Melissa and Kyle’s wedding day was beautiful, and they started off the right way by hiring professionals to work their reception. At the Lakewood Country Club, we had the great pleasure working with Melissa and Flo. They hired Elite Images to take photos of the day, Lynn and Eric did an awesome job. Myself and Chuck provided the soundtrack for the day and Chris and Jenna worked the photo booth and had the guest going in and taking great pictures all day.
We started by providing music for their ceremony outside under a beautiful gazebo. The weather was perfect and, because I was there so early, I had an opportunity to see Melissa before she got ready. So she went from a T-shirt and jeans to into her beautiful wedding dress. It was very cool to see.After the ceremony, the guests funneled their way into cocktail hour where they enjoyed some great cocktails and hors d’oeuvres.
After that, we moved all the guess into the ballroom for high-energy bridal party introductions, first dance, parents dances, toasts, and also the blessing.
The best man, who was also the twin brother of the groom, gave a dynamite speech that left the crowd stitches. After that the guests enjoyed their first course and it was onto the party time! Although this was only a crowd of 60 people they partied like a crowd of 200- loud, rowdy, and all-night long. It was a great party from start to finish.
I had DJed Jamie’s sister’s wedding a few years ago so I knew the bride’s side of the family was wild and fun and cool. Turns out so is Anthony’s. So this celebration was incredible.
The whole day was at The Grand Marquis in Old Bridge so we got to play for their ceremony, cocktail hour and reception. The ceremony was performed by a wonderful woman – Reverend Lisa Bansavage who really personalized everything. I would definitely recommend her to any future couples looking for an officiant.
Anthony is a big Oakland Raiders fan and he wanted part of the cocktail hour to have a sports bar type feel to it. The Grand Marquis took that idea and ran with it. They had a station set up with hot dogs and bottled beer and pretzels that was not only decorated in the Raider’s famed black and silver but had two people manning it who were dressed like those crazy Raider’s fans: face paint and all. What a great way to personalize your day.
As far as the reception, the party – it was non-stop. Starting with introductions (Jamie and Anthony had picked a different song for each of their coupl
es to walk in to and the bridal party really got into it) and going right through the end of the night the dance floor was filled with happy dancing people all night (well ok, they did sit down briefly for dinner). Jamie and Anthony had given me a lot of requests and I’m happy to say I got to every single one of their “Must Plays” and the vast majority of their “Maybe’s” I love the art of programming when a couple gives me a ton of music. My job becomes putting the right pieces together at the right time and I think I did that well for Jamie and Anthony.
I got to work with an incredible photographer and videographer and their work really speaks for itself. Sean Patrick was the photographer. Sean and I tend to do about one wedding together every year and he’s one of those cool guys that’s easy to work with and gets amazing images. All the pictures you see in this blog were taken by him.
Thanks Sean for sending them to me!
The day was also captured by Joe Minnella Cinematography. I think this is the first time I’d worked with Joe and his crew but hopefully it won’t be the last. They were getting some very interesting shots throughout the evening and am I excited to see the recap. I probably check their Facebook page every other day.
The most rewarding thing as a DJ is when your bride and groom are happy after the event. I’m very proud to show off this Wedding Wire review especially since it came in just 2 days after the celebration. Thanks Jamie and Anthony!!!
When you’ve been DJing for 24 years like I have (I started in kindergarten if you’re trying to figure out how old I am by the way) it’s rare that you see something you’ve never seen before. But at Heather and Will’s wedding (on a beautiful Friday Night in May at The English Manor) I got to see just that. It was all the couple’s idea, it went over great and for me as a DJ it was the highlight of the night. Intrigued? Read on.
Heather and Will utilized the beautiful grounds at The English Manor for their wedding ceremony. The weather was just perfect so besides getting married outdoors they also had their cocktail hour on the deck. The English Manor takes incredible pride in their gardens and this was the perfect evening to show off all those flowers. If you’re a couple that would like that “English Garden” feel for their wedding, complete with a wooden bridge crossing a small stream and incredibly beautiful flowers and trees everywhere, the English Manor is the place to have your wedding.
After the outdoor ceremony and cocktail hour, all the guests moved to the big room for the party. And this is where Heather and Will’s unique idea kicked in. Besides numbering each table, they had named every table after a popular song. We had worked together on this to pick out just the right upbeat songs but it was mostly their decisions and I have to say they couldn’t have made better choices. I called everyone’s attention to this early on and then let everyone know that when they heard their song we expected to see them on the dance floor partying. The concept went over great, from the older tables who were given Aretha Franklin or Beatles songs to the younger tables that were named after some hot new dance tracks. Every time I hit play and announced, “Table (fill in the blank) this one’s for you” there was a rush to the dance floor and the energy in the room lifted even higher.
I had the pleasure of working with our two sister companies here at Elite Entertainment: Elite Digital Images and Elite Video Productions. Elite Digital supplied me the images in this blog and I can’t wait to see the finished product once our video division is done with the edit. Chris Monaco certainly shot enough great stuff with a packed dance floor all night!
All in all it was a great celebration for a fantastic couple and I wish Heather and Will a lifetime of health and happiness. And I promise to give them full credit in the future when I suggest this idea to couples who are looking for something different and unique for their wedding reception.
Heather and Will Cross the Bridge at The English Manor
One of the Table Songs that was such a Smash!
Heather and Will Celebrate Their Wedding!
As a DJ there’s usually a fine balance between a wild and crazy dancing crowd and a group that teeters too far into drunk and obnoxious land. We (DJs) love the wild and crazy crowds while the drunk and obnoxious groups are one the few down-sides to this career.
The wedding I DJed recently for James and Alexandra (or Jimmy and Alex as they preferred to be called) was one of the rare nights that started wild and crazy but never tipped the scale to drunk and obnoxious. That’s a testament to their family and friends and the fact that everyone was there to truly celebrate for this awesome couple.
Their wedding was May 12th and as I drove that afternoon all the way up to The Basking Ridge Country Club I was so happy for Jimmy and Alex – the weather was just perfect. When you think “Beautiful Spring Day” this is what comes to mind: 70 degrees with a mostly sunny sky. Someone said once that rain on your wedding day is a sign of luck (and Alanis Morissette called it “Ironic”) but in my opinion great weather on your wedding day is really lucky!
Jimmy and Alex had picked out more than enough music for the night. In fact when Alex’s Maid of Honor commented during her toast that the couple had picked out all four hours of music I chimed in with: “five hours actually.” And while most of the music they selected was good, solid party music, there were a few songs on the list that I questioned. Did they want me to play Toto’s “Africa” during dinner, for example? And where could I hide “Walking on Broken Glass” so as not to clear the floor. “Oh, No!” they insisted. “We LOVE these songs and will dance to them!” Ok then, I thought, let’s see about that. Well, that’s how great a party Jimmy and Alex threw. Even “Africa” and “Walking on Broken Glass” and Wilson Phillips’ “Hold On” kept the dance floor packed!
I had the pleasure of working with Dan from Lloyd’s Fine Photography. I bump into Dan from time to time out in the field and we always get along well and enjoy working with each other. This night was no exception. I asked him after the wedding if he could send me some images that captured the energy on the dance floor and he provided me with this awesome collage:
I was so happy to be a part of this great celebration. I know Jimmy and Alex are beginning their married life by settling down in Maryland but I hope some of their friends and family members book me for their future events so I can this special couple again. Congratulations Jimmy and Alex!
Navesink Country Club in Rumson, once again put on a great party. This time the theme was a Father/Daughter Sock-Hop themed dance for it’s members.
With the Dads in Suits and the girls in Poodle Skirts we kicked off the party to some top 40 kid’s favorites. We played a ton of games and audience participation dances, and the girls all got to participate in the Hula Hoop and dance contests to try and win some prizes.
The dads were also treated to watching two NCAA Final Four games:
Kentucky (69) vs Louisville (61)
Kansas (64) vs Ohio St. (62)
In all everyone had a great time at a very special dance.
2012 is shaping up to be a really good year so far for me. I actually wound up having major knee surgery in early January and have recovered nicely since then. I was real excited when I DJ’d my first 2012 wedding on March 17th for Kathleen and J.J. They had their ceremony and reception at the Channel Club, and what a beautiful day it was for them. I remember telling them that the sunsets are gorgeous, and they took the time to get the perfect photo for their wedding album. They were a super nice couple who loved music, so they were really pleased with how their day went.
Alison and Brian – March 23, 2012
This was a night to remember at The English Manor, not only for myself but for Alison and Brian. I don’t think their dance floor was empty the whole night. It is so awesome when I get a crowd that loves to dance, even if I’m trying not to dance them. THEY DANCED TO ANYTHING I PLAYED, from Runaround Sue to Party Rock. I had this one couple come up to me shortly after dinner and said, “We’ve attended a lot of weddings over the past year and we usually leave right after dinner to get back home and relieve our babysitter.” I said, “Well, you’re still here.” They said, “We don’t want to leave. We just got off the phone with our babysitter and told her not to expect us till late.” I was so taken back by that compliment. To know that I am the one making people stay because they are having the time of their life makes me feel unbelievable. As far as Alison and Brian, they were overjoyed on how their reception went and couldn’t thank me enough. They ended their night with 2 songs – Bohemian Rhapsody into The Time of My Life from the Dirty Dancing soundtrack. I’ve never ended with Bohemian Rhapsody before, and I gotta tell ya, these people sang their hearts out!!! I thanked Alison and Brian for having the kind of guests they did. Great Wedding!!
Alex and Kay – April 21, 2012
(singing) Happy birthday to me, happy birthday to me (singing). Yes………I DJ’d on my birthday and loved it. When you’re 38 and don’t want anything except music and a great party, Alex and Kay’s wedding was the place to be. They had their ceremony and reception at The Water’s Edge in Sea Bright. Once, again it was a beautiful day, and I love it when the weather cooperates for a bride and groom. Alex and Kay were laid back and left the music selection pretty much up to me. I won’t forget the Best Man’s speech, in which he had a hilarious video he showed to Alex and Kay. After the toasts were done, everything was pretty much left up to me to find the right tunes to get people up on the dance floor. The guests just poured on the dance floor all night and dance it away. They ended the night with one of my favorite artists, Michael Buble’s – “Save the Last Dance”. After that, Alex came right up to me and shook my hand, and a couple days later I received an email expressing their thanks again.
As I said before, the 2012 wedding season is shaping up to be a great year. I’m excited to meet my future brides and grooms. The weddings I talked about above were only just a few of the ones that I have DJ’d. So long for now, I’ll be back with more. God Bless!!
