Aloha!

It's 1:00am and I should be in bed right now but I just got back from an awesome wedding reception and wanted to write about it. What a fun night! 200 people celebrated at Hotel Sainte Claire in Downtown San Jose last night at Maureen and Alex's Wedding Reception. This was a super-fun crowd with many guests representing Santa Clara University, San Jose State, and The University of Pacific.Up-and-coming local artist Ryan Auffenberg ( a close friend of the groom) performed during the dinner. The Groom joined him to sing a song that he personally wrote for his new wife. It was very romantic.

Since Maureen is from Hawaii, she and Alex presented all of the bridal party members with a Lei as they came in during the introductions. Their wedding favors were yummy Hawaiian Cookies AND an Oral B Toothbrush. (Alex is a Dentist) I love it!! This was a huge dancing crowd and they boogied to Disco, Motown, 80's, and Current music. The guests also enjoyed a special hula-dance presentation by the Bride's Cousin. What a SUPER-FUN night! I am pooped! And now I will go to bed!

300 People and 1000 Cranes

I love the Asian Cultures. They have so many neat traditions. This says "Love". It's a collage of 1000 Origami Cranes all hand-folded by the Bride and her friends and family. Very cool. Almost 300 people gathered for Stephanie and Jeff's Wedding at the Hayes Mansion in South San Jose. They had their ceremony outside on the lawn and cocktails on the patio. Then, everyone came inside the banquet room for dinner and dancing. First Dance: "I Could Not Ask For More" - Edwin McCain
Father-Daughter: "Because You Loved Me" - Celine Dion
Farewell Dance: "All My Life" - KC & JoJo

Jeff and Stephanie's Parents were so much fun and I saw them on the dance floor many times. Jeff and Stephanie also had 3 sets of Grandparents in attendance who have been married 59 years, 62 years, and 64 years. Now that's inspiration for the newlyweds!

Me and Mandy

Singer/Actress Mandy Moore was in town today for a concert and I met her before she went on stage. Wow, she is tall! And so sweet too! I think she likes me. lol.

La Boda Loca

Is that a new Ricky Martin song? Nope! For those of you not fluent in Spanish, La Boda Loca means "The Crazy Wedding".

Anita was one of the most unique Brides I've met in the last 20 years. She was all personality. She's cool. She's crazy. She's fun. She's the only Mexican I know who has a southern accent and likes 80's Rock Hair Bands like White Snake, Poison, and Bon Jovi. So unique!
.
What a great night! Let's start with the cake which looked more like a circus! I was cracking up when I saw it. I thought it was the coolest. I salute all couples who dare to be different!
Bride Quote Of The Year from Anita: "Rich, if the guests look at me when I'm coming down the isle, I may throw-up!"
.
That was so funny. I joked with her that maybe I should make an announcement before the ceremony. It would go something like this:
"Ladies and Gentleman, the ceremony is about to begin. Please DO NOT make eye contact with the Bride or she will throw-up on you. Thank you."

We had a good laugh at that one. Yes, she was nervous. VERY nervous! Here is a picture of the beautiful Bride with her new husband Tim. Look Mom! No more nerves! Two Bands and a DJ: Anita celebrated her Mexican culture by having Marriachi's play during the cocktail hour. Tim celebrated his Italian culture by having an Italian Trio play during the dinner. Very cool.

First Dance: "For Once In My Life" - Michael Buble
Cake-Cutting Song: "With You" - Jessica Simpson
Farewell Dance: "What am I Gonna Do" - Tyrese
.
Yes, I loved this Bride! But the Groom was awesome too. He was kind, articulate, and had a great sense of humor. And you could tell how happy he was to marry Anita. What a great couple.

Motown Wednesday!

That was so cool. I just got back from the Four Tops-Temptations Concert. I was the Master Of Ceremonies for the show this evening. I love being an MC! What a fun job I have! What a great show too! Here is a cool pic I took of the legendary Temptations on stage while they were singing "My Girl". (a very popular song at weddings!)

Wedding - Mountain Winery

100 people attended Tyson and Sahana's celebration at the Saratoga Mountain Winery last night. And what a beautiful night it was! The groom Tyson is my hero. Here he is dancing to "Like A Prayer" by Madonna with a bunch of girls and a groomsman. It is rare to see a guy dancing to Madonna. Two thumbs WAY UP for this groom!
Tyson and Sahana could not make up their mind on their first dance song. In fact, they didn't tell me what it was going to be until 2 minutes before they were actually going to dance to it. But I could easily tell after the song started that they were very happy with their decision. The guests loved it too.

First Dance: "Is This Love" - Bob Marley
Father-Daughter Dance: "Stand By Me" - John Lennon
Farewell Dance: "When I'm 64" - The BeatlesHere's a great picture of the beautiful bride Sahana having fun with her husband! They had 3 cakes last night. One cake for them...and then one cake for each of their friends who were celebrating a birthday. What a classy move to think of others on your wedding day.

Lunch with Kenny.

I have had the pleasure of meeting some of the biggest artists in the music industry. I was the MC for concerts with Rick Springfield, America, The Doobie Brothers, Huey Lewis, Hall & Oates, Madonna, and so many others. How fun it was to introduce them all on stage!

The staff for Bay Area radio stations 94.5 KBAY and MIX 106.5 got together today for lunch on the patio at Hotel De Anza and Kenny Loggins joined us! Here is a pic of me and my new bud Kenny!

Kenny is in town for his concert at The Mountain Winery in Saratoga. But the best part is...he sang a bunch of songs for us! Just an intimate little mini-concert for 30 people. That was so cool! That was fun. What a great way to kick off the weekend!

3 Little Words.

NO CHICKEN DANCE!! That's the only thing the e-mail said from the Bride Kristen. She sent me that e-mail 2 days before her wedding. She forgot to cross that song off of my list and just wanted to make sure I didn't play it. I laughed pretty hard when I read it. Okay okay, I won't play it! NO CHICKEN DANCE!! ha ha. Kristen and Zack were very sweet! Hey! Look at all the happy people dancing !!
Unique Numbers. 222 guests arrived on 07-07-07 for Kristen and Zack's wedding at Villa Ragusa in Campbell. They booked me for their wedding a year and a half ago for the most popular wedding day of the decade. It was so cool to see my past clients Monica and Mike at this reception too.

Funny Stuff: The guys in the Bridal Party printed t-shirts with photos of the Groom Zack on the front and they wore them underneath their tuxedos. Later on in the evening (after a few drinks), they decided to show them off. What a crack-up! Photo by Charles Le.

Hi Mom!

My Mom loves to dance. And she is no stranger to my events. No, she doesn't sneak in. She just knows a lot of people and she gets around! lol. Actually, my Mother is my biggest fan and she has recommended me to many people. As a bonus, those people invited my Mom to their weddings. Here is a fun pic of my Mom at a wedding reception doing the YMCA. She is the short one in the middle with her mouth wide open. Isn't she just SO CUTE? That's my Mom!!I wish everyone could meet my Mom. She is the coolest!

You Animal!

When I was in High School, I took one of those career personality tests to see what field I would be best suited for. I thought it was amazingly accurate. The results said that I should be a radio personality or a zoo keeper. Of course, I ended up going into radio and eventually started my DJ business as well. But it wasn't an easy choice because I love animals SO MUCH and thought zoo keeper would be a cool career. That brings me to my clients. Karin is an Anthropologist who studies primate behavior. David is a Zoo Keeper at the San Francisco Zoo. Talk about unique careers!

Speaking of unique, I knew this reception at the Los Altos History Museum was going to be very cool when I arrived and saw their table names which included: Elephant, Fox, Tiger, Zebra, and Monkey (my favorite). Imagine arriving as a guest and finding out that you will be sitting at the Monkey Table. That's funny stuff!

Does it surprise you that they requested "Brass Monkey" from The Beastie Boys? Probably not. Karin and David picked out two of the cutest songs EVER for their first dance and farewell dance.

First Dance: "Ice Cream" - Sarah McLachlan
Farewell Dance: "When I'm 64" - The Beatles

Bouquet's Gone Wild!

I've seen some wild things happen when the Bride tosses the Bouquet. I've seen a waiter catch the Bouquet. (that was so funny!) I've seen the Bouquet land on top of the cake. I've seen the Bouquet disintegrate in the air and smack 5 or 6 people in the face. I've even seen women wrestle each other to the floor for control of the Bouquet. (a new sport?)

Last night, the Bride Karissa tossed the Bouquet from the mezzanine level of the Opera House in Los Gatos. Many eager women were waiting below. Unfortunately, they will have to wait for another wedding for a shot at the bouquet because Karissa threw the bouquet almost straight up and it crashed into the ceiling. Then it fell to the floor below like a sack of potatoes. It was pretty funny. Most people don't know what to do if the Bouquet hits the floor. Most of them just stare at it. Yup, that's what happened. Fortunately, kids are not that way. A cute little girl named Sierra (probably 6 or 7 years old) made a beeline towards the bouquet and scooped it up off the floor faster than you could say "Mommy, I think I had too much sugar tonight". As the women walked off the floor looking a little dejected, Sierra smiled proudly and posed for pictures. It was very cute.

Tom and Karissa danced and partied with 125 of their closest friends and family last night. It was a fun night. The Bridesmaid Kristi was very sweet and surprised Tom and Karissa with a slide show after her toast. There were some great photos from their childhood and college life. It was very cool. (Although I still wonder how she got that picture of Tom in his underwear!)

First Dance: "She's Everything" - Brad Paisley
Father-Daughter Dance: "The Way You Look Tonight" - Tony Bennett
Cake-Cutting Song: "Can't Take My Eyes Off Of You" - Frank Valli
Fake Last Dance - "Last Dance" -Donna Summer
Real Last Dance: "At Last" - Etta James

Kabobs and Kimchi? NOT!

We are blessed to live in an area filled with wonderful people from all over the world. I think it's one of the coolest things about the Bay Area. I had the pleasure of experiencing that diversity last night at the Silver Creek Valley Country Club in San Jose.

150 guests gathered for Steve and Shiva's Wedding. Steve is Korean. Shiva is Persian. Typically, these two groups are very different at weddings. Persians tend to be more outgoing and very passionate about dancing while Koreans usually are a little more conservative. But last night, they were all on the same page. Party time!

The Bridal Party Introductions were the most energetic and fun I've seen all year. Strutting into the room to the beats of "SexyBack" from Justin Timberlake, the members of the Bridal Party showed personality, energy, and some great moves as they pumped up the entire room with energy. What's the best way to finish off an an incredible entrance? How about a back flip by the groom on the dance floor. Everyone went nuts!

.

First Dance: "When You Know" - Shawn Colvin"
Father-Daughter: "Unforgettable" - Nat King Cole
Farewell Dance: "Let's Get It On" - Marvin Gaye

Shiva and Steve are world travelers so it was only fitting that their tables were named after places they visited like Capri, Athens, Rome, Puerto Vallarta, Istanbul, along with a few others. They even had a picture of the two of them at each location. Very cool.

The Bride Shiva wins the award for the most excited Bride. Every time she sent me an e-mail during the planning process, it was filled with smiley faces and exclamation points. It was great to see such positivity and enthusiasm considering she was cramming to become an orthodontist the last couple of years while planning her wedding from out of state in Connecticut. She actually hired me for her wedding over 2 years ago!!

.

Shiva came up to me at the end of the night and gave me the biggest hug. (Even the Groom Steve hugged me!) They were both so sweet. Then Shiva said "You know the guests would have danced until 5am". I believed her. What a fun night.

The Best in Silicon Valley!

What a great day! Today, I was voted Best DJ in Silicon Valley by readers of the San Jose Mercury News. The results were printed in today's paper. How cool is that?

I just wanted to take a moment to say thank you very much to everyone who voted for me. I feel very honored.

I would also like to thank my Mother for making me possible. Lol

Duck Duck Goose!

As I was getting out of my car yesterday at The Villages Country Club in San Jose, 2 ducks buzzed right by my head and landed 20 feet from me. I watched them as they waddled by. Funny though, my next thought was...AFLAC!! Ahh, the power of advertising!

What a night for the lovebirds (ducks?) Lois and Brian. They met years ago while ballroom dancing and were eager to have a reception filled with lots of dancing. After hearing a few ballroom songs that the Bride and Groom requested, a young girl whispered in my ear "Do you have any "normal" music?" Lol.

.

Lois and Brian practiced their first dance for 8 weeks and it was perfectly choreographed. But in one of the funniest spontaneous moments I've seen this year, 3 guests grabbed the table numbers from their tables and held them up as if they were judges in a dance competition and were rating the Bride and Groom on their performance. The guests loved it. Great scores too!

Wedding - Kohl Mansion

As the guests were coming in, I noticed a pregnant woman. Then another. And another. Freaky! Did I show up to the wrong place? Was this a wedding or a Lamaze Class? And just when I thought all of the pregnant women in Silicon Valley were attending this particular wedding, here comes twin sister's who are BOTH pregnant! UNBELIEVABLE! All in all, I estimate 10% of the guests were pregnant.

130 people were in the house (mansion) for this super-fun celebration at the Kohl Mansion in Burlingame. Kelly and Craig converted the room where the dancing was into a cool, hip, lounge-type nightclub complete with comfy couches, end tables, light-boxes, palm trees, up-lighting, candles, and flowers. It was such a cool vibe and the guests absolutely loved it. Everyone was talking about it. Here are a couple of pics. Keep in mind this room was completely empty before the reception.

I think Kelly and Craig hold the world-record for the shortest wedding ceremony (not including those in Vegas)...6 minutes.

First Dance: "I'll Be" - Edwin McCain
Parent's Dance: "Kind & Generous" - Natalie Merchant
Farewell Dance: "At Last" - Etta James

This was a high-energy reception (my favorite type!) They ate. They drank. They cheered. They danced. I don't recall a time when I did not see Kelly and Craig on the dance floor. When I announced the last song of the night, some of the guests booed me! I LOVE IT! (This is the ultimate compliment because it means they did not want to leave)