After a week of weather that went from 100 degrees one day to thunderstorms and rain the next, Destiny and Josh’s Edgefield wedding on Thursday, August 14, 2014, turned out just right with a mix of sun and clouds and 79 degrees.
 
Blackberry Hall is one of my favorite venues, mostly because my wife and I celebrated our reception there in 1996, but I also get a good vibe whenever I perform there.
 
The ceremony was held in the meadow behind the hall. In this situation, I was able to place one of my speakers outside and my lapel microphone covered the distance flawlessly. I also provided a microphone on a stand for a family member reading.
 

 
Edgefield Wedding Ceremony Highlights:

• Wedding Processional: P.S. I Love You Soundtrack – Betty Davis Montage/Make Up Kisses
• Bride Entrance: Piano Guys – A Thousand Years
• Sand Ceremony: Maurice Jarre – Unchained Melody (Instrumental) Ghost Soundtrack
• Bride/Groom Exit: Manfred Mann – Do Wah Diddy

Everyone moved inside Blackberry Hall for dinner and the reception. Background music was a variety of songs from popular artists like OneRepublic, Norah Jones and Michael Bublé.
 

 
Edgefield Wedding Reception Highlights:

• Grand Entrance: American Authors – Best Day of My Life
• Cake Cutting: Sixpence None The Richer – Kiss Me
• First Dance: John Legend – All of Me
• Father and Daughter Dance: Louis Armstrong – What A Wonderful World
• Groom and Mother Dance: Louis Armstrong – What A Wonderful World
• Bouquet Toss: Beyonce – Single Ladies
• Garter Toss: Yellow – Oh Yeah!
• Last Dance Song: Christina Perri – A Thousand Years

The dance floor filled quickly for the opening slow dance and then the newlyweds and their guests got going to the big classic hits, including ‘We Are Family’ and ‘Love Shack.’
 


 
For the remainder of the evening the mostly younger crowd had a great time dancing to more recent hits, such as ‘Problems,’ ‘Timber’ and ‘Happy.’ At one point during ‘Party Rock Anthem,’ I had to laugh watching Josh spin his bride in her wedding dress and on her back like she was break dancing… I had never seen that before 🙂
 
With the doubledoors near the dance floor open to the parking lot on a pleasant summer night, it felt just right. Best wishes Destiny and Josh!
 

 
With their ceremony taking place a day earlier, Kim and Russ were just looking to have a great time with their friends and family at their informal wedding reception at Meriwether’s Restaurant in Northwest Portland on Saturday, August 9, 2014.
 
The newlyweds greeted their guests as they arrived while I played a mix of background music that included artists such as Lifehouse, David Gray, Coldplay and others… they had asked for a set of adult alternative or KINK 101.9 type music during cocktails and dinner.
 

 
Kim noted in our planning meeting that ‘this was a second wedding for both of us so you won’t see a lot of the traditional first wedding events (cake cutting, garter throw, etc.)’. She was very involved in the music selection, even sending me a list of songs she had put on a CD she had made for Russ when they first met… one for each year of their first 4 years of being together. The songs were either out that year or meant something at that time and designed to remind the groom of that year… ‘I know, corny’ she wrote 🙂
 
Kim and Russ had expected about 130 guests, but may have exceeded that a little and the venue, that was also opened to the public for dinner, may have maxed out as dinner was delayed, but we took it all in stride and took advantage of the brief time available for dancing.
 

 
The dance floor was mostly filled with guest tables when the dancing started, but that was no deterrent for this group and they got right to it, even with the Meriwether’s staff moving chairs out of the area as fast as they could.
 
Guests really enjoyed the oldies set at the beginning that included Kim’s favorites: ‘We Are Family,’ ‘Love Shack’ and ‘Mony Mony.’ I was told Russ didn’t dance much, but even he couldn’t resist the fun energy. The bride also wanted some recent hit songs and ‘Happy’ and ‘Blurred Lines’ were well received.
 

 
A noise ordinance in the area requires the music must end at 10pm. However, since dinner was late, Meriwether’s allowed some extra time.
 
Best wishes Kim and Russ and thank you for choosing PRO DJs.
 
Post Event Satisfaction Survey:
 
“I wish we could have danced longer!!!! Rich got everyone up and dancing!!! You even got Russ up and dancing which he never does!!! That is a feat unto itself!!!! Thank you for making our reception a success! I would recommend PRO DJ’s anytime. If you want to add me to your reference list, I would be happy to do so!” -Kim Miller

• Event Date: Saturday, August 9, 2014
• Event Type: Wedding Reception
• Event Location: Meriwether’s Restaurant
• 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

 
It was another beautiful Northwest Summer day for Amy and Matt’s wedding held at Gorge-ous Wedding in Stevenson, Washington at the Wind Mountain Ranch on Saturday, August 2, 2014.
 
This was my first time at this venue that just opened recently and what a great location for an outdoor event with a terrific view of the Columbia River Gorge.
 
The ceremony area features a built-in arbor next to a pond that is home to just one duck, who walked around like he owned the place. I set-up my main sound system off to the side behind the fence to provide music and sound for the wedding.
 

 
Gorge-ous Wedding In Stevenson Ceremony Highlights:

• Wedding Processional: Pachelbel – Canon in D
• Bride Entrance: Train – Marry Me
• Bride/Groom Exit: Natalie Cole – This Will Be (Everlasting Love)

After the ceremony, I quickly moved my sound equipment to the reception area nearby under the tent. For background music, Amy requested a mix of soft, contemporary love songs from artists such as Jack Johnson, Jason Mraz, Michael Bublé and Colbie Caillat.
 


 
Gorge-ous Wedding In Stevenson Reception Highlights:

• Grand Entrance: Bruno Mars – Marry You
• Cake Cutting: Archies – Sugar Sugar
• First Dance: Chantal Kreviazuk- Feels Like Home
• Father and Daughter Dance: Brooks & Dunn – My Maria
• Groom and Mother Dance: Mikki Viereck – Song For My Son
• Bouquet Toss: Pat Benatar – Hit Me With Your Best Shot
• Garter Toss: Kenny Loggins – Danger Zone
• Last Dance Song: Bill Medley & Jennifer Warnes – I’ve Had the Time Of My Life

After the father/daughter dance, Amy asked me to immediately transition into the Rolling Stones ‘Jumpin’ Jack Flash’. This was a secret to her dad, but the entire family was in the know as they joined them on the dance floor.
 
With that, we got off to a rockin’ start and never looked back as I launched a set of classics to take advantage of the early momentum, including ‘Proud Mary’ for Matt’s family and ‘Jailhouse Rock’ for Amy’s grandmother.
 



 
For the next hour, I played a variety of fun songs.. everything from ‘Brown Eyed Girl’ to ‘Happy’ and then the wedding party got excited for the current hits, firing up the dance floor to ‘Party Rock Anthem,’ ‘Can’t Hold Us,’ ‘Fancy’ and more.
 


 
Thank you to guest Jillmarie Holscher for taking some photos and sharing them, including the one of me above. Congratulations Amy & Matt!
 

 
Post Event Satisfaction Survey:
 
“Rich was always willing and available to help. He would meet my husband and I in person, send prompt detailed emails with explanations/suggestions, and was very helpful over the phone. He took our requests and made the night amazing! We were very nervous about the DJ aspect of our wedding because we’ve heard that a DJ can either “make or break” a wedding. Well, thanks to Rich, he MADE our wedding! Our guests are still raving about how much fun they had dancing. Thank you Rich!!” -Amy Miller

• Event Date: Saturday, August 2, 2014
• Event Type: Wedding & Reception
• Event Location: Gorge-Ous Weddings, Stevenson 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: 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

 
For Kelly and Eric’s wedding and reception on Sunday, July 27, 2014, it was hot and muggy, but there is never a bad day for a Mt. Hood B & B wedding.
 
I was just here a few weeks ago for Lisha and Albert’s wedding and I have had the opportunity to perform here many times in the past since the mid-90’s. This is one of my favorite venues and even on a cloudy Summer day, Mt. Hood was in full view.
 

 
As is customary here, Kelly and Eric’s ceremony was held on the front lawn. I provided a lapel microphone for the officiant and a second cordless microphone on a stand for two readings by one of the groomsmen and a bridesmaid. The music was performed live by a family member on their keyboard patched through my sound system.
 
For the reception, my main sound system was set-up earlier in the dining area. The newlyweds had no preference for background music during dinner, so I played a variety of soft rock favorites that included Jason Mraz, Van Morrison and Norah Jones.
 

 
Mt. Hood B & B Wedding Reception Highlights:

• Grand Entrance: Beyonce – Crazy In Love
• Cake Cutting: James Taylor – How Sweet It Is
• First Dance: Safetysuit – Never Stop (Wedding Version)
• Father and Daughter Dance: Frank Sinatra – The Way You Look Tonight
• Groom and Mother Dance: Mikki Viereck – Song For My Son
• Bouquet Toss: Beyonce – Single Ladies
• Garter Toss: Queen – Another One Bites The Dust
• Last Dance Song: Train – Marry Me

Singer and guitarist Moe Dixon was in attendance… he’s a friend of Kelly’s dad John. Moe had just performed for over 2,000 people the night before opening for Country artist John Michael Montgomery at the Hood River County Fair, so it was a treat to have him and John perform a few selections following the cake cutting.
 

 
Moe and John made my job a little easier by firing up the crowd with Moe’s song ‘Whole Lotta Saturday Night.’ We were officially under way and I kept the momentum going with The Beatles ‘Twist and Shout.’
 


 
Guests enjoyed the classic hits… everything from ‘Love Shack’ to The Four Seasons ‘Dec. 1963 (Oh, What A Night) and when Kelly and Eric returned from taking additional photos before the sun set, I transitioned to a set of current music that really shook the outdoor dance floor.
 


 
Kelly, Eric and their friends and family got down to ‘Happy,’ ‘Party Rock Anthem,’ ‘Gangham Style’ and more. Things got so crazy, both the bride and groom were crowd surfing at one point 🙂 This celebration showed no sign of slowing down and the dance floor was still overflowing with about 10 minutes left.
 

 
Best wishes to Kelly and Eric and thank you for choosing PRO DJs.
 

 
Post Event Satisfaction Survey:
 
“Rich was extremely helpful, patient and understanding. My wife and I felt bad that we dropped the ball getting our planner done for Rich, but he contacted us and kindly made sure we gave him what he needed to do a great job at our wedding.” -Eric Alfonso

• Event Date: Sunday, July 27, 2014
• Event Type: Wedding & Reception
• Event Location: Mt Hood Bed and Breakfast
• 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

 
Congratulations to Lisha and Albert who were married on Wednesday, July 2, 2014 at Mt. Hood Bed & Breakfast in Parkdale, Oregon.
 
On a perfect early Summer day, PRO DJs had the opportunity to provide sound and music for the ceremony and reception for about 25 guests, many visiting from China.
 

 
Mt. Hood Wedding Ceremony Highlights:

• Wedding Processional: Brian Crain – Canon In D (Piano and Violin)
• Bride Entrance: Nickelback – Never Gonna Be Alone
• Bride/Groom Exit: Jung Ha Yoon – You Are My Everything

Following the ceremony, I played a background set of classical music while guests engaged in conversation and enjoyed the great view of Mt. Hood.
 
Guests then moved to the other side of the house for dinner, followed by the toast and a traditional Chinese Tea Ceremony.
 

 
Mt. Hood Wedding Reception Highlights:

• Grand Entrance: Colbie Caillat – I Do
• Tea Ceremony: Yue Yuan Hua Hao
• Cake Cutting: James Taylor – How Sweet It Is
• First Dance: Emi Fujita – Moon River
• Bouquet Toss: Beyonce – Single Ladies