Rich Ellis
August Portland Yacht Club Wedding
Sofie and Justin’s Portland Yacht Club wedding took place on Thursday, August 11, 2022 on a delightful summer day. With a high temperature of only 79 degrees, the ceremony and reception were held outside across most of the patio overlooking the marina on the Columbia River.
Portland Yacht Club Wedding Ceremony Highlights:
- Wedding Party Entrance: Vitamin String Quartet – All You Need Is Love
- Bride Entrance: Duomo – Wildest Dreams (Instrumental Taylor Swift Cover)
- Bride/Groom Exit: Beatles – I Want To Hold Your Hand
The reception began immediately following the ceremony. Background music was a mix of classics from the big band era and crooners such as Frank Sinatra, Nat King Cole and Billie Holliday.
After introducing the newlyweds when they returned for the reception, they walked right to the dance floor with their guests in tow to dance “The Hora” and subsequent chair raising.
Portland Yacht Club Wedding Reception Highlights:
- Grand Entrance: Colbie Caillat – I Do
- Cake Cutting: James Taylor – How Sweet It Is (To Be Loved By You)
- First Dance: Harry James & Kitty Kallen – It’s Been a Long, Long Time
- Groom and Mother Dance: Jackson 5 – I’ll Be There
- Groom and Mother-In-Law Dance: Michael Bublé – When You’re Smiling
- Last Dance: Queen – Bohemian Rhapsody
With approximately 60 guests in attendance, the dance floor ebbed and flowed much of the evening, but they appeared to have a good time dancing to old favorites as well as recent selections.
Congratulations Sofie and Justin and thank you for choosing PRO DJs.
Post Event Satisfaction Survey:
“Rich is just the best out there! This is the second time we have hired him and he continues to impress us with his professionalism, attention to detail and friendliness. He is able to read the crowd and make choices that work depending on what he sees. I got so many compliments on our music choices throughout our wedding day. All of our most important songs from ceremony to reception were played and they were a hit! I can’t thank Rich enough, he’s just the best!”
-Sofie Ruse & Justin Holmes Wedding
- Event Date: Thursday, August 11, 2022
- Event Type: Wedding & Reception
- Event Location: Portland Yacht Club
- Event Staff: Rich Ellis
- Quality of Customer Service via Telephone: Excellent
- Quality of Customer Service via Internet: Excellent
- Quality of Customer Service at Event: Excellent
- Friendliness of your Entertainer: Excellent
- Promptness of your Entertainer: Excellent
- Professionalism of your Entertainer: Excellent
- Entertainer’s Performance: Excellent
- Entertainer’s Appearance: Excellent
- System Appearance: Excellent
- Sound Quality: Excellent
- Overall Volume Levels: Excellent
- Music Selection: Excellent
- Incorporation of Your Requests: Excellent
- Lighting Effects: Excellent
- Equipment Appearance: Excellent
- Overall Customer Service: Excellent
- Planning Assistance: Excellent
- Entertainer’s Cooperation with Other Vendors: Excellent
- Overall Performance Rating: Excellent
- Would you recommend this service to others? Yes
Crag Rat Hut Wedding Hood River Oregon
Perched on a hill overlooking the surrounding valley with an incredible view of Mt. Hood, Alex and Josh’s wedding and reception was held at Crag Rat Hut in Hood River, Oregon on Saturday, August 6, 2022. The ceremony and dancing later were held outside on the large wraparound deck.
Crag Rat Hut Wedding Ceremony Highlights:
- Wedding Party Entrance: Jon Bellion – To My Future Wife…
- Bride Entrance: Caamp – Strawberries
- Bride/Groom Exit: Ray LaMontagne – You Are the Best Thing
Guests gathered for dinner inside the large event room on the main floor. This area has a small built-in sound system with a cordless microphone and receiver. For background music, I connected my iPad and played a variety of selections chosen by the bride and groom. The same playlist also played via my main sound system outside during this time.
Crag Rat Hut Wedding Reception Highlights:
- First Dance: Rayland Baxter – The Mtn Song
- Bride and Father Dance: SYML – Here Comes the Sun
- Groom and Mother Dance: Rascal Flatts – My Wish
- Last Dance: Semisonic – Closing Time
The temperature cooled down to the upper 70’s when the dance floor opened around 8:30pm and the twilight with the mountain in the background made for a magical evening
I played a little bit of everything from the classics like “Twist & Shout” and “Dancing Queen” to more recent hit songs such as “Happy” and “Cupid Shuffle”, plus guest requests for “Man! I Feel Like A Woman” and “Gasolina”, the latter led to an impromtu limbo.
Congratulations Alex and Josh and thank you for choosing PRO DJs.
Post Event Satisfaction Survey:
“Rich really saved us after our DJ cancelled on us last minute. Not only did he fill the slot, he did a better job than we could have ever asked for!” -Alexandra Zirkle & Joshua Martin Wedding
- Event Date: Saturday, August 6, 2022
- Event Type: Wedding & Reception
- Event Location: Crag Rat Hut
- Event Staff: Rich Ellis
- Quality of Customer Service via Telephone: Excellent
- Quality of Customer Service via Internet: Excellent
- Quality of Customer Service at Event: Excellent
- Friendliness of your Entertainer: Excellent
- Promptness of your Entertainer: Excellent
- Professionalism of your Entertainer: Excellent
- Entertainer’s Performance: Excellent
- Entertainer’s Appearance: Excellent
- System Appearance: Excellent
- Sound Quality: Excellent
- Overall Volume Levels: Excellent
- Music Selection: Excellent
- Incorporation of Your Requests: Excellent
- Lighting Effects: Excellent
- Equipment Appearance: Excellent
- Overall Customer Service: Excellent
- Planning Assistance: Excellent
- Entertainer’s Cooperation with Other Vendors: Excellent
- Overall Performance Rating: Excellent
- Would you recommend this service to others? Yes
The Breathe Building Portland Bat Mitzvah
Charlotte’s Bat Mitzvah celebration was held on Saturday, July 30, 2022 at The Breathe Building in Southeast Portland. It was a hot one outside with the temperature near 100 degrees, but fortunately the party was mostly inside the air conditioned room.
I played about 30 minutes of background music before entertaining the kids with games, including a scavenger hunt, musical chairs, Coke and Pepsi and a limbo competiton.
The dining tables were setup outside, but that area was starting to receive some shade by dinner time. Afterwards, everyone came back inside for a toast from the guest of honor’s parents before I opened the dance floor with “Hava Nagila”. The traditional chair raising of Charlotte and her parents followed.
From there, parents and kids had a great time dancing to hit songs such as “Uptown Funk” and “Dynamite”, plus the family’s requests for classics “YMCA” and “Dancing Queen”.
Mazel Tov Charlotte and thank you mom, Deborah for choosing PRO DJs.
Post Event Satisfaction Survey:
“Rich kept the party going and read the crowd well–he facilitated an amazing time!”
-Deborah Wise (Charlotte’s Bat Mitzvah)
- Event Date: Saturday, July 30, 2022
- Event Type: Bat Mitzvah
- Event Location: Breathe Building
- Event Staff: Rich Ellis
- Quality of Customer Service via Telephone: Excellent
- Quality of Customer Service via Internet: Excellent
- Quality of Customer Service at Event: Excellent
- Friendliness of your Entertainer: Excellent
- Promptness of your Entertainer: Excellent
- Professionalism of your Entertainer: Excellent
- Entertainer’s Performance: Excellent
- Entertainer’s Appearance: Excellent
- System Appearance: Excellent
- Sound Quality: Excellent
- Overall Volume Levels: Excellent
- Music Selection: Excellent
- Incorporation of Your Requests: Excellent
- Lighting Effects: Excellent
- Equipment Appearance: Excellent
- Overall Customer Service: Excellent
- Planning Assistance: Excellent
- Entertainer’s Cooperation with Other Vendors: Excellent
- Overall Performance Rating: Excellent
- Would you recommend this service to others? Yes
Riverview Waterfall Estates Wedding Troutdale
Tonia and Aaron were married on Saturday, July 23, 2022 at Riverview Waterfall Estates in Troutdale, Oregon on what was a perfect 79 degree summer day. The ceremony was held behind the bridal cottage.
Riverview Waterfall Estates Wedding Ceremony Highlights:
- Family & Bridal Party Entrance: Keith Urban – Only You Can Love Me This Way (Instrumental)
- Bride Entrance: Piano Guys – A Thousand Years
- Bride/Groom Exit: Justin Timberlake – Can’t Stop The Feeling
Following the wedding, guests walked the short distance to the Grotto for the reception where I had setup my main sound system. For background music, the newlyweds requested instrumental music… I played a mix of classic jazz from Miles Davis, Joe Pass, Diana Krall, Piano de Bossa and more.
Riverview Waterfall Estates Wedding Reception Highlights:
- Grand Entrance: Kool & The Gang – Celebration
- First Dance: Shania Twain f/Bryan White – From This Moment On
- Cake Cutting: Lonestar – Amazed
- Bridal Party Dance: John Legend – All Of Me
- Last Party Dance: Enrique Iglesias – Hero
From the opening slow dance to the fast songs that followed, we had a great turnout. Guests danced to everything from the Beatles to Justin Timberlake, the Cupid Shuffle and the couple’s request for the Chicken Dance.
Congratualtions Tonia and Aaron and thank you for choosing PRO DJs.
Wedding And Reception In St. Helens Oregon
Sidney and Tanner’s Wedding and Reception in St. Helens Oregon was held at a private residence near the top of Columbia Heights on Saturday, July 16, 2022
The gentleman who owns the property said you can normally see Mt. Hood, Mt. St. Helens and Mt. Adams on a clear day. There was cloud cover for this one (photographers love that), but the temperature was perfect in the mid-70’s and no rain.
St. Helens Oregon Wedding Ceremony Highlights:
- Groom Entrance: Europe – The Final Countdown
- Wedding Party Entrance: Justin Timberlake – Can’t Stop The Feeling
- Bride Entrance: Beatles – Here Comes The Sun
- Bride/Groom Exit: James Taylor – How Sweet It Is (To Be Loved By You)
Following the wedding ceremony, all guests gathered for one large group photo before moving to the dining area above and relaxing with a beverage on the lawn. I played a mix of background music that included a variety of medium tempo hits, along with some Country favorites as requested by the bride and groom.
St. Helens Oregon Reception Highlights:
- Grand Entrance: Pink – Raise Your Glass
- Cake Cutting: Archies – Sugar, Sugar
- First Dance: Tim McGraw – My Best Friend
- Bride and Father Dance: Scott Thomas – This Dance
- Groom and Mother Dance: Tim McGraw – Humble and Kind
- Anniversary Dance: Shania Twain – You’re Still The One
- Bouquet Toss: Beyonce – Single Ladies (Put A Ring On It)
- Garter Toss: Nelly – Hot In Herre
- Last Dance: AC/DC – You Shook Me All Night Long
For the Father/Daughter and Mother/Son dances, Sidney and Tanner requested that all fathers and daughters and mothers and sons joined them about halfway through each dance. We had a great turnout for both and after the bouquet and garter toss, turned up the energy that kept the dance floor hot for the next two hours.
The rest of the night everyone enjoyed getting down a variety of classics and recent hits, including “Uptown Funk”, “Footloose”, Country favorites and more
Best wishes Sidney and Tanner and thank you for choosing PRO DJs.
