Marina Village Weddings – Joseph and Crystal
Client:
Joseph and Crystal
Venue:
Marina Village (Sunset Room/Ceremony North Lawn)
Venue Address:
1936 Quivira Way, San Diego, CA 92109
Services Provided:
Wedding DJ,
Basic Dancefloor Lighting,
Wedding Ceremony
Venue Coordinator:
Kris Ingram
Photography/Videography:
S
utography
Caterer:
Supreme Catering
Florist:
Classic Creations
Cake:
European Cake Gallery
Officiant:
John Hunnenman
I met Joseph and Crystal after Joseph’s grandmother found me while doing some research for quality entertainment. According to her, she was “… just trying to help them have a happy, trouble-free wedding, doing some research for them and helping organize.” We talked a bit with her via email and phone calls, then we met at her condo and had a great discussion about their music preferences, wedding ideas, and each other’s passions and lives.
In March I found myself back at Marina Village, this time in the Sunset Room. As their website states, Marina Village is one of San Diego’s only special event sites to offer banquet halls with multiple waterfront views. They also have two ceremony sites, offer very reasonable rates, and have friendly staff that I love working with time and time again.
Marina Village Ceremony – North Lawn
The North Lawn at Marina Village is very picturesque, but it has one caveat for vendors– There’s no power on the lawn. Many vendors run their cables all the way across the walkway to the closest power source which resides inside an enclosed area that looks like it was made for a dumpster. This method does work, however it leaves cables strewn across a public walkway. This is unsightly at best, and could be a potential hazard at worst. To mitigate this issue, I brought my custom-built portable battery pack. This pack enables me to supply ceremony power anywhere for over 10 hours, and reception power for a little over 4 hours. It’s also very compact and easy to hide.
I powered the above ceremony system and JBL Eon speakers. Fully covered for that professional look I know my clients expect.
Marina Village Wedding Ceremony
Prelude Seating:
String Quartet Renditions of Popular Hits
Wedding Party Entrance:
Bach – Jesu, Joy of Man’s Desiring
Bride’s Entrance:
Pachelbel – Canon In D
Recessional:
U2 – Beautiful Day (Dennis J Ceremony Edit)
The ceremony was perfect. Crystal clear sound, a wonderful background, and a lot of positive energy.
Note: Nearly all photos from this point forward were provided by Sutography.
Wedding Reception
Cocktail Music:
Hip Hop Jazz
Grand Entrance Wedding Party:
Grand Entrance Bride & Groom:
Black Eyed Peas – I Gotta Feeling
Justin Timberlake – Sexy Back (Dennis J Remix)
Dinner Music:
Standard Playlist
First Dance:
Train – Marry Me
Father Daughter Dance:
Louis Armstrong – What a Wonderful World
Cake Cutting:
U2 – Sweetest Thing
Dave Matthews Band – You & Me
Garter Toss:
Marvin Gaye – Lets Get It On
Bouquet Toss:
Michael Jackson – PYT
The Sunset Room has a built-in DJ booth, but I prefer not to use it because it doesn’t allow guests to have easy access to me to request songs. As many know, I prefer to appear very approachable to guests and family, and will almost always request not to be in a booth if possible. Joseph and Crystal were happy to accommodate my request, and so I set up on the stage but not in the booth.
Grand Entrance
First Dance
Immediately after the Grand Entrance, Joseph and Crystal began their first dance.
Wedding Toasts
Toasts were as full of energy as the rest of their wedding, as you can tell from all the smiling and laughing photos captured during their toasts.
Father Daughter Dance
Wedding Dancing
After a bit of dancing we took a break for some more formal activities.
Wedding Cake
Garter Toss
Bouquet Toss
Garter Replacement
Wedding Dancing Part II
Post-Reception
After another wonderful wedding reception, I got a post-reception photo with the newlyweds.
Congratulations to Joseph and Crystal and their families, and thanks for choosing The Creative Music DJ for your special day!
Additional Photos
Here’s some additional photos taken by Sutography of yours truly.
(more...)
Green Gables Wedding Estate – Dan and Anna
Client:
Dan and Anna
Venue:
Green Gables Wedding Estate
Venue Address:
134 Woodland Parkway, San Marcos Ca. 92069
Services Provided:
Wedding DJ,
Basic Dancefloor Lighting,
Monogram,
Uplighting,
Wedding Ceremony
Venue Coordinator:
Bernadette
Photography:
Salgado Images (John Salgado)
Videography:
Salgado Images (John Salgado)
Officiant:
Richard Steinberg (family friend)
For those that remember the Old Richland Schoolhouse, this venue will seem familiar… because that’s what it used to be. After it closed abruptly last year, San Diego Special Events Co. began leasing the property at 134 Woodland Parkway on Sept. 1, and reopened the venue for weddings– including several that were booked by couples before the closure. They’ve made several improvements, and the venue is looking rather nice in my opinion. From a vendor’s standpoint, the fact that they only do one wedding a day is a great feature. I was able to come in several hours before the event and take my time setting up. I always appreciate the ability to do this, as I can do sound checks and make sure everything is in order.
From Green Gables own website:
This secluded venue features artistic and poetic gardens inspired by love, imagination and tranquility.
Nestled among tall forests, vibrant floral, and cascading streams. San Diego’s premiere wedding venue is host to one beautiful wedding per day currently accepting reservations Thru 2013.
Once you stroll through the garden gates you will be surrounded by twinkling rose arbors, soothing waterfalls with lush established landscape that take you back to a time of the elegant English garden.
This turn of the century historic landmark estate is set in total seclusion, nestled among a towering forest that dates back well over 100 years. The unique statuary, flora and fauna encompass every corner of this magnificent garden and it’s totally private garden gazebo are set in the shade of the landmark forest.
The grand tented pavilion showcases towering peaks of chiffon gathered over head with crystal chandeliers and intimate lighting. Surrounding it are cozy garden nooks and soothing sounds of the waterfalls setting a tone of peace and tranquility.
For those that don’t remember the Old Richland Schoolhouse, here’s some photos of the ceremony and reception areas. As you can see, it’s got style!
Green Gables Ceremony Area
Green Gables Reception Area
Dan and Anna contacted me in February 2012, after a family friend who was going to DJ their wedding ended up being unable to do so. We met nearby and discussed details, and hit it off pretty well. Of particular interest was the fact that their wedding was going to be “Mad Hatter” themed. I got excited when I heard that. Themed weddings are almost always a blast to perform at!
Wedding Ceremony
Prelude Seating:
String Quartet Renditions of Popular Hits
Wedding Party Entrance:
Pachebel – Canon In D
Bride’s Entrance:
Christina Perri – A Thousand Years
Recessional:
Nickelback – If Today Was Your Last Day
Due to weather conditions, Dan and Anna didn’t get to use the gazebo area for their ceremony. It rained pretty hard on their wedding day, so an alternate location was selected, inside the reception tent. Regardless, the ceremony was amazing. Right as it started, thunder erupted so loudly that it sounded like it was right outside the tent. Guests took it in stride with applause, and it was honestly one of the most entertaining and excitement-filled ceremonies I’ve ever been a part of!
Note: Nearly all photos from this point forward were provided by John Salgado of Salgado Images.
I’m not sure if the officiant was an industry professional or not, but I have to say he did a great job. And unlike many industry professionals I’ve worked with, he had to foresight to make sure to hold the mic out to the bride and groom for their vows, so everyone could hear them well.
The funniest part of the ceremony was when it was time to exchange rings. Somehow the rings had gotten dumped in the arbor base, and several guests/parents rushed forward to sift through the base and find the rings quickly!
Guests had fun and took it all in with glee, leading to a wonderful processional.
Wedding Reception
Cocktail Music:
Rat Pack and Big Band
Grand Entrance:
Kevin Rudolf – Let It Rock
Dinner Music:
Today’s hits/Old school hits
First Dance:
Jason Mraz – I Won’t Give Up
Father Daughter Dance:
Rascal Flatts – My Wish
Mother Son Dance:
Rascal Flatts – My Wish
Cake Cutting:
Jason Mraz – I’m Yours
Big & Rich – Lost In This Moment
Garter Toss:
George Thorogood – Bad To The Bone
Bouquet Toss:
Little Big Town – Little White Church
Last Dance:
Ricky Martin – Livin La Vida Loca
Grand Entrance
First Dance
Immediately after the Grand Entrance, Dan and Anna began their first dance.
Wedding Toasts
Toasts were done by the Father of the Bride, Best Man, Maid Of Honor, then opened up for 3 additional toasts, and closed with a Bride and Groom thanks speech.
Father Daughter & Mother Son Dance
Dan and Anna combined their parent dances together into one dance. Dan’s mother had just been in an accident and was wheelchair-bound, but they didn’t let that stop them from an enjoyable dance! They switched partners a couple times through the dance as well.
Wedding Dancing
After a bit of dancing we took a break for some more formal activities.
Wedding Cake
The cake was a major part of the Mad Hatter theme.
… which of course Dan had to cut with a knife…
Garter Toss
Bouquet Toss
These girls seriously wanted that bouquet!
Garter Replacement
Danza Kuduro Dance
Dan and Anna requested that Don Omar’s song, Danza Kuduro be played so they could dance with their guests to it. I don’t know the dance, but apparently it has to do with holding onto each other, going around and under arms, but never letting go of those you are holding. It looked fun!
Wedding Dancing Part II
For the second set of dance pictures, I’m happy to display some of John Salgado’s work where he did some cool effects to the shots to really capture the excitement and energy that was on the dance floor.
Post-Reception
After another wonderful wedding reception, I got a photo with the happily exhausted newlyweds.
Congratulations to Dan and Anna and their families, and thanks for choosing The Creative Music DJ for your special day!
Additional Photos
Here’s some additional photos taken by John Salgado of me and my equipment.
(more...)
Hilton Torrey Pines Wedding – Jeff and Zoe
Client:
Jeff and Zoe
Venue:
Hilton La Jolla Torrey Pines (Grande Ballroom)
Venue Address:
10950 North Torrey Pines Road
La Jolla, CA 92037
Services Provided:
Wedding DJ, Enhanced Dancefloor Lighting, Monogram, Uplighting (16 uplights), Cake Lighting, Cake Pinspotting
Cake:
Hilton
Photography:
True:Photography
Linens:
Hilton
Wedding Planner:
The Best Wedding For You (Julie Scrivener)
Videographer:
Fred Maske
Party Rentals:
Hire Elegance (Stuart Simble)
Jeff and Zoe contacted me last year to discuss DJing their wedding. Although they live in LA, they were having their wedding in San Diego. Coincidentally, I had a trip planned to LA for the American Cancer Society’s Relay For Life in Whittier, and was able to plan a meeting with them to coincide with this event. We had a great meeting, and they booked soon after.
Wedding Reception
Jeff and Zoe had their ceremony outside the Grande Ballroom, on the Ballroom Terrace. This ceremony had an interesting feature that I’ve never seen at an outdoor wedding before– A crystal chandelier that had been transported from LA just for the occasion! It sparkled while suspended at the top of the truss wedding arch.
a closeup…
Once the ceremony was over, the guests were invited into the ballroom where they mingled while the newlyweds and their wedding party took photos.
Cocktail Music:
Bossa Nova Cover Songs
Grand Entrance:
Lipps Inc – Funky Town (wedding party)
The Turtles – So Happy Together (bride and groom)
Dinner Music:
Assorted
First Dance:
Lionel Ritchie & Diana Ross – Endless Love
Father Daughter Dance:
Stevie Wonder – Isn’t She Lovely
Mother Son Dance:
Frank Sinatra – The Way You Look Tonight
Cake Cutting:
James Taylor – How Sweet It Is
Anniversary Dance:
Etta James – At Last
Last Slow Dance:
Elvis Presley – Can’t Help Falling In Love
Grand Exit Song:
Kool & The Gang – Celebration
Wedding Monogram
Jeff and Zoe wanted their family crest for their monogram. I worked with them to get a high-quality vector image from their graphic designer, and after talking with them about their options (metal, greyscale glass, etc) they decided that it is important to them to have all the proper colors represented in their monogram. I proceeded to order a full-color glass wedding monogram gobo for them. The template sent to my gobo vendor looked like this.
In actual application, it looked like this on their dance floor.
Wedding Uplighting
Jeff and Zoe took advantage of my uplighting package and decided on 16 uplights, which they wanted in pairs (two colors side by side at each spot). They draped the entire room so the uplighting really looked good on the white drapes.
As you can see, they chose to utilize my cake lighting services. I supplied dual-colored underlighting.
Grand Entrance
First Dance
Since Jeff and Zoe rented a white dance floor, I was once able to do my infamous color-changing dance floor effect. Here’s a video of it in action.
[There is a video that cannot be displayed in this feed. Visit the blog entry to see the video.]
Father Daughter Dance
Mother Son Dance
Wedding Dancing
Events took a lot of the reception time tonight but I did manage to get a few shots of the dance floor.
Cake Cutting
Post-Reception
We had a really fun time full of activities such as the Anniversary Dance, Conga dancing, and even some limbo dancing! Before Jeff and Zoe left, I made sure to get my signature post-reception photo with the newlyweds.
I really enjoy working at this hotel and hope to someday become a Hilton La Jolla Torrey Pines preferred DJ! Congratulations to Jeff and Zoe and their families, and thanks for choosing The Creative Music DJ for your special day!
(more...)
San Diego Quinceanera – Vanessa
Client:
Sandra (Vanessa’s mother)
Venue:
Church of Saint Luke
Venue Address:
1980 Hillsdale Rd
El Cajon, CA 92019
Services Provided:
Quinceanera DJ, Basic Dancefloor Lighting, Uplighting
Cake:
Eccentric International Chefs
Photography:
Beyond Expressions /
Leymi Photography
Videography:
Beyond Expressions /
Leymi Photography
Dance Group:
Academy of Egyptian Dance
Choreographer:
Priscilla Mondragon
Caterer:
Gourmet Rotisserie Catering and Events
Sandra, Vanessa and I met in September of 2011 to discuss her daughter Vanessa’s Quinceanera. I do not speak fluent Spanish, but I do have knowledge of the events of a Quinceanera or Spanish-style wedding and I’m often contracted for Latin events when Spanish is not necessary. Sandra and Vanessa insisted that my lack of fluency in Spanish was not an issue, and they were very interested in hiring me for my style and ability to read a dance floor and keep people dancing. We discussed more ideas they had for their event and had a great meeting. Within a few days, they had booked and we were set for an amazing birthday party!
Quinceanera Reception
Vanessa celebrated her Quinceanera reception at the Church of Saint Luke in their reception hall. The theme for her party was “Arabian Nights”. To complement this theme, I supplied 12 uplights, matched to her two accent colors– a light blue and a gold shade.
Appetizer Music:
Jazz remixed hip-hop
Court Entrance:
Marcha Triunfal de Aida
Quinceanera and Chambelan De Honor Entrance:
Balada Para Adelina
Presentation of the Last Doll:
A Whole New World
Father’s Waltz:
Phil Collins – You’ll Be In My Heart
Dinner Music:
Assorted
Quinceanera’s Waltz:
Chayanne – Tiempo de Valz
Surprise Dance by The Court:
Rock Around the Clock
Shake Your Groove Thing
Beat It
Ojos Asi
Cake Cutting:
(supplied by choreographer)
Last Dance:
Sister Sledge – We Are Family
Some photos of the uplights:
The Introduction of the Court of Honor
Once appetizer hour was over, we seated the guests and began the Introduction of the Court of Honor. Unfortunately, I don’t have any photos of this because I was too busy doing the announcements as well as concentrating on pronouncing the names of the Chamberlains and Damas correctly!
The Presentation of the Quinceanera
After the introduction of the Court, I introduced the Quinceanera. She entered onto the dance floor with her escort, the Chamberlain de Honor.
After her introduction, Vanessa began her waltz (hopefully photos coming soon).
Dinner Show
After the waltz, dinner was served. During the first half of dinner, the Academy of Egyptian Dance performed.
One of my favorite moments of the night occurred during this portion. Sandra got out on the dance floor and started belly dancing with the performers!
And then Vanessa joined her mom and the dancers on the floor as well!
Quinceanera Toast (Brindis)
Once the dinner show and dinner were over, I announced the brindis (toast) and handed the mic to Vanessa’s father, Jose.
Father Daughter Waltz
After the toast, we began the Father Daughter Waltz. And, I demonstrated my lack of photography skills rather well.
Quinceanera Open Dance
After the Father Daughter Waltz we opened the dance floor with some spanish favorites, such as No Bailes De Caballito, Baila Esta Cumbia, and Sergio El Bailador.
Quinceanera Cake Cutting
Once the father daughter waltz was over, Vanessa made her way to the cake table and we began the cake cutting.
…with a playful father…
Quinceanera Video Montage
To keep the guests entertained while they were served and ate their cake, we played a video montage using my 3500 lumens projector. Since we had a perfectly smooth white wall my client requested that I project directly onto the wall. It worked well.
Surprise Dance by the Court of Honor
After the cake cutting, the Court of Honor performed a surprise dance for the guests. The music was a medley of ageless hits, such as Elvis, Michael Jackson, etc.
Quinceanera Uncles Dance
We then went back into open dancing, starting with a special dance where the Quinceanera danced with all of her uncles.
Quinceanera Open Dancing Part II
For the last segment of open dancing, I let the hazer do its thing and guests got to experience a different dance floor ambiance.
Post-Reception
After the Quinceanera reception, I got a chance to get a photo with the birthday girl and her mother, both happy clients!
Happy birthday, Vanessa. Thanks for trusting in The Creative Music DJ to provide the entertainment services for your special celebration!
(more...)
A new addition that has been added to The Creative Music DJ services is live video mixing. Videos to the songs that are being played on your dance floor can be played onto 1-2 large LCD monitor(s), or even a 7′ wide projector screen. It’s a sure-bet enhancement to your event, and available for a nominal additional fee. Ask about it if you are interested!
To give you an example of the quality and smoothness of the video mixes, here’s an example of a top40 mix I recently made.
(more...)
Read More Posts From The Creative Music DJ
Working...