You may have heard about the late Sunday afternoon. The freeway was shutdown at Troutdale and as I passed the wreckage heading West on 84 late Sunday night coming back from Hood River, I thought to myself ‘I lucked out there’ for a few hours before that happened, I was driving East on my way to Parkdale and a return trip to Mt. Hood Bed and Breakfast for Christy and David’s Wedding.
 
Unlike the last time I was here (just a week a ago), you could see all of Mt. Hood on a clear, but hot day with the high temperature around 93. Shade was in short supply, so the venue staff brought out the umbrellas, which helped a little and the ceremony in the front yard, began right on time at 5pm. All music was played live by Duo Con Brio. I provided a lapel microphone for the officiant (Judge Keith Miesenheimer) and a handheld cordless microphone for the vows.
 
After the ceremony, guests made a beeline for the bar and a cold drink. Nearby trees and a tented area provided some relief from the heat and a great place to have a conversation with friends and acquaintances. Background music for the cocktail hour was also provided by the live musicians.
 
At approximately 6pm, I announced to the guests that dinner would be ready shortly and encouraged them to walk to the other side of the house to find their seat in the reception area. After everyone had assembled, I introduced Christy and David. They chose Coldplay’s ‘Viva La Vida’ for their grand entrance. Guests cheered their arrival and after they were seated, I transitioned to a set of light jazz for dinner. The bride and groom especially wanted to hear music from local artist Michael Allen Harrison, along with Kenny G and other similar artists.
 
Toasts were given by the Father of Bride and Best Man, as well as the Maid of Honor and bride’s sister Annalisa, who shared a fun story of how the couple met and their shared love of Starbucks coffee. With the sun setting, the newlyweds were wisked away by the photographer and videographer from Powers Studios for some final formal photos.
 
A little later, they returned to cut their wedding cake and chose the Plain White T’s ‘1,2,3,4 (I Love You)’ to play in the background for this occasion. The First Dance followed and Christy and David performed a waltz to ‘Around The World’ from Nat King Cole. The bride also danced a waltz with her father to the 101 Strings Orchestra’s ‘Fascination’ and the bride’s parents helped to open the dancefloor to all guests with a waltz performed to the Righteous Brothers ‘Unchained Melody.’
 
The final 90 minutes featured a set of dance music favorites from a variety of acts, including Glenn Miller, Sister Sledge and the Black Eyed Peas. The bride was excited to dance to ‘Dynamite’ from Taio Cruz and a string of 80’s cuts, including ‘Mony Mony’ and ‘Thriller’ packed the floor until the last song. The bride and groom chose to end the night with Michael Bublé’s ‘Save the Last Dance For Me.’ It was a great finish and a special evening for Christy and David. Congratulations! -Rich
 
Post Event Satisfaction Survey:
 
“We were very happy with Rich!” -Christine Smith

• Event Date: Sunday, July 24, 2011
• Event Type: Wedding
• Event Location: Mt. Hood Bed & Breakfast/Parkdale, Oregon
• 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

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I love to DJ weddings. It brings out the beauty everywhere. Saturday July 23, 2011 was no exception. It was a beautiful day in Portland, Oregon. The wedding reception took place at the gorgeous Portland Gold Club and the guests were looking spectacular. The bridal party looked amazing. And, of course, Brian, the groom, looked very dapper and with him was his very beautiful wife, Claudia. Beauty was everywhere. Now it was time to celebrate.
 
The ceremony took place at a church in another location so I arrived to the reception venue to get set-up along with the Portland Golf Club staff. Soon, the guests started to arrive. I played a mix of classic and contemporary medium-tempo music as the guests flowed in to socialize. Some familiar artists and music from Dave Mathews Band, James Taylor, David Gray and more got the guests warmed up for the night ahead.
 
After about 30-45 minutes, the bride and groom arrived for their grand entrance. You could feel the love as they applauded and cheered loud and proud. After a little more socializing and cocktail music, the staff was ready to serve dinner. An announcement got guests to their seats and the courses were served. I brought the music-tempo down to the mood, more relaxing and enjoyable for dinner with artists like Nora Jones, Elton John and Fleetwood Mac. Soon it was time for the toasts and cutting of the cake which is always entertaining for me. You get to hear the great stories of how they met and how wild they were before they met each other.
 
After the toast and cutting of their wedding cake, it was time for dancing. Claudia and Brian chose Andrea Boccelli’s ‘Besame Mucho’ for their first dance as husband and wife. Right after, I opened the dance floor to all with a familiar slow song that brought all the couples out. Then we really got the celebration going. I cranked it up and guests danced to everything from Bob Seger and Michael Jackson to Usher and ‘Party Rock Anthem’ from LMFAO…and everything in between. It was a lot of fun.
 
Finally, we ended the night with a request for ‘Sweet Caroline’ by Neil Diamond. I love to see young and old together, dancing and singing the song of a familiar tune… it was a beautiful sight to see.
 
Congratulations Brian and Claudia! Thank you for letting us be a part of your wedding celebration. Cheers! -Rhett
 
“Rhett was a fantastic DJ. So easy to work with, such a friendly, professional guy. Our reception music went perfectly.” -Brian & Claudia Dehen
 
Post Event Satisfaction Survey:

• Event Date: Saturday, July 23, 2011
• Event Type: Wedding
• Event Location: Portland Golf Club/Portland, Oregon
• Event Staff: Rhett Acelar
• 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: Good
• 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 Forest Springs Bed and Breakfast in Gresham is exactly that… a large property filled with Douglas Fir trees, which means plenty of shade. Except for one area 🙂 Upon arrival, I was directed to set-up in an area beneath a small tree. ‘Great’ I thought. The earth is still turning though and eventually the sun was shining directly on me for about 90 minutes before falling behind another tree. Such is life as a mobile DJ.
 
I provided music for the ceremony and reception for Katrina & Joshua’s Wedding. The ceremony began a little after 3pm and for the processional, Katrina chose Israel Kamakawiwo’ole’s ‘Somewhere Over The Rainbow’. She then made her entrance to ‘Unfailing Love’ from Jimmy Needham. After the kiss and being introduced by Pastor Taunja Hoole, the newlyweds left the ceremony to the Newsboys ‘Something Beautiful.’
 
Guests then enjoyed appetizers and beverages to a variety of familiar music that included classic hits, some country and motown. The bride and groom returned for the reception and I introduced them to U2’s ‘Beautiful Day’. The groom’s father cooked all of the food and everyone enjoyed an early dinner before toasts were given by multiple family members.
 
Katrina and Josh cut the cake to Harry Connick, Jr.’s ‘Recipe of Love’ and danced their First Dance to ‘We’ve Got A Good Thing Going’ from Michael Jackson. The bride and groom chose not to peform any other traditional reception events such as the bouquet and garter toss and the dance floor was open to all for the remainder of the afternoon/evening.
 
Guests were excited to dance, especially when I spun the first of many from Katrina’s favorite artist (Michael Jackson). With a little bit of everything from ‘Shout’ to ‘Girls Just Wanna Have Fun’, ‘We are Family’ to current favorites like ‘Dynamite’, the dance floor was very active and everyone appeared to enjoy each other’s company.
 
Congratulations Katrina and Joshua and thank you for the opportunity. -Rich
 

 
One of my favorite venues is Mt. Hood Bed & Breakfast in Parkdale, Oregon near Mt. Hood. The mountain is so close, on a clear day, you can almost touch it. This picturesque place got Wal-Mart’s attention several years ago and they filmed a commercial here.
 
On July 16th though, we woke to rain and the mountain was socked in by clouds much of the day. However, despite the occasional sprinkle, it turned out to be a mostly pleasant afternoon and evening (at least it was warm), for Anna and Travis’ wedding and reception.
 
The ceremony took place in the front yard and began with the seating of the parents, followed by the wedding party, ring bearer and flower girl, making their entrance to ‘To Build A Home’ from The Cinematic Orchestra. The bride then entered to Bach ‘Ave Maria’. During the ceremony, Anna and Travis performed a ‘Love Letter Ceremony’. I had never seen this before… each of them had written a love letter to each other. They locked the letters in a box and the officiant announced they would be opening them on their 5-year anniversary. In our instant-gratification world, this was an idea that requires some patience, but they seemed up for it. I wondered who is responsible for the key? 🙂 The newlyweds were introduced and made their exit to Steven Tyler’s new song ‘(It) Feels So Good’.
 
Following the ceremony, guests remained in the front yard for drinks and conversation. We all watched the bride and groom have their pictures taken to a soundtrack of vintage favorites from Frank Sinatra, Billie Holiday and other classics from the 40’s and 50’s. Mt. Hood even revealed a little of itself, but not as much as hoped… the sun was shining over us, yet there were still a lot of clouds over the mountain.
 
Around 6pm, the guests began to make their way to the other side of the house for dinner. After finding their seats, I announced the arrival of Anna and Travis and they entered the reception to one of Anna’s favorite songs, ‘You Are the Best Thing’ from Ray LaMontagne. Guests enjoyed a mix of classic jazz during dinner as the bride and groom really enjoy music from that era. They also chose ‘Memories Are Made of This’ from Dean Martin to play while they cut the cake.
 
The First Dance followed and Anna and Travis performed a routine to Sade’s ‘By Your Side.’ The bride then danced with her father to Tim McGraw’s ‘My Little Girl.’ Anna’s parents were married many years ago, but never really had a First Dance at their wedding, so they were given an opportunity here. They chose ‘Oh How The Years Go By’ from Amy Grant.
 
Approximately 60 guests attended this event and they came to party, especially the bridesmaids. I played everything from Classic Rock to Michael Jackson, plus current hit songs from Usher and Jennifer Lopez. It was a lot of fun for everyone and a good night for Anna and Travis. Congratulations! -Rich
 

 
An amazing early summer day for Katie and Burke’s wedding and reception held at Postlewait’s Country Weddings in Canby, Oregon on July 9, 2011.
 
This venue offers a large meadow-like grass area with some old growth oak trees that provide a nice backdrop for a wedding ceremony. The reception took place in a more open area of the property that featured a built-in dance floor in the middle and a view of Mt. Hood in the distance. Add sunshine and a perfect 75 degrees and you have the ingredients for some nice memories.
 
Katie chose a mix of Country love songs as prelude music leading up to the ceremony that began shortly after 4pm. After the parents were seated, the wedding party entered to ‘Then’ from Brad Paisley, followed by the bride, who was escorted by her father to Shania Twain’s ‘From This Moment On.’ The Reverend Jake Jacobson presided over the ceremony that lasted approximately 30 minutes. The bride and groom chose to include a Sand Ceremony after exchanging their vows, during which I played ‘Me & You’ from Kenny Chesney. After being introduced, they exited to Jason Michael Carroll’s ‘Livin’ Our Love Song’. The guests then followed them out across the bridge and back to the main entrance where cocktails and appetizers awaited them outside the big barn. This gave me a chance to move my sound system to the reception area and set-up again before guests were scheduled to return about 45 minutes later.
 
A variety of upbeat love songs played in the background as everyone returned to the reception area with their dinner plates (the buffet was in the barn) to sit down and enjoy their meal and some conversation. As the dinner hour came to an end, we were ready to toast the newlyweds and the father of the bride started things off with a heartfelt speech about his daughter. The groom’s sister and brother also spoke and this may be why most of the jokes were directed at him. Burke is a football player for the Oregon State Beavers. Quite of few of his teammates were in attendance and they were loving the stories from Burke’s childhood that included him painting his nails with his sister 🙂
 
Following the toasts, Katie and Burke cut the cake to Lonestar’s ‘Amazed’, then danced their First Dance to ‘I Cross My Heart’ from George Strait. The bride then danced with her father to Heartland’s ‘I Loved Her First’ and the groom with his mom to Dolly Parton’s ‘I Will Always Love You.’
 
I had a feeling this party was going to get off to a good start. The dance floor filled from the first tune and with a variety of hit songs that included everything from ‘Twist and Shout’ by the Beatles to Taio Cruz’s ‘Dynamite, it never really cleared and everyone appeared to have a great time as I spun nearly three hours of dance music.
 
Congratulations Katie and Burke and thank you for the opportunity. -Rich
 
“Thank you so much! Rich did a fantastic job! We have had lots of people comment on how great of a music selection we had! This helped make our day that much more special!” -Katie & Burke Ellis
 
“Rich kept everyone on the dance floor with a great selection of music, and just the right amount of talking! Thank you. The evening was absolutely lovely.” -Jean Martin (Mother of the Bride)
 
Post Event Satisfaction Survey:

• Event Date: Saturday, July 9, 2011
• Event Type: Wedding
• Event Location: Postlewait’s Country Weddings/Canby, Oregon
• 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: Good
• 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

Thank you Alyssa Jul from Alyssa Jul Photography for sharing photos from this event.
 
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