It took a while for me to write these blogs since they happened the weekend before Sandy hit…. But it was such a fun weekend as far as Weddings go that I didn’t want to leave them out…
Friday – Ashley & Peter – Flanders Valley Country Club, Flanders NJ
Who:
Ashley & Peter
What:
Ceremony, Cocktail Hour & Wedding Reception
Where:
Flanders Valley Country Club, Flanders NJ
When:
Friday, October 26, 2012
Why:
Why I loved DJing this Event……
- I feel like Ashley’s family have known me all my life, even though I only met them last year. I was the DJ for Ashley’s Sister’s Kim’s wedding in June 2011 as well as family friend’s Roseanne’s Wedding in May 2012. All of them were amazing and Scott & Debra (Ashley’s Parents) have raised a wonderful family.
- The Bridal Party was a lot of fun, ready to party, excited to be there, and dancing throughout the night.
- Flanders Valley Country Club is a fun place to work, the staff is great and very accommodating.
- The guests were all dancing, using the Photo Booth, and just having an enjoyable evening.
Saturday – Jennifer & Jeffrey – Channel Club, Monmouth Beach, NJ
Who:
Jennifer & Jeffrey
What:
Cocktail Hour & Wedding Reception
Where:
The Channel Club, Monmouth Beach, NJ
(My heart goes out to everyone in Monmouth Beach, they had a lot of devastation)
When:
Saturday, October 27, 2012
Why:
Why I loved DJing this Event……
- Jen & Jeff were great to work with. We met twice in Manhattan for drinks/food while planning their Reception. Each time I got to know a little more about them and was very happy to be DJing for them.
- Everyone was in such a great mood for the wedding, it was really a fun night. People were eating, drinking, and dancing all night, which is exactly what I love about DJing….
- I was able to work with a new Music Mixer from Elite, Michael Gallo, who was a pleasure to work with.
- The Channel Club is a great venue, amazing food, perfect location (10 minutes from my house) and right on the Marina… The staff there is great as well, I can’t wait to work there again. They had some flooding during the storm, so I hope all is well soon.
- Jen & Jeff’s music requests were all great. Fun popular music in many different genres. They wanted a fun atmosphere and lot’s of dancing which is what happened.
- It was also Jennifer’s Birthday which made the day all the more fun.
The wedding date was Friday, September 21st and the location was the amazing Channel Club in Monmouth Beach. But this reception had a special feel to it and that’s because I had the great honor of performing for Elite’s own Stefanie & Peter Zanetti. That day was extra special for Stefanie & Peter because it was the 8th anniversary of the day they
started dating.
We had a beautiful ceremony right outside and couldn’t have asked for better weather. From there we brought the party inside and I had the pleasure of splitting my duties for the night with John Ruggiero and the night went off without a hitch. We also got to work with Lynn Monaco & Carrie Roberts of Elite Digital Images while Chris Monaco of Elite Video Productions fame was there to capture the night on video. With some of the Elite crew in the house, we knew it’d be a great time. One of the highlights was when the beautiful bride decided to take her hand on the 1s and 2s and jump behind the DJ table. All in all it was a great night for everyone and on behalf of the entire Elite staff, we want to once again congratulate Stefanie & Peter and their adorable son Jacob on officially becoming a family!!!
Tiffany blue is a pretty universal and identifying color isn’t it? It signifies elegance and high quality. It’s no wonder then that Brenda and John had that as their color scheme. From the bridesmaids dresses to the centerpieces to the wedding cake, that striking blue color was splashed throughout their reception.
When I first met with Brenda and John to review their plans for their wedding I was very impressed with the music list they handed me. With about 40 songs on it, they touched on about every genre of music you could think of. They had some wedding standards (We Are Family and Celebration) some audience participation (Electric Slide and YMCA) some country (Save a Horse Ride a Cowboy and Red Solo Cup) some 80s (Jessie’s Girl and Don’t Stop Believing) some Old School (This Is How We Do it and Still Not A Player) and some new dance music (We Found Love and I Gotta a Feeling). One of my goals at a wedding is to play a wide range of music in an effort to try to make every guest happy (I know they say you can’t please all the people all the time but you can’t blame a DJ for trying!). So playing Brenda and John’s requests would accomplish just that.
The reception was held at The Channel Club which is definitely one of my favorite places to work. The views of the marina are stunning, the food is always great and the staff is as friendly and accommodating as there is in this business (starting with the General Manager Fred who is as nice a guy as you’ll ever meet). One of the things I love about the Channel Club is they have some shelves over by the bar area and they encourage brides and grooms to bring some family pictures to put on those shelves. It almost makes it seem like the party is taking place in someone’s private mansion on the inlet. Not only did Brenda and John bring some photos but apparently John’s family owns a bakery so when it was dessert time they also put out a tray of their very own Italian cookies in that area. Talk about personalization!
The party itself was very good. Brenda and John’s family and friends responded well to the music they had selected and the dance floor was packed most of the night. Brenda and John had also come up with a unique idea that went over well. As I mentioned they asked me to play Red Solo Cup (which has become a fun little sing-along this year) but they also wanted me to hand out, what else, red solo cups to all the guests. It was a pretty funny dichotomy to see a room full of formally dressed wedding guests (surrounded by this elegant tiffany blue atmosphere) holding up these red, plastic cups while shouting out the lyrics: “Let’s have a party!”
Brenda and John were heading off to San Diego for their honeymoon. I couldn’t be happier for them and I wish this wonderful couple a lifetime of elegant tiffany blue moments (with just enough red solo cups to keep it real!)
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!!
Friday – Ashley & Peter – Flanders Valley Country Club, Flanders NJ 
Saturday – Jennifer & Jeffrey – Channel Club, Monmouth Beach, NJ
