I’ve mentioned my increasingly-popular live wedding first-dance mixes a few times, but you can’t really understand until you see me perform one, so for the last one I did, I enlisted the assistance of San Diego Wedding Planner Amy Anderson (Affairs By Amy) to get video of the dance while I set up a camera to get video of the turntables. The result? I’m able to demonstrate the full effect now with a multi-view video of the Charest’s first dance, mixed live The Creative Music DJ-style!

Wedding Mix Tracklist:

Bad Meets Evil – Lighters
J Dash – Wop
Michael Jackson – Billie Jean
Sir Mix-a-lot – Jump On It
Bad Meets Evil – Lighters (outro)

Client: PJ and Louanne Charest

Venue: Marine Corps Community Services, MCRD San Diego – Bayview Room

Venue Address: Marine Corps Recuit Depot, 3800 Chosin Avenue, San Diego, CA 92140

Number of guests: 150+
Services Provided: Wedding DJ and Master of Ceremonies, Enhanced Dance Floor Lighting, Live First Dance Mix

On-site Coordinator: Shelly
Photobooth: 360 Photobooth
Photography: Patricia Lucia Photography
Florist: Branches Floral Studio

Sheraton Harbor Island Wedding - Matt and Dawn Dean

Client: Matt and Dawn Dean
Venue: Sheraton Harbor Island – Bay Tower – Fairbanks Ballroom (A,B,C,D) – Garden Terrace (Ceremony) – Shutters Room (Cocktails)
Venue Address: 1380 Harbor Island Drive · San Diego, California 92101
Number of guests: Approximately 115
Services Provided: Wedding DJ and Master of Ceremonies, Basic Dance Floor Lighting, Venue Uplighting, Additional Wireless Speakers

Catering: Sheraton Harbor Island
Photography: Arago Photography (Rodrigo Mendez)
Florist: Barliz Florists
Cake: Flour Power
Videographer: Jensen Studios (Tom Jensen)

In May of 2011 I met Dawn Brenner and Matt Dean at Islands Restaurant to discuss their wedding. We had a good meeting and I gave them a lot of good ideas and listened to them to get a feel for their style as well. To be honest, they had some apprehension over my pricing, but I think after our meeting they realized that my value outweighs my pricing because three days later they booked their date!

As typical when I do weddings at Sheraton Harbor Island, they had their ceremony at the

Ceremony Prelude (Guest Seating): Vitamin String Quartet
Ceremony Processional (Parents Seating): Bach – Jesu, Joy of Man’s Desiring
Ceremony Processional (Bridesmaids): Pachebel – Canon in D
Ceremony Processional (Bridal March): Here Comes The Bride Album – Bridal March
Ceremony Recessional: U2 – Beautiful Day (Dennis J Ceremony Remix)

After ceremony was over, guests were escorted outside of the venue to the Shutters Room for cocktail hour. In the cocktail room I had a separate wireless system set up since the room is well over 100′ from the main system. It worked perfectly and guests enjoyed cocktail songs until we were ready to open the ballroom doors and usher them inside.

Cocktail Songs: Hidden Beach

When photos were finished, we opened the ballroom doors and inviting guests into the room using the wireless system. I had my system set up in the center of the room against the wall, and had also set up 8 uplights along the edges of the room. It looked great, if I do say myself. As you can see, my system was clean and professional as usual.

A few minutes later we began the Grand Entrance. The Grand Entrance was a lot of fun, and the parents even participated in the introductions.

Grand Entrance (Wedding Party): Black Eyed Peas – I Gotta Feeling (Instrumental)
Grand Entrance (Bride and Groom): Ja’net DuBois & Oren Waters - Movin’ On Up (Jeffersons Theme Song)

Immediately after Grand Entrance, we started their first dance.

First Dance: Bob Dylan – Never Say Goodbye

After their First Dance, Dawn’s father gave a blessing toast.

We then started dinner. After dinner, we began toasts.

We then started Dawn’s dance with her father.

Father Daughter Dance: Tim McGraw – My Little Girl

Mother Son Dance: Louis Armstrong – What A Wonderful World

And then some open dancing!

We took a break after a bit and did the cake cutting.

Cake Cutting Song: Beatles – In My Life / When I’m 64

And then got that dance floor going again. It was a crazy dance floor and I spent a lot of time mixing and less taking photos.

For the last dance, they chose to have all couples join them on the dance floor. I’m not sure why, but I don’t have a photo of this.

Last Dance: Van Morrison – Crazy Love

After the reception was over I made sure to get a photo with the happy newlyweds. Compliment of the night was from Matt: “Man, you’re an awesome DJ!”. Well, I’m hoping my talent is the thing that is getting me awesome clients like Matt and Dawn Dean!

Congratulations to the Deans and their families, and best wishes for many happy years to come!

Addendum:

Matt posted a review on Yelp and Bridal Insider (direct links are on those two keywords). I’ve pasted a copy of it below, verbatim. Thanks, Matt!

When I first met Dennis I was very impressed by his professionalism and knowledge of music. I knew I was going to book him as soon as the meeting was over. After my wife and I discussed it, I called him shortly after and booked him for our wedding. I know we made a great decision, most of the other DJ’s that I looked into just didn’t have that same personality or musical drive.

I am sure we weren’t the easiest couple to work with as my taste in music doesn’t translate very well on the dance floor. In fact, when I was filling out the paper work we mostly included the important songs of First dance, Father Daughter, and Mother son, everything else was left blank. He kept asking me what kind of music I would want to be played and I simply told him its up to him. I was a bit nervous that I didn’t give him much direction in what we wanted played, however, when we were at the ceremony as well as the reception everything was great. I was very impressed by the music and to see people that normally don’t dance on the dance floor, dancing the night away(some weren’t even drinking!). I am not a big dancer and neither are my friends but that didn’t matter the music was so good you just had to groove to it.

If you’re looking for a DJ for your wedding, Birthday, or any other type of get together, I would highly recommend Dennis. He can really read a crowd and will know what to play to please any and all crowds no matter how diverse their musical tastes are. I know that our wedding day wouldn’t and couldn’t have been as special if we didn’t decide to hire Dennis as our DJ. I haven’t really spoken with him since that day…….but Dennis,……….Thank You Very Much for everything that you have done. Your an amazing DJ and have a great passion for what you do. I really cannot thank you enough.

BEST DJ EVER!

Japanese Friendship Garden Wedding - Tom and Akiko Cleveland

Venue: Japanese Friendship Garden
Venue Address: 2215 Pan American Plaza, San Diego, CA 92101-1656
Number of guests: Approximately 90
Services Provided: Wedding DJ and Master of Ceremonies, Basic Dance Floor Lighting, Ceremony DJ

Event Coordinator: Swann Soirees
Photography: Love Art Photography
Flip Books: A Little Scene
Catering: Indulge Comtemporary Catering
Cake: Sumi’s Oven
Florist: ArtQuest
Officiant: Joe Cleveland

In February of 2011 I was at the Del Mar Wedding Event bridal bazaar and met Thomas (Tom) and Akiko. I really like the smaller bazaars because you get a chance to really chat with people. For instance, Tom came over and started asking questions and we ended up chatting for at least 20 minutes about his wedding. Akiko was nearby at another booth, and later joined him. Before I even packed up and got home after the bazaar, Tom and Akiko had already gotten online and submitted a quote request! We met, discussed details, and they booked their date. I met with them a second time down the road, and did a site walkthrough with them. We discussed optimal locations for equipment. Of particular interest to many may be my controversial preference of the DJ booth. While many DJs who work at the Japanese Friendship Garden like to have their table up on the porch, to me that was not preferable. You see, I like to ‘connect’ with the guests, and I firmly believe that being easily accessible to guests is a key factor to a successful event. When I’m on a stage or platform, I feel ‘disconnected’ from the dance floor. In the event industry it really is the little things that matter a lot, and I firmly believe that Thomas and Akiko’s trust in my location preference contributed to the degree of success of this wedding. More on that later.

Tom and Akiko had their ceremony at the Koi Pond. This location has it’s own set of challenges. The guest seating areas are divided into two areas. To work with this, I used two speakers on stands, and swiveled each to cover the proper areas. The photo below only barely shows the left speaker, but it was swiveled to the left to support the area you can see over there.

Ceremony Prelude (Guest Seating): Vitamin String Quartet
Ceremony Processional (Officiate, Groomsmen and Groom): Empire Brass / Music of Gabrieli - Canzon No. 16 for 12 Parts
Ceremony Processional (Bridesmaids): Bach – Jesu, Joy of Man’s Desiring
Ceremony Processional (Bridal March): Lumiere Quartet – Bridal March
Ceremony Recessional: U2 – Beautiful Day (Dennis J Ceremony Remix)

And the talented team of Love Art Photography were gracious enough to supply some more professional photos to commemorate the night.

For their ceremony interlude, Thomas and Akiko participated in a tree planting ceremony. This a cool ‘green’ idea for a ceremony. The idea is to water the tree together, then take it home and plant it in your garden. The tree is then always as old as your marriage is.

After ceremony was over, guests were escorted outside of the venue to take a group photo, then started cocktail hour at the Fujidana.

Cocktail Songs:

Stickshifts and Safety belts by Cake
Apartment Story by The National
Lovers in Japan by Coldplay
In the Waiting Line by Zero 7
All I Want Is You by U2
Let Go by Frou Frou
Marry Me by Train
Somewhere over the Rainbow by Israel Kamakawiwo Ole’
Steady As We Go by Dave Matthews Band
Somebody by Depeche Mode
Songs from the Garden State Soundtrack
Hey There Delilah / Plain White T’s
You and Me / Lifehouse

When photos were finished, I got the guests seated, and worked with Brenda and Ania from Swann Soirees to coordinate the perfect Grand Entrance.

Grand Entrance: Novelle Vague – Just Cant Get Enough

Immediately after Grand Entrance, we started their first dance.

First Dance: Dave Matthews – You and Me Together

We then started dinner. After dinner, we began toasts. I’m starting to see this trend more and more– Toasts being given with cues/speeches read from their iPhones!

We then started Akiko’s dance with her father.

Father Daughter Dance: The Beatles – Blackbird

And then some open dancing!

We took a break after a bit and did the cake cutting.

Cake Cutting Song: Cake – Love You Madly

And then got that dance floor going again. Note that we had all ages on that dance floor until the very end!

Here’s a fun occurrence– Unbeknownst to me until later, Brenda Swann came up behind me while I had everyone dancing up a storm, and snapped the following photo which she posted to Twitter with the comment, “Good DJs really make the party!”. Pretty cool, huh? Here’s the photo she took. I swear it’s me. LOL

For the last dance, I had Tom and Akiko dance in the center with all the guests holding hands in a circle around them.

And all the guests gave them a big goodbye hug, at my direction!

This wedding was so much fun! Working with Swann Soirees was a delight and together with the other vendors we made a night full of memories that will last a lifetime, and that’s what it is all about, right?

Of course, after the reception was over I made sure to get a photo with the happy newlyweds. Remember that I mentioned I was going to talk more about the placement of my DJ table? During our photo, Akiko mentioned that while she wasn’t on the dance floor and was greeting guests and engaging in conversation with them, she was really enjoying watching me do my thing with the turntables and vinyl. She loved ‘the show’. Tom remarked, “That’s why we hired him!” I just said, “I appreciate that!”

And then one with Brenda Swann… the first of many, I’m betting. I made her promise that we’d get a photo together after every event we do together. She was down with that.

Congratulations to Thomas and Akiko Cleveland and their families, and best wishes for many happy years to come!

San Vicente Wedding – Jaime and Kelly

Venue: San Vicente Golf Resort
Venue Address: 24157 San Vicente Road, Ramona, CA 92065
Number of guests: Approximately 80
Services Provided: Wedding DJ and Master of Ceremonies, Basic Dance Floor Lighting, Ceremony DJ

Event Coordinator: Joyce Whehelon
Wedding Coordinator: Lindsey Smith [lrsmith31@yahoo.com, (760) 484-2767]
Photography: Photography By Shayna
Cake: Flour Power
Florist: Rene Engel
Officiant: Pastor Eric with Mountain View Church

Jaime and Kelly had their wedding at San Vicente Golf Resort in Ramona, CA. For those that have not visited this resort, it has a few interesting features. One is the location of the ceremony site. Unlike most golf resorts which have the site at the first hole or in a separate area altogether, San Vicente Golf Resort has their ceremony site at Hole 18. Take a look at this view to understand why!

On their wedding day  I arrived and set up equipment for the reception in their ballroom and their ceremony at Hole 18. I must let you know, the staff at San Vicente are some of the most accommodating I’ve ever worked with. Seriously… ever. No matter what I needed they were there to help with it, and for the setup of the ceremony they even handed me the keys to a golf cart and just let me do what I needed to and return it when I was done. I even kept it during my set up for the reception (I would rather work on setup and make sure everything is ready to go than take some time to return a cart, if it’s possible to do so) and there was not one complaint or request to return it quickly. Simply put, I love to work with the staff of this resort and want to thank them profusely for making me feel as welcome as they did.  Okay, enough gushing…

Guests were escorted to the ceremony area by golf cart. A number of them were commenting on how fun and exciting that experience was during the seating time. I can’t blame them for that… I think riding in a golf cart is pretty fun myself. Driving one alone is even more fun!

Ceremony Prelude (Guest Seating): Vitamin String Quartet
Ceremony Processional (Bridesmaids): Michael Soloway – Canon In D
Ceremony Processional (Bridal March): Jason Mraz & Colbie Caillet – Lucky
Ceremony Recessional: Jason Mraz – I’m Yours

You’ll notice the photographer Shayna was on the ground getting the perfect vertical shot of the moment. She contributed most of the photos I will showcase here which can be discerned by her watermark.

After ceremony was over, guests were escorted by golf cart to the reception area where they mingled about while the wedding party did group photos.

The reception room was on the small side, and really tested my audio tech experience. I asked the staff how the other DJs normally position equipment, but got answers that were rather well… incorrect. I heard of one DJ putting one speaker in the corner aimed at the dance floor, and another across the room facing inwards towards the first speaker. Anyone with sound technician knowledge will recognize this as a bad thing. The sound frequencies will collide with each other and cancel each other out, creating a ‘hole’ of sound in the center of the room. After hearing some stories, I opted for the one method I knew would work well… a single speaker on a subwoofer base. My single speakers are 1000 watts, plenty of sound for this size reception room. After I set it up and gave it a test run, even the staff were impressed with the sound I was able to deliver. “Use the right equipment for the right event.” Overkill may be impressive to some, but using the right gear and providing the right sound is impressive to most!

Cocktail hour music was a blend of Hidden Beach jazz and old school funk and jazz from my personal collection. One thing to note– During the cocktail hour the coordinator came over and remarked, “This is the perfect cocktail music!”. Admittedly, it’s one of my favorite genres to use for cocktail hour, but I can do wonders with lots of other genres as well.

After cocktail hour we of course started with the Grand Entrance. Sorry, I was too busy to take pics for this one, and didn’t get one from Shayna to display.

Grand Entrance: Beyonce – Halo

Immediately after Grand Entrance, we started their first dance.

First Dance: Lauryn Hill – Can’t Take My Eyes Off Of You

They then did a combination Father Daughter and Mother Son dance (I like to call it the ‘Parents Dance’).

Parents’ Dance: Celine Dion – Because You Loved Me

Following the parents’ dances, we began toasts. Note that this is not the typical order of events, so I made sure all champagne was poured and even suggested to the guests to get something to toast with if they didn’t want to drink champagne.

We then went into dinner. After dinner, it was time to cut the cake.

Cake Cutting: Sixpence None The Richer – Kiss Me

After cake was cut, the caterers took it away and we began a set of open dancing.

After a while we stopped to do the Bouquet Toss. I’m so glad Shayna could supply these photos, because I can never get any of my own during the tosses… I’m too busy on the mic!

Bouquet Toss: Beyonce – Single Ladies

We then went back into dancing. Kelly wanted the dancing to be the focal part of the night and have few interruptions. I’d have to say we pulled that off quite well, even getting a set of classic rock in there for the parents. Also to be noted.. I really like when photographers work with the lighting rather than trying to ‘fight it’. Shayna got some great photos using the lighting as a feature. Much kudos for that!

The night went really well, and not only were Kelly and Jaime pleased, but the San Vicente staff was impressed and I think they made sure to tell that to them. That’s got to be a nice thing to hear as a couple, right? So, I made sure to get a post-reception photo with the newlyweds…

… and also with the Wedding Coordinator, Lindsey Smith. I’m hoping to work with her again in the future. She was great to coordinate with. After the reception she came up and told me Joyce was also impressed with me and would be referring me to potential clients. I asked her if that meant I was on the preferred vendor list and she replied, “We don’t really have one, but everyone loved working with you and will be happy to recommend you.”

Congratulations to Jaime and Kelly, and thanks for trusting me with the entertainment duties on your special day!

Hilton San Diego – Sherwood-Tyson Wedding

Client: Adrienne Sherwood and Denise Tyson
Venue: Hilton San Diego Resort & Spa
Venue Address: 1775 East Mission Bay Drive, San Diego, California 92109
Number of guests: Approximately 66

Services Provided: Wedding DJ and Master of Ceremonies, Wedding Ceremony
Florist: Whimsy Florals
Cake: Flour Power
Officiant: George Nevitt
Photography: Angelika of Creative Photography
Venue Coordinator: Hilton San Diego

While DJing the Hopkin’s wedding last year at the Hilton San Diego Resort and Spa, I was overheard by Adrienne and Denise, who were there reviewing the venue for their own wedding. According to them, they were just relaxing at the pool and kept hearing songs they liked so they came up and got a card, and then contacted me later to discuss doing their own wedding. We met and discussed details. I believe their basic request was, “Do what you did at that wedding at our wedding!” This was a same-sex wedding (I believe the correct term is LGBT) so there were some interesting tweaks to take into consideration. We had a good meeting, and a few days later they contacted me ready to book me as the DJ for their wedding.

On their big day, I arrived at the Hilton and set up my equipment. The ceremony was held on the beach, and as I’ve mentioned before, beach ceremonies were only added to Hilton’s services a few years ago, and as such there’s no provisions for power. When I got there the ceremony was set up exactly as it had been for the Hopkin’s wedding, but shortly after that I was told that Denise and Adrienne were having it changed to face the room they were staying in. Thinking quickly, I ran power from their room down to my equipment, and was able to accommodate this new setup quickly. I actually preferred this, as the other location requires me running cable across the boardwalk (taped down of course), and this one allowed me to put my equipment on the bank behind the boardwalk, leaving no cables in the way of passerbys.

Ceremony seating: Vitamin String Quartet
MOH Entrance: Pachebel – Canon in D
Bride’s Entrance: Bridal March from the album Here comes the Bride (enya-esque version) [Played twice – one for each bride]
Handfasting Ceremony: Shania Twain – From This Moment On
Recessional: Katy Perry – California Gurls (Special chorus-first Dennis J ceremony remix)

And here’s a photo from Angelika of Creative Photography. Her watermarked photos definitely helped enhance the descriptions in this blog.

Note the interlude ceremony– A ‘handfasting’ ceremony. The term is originally from Old Norse hand-festa which means “to strike a bargain by joining hands”. We have all heard the expressions “tied the knot” or “given one’s hand in marriage”. But did you know both those sayings came from the handfasting ritual?  Handfasting is the non-denominational tradition of lightly binding the hands of a couple together using a cord, rope, ribbons, a scarf, tartan or strips of fabric. It symbolizes becoming one, and being forever linked. It is a great addition to a ceremony, and works well for all religions also.

After the ceremony, guests went to the Frescos Bar for cocktail hour.

Cocktail Music: Hidden Beach

Grand Entrance: Katy Perry – Teenage Dream

Immediately after the Grand Entrance, Denise gave a welcome speech and thanked everyone for coming.

After the special thanks, we started toasts.

We then began dinner. Following dinner, Adrienne and Denise danced with their fathers.

Father/Daughter (Denise): Bob Carlisle – Butterfly Kisses

Father/Daughter (Adrienne): Ben E. King – Stand By Me

We then opened the dance floor up. No problems getting this group dancing!

Cake cutting was actually done by the hotel on the side, and Denise and Adrienne didn’t want to do a ritual with it, so they just passed it out about an hour after dancing started.

Oh did I mention these guests liked to dance?

We closed out the night with a slow then fast disco hit.

Last Dance: Donna Summer – Last Dance

And of course, my post-reception picture with two very happy brides. Denise and Adrian said if I needed any recommendations they would be happy to give them, so I’ll probably hit hem up shortly after publishing this, and will paste their review when it comes.

Congratulations to Denise and Adrienne their families, and thanks for eavesdropping on that fateful night of 2010 and then putting your trust in me to make your special night amazing! Best wishes to you both for a long life of happiness together.

El Cajon Wedding – Derek and Katherine Marso

Venue: <Private Residence>
Venue Address: <withheld>
Number of guests: 200+
Services Provided: Wedding DJ and Master of Ceremonies, Basic Dance Floor Lighting, Ceremony DJ

Party Planner: Rita Boes
Photography: Stuart Guardner
Cake: Cake Lady
In March of 2010 Derek Marso posted a comment on his Facebook page asking his friends for a good DJ. Soon after, my good friend Andy messaged me via Facebook messages and asked me if the date was open. It was, and Andy let Derek know. Derek and I talked a bit over email, and then arranged to meet at person at their house.

Derek and his fiance, Katherine (Katie), and I discussed a lot of details during that meeting, but the one that really stood out was the fact that they liked that I had lots of suggestions for genres to use for ceremony music and cocktail music. Of course! How could I be THE Creative Music DJ without creative ideas, right? A few days later, they contacted me and booked the date.

On their wedding day, I arrived and set up equipment for the ceremony on the top pool deck, and their reception on the lower grass lawn.

The pool deck was large but divided, and they had guests on both sides of the pool. To compensate for this, I made sure to bring some really powerful speakers and placed one equidistant from both guest seating areas. After testing one speaker, there was no need for a second one!

Ceremony Prelude (Guest Seating): Vitamin String Quartet
Ceremony Processional (Bridesmaids): Israel Kamawawiwo’ole – Somewhere Over The Rainbow
Ceremony Processional (Bridal March): Christian Joseph – Just The Way You Are
Ceremony Recessional: MGMT – Kids (DJ Dennis J Ceremony Remix)

My view of this poolside ceremony was great, as you can see here. I really like this picture, it shows the look that a poolside wedding can have.

For cocktail hour, guests remained on the pool deck while the wedding party went out front for photos.

Cocktail Music: Hidden Beach – Assorted Selections

After pictures were finished, I instructed guests to move downstairs to prepare for the Grand Entrance. Since the stairway was narrow, it took a while for the guests to get seated, but they diligently made their way to the reception area.

Grand Entrance: Lil Wayne – A Milli (instrumental)

We started dinner after the Grand Entrance, which was a buffet. For dinner music, they wanted me to perform my ‘whosampled mix’. This is a fun live mix that I do where the tracklist consists of songs that are easily recognized as the original source for lots of modern hip-hop hits. Guests seemed to really enjoy the mix, and as always I enjoyed putting on the show for them.

Dinner Music: DJ Dennis J’s Old School Whosampled Collection

After dinner, we began toasts, starting with Katherine’s sister, Jen England.

We then transitioned into their formal dances.

First Dance: J.R.A. – Best I Ever Had

Father Daughter Dance: John Mayer – Daughters

Mother Son Dance: Barbara Mandrell – I Was Country When Country Wasn’t Cool

We then opened up the dance floor. I tried a lot of older music but only the disco seemed to work well. Music moved to current tunes rather quickly, but I kept bringing it back to older stuff for a while to let all ages enjoy some dancing. Can you say, “packed dance floor”?

After a bit of dancing we took a break and started the cake cutting.

Cake Cutting: The Turtles – Happy Together

Bouquet Toss: Beyonce – Single Ladies (sorry, no pics!)

By this time, the newlyweds and their guests had decided that they wanted to keep me an extra two hours! We had fun with some more dancing, but since they had extended their time I really wanted to give them some more special memories, so I surprised them with the ‘shoe game’. For those not in the know, this is a fun activity where I put the bride and groom in chairs facing away from each other, then have them remove their shoes, and hand one of their shoes to the other person. I then ask questions to which the answer is either the bride or the groom, and they raise the shoe of the person they think is the answer. It is a lot of fun because the bride and groom can’t see each other’s answer, but all the guests can! The questions have to be chosen carefully to make the game fun. To give an (tame) example, a question like “who was the most nervous about tonight?” is a good starter.

It was a big hit, and they as well as their guests had a lot of fun with it. See the laughter on the guests’ faces? That’s memories that will keep for a long time.

This one was actually posted on Facebook by one of the guests, Tiffany Nelson.

And the party continued!

For their last song, they liked my mashup remix of Cheers with Tipsy. I’m not a big fan of mashups unless they are done live, but every once in a while a good one comes along!

Last Dance: DJ Deville – Cheers I’m Tipsy

After such a great night, I made sure to get my post-reception photo with the happy newlyweds, Derek and Katherine Marso.

Congratulations to Derek and Katherine, and best wishes for a wonderful life together!

LDS Wedding (Morman) – Adan and Arwen Martinez

Venue: Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints (Cultural Hall)
Venue Address: 2255 Felicita Road, Escondido, CA
Number of guests: 150-160
Services Provided: Wedding DJ and Master of Ceremonies, Monogram Lighting

Venue Coordinator: Jacqueline Thompson
Officiant: Bishop Shaffer
Photography: Doyle Terry Photo

In March of 2010 Jacqueline Thompson contacted me to discuss the opportunity to DJ her clients’ (Adan Martinez and Arwen Lott) wedding. Being on the Church of Latter Day Saints’ preferred vendor list got her attention, and she thought that I would be a good fit for their style. We spent some time on the phone discussing LDS standards, especially when it came to music selection. I actually learned a few tips from her that will assist me in future LDS weddings I’m sure.

Adan and Arwen and I met at a bookstore and discussed details. I showed them some examples of lighting, genres for cocktail and dinner, and monograms. Adan was particularly interested in the monograms. We had a great meeting with plenty of chemistry, and they decided to book right away. They also made sure to add the monogram lighting to their package.

On the day of their reception, I arrived at the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints in Escondido and set up my main equipment on the stage. Adan chose to put the monogram on the rear wall of the stage, so I pulled the rear curtain shut, taped it as well I could, and used it as the background for the monogram.

For the ceremony, Adan and Arwen had one standard to LDS, consisting of stadium circular seating. This arrangement is very unusual to those not familiar with the customs, but here’s a picture of how it looks.

And the actual ceremony…

Seating Music: Vitamin String Quartet

Processional (Parents and Bridesmaids): Robin Spielberg – Canon in D

Processional (Bride’s Entrance): Vitamin String Quartet – Your Guardian Angel

Recessional: John Williams – Imperial March (Darth Vader’s Theme)

Appetizer Hour (No drinking, so this wasn’t a cocktail hour!): Cocktail Jazz cover bands

Grand Entrance song: Olé- Bouncing Souls

Dinner was taking a little longer than anticipated, so we moved into their first dance.

First Dance: Time In a Bottle – Jim Croce

Father Daughter Dance: Rascal Flatts – I Won’t Let Go

Mother Son Dance: Juanes – Para Tu Amor

We then began a buffet-style dinner. During dinner, I got to chat a lot with the photographer, Doyle. Doyle was great to talk to, very professional and friendly.

After dinner, we kicked open dancing off with a hispanic traditional dance known as the La Vibora De La Mar. It can be done a lot of ways, but typically the bride and groom stand on chairs holding a veil between them. Since Arwen didn’t have a veil, they used a linen instead. While the song played, I sped it up and the challenge was for the dancers to keep up with tempo. We pitted the girls against the guys. The girls won. Easily.

I didn’t get many pictures of dancing, there were a lot of requests (I always welcome requests) so I spent lots of time interacting with guests. The hit genres for tonight were cumbias and spanish pop.

Cake Cutting: Jack Johnson – Better Together

Cake cutting got a bit messy…

After the cake cutting, we began the tosses.

Garter Toss: Flight Of The Conchords – Business Time

Bouquet Toss: Roy Orbison – Pretty Woman

After tosses we went back into open dancing. I ended up doing another 45 minute cumbia set.. Lots of good hispanic music!

Last Dance: <We just kept it upbeat>

Adan and Arwen left quickly after the reception was over, but I did get a chance to get my signature post-reception photo!

Congratulations to Adan and Arwen Martinez, and thank you for giving me the honor of being your Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints (LDS) Wedding DJ!

San Diego Wedding (Priv Residence) – Wedding of Corey and Jennifer Currier

Venue: <Private Residence>
Venue Address: <withheld>
Number of guests: 130+
Services Provided: Wedding DJ and Master of Ceremonies, Dance Floor Lighting, External Wireless Speakers

Catering: Ranch Catering
Photography: Amy Wilson Photography
Photobooth: Rob Young

In February of 2010 Corey Currier and Jennifer Leslie contacted me to discuss the opportunity to DJ their wedding. We met at a coffee shop and discussed details. While showing them some options such as dance floor lighting and monograms, I ended up showing them a monogram picture from Billy and Amber Winter’s wedding and they recognized the photo! Corey told me his friends were at their wedding and said they had an amazing time, so that was pretty much the best referral I could have gotten, right? A few days after we met, they booked the date.

In order to supply music outside, they added my wireless speaker package. This is an addon package in which I use wireless signal to supply the same sound inside to the main sound system as well as outside to wireless speakers. It provides an elegant atmosphere because announcements can be heard from anywhere, and music stays the same as people move from the patio to the banquet room. Since their cocktail hour was on the back porch, it was pretty much a necessity if music was to be provided in a classy fashion.

On the day of their reception, I arrived at the venue and set up my main equipment, then set up the wireless speaker system outside. With an outdoor venue such as this, and their purchase of my enhanced dancefloor lighting, I put together quite a lighting tree. Here is a picture of the main system and the light tree.

Cocktail Hour: Songs by The Album Leaf, The Outer Banks, The American Dollar, Explosions In The Sky, The Beatles, Interpol

Notable mention during the cocktail hour– There was a Candy Table full of delicious treats. I personally ate way too many yogurt covered pretzels…

Grand Entrance song: Billy Squire – The Stroke

Right after their grand entrance, and another enthusiastic round of applause, I instructed the guests to be seated and we began a buffet dinner.

Following dinner and the making of their rounds, we began toasts. I had to interact quite a bit during toasts so there’s no pictures from them, however I did get a picture of the special thanks delivered by the bride and groom.

Following the toasts we began formal dances. Note the white dots swirling around the floor? That’s part of the Enhanced Dance Floor Lighting package which contains separate lights for slow dances as well as open dancing time.

First dance: Paramore – The Only Exception

Mother Daughter Dance: Moody Blues – Nights in White Satin

Mother Son Dance: Smashing Pumpkins – Landslide

Open dancing was a lot of fun, the first set was a lot of older disco and some rock.

Cake Cutting: Led Zeppelin – Whole Lotta Love

Cake cutting was so much fun! Corey and Jennifer are so playful. They obviously both had plans on a very messy cake cutting experience, and at one point there was a showdown with each daring the other person to make a move! haha. Here’s a pic of that classic moment.

After the cake cutting, we began the tosses.

Garter Toss: Waka Flocka – No Hands

Bouquet Toss: Rihanna – Only Girl In The World

After tosses we went back into open dancing. Corey, Jennifer, and many of their close friends have an affinity for nu-disco house. The end of the night I got the privilege to throw down a 40+ minute set of current and classic nu-disco tunes, starting with one of their favorite artists, Chromeo. I love being able to do non-wedding-type sets so I actually recorded it to review later. If I get enough requests, I may post the set for streaming and download. It went over really well, the dance floor stayed occupied and everyone really seemed to enjoy it.

For their last song, they kept it nu-disco/indie…

Last Dance: Feist – My Moon My Man (Boyz Noize Classic Mix)

After such a fun and highly successful night, there was no way I was leaving without getting a photo with the newlyweds.

Congratulations to Corey and Jennifer Currier and their families, and thanks for giving me the opportunity to be a part of your special night!

Thursday Club – San Diego Psychiatric Society Presidential Installation

Venue: Thursday Club (1224 Santa Barbara Street, San Diego, CA 92107)
Number of guests: 100
Services Provided: Corporate DJ

Human Resources Contact: Shannon Bartlett
Client: San Diego Psychiatric Society (president: Steven Ornish)

In September of 2010, Steven Ornish placed a quote request for a DJ for his installation in May 2011. Steven had been elected to President, and was to have his Installation Party in 2011. Being a true vinyl enthusiast, Steven went looking for a professional event DJ that used vinyl. Not only did he want one that used, vinyl, but he wanted one that would use HIS vinyl. Yes, Steve wanted to supply vinyl for the night. He had a good collection of songs on vinyl that he wanted to hear, and needed a DJ who really knew how to work with vinyl in order to make the event a success. He also wanted a DJ who used quality equipment and really knew his equipment, who could guarantee that Steven’s precious vinyl would not be harmed by the backcueing that occurs when a DJ uses records. We talked a bit more about his musical preferences and afterwards he was ready to book on the spot. After a couple of calls from his HR department, I had a contract in hand and they were booked and ready.

Thursday club is a nice venue with many areas which can be used for different things at an event. Being a historic building, there’s no requirement for wheelchair access though, so if you are disabled, be prepared! Historic buildings also make DJs’ jobs more difficult. I had quite a time bringing equipment up and down the small flight of stairs that allows entry into Thursday Club. Them’s the breaks…

I set up my main equipment in front of the stage. As anyone who knows me can tell you, I really prefer to not be on a stage at a small, intimate gathering. Sure, proms and large dances work fine with a stage, but for smaller events, I feel that I can connect more with guests if I am nearer to them, and what’s more– It gives them easier access to me to be able to make requests, talk about things, and even just watch the turntable show! Here’s my set up.

Steve arrived early and brought me some vinyl albums and singles to work with.

Did I mention that Steve was a turntable/vinyl enthusiast? Yeah, I don’t think you fully understand the level of his devotion, but this will help clarify that. Here’s his placemats. I took a couple of plates off to give you the full effect.

Note: These are real albums. He found a vinyl shop that had a stock of these and purchased them all. I played one to hear what was on them. MMmm… not good music. Better to eat off of, than listen to, in my opinion.

For cocktail and dinner, I played a variety of Rat Pack era music, mostly from Steve’s records, but I did end up complementing them with a few of my own because dinner ran long and his dinner songs were depleted. Here’s a shot of both turntables being used for dinner music, with records on them.

I did sets of a few genres once open dancing began. The main genre that got everyone dancing was definitely disco, but I played some 80′s synth-pop also because that was Steven’s favorite music and got him out on the floor.

Unfortunately, mixing real vinyl takes more concentration than using Serato, so I really didn’t have time to capture photos of dancing. But, the guests did dance, had a good time, and afterwards Steve came over and thanked me, but was a bit busy with guests so I didn’t want to bother him with getting a post-event snapshot.

Congrats to Steven Ornish, newest president of the San Diego Psychiatric Society. I know you’ll do great things. Thanks for letting me be a part of your installation party, and I hope you enjoyed seeing your vinyl used to make people dance!

Celebrity Birthday Party – David Justice

Venue: The Justice Residence (private address)
Number of guests: 50
Services Provided: Party DJ

Event Coordinator: Laura Villalobos
Hair Stylist: Laura Villalobos
Client: Rebecca (David Justice’s wife)

In April of 2011 Hairstylist for the Stars, Laura Villalobos, contacted me via phone to discuss DJing a private party. Her DJ was from Orange County and had cancelled on her. Upon further discussion I discovered that this was a surprise birthday party for a former outfielder and designated hitter in Major League Baseball who played for the Atlanta Braves (1989–96), Cleveland Indians (1997–2000), New York Yankees (2000–01), and Oakland Athletics (2002). For those that haven’t followed David’s career, he was listed in People Magazine’s 50 Most Beautiful People issue (Vol. 41 No. 17), and also helped his teammates to victory in the 1995 World Series against the Cleveland Indians with a crucial home run in Game 6 to provide the only run in a 1–0 game that clinched the championship. I was honored to be given the opportunity to provide the entertainment for his birthday party.

On the day of his surprise birthday party, I arrived at David Justice’s residence and set up my main equipment in the middle of the great room. Rebecca had also hired a casino company and there were casino tables all around in adjacent rooms. Caterers served sushi and sashimi all night long. I love both, and went back a few times for more.

I did sets of lots of different genres all night long. I would say the best reactions were to new jack swing, ghetto hip-hop, and 90s R&B.

Since David Justice is a bit of a celebrity, I won’t post any pictures of the layout, but I do have a few pictures of Laura, David, and David also did a testimonial video for me after the event was over.

A photo of Laura and myself:

David Justice posing with me during the party:

And of course, the video testimonial from David Justice himself!

Happy birthday, David, and thanks for allowing me to provide the entertainment for your birthday party!