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Jason and Lauren And Their “Theatrical” Wedding Celebration

Written on March 11, 2013 by Mike Walter in Featured, Mike Walter - Blog, Uncategorized

At one point in the middle of Jason and Lauren‘s wedding, when the dance floor was jam packed and the energy in the room just couldn’t get any higher, I said on the microphone, “I love theater people!” The guests erupted in applause and when I made eye contact with Lauren she smiled from ear to ear. This was a truly unbelievable celebration.

When I met with Jason and Lauren they had shared with me their love of theater. They are both involved in community productions and they also have a passion for all things theatrical, both live performances and movies. In fact they asked me if I could do a mix for their cocktail hour of all Movie Themes and I happily obliged (’cause that’s how I roll). And as the saying goes “Birds of a feather flock together,” so it only made sense that so many of their guests were “theater people” too. So when I blurted out “I love theater people” it was based simply on the fact that, in my experience, actors and people involved in the arts tend to cut loose more easily. They are more apt to dance and enjoy themselves, especially early in the night. Jason and Lauren’s family and friends were a perfect example of this.

One of the unique things that Jason and Lauren wanted to do was change the order of events in the beginning of the reception. After cocktail hour the “template” says to do bridal party introductions, followed by first dance, parents dances and then the toasts. This is the format we use at probably about 90% of our weddings. Jason and Lauren wanted things a little different. They asked if I could get all their guests around the dance floor before I introduced them. Then, instead of going into their first dance could I play Hava Nagilah and lead their family and friends in The Hora? Once again, I happily obliged (’cause as I mentioned, that’s how I roll).

This was actually an awesome way to start the celebration for Jason and Lauren. I think it set the tone for what would be a great dance party. It let the guests know right out of the gate that this was a festive occasion.

Jason and Lauren gave me very few requests and no restrictions (ie. there wasn’t anything they didn’t want to hear). As a wedding DJ it’s rare to get this much free rein over the programming and to be honest it put a little added pressure on me. After all, if I couldn’t get people up I had no one to blame but myself. Thankfully, that was never a problem. From the opening Hora through the last dance, whenever there wasn’t food being served Lauren and Jason had a full dance floor. A lot of that success can attributed to our newlyweds. Lauren and Jason were on the dance floor almost the entire night. And in my experience, having a bride and groom out on the dance floor is a sure fire way to get a lot of people up.

Besides the packed dance floor this was a fun evening for me because I got to work with a lot of cool people. The wedding was held at Doolan’s in Spring Lake and Bob was the Maitre d’. Bob and I go back to his days at The Old Mill Inn and it’s always fun to work with him. Lauren and Jason had also put their full faith in the Elite family. Besides booking me for the entertainment, they booked our photography company, Elite Digital Images, our video company, Elite Video Productions and they added on our uplighting and photo booth. They were even nice enough to pose for a picture with the “Elite Crew”.

My thanks to Carrie from Elite Digital Images for providing me with these great shots:

Lauren Leading the Ladies in a Sing-Along

Jason and the Boys Try to Match the Ladies

Yeah, it was that kind of night!

From Left to Right: Jon Z who worked the lights, that’s Nick from the Photo Booth hiding back there, David Friedman music mixer extraordinaire, MC Mike Walter, Lauren and Jason, Carrie from Elite Digital Images, Davide Fuoco with the Photo Booth and Chris Monaco from Elite Video Productions. What a team!

As I said this was truly an unbelievable celebration. My congratulations to Jason and Lauren. Here’s wishing you a lifetime of health and happiness. Mazel Tov!

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Victoria and Tom “Finally” get Married and Celebrate!

Written on February 25, 2013 by Mike Walter in Mike Walter - Blog

When I first sat down with Victoria and Tom to discuss details for their wedding (way back in October of 2012) I was immediately excited to DJ their wedding. This is a couple that loves dance music, and especially some of the great disco songs that came out of the 70s and early 80s. And not just the popular ones but some really great but obscure songs like Arpeggio’s “Love and Desire” , “I Haven’t Stopped Dancing Yet” by Gonzalez and The Trammps “That’s Where All The Happy People Go.”

Unfortunately for Vicky and Tom, their original wedding date had to be postponed due to Hurricane Sandy. When Vicky called me with some dates that worked for their banquet hall (The Molly Pitcher in Red Bank) I told her we could definitely accommodate any date because even if I wasn’t personally available one of my other DJs could do it. But even as I said those words I was thinking, “I WANT TO DJ THIS EVENT!” So I was very relieved when they picked a Saturday in February where I was available.

The delayed wedding gave us a chance to have some fun with their introductions. Vicky and Tom had originally selected Barry White’ “First Last and Everything” to be introduced to but with the new date they changed it to Ce Ce Peniston’s “Finally.” Before I introduced them for the first time as husband and wife I added said, “After a delay cause by Hurricane Sandy I can finally introduce to you…”

When I have a music list like Vicky and Tom’s I get a little anxious hoping that their guests respond to their songs. I could tell by the attention to detail this couple had put into selecting the songs that they really love their music. And they love to dance. So as I prepped my music list and made some edits in advance of their wedding, I was secretly praying that their guests shared their passion. I’m happy to say that everyone did. From the first dance song of the night through to Donna Summer’s “Last Dance” (what else would you end a Disco-heavy night with?) the dance floor was jammed all night. And nothing brings this DJ more joy than seeing a packed dance floor and knowing that my mixing and programming has something to do with it.

Besides getting the chance to play some awesome songs that I don’t often have the opportunity to spin, I loved Vicky and Tom’s wedding because of the people I worked with. The Maitre d at The Molly Pitcher was a man named Cristian who I have worked with for many years (either at The Molly Pitcher or the Oyster Point). Cristian is one of those uber-cool Maitre d’s who is great to work with. He just makes everyone feel comfortable and at ease. I also worked with a photographer named Anthony from Innovative Productions who was fun and easy to get along with. Plus the Elite crew on site consisted of myself, my music mixer David Friedman and both Chris and Tom Monaco who were running the add-ons (Up-lighting and plasma TV). Nothing ratchets up the pressure more than beat mixing with a Monaco in the room but I’m happy to say I rose to the occasion.

Vicky and Tom headed to Aruba this morning on their honeymoon but before they did Vicky sent me this text message:

Nothing in my professional life, and I do mean nothing, compares with the feeling I get when I receive feedback like this from a bride and groom. With my own wedding looming (is that the right word?) just 5 weeks away I understand the importance that couple’s place on everything going right that day. I’m so thrilled that Vicky and Tom, after waiting all this extra time, are “finally” happily married.

Here are some photos Tom and Chris took for the zap shots that went up on the plasma screen.

Vicky having fun Me mixing and apparently I had someone admiring my work David Friedman hard at work

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Are Bridal Shows Worth Attending?

Written on January 7, 2013 by Mike Walter in Featured, Mike Walter - Blog

I realize the title of this blog is pretty broad based, but as we enter the busy Winter Season in this industry (and by “busy” I mean with couples reserving their services for weddings later in the year or next year) it is most likely a question that will pop into your head. Bridal Shows take place on week nights (when you’ve probably worked all day long) or during the day on weekends (when, let’s face it, we all cherish our downtime) so while you consider going to a Bridal Show you may also be thinking, “Can’t I just stay home and all see all this stuff online?”

My answer to the main question here is a resounding: “YES! Bridal Shows are worth attending!” In fact, I’d go one step further and say you owe it to yourself to attend at least one or two throughout the planning of your wedding.

I’ll take it from an entertainment point of view to begin with, since, well, as you can imagine, that’s what we do. The famous Wedding Planner David Tutera, in a blog he wrote about the importance of music at a wedding, said: “Whether you choose a band, DJ, or a combination of the two for your wedding entertainment, request to see and hear your musicians/emcee in action before signing the contract.” I happen to think that is excellent advice (not that David Tutera needs my endorsement) but the problem here in New Jersey is that most banquet halls do not allow “pop-in’s” (a pop-in is when a prospective bride and groom “pop-in” to a banquet hall and peak in at someone else’s wedding to check out the entertainment.) And when I say “problem” it’s not like I disagree with the banquet halls when it comes to this policy. I happen to think when we are all working for a specific couple that day we should all be focused on that one Wedding and not be thinking about selling to a future couple at the same time. So when I say “problem” I mean, if you’re going to follow Mr. Tutera’s advice, what are you going to do?

Well, that’s where Bridal Shows or Private DJ Showcases come in. These are opportunities for you to “see and hear” your wedding entertainment before booking them. And when it comes to entertainment, nothing beats the live experience.

Video clips are great. They will often show how packed a DJ or band can get your dance floor, and how eloquent your MC can be. And we here at Elite Entertainment certainly have our share of videos, not only of each MC but also showing our lighting and other upgrades. But we all know the reality when it comes to these videos, don’t we? They are the best of the best and they are edited artfully enough to show “the highlights.” In other words, be impressed if the videos impress you . . .be intrigued if they are intriguing, but take the next step and ask, “this is great, how can we see you live?” Because any reputable entertainment company for your wedding will showcase often enough that you should have a myriad of options to “see them live.” Don’t take “No” for an answer.

So that’s the entertainment answer but I’d also like to expand on this, if I may. Let’s say you have entertainment booked already. Is it still worth attending a Bridal Show? Can’t you see a photographer’s “portfolio” online? Or examples of a videographer’s work on their Youtube or Vimeo channel? What’s the difference if you see a wedding gown in the bridal shop or on a model at a show? And a limos a limo right? Well, yeah sure, but in my experience, the vendors who attend shows are often (notice I said “often” and not “always”) the more professional vendors. They are usually professionals who do this full-time and who understand part of running a successful business, no matter how many word-of-mouth referrals they may get, is getting out and meeting new prospective clients. And (and this may just be me and my old-school thinking) nothing can replace a face-to-face impression. I would much rather meet someone, shake their hand and look them in the eye, and then find out about their work. I would rather speak to someone in person than on the phone (even if it’s a video chat.) And I would much rather go where professionals are looking for me, rather than trusting a Google search.

So as you think about planning your wedding, and you wonder where oh where are you going to find the right entertainment, photographer, florist etc etc etc, I urge you to attend a bridal show (or two or three). Besides researching companies to hire, they can also be fun evenings (or afternoons) to spend with your Maid of Honor or Mom (who are probably dieing to help you with the plans.) Plus, most bridal shows have some kind of door prizes so you may even leave a winner. Who knows. And if you don’t think it was all worth it, please, don’t blame me. Blame David Tutera.

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We Won the Year End Awards Again!

Written on December 12, 2012 by Mike Walter in Featured, Mike Walter - Blog, Uncategorized

The 2 main web sites for the wedding industry (The Knot and Wedding Wire) have been announcing annual awards for quite some time now. When they first started, we were pretty thrilled to make the lists as it seemed a very exclusive acknowledgement. As time has gone on it seems more and more vendors make the cut every year. The cynic might say that’s because these sites have figured out a way to monetize these awards and so the more companies who win them the more profit involved. Of course, we’re not cynics, so we’ll just chalk it up to the ever-increasing popularity of the internet.

That being said, we were named to both “Best of” lists once again this year:

The awards are great and even if they’ve become less exclusive through the years here’s one thing we can say (that not everyone else can):

The Knot has given their award out for seven straight years (since 2007). We’ve been named “Best of Weddings” for all seven.

Wedding Wire has given their award out since 2009 and we’ve been named a “Bride’s Choice” for all five years.

That’s a perfect twelve for twelve if you’re keeping score at home.

Since both of these recognitions come from actual brides (and probably some grooms too) who rate their wedding vendors on these sites thus supplying them with the data to make these “best of” lists, we can only thank our wonderful clients for all the great things they have to say about us. It is always our pleasure to entertain for the couples who put their ultimate faith in our service and the way we look at these awards is just simply all of our hard work paying off. So thank you to our past brides and grooms and to everyone getting married in 2013 (and beyond) you have our promise that we’ll continue the excellent service that we’ve become known for.

After all, we wouldn’t want these streaks to end, now would we?

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Two Teachers Say “I Do!”

Written on December 10, 2012 by Mike Walter in Featured, Mike Walter - Blog

Is there anything cooler than two teachers being introduced into their wedding reception to the thunderous drum roll of “Hot For Teacher?” On Saturday, November 17^th I had the honor of pulling that feat off. And as Ben and Mary’s guests went nuts while they walked in (with David Lee Roth screaming “got it bad got it bad got it bad”) I knew this was going to be a special night.

Ben and Mary were a fun couple to work with. They picked out a handful of songs and each and every one of them were good, solid dance floor fillers. And the songs matched my goal of providing a good mix of music with older songs like “Build Me Up Buttercup” and “Sweet Caroline” to eighties hits like “Shook Me All Night Long” and of course Bon Jovi’s “Living On a Prayer” and some newer dance songs like “We Found Love” and “Dynamite.” Ben and Mary’s family and friends were receptive to everything and the dance floor was filled all night.

The wedding was in The Crystal Ballroom at the Radisson in Freehold and this was my first time working there since they installed lighting in their ceiling panels. What a difference that makes! This room that was already pretty cool now comes alive once they light that up and start using the effects. I loved it. Plus I got to finally work with a photographer from Abella Studios. I’ve followed Abella on Twitter for a while now and they are very entertaining. They also blog after their weddings so I’m looking forward to seeing the images they put up.

Mary was nice enough to leave me this very complimentary Wedding Wire review.

When I read it I was very happy to see she mentioned that I get to know my clients and make them feel special and would do anything to make their day perfect. I think if you could sum up everything that my career has been about, that would hit the nail on the head. Thanks Mary for that awesome review! I wish you and Ben the very best in your new life together as husband and wife!

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Stephanie and Mike Celebrate their Nuptials Three Weeks Later Than Planned

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

When you think about all the people whose lives were disrupted by Hurricane Sandy, you need to consider the couples who were scheduled to get married the weekend immediately after the storm hit. Many of them went forward with their weddings (some finding a different facility at the last minute because theirs was damaged or without power) and some postponed to a later date. At Elite Entertainment we worked with so many of these couples (and actually still are working with some) and our hearts just broke for them. To put all of that time and energy into the planning of this day, only to have it altered in such a way, was enough to drive some people crazy.

That’s why I have to say working with Stephanie and Mike, whose wedding I personally DJed on November 24^th, was such a pleasure. They were originally scheduled to get married at The Breakers in Spring Lake on November 3^rd. Breakers survived the storm with no damage but the problem was Spring Lake (like so much of New Jersey) had no power that first week — so Stephanie and Mike postponed till Thanksgiving weekend. Kris Abrahamsen was originally scheduled to be their DJ but he was not available. Meanwhile Thanksgiving weekend is a time I usually take off so my schedule was wide open. I was happy to step in and even happier when Stephanie and Mike said “of course we’ll take the owner!”

I met with Stephanie a week before her new wedding date. Kris had already gotten all of her information and requests but I was glad she was willing to come in to the office and talk with me about her day. I am old school in that I still believe a face-to-face meeting is the best way to get to know someone and from the minute Stephanie walked in my office I knew one thing: this Bride was not thrown off by Hurricane Sandy. I mean, who could blame her if she was, right? The wedding day now pushed back three weeks and she’s got a whole different DJ! But Stephanie’s attitude was awesome and upbeat and I knew from that initial meeting that this was going to be a special celebration. And that it was.

Stephanie and Mike had added our full room up-lighting and I have to say, as nice of a room as The Breakers has, we made that ballroom even more beautiful. Stephanie and Mike’s bridal party each came in to a different song and every couple was very cool about it, getting into it so much that one couple dressed in 80s attire (and came in to “Pour Some Sugar”) while another had Lightsabers (and came in to “The Star Wars Theme”). By the time I introduced Stephanie and Mike it was already a raucous celebration. And things would only get better.

Stephanie and Mike had picked out a lot of music and even a fair amount of, what we call, audience participation. I led everything from “The Electric Slide” to “The Cupid Shuffle” and even “The Chicken Dance”. And while these dances are certainly not for everyone, I can tell you the dance floor was packed for each one. And there was plenty of free style dancing as well. Everything from oldies like “Brown Eyed Girl” to newer songs like the 2012 anthem: “We Found Love.” Stephanie and Mike danced all night, their bridal party danced all night and just about every one of their guests danced all night as well. By the last song, (their choice: “Don’t Stop Believing”) I think we had drained just about all of the energy out of the room.

I worked with a photographer I had never met before. A very cool gentleman by the name of Bruce Stowers of Pro One Event Photography. Bruce was nice enough to send me these images from the reception:

Here I am with my music mixer Rob Habermann

Stephanie and Mike Celebrating!

It’s fun to stay at the . . .

And speaking of nice gestures, Stephanie hopped on Wedding Wire and gave me this glowing review:

I wish Stephanie and Mike all the luck in the world in their new life together as husband and wife. And I hope I get the chance to party with this group again sometime in the future.

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Jason and Corrine Throw a Great Celebration to Begin Their Married Life Together

Written on November 19, 2012 by Mike Walter in Featured, Mike Walter - Blog

I don’t mind owning and running a DJ business but I always say: I hate when the administrative end of things takes more of my time and energy than what I actually love to do: and that’s DJ at weddings.

That was never more obvious than the first two weeks of November this year. As anyone from the Tri-State area can tell you, Hurricane Sandy tore through our area and left things in quite a mess. And while I was one of the lucky ones who got no damage at my home or my office, the aftermath of Sandy was not without its trials and tribulations for Elite Entertainment: moving operations to my house because we still had no power at the office, communicating with so many brides and grooms who were displaced by banquet halls that were damaged… the list goes on. It was basically two weeks of headaches followed by migraines.

So by the time I got to Friday, November 9^th I was ready for something different. I was ready to do what I do best (and what I certainly love best). I was ready to DJ a wedding!

Thankfully, Jason and Corrine had entrusted their celebration in my hands and there was no way I was going to let them down. Jason and Corrine were getting married and hosting their reception at Season’s all the way up in Washington Township. Needless to say I got on the road super early and made it on site super early as well.

I was working with Richard Savner who is one of our up and coming super star DJs. Richard was my music mixer for the night and he actually penned his own blog about this wedding already. We were both determined to shake off the blues that Sandy had spread across the region and show these people a great time. I’m proud to say we did that. And then some.

Jason and Corrine are an awesome couple and we clicked very well in our month-before review when we sat down to go over the details for their reception. Their main message was: we want to dance! And I got that message loud and clear. From the beginning of the night all the way through till the party ended at 12:30am, the dance floor was jammed with happy people. Everyone had that attitude of “We made it through the storm. Now let’s party.”

One of the things I loved about Jason and Corrine is that they are both HUGE Dave Matthews fans, and they wanted his music played at significant times of their reception, but they also knew enough not to over-do it. We used Dave Matthews’ songs for introductions, they danced their first dance together as husband and wife to Dave’s new song “Belly Full” and we also did a DMB song for cake cutting. Plus we ended the evening with a pair of Dave Matthews’ songs. But Jason and Corrine didn’t expect me to get everyone dancing to Ant’s Marching or anything. They recognize that there’s a time and place for everything and they chose the perfect time and place to hear their favorite artist.

Jason and Corrine are also incredibly involved people. She’s a nurse and he’s a police officer. I think, now more than ever, after the devastating effects of Hurricane Sandy, I’ve gained a deeper respect for anyone who chooses a career like that. I thank Jason and Corrine for their service to our communities and also for having me DJ their wedding. It was a thrill for me to be a part of this one and I wish them both nothing short of a lifetime of health and happiness!

Here’s a photo Corrine posted on Facebook. It was my first time working with their photographer Kristina Traficante but I hope to see her again. It looks like she takes amazing pictures.

And here’s the review this awesome couple wrote on Wedding Wire for me. Thanks for the amazing words!

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Lindsay and Matthew Throw an Incredible Celebration on The Eve of Destruction

Written on November 15, 2012 by Mike Walter in Featured, Mike Walter - Blog, Uncategorized

If you know anything about my personal music taste you know my list of favorites artists goes like this:

1- Prince
2- everyone else

And as a huge Prince fan one of the songs I’m most proud of is “1999“. The way he captured that rare emotional logic that tells us: “bad times may be coming so tonight…Lets Party.”

It was that same emotion that pervaded the wedding reception for Lindsay and Matthew. This wonderful couple got married on October 27^th. By that Saturday the local media was filled with stories of doom and gloom about an incoming hurricane. Hurricane Sandy was its official name although the media in their never-ending race to come up with new and inventive names for disasters had already dubbed it Frankenstorm (It was arriving the week of Halloween after all). So as Lindsay and Matthew’s guests started to arrive at The English Manor it was with that same sense of impending doom that Prince and The Revolution sang of:

“We could all die any day.
But before I let that happen,
I’ll dance my life away.”

Lindsay and Matthew celebrating!

Well if you’re world were going to end tomorrow and you had one last party to attend, I’m glad I had the chance to DJ this one. From the first song of the night till the grand finale Lindsay and Matthew’s family and friends danced defiantly. Without ever saying it every guest had an attitude that said, “Oh no Mother Nature you ain’t raining on this party.”

While Hurricane Sandy was a “perfect storm” because of a confluence of meteorological events (I read that somewhere) Lindsay and Matthew’s wedding had a similar confluence for me. First of all I love working at The English Manor. It’s become almost my home away from home and I couldn’t be happier about that. The staff is awesome, the food superb, and they take such pride in their gardens that the outdoor area is the envy of any New Jersey reception site. Plus Lindsay and Matthew’s photographer was a man I’ve worked with for longer than either one of us care to admit. Emil Bartsche owner of Contemporary Image in Point Pleasant is, to put it mildly, an icon in our area. I’ll never forget the day so many years ago when almost every wedding photographer was telling me why digital photography would never take the place of traditional film, I stopped in to see Emil and he showed me how awesome his digital camera was and the pictures he was getting (not to mention the post-editing options that now were available to anyone willing to invest the time and money into them). I’ve always respected Emil for that. He was about a year or two ahead of that curve and as far as I can tell that’s the definition of being an expert in your field.

There were 2 more factors that made this night stand out for me. Lindsay and Matthew had hired our Video company to shoot their wedding and it just so happened Chris Monaco was the main cameraman. Chris is a great videographer as well as an awesome DJ (when God was handing out talents Chris apparently kept getting back in line) so DJing in front of Chris always brings its own unique set of nerves (oh, Chris also has a biting wit so one screw up in front of him can lead to a never-ending barrage of teasing – I’m happy to say I didn’t give him any fodder for new jokes). And to complete the Grand Slam of nerve racking I just happened to be working with a guest DJ from Virginia named Wyatt Hill. I’d met Wyatt at a DJ convention over the summer and he’d asked if he could come up and check out an “Elite” wedding. Wyatt served as my music mixer at Lindsay and Matthew’s wedding and suffice to say when a guest DJ drives 600 miles to check out one of your events the last thing you want to do all night is explain how you usually get people dancing… Again I’m happy to say Wyatt got to witness and be a part of a pretty phenomenal wedding. Not just the Elite way but in true Jersey style!

Lindsay and Matthew were an awesome couple to work with. Lindsay specifically loves to dance and she was on the dance floor almost all night. As any DJ will tell you having a beautiful bride on the dance floor all night only makes our job about 10 times easier. Because of Hurricane Sandy they were delayed leaving for their honeymoon but they did eventually get away to Antigua. Upon their return Lindsay gave me this incredible Wedding Wire review:

I saw this picture on Lyndsay’s Facebook page and had to share it. Adorable!

My true wish for Lyndsay and Matthew is nothing short of a lifetime of health and happiness.

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Staci and Paul Get Married on the Beach

Written on September 10, 2012 by Mike Walter in Featured, Mike Walter - Blog, Uncategorized

Here’s the thing I remember most about this wedding: Staci and Paul hired us to provide the music for their ceremony. Their wedding reception was at Branches in Long Branch and Branches has a great deal for couples like this who want a beach ceremony. They have a perfect spot right by Seven Presidents Park (which is mere miles from Branches). And even though there is no electric at the location we can provide music (and a microphone for the officiant) because we have this super strength battery that will power our ceremony system for up to two hours. And no ceremony has ever lasted that long.

But this one came close . . .

So we set our main equipment up at Branches and then headed down to the beach to set up for ceremony. As always we were there crazy early so once we set up and sound checked I shut the whole system down (including the battery – no need to waste the juice). When the first guests started to arrive (about 20 minutes before ceremony was scheduled to start) we turned everything back on and started playing prelude music. That’s when the delay began. It turned out that some of the guests had missed the shuttle from the hotel to the beach and so they were sending it back for one more run. And Staci, understandably, wanted to wait till they arrived. So we waited. And waited. All the while I’m looking at this battery we have thinking, you better hold out. You better hold out. So finally the ceremony gets started and their officiant is awesome. But long winded. And he’s going on and on about Staci and Paul and what an awesome couple they are and all I’m doing is looking at the battery thinking, you better hold out. You better hold out. Staci and Paul had selected U2′s “Beautiful Day” as their recessional song and I didn’t want to lose power before their ceremony ended and they got to hear it. So I let out a huge sigh of relief when the ceremony ended and the battery (which had been running for about an hour and forty-five minutes at this point) carried us through the recessional song. I’ll never know how close I was to draining it completely but I’m glad I didn’t find out.

As far as the rest of the day, Staci and Paul and their family and friends were amazing to celebrate with. Other than dinner, there wasn’t a time when the dance floor wasn’t jam packed. I had the pleasure of working with Keith and Fawn from CLB Photo. Suzanne from CLB sent me these amazing pictures to add to this blog:

Staci and Paul during their first dance

Staci Celebrating!

Paul had a great time too!

What a party!

A few weeks after her wedding Staci gave me this amazing review on Wedding Wire:

Congratulations to Staci and Paul and best of luck in your new life together as husband and wife.

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Andrew & Crystal Celebrate Their Engagement

Written on August 28, 2012 by Mike Walter in Featured, Mike Walter - Blog, Uncategorized

As a DJ who performs at mostly Weddings, it’s a nice treat when I see a different occasion come up on the schedule. Although I guess the closest thing to a wedding is an engagement party, especially when the couple has it at a beautiful banquet facility that I’m used to working at (The Waterview Pavilion in Belmar) and even hires a professional photographer who I’ve worked with forever and who takes amazing pictures (Michael Peskin from Michael Angelo Photographers who sent me the images in this blog… thanks Mike!)

Andrew & Crystal are a wonderful couple who basically wanted one thing from me at their engagement party: A Party! Fortunately, that’s right up my alley. I love nothing more than filling a dance floor and feeling the true love and joy of a roomful of family and friends as they celebrate a special occasion. And Saturday night was just that. Once the dinner was over the dance floor was packed all night. I played a wide mix of songs and genres including some bachatas and salsas for Crystal’s side of the family. And even though the power went off with 5 minutes left in the night – it came back on a minute later giving me enoough time to end the night with One More Time (one of my favorite finale songs).

Andrew & Crystal already have Elite reserved to DJ their wedding next summer. Here’s wishing them smooth planning the rest of the way!

Andrew & Crystal leading the Soul Train at their Engagement Party

Andrew & Crystal at The Waterview Pavilion

A Wonderful Couple!

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