I Get a Kick Out Of You.

I was excited to find out that my clients Mark and Mimi were both into soccer. (I played for 25 years) Mimi played for the women's team at Stanford. Mark played for the Men's team. They met, played soccer, fell in love, played soccer, got married, and will be moving to New Zealand very soon. ( Where I am sure they will be playing soccer as well)Mark and Mimi are so sweet. One of the Maid's of Honor (Jennie) said during her toast that they are the perfect Hallmark Card. I agree. 150 guests celebrated with them at the Corinthian Event Center in downtown San Jose. The guests were not shy and requested a lot of songs which I was happy to play. Since they were a younger crowd, they preferred more current music for dancing. Photos by Brett Szemple.

Here are some of their special song requests:

Bridal Party Introduction: "Theme from Baywatch"
First Dance: "This Kind of Love" by Sister Hazel
Father-Daughter Dance: "Heavenly Day" by Patty Griffin
Groom-Mother Dance: "I'll Stand By You" by Jennifer Austin
Farewell Dance" "Magic" by Colbie Caillat

Side Note: Mark had a broken toe on his wedding day! (He broke it playing soccer, of course!) But you would have never known by how much he danced! He was a dancing machine!

The Floor Plan

Want more energy and fun at your reception? Put the DJ directly in front of the dance floor! It's that simple! I've done some weddings where they have put tables directly in front of me and my speakers, stuck me all the way in the corner, or even worse, behind a curtain! (see posting: I Can DJ Blind-folded) As a Master of Ceremonies, it is very important that I can see the majority of the people in the room to welcome them, gain their trust, and to engage them. That's part of the process of creating and building energy. (difficult to do if they can't even see me!)

I realize in some cases, it's just not possible to have the DJ in front of the dance floor due to the shape of the room or the number of tables. If you have to put tables in front of the DJ or his speakers, make sure the guests at those tables are younger. The last thing we all want is for grandpa's earpiece to explode. Have fun!

Erin and Stephen

What a great wedding reception for Erin and Stephen and 140 of their closest friends and family at the Palo Alto Hills Country Club. Erin was ready to dance and party since she just graduated from Stanford. It was so cool introducing them as Mr. Stephen and Doctor Erin Cook. There were many fun guests from Stanford University and UC Santa Barbara who were ready to party too. And they did!Erin and Stephen did a fake first dance with "Truly, Madly, Deeply" from Savage Garden. We had it planned out perfectly. After about a minute of the song, Stephen looked over to me and gave me the "thumbs down" sign so I cut-off the song. Then, I used my tremendous acting skills (lol) and went to the dance floor to ask him what the problem was. He said "This is what I get for letting Erin pick out the music". Everyone was laughing. I asked him if I should play something else. He said "PLEASE!". So, I went back and played the real first dance that they chose: "What I like About You" by The Romantics. It was upbeat and fun and the guests absolutely loved it!
What a fun night. Erin's Dad Rhett and Stephen's Brother Cameron made a couple of very entertaining toasts that had everyone smiling and laughing. And as you can see by the pictures, they had a great time dancing too. Here are some other special songs they chose:
Bridal Party Introductions: "Beautiful Day" by U2
Father-Daughter Dance: "You Had Me From Hello" by Kenny Chesney
Farewell Dance: "I've Had The Time of My Life" (From Dirty Dancing)

NO WAY!

This was someone's wedding cake. I AM SERIOUS! They said that it was a Texas-Family tradition (for their family) to have an Armadillo Cake like this in addition to the main cake. When I saw that cake, I stared at it for what must have been 20 minutes...in total dis-belief. I seriously thought that I was dreaming. In fact, I still don't believe it!
When they started cutting slices for the guests, the raspberry filling oozed out like blood so the cake actually looked more like road-kill. You should thank me for not posting a picture of that! What do you think? Would you have this cake at YOUR reception?

A Rock & Roll Wedding

When I arrived at Eric and Cindy's wedding reception to set-up, I noticed there was no guest book for people to sign on the table near the entrance. OH NO!! What happened? Did someone steal it? Were they just trying to conserve paper? Maybe someone forgot to bring it! Not quite! Eric and Cindy had the guests sign their electric guitar instead! (Eric plays guitar) What an awesome idea! Here is a picture.
Cindy and Eric certainly did many other non-traditional things on their big day which I just loved! Got a sweet tooth? Well, just step right up to their huge candy table and enjoy some M&M's, Snickers, Red Vine's, Skittles, Mike & Ike's, Tootsie Rolls, and a ton of other candy. YUMMY!
In front of each place setting on the dinner tables, there was a guitar pick attached to a card that read: "In Lieu of traditional favors, a donation has been made to "Rock For Kids" in your honor." What an awesome idea because most people don't know what to do with those favors anyway. (unless you can eat them) Rock for Kids is a non-profit organization that provides support, hope, and inspiration to under-served children and teens. Here is their website.
To continue with the rock theme, they asked me play " Welcome to The Jungle" by Guns and Roses during their introduction which I happily did. Here are their other special songs:

First Dance: "That's How Strong My Love Is" - Otis Redding
Groom-Mother Dance: "Unforgettable" - Nat King Cole

What a fun night. What a unique night. What a sweet night for a super-sweet couple! (pun intended)

Second Harvest Food Bank

It is always a great feeling to give back to the community. I am a Volunteer Team Leader at the Second Harvest Food Bank in San Jose and I volunteer there 2 to 3 times a month. I recently organized a volunteer session with some employees from radio station 94.5 KBAY. Here is a photo of us after we finished stuffing Bell Peppers into 800 Bags. It was a lot of fun and, of course, very rewarding.With the current economy, the Food Bank is suffering which is sad because the need now is greater than ever. If you can help financially, or by volunteering, please visit their website HERE for more information. They are an awesome organization almost completely run by volunteers. Thanks for your support!

Party Time!

It was very clear from the beginning that this group of fun people came to party! That's what I like to see! Good friends Daunielle, Simone, Leti, and Rick decided to combine their four Birthday celebrations into one and throw a very-cool party at The Hotel De Anza in downtown San Jose. 120 of their closest friends showed up on Saturday night for a raging party. This is the "before" photo of the guests of honor. It didn't take too long before people were getting crazy on the dance floor. They requested some classic party songs like "Livin' on a Prayer" by Bon Jovi, "Baby Got Back" by Sir Mixalot, and "You Shook Me All Night Long" by AC/DC. They had a great time. How did they end the evening? I'll give you a hint...Tequila was involved. lol. That was fun! I think more people should combine their birthday parties. What a great idea!

Fun! Fun! Fun!

I was browsing through my photo albums this morning and enjoying all of the fun photos from my client's weddings when I stumbled upon this gem. This one is one of my favorite photos from a wedding I did at the Kohl Mansion in Burlingame. (Julie and Josh were the Bride and Groom)I just love the energy, the excitement, and especially the reaction of the Bride and Groom as the guests lifted their chairs in the air. That was such a super-fun reception.

¡Hola!

I started studying the Spanish Language about five years ago because I thought it would be cool to speak another language. I also felt some sort of a connection to the Latin Culture (the music, the food, the people). Well, 5 years later, here I am...fluent in Spanish. I can't believe it. (And neither can my family and friends) I so enjoy speaking Spanish.
But the coolest part of being bilingual is that I can use it for my business as well. In fact, I already have! I did 3 Weddings in 2008 where I made all of the announcements in Spanish AND English. (And without an accent!) How cool is that? I also have a great appreciation for Latin Music and that part of my library has exploded in size! I have now been to Mexico (4 times), Costa Rica, Colombia, and have a trip planned to Spain for this summer. Hmm? What language should I learn next?

I'm a Flirty DJ!

I was so honored and excited when I was invited to be a member of The Flirty Guide. This is a very exclusive website with some of the best Wedding Vendors in the Bay Area as members. It also happens to be one of the coolest websites for Brides to get very unique and fun ideas for their wedding day. Are you flirty? Check out the website by clicking on the banner below and find out for yourself. Have fun!

Daddy's Little Girl.

Valentine's Day...what a great day to get married! For Lisa and John, it was over a year and a half of meticulous planning before the day finally arrived. What a great success it was. I really enjoyed getting to know them. And I really got a kick out of Lisa's Dad Steve. He invited me to his home for wine and cheese last year during the planning process. He even invited me to join him for breakfast on another day. What a cool guy. So cool, that he surprised his daughter by arranging for singers from Opera San Jose to sing a few songs during the dinner. It was so beautiful and so romantic. The 150 guests who came to the Sainte Claire Hotel in downtown San Jose to celebrate with Lisa and John had a great time.It was a fun, lively crowd that danced to a great variety of music. Here are some special songs that Lisa and John picked:

First Dance: "Sway" - Michael Bublé
Father-Daughter Dance: "Daddy's Little Girl" - Al Martino
Groom-Mother Dance: "Into The Mystic" - Van Morrison
Cake-Cutting Song: "Sugar-Sugar" - The Archies
Farewell Dance: "The Way You Look Tonight" - Michael Bublé
What a night. From Steve's heart-felt welcome speech and the perfectly-choreographed First Dance to the fun bubble-blowing finale, it was a night to remember for all...especially for the Father of the Bride.

Happy New Year!

I just wanted to take a moment to wish everyone an absolutely wonderful and fruitful New Year filled with love, passion, success, hugs, kisses, and whatever else your heart may desire.

Fun at The Opera House!

I've had some incredible wedding receptions at the Opera House in Los Gatos. Chris and Mary's celebration was no exception. Listen to the reaction of the guests after I told them the party was almost over. They were not ready to go! The highlight was definitely when the guys lifted the Groom in the air on the dance floor. Enjoy!

Rain, Rain, Go Away!

The clouds were very dark in the sky. Everyone was certain it was going to rain. And just 10 minutes before Debbie and Troy's Wedding Ceremony on the lawn outside in front of the beautiful Hayes Mansion in South San Jose...it started drizzling. OH NO! The 200 guests were arriving and taking their seats and everyone was wondering what was going to happen. Were we going to have to quickly move the ceremony inside? (That was Plan B) It's always good to have a Plan B. The Bride Debbie decided to go for it and hope for the best. As she walked down the aisle to "Come Away With Me" by Norah Jones, the rain sprinkled on her and the guests. As Pastor Malcom MacPhail welcomed everyone and read a few passages...the sprinkles continued. But just as Debbie and Troy started to exchange their vows, something magical happened. The sky cleared and the sun shined through! It was the most beautiful blue ever! It felt like something out of a movie. (I'm pretty sure I was not the only one who got goosebumps when it happened) The ceremony was beautiful and it ended with "It's a Beautiful Day" by U2. Then, it was time to party!It was a super-fun night for my clients. Smiles were everywhere and the dancing was lively and fun. They danced to just about everything including Frank Sinatra, Tony Bennett, Justin Timberlake, Usher, Rihanna, Journey, Bon Jovi, and everything in between. I took lots of requests as well which is always a lot of fun for me. What a night!

First Dance: "Bless the Broken Road" by Rascal Flatts

Father-Daughter Dance: "Cinderella" by Steven Curtis Chapman

Grease is the Word.

Something very funny happens when I play a song from the Grease Soundtrack at a Wedding Reception. People come alive! It's as if they were all closet-actors just waiting for the right moment to showcase their acting and singing abilities. I never get tired of watching the transformation and the craziness. Of course, it happened again Sunday evening at Scott and Jillian's Reception. Here is a great picture of the Bride having fun with a few of the guests during the song "Summer Lovin". Photo from Genesis Photography.