Advice: Pictures During The Reception

For most couples, the majority of their pictures with the family and bridal party are taken directly after the ceremony while the guests are enjoying the cocktail-appetizer hour. However, some photographers like to take the Bride and Groom away from the reception to snap a few photos or to capture a sunset shot. This is okay but please be aware of the time and don't stay away too long. Remember, your guests want to have a great time and party with YOU. If they don't see you, they may assume that you have left and that the reception is ending soon. This kills the energy in the room and people will start to leave. This can be easily avoided. Simply schedule the majority of your family and bridal party photos before your grand entrance. Always let your DJ know ahead of time if you are going to leave the reception area for photos so that he can plan something to entertain the guests while you are gone. Remember: Your wedding reception is going to fly by very quickly. Make sure that you are there to enjoy it!

7 First Dances

Jan and Russ decided that their wedding day wouldn't be just about them. They also wanted it to be special for their 125 friends and family who joined them at the Hotel De Anza in San Jose. For starters, Jan's Mom, Betty, was her Matron of Honor! How cool! Apart from their own First Dance, Jan and Russ also asked me to play the First Dance songs of 6 other married couples who were at the reception. Of course, I didn't play them all back to back. (I just kind of sprinkled them in throughout the evening) It was neat to see the expressions on their faces as I played each song . For some, I'm sure it was the first time they danced to their special song since their actual wedding day. Photo by Kimberly Parish.Special Dance Songs For Jan and Russ:

First Dance: "Making Memories of Us" by Keith Urban
Father-Daughter Dance: "What a Wonderful World" by Louis Armstrong
Farewell Dance: "When You Say Nothing At All" by Allison Kraus

No Beating Around The Bush.

Keeping with the Halloween Theme, I thought I'd share with you a super-funny picture from my friend Stacie Tamaki, creator of The Flirty Guide. Her dog, Kitai, is one of the coolest and cutest dogs I have ever met! Every year, he wears something different for Halloween. He has been featured in numerous newspapers and websites. He was flown to New York to appear on the Today Show on NBC and he even has his own website! (http://www.cutestdogever.com) You can see more of his cute pics there. He is famous! I need to get his Pawtograph. How cute!

May The Force Be With You!

I've done all of types of themed-weddings over the years. Although Hawaiian and Disney Weddings are the most popular, I've also done many others including a Halloween Wedding where all of the guests dressed in costumes. (see http://richamooi.blogspot.com/2007/10/spooky-wedding.html) But every now and then, someone takes that idea to another level! Hey...how about a Star Wars Wedding!

Falling in Love at the YMCA

I guess you are probably expecting a joke right about now but there isn't one! Tim and Marissa really did fall in love at the YMCA. (They both used to work there) 200 Guests joined them for a celebration of their love at the Opera House in Los Gatos. Of course, I was not surprised that YMCA was the top song on their request list! Here are the Bridesmaids having some fun to that song. Photo by Deanna Graham
Since Tim is obsessed with sports, Marissa surprised him with a special 49er Cake that was the shape of a football. The guests got a kick out of that. (No pun intended) Here is a shot I took from the balcony of the guests having fun on the dance floor. They were a lively bunch!Special Music Selections - Ceremony:

Weddng Party: "Canon in D" - Pachabel
Bride's Song: "Always a Woman" - Billy Joel (instrumental)
Kissing Song: "Friday, I'm in Love" by The Cure

Other Special Songs:

First Dance: "These are the Days" by Van Morrison
Father-Daughter: "I Loved Her First" by Heartland
Groom-Mother: "The First Lady in my Life" by Paul Todd
Farewell Dance: : "These are the Days" by 10,000 Maniacs

Side Note: The song titles of their First and Last Dances were the same! (Different Artist though) That was a first for me.

Holiday Parties

It's that time of year already? It's amazing how time flies. Many companies are now planning their annual Holiday Parties. It's nice to see that, even with the economy, companies know how important it is to reward their employees for a year of hard work. I am looking forward to another wonderful Holiday season. (It is one of my favorite times of the year) Here is a picture of a fun corporate party that I did for Equity Office in San Jose. This event was held at the Corinthian Event Center.

What a Unique Wedding Date!

Looking for something cool to make your wedding day stand out even more? All you have to do is get married on October 10th of next year. Why, you ask? Because the date of your wedding would be 10-10-10. How cool is that!

Second Harvest Food Bank in San Jose

My favorite local non-profit is the Second Harvest Food Bank in San Jose. I volunteer there as a Team Leader a few times of month and it is very rewarding. They are always looking for volunteers and/or donations of food and money. If you can help out, that would be awesome! Here is short video about the food bank and what they're all about.

Ritz-Carlton - Half Moon Bay Wedding

Annie and Greg told me that there was only one thing that they wanted to do on their wedding day. (besides kiss a thousand times) They wanted to dance! It was very clear to me how much they valued the DJ. They had a wonderful reception at the Ritz-Carlton in Half Moon Bay. As you can see by this photo, they accomplished their goal of being on the dance floor non-stop! Now that's what I like to see!

The Bride's Unforgettable Surprise

Spanish people are known for being very passionate. I know that first-hand because my girlfriend is from Spain! Check out the video of this Spanish Bride (Venesa) who surprised her husband-to-be (Jose Carlos) by singing to him during their wedding ceremony in a church in Andalucía. Her voice is absolutely amazing. You may not understand what she is saying, but you certainly will be able to feel the emotion. The song had the guests (and the groom) in tears. (Happy tears!)

Size Doesn't Matter

Andreea and Robert had only 45 guests at their wedding reception at Palo Alto Hills Country Club. Some people think that it is not necessary to have a DJ for events of this size. I am so glad that Andreea and Robert did not feel that way! (I can't imagine going to a wedding reception without dancing!) Here is a picture of me with the happy newlyweds at the end of the evening.This was the first Romanian-Scottish reception that I got to DJ and it was such a treat. The guys in the Bridal Party wore the traditional Scottish Kilts. I also had a chance to play music from both countries as well as many of the usual fun dance songs that you would hear at an American Wedding. Here are there special dance selections:

First Dance" "Fly Me To The Moon" by Frank Sinatra
Bouquet Song: "Single Ladies" by Beyonce
Farewell Dance: "Come Away With Me" by Norah Jones

Funny Stuff: The Best Man Christopher gave a very entertaining toast. He started by saying "My toast will be the "Kilt Version" ...short enough to keep it interesting...but long enough to cover the important bits".

Big Time San Jose Wedding

Gina and Serge wanted to party...and they did! Here is a great pic from an awesome wedding reception that I did at Silver Creek Valley Country Club in San Jose. This is what it's all about!

The Father-Daughter Dance

It is a very special moment in a wedding reception when the Bride dances with her Father. I get asked pretty frequently what are some good songs specifically for that occasion. Here are some of the most popular songs:

I Loved Her First – Heartland
Cinderella – Steven Curtis Chapman
Find Your Wings – Mark Harris *
Butterfly Kisses - Bob Carlisle
Daddy's Little Girl - Al Martino or Mills Brothers
My Girl - Temptations
The Men in My Little Girl’s Life – Various Artists
Turn Around – Various Artists
Isn’t She Lovely – Stevie Wonder
Daughters – John Mayer (not easy to dance to)
Times Of Your Life – Paul Anka
Because You Loved Me - Celine Dion *
Find Your Wings - Mark Harris *
Wind Beneath My Wings - Bette Midler *
Unforgettable – Nat King Cole *
What a Wonderful World - Louis Armstrong *
Through The Years - Kenny Rogers *
The Way You Look Tonight - Frank Sinatra *
Can You Feel The Love Tonight - Elton John *
Have I Told You Lately - Rod Stewart /Van Morrison *
Hero - Mariah Carey *
Child of Mine- Carol King *
The Greatest Love Of All – Whitney Houston *
In My Life – The Beatles *
Blessed – Elton John *
You Are The Sunshine Of My Life – Stevie Wonder *
What a Wonderful World/Somewhere Over The Rainbow – Israel Kamakawowo’ole *
Kind And Generous (Thank You) – Natalie Merchant *

* denotes song can also be used for Groom-Mother Dance or Both

It's Electric!

Kathy and Travis had an awesome wedding reception at Hotel Valencia in Santana Row with 200 of their favorite people in the world. As for music that evening, the song "Electric Slide" was at the top of their request list. Here is a picture of Kathy having fun with some of the guests to that song. Obviously, this guy on the right wanted to dance to the song so badly that he didn't even have time to put down his Corona!

I STILL Gotta Feeling

Unless you have been hiding under a rock, (And I have no problem with that if you're into those types of things!) you know that the song "I Gotta Feeling" by the Black Eyed Peas is THE song of the year. Whether you are tired of the song by now or still enjoy it tremendously, check out this one-shot video of the song from 172 students in the communications department at the University of Québec in Montreal. Very impressive.