The pattern of rain during the week and sunshine on the weeknds this summer worked out again. After thunder, lightning and heavy rain just two days earlier, it was a beautiful day for Casey and Dave’s wedding on Saturday, September 7, 2013, held at the home of their good friends right on the Sandy River in Sandy, Oregon.
 
This is not an official venue for weddings, but it sure looked like it should be with custom construction and landscaping for the ceremony and dance floor, a patio riser for the DJ and lush green grass to place a tent for dining.
 

 
Sandy OR Wedding DJ Ceremony Highlights:

• Bridal Party Entrance: Nostromo Pilots – A 1000 Years
• Bride Entrance: Christina Perri – A Thousand Years
• Bride/Groom Exit: Natalie Cole – This Will Be

 

 
Sandy OR Wedding DJ Reception Highlights:

• Grand Entrance: U2 – Beautiful Day
• Cake Cutting: James Taylor – How Sweet It Is (To Be Loved By You)
• First Dance: Rascal Flatts – Here
• Bride and Father Dance: Louis Armstrong – What A Wonderful World
• Groom and Mother Dance: Nat King Cole – Unforgettable
• Bouquet Toss: Selena Gomez – Come & Get It
• Last Dance: Frank Sinatra – The Way You Look Tonight

Following the cake cutting, Casey and Dave wanted to take photos with everyone there (approximately 50 guests), so the first dance was delayed about 30 minutes.
 

 
Still, with the remaining 30 or so guests who stayed until the end, we had a great turnout on the dance floor, especially Casey, her daughters and other women in attendance… although, they chose to remove their shoes and dance in the grass, instead of the designated cobblestone area 🙂
 


 
Dave had originally requested Van Halen’s ‘Jump’ be the last song played at their reception, but Casey wanted something a little more traditional. I still played VH for him though and the 80’s rock set that followed went over big with all guests.
 

 
Congratulations Casey and Dave and thank you for choosing PRO DJs.
 

 
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

 
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