Rich Ellis
Oregon Karaoke Wedding Timberline Lodge
Jenn and Erik’s Oregon karaoke wedding was held Saturday, April 3, 2021 at Timberline Lodge on Mt. Hood, Oregon with the ceremony in the Raven’s Nest and reception in Ullman Hall.
Since the pandemic shut most everything down in March 2020, this was my first DJ performance since last October. I thought some rust might set in, but 30 years in this business it was like riding a bike for me and I really appreciated the opportunity to do this again.
It was a beautiful day outside and the large picturesque window provided a great view of the mountain when the ceremony began at 6pm.
Oregon Karaoke Wedding Ceremony Highlights:
- Wedding Party Entrance: Chase Rice – Eyes On You
- Groom Entrance: Billy Squier – The Stroke (Flower Dude)
- Bride Entrance: John Williams – The Imperial March, Darth Vader’s Theme
- Bride & Groom Exit: Big & Rich – Lost In This Moment
After the ceremony, guests took the stairs down to Ullman Hall for the reception. There were about 60 guests in attendance and the staff did a great job locating the tables six feet apart, but with karaoke on the itinerary, it was intially a bit of a challenge placing my speakers and projector screen for the lyrics, but we made it work and it turned out to be the ideal setup for the space.
Background music for cocktails and dinner was a mix of instrumental or orchestra versions of hit songs all chosen by the bride. Featured artists included Simply Three, Ramin Djawadi and selections from the Westworld soundtracks.
Oregon Karaoke Wedding Reception Highlights:
- Grand Entrance: Black Eyed Peas – Let’s Get It Started
- Cake Cutting: Jack Johnson – Better Together
- First Dance: Custom Mashup
- Bouquet Presentation: Kelis – Milkshake
- Last Dance: Luke Combs – Better Together
Before their wedding, Jenn and Erik noted “we would like to be announced for our first dance like were going into a boxing ring. You had suggested doing the “Let’s get ready to rumble!” intro which we love. After that we’ll have you introduce us and we will provide you with what to say, and then we are going to go into the choreographed mash up.”
In my sound studio, I pre-produced their introductions and mixed the mashup which featured the following songs (Groove Is In The Heart, Wobble, Finesse, Rump Shaker, OMG, Hot In Heere, Single Ladies, Low, Uptown Funk). The newlyweds put on a great show for their guests.
The karaoke was a big hit with nearly 30 performances and there was some dancing as well.
Congratulations Jenn and Erik and thank you for choosing PRO DJs.
Rainier Oregon Wedding At Private Residence
Jodi and Tom’s Rainier Oregon wedding was held on Saturday, October 10, 2020 at the home of the bride’s family. There were two tents setup on the property… one for the ceremony at the bottom of the driveway and other off the front of the house for the reception.
I provided music for the reception only. To ensure enough space for seating, the tent was extended past the driveway where the grass angles down. I was able to make this work, although I could not find a solution for one leaning speaker 🙂
As guests arrived for the reception, I played a mix of Jazz/Bossa nova as requested by the bride and groom.
Rainier Oregon Reception Highlights:
- First Dance: Gregory Alan Isakov & The Colorado Symphony – The Stable Song
- Bride and Father Dance: Tim McGraw – My Little Girl
- Groom and Mother Dance: NeedToBreathe – Stones Under Rushing Water
It was a great night of dancing as guests enjoyed moving to a variety of hit songs, including the groom’s requests for the “Electric Slide” and AC/DC’s “TNT.” The evening ended around 8pm with a sparkler sendoff for the newlyweds.
Best wishes Jodi and Tom and thank you to the sister of the bride, Riley for choosing PRO DJs.
Covid Karaoke Birthday Party Portland
Strange year this has been, but the party can go on with social distancing and mask wearing and that’s how we did it for Greg’s karaoke birthday party at a private residence in SW Portland, Oregon on Saturday, October 3, 2020.
With about 25 guests in attendance, this event took place in the back yard under a tent with tables spaced apart for cocktails and dinner.
Most of those who sang karaoke wore a mask, but if they chose not to, there were plenty of disinfectant wipes on hand to keep the microphones clean. Guests performed everything from Sonny & Cher’s “I Got You Babe” to Lizzo’s “Truth Hurts” and a few show tunes. The birthday boy sang six songs including the nightcap, Billy Joel’s “Piano Man.”
Happy Birthday Greg and thank you for choosing PRO DJs for your celebration.
Wildfire Smoke At Abbey Road Farm Wedding
It was a smoky celebration at Samantha and Cameron’s Abbey Road Farm Wedding on Thursday, September 10, 2020 as Northwest wildfires in Oregon and Washington brought a permanent haze that made the vineyards in the background appear as a silhouette.
Abbey Road Farm Wedding Ceremony Highlights:
- Wedding Party Entrance: Jack Johnson – Better Together
- Bride Entrance: James Bay f/Alicia Keys – If I Ain’t Got You
- Bride/Groom Exit: Justin Timberlake f/Alicia Keys – Morning Light
It was cool for September, but a comfortable day with a high temperature in the upper 60’s and following the wedding ceremony, guests relaxed with a cocktail on the lawn while playing games including Cornhole and Jenga. Background music for cocktails and dinner was put together by the bride who sent me a Spotify playlist in advance. Her playlist featured a variety of artists, including Maroon 5, Luke Bryan, Bruno Mars, Thomas Rhett and more.
Abbey Road Farm Wedding Reception Highlights:
- Grand Entrance: Smash Mouth – I’m A Believer
- Cake Cutting: James Taylor – How Sweet It Is
- First Dance: Brantley Gilbert – Whenever We’re Alone
- Bride and Father/Groom and Mother Dance: Slash – Sweet Child O’ Mine (Acoustic)
- Last Dance: Chris Stapleton – Millionaire
For the bride’s entrance music to the ceremony, the first dance and parent’s dance, Samantha asked if I could edit her selections to make them shorter. I have a sound studio and do this often.
The dance floor opened to everyone with a slow dance (Ed Sheeran – Thinking Out Loud) and from there, guests enjoyed getting down to big hits “Happy” and “Hey Ya,” along with requests from the newlyweds for Hall & Oates, Michael Jackson, Macklemore and a heavy dose of 90’s pop (N Sync, Backstreet Boys, Britney Spears, Spice Girls).
Best wishes Samantha and Cameron! Thank you for choosing PRO DJs.
August Ridgefield Wedding at Private Mansion
Janae and Simon’s Ridgefield wedding was held on Saturday, August 29, 2020 at the home of the groom’s father in Ridgefield, Washington.
With a snowless Mt. St. Helens off in the distance, the ceremony began at 4:30pm on a beautiful late August day with temperature about 73 degrees.
Ridgefield Wedding Ceremony Highlights:
- Wedding Party Entrance: Debussy Consort – Pachelbel’s Canon In D (Kanon in D)
- Bride Entrance: Kina Grannis – Can’t Help Falling In Love
- Sand Ceremony: Calum Scott & Leona Lewis – You Are the Reason
- Bride/Groom Exit: Stevie Wonder – Signed, Sealed, Delivered (I’m Yours)
With 75 guests in attendance, there was a lot of space to enjoy the reception, but most hung out near the swimming pool until dinner. Background music for cocktails and dinner was put together by the bride who sent me a Spotify playlist in advance. Her playlist featured a variety of artists, including The Temptations, Blake Shelton, Aretha Franklin, Zac Brown Band and more.
Ridgefield Wedding Reception Highlights:
- Grand Entrance: Otto Knows – Million Voices (Radio Edit)
- Cake Cutting: James Taylor – How Sweet It Is
- First Dance: Green River Ordinance – Dancing Shoes
- Bride and Father Dance: Bob Carlisle – Butterfly Kisses
- Groom and Mother Dance: Lee Brice – Boy
- Bouquet Toss: Beyonce – Single Ladies (Put A Ring On It)
- Garter Toss: Nelly – Hot In Herre
- Last Dance: Florence and the Machine – Stand By Me
The dance floor opened to everyone around 8:30pm and many danced to every song until 11. They enjoyed everything from The Beatles and Michael Jackson to Lizzo and Bruno Mars and lots of Country music.
With the wind howling, it got cold dropping to around 59 by 10pm, so dancing kept everyone warm. Although, the best man and groom’s brother jumped in the pool around 10:30, then made his way back to the dance floor 🙂
Congratulations Janae and Simon and thank you for choosing PRO DJs.
