighting options with the couple.

The Gardens… the dude in the second pic was Kelly.

The door handles, edges, hinges, opening mechanism, etc… everything was CHROME!

Head table.

Since the doors were DEAD CENTER of the room, our DJ setup was on the side.

EDIT: We arrived 3.5 hours early because we were coming in from a Bridal show and drove straight there. We set up and had a couple of hours to relax, which was nice. When I snapped this shot I forgot to clear my table. The bottle sitting on it is the wine bottle that the couple bought for the “winners” of the anniversary dance. The coordinator placed it on our table so it won’t get lost.

First dance.

Stars! We brought out the Starfield compliments of the house.

All focus on Karen & Matt.. the sign of a good MC (and DJ, can’t give Kelly too many props now!)

Mother/Son Dance.

Father/Daughter dance.

The Chicken dance? NO WAY! The request came from Karen and it went great! We did the trance version!

Yup.. RICK ROLL!

Happy couple with the world’s best entertainer..oh, and Kelly’s there, too.

LOL.

******

Sunday, another wedding where I was just the DJ while Kelly MC’d.

This was in Plant City.

It was thundering bad.. all the lights dimmed and the BOSE started making a horrible sound as the voltage dropped to 90V. I quickly shut the Furman (Power Strip) off.

Despite that, the wedding went awesome! Holly & Karen are a great couple who were referred to us from another wedding Kelly and I did. She wanted all cheese… the dance floor was open for only about 45 minutes (lots of events and large dinner.. 300 people in four hours) but it went so well! Chicken Dance, Macarena, Cupid Shuffle, Cha Cha Slide, Electric Slide… the entire dance floor was packed. It goes to show you that cheese can still work and is still lots of fun… especially when they were all requests!

The room..

Our setup.

Find the speakers!

Didn’t get a chance to do a lot of pics…

Kelly and I with the couple.

****

It was a fun weekend.. I have a Bubble Party http://www.bubblemaniaparties.com Wednesday and events Friday and Saturday as well. Stay tuned!

Need a DJ? Want to contact me? Click here

This was a fun wedding… Started at 4:00 and went full speed until 8:00. She was Italian and he was American, so we had some fun mixing different cultures. This was another wedding where everyone had the focus on the bride & groom.

Justin and Maria are wonderful people and their energy is infectious. There’s about 30 pics here, so it might taken a minute to load.

The wedding was at the Crowne Hotel in Tampa, Florida. The staff was great to work with and the hotel itself is gorgeous.

This gig report will be somewhat unique because I am including some odd behind the scenes shots.

Keep in mind, all photos are taken with my trusty iPhone. So yeah.

Click the break below to see photos!!!

The setup.

Part of the room.

BOSE DJ: another angle.

Cocktail Room

Seating arrangement card pickup area. I thought this was unique.

Tables with centerpieces… the wedding had a tropical theme.

Bride and groom glasses. Pretty cool, huh?

Cakes.

Keyboard rack. You’ll see the necessities: cards, bluetooth headset (in case my headphones die), mouthwash, cologne (not seen), deodorant (not seen).

The keyboard’s letters were painted with a luminescent nail polish, so when the LED light hits it, the keys glow.

The Furman Power Conditioner’s lights are used as a headphone hanger.

The headphone bag carries my stuff that I want out of the way. Car keys, backup battery, cell phone, wallet.

Other setup angle.

First Dance.

Dancing…

The train…the good pic was deleted by accident… the entire floor was doing the train!

One of those weddings where everyone is dancing!!

See how many people didn’t dance??

last dance…

Group hug!

Justin and Maria with yours truly.

Need a DJ? Want to contact me? Click here

Cody & Kristen Guengrich.

They’re a wonderful couple with a family that “gets it!” What I mean by “gets it” is that all eyes were on Cody and Kristen. No side conversations, no eyes astray; the entire focus was dead-on the new couple.

You can’t get energy like that anywhere else but a wedding.

They were a real participative family… I really wish I had a video of the intro. The energy level was through the roof. The uncle sang Frank Sinatra’s Way You Look Tonight and he was DEAD ON. Awesome performance…

The best part? It was at Lake Ashton Golf & Country Club.. amazing venue with amazing service (and great food!)

I also learned an important lesson about the iPhone, you’ll see it in a minute.

Click the break below to see photos!!!

The system looks real obvious from here, but it was hidden from everyone else. This is what Geminis are good for… a quick ceremony system with an on-board mixer. Normally I use the BOSE, but setup would not allow it.

Large-scale chess pieces and the rest of the lake.

Ceremony view from my spot. My wife and I coordinated via bluetooth headsets. She was dismissing the bridesmaids as I did music. Using the headsets looked nicer than having a cellphone attached to our head. Haha.

Half of the room before guests came in.

Sweetheart table and cake table. Cake was made by It’s a Piece of Cake by Maggie. She’s a local vendor celebrity here– her cakes are amazing and set the standard in our county.

My setup BEFORE cleanup.

Slideshow…

Monogram in the middle of the day… still visible.

First dance.. all eyes on Cody and Kristen.

Monogram at sundown….

…and at night.

So we were invited to eat. And apparently you do not touch the iPhone lens with greasy hands. The lens gets smudgier than the screen.

See?

First slow song of the evening.

Electric slide.

Wiki-wiki-ing.

Cupid Shuffle…

And yes! The Train!

W00t!

We went longer than expected.. some of the older guests left. However the rest that stayed had a great time! 50s and 80s music went great! We even played some newer stuff such as Low and Don’t Stop the Music.

Last dance…

Myself, my wife (Monica), Kristen, Cody.

Monica hurt her foot as did I… not sure how.. but we smiled.

*****

Cody reminds me of Michael Buble, he has a slight resemblance… both of them were sweet people and I wish them nothing but the best!!

Need a DJ? Want to contact me? Click here

After a busy Friday full of events I got to enjoy a great wedding Saturday!

Saturday I had a Hispanic/American wedding at the Cleveland Heights Golf & Country Club in Lakeland, Florida. Naturally, a bi-lingual DJ was requested. The groom, Javier, is Puerto Rican. Aaron (the bride) picked a great set of songs… we played everything latin, but we ended the night with some great old school rap, current top40s, and the last 30 minutes ended with classic rock and then trance and house.
We had a few glowsticks from a previous gig so we had some fun with those!

I’m amazed at how well the iPhone takes photos in complete darkness!

This wedding was tons of fun and I had a blast!

Click the break below to see photos!!!

Instructions on laying out the center-pieces. Very detailed and with pics!

Instructions were well-followed.

Setup. After a busy prom season, it’s nice not having to set up lights.

Yummy. Cake. Good stuff.

Another angle of the amazing BOSE system.

Right after dancing. Dinner was great– people danced during dinner, always a good sign!

Last 30 minutes! Woo-hoo!

My wife and I with the couple.

Need a DJ? Want to contact me? Click here

Great wedding! He’s Greek, she’s Mexican and they needed a careful balance of traditions.

We started with some Carpathian music and started the lead dances as well as family traditions… We had fun and they danced the entire night! We had fun with Cumbias, Huapangos, Tejano, etc!

Click the break below to see photos!!!

My assistant, Derek, and I chillin’ before the wedding.

Introductions

The monogram flushed in lights.

First Dance, with the bridesmaids (all little girls) doing a choreographed dance around John & Jessica.

Bouquet and Garter toss followed a fun Mexican tradition. The girls run around the bride until the music stops, Jessica then throws the bouquet.

John’s turned follows the same routine, but everyone picked him up and threw him up in the air instead!

Then comes the removal. This is a regional tradition.

Yes, there was a switch.. which was not expected by either of the families.

Traditional Greek and Mexican dances were done thoughout the wedding.

All the Greek music was on CD, whether it was mine or the families. The groom’s friend helped me with translation since I don’t read Greek

Need a DJ? Want to contact me? Click here

Congratulations to Keith and Lori Mixon! They were married at the beautiful Eaglebrooke Country Club in Lakeland, Florida! The weather was beautiful and nothing could be more perfect!
The family was lovely, everytime I introduced an event all eyes were on whatever I spoke about. During the first dance, there were no side conversations, no wondering eyes, just the bride and groom.

This one had real custom intros… each couple coming in had a 15 second story and the bride and groom entered right after a 1 minute love story. There wasn’t a dry eye, even our photographer told me she cried.

Lo and behold– people danced! It wasn’t a huge crowd dancing… they came in sets.

What I love about this wedding is that each photo really captured some great expressions from the guests, you can see the love and excitement in their eyes!

Click the break below to see photos!!!

*************

Last minute preparations….

Using those disposable cameras and putting them to good use!

.

First Dance– SIDEWAYS!

Right after the blessing…

Anniversary Dance.

First slow song to open up the dance floor…

Father of the groom steals the spotlight with the flower girl.

Hey– we danced!

One of the many line dances done. I think this was the Cupid Shuffle… we also did the Copperhead Road, Redneck Girl, and of course Cottoneye Joe.

Oh yes! Mac!

Doing that thing called DJing.

They were happy!