NACE Gives Back

What a great night! I'd been wanting to make this happen for while and we finally did it! I got together with a few generous people from the Silicon Valley Chapter of NACE (National Association of Catering Executives) and headed over to the Second Harvest Food Bank in San Jose for a night of volunteering. What did we do? We stuffed carrots into bags! It's funny how something so simple can help the community so much. Try it for yourself and find out how rewarding it really is.Front Row: Robbie Schlosser (Magnolia Jazz Band), Natti Thomson (North American Theater Technology), Silvi (my wife), Lyndsay Catterton (The Wild Geranium), Stacie Tamaki(The Flirty Guide). Back Row: Robert Kusters (Silicon DJ) Claudia Akers (Claudia Akers Photography), Me, and Carl Mindling (I MC Events)

Happy Halloween from Mr. and Mrs. DJ!

Take Me Home Tonight!

About thirty minutes before the end of the wedding reception, I had to make an announcement regarding the centerpiece giveaway. But before I could even utter a word into the mic, a woman starting singing "Take Me Home Tonight" by Eddie Money at the top of her lungs! Where did she get her motivation from? A fond memory? Alcohol? Whatever it was, it caught on like wildfire. All of a sudden, the entire room was singing the words to the song!It was the wildest thing and I knew I only had a few seconds to react to their madness or the moment would be lost. I quickly found that Eddie Money song in my library and started playing it. EVERYONE WENT NUTS!! They all rushed the dance floor and danced and sang like they were at a concert! It was an awesome moment that took the energy level to an all-time high for the evening. The Bride and Groom, Stephanie and Gary, rocked out with 225 of their closest friends and family at the Saratoga Country Club.

Fun! Fun! Fun! It was an incredible reception! Stephanie and Gary are my favorite type of client because of 3 reasons:

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1) They wanted to dance.
2) They wanted to party.
3) They wanted to dance.

Til Death Do Us Part

It's a very common phrase in wedding ceremonies. You've probably heard it a thousand times! Me too. I just never expected a Bride and Groom to show us what "the death part" would look like...on top of their cake! It's the perfect cake-topper for a Halloween Wedding. SPOOKY!

I Heart You!

Congratulations to my video buddy Dave Ethridge (AVR Films) and his wife Meg! They celebrated their 25th wedding anniversary on the beach in Half Moon Bay. Dave surprised Meg by inviting family and a few friends (including me and Silvi) as they renewed their vows right there! We all formed a heart in the sand and waited for their arrival.It was such a beautiful ceremony and the weather was perfect. It's so cool to see how much Dave loves his wife and how excited he was to celebrate this milestone in their marriage.After the ceremony, we all went to Moss Beach Distillery for a wonderful dinner. What a beautiful evening! Special thanks to the incredible Rhee Bevere for the amazing photos, including this one below of me and Silvi as we admired the happy couple.

Rain, Rain, Go Away.

Your Wedding day has arrived. You've been planning it for months (or years!) and it's finally here. Then, unexpectedly, it rains. On you. On your guests. On everybody. During the outdoor ceremony! OMG! Don't Freak out!! Mike and Alice did not freak out. And they were rewarded. So were their guests at beautiful Rosewood Sandhill in Menlo Park.
You may not want to hear this, but things can unexpectedly happen on your wedding day. How you react to those things will be a big indication of how your wedding day will actually turn out. Having the right attitude makes all the difference in the world. You can freak out about the rain, or get upset about the centerpieces that should have had 18 roses but only had 17, or about the kid who pulled the Bride and Groom Cake Topper off of the cake and ate it. Or, you can just blow it off (even laugh it off) as something very insignificant in comparison to the big picture. Mike and Alice decided to laugh it off. And smile it off! It was such a treat to watch. Beautiful Photos by Vero Suh Photography.The guests (me too!) could feel Alice and Mike's positive energy and everyone fed off of that. It was amazing to watch (but not surprising). They did not let the external circumstances affect their moods. (Or maybe they were just incredible actors!) And because of that, it turned out to be one of the most incredible evenings.
Bottom line: You can obsess over the little things and let them ruin your wedding day. Or, you can just focus on what matters most (Love!) and have a blast. It's your choice. As you can see, Mike and Alice were all smiles all the way to the end of the night. Here are a few of their special song requests for the reception:

Bridal Party Introductions: "Sirius" by Alan Parsons Project
First Dance: "Ain't That a Kick in the Head" by Dean Martin
Father-Daughter Dance: "Moon River" by Henry Mancini
Farewell Dance: "Every Time I Close My Eyes" by Babyface

BTW, kudos to the incredible staff at Rosewood Sandhill and Wedding Planner, Jean Marks, and her staff. They Rock!

Happy Friday! Yahooooo!

MS Walk 2011

I was the Master of Ceremonies for the MS Walk 2011 in downtown San Jose last weekend. It was another great event and thousands showed up to walk and raise money. I knew a little about the disease but was surprised to learn that two out of three people who have it are women. There are 12,000 people with MS in the Bay Area. I'm so glad I had the opportunity to help. Click HERE if you would like to help.

Wedding DJ Interview

I was honored that Oren Arieli from AwesomeShot Studios asked to interview me about the DJ business. Here's the video.

Mix 106.5 Live

I am often asked what it's like at the radio station when I'm on the air. I recorded this short video to give you a glimpse of what I do.

Project Runway Event at Macy's

I had the pleasure of being a part of a very special event in the I-N-C Department at Macy's. They presented the new collection from Irina Shabayeva, winner of Project Runway, Season 6. I played some fun music and was the MC as the women shopped until they dropped!

Bride's Choice 2011

I'm honored that I received this award again. I'd like to thank my mother for making me possible. Seriously, Wedding Wire is a great website if you're looking for reviews of wedding vendors in your area. Check it out.

The Top Songs From 2010

Happy New Year! This is a pretty cool resource to have if you are planning an event. It is jam-packed with the most popular songs from 2010 based on millions of requests across the country. There are 2 PDF's that I would love to share with you. You can download them for free!

PDF #1 is for popular songs at weddings and parties and includes:

• Top 200 Most Requested Songs
• Top 200 Most Requested Pop Songs
• Top 100 Most Requested Songs of the 2010's
• Top 100 Most Requested Songs of the 2000's
• Top 100 Most Requested Songs of the 1990's
• Top 100 Most Requested Songs of the 1980's
• Top 100 Most Requested Songs of the 1970's
• Top 100 Most Requested Songs of the 1960's
• Top 100 Most Requested Songs of the 1950's

Download it HERE

PDF #2 is specifically for the special songs needed during a wedding reception and includes :

• Top 50 Most Requested Bride & Groom First Dances
• Top 50 Most Requested Bride & Father Dances
• Top 50 Most Requested Groom & Mother Dances
• Top 50 Most Requested Bridal Party Dances
• Top 50 Most Requested Bouquet Toss Songs
• Top 50 Most Requested Garter Toss Songs
• Top 50 Most Requested Cake Cutting Songs
• Top 50 Most Requested Wedding Introduction Songs
• Top 50 Most Requested Last Dances
• Top 50 Most Requested Money Dance Songs

Download it HERE.

That's it for now! I wish you a happy, positive, and fruitful 2011!