Rich Ellis
Portland Bat Mitzvah DJ At Lola’s Room
Mazel Tov August! Portland Bat Mitzvah DJ Rich Ellis performed at her celebration on Sunday, September 1, 2013 at the Crystal Ballroom in Portland, Oregon.
With close to 100 guests in attendance, Lola’s Room on the second floor provided the perfect intimate setting for the ceremony and afterparty. After a brief set of dinner music, guests watched a video and then August honored family and friends with a candle lighting service.
A toast by her parents turned into a surprise flash mob performance with nearly everyone in the room dancing in sync to Hall & Oates ‘You Make My Dreams’. This energized the crowd for ‘The Hora’ and chair raising that followed.
Everyone had a great time dancing the night away to classic disco and the latest party hits, including ‘Celebration’, ‘I Gotta Feeling’ and the current Bruno Mars smash ‘Treasure’.
Thank you Sandy and Inge for the opportunity. Inge noted at the end of the night that “I really nailed it” and I appreciate the feedback. August also said she had a great time 🙂
SW Washington Wedding DJ: Ashley & Grant (8/31/13)
After a week of high humidity and more rain than needed in the summertime, it was nice to get back to warm, sunny weather for Ashley and Grant’s wedding on Saturday, August 31, 2013.
A family friend hosted the ceremony and reception at their picturesque home on the Columbia River in Cathlamet, Washington. I have driven Highway 4 to Long Beach in the past, but hadn’t stopped here. After driving through town, I crossed a bridge and the wedding was held on an island right in between Washington and Oregon.
SW Washington Wedding DJ Ceremony Highlights:
- Bridal Party Entrance: Christina Perri – A Thousand Years
- Bride Entrance: The Band Perry – All Your Life
- Bride/Groom Exit: Michael Franti & Spearhead – Say Hey (I Love You)
Guests gathered for the reception under the tent while I played a variety of music that included some Country favorites as requested by the newlyweds.
After dinner and before the toast, Ashley and Grant held a wish lantern ceremony where large lanterns with real candles inside, were released as guests offered them their best wishes.
SW Washington Wedding DJ Reception Highlights:
- Grand Entrance: Natalie Cole – This Will Be
- Cake Cutting: Pat Benatar – Hit Me With Your Best Shot
- First Dance: Shaniah Twain – When You Kiss Me (Sung Live by Ashley’s Cousin, Charlene)
- Bride and Father Dance: Chris Cagle – Dance Baby Dance
- Groom and Mother Dance: Shinedown – Simple Man
- Dollar Dance: Kalai – Divide Me
- Bouquet Toss: Flo Rida f/David Guetta – Where Them Girls At
- Garter Toss: Baauer – Harlem Shake
- Last Dance: Thompson Square – If I Didn’t Have You
It was a beautiful night to rock the dancefloor and everyone was excited to get going. From the opening slow dance to a mix of classics and currents, they brought a ton of energy that lit up the floor.
The groom’s mom had an especially good time, dancing to nearly every song and adding a little spice by emptying three cans of dance floor powdered wax for extra slipping and sliding fun 🙂 Fortunately, no one took a tumble and guests had a little easier time shuffling during ‘Party Rock Anthem’.
Post Event Satisfaction Survey:
- Event Date: Saturday, August 31, 2013
- Event Type: Wedding Reception
- Event Location: Cathlamet WA
- 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: N/A
- 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
Portland Wedding DJ: Becca & Marc (8/24/13)
Many Summer weddings in the Pacific Northwest take place outdoors, but this weekend I was the DJ at back-to-back late August indoor weddings.
Becca and Marc were married under the glass covered roof of the Multnomah Athletic Club in Portland (just above the Lownsdale Room) on Saturday, August 24, 2013.
I provided music for the reception only that followed in the main ballroom on the first floor. However, music for the cocktail hour was performed by a live group of flutists. I did interrupt them briefly to introduce the newlyweds upon their arrival and took over the background music during dinner with a setlist that included favorites requested by Becca, including Norah Jones, Paul Simon and the Indigo Girls.
Portland Wedding DJ Reception Highlights:
- Grand Entrance: Stevie Wonder – Signed Sealed Delivered…
- Cake Cutting: James Taylor – How Sweet It Is (To Be Loved By You)
- Bride and Father Dance: Stevie Wonder – Isn’t She Lovely
- First Dance: Jesse and the Rippers – Forever
- Bouquet Toss: Dusty Springfield – Wishin’ & Hopin’
- Last Dance: R. Kelly – Ignition (Remix)
It’s a good thing, the MAC Club set-up a large dance floor because it seemed that nearly all 180 guests were on it at any given time. From the opening slow dance to the faster tempo numbers that followed, they kept the floor packed and had a great time celebrating Becca and Marc’s big day.
Marc’s side of the family is Jewish and he and Becca went for a chair raising ride when I played ‘The Hora’
Motown oldies and disco selections made up most of Becca and Marc’s request list, including the Jackson 5 and K.C. and the Sunshine Band. They also requested 80’s hits ‘Walking On Sunshine’ and ‘Walk Like An Egyptian’, plus some 90’s, such as Salt N’ Pepa’s ‘Shoop’ and Blackstreet’s ‘No Diggity’.
Post Event Satisfaction Survey:
“I had several party-goers approach me during the reception and compliment the fantastic work Rich did both as a DJ and as an MC to keep the event progressing as we had planned.”
-Marc Auten
- Event Date: Saturday, August 24, 2013
- Event Type: Wedding Reception
- Event Location: Multnomah Athletic 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: N/A
- 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
Click Here to view professional photos from Annie Helen Photography.
Tigard Wedding DJ: Megan & Sean (8/23/13)
Most weddings I perform at each Summer normally schedule a year or more before the date, but for Megan and Sean, their DJ canceled on them for medical reasons just two weeks before their big day. I was available on Friday, August 23, 2013 and happy to fill-in at their wedding and reception held at the Embassy Suites in Tigard, Oregon near Washington Square.
The ceremony took place in Ballroom I and the reception in Ballrooms II and III. I provided music for the ceremony by patching into the house sound system. It sounded great, but provided a bit of a challenge since I was not able to see what was happening on the other side of the wall. Fortunately, I received cues from Teresa at Embassy Suites and a family friend, Emily, so everything went smoothly.
Tigard Wedding DJ Ceremony Highlights:
- Bridal Party Entrance: Bruno Mars – Just The Way You Are (instrumental version)
- Bride Entrance: Lionel Richie – Hello
- Bride/Groom Exit: Queen – Crazy Little Thing Like Love
While the newlyweds had their photos taken with family, guests gathered for the reception. I played a variety of favorites that included classics from Jimmy Buffett and Queen, today’s hits from the Lumineers and Phillip Phillips, plus a few current Country songs.
Tigard Wedding DJ Reception Highlights:
- Grand Entrance: Keith Urban – Somebody Like You
- First Dance: Boys Like Girls f/Taylor Swift – Two is Better Than One
- Cake Cutting: Tim McGraw – Unbroken
- Bride and Father Dance: Tim McGraw – My Little Girl
- Groom and Mother Dance: Shinedown – Simple Man
- Dollar Dance: Josh Turner – Why Don’t We Just Dance
- Bouquet Toss: Queen – Another One Bites the Dust
- Garter Toss: Rob Thomas – Lonely No More
- Last Dance: Bill Medley & Jennifer Warnes – I’ve Had the Time Of My Life
Less than 100 people attended this one, but they brought the energy of twice that from the first song.
I spun a few oldies, including the Bee Gees and Prince, along with the current smash ‘Blurred Lines’ and the groom hammed it up to his request for Sir Mix-a-lot’s ‘Jump On It’.
Post Event Satisfaction Survey:
“With the short amount of time Rich had to put this together, he did a great job!”
-Tammy Herrmann/George Weivoda
- Event Date: Friday, August 23, 2013
- Event Type: Wedding & Reception
- Event Location: Embassyi Suites – Washington Square
- 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: Good
- Incorporation of Your Requests: Excellent
- Lighting Effects: N/A
- 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
Oregon Wedding DJ: Sofie & Derek (8/17/13)
After a week of humid weather, a welcome breeze on a beautiful sunny day greeted guests as they arrived for Sofie and Derek’s wedding at Langdon Farms Golf Club in Aurora, Oregon on Saturday, August 17, 2013.
I set-up my sound equipment in the Red Barn for the reception, but also temporarily placed a speaker outside for the ceremony, providing a lapel microphone for the officiant. The music was performed by a live pianist.
Oregon Wedding DJ Ceremony Highlights:
- Bridal Party Entrance: (Pianist) Better Together, Jack Johnson
- Bride Entrance: (Pianist) Here Comes the Bride
- Bride/Groom Exit: (Pianist) Here Comes the Sun, The Beatles
While it was a little warm in the corner where I was set-up… a barn is a barn :), the open wall of the Red Barn provided a nice indoor/outdoor feel, where guests could be outside on a warm Summer night, but still feel close to the action.
Oregon Wedding DJ Reception Highlights:
- Grand Entrance: Michael Jackson – The Way You Make Me Feel
- Cake Cutting: Amos Lee – Sweet Pea
- First Dance: Maroon 5 – Sunday Morning
- Anniversary Dance: Frank Sinatra – You Make Feel So Young
- Last Dance: Ed Sheeran – Kiss Me
Following their First Dance, the newlyweds wanted an anniversary dance to recognize all the married couples in attendance. There were many, but even more impressive were the number who have been married over 30 years, including Sofie’s Aunt & Uncle (Sue & Warner, 47 Years) and her best friend Caitlyn’s grandparents (Esther & Walt, 66 Years).
I know Sofie was ready to dance because she said so when thanking her guests earlier and most everyone was excited to join her and Derek for a good time. The opening slow dance packed the floor and it never let up over the next 2+ hours of uptempo music that included the Bee Gees, Michael Jackson and the classic ‘Shout’ from the Isley Brothers early on and the latest hot hits… ‘Blurred Lines’, ‘I Need Your Love’ and ‘Treasure’.
With a mostly younger group in attendance, Sofie and Derek requested mainly recent songs from the last 10 years, such as ‘Sexyback’ from Justin Timberlake, Rihanna’s ‘Don’t Stop the Music’ and ‘Thrift Shop’ from Macklemore & Ryan Lewis.
I really appreciated the card Sofie presented to me at the end of the night. She had a great time and noted she had “never seen so many people dance at a wedding.” Congratulations to you and Derek and thank you for choosing PRO DJs.
Post Event Satisfaction Survey:
“Great great great service from Rich. Everyone danced the entire night at our wedding which was so important to us. The great music and dancing made our wedding and we had so much fun. Rich was excellent to work with prior to the wedding and was so helpful in helping us pick songs and work out the details and general flow of events throughout the night. He was professional and we would highly recommend him to our friends!” -Sofie Ruse
- Event Date: Saturday, August 17, 2013
- Event Type: Wedding & Reception
- Event Location: Langdon Farms Golf 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: N/A
- 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
