Each Summer, I provide sound and music for many wedding ceremonies and most of them require a second sound system with the ceremony and reception normally held in two different places on the same property.
 
However, for Debbie and Jeff’s wedding on Sunday, August 4, 2013, I was needed to provide sound at two different venues located on opposite sides of the Portland area with the ceremony at Leach Botanical Gardens in Southeast Portland and the reception at Bridgeport Brewery in Northwest Portland. I set-up my sound system for the reception earlier.
 
Portland Oregon Wedding DJ Ceremony Highlights:

• Bridal Party Entrance: Bright Eyes – The First Day Of My Life
• Bride Entrance: Ingrid Michaelson – Can’t Help Falling In Love
• Bride/Groom Exit: Ray LaMontagne – You Are the Best Thing

 
Following the ceremony, guests enjoyed champagne and conversation for about an hour before leaving for the reception scheduled to begin at 6:30pm. The distance between the two venues is 13 miles (about 20 minutes) using I-84. However, that freeway was closed this weekend for repairs, making the trip for everyone much longer than planned.
 
I chose to take Powell Blvd West to the Ross Island Bridge and cut over to I-405. This seemed to be the preferred choice for most people though and it felt like an eternity for me getting to Bridgeport, but I was still there before most guests and the bride and groom walked in right after I did 🙂
 

 
Portland Oregon Wedding DJ Reception Highlights:

• First Dance: Adele – To Make You Feel My Love
• Bride and Father Dance: Louis Armstrong – What A Wonderful World
• Groom and Mother Dance: Carole King – Child of Mine

Rhythmic oldies ruled the dance floor most of the night as guests really got into classics from The Temptations, Jackson 5, Stevie Wonder and more, plus the latest dance hits were well received.
 


 
This party was still going strong at my scheduled end time of 10:30, so Debbie and Jeff decided to retain me for overtime and guests really let loose singing at the top of their lungs the chorus to five straight songs, including ‘Some Nights’ from fun and Journey’s ‘Don’t Stop Believin’.
 


 
Post Event Satisfaction Survey:
 
“I could not recommend Rich Ellis (PRO DJs) enough! Rich was extremely helpful throughout the entire planning process and he definitely came through on the day of the wedding. He played all of the (somewhat abstract) music that we suggested, but also balanced it with more popular music that everyone would recognize. I have been working in the wedding industry for over 10 years, so I have seen hundreds of DJs. Seeing that the wedding was not in my home town (so I could not pick a local DJ that I know), I had to go with someone I didn’t know. To be completely honest, Rich was even better than the best DJs I’ve come to know over the past 10 years in the industry. He got the dance floor going and kept it full the entire night. He didn’t play any of the cheesy stuff and everything flowed perfectly. He really is a professional. If anyone is considering him for their wedding, do it. You won’t be sorry. Also, he was much more affordable than some of the other DJs I contacted. I just wish I lived in Portland so I could recommend him to more friends. I’m also happy to answer questions and take emails from anyone who is looking for a client’s experience.” 
-Jeff Murico

• Event Date: Sunday, August 4, 2013
• Event Type: Wedding & Reception
• Event Location: Leach Botanical Gardens & Bridgeport Brewery – Portland, OR
• 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

 
With golfers doing their best to quiet their swing across the waterway, Jennifer and Nick were married at The Crossing on the golf course at The Reserve Vineyard & Golf Club in Aloha, Oregon on Saturday, August 3, 2013.
 
One golf ball hit the water as they were exchanging vows, but it was a beautiful day and a light breeze added some comfort for the guests who witnessed.
 
Aloha Oregon Wedding DJ Ceremony Highlights:

• Bridal Party Entrance: O’Neill Brothers – Canon In D
• Bride Entrance: Frank Sinatra – Always
• Bride/Groom Exit: The Cure – Just Like Heaven

 
The reception was held in Vintner’s Pavillion located adjacent to the main clubhouse. During cocktails and dinner, I played a variety of favorites, including artists and songs requested by the bride and groom, such as Tears For Fears, Al Green, Otis Redding and Fleetwood Mac.
 

 
Aloha Oregon Wedding DJ Reception Highlights:

• Grand Entrance: Stevie Wonder – Signed, Sealed, Delivered
• Cake Cutting: Beatles – Can’t Buy Me Love
• First Dance: Norah Jones – Come Away With Me
• Bride and Father Dance: Sam the Sham & the Pharoahs – Wooly Bully
• Groom and Mother Dance: Louis Armstrong – What A Wonderful World
• Last Dance: Daft Punk – Get Lucky

For the Father/Daughter dance, Jennifer asked me to play about 10-15 seconds of Nat King Cole’s ‘Unforgettable’ before launching into the uptempo oldie ‘Wooly Bully’. Her dad Jerry loved it and really played it up. It was a big hit with the guests and brought a little extra energy to the dance floor when I invited everyone out to join in for the fun.
 


 
Jennifer and Nick requested mostly oldies for the dance floor, such as ‘Footloose’, ‘Shout’ and the Lionel Richie hit from the 80’s, ‘Dancing on the Ceiling’. They wanted a few of today’s hit songs in the mix as well and chose the current Summer smash ‘Get Lucky’ from Daft Punk as their last dance.
 

 
Post Event Satisfaction Survey:
 
“Rich was so great! Everything we wanted with great, professional service! Great job on the song editing/cutting too. ”  -Nick Nakadate

• Event Date: Saturday, August 3, 2013
• Event Type: Wedding & Reception
• Event Location: The Reserve, 4805 SW 229th Ave Aloha, OR 97007
• 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

 
It was another perfect July day for a Northwest wedding as Jamie and Patrick were married under sunny blue skies and an ideal 79 degrees on the North Patio at Royal Oaks Country Club in Vancouver, Washington on Saturday, July 27, 2013.
 
Vancouver WA Wedding DJ Ceremony Highlights:

• Bridal Party Entrance: O’Neill Brothers – Falling in Love
• Bride Entrance: Pachelbel – Canon in D
• Sand Ceremony: O’Neill Brothers – I Will Be Here
• Bride/Groom Exit: Signed Sealed Delivered- Stevie Wonder

 
The reception immediately followed in the adjacent Ballroom. With 200+ guests in attendance, the room was filled to the max with dinner tables on the dance floor and one next to my table where a speaker would normally be placed. Where the other speaker would normally go was the cake table, so I was presented with a bit of a challenge for set-up 🙂 Fortunately, it worked out with one speaker in the far corner and the other on the floor next to my table.
 

 
Vancouver WA Wedding DJ Reception Highlights:

• Grand Entrance: John Travolta & Olivia Newton-John – You’re the One That I Want
• Cake Cutting: James Taylor – How Sweet It Is (To Be Loved By You)
• First Dance: Jason Mraz – I Won’t Give Up
• Bride and Father Dance: Bob Carlisle – Butterfly Kisses
• Groom and Mother Dance: Eagles – Peaceful Easy Feeling
• Dollar Dance: Barenaked Ladies – If I Had A Million Dollars
• Bouquet Toss: Roy Orbison – Oh, Pretty Woman
• Garter Toss: Troggs – Wild Thing

After the Dollar Dance, Jamie had requested an anniversary dance and I invited all married couples to participate. We had a great turnout and several couples were married 3o years or more. However, the longest married couple (Jamie’s grandparents, Roscoe & Joyce, 54 years) were not present, even though they were just in the room a few minutes before 🙂 It works out that way sometimes and I made sure to acknowledge them, plus I showcased the last remaining couple who have been married 40 years.
 
This group was in agreement on nearly everything played… younger and older guests were sweatin’ to the oldies, such as ‘In The Mood’, ‘Shout’, and ‘Old Time Rock and Roll’ and gettin’ down to recent hits, including ‘Party Rock Anthem’ and ‘Blurred Lines.’
 


 
Jamie and Patrick left their reception about 45 minutes before it was scheduled to end and guests gathered outside for a sparkler sendoff.
 

 
Normally when the bride and groom leave early, the party fades, but not with this group. They all returned and rocked the dance floor through the last song.
 

 

 
Sydney and Jessy were married Saturday, July 20, 2013 at Laurelhurst Church in NE Portland. The reception was held at the Museum of the Oregon Territory in Oregon City, Oregon and I arrived for set-up about the time the ceremony was starting around 4pm.
 
With a 5:30 start for the reception, I had plenty of time to position and set-up my sound equipment. However, the day before, Sydney had called to let me know she was unable to secure a video projector for their slide show and asked if I could provide one. No problem and the early arrival time allowed me to test both picture and audio.
 

 
Guests arrived for the reception to a mix of salsa and other tropical music as requested by the bride. For dinner music, she asked for selections that included adult alternative artists, such as Jack Johnson and Norah Jones, along with some 90’s songs and today’s hits.
 
Oregon City Wedding DJ Reception Highlights:

• Grand Entrance: Bruno Mars – Marry You
• Cake Cutting: Four Tops – I Can’t Help Myself
• First Dance: Righteous Brothers – Unchained Melody
• Bride and Father Dance: Bob Carlisle – Butterfly Kisses
• Bride and Stepfather Dance: John Mayer – Daughters
• Groom and Mother Dance: Joe Cocker – You Are So Beautiful
• Dollar Dance: Los Lobos – La Bamba
• Bouquet Toss: Spice Girls – Wannabe
• Garter Toss: Justin Timberlake – Sexy Back
• Wedding Party Dance: Pitbull – Don’t Stop the Party
• Last Dance: Etta James – At Last

 
Pictures for Sydney and Jessy took a little longer than planned and they didn’t arrive for their grand entrance until about 8:30pm. With a full schedule of events, the dance floor got going a little after 10 and guests were ready to let loose.
 

 
From classic hits (Brown Eyed Girl, Ain’t Too Proud To Beg, Billie Jean) to today’s hottest music (Blurred Lines, Can’t Hold Us) and novelty favorites of the bride and groom (Cha Cha Slide, Gangham Style), the reception went late and was a huge success.