Wish Upon A Wedding...

Sacramento Wedding DJ



I have been in the wedding business for many, many years and aside from loving what I do, I try to take away something from each wedding I am a part of.

I have never taken away more than this week, as I MC'd the wedding of Rochon and Jackie. Kate from Kate Miller Events contacted me to ask me to read about Wish Upon A Wedding, and if interested, would I play at a wedding. I responded within 2 minutes with a resounding, "I'm in!"

WUAW is a non-profit organization who has vendors that donate their time, services and products to couples who are marrying, with at least one person who has a terminal health condition. I received their info about a week ago, and within just a few days, we had our plans in place, and they were going to marry! From a country club, to a cinematographer, to a photographer, to a lighting company, to wedding planners and more...we all eagerly donated our services.

Rochon and Jackie were the hosts and recipients of a gorgeous wedding, with super-tasty cuisine on a perfect evening in Novato, CA. We all had a great time, it was a fantastic event, and it was an honor to be a part of such an incredible cause.

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Guests Matter

Sacramento Wedding DJ

I was chosen to be the DJ for Derek and Megan this last weekend at the Citizen Hotel in downtown Sac. Kate Miller Events was generous to put us together months ago. So here is what is interesting...Derek and Megan have a very cool vibe about them,and their vision was to make their reception an Urban, Cool, Cocktail Reception, and not the run-of-the-mill wedding. They had hundreds of votive candles, we had amber uplighting around the perimeter, the chandeliers were turned off...and it was just plain cool. They had asked me to play a Michael Buble inspired mix of music from start to finish. No Usher, Katy Perry, Pink, etc., just stay with the classic standards. Their guests ended up getting so antsy, that they were begging me to fire things up! I respected the Newlyweds format, and as much as I would have loved to play some beat, it wasn't in the master plan. The guests then started putting pressure on the bride, and one hour before we were scheduled to close, she came up to my booth and gave me the green light to crank it up! So, I rocked it for a solid hour, and they all had an absolute ball, yelling, screaming, dancing and partying!! Congrats to D/M, and congrats to their guests for their cool influence!

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Brian and Buu - Citizen Hotel Sacramento

Sacramento Wedding DJ

On a rainy Sunday evening, I FINALLY got to work at the Citizen Hotel in downtown Sac, whatta great place!! I will admit, it would have been nice to have a 'roadie' for this gig, because loading from the street to the 7th floor terrace is a bit of a challenge, but so worth it when you see the view from above!

I met Brian and Buu some months ago, and we just clicked. Kate Miller Events was kind enough to refer them to me, and I just knew that this wedding was my kind-a gig, because they just wanted me to bring the funk. The evening began with their ceremony under the 'Chuppa,' a Jewish tradition. Once married, everyone went down to the lounge on the 2nd floor, and I went to work on lighting up the room in lounge blue (see pic above). After an hour, the guests were invited back up, and the wedding party followed. B&B had chosen individual tunes for each of the party as I introduced them, and with the crowd in a frenzy, the newlyweds entered to 'Now That I Found Love,' by Heavy D. Brian couldn't resist, and went down to the floor in the splits!!

Everyone enjoyed a festive dinner, and I think I saw the toast of the year (maybe it's a bit early for that prediction), but his best men sang karoake to Piano Man, of course with custom lyrics! Although their voices made you appreciate Billy Joel that much more, their routine was a riot. Brian gave a very heartwarming speech, and then it was party time. We danced and danced, they conga'd, they E-slid, Brian did a sexy garter dance, and we just had a grand time.

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Monte Verde Inn - Kelsey and Ben

Sacramento Wedding DJ

It was chilly, there was snow on the ground, we could see our breath....and that was no match for the emotion that Ben and Kelsey displayed to their guests on wedding day at my fav, the Monte Verde Inn www.monteverdeinn.net.

We lit the indoors in blue, they had a wedding party of 18, and leading up to the dance hour, it was a lively, energetic bunch that I knew were gonna raise the roof! Our final toast was by Ben himself, and to Kelsey's surprise, he serenaded her to Frank Sinatra's 'The Way You Look Tonight.'

I had the sincere pleasure of working with a photography company who I met for the first time, and if first impressions are as important to most as they are to me, then Tara and Nick from Brown Butter Photography(love that name)are gonna be a success story in NorCal. Check them out at www.brownbutterphoto.com. They're super cool.

So...we completed the formal dances, and the 'open dancing' began....and let me say, Ben and Kelsey's fav's rocked the floor. We 'Dougie'd,' we 'Cha Cha Slid,' we basically partied like it was a Saturday, and not a Sunday!

Congrats always to B&K.

www.sjsdiscjockey.com

The Amazing Ruby Hill Country Club

Sacramento Wedding DJ

Wow!! I have been to plenty of amazing venues over the years, and when I met with Amber and Sean, a great looking, kind couple, they mentioned Ruby Hill in Pleasanton. Never once did they lead on to the incredible beauty of this place. You drive through the Country Club gates and you are driving through streets of 10,000 sq. ft. manstions, awestruck by how much these residents must pay to their landscapers! So, we arrive to the Club, and you just have to be there to witness its beauty.

I placed 18 uplights around the room, setup our photobooth in the bar area, and then setup two sound systems, one for the upstairs ceremony, and downstairs for the eventual dance party.

Their ceremony was very personable, sentimental and fun, all wrapped up together. Guests went downstairs into the bar, mobbed the photobooth, and eventually found their dinner seats. I proceeded to introduce the wedding party and newlyweds, who sauntered down the split and double staircase, meeting in the middle. Dinner ensued, the toasts were really really funny, and the dancing went overtime by 2 full hours! They absolutely raged. Wow!

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The Forest House Lodge

Sacramento Wedding DJ

Newlyweds Jen and Dalton - Cool

Ceremony Site overlooking the Bluffs - Way Cool

The Forest House Lodge - Beyond Cool

We played for such a great group last night, I wish I could replay it every weekend! The Forest House Lodge has so many great qualities, it's difficult to put into words...at least for me. It's a little bit chic, a little bit country, a little bit casual, a little bit classy and a lotta fun!!

Jen and Dalton exchanged vows, became Mr. and Mrs. Jiminez, and the party started with me introducing their entire wedding party ( a big one) to their eager guests. Dinner was right on schedule, and although I already knew the answer, as I began to introduce our very first toast, I asked the group how their dinner was, and all I could hear was a deafening 'GOOOOOOOOD!'

We toasted, we had cake, and boy-o-boy, did we have dancing! The dancefloor was lively until the very end of a 6.5 hour event.

Great thing about the FHL is that the party doesn't stop when music stops, it just keeps on rockin' in the bar, and in the downstairs game room/lounge. I kinda wanted to stay!!

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Monte Verde Inn Open House

Sacramento Wedding Reception DJ

This past Saturday afternoon, I had the pleasure of being one of the preferred vendors showcasing their 'goods' at the MVI open house, which is a spectacular event! Kelly and Doug showcase their goods to all of their 2011 couples. On display were newly decorated suites, a colorful and new candy bar, incredible cuisine from all menus and soooooo much more. It was truly a great day and an even greater event.

www.sjsdiscjockey.com