DJ AM Wonderwall Routine – Breakbeat Identified by DJ Dennis J

As many who know me personally undoubtedly know, I am a huge DJ AM fan. The man was a genius, and will be forever revered by many.

Along with many other DJ AM fans, I’ve been dying to find out where to get the breakbeat that he used on his infamous Wonderwall routine.

Well, I think I have figured it out! Many claimed it was a remixed version of Run DMC’s “Walk This Way” or a track on a DJ Rectangle record. Well, both are wrong. I believe the actual breakbeat used was hard to identify because it is created from two parts of a scratch sample record, which AM made his own breakbeat from.

Note: the actual breakbeat is 2 bars, yet I’ve only looped 1 bar for my demo. This is enough to tell you whether or not the breakbeat is the same.

At this time I’m not disclosing the origin because

1) I want to make sure this really is the track used. Please comment and tell me if you agree that this is the same breakbeat!

2) I want to see if anyone really cares enough to post something on their pages linking to this page.

Comment and let me know where you’ve linked and talked about this blog post, and if I see enough interest, I’ll disclose the origin!

DJ AM’s Wonderwall routine:

DJ Dennis J’s sample:

DJ Dennis J – DJ AM Wonderwall Breakbeat Sample

Is it the same? You tell me!

Hard Rock Hotel Wedding – Roxana and Jeff Brown

Client: Roxana and Jeff Brown
Venue: Hard Rock Hotel- Ceremony tent and “Celebrate” room
Venue Address: 207 Fifth Avenue, San Diego, CA 92101
Number of guests: 75-100
Services Provided: Wedding DJ and Master of Ceremonies, Wedding Ceremony, enhanced dance floor lighting, uplighting

Roxana and Jeff live in Carmel Valley, and chose to have their wedding at the San Diego Hard Rock Hotel, most likely because it is a beautiful venue. They both enjoy many genres of music, and prefer current hits for their own listening pleasure.

I met Jeff while setting up for a military ball last year in Del Mar. As I was setting up, he came over and inquired about my services. After talking with him a bit and giving him a bit of an idea of the knowledge we have of wedding services, he continued interest by asking for our card and telling me he would be in touch. A day or so later, he called us and we discussed a bit more, then scheduled a meeting with him and his fiance, Roxana.

During our meeting I found that they were looking for a very customized wedding, which just happens to be our specialty! I suggested our ceremony music package using string instrumentals of classic and modern day rock songs. Since their ceremony was at the Hard Rock Hotel, how could it not work perfectly, right? In our opinion, it is definitely an option that ensures that all in attendance will remember not only the reception, but also the unique ceremony that they were a part of.

Every detail of this seven-hour(!) wedding received that ‘customized touch’. For cocktail hour, they upgraded to use our wireless additional sound system service, for which we use an additional pair of speakers outside of the reception room and transmit the same music stream wirelessly to the other speakers. For music selection we played an eclectic mix of downtempo ambient trip-hop.

The ceremony and cocktail hour were held in a large decorated tent.

Hard Rock Hotel Ceremony

Hard Rock Hotel Ceremony Altar Set Up

The dinner/reception was held an appropriately titled room called, “Celebrate”.

Hard Rock Hotel Wedding Lounge

Hard Rock Hotel Wedding Uplighting

One of the coolest features of Celebrate is the mural of Madonna on one of its walls.

Hard Rock Hotel Madonna Mural Celebrate Room

Due to some delays, we had to adjust some of the planned times of events, but the photographers, day-of-coordinator, and caterers were very helpful and worked with us to get everything working correctly. After announcing the location of the Celebrate room and showing guests the way to get to it, we performed a wonderful introduction of bridal party and couple, completely with our enhanced lightshow package which included a disco ball for the first dance.

As an added original touch, they opted to have a ‘donut tower’ instead of the traditional cake. During the ‘cutting of the donuts’, we played a special donut-themed song mix which we had prepared beforehand.

San Diego Wedding DJ Donut Tower

After cutting the donuts, we went back to open dancing, and the guests packed the dance floor for over three straight hours! Afterwards, guests were still in high-spirits and the mood to continue dancing even though the room rental was over, so Roxana and Jeff and the remaining guests headed downstairs to Hard Rock’s club for more. Now that’s the kind of mood we like to see the guests in as we end our performance!

The bride and groom were very happy with the outcome of the night, and took time after the reception to pose for a picture. Thanks to Jeff and Roxana for giving us the opportunity to share their special night with them, and our best wishes for them and their new life!

San Diego Wedding DJ Dennis J with Bride and Groom at Hard Rock Hotel

More from Creative Music DJs

• San Diego Wedding DJ | Candelas Coronado - Antonio and Ruby Wedding
• Coronado Candelas Wedding – Ruby and Antonio
• Admiral Kidd Club Wedding – Shannon and Jason Fouts
• San Diego Wedding DJ | San Diego DJ - Oceanview Room - Kathleen and Dominic Carr Wedding
• Sub Base Point Loma- Kathleen and Dominic Carr Weddin

San Diego Fundraiser for Haiti

Client: Katey Fisher on behalf of Dr. Carolle Jean-Murat
Venue Type: Retreat
Venue Address: 10039 Fuerte Dr, San Diego, CA
Number of guests: 100+

Services Provided: Video equipment, supply, delivery, and set up/breakdown.

Creative Music DJs is now an “Angel of Haiti”.

To do this, we worked with Katey Fisher, an event coordinator in San Diego, to assist a prominent activist in her efforts to raise money to help those in Haiti that were affected by the recent disaster.

Dr. Carolle Jean-Murat is a Haitian Doctor who lives here in San Diego at her retreat. She has two non-profit organizations 1. Angels for Haiti and 2. Health Through Communications Foundation. She has built a school, a hospital and a park in Haiti and has also offered free medical care to several thrid world countries. This woman is amazing!

On January 23, 2010, Dr. Jean-Murat held a fundraiser at her San Diego retreat. For this fundraiser she had developed a slideshow showing some of the benefits that had been provided to Haiti via fundraising. She enlisted our help to supply equipment to project this slideshow for all guests to enjoy.

The fundraiser helped to raise close to $2000.00 to help with the Doctor’s cause, and we’re happy to have helped with this effort. The event was a success, and gained the coverage and attention of local news stations KSWB and KGTV 10News.

Video Equipment Supplied for Haiti Fundraiser

More from Creative Music DJs

• This Month’s Special – Discounts for Friday and Sunday weddings!
• Onyx Room – Saturday January 9, 2010
• Winter Formal Dance – Julian Charter High School (JCS)
• San Diego DJ | Hard Rock Hotel Wedding - Roxana and Jeff Brown
• New Years Eve at Masquerade in North Park

Winter Formal Dance – Julian Charter High School (JCS)

Client: Jenn Sheehey
Venue Type: Banquet Facility
Venue Address: 35245 Briggs Rd, Murrieta, CA 92563
Number of guests: 100+
Services Provided: Dance (mostly top-40) music, energetic emceeing, premium dance floor lighting, fog machine, laser lighting, wired microphone

Julian Charter High School held their Winter Formal dance at Monteleone Meadows. Creative Music DJs was contracted to provide the entertainment.
For those that do not know the location of Monteleone Meadows, let me tell you, it’s not easy to find even in daylight! The road, Briggs Road, is under construction, and if you get on the wrong part of it, you can get really lost! After driving around a bit, I found a way around the hill and made it to the school.

The staff of Monteleone Meadows are very pleasant and helpful. The manager, Gaby Wempe, was especially helpful at the end of the night and helped carry some equipment to the trailer for me.

The kids were very excited to dance! JCS had requested fog and premium lighting, so we went with an assorted display of Vue IIIs, a Tri-Pearl, Scorpion 56RG, and a Galaxian laser.

The floor was packed all night, despite the fact that there were casino tables in the same room! HS kids are excellent at letting DJs know when they enjoy a song, and this group was no exception. There were plenty of ‘wooooo’s, ‘yeeeeeeah’s, and ‘yaaaay’s to go around.

I had received a song request list before the event, so I didn’t expect that many requests, but there were still several. The song of the night was, “Circus” by Britney Spears. I think I had at least 8 requests alone for it. Then again, it could have been one or two people sending their friends one at a time to re-request the song until it was played. Yes, we’re actually on to those tricks, don’t think you’re being slick! Here’s a couple of pictures from the night:

After the dance, I talked with Mrs. Sheehey while tearing down equipment about feedback from the night. She stated, (I’m quoting) “You just blew away any DJ these kids have ever seen. I’m pretty sure everyone is going to want you for Prom in April.” She also mentioned that the ASB staff had made me a thank-you card but she had left it behind. I thanked her for the opportunity and then we posed together for a picture.

There’s no doubt that this school dance was a success, and I’m so glad for the opportunity to have made JCS’s Winter Formal a memorable and enjoyable experience!

Congratulations to the winners of the night:

Drawing for free night stay with free dinner and spa treatment at Pala Casino: Emily Warren

Freshman class Prince and Princess: Matt Smith and Alexis Umathem

Sophomore class Prince and Princess: Alex Morgan and Shellen Glahn

Junior class Prince and Princess: Austin Lewis and Amanda Difilipo

Senior King and Queen: Josiah Herrera and Hanna Johnson

More from Creative Music DJs

• Pacific Ridge School – Halloween School Dance
• Spirits at Liberty Station Fundraiser
• San Diego DJ | Hard Rock Hotel Wedding - Roxana and Jeff Brown
• Linda Vista – Disco Party Video and Pics
• San Diego Wedding DJ | Candelas Coronado - Antonio and Ruby Wedding

New Years Eve at Masquerade in North Park (West Coast Tavern, 2895 University Avenue)

Client: Dave Soko from West Coast Club Life and Jon Block from Jon Block Presents
Venue: West Coast Tavern
Venue Address: 2895 University Avenue, San Diego, CA 92104
Number of guests: 1000+ (venue held 1300)
Services Provided: Club DJ, Master of Ceremonies, enhanced dance floor lighting.

A full writeup is coming soon, but for now I have gotten lots of requests to get a copy of the special New Years Countdown Mix that I dropped on New Years Eve at Masquerade. So, here’s the full mix. Enjoy!

The Westin Gaslamp Quarter – California Ballroom – NetworkFleet Holiday Party

Client: NetworkFleet Holiday Party
Venue: The Westin Gaslamp Quarter
Venue Address: 910 Broadway Circle, San Diego, California 92101
Number of guests: 150
Services Provided: Corporate Party DJ and Master of Ceremonies, enhanced dance floor lighting, , gobo lighting, second wireless sound system.

NetworkFleet, a leading provider of wireless fleet management services that improve fleet operating efficiency by reducing fuel consumption, maintenance expenses and vehicle emissions, had their holiday party at the The Westin Hotel in the Gaslamp District in downtown San Diego.

San Diego DJ Holiday Inn USS John Paul Jones

Due to the rainy weather, we made preparations to arrive at The Westin ahead of schedule. We set up around 2.5 hours ahead of time, which gave us time to set up a second wireless sound system. NetworkFleet’s party consisted of the California Ballroom, split into two using a large white curtain. On one side of the curtain, there was a dining area where we set up our DJ system. On the other side of the curtain, two bars were set up along with cocktail-hour appetizers. We set up a separate sound system consisting of two Peavey speakers and a 300 watt amp, and sent the same sound being played in the dining area to the amp using wireless transmission, giving guests the ability to hear music while on the other side of the curtain. Two gobo lights loaded with star gobos were placed on the cocktail side of the curtain, shining brightly into the curtain for that holiday atmosphere.

Westin Hotel Holiday Gobos and Uplighting

We played ‘holiday jazz’ for cocktail hour. At the end of the hour, we made the announcement that the dining area was being made available as hotel staff opened the sides of the curtain. Guests shuffled into the dining area, and we switched to adult contemporary classics sprinkled with holiday music. As soon as the guests were all in the dining area, the curtains were once again closed, and staff went to work installing casino tables and readying the room for the casino entertainment that would start after dinner.

During the end of dinner, we started raffling off prizes. I was asked to conduct the raffle, and had no problems obliging. We had some fun with it, drumming up anticipation and giving light commentary on some of the prizes. Food was excellent, and after dinner they brought out two dessert tables full of delicious desserts such as chocolate eclairs, cakes, and many types of cookies and such.

Once dinner was over, we announced that the casino area was now open and invited guests to start gambling, in attempt to win more tickets for the raffle. I had consulted with NetworkFleet beforehand, and cautioned them that nobody would dance if there was a casino going on, and I wasn’t wrong. However, due to the second wireless soundsystem in the casino area, guest were able to listen to the creative mixes we were doing, and I was told that several people mentioned that they enjoyed the music even without the dancing aspect being involved. Of course, after a bit some people did find their way to the dance floor, but honestly it was around 10 people total.

The DJ equipment set up in the dining area with holiday uplighting

After casino time was over, we invited guests back into the dining area and commenced raffling off prizes. After raffles were completed, there was still around 20 mins left until the scheduled end of the party, so I suggested we start up the dance music again, and invited everyone to the dance floor.

I think the guests really had enjoyed the music while gambling, because when there was nothing to distract them, they were all too willing to enjoy our services and hit the dance floor. Due to the positive response, we continued mixing classics and new club hits, and ended up going well over the time scheduled, ending about 30 mins after the event was supposed to end. And that was only because hotel staff came up to me and mentioned that they wanted to get home! haha

All in all it was an enjoyable night. Although it is not our preference to play music when guests are not on the dance floor, the energetic response once casino time was over made it all worthwhile. The staff of NetworkFleet are very nice people, and it was our pleasure to be a part of their celebration.

Oh, and due to an email I received two days after the event, I am pretty certain we are going to enjoy another fun celebratory night with them next year!

Happy Holidays, NetworkFleet!

Holiday Uplighting at Westin Hotel

Holiday Inn On The Bay – Pacific Ballroom – USS John Paul Jones Holiday Party

Client: USS John Paul Jones
Venue: Holiday Inn San Diego on the Bay
Venue Address: 1355 North Harbor Drive, San Diego, CA 92101
Number of guests: 250
Services Provided: Military Event DJ and Master of Ceremonies, enhanced dance floor lighting.

The USS John Paul Jones, a Naval Destroyer, had their holiday party at the Holiday Inn On The Bay in the Gaslamp District in downtown San Diego.

San Diego DJ Holiday Inn USS John Paul Jones

We set up around 2 hours ahead of time, giving us ample time to do sound checks. When cocktail hour began, we chose to go with some ‘holiday jazz’. This consists of a special collection of songs we have that are jazz renditions of holiday favorites such as ‘Joy to the World’ and ‘Silent Night’. Being that they are jazz renditions, they rarely have words which allows free flowing dialog, something desired at cocktail hour usually.

After cocktails ended, the CO (Commanding Officer) took a moment to say a few words, including thanking everyone for coming. A few others were invited to come up and speak to the attendees, and then dinner began. At this time, we switched to adult contemporary favorites, which seemed well received by the fact that we could see guests in the buffet line tapping their feet and shaking their bodies to the familiar songs they were hearing.

After dinner, there was a bit more speech, then an initial raffle. When it comes to raffle giveaways, we can honestly say that the USS John Paul Jones team did not skimp at all! They gave away several $20 gift cards, a $50 card, a few $100 cards, and then even a $500 card!

There was a presentation montage shown, then more raffle prizes. This time, they gave away two 12 megapixel Fujitsu digicams, two 4GB iPod Shuffles, and some software.

Open dancing began, and the crowd was really enjoying the music. We did have one issue– it seems the power outlets couldn’t handle the amperage our system required.  After two quick outages, we quickly ran a second power cord to a different outlet and moved half our system to the second outlet. No more issues occurred after that.

More raffles occurred, and even bigger prizes were given away, including two Toshiba laptops, two XBOX360s, three PS3s, three PSPs, two 52″ LCD TVs, and then two grand prizes of vacations in Oahu and Vegas.

Dancing commenced again, and the floor stayed packed until the last minute of the party. The guests really enjoyed the music selection and our ability to take requests and still beatmatch and mix them into the system.

Oh one last tidbit- The highlight of the dance time was when we dropped in “I’m On a Boat”. Being that they were Navy, they sure enjoyed that song, and many sang along with it happily.

Happy Holidays to the crew members of the USS John Paul Jones, and thanks for inviting us to be a part of your celebration!

Hidden Meadows Community Center

- Breanna Schlatter Sweet 16 Birthday Party

Client: Rick and Angela Schlatter
Venue: Hidden Meadow Community Center – Pavilion Room
Venue Address: 10141 Meadow Glen Way East, CA 92026
Number of guests: 70
Services Provided: Birthday DJ, enhanced dance floor lighting, emcee (raffle announcements and dance-contest)

It is always nice to have a change of pace, so this week we took a break from the weddings and corporate parties and instead DJ’d a sweet-16 birthday party for Breanna Schlatter and her friends.  Breanna’s father, Rick Schlatter, contacted me after Breanna’s mother, Angela, was referred to me by a local wedding planner who recommended us after working with us at a wedding. Angela said the wedding planner’s name was Liz, but was unable to recall Liz’s last name. We’re still hoping to find it out because we would like to thank her for the referral!

Their musical choices included mostly top-40, but they enjoyed the occasional Journey and Disturbed (yes, Disturbed!) song as well.

My camera was unavailable for the event so until the guests and/or host provide me with a picture or two I have nothing to show our viewers, but I can safely say that they enjoyed themselves and the entertainment we provided.

To segment the flow of the night, Breanna’s mom, Angela Schlatter, had us give away random prizes (ie. candy) by pausing every half-hour or so to select a raffle ticket from a cup and award one lucky winner with their choice of prizes.

As anyone who DJs teen parties knows, they love their top-40. But, the surprise genre of the night actually ended up being… techno! We’re not talking about the standard club electro house, or even relatively tame stuff by Cascada, we’re talking adrenaline-filled high-energy techno, such as Basshunter, Darude, and Alice DeeJay. This just goes to show you that the youth of today are not all top-40 drones, some actually go outside of the box and find classic music to enjoy as well!

Toward the end of the night, I was elected to judge a ‘dance-off’ contest. The contest consisted of one song (Good Girls Go Bad, by Cobra Starship) and each teen giving it their all to impress us with their dancing. The lucky winner ended up being Melissa (I never got her last name). Congratulations to Melissa for being the best dancer of the bunch!

All in all, it was great night. Kids enjoyed top-4o, sprinkled with mashups of the Fresh Prince of Bel Air theme song, uptempo remixes of their current favs (Whatcha say by Jason Derulo), and even some classic rock such as Journey and the Beatles.

Happy birthday, Breanna, and thanks for having us as part of your wonderful birthday celebration!

For those that are interested in requests, here’s some of the requests I received before the night of the event:

Tootie Frooty – Prod by Polow Da Don
Down – Jay Sean
Kiss me through the phone – SoljaBoy
Dead and Gone – TI featuring Justin Timberlake
Africa – Karl Wolf
Just Dance – Lady Gaga
Poker Face – Lady Gaga
Right Around – Flo Rida
Day N Nite – Kid Cuddi
Obsessed – Mariah Carrey
Run this town – Jay – Z
Paparazzi – Lady Gaga
Single Ladies – Beyonce
Love Game – Lady Gaga
Love Lockdown – Kenye West
Heartless – Kenye West
Boom Boom Pow – Black Eyed Peas
I Gotta Feeling – Black Eyed Peas
Paper Planes – M.I.A
Its goin’ down – yung joc
This is why I am hot – MIMS
Bringing Sexy Back – Justin Timberlake
Get low – Lil Jon
Drop it low – Ester Dean
Lip Gloss – Lil Mama
Sweet Dreams – Beyonce
Hips Don’t Lie – Shakira
She Wolf – Shakira
“I know you want me” – Pitbull
Good girls go bad – Cobra Starship
Love Drunk – Boy like Girls
“Say Hey” – Michael Franti & Spearhead
“You Belong with me” – Taylor Swift
Watcha Say – Jason DeRub
“Party in the U.S.A – Miley Cyrus
You’re a Jerk – New boyz
Birthday Song – Happy Birthday – Beatles

Sub Base Point Loma – Oceanview Room (NSB) – Kathleen and Dominic Carr Wedding

Client: Kathleen and Dominic Carr
Venue: Admiral Kidd Club – Oceanview Room (Naval Sub Base in Point Loma)
Venue Address: 140 Sylvester Rd, San Diego, CA 92106, US (NSB)
Number of guests: 100
Services Provided:  Wedding DJ and Master of Ceremonies, Wedding Ceremony, enhanced dance floor lighting
Photographer: Liz Grace from Liz Grace Photography

Kathleen and Dominic Carr had their wedding at the Ocean View Room on the Point Loma Sub Base. Musical choices include Bob Marley and all Marley Family, Dave Matthews, Ben Harper, Jack Johnson, Otis Redding, AC/DC, Black Eyed Peas, Steve Miller Band, The Police, and Steele Pulse. To complement these tastes, they decided on a island-music based ceremony. For their prelude music, they selected an entire set of Jack Johnson songs, which worked quite well.

Oceanview Room Ceremony - Point Loma Sub Base

The wedding guest list included around 12 kids, and they dominated the dance floor for the first half of the evening.

Point Loma Sub Base - Kids on the Dance Floor

After a while, the kids got a bit tired out, and it was time for the adults to dance. Being that this crowd was primarily Irish, we worked in some Irish music, including popular artists such as U2 and House of Pain. At one point, we were asked if we had any traditional Irish music. We suggested a compromise– We’d throw on a traditional Irish jig, if the Irish guests promised to dance an Irish step to it. They agreed, and we had a blast playing traditional Irish and watching the guests enjoying their native dances!

(Irish step video coming soon)

During open dancing, we put on Pitbull – Hotel Room Service, a popular song among dance clubs, and one of the guests remarked, “awww… come on! Put on the original!”. “Oh, you want some Nightcrawlers?” we asked. “Yes, exactly”. That was our cue. We went into a old-school 90’s house set, and the guests packed the floor. Afterwards, one of the guests (a woman by the name of Blaize, which she swears is her real name!), asked if we did house parties, and took a card while stating that she was impressed because wedding DJs didn’t normally have music like this, nor the knowledge of what to play and how to mix it properly. We hope to hear from her in the future, and would love to rock a 90’s house set at her house party!

Kids and adults on the dance floor

One thing we’d like to mention– Photography for this event was done by Liz Grace from Liz Grace Photography. With the amount of events we do, we meet lots of photographers, but to be honest, most get in, get out, and really don’t seem to care to get to know us. Liz was different. For one, she stayed throughout the whole event, making sure she didn’t miss one little photo opportunity. Also, she took the time to converse with us. We talked about our businesses, and she even offered some advice on what has worked well for her as far as marketing investments. She was extremely helpful, even volunteering to organize the wedding party for their introductions if we wanted. She definitely liked what she saw regarding us and our professional lighting, equipment, style, and performance, and mentioned that she would be happy to work together to cross-promote. We highly recommend her if you’re looking for a wedding photographer, and we look forward to the next wedding we do that we get to work together again.

So, all in all, we had a wonderful island-music-based ceremony, traditional Irish music, happy kids, and a whole bunch of family and friends of the bride and groom that appeared to enjoy themselves immensely. I’d call the evening a complete success.

Afterwards, Kathleen and Dominic expressed their thanks and gratitude, and posed for a memorable picture.

San Diego DJ Dennis J posing with the happy bride and groom

One of the reasons for the delay on this posting is the lack of pictures we have from the event. We took some video but have been so busy with other gigs that we haven’t had a chance to process it. If anyone in attendance cares to share some pictures, please comment and let us know. There were a lot of smiling guests and we would love to have more pictures to show of them! Does anyone know if they use Facebook?

Thanks to Kathleen and Dominic for inviting us to participate in their amazing evening, and thanks to all guests for making the night a unique enjoyable experience. And thanks to all that demonstrated the Irish jig. Those types of surprise occurrences are some of the main reasons we enjoy what we do and look forward to each new event!

San Diego wedding DJ Dennis J with happy bride and groom

Admiral Kidd Club Wedding – Shannon and Jason Fouts

Client: Shannon and Jason Fouts
Venue: Admiral Kidd Club – Harbor Lounge and Patio
Venue Address: Naval Mine and Anti-Submarine Warfare Command (NMAWC) on Harbor Drive
Number of guests: 100
Services Provided:  Wedding DJ and Master of Ceremonies, Wedding Ceremony, enhanced dance floor lighting

Shannon and Jason Fouts live in Rancho Penasquitas, but chose to have their wedding at Admiral Kidd Club in Point Loma since Jason is in the military. Jason is an officer in the military, promoted after achieving enlisted rank E-7. Shannon runs Smarty Pants Playhouse, a daycare that provides a safe, nurturing environment for children to learn and grow. She is also an accomplished photographer, specializing in family portraits. Check out her work at http://www.shannonsdigitalphotography.com/.

When we first met Shannon and Jason, we sat down and discussed their needs and choices. Jason is a classic rock fan, with a passion for KISS. With that in mind, we suggested a ceremony music package using string instrumentals of classic and modern day rock songs. They loved the idea and after reviewing sample songs put together a perfect playlist for the interlude, prelude, processional, and recessional music. This unique idea was a hit with guests, and will help all in attendance to remember the ceremony and reception for years to come.

An interesting situation occurred that caused us to dig into our ‘bag of tricks’. The sun went down a little sooner than intended, and the scripts for the ceremony were difficult to read. It became noticeable when we heard Shannon start stumbling over some words. We had been in discussions with Shannon constantly during the last few weeks before the reception and was obviously articulate and educated. To hear her stumbling over something being read was an instant ‘red flag’ that something was amiss. Thinking quickly, we ran inside and grabbed a small flashlight out of our ‘emergency rescue kit’. We then ran to the front of the ceremony (yes, in front of all guests and photographers!) and held the flashlight onto the page so that the ceremony could continue. The maid of honor, Kim, was standing beside us as this was going on, and took a cue from us to hold the flashlight, which then allowed us to get back to our ’station’ and continue managing audio for the rest of the ceremony. Here’s a picture of the officiant using the flashlight to read his parts.

Fouts Wedding with Emergency Rescue Kit Flashlight!

During the reception, we had to adjust some of the planned times of events, but the caterers were very helpful and worked with us to get everything working correctly. Since Shannon and Jason opted to not have the garter nor the bouquet tosses, we threw in a little something extra and had them participate in a ’shoe game’ where we hit them with questions about each other and entertained their guests with their opinions and knowledge of each other. The game was a complete success and afterwards we received compliments from guests as well as the bride and groom themselves.

We would love to show lots of pictures from this wedding, but our camera was acting up a bit, so we only have a few good pictures worthy of display. Here’s a couple with commentary to give you an idea of the experience:

CMDJs - Clean and Professional Setup

During the First Dance We Invited All Couples to the Dance Floor!

Without Flash You Get a Better Idea of the Dance Floor Lighting

Keeping All Ages On the Dance Floor Takes Skill!

The "shoe game" - Creative Music DJs

There are two events which we’re not sure if anyone has pictures of, but if they do please help us! We need pictures of the first dance (well, one that the bride approves of!) and some of the immensely long conga line! The line was so long it went out the door, around the patio area, and back inside to the dance floor!

It was a very enjoyable night, and we’d like to thank Shannon and Jason for inviting us to be a part of it. And thanks as well to the family and friends in attendance who helped to make the night memorable for all!

San Diego DJ Dennis J - In the Mix