Wedding DJ
Barn Kestrel Wedding West Linn Oregon
It was an absolutely perfect summer day for Shaina and Chris’ Barn Kestrel wedding on Saturday, August 13, 2022 in West Linn, Oregon.
The ceremony was held just outside the Queen Anne Victorian home under the tall tree that provided shade for most everyone. I setup a second sound system to provide music and microphones for the officiant and the bride and groom’s custom vows, as well as music during dinner at this same area of the property.
Barn Kestrel Wedding Ceremony Highlights:
- Wedding Party Entrance: Stringspace – Here Comes the Sun
- Bride Entrance: Stringspace – Blackbird
- Bride/Groom Exit: Beyonce – Crazy in Love
Following the ceremony, guests walked to the historic barn for cocktails and appetizers. I setup my main sound system here to also be used for dancing later that evening. Background music for the cocktail hour featured a variety of artists, including OneRepublic, Adele and Marvin Gaye.
Around 6pm, everyone returned to the front yard with scenic rural view for dinner and the toast that followed. The bride selected the background music during this time and provided me a playlist of popular selections re-imagined by Vitamin String Quartet .
Barn Kestrel Wedding Reception Highlights:
- Grand Entrance: 50 Cent – In The Club
- First Dance: Justin Bieber – Purpose
- Last Dance: Elton John – Tiny Dancer
Following the toast, guests were asked to return to the barn for dancing and after the first dance, it was a wild one. The dance floor was packed right out of the gate and the energy was amazing. Older songs, recent songs, they loved it all.
I played the bride and groom’s current favorite songs back-to-back, A$AP Ferg “New Level” and Cherub’s “Doses & Mimosas”. The latter really got a reaction from the groom as his shirt eventually came off 🙂
Congratulations Shaina and Chris and thank you for choosing PRO DJs.
Whispering Waters Farm Washougal Wedding
Bethany and Sam’s Whispering Waters Farm Washougal wedding reception took place on Saturday, July 31, 2021 in Washougal, Washington.
Originally planned for the farm near the main road, the couple decided a few weeks before to move it to a location on the property right next to the Washougal River. This would require navigating a long downhill gravel road and a generator for power, but it was well worth it as this was the perfect place to celebrate a wedding.
Surrounded by trees that offered lots of shade to make everyone feel comfortable, a forecasted hot summer day was also tempered with cloud cover and a high of only 82 degrees. I arrived first and parked my car near the generator to block some of the noise.
The ceremony was held at a church in Portland at 1pm and guests began arriving for the reception shortly after 3pm. For background music, the bride requested music without words, so I suggested a mix of instrumental classic jazz from artists such as Miles Davis, Diana Krall, Count Basie and more.
Whispering Waters Farm Washougal Wedding Reception Highlights:
- Grand Entrance: Natalie Cole – This Will Be (An Everlasting Love)
- First Dance: Andrew Blake and Caitlin Simone – From This Moment
- Cake Cutting: The Turtles – Happy Together
- Bride/Father Dance: Bruce Springsteen – When You Need Me
- Groom and Mother Dance: Melissa Smith – Seems Like Yesterday
- Longest Marriage Dance: Rod Stewart – Have I Told You Lately
- Bouquet Toss: Shania Twain – Man! I Feel Like A Woman!
- Last Dance: Elvis Presley – Can’t Help Falling In Love
Between and the cake cutting and father/daughter dance, Bethany and Sam played the shoe game. I enlisted the help of bridesmaid Valerie and groomsmen Ben to read the questions and give it a more personal feel. The best responses are to questions where couples disagree or they are not sure how to answer. There was a lot of double shoe raising to questions like “Who has the wackiest family” and “Who made the first move?”
It was clear that many guests were ready to expend some energy and took off dancing right away when the dance floor opened to everyone following the Longest Marriage Dance.
Swing dancing was really popular with this group as they seemed to be swinging to nearly every song.
All guests, young and older, appeared to have a great time movin’ and shakin’ to a setlist that featured 80’s classics ‘Footloose’ and ‘I Wanna Dance with Somebody (Who Loves Me),’ along with recent hits, ‘Uptown Funk,’ ‘Can’t Stop the Feeling’, ‘Shut Up and Dance’ and more.
As I was getting ready to leave at the end of the night, I appreciated the immediate feedback from the mother of the bride, who told me they had so much fun!
Congratulations Bethany and Sam and thank you for choosing PRO DJs.
Post Event Satisfaction Survey:
“I was very happy. Rich stayed an extra hour. We danced and danced. It was so much fun.” -Ruthann Johnson (Bethany Johnson & Samuel Nicosio Wedding)
- Event Date: Saturday, July 31, 2021
- Event Type: Wedding
- Event Location: Washougal Washington
- 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
Horning’s Hideout Wedding In North Plains
Emily and Brad held their Horning’s Hideout wedding in North Plains, Oregon on Friday, July 30, 2021. They were actually married in August 2020 at Lost Lake in the Mt Hood National Forest, but this was the first chance to gather with friends and family to celebrate safely.
It was supposed to be a hot one with a 100 degree high forecasted, but the all day cloud cover kept it in the low 90’s. Still a little warm, but a great day to be outside deep in the woods. For background music, the bride requested a mix of what she described as “happy folk/romance rock.” Featured artists included Vance Joy, Caamp, Maggie Rogers, Taylor Swift and more.
Horning’s Hideout Wedding Reception Highlights:
- Grand Entrance: Chris Brown – Yeah 3x
- Cake Cutting: George Ezra – Paradise
- First Dance: John Legend – Conversations in the Dark
- Bride and Father Dance: Paul Simon – Father And Daughter
- Groom and Mother Dance: Jack Johnson, John Cruz & Friends – Little Bit of Love
- Longest Marriage Dance: Orleans – Still The One
Many members of the bride’s family were visiting from Kansas and before the wedding sent me a German polka song “Cafe Polka,” an old recording transferred to digital from a record or cassette. After the cake cutting, I asked guests to bring a partner to the dance floor. Emily’s uncle Roger then led everyone in a German line dance that eventually encircled the newlyweds and led to me introducing their first dance.
With nearly 200 guests in attendance and the good fun of the line dance, the floor filled quickly for the opening song requested by the bride and groom “Celebration,” and remained a load of energy for the next few hours.
As twilight set in, the big hits kept them coming back again and again… ‘Brown Eyed Girl,’ ‘1999,’ ‘Party Rock Anthem,’ ‘Wobble’ and more.
Best wishes Emily and Brad! Thank you for choosing PRO DJs.
Post Event Satisfaction Survey:
“Rich was very prompt, well prepared, had excellent music and just made the event very special with his help. I am so very glad we hired ProDJ’s. Rich was helpful from the initial meeting to the very end. Thank you Pro DJ’s!” -Paula K Monroe (Emily Monroe & Bradley Stewart Wedding)
- Event Date: Friday, July 30, 2021
- Event Type: Wedding & Reception
- Event Location: Horning’s Hideout
- 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
July Wedding At Charbonneau Country Club Wilsonville
Susan and Ben’s wedding and reception at Charbonneau Country Club in Wilsonville, Oregon was held on Saturday, July 24, 2021.
It was a beautiful summer day. A little warm, but the wind was blowing and occasionally offered subtle spray from the nearby lake to maybe cool off some. I made sure to place a microphone cover on the lapel I provided for the officiant. The cover looks like a small critter, but it completely blocked any noise from the wind, so it was welcome.
Charbonneau Country Club Wedding Ceremony Highlights:
- Wedding Party Entrance: 2CELLOS – Perfect (Ed Sheeran Cover)
- Bride Entrance: Brooklyn Duo Piano Cello – All of Me (John Legend Cover)
- Bride/Groom Exit: Jackie Wilson – (Your Love Keeps Lifting Me) Higher and Higher
Background music for cocktails and dinner featured a variety of recent and classic hits that included Adele, Al Green, Jack Johnson and Motown favorites.
Charbonneau Country Club Wedding Reception Highlights:
- Grand Entrance: Janelle Monae – Make Me Feel
- Cake Cutting: Four Tops – I Can’t Help Myself (Sugar Pie, Honey Bunch)
- First Dance: Randy Travis – Deeper Than The Holler
- Bride and Father Dance: Tim McGraw – My Little Girl
- Groom and Mother Dance: Aimee Zimmerman – I’ll Always Be Your Mom
- Generations Dance: Natalie Cole – This Will Be (An Everlasting Love)
- Bouquet Toss: Spice Girls – Wannabe
- Garter Toss: Macklemore – And We Danced
- Last Dance: ‘N Sync – Bye Bye Bye
The newlyweds requested a generations dance where I asked everyone to raise their hand if they were married and to keep them raised if they had been married one year, 2, 5, 7, 10, etc. The longest married couple was Norma and Leon (over 50 years). Next I invited all married couples to the dance floor for the opener selected by the bride… “This Will Be (Everlasting Love) by Natalie Cole.
I received requests for hit songs from all eras, including The Contours ‘Do You Love Me’ and Bruno Mars w/Mark Ronson ‘Uptown Funk’ plus plenty of hits from the past 15 years, such as ‘Dynamite’ and ‘Cupid Shuffle’ along with requests from the bride and groom for ‘Footloose,’ ‘Wobble’ and a few Country songs.
Congratulations Susan and Ben and thank you for choosing PRO DJs.
Post Event Satisfaction Survey:
“Rich was awesome. He stayed in communication with us prior to our event. He listened to all our requests and was the perfect DJ! The event was smooth sailing and organized thanks to him!!” -Ben and Susan Cheek
- Event Date: Saturday, July 24, 2021
- Event Type: Wedding & Reception
- Event Location: Charbonneau Country 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
The Loft at 8th Avenue Portland Wedding
Portland Wedding DJ Rich Ellis had the opportunity to perform at Becca and Jon’s wedding and reception on Saturday, February 22, 2020 at The Loft at 8th Avenue in Portland, Oregon. This was my first time at this venue. The ceremony began at 4:30pm in the Annex.
The Loft at 8th Avenue Wedding Ceremony Highlights:
- Wedding Party Entrance: Shania Twain – From This Moment On
- Bride Entrance: Keith Urban – Parallel Line
- Bride/Groom Exit: Gryffin & Slander f/Calle Lehmann – All You Need To Know
Following the ceremony, all 250 guests moved to the Warehouse for cocktails and appetizers so the Annex could be turned for dinner and dancing. This allowed me time to also move my sound system to a more optimal spot. A live cellist provided background music during the cocktail hour.
Guests returned for dinner about an hour later. Once everyone was seated, the grand entrance began and I introduced the parents, wedding party and bride and groom. Background music for dinner was a mix of Tropical House and Chill EDM from artists such as Gryffin, Kygo and Illenium, as requested by the newlyweds.
The Loft at 8th Avenue Wedding Reception Highlights:
- Grand Entrance: Gryffin & Illenium f/Daya – Feel Good
- Cake Cutting: Thomas Rhett – Unforgettable
- First Dance: Cinderella – Wendy’s Story
- Groom and Mother Dance: The Band Perry – Mother Like Mine
- Bride and Father Dance: Beatles – Blackbird
- Boquet Toss: Shania Twain – Man! I Feel Like A Woman
- Last Dance: Aerosmith – I Don’t Wanna Miss A Thing
For their first dance, Becca and Jon performed a flawless Viennese Waltz that was fun to watch and well-received.
I opened the dance floor to all guests with a slow dance and that had the desired effect of getting a large majority on their feet. However, that would be the last slow song for the next two hours as this mostly younger group packed the floor to mostly recent hits from the last decade.
Everyone appeared to have a lot of fun dancing to staples “Uptown Funk” and “Cha Cha Slide,” along with requests from the bride and groom for “Party In The USA,” “Wobble,” “Despacito,” “Yeah” and more.
Becca and Jon let me know aftewards they had a great time. The bride said “you killed it” 🙂 Best wishes to you both and thank you for choosing PRO DJs.
Post Event Satisfaction Survey:
Submitted By: Rebecca Chang
“Everything was absolutely amazing. We are so happy with Rich. He was incredibly professional over email, extremely thorough on our call and went above and beyond the day of. The flow of the events all night long was just spot on and he coordinated with all the right people to make sure everything went smoothly. I would hire him again for another event any day!”
- Event Date: Saturday, February 22, 2020
- Event Type: Wedding
- Event Location: The Loft at 8th Avenue
- 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
