Coronado Community Center Wedding of Christopher and Amber

Christopher and Amber chose to have their wedding at Coronado Community Center. When they contacted me and I saw that this was their venue, I was doubly excited. I’m a preferred vendor of Coronado Community Center and it is one of my favorite spots to work at. Additionally, the staff of Coronado Community Center are excellent to work with. They do a good job of taking care of the clients while also helping the vendors.

Chris and Amber chose to use live musicians for their ceremony and cocktail hour, so my part in their special day began once cocktail hour was over.

Note: The majority of these photos were supplied to me by Carrie McCluskey. Since my photography skills are rather limited, I’m sure it will be obvious which were hers!

Wedding Reception

After the cocktail hour drew to a close guests moved into the main ballroom. Once guests were seated, I welcomed everyone, introduced myself briefly, and then began their grand entrance.

Grand Entrance

Before we started the Grand Entrance, the wedding party got together for a “whoa bundy!”

For dinner, I played big band music such as Sinatra, Dean Martin, Desi Arnaz, and Louis Armstrong. Towards the end of dinner, we began a short video montage.

Wedding Video Montage

After the montage was over, we began toasts.

Wedding Toasts

At the end of toasts, Chris and Amber gave a short thank you speech to their family and guests…

… and then we brought the newlyweds onto the floor for their first dance.

First Dance

Father Daughter Dance

Mother Son Dance

After formal dances were over, we opened the dance floor up for everyone!

Wedding Dancing

Carrie McCluskey got some amazing dance floor photos, as you can see here.

After a bit of dancing we took a break for some more formal activities.

Wedding Cake

Chris and Amber got a big messy with it!

Garter Toss

Bouquet Toss

Garter Replacement

We had the lucky guy that caught the garter replace it onto the leg of the girl that caught the bouquet.

Wedding Dancing Part II

We then opened the dance floor back up for another round of fun dancing.

And Carrie got a great shot of me working the dance floor as well.

Last Dance

After the last dance everyone went outside for grand exit sparkler send-off.

Post-Reception

After such a fun wedding night, I got a photo with the happy newlyweds, Chris and Amber.

Congratulations to Chris and Amber and their families, and thanks trusting me with your most special celebration!

Falkner Winery Wedding of Roger and Angel

Roger and Angel chose Falkner Winery for their wedding ceremony and reception. Falkner has a really cool external ceremony site set up which allows for a dramatic entrance down a long mountainside path, which I’m sure was a factor in their decision. It’s an enjoyable Temecula wedding venue which I enjoy working at. I also got to work with Brian David Photography and really enjoyed that. Most of the photos in this blog are theirs, and I think you’ll see the quality that they can provide.

Wedding Ceremony

Wedding Reception

After the ceremony guests moved upstairs into the main ballroom for cocktail hour. For cocktails, I played jazz music according to their preferences, which the guests seemed to enjoy. Once cocktail hour was over, we began their grand entrance.

Grand Entrance

Wedding Toasts

We then began dinner. Once dinner was completed we began toasts. Although I don’t have photos of toasts being given, I do have a great one of Roger and Angel thanking their guests once the toasts were complete.

Wedding Video Montage

After toasts we played guests a wedding video montage that I helped them create. It was a hit, and we even got a photo of the happy couple enjoying their own montage.

Once the montage was over, we began formal dances, starting with the choreographed first dance!

Choreographed First Dance

Mother Son Dance

After formal dances were over, we opened the dance floor up for everyone!

Wedding Dancing

After a bit of dancing we took a break for some more formal activities.

Wedding Cake

Angel was such a playful tease with that cake!

Garter Toss

Bouquet Toss

Garter Replacement

Wedding Dancing Part II

We then opened the dance floor back up for another round of fun dancing.




After such a fun wedding night, I got a photo with the happy newlyweds, the Maid of Honor, and Falkner Winery staff.

Congratulations to Roger and Angel and their families, and thanks trusting me with your most special celebration!

Photos of DJ Dennis J

While I’m showcasing some amazing photos by Brian David Photography, here’s a couple great shots they got of yours truly. An extra special thanks for going the extra mile to get these and provide them to me. Not all photographers will!

Robert and Jasmine’s Wedding at La Jolla Cove

Client: Robert and Jasmine
Venue: La Jolla Cove Suites
Venue Address: 1155 Coast Boulevard • La Jolla, California 92037
Number of guests: Approximately 100
Services Provided: Services Provided: Wedding DJ and Master of Ceremonies, Wedding Ceremony DJ, Uplighting

Wedding Coordinator: Day Of Love (Jen Haase)
Officiant: 2Wed4Life (Carlos Sales)
Cake: Edelweiss Bakery
Photography: Bella Photography (Tera)
Catering: Phil’s Barbecue

On September 3 of 2011, Robert and Jasmine had their wedding reception on the rooftop of the La Jolla Cove Suites. Their ceremony was held adjacent to the reception area, with the guests facing towards the water. This is the typical setup for La Jolla Cove Suites, so guests can get a great view of the water while they enjoy the ceremony.

Prelude Music: Vitamin String Quartet including Linkin Park, Red Hot Chili Peppers, and Kings of Leon
Parent Seating: Vitamin String Quartet – When We Were Young (The Killers)
Bridal Party Entrance: Vitamin String Quartet – Hallelujah (Paramore)
Bride Entrance: Maura & Co. – Bridal Chorus
Recessional: U2 – Beautiful Day (DJ Dennis J Remix)

After the ceremony, guests were escorted over to the Reception area, and enjoyed cocktail hour on the rooftop while the wedding party was taken down to the beach for some photos.

Inside the Solarium (center room on the rooftop), I set up 4 uplights on the pillars. This was where they had their sign-in table, escort table, video montage, and their cake cutting planned.

Cocktail Music: Adult Alternative/Indie Music

Grand Entrance (Bride and Groom): We Are Family – Sister Sledge

After the Grand Entrance, Rob and Jasmine said a few words thanking their guests for coming, and then we began dinner, served buffet-style, by Phil’s Barbecue. For those that haven’t tried Phil’s Barbecue, you’re missing out. I highly recommend them. Following dinner we began toasts, and then it was time for their first dance.

First Dance: Don’t You Wanna Stay – Jason Aldean & Kelly Clarkson

Father Daughter Dance: What a Wonderful World- Louis Armstrong

Father Daughter Dance:

Mother Son Dance: The Baby – Blake Shelton

We then began open dancing. Line dances, oldies, top40, I seemed to be able to find the songs in each genre that they loved!

After a fun set of dancing, we took a break and moved into the Solarium for the cake cutting. The uplights looked great in this room.

When dinner was drawing to a close, I began showing their wedding video montage. They had chosen my “floating photos” style and it worked really well with their upbeat song choices. Here’s a shot of them enjoying watching their own video.

Due to timeline conflicts with the venue (ask me about it in-person if you want details), we had to omit their tosses and their honeymoon dance as well. But we did get in a little more dancing!

Such a packed dancefloor that some people had to dance outside of it because there wasn’t enough room!

Signature post-reception photo with the happy bride and groom:

Congratulations to Rob and Jasmine, and thanks for having me as part of your special day!

Hilton San Diego Bayfront Wedding – Aqua Floor

Client: Jonas and Thy Guintivano
Venue: Hilton San Diego Bayfront
Venue Address: 1 Park Boulevard • San Diego, California, United States 92101
Number of guests: Approximately 91
Services Provided: Services Provided: Wedding DJ and Master of Ceremonies, Wedding Ceremony DJ, Cake Pinspotting, Uplighting

Wedding Coordinator: Luxe Special Events (Cara Thomson)
Hotel Coordinator: Corina Van Der Meer
Officiant: Pastor David Plank
Cake: Hilton
Florist: Whimsey Florals
Table Designs: Concepts Event Design
Photography: Atrero Photography (Ed Atrero, who graciously provided the photos in this blog)
Videography: NR3 Video Productions
Flipbook: Thumb Theater

Jonas and Thy had their ceremony and reception at the Hilton San Diego Bayfront. Their ceremony was held down at Waterfront Park, on the side of the hotel. They chose to have a “ceremony in the round”, meaning the chairs were arranged in a semi-circle. An aerial view of it:

Prelude Music: Classical
Guest of Honor: Bach – Jesu, Joy of Man’s Desiring
Bridal Party Entrance: Pachebel – Canon in D
Bride Entrance: Wagner – Bridal Chorus
Recessional: Mendelssohn – Wedding March

After the ceremony, guests were escorted over to the Promenade Patio, and enjoyed cocktail hour just outside of the hotel restaurant.

Inside the Aqua Room, I had set up 8 uplights around the room, a cake pinspot, a screen and projector for their video montage, and dance floor lighting.

Cocktail Music: Jazzy instrumentals of popular hits

Grand Entrance (Wedding Party): LMFAO – Party Rock Anthem (Instrumental)

Grand Entrance (Bride and Groom): LMFAO – Party Rock Anthem

After Grand Entrance I began their first dance, but this wasn’t an ordinary first dance! They danced their first dance to a live remix of their chosen songs (Frank Sinatra – Fly Me To The Moon and The Dream – Walking On The Moon). Yes, live remix, performed on the turntables as they danced to it.

It went over fabulously, and later Thy told that many of the guests were DJs and were still blown away by the performance and giving them props like (“I can’t believe he just mixed that LIVE while you danced to it!”). Here’s a video of it for you all to enjoy.

After the first dance, we began dinner. For dinner music, Jonas and Thy opted for chill ultra lounge music.

When dinner was drawing to a close, I began showing their wedding video montage. They had chosen my “floating photos” style and it worked really well with their upbeat song choices. Here’s a shot of them enjoying watching their own video.

And the montage itself…

When the montage was finished, we started toasts.

Father Daughter Dance: Nat King Cole – Unforgettable

Mother Son Dance: Ben E King – Stand By Me

And then we began open dancing!

After a fun dance set we took a break and started the cake cutting.

Cake Cutting: Barbara Streisand – Duck Sauce

Following the cake cutting, we did the tosses.

Bouquet Toss: Rihanna ft Nicki Minaj – Raining Men

Garter Toss: P Diddy ft Ginuwine – I Need a Girl Part 2

Garter Replacement: LL Cool J – I Need Love

And then back to open dancing! When both the bride and groom love to dance, it really makes for some amazing photos. There’s no doubt about the atmosphere in this room… it was an exciting fun for everyone.

Dancing with the parents…

Jonas’s favorite song was YC – Racks, and when I dropped it everyone went nuts. I grabbed my flip cam and got some footage of the mayhem.

Last Dance: Montell Jordan – Falling

Another amazing night! I always love being able to flip to ‘club mode’ and rock a serious dance floor.

Signature post-reception photo with the happy bride and groom:

And while I was at it, I got a photo with the wonderful Luxe Special Events team.

Congratulations to Jonas and Thy Guintivano, and thanks for having me as part of your special day!

Catamaran Wedding – East and West Board Room – Benito Wedding

Client: Brett and Emily Benito
Venue: Catamaran Resort & Spa Hotel
Venue Address: 3999 Mission Boulevard • San Diego, California 92109
Number of guests: Approximately 70
Services Provided: Wedding DJ and Master of Ceremonies, Wedding Ceremony DJ

Wedding Coordinator & Hotel Coordinator: Sara Berns & Sylvia Ramirez
Officiant: Chacki Shakiri
Cake: Edelweiss Bakery
Florist: Sarah Wayte
Photography: Hodge Photography

Brett and Emily had their ceremony and reception at the Catamaran Resort & Spa. Their ceremony was held down on the beach, actually away from the resort. They really wanted that beach feel for their ceremony I guess!

Prelude Music: Hawaiian Music
Bridal Party Entrance: Israel Kamakawiwo’ole – Somewhere Over The Rainbow
Bride Entrance: Josh Kekoa Cho  - Ukulele Wedding March

Sand Ceremony: Hawaiian Music

Recessional: Jason Mraz – I’m Yours

After the ceremony, guests were escorted over to the second floor of the Catamaran Hotel, and enjoyed cocktail hour just outside of the Board Room.  Inside the Board Room, I had set up 4 uplights around the room, including one directly behind the cake. I also added a pinspot light for the cake, and the combination looked like this:

Cocktail Music: Reggae Rock Genre

Grand Entrance (Wedding Party): Geto Boys – Damn It Feels Good To Be a Gangsta
Grand Entrance (Bride and Groom): Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeroes – Home

After Grand Entrance we began dinner. Dinner music was a mix of more Reggae Rock and some traditional Reggae as well. Towards the end of dinner I played their wedding montage that I had created for them using their scanned photos.

After the montage was finished, we started toasts. There ended up being a decent amount of them, and they were all excellent.

It was then time for Brett and Emily’s first dance.

First Dance: Jason Mraz and Colbie Caillet – Lucky

Father Daughter Dance: Ben E. King – Stand By Me

Mother Son Dance: Lee Ann Womack – I Hope You Dance

And then we began open dancing!

After a fun dance set we took a break for a bit and went into some more events.

Cake Cutting: Michael Franti – Say Hey (I Love You)

Bouquet Toss: Rihanna – Only Girl [In The World] (sorry, no photo!)

Garter Toss: Far – Pony

After tosses I surprised them with The Shoe Game. It was a huge hit and here you can see Brett and Emily having a great time with it!

And then dancing kicked off again! It must be mentioned that this dance music set was a first for me, and I was very excited to see that it went well. The genre of choice for Brett and Emily and their guests– Dubstep! Yes, you read that right. Grimy, wobbly dubstep. It was so much fun, and I had a great time picking some of the best dubstep songs in my collection to keep them dancing. Brett commented on his Facebook profile that even their parents and grandparents were out on the floor dancing to dubstep, which just made the night that much better!

For the last song, they chose to close out with a fast song and then a slow song.

Last Dances: Kid Cudi – Memories & Elvis – Can’t Help Falling In Love With You

What a fun night! I got to play dubstep and people actually danced and enjoyed it! When you go from club to weddings, you kind of miss some of the club stuff. Luckily, my clients are the type that know that I can pull off a great wedding and merge it with a club feel. It’s what I do, and I try to do it as well as possible!

For those interested, here’s a brief clip of guests dancing to dubstep. Those that enjoy it really get into ‘feeling’ the music.

Signature post-reception photo with the happy bride and groom:

Congratulations to Brett and Emily Benito, and thanks for trusting me to manage your wedding professionally while bringing that club style into the mix when it was pertinent to do so!

Edit: I guess I did something right, because staff from the Catamaran has contacted me and booked me directly to DJ for one of their repeat corporate clients who trusts the hotel to find them the proper DJ! Does this mean that I’m now a Catamaran preferred vendor? Hmm…

Bahia Wedding – William D. Evans – Curtin Wedding

Client: Michael and Lucy Zhang
Venue: Bahia Resort Hotel
Venue Address: 998 West Mission Bay Drive • San Diego, California 92109
Number of guests: Approximately 100-150
Services Provided: Wedding DJ and Master of Ceremonies, Wedding Ceremony DJ

Venue Coordinator: Lindsay Berthiaume
Officiant: I Do Vows (Holly Skinner)
Cake: Edelweiss Bakery
Florist: Anne Dudley Floral Design
Wedding Coordinator: First Comes Love
Photography: Shauna Laird Photography (provided ceremony and cake photos for this blog as well)

Michael and Lucy had both their ceremony and reception at the Bahia. Their ceremony was held at the Gazebo, a nice enclosed area that can hold up to 300 guests. It’s a nice alternative to the public beach ceremony site that many are familiar with. To anyone having their ceremony at the Bahia– I recommend checking out both areas and determining which one suits your style best. If you want an area without beachgoers and onlookers… consider the Gazebo area.

Prelude Music: Jack Johnson Assorted Songs
Parent Seating: Vitamin String Quartet – Time Of Your Life
Bridal Party Entrance: Vitamin String Quartet – Viva La Vida
Bride Entrance: Vitamin String Quartet – 100 Years

Sand Ceremony: Vitamin String Quartet – Wonderful Tonight

Recessional: Jason Mraz & Colbie Caillat – Lucky

After the ceremony, guests were escorted over to the lower level of the William D. Evans river boat for cocktail hour. After cocktail, we began Grand Entrance. This was a special entrance so I invited all guests to gather around the dance floor before we began. I also did a seated introduction of both Michael and Lucy’s parents. Sorry, no photos yet!

Grand Entrance (Wedding Party): Black Eyed Peas – Let’s Get It Started
Grand Entrance (Bride and Groom): Turtles – So Happy Together

From the Grand Entrance we transitioned directly into their choreographed first dance, which was a special mix that I made for them! Click below to hear it. I was too busy to get photos because I was getting some amateur video footage!

After their first dance, I invited guests to move upstairs for dinner. For their dinner music, I plugged my system into theirs and was able to play out of the speakers on the upstairs floor.

While on the upstairs floor, several events occured. First, there was a welcome toast and blessing given by the father of the groom.  Dinner began after this, and towards the end of the dinner I performed a “Pass The Bill” game to determine who had “first dibs” on the centerpieces. If you’re interested in the details to this game, ask me during our consultations!

Once the game was done, we began toasts. Once toasts were done, guests were invited back down to the bottom floor where events would transpire for the rest of the evening. Once all guests were on the bottom floor, we began the father daughter dance.

Father Daughter Dance: Heartland – I Loved Her First

Mother Son Dance: Lee Ann Womack – I Hope You Dance

We then began a Honeymoon Dance.

Honeymoon Dance Songs: You’ve Got a Friend In Me, That’s What Friends Are For, With a Little Help From My Friends

And then we began open dancing!

Michael and his groomsmen had a surprise for the guests… a pre-planned dance routine to Charlie Daniels Band – Devil Went Down To Georgia

Since a photo won’t really do the idea justice, here’s another extremely amateur compilation of video clips of the performance.

After a fun dance set we took a break for a bit and went into some more events.

Cake Cutting: Pour Some Sugar On Me – Def Leppard

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

And then dancing kicked off again!

And some sing-a-long dancing…

For the last dance, we slowed it down and invited all couples to join in.

Last Dance: Etta James – At Last

It was such a fun evening for Michael, Lucy and their families and friends! I took an opportunity to get my post-reception photo with the happy newlyweds.

Congratulations to Micheal and Lucy Curtin, and thanks for trusting me to provide the entertainment for you and your guests on your special day!

Paradise Point Wedding – Sunset Ballroom

Client: Jesse and Robyn Watrous
Venue: Catamaran Resort & Spa Hotel
Venue Address: 3999 Mission Boulevard • San Diego, California 92109
Number of guests: Approximately 85
Services Provided: Wedding DJ and Master of Ceremonies, Wedding Ceremony DJ, Cake Pinspotting, Wireless Speakers, Uplighting, Cake Lighting, Monogram

Venue Coordinator: Julie Arroyo
Officiant: Sean Courtney
Cake: Flour Power
Florist: Tessilk Flowers
Wedding Coordinator: A Dream Wedding By Sharon Cole
Photography: DaniPhaneuf Photography (who graciously provided almost all the photos for this blog)
Photo Booth: The Fotobox

Jesse and Robyn had their wedding at Paradise Point. Upon our initial meeting they booked with me with just base package and some external wireless speakers for the cocktail area outside of their ballroom. They said they would look into their budget and see if the could add additional stuff later.

Several months later they contacted me and decided to just take advantage of all I offer. They added the monogram, 12 uplights (several to use for cake underlighting), cake pinspotting, and even the wedding montage complete with custom development. I was excited. I love it when a client uses all my services, because I know their night is going to be full of amazing touches that I helped create.

Their ceremony was held on the Sunset Lawn, a nice open area which was adjacent to their reception ballroom. For their ceremony, Paradise Point provided a sound system and I provided the music. The combo worked well together and the ceremony went perfectly.

Prelude Music: Vitamin String Quartet
Parent Seating and Bridal Party Entrance: Michael Soloway – Canon in D (Guitar)
Bride Entrance: Somewhere Over The Rainbow – Israel Kamakawiwo’ole

Sand Ceremony: Dan Fogelberg – Longer (instrumental)

Recessional: U2 – Beautiful Day (DJ Dennis J Ceremony Remix)

After the ceremony, guests were escorted up the steps and mingled for cocktail hour on the patio outside of the ballroom. To provide sound for cocktail hour, Jesse and Robyn opted for my wireless sound system package which wirelessly transmitted the same sound being heard in the ballroom to the patio outside. I neglected to get a photo of this setup, but you can trust it was clean and tasteful, just like I require all of my setup to be!

As for the ballroom, I decorated it with 12 uplights, several used for the cake table underlighting. I also projected their wedding monogram onto the dance floor. I helped custom make this gobo, based on a design they found on the Internet and wanted to duplicate. The actual gobo design looked like this:

In actual use, the monogram looked like this:

And here’s how I used 12 powerful uplights to transform the room into a purple paradise. I’m not kidding when I say my lights are 2.5x brighter than most!

Cake uplighting, with and without the pinspot lighting on top. You can see that pinspotting makes a huge difference when there’s accent lighting also involved.

After cocktail, I invited guests inside and soon we began the Grand Entrance.

Grand Entrance (Wedding Party): Michael Jackson – P.Y.T.
Grand Entrance (Bride and Groom): Black Eyed Peas – I Gotta Feeling

After the Grand Entrance we started their first dance.

First Dance: Jack Johnson – Better Together

I thought this photo showed how well a gobo can be used to create an amazing photo moment.

After their first dance, we started toasts.

For the last toast, Jesse and Robyn gave a short special thanks speech to their guests.

Following their speech, we began dinner. As dinner wound to a close, I showed a wedding video montage that I had made for them, using their scanned photos and some coaching about flow and content. The end result was perfect. I projected this onto a 7′ wide projector screen using a 3500 lumens projector. Positioning the screen in the corner of the room really worked well for this layout.

Following the montage, we began open dancing! The Fotobox photo booth also opened and I invited guests to take part in the photo booth outside.

I began with some classics and favorites, and they really showed their appreciation.

This one is priceless. Let’s face it… You can’t make this stuff up.

After a bit we took a break to cut the cake.

Cake Cutting: U2 – The Sweetest Thing

Following cake cutting we went right back into open dancing. Jesse and Robyn’s genre of choice was a relatively new style of music known as “nu-disco”. I’m decently familiar with it, and their family and friends really seemed to enjoy it!

Again… reality overriding imagination.

For the last fast song, Jesse and Robyn entrusted me with the honors of selecting a good upbeat jam. Judging from the packed dancefloor we got when I dropped my pick, I think I did them right.

Last Song: Journey vs Deepest Blue – Don’t Stop Believing (House/Nu-Disco Mix)

And my signature post-event photo with the happy newlyweds…

Congratulations to Jesse and Robyn Watrous, and many wonderful wishes for a happy life together!

My clients this weekend rented an amazingly white dance floor. The floor was thick, and perfectly white. When it came time for parent dances, I decided to try an experiment, and positioned my lighting to point AWAY from the dance floor, reflecting off the walls and back onto the floor (any good lighting expert will tell you that the most amazing lighting effects are done by reflecting light off of other objects, not by directly pointing the lights). The result was an effect that made it seem like the dance floor was lit up and changing colors! I enjoyed the effect so much I grabbed my iPhone4 and took some video. I hope you enjoy it! Please comment.

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

I had an incredible wedding where the ending set was all house and top40 remixes by request from the bride and groom. I had a feeling it was going to be quite a mix so I hit record in Serato Scratch Live shortly after I began the set.

Since I planned to post an August Top40 Remix podcast and never got around to it, I decided to post this. This mix has sooo much energy, it is impossible not to want to move to this!

Note: This is NOT a typical example of what the end set of the night is at one of my weddings, however it is an example of what it could be if the client requested for me to go in that particular direction!