It’s always fascinating to see how members of our staff came to this profession.  Some answered wants ads while others were approached by our owner because they displayed the right personality or talents.  But for Rich Savner, it all started at his sister’s wedding.  We were the DJs hired by Rich’s sister Jacki and while Rich enjoyed the reception as any brother would, he also kept thinking in the back of his mind, “that looks like a cool job.”  So he called us soon after and got his DJ career going.

Rich has a great combination of traits that make him a natural for this business: he’s got an outgoing personality, he’s good looking and clean cut and he’s a nice guy.  Throw in a quick wit and a love of dancing and you’ve got, as they say in baseball, a 5 tool player.  For Rich, DJing isn’t even really work.  As he tells us: “I love the idea of working hard for 5 days a week, either in work or school, then getting cleaned up and having fun all night long.”  And when we asked him if he had a favorite type of event he threw the net out as wide as possible: “One where people are happy and up tempo … as long as it has the potential to let people enjoy themselves.”

As far as musical tastes, Rich’s run the gamut.  And he tells us it’s all because of his family: “My grandparents showed me big band, crooners, Bing Crosby etc. My parents turned me on to the 60′s and 70′s music. My two oldest sisters showed me the music of the 80′s and early 90′s. My youngest older sister and I love the music of the mid 90′s to the present day . . . so I’ve got about 80 years worth of music covered across four generations!”

Rich is proud to be a Jersey Boy.  He proclaims himself “Jersey born, Jersey bred, Jersey for life!”  Even his education, he tells us, has been all Garden State: “Tiny tots preschool, St. Veronica’s Grammar school (Howell), St. Rose High School (Belmar) and Seton Hall University (South Orange).  He’s currently studying to become a teacher and as an avid and accomplished runner he also hopes to coach track.

So why Rich for your special event?  As he tells us in his own words “If you allow me to, I’ll seize the moment and take the opportunity to give you the celebration of a lifetime!” What more could you ask for?

Rich hasn’t written any blogs just yet but check back soon. Or head over to our official blog to read more

• Different Strokes for Different Folks

  Normally my blogs are on the great weddings that I’ve had the absolute honor and privilege of entertaining at, but in this case, I’ve decided to expand a little further onto the spectrum of celebrations, to a 25th wedding anniversary. On Saturday, April 27th, I was able to help Jamie Okozko surprise her parents, Joanne and Lester, at the Galloping Hill Caterer’s Club, in Union. I had previously entertained at their friend’s 25th wedding anniversary back in September, and was looking forward to matching the high level of success from that party. I thought this would be a tall order, but because of the wide range of music requested, I catered to the “Different Strokes for Different Folks”, and this group was absolutely amazing. Jamie originally gave me a list of Top 40, Classic Rock, Oldies and Country. I was instructed to play country during dinner, and stick to the rest of the playlist the rest of the night. Let me say, Jamie knew what she was talking about when she said this. People were clapping to the beat as they rocked out to songs like “Toes” and “Chicken Fried” by Zac Brown Band as they enjoyed their meal. But once dinner was done, we got the party rolling hitting Classic Rock and Top 40 songs like “Shook Me All Night Long” by ACDC and “Party Rock Anthem” by LMFAO. After a short break in the action, the Swing and Lindy crowd made there presence known with classic hits like “In the Mood” by Glenn Miller Band. Not to be outdone, the Motown fans wanted some of the classics, like “Respect” by Aretha Franklin, “I Will Survive” by Gloria Gaynor and “We are Family” by Sister Sledge. I can go on and on with various requests that ran the musical gamut from hip hop, to big band and electronic dance music, but words truly cannot do the guests at this party justice. Everyone walked away satisfied and with a smile on their faces, and it was my pleasure to oblige. Behind all of this was the love shown between these two people who have found 25 years of marriage, and will undoubtedly find another 25 just as wonderful! Congratulations to Lester and Joanne Okozko!

• Sandy Kept ‘Em Shufflin’!

  On this past Friday, November 9th, Jay and Corrine Field took it upon themselves to, as Jay put it to Mike Walter and myself, “Throw a big party since everyone has had it so rough. It just so happens that I’ll get married and pick the the check!” Well Jay, both you and Corrine certainly did the trick for the guests at your wedding! This group ran the gamut for musical taste anywhere from salsa, to Bon Jovi, and everything in between. However, in all of this, the one person who showed me these people couldn’t be put down by the super storm aftermath was Mike Walter. WIth a packed dance floor towards the end of the evening, Mike began to blast “Party Rock Anthem” by LMFAO through the speakers. This is normally a song that people always dance to, but on this particular occasion, a bridesmaid and groomsmen found themselves doing a little bit more than shuffling! This bridesmaid (wearing a pair of black reebok sneakers) just went crazy bouncing all around the dance floor, and this groomsmen went “toe to toe” with her. As an entertainer, I love to see people with a genuine look of joy on their faces, and thats what these people had. I looked at Mike as this random tandem bopped around the floor, and he said to me “I love seeing people have a good time like that!” I could not have agreed more. And it’s true: as a DJ, thats what its all about: giving people the chance to forget everything else and enjoy themselves. It was a distinct privilege for Corrine and Jay to have chosen Elite Entertainment to provide these memories. On Behalf of Mike and myself, we hope that no matter what the weather is, EVERYDAY your shuffling!

• Tracy & Christian at the Waterview Pavilion in Belmar 9/8/12

  This past saturday, September 8th, Kris Abrahamsen and I were lucky enough to help Tracy Maciolek and Christian Capron celebrate their wedding. Their ceremony took place at St. Rose Church in Belmar (My High School Alma Mater) and then took a quick trip down the block to the Waterview Pavilion, overlooking the Belmar Marina. With the nautical scenery everywhere you turned, it seemed the location was appropriate given the groom attended the Naval Academy, and brought several of his fellow midshipmen along as groomsmen in the bridal party! Christian and Tracy were headed to Guantanamo Bay, Cuba for their “honeymoon” after their wedding, But before the night was over, there was a moment that left everyone laughing and smiling ear to ear.

  The graduates of the Naval Academy in attendance were big fans of the movie Top Gun. They were also Righteous Brother fans as well, and saw fit to show tracy just how much they loved both. With “You’ve Lost That Loving Feeling” playing in the background, and Tracy seated in the middle of the dance floor, a group of 8 men of the navy weren’t singing “Anchors away” but rather mimicked the bar scene out of Top Gun singing “Baby, you’ve lost, that loving feeling!” to the most beautiful woman in the building that night: Tracy. Family and friends were left in tears laughing at this scene, and boy did it make for a great moment on camera! We at Elite Entertainment would like to thank Christian and the rest of the midshipmen for all of their services in an effort to defend this country, and wish Christian and Tracy Capron the very best in their travels together! Anchors away!

• Kim & Matthew at The Lobster Shanty

  This past Friday, I had the pleasure of working with several members of the Elite Staff at the Lobster Shanty in Point Pleasant, to cap off Kim and Matt’s special day. After having their ceremony at St. Denis Church in Brielle, and pictures just up the road on the beach, Phil Walsh and I got the party rolling early and often. With Carrie Roberts and Lynn Monaco of Elite Digital Images taking pictures, there wasn’t a single moment missed for our Bride and Groom, with guests singing “Shout!” You could practically feel there was an overall upbeat mood in the air! As first course was served, the groom and several of his friends began to banter by the bar, when one of his friends approached Elite videographer and Emcee, Chris Monaco to request the song “How Bizarre” by OMC. Matt seemed to think the idea was absurd, but allowed the antics to proceed. Phil, Chris and I all continued to laugh over the “bizarre” request. As dinner was served, there was an overall buzz in our harbor backdropped reception hall, as though guests were anxious to get out of their seats. Here was Phil and my chance to play the groom’s friends request! We cued up the OMC hit, and we looked around for the groom and his friends. After a moment of searching, we spotted Matt leading a conga line of his friends out of the Elite Photo Booth, draped in leprechaun hats, pig tail wigs, and maracas singing “How bizarre, how bizarre, how bizarre!” It made for a great moment on film and from the camera, and one that I’m sure Matt, AND Kim will not soon forget. Though Kim chose not to partake in the shenanigans, you could truly see that she had a smile on her face that said “This is why i married this guy, because he can make me smile and laugh”. I wish Matt and Kim all the best in their future endeavors, and many years of happy marriage together!