Monthly Archives: June 2012

Dana and Michael’s Sunday Afternoon Wedding

Written on June 27, 2012 by in Chuck Crerand - Blog, Featured
It was a beautiful Sunday morning in Point Pleasant Beach, New Jersey. The afternoon wedding was time frame to start at 11 AM and ends at 3 PM. I was working at Sunset Ballroom at the Lobster Shanty. It was a little overcast and the temperature was about 65°, there was also a slight breeze that gave you that filled the air with the sent of the ocean.

Michael and Dana went to the Dominican Republic to get married so this really wasn’t a wedding reception, it was more of a wedding celebration. Mainly for those guests that could not make the trip to the Dominican Republic to see them get married and celebrate the wonderful occasion with them.

For those who don’t know what a wedding celebration is, it’s very much like a wedding reception without the introduction of the bridal party, parents and bride and groom. Now sometimes there is a first dance with the bride and groom and sometimes there is not. Michael and Dana chose not to do their first dance at this occasion.

Now even though this was not a traditional wedding, it was still just as fun. I’d spoken with Dana over the phone several times due to the fact that we could not get a date together to meet face-to-face. She explained to me that she wanted her cocktail hour to have a Caribbean feel. So I put together a special cocktail hour mix for her that consisted of some reggae, and some beachy music. Right after cocktail hour I welcomed everybody to the wedding celebration for Michael and Dana. I still introduced the parents and our bride and groom just not in a traditional grand entrance that you would have at a typical wedding.

Right after they had a buffet brunch. Again I put a special mix together that included a little bit of an island feel and a couple of newer relaxing songs for everyone to listen to while they were eating.

Now that brunch was over it was time to open up to dance floor. Dana had given me a request list that had a wide range of music. It was perfect for her party. The guests took a little bit of encouragement to get our party going, but once I got them on the dance floor I couldn’t get them off the dance floor! I played everything from the electric slide to classic rock to sing-alongs and today’s new hits and everybody was dancing to everything I played.

At the end of the day Michael and Dana were so happy. They told me, “It was perfect, we couldn’t have asked for anything better”. They were an awesome bride and groom to work for and had great family and friends. I feel comfortable saying it might have been the best Sunday wedding I ever had the honor to DJ.

The beautiful photos are courtesy of Natalie from Reminisce Photos, www.reminisce-photos.com.
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Two Wine Lovers Wed at a Vineyard

Written on June 27, 2012 by in Featured, Mike Walter - Blog

When I was looking over my June schedule this year I saw a reception hall I hadn’t heard of before.  The Duck Walk Vineyards.  My first thought was that it was down in south Jersey where there are a number of nice wineries that also host weddings.  But then I noticed the bride and groom (Charlie and Renata) lived in my hometown of Queens.  I clicked on the link for The Duck Walk and sure enough it was out on Long Island.  And not just out on Long Island but way out on Long Island.  Growing up in Queens I was familiar with Jones Beach and I had cousins in Happauge but this was definitely the furthest out on the island I’d ever been.

When it came to meeting with Charlie and Renata to go over the details for their reception I wanted to be as accommodating as possible.  My parents still live in the house they raised us in so I set up an evening meeting with the bride and groom and then a dinner afterwards with Mom and Dad.  It just so happened that the meeting itself was on the week of Mothers Day so it was a win-win-win for me.  I got to provide great customer service for this client, I got to have dinner with my folks and I got to fulfill my obligation of seeing my Mom for Mothers Day.  I love it when things work out like this!

Charlie and Renata definitely love their wine.  It was a major topic of conversation when we met (besides of course their music and wedding plans) plus they offered me a glass of white wine from their winery.  (I loved it so much I picked up two bottles while I was there for the wedding.)  I was providing music for their ceremony, cocktail hour and reception so we had a lot to discuss.  They had some definite ideas but were also open to some of my suggestions and in the end we put together a very collaborative selection of requests that set the soundtrack for an elegant ceremony, a fun cocktail hour and an upbeat dance floor all night.

When your GPS tells you a drive is going to take three hours, you just double that and get on the road way early.  I met my music mixer at the rest stop at mile 123 on the Parkway and we headed out to Long Island together.  We actually made incredible time going so we were able to stop for some pizza on the way (yes I’m biased but New York pizza is the best!) and still got to The Duck Walk Winery hours early.  It was a beautiful June day but there were clouds threatening (we had driven through some drizzling on the way out) and for a while the outdoor ceremony looked like it might be in jeopardy.  But the day cleared up just in time.  We do a ton of wedding ceremonies on the beach and those are always incredibly picturesque but I have to say a ceremony overlooking a vineyard has a unique and beautiful charm to it.  I have friends who own a DJ company in the wine country in California and for them this setting is standard but for me it was pretty unique and memorable.

Once we got everyone inside and the party started rocking it was a fun night.  Renata is Hungarian and a friend of hers is a DJ so he came up to spin a couple of sets.  This was a great way to integrate her music with the other selections I was playing and it made for a diverse and fun night.  I was thrilled that a few weeks after the reception Renata wrote this very nice review on Wedding Wire:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I wish a lifetime of health and happiness to Charlie and Renata.  May your wine glass always be full!

Charlie and Renata enjoy their first dance

Charlie and Renata cutting their wedding cake

 

Charlie and Renata Enjoy the Beautiful Day at Duck Walk Vineyards

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My First Ordination and Priesthood

Written on June 26, 2012 by in Chuck Crerand - Blog

Let me start by saying I have never DJed an Ordination into Priesthood before. I must admit I was quite nervous coming into this party not knowing what to expect. Luckily for me I was given a very long play list of songs, so there was no worry as to playing the wrong type of music.

The night started off slow. But once dinner was over and everyone had a few drinks in them the party picked right up. I was shocked. I did not expect to have a huge dancing crowd. Needless to say it was a pleasant surprise.

The man who was becoming a priest was Father Jason Pavich. He explained to me that the ordination into priesthood was the equivalent to a marriage, knowing that priests do not get married. It was nice to see priests, nuns, and family were all having a great time together celebrating Father Jason’s ordination.

When all was said and done the party was a total success. Father Jason and his mother and father came up to me and thanked me for a wonderful job. I am so happy that all of our guests at the party decided to get up and dance and celebrate making my job that much easier. It made me feel like I was at a wedding and not an ordination into priesthood.

There was a lesson there for me to learn that day. Catholic priests and nuns do know how to have a good time without crossing the line. I have never had so much fun with the Catholic clergy.

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The Sweet 16/50th Birthday

Written on June 25, 2012 by in Chuck Crerand - Blog

This was a combination of Peter’s 50th birthday party and Julianna’s 16th. They gave me all the important songs and also told me that they were having a Frank Sinatra impersonator. I got in touch with the impersonator a few weeks before the party. I’ve always found it easier to plan ahead when working with other entertainers so I know what to expect.

This impersonator was great.  Not only did he look just like Frank Sinatra, he sounded like him and he even had some comedy in between the songs. My favorite line that he said all night was: “If you have any requests… Keep them to yourself”. After “Frank Sinatra” finished it was my turn to open up the dance floor.

I started off with some newer music and mixed in some classic rock. Overall the party was a total success. I would’ve loved to have the party go later but it was in their backyard and there was the town’s sound ordinance of 10 PM.

This party was definitely an experience for me as a DJ. I have done combined birthday parties before but never such a difference in the age of the birthdays. When I go back and think about it, I really programmed the night of music as if I was DJing a wedding. The family most definitely had a lot of fun. I hope I get to entertain for them again someday soon.

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Highland Park Senior Prom

Written on June 23, 2012 by in Chuck Crerand - Blog
I know what you’re thinking, Highland Park High School Senior Class Prom. Well I hate to say it but that’s wrong. This was the Highland Park Senior Citizens Prom.This particular day was an over 90° day. So I make my way to Highland Park. They have a Senior/Youth Center where they hold events for kids and senior citizens. The name of my contact was Kim Perkins. Kim tells me that they’ve been doing the Senior Prom for eight years. The DJ that they normally use is also the chief of the fire department. Unfortunately this year he had knee surgery so he could not DJ this event. So I’m the very first DJ outside the Township to ever have the honor to DJ the Senior Prom.

The room was set up to coordinate with this theme “Under the Stars”. So you can imagine there was glitter and stars, a beautiful set up for the senior citizens. The Senior/Youth Center had lots of volunteers to help decorate, coordinate and serve the food to the senior citizens that attended. They had set up a backdrop for everyone to get their picture taken, they also had ballots to vote on this year’s Prom King and Prom Queen. The prom was set to start at 5 PM and end at 8 PM. Well as most senior citizens do they started showing up at 4:30 PM.

To start off the night I played some what I like to call “Rat Pack Music”. This consists of, as you can imagine, Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin, Sammy Davis Jr., Tony Bennett, and so on and so forth. Dinner was being served right away. And it took about 20 minutes for them to get the food out and about another 15 for all of the guests to eat. Of course I kept the dinner music a little older, classic, very low-key for them to enjoy while they ate.

Right before I opened up the dance floor I’m introduced to the Chief of Police. He informs me that every year him and handful of officers volunteer their time to dance with all the senior citizens. I thought that was awesome. So now it is time for me to open up the dance floor. Of course I got requests for everything from big band, classic rock of the 50s, 60s, 70s. Now all that is great but I as a DJ love to see a dance floor no matter what type of music I play. So I was very particular of which songs from which decade I played.

Now it was time to open the dance floor. But I did ask myself, What if they don’t dance? Well let me tell you, they danced! They danced to just about everything I played.. Of course I played a lot of slow music I played line dances such as the electric slide. I even did a hora, only because someone had requested that I do that. We crowned our new King and Queen. They also had a very special song to dance to, Unchained Melody.

Now it was time for dessert. They had some cake and they had some coffee. Just as everyone started showing up early, people started to leave early but a handful of people did stay until 8 PM. At the end of the night the Chief of Police came up to me to tell me he’s never seen them dance so much. All the guys told me they had a great time.

I took some pictures for you guys so you can see how much fun they had that night.

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Jerry and Peggy’s New Jersey Wedding is Picture Perfect

Written on June 20, 2012 by in Featured, Mike Walter - Blog, Uncategorized

Peggy and Jerry on the dance floor at Clarks Landing

Like so many couples, when Peggy and Jerry booked with us they came to one of our Private Showcases.  But when our performance was done they were stuck with a dilemma.  They wanted me to MC their wedding but they also loved how Phil Walsh sang during the showcase.  They were torn between the two of us and of course I assured them that whoever they booked they’d be in great hands.  They ultimately made the right choice, er . . . I mean, they decided to go with me.

As their wedding approached and we met to discuss specifics, Peggy reminded me of this and asked if Phil was available for her wedding.  He was, indeed.  Then she asked, “Would he consider being your music mixer?” I told her I’d ask.

Phil Walsh sings the wedding song for Peggy and Jerry

The way our system works, once one of our staff members gets through training and becomes an MC, the amount of events they music mix at trickles down and eventually stops altogether.  The money isn’t nearly the same and for someone like Phil, with a wife and a kid, when he’s off on a Friday night he usually wants to be home.  So Mr. Walsh probably hasn’t music mixed at an event in almost ten years.  But sure enough when I reached out to him he said he’d do it.  He not only agreed to mix but also to learn their wedding song so he could sing it for them.

When the night of the wedding came I just knew it was going to be an awesome night.  The weather was perfect for mid-June: warm and sunny but not hot and humid.  Their banquet hall, Clark’s Landing, sits right on the Manasquan River and between the views and the great weather it was just a perfect setting.  Peggy and Jerry had a summer/beach theme for their wedding and we accommodated that even starting with their cocktail hour music.

Then we moved upstairs and the party got going.  After energetic introductions and Phil singing Keith Urban’s “Only You Can Love Me This Way” we opened up the dance floor with great success.  From the first song to the last song of the party the dance floor was jammed with happy people.  There are some celebrations where the joy in the room is almost palpable and Peggy and Jerry’s wedding was one of them.  Plus, for me, working with Phil made this a special night.  He’s been with Elite Entertainment for over a decade and besides being a great entertainer, Phil and I have become friendly outside of work as well.  So even though we’ve played golf and gone to ballgames together, it’d literally been years and years since we worked a wedding side by side.  So getting to see him in action and also hear him sing a few songs was a real treat.

Here I am Leading a Sing-Along

Besides hiring us to DJ their wedding, Peggy and Jerry also contracted our photography division (Elite Digital Images) and our videography division (Elite Video Productions) to capture their day.  The pictures in this blog were taken by Lynn Monaco of EDI and I can’t wait to see the final product from EVP.  Tom Monaco was behind the lens that night and it certainly looked like he was getting some incredible footage.

 

Congratulations to Peggy and Jerry!  I thank you for giving Phil and me a chance to work together again and I wish you a lifetime of health and happiness!

 

The Dance Floor was like this all night

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Jamie & Rob 5-25-12 @ The Westwood

Written on June 6, 2012 by in Dominic Sestito - Blog, Featured
As a DJ, providing music and sound for ceremonies is always nerve-racking. I want to make sure the microphone sounds great so you can hear the bride and groom’s vows, what the officiant is saying, and hear any readings clearly. I want to make sure that the music is an appropriate level and we segue the songs very nicely for prelude, processional, and recessional. I also think I get nervous because out of the 80-90 events I do a year, I only provide ceremony music at about 20 of them so I don’t do it as often.
For Jamie and Rob’s wedding on May 25, they had Jamie’s godfather, Father Don, officiate their ceremony which was very cool to see because he was able to really personalize the ceremony to the bride and groom.
Jamie did most of the planning by herself and with the help of friends and family since Rob was in the Marines and overseas during the planning process. I got to know Jamie pretty well, but unfortunately I didn’t have the pleasure of meeting Rob until the day of the wedding. Getting to know Jamie, I knew that this event would be a ton of fun. Jamie is easy-going mellow but likes to have fun. Then when I met Rob the day of the party, I could tell although he was a marine and needed to be serious at times, he definitely could cut loose and have some fun.
I did a lot of video and music editing for Jamie and Rob. We provided a montage during their first dance with photos of the newly married couple. I also pre-recorded both Jamie and Rob separately and played their wedding vows over the final minute of their first dance. Now to say the entire room was moved by this was an understatement. When you can make a marine cry tears of joy, it makes those late hours in the lab well well worth it.

We threw on some music videos once the party started and had the dance floor rockin’ to everything from Pitbull to Bob Seger. Young, old, and everywhere in between… it didn’t matter. Every guest at this party had a great time and you can tell that they were truly happy to be there celebrating for both Jamie and Rob on their wedding day. From start to finish, the preplanning, the editing, and running the event, this is what makes my job worth it!
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Kelly & Anthony 5/12/12 @ English Manor

Written on June 1, 2012 by in Dominic Sestito - Blog, Featured
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Here at Elite we love every bride and groom that we get to work with. But if you ask any of our entertainers on staff they will tell you that you just click with some brides and grooms better than others. On May 12th, I had the great privilege of entertaining for the guests of Kelly and Anthony at the English Manor and they were just one of those couples where we clicked very, very well from the start.

Getting to work with the staff at the English Manor, as well as Lynn and Carrie from Elite Digital Images, is awesome in itself. But when you have a bride and groom that give you six requests and say “Throw a great party!”, you know you’re in for a good time. When I have a couple that just wants to party it takes a lot of the pressure off the day for me as a DJ, because I know that all they truly care about is their guests having a great time at the reception.
Once we were set up at the English Manor, I sought out my bride and groom to just say hello and let them know that we’re all set up and ready to go. On this day when I found Anthony and Kelly, Anthony pulled me aside in typical Italian fashion to settle the balance. Now of course I understand this, being Italian myself, even though I repeated to him over and over again that this could wait till ended the event. But he insisted on doing it right then and I just found it really funny.
This event was smooth all around and the guests wanted to dance and party. It really wasn’t like work for any of us. At the end of the event both Kelly and Anthony came up to me and expressed their gratitude for the job well done. What was important to me was that we had impressed them so much that Anthony literally took every single business card that I had on me that night to hand out to friends and family and anybody that he knew that would be getting married.
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