Jul 022011
 

Omni San Diego Wedding CakeTonight’s wedding was held in downtown San Diego at the Omni Hotel. Typically the ceremony or cocktail hour is held outside on the Palm Terrace and then guests move inside to the main ballroom. Even though I have performed as the DJ for many weddings down at the Omni Hotel in the past this was actually my first wedding here that had their entire reception outside on the Palm Terrace. It was a perfect evening and a nice change of pace.

Our couple’s ceremony was held on Coronado Island so they hired me as their San Diego wedding DJ for the reception only. Even though I was only providing music and entertainment for the reception this event was a long one coming in at 6.5 hours.

Omni San Diego Wedding Palm Terrace Reception

Omni San Diego Wedding Palm TerraceThe yellow flower centerpieces made for some dramatic contrast against the black and white patterned table linens. The fireplace and water fountains acted as a nice backdrop behind their head table.

Omni San Diego Wedding Escort Cards Omni San Diego Wedding Table Linens Omni San Diego Wedding Head Table

A few unique wedding items were when our bride ended up surprising her new husband with a grooms cake. As they were ready to cut the wedding cake the staff wheeled out his cake that looked exactly like a large can of SPAM. He grew up in Hawaii so everyone got a great laugh! The couple then cut their wedding cake with his sword. Another unique item was when his grandmother performed a traditional hula dance for the new couple.

Omni San Diego Wedding Sword Arch Omni San Diego Wedding Cake Cutting With Sword Omni San Diego Wedding DJs

Our couple had their first dance outside on the terrace patio and we then invited everyone to make their way inside for the party. After all of the formalities and events were done we still had three hours of dance time left! They made it until the end…

Omni San Diego DJs Omni San Diego Wedding DJ Omni San Diego Wedding Entertainment

MUSIC:

Bridal Party Introductions – “Sexyback Instrumental” by Justin Timberlake

First Dance – “When You Got a Good Thing” by Lady Antebellum

SAN DIEGO WEDDING VENDORS:

Photographer =  Courtney with True Photography

Florist =  Rae Florae

Cake =  Sweet Cheeks Baking Company

Linens =  Concepts Event Design

For more information about this event click here:  San Diego Wedding DJ

Positive Energy Productions  |  858.490.0445

Jun 172011
 

Admiral Kidd Club San Diego Wedding CakeThe Admiral Kidd Club is a San Diego wedding venue located near Point Loma and the airport. They have a few different ballrooms available depending on the size of the group. Their largest ballroom upstairs can accommodate around 300 to 350 guests. Our couple invited about 125 guests so we were in the Harbor Lounge located on the downstairs level.

The Friday evening event began with our couple’s wedding ceremony on the grass area overlooking San Diego bay and downtown. After the ceremony wrapped up guests moved directly to the outdoor patio area for cocktails & appetizers. One funny fact about this location is that they actually have to have a server on “seagull duty” to keep the seagulls away from the food!

Admiral Kidd Club San Diego Wedding Ceremony Admiral Kidd Club San Diego Wedding Cocktail Hour Admiral Kidd Club San Diego Wedding Table Place Cards

Purple seems to be one of the popular colors this year. It keeps popping up wedding after wedding. The Harbor Lounge is pretty much white top to bottom so it needs a little help to warm it up. This can be achieved through the use of colored linens, chair covers, centerpieces, and the lighting. I provided some purple uplighting for the room to help add some color to the space.

Admiral Kidd Club San Diego Wedding Uplighting Admiral Kidd Club San Diego Wedding CenterpiecesAdmiral Kidd Club San Diego Wedding First Dance

As their San Diego wedding DJ I was able to play a little more current music than normal tonight. On the whole it was a younger crowd. We didn’t forget about the older generation but they seemed to tire out a little earlier in the night. Definitely some fun moments out on the dance floor.

Admiral Kidd Club San Diego Wedding DJs Admiral Kidd Club San Diego DJs Admiral Kidd Club San Diego Wedding DJ

Extras Provided: 6 Uplights

MUSIC:

Bridal Party Introductions – I Gotta Feeling” by Black Eyed Peas

First Dance – “Come Away With Me” by Norah Jones

Cake Cutting – “Sugar, Sugar” by Archies

SAN DIEGO WEDDING VENDORS:

Photographer = Kristen Peelle Photography

For more information about this event click here =  San Diego Wedding DJ

Positive Energy Productions  |  858.490.0445

Jun 122011
 

Museum Of Contemporary Art La Jolla Wedding CakeI am back at the Museum Of Contemporary Art in La Jolla, CA. to provide sound for the ceremony, wedding DJ services, and lighting throughout the museum. The art is constantly changing and is always an interesting backdrop. The art that was up for this wedding almost seemed like they selected it for this wedding. The large lady with sunglasses looked great behind our couple’s head table.

There were many personal touches to this wedding. One of their friends designed the invitations, the bride’s brother recorded a song which we were able to play during dinner (which was a total surprise for him), another friend made their cake, and yet another made cupcakes.

Museum Of Contemporary Art La Jolla Wedding Ceremony Museum Of Contemporary Art La Jolla Wedding Couple Museum Of Contemporary Art La Jolla Wedding Centerpieces

The reception area is mostly a blank canvas consisting of white walls and white/grey flooring. This is an excellent opportunity to add in lots of lighting to increase the drama and incorporate the individual colors of the wedding into the space. Tonight I provided 16 uplights and also spotlighted the cake.

Museum Of Contemporary Art La Jolla Wedding Venue Museum Of Contemporary Art La Jolla Wedding Uplighting Museum Of Contemporary Art La Jolla Wedding DJ & Lighting

I helped our couple create a custom first dance by increasing the speed of the song to fit their dance. I also cut portions out and joined the segments together to reduce the overall length down to a comfortable two and a half minutes. I wasn’t too sure which way this wedding was going to go when it came to dancing. I was truly surprised at how wild the group was. It turned out to be a blast and they really had a great time! A final sparkler exit to help see our couple off…

Museum Of Contemporary Art La Jolla Wedding DJs San Diego Wedding DJ Museum Of Contemporary Art La Jolla Wedding Reception

Click here to view the professional video highlights from this wedding.

Click here to view some of the professional photos from this wedding.

MUSIC:

Bridal Party Introductions – “Haretaraii ne 14″

First Dance – “Catch My Disease” by Ben Le

Last Dance – “Wonderful Tonight” by Eric Clapton

SAN DIEGO WEDDING VENDORS:

Museum Of Contemporary Art La Jolla Wedding DJCoordinator = Theory Weddings and Events

Photographer = One… Two… Snap… Photography

Videographer = Side By Side Video

Catering = Tapenade Restaurant

Florist = Modern Bouquet

Rentals & Decor = Classic Party Rentals

For more information about this event click here:  San Diego Wedding DJ

Positive Energy Productions  |  858.490.0445

May 292011
 

Omni San Diego Wedding Cake With Cake Spotlighting & Blue UplightingAnother Memorial Day weekend wedding! Tonight’s wedding was held on a Sunday evening at the Omni San Diego Hotel downtown with an excellent group of vendors. Kelly our coordinator really helped keep things on track.

Tonight’s couple decided to have a “Fire & Ice” theme. They hired me to perform as their San Diego wedding DJ but they also opted to hire me to take care of all of their lighting needs for the event. The cake spotlighting really helped the cake to stand out and make an impression from across the room! One unique wedding item was their wedding cake topper. They had a custom etched piece of glass (with their names and date) that was lit by blue led lights which tied into all of the other lighting in the room.

Omni San Diego Wedding DJ Uplighting & Cake Spotlighting

As you can see in the photos we contrasted all of the candles and orange / red flower centerpieces with deep blue uplighting (which also helped to hide the wall behind). We really pulled off this theme well!

Omni San Diego Wedding Centerpieces San Diego Wedding Lighting Fire & Ice Wedding Theme

The ceremony started off outside on the Palm Terrace followed by a cocktail hour in the large foyer overlooking Petco Park and the city. After our couple’s entrance they went into a custom first dance song that I mixed for them which combined a few parts of a slow song and a section of a fast song.

Omni San Diego Wedding First Dance Omni San Diego Wedding Dancing San Diego Wedding Entertainment

Once we opened up the dance floor guest’s were ready to party. We had quite a bit of time (2.5 – 3 hours) for dancing which is much longer than most. They stayed until the end and our couple exited just before midnight. I played an extra 15 minutes of music since there were a number of guests that wanted the party to continue. All in all a nice wedding!

San Diego Wedding DJ Omni San Diego Wedding DJ San Diego Reception DJ

Extras Provided:   16 Uplights  &  Cake Spotlighting

MUSIC:

Bridal Party Introductions – Soul Bossa Nova” by Quincy Jones & His Orchestra

First Dance – Mix of: “Bless The Broken Road” by Rascal Flatts & “Ring Of Fire” by Social Distortion

Father/Daughter Dance  – “Butterfly Kisses” by Bob Carlisle

Mother/Son Dance  – “My Wish” by Rascal Flatts

Bouquet Toss – “Single Ladies (Put a Ring on It)” by Beyoncé

Garter Toss –  “Take It Off” by KISS

Last Dance - “Save The Last Dance For Me” by Michael Buble’

SAN DIEGO WEDDING VENDORS:

Coordinator – Mint Weddings

Photographer – RHS Photo

Videographer – Blue Pearl Weddings

Florist – Joyce La Vigne

Cake – Sweet Cheeks Baking Company

Officiant – Paul Frye Weddings

Flip Book Photo Booth – A Little Scene

Chair Covers & Linens – American Party Rentals

For more information about this event click here:  San Diego Wedding DJ

Positive Energy Productions  |  858.490.0445

May 282011
 

El Cortez San Diego Wedding CakeI was downtown at the El Cortez for tonight’s wedding. This wedding was a referral from two past weddings. I provided my San Diego wedding DJ services for them back in 2007 and 2008. It is always nice to see past couples at an event!

The room looked nice tonight with the contrasting purple linens & yellow uplighting. Even though the photo below was taken while there was a lot of sunlight coming into the room you can see the warmth that they add to the space. The El Cortez tends to be one of the darker reception venues due to the dark wood ceiling, red drapes, and dark wood dance floor. Lighting in this space really helps to balance that out.

El Cortez San Diego Wedding Lighting

A nice personal touch to the wedding was our groom’s grandparent’s wedding cake topper on display next to the cake. I am sure it was fun for them to see this after all of these years. They also had a special San Diego Chargers themed groom’s cake since he is a big fan.

El Cortez San Diego Wedding Table Centerpieces El Cortez San Diego Wedding Grandparent's Cake Topper El Cortez San Diego Wedding Groom's Cake Chargers NFL logo

I provided the cake spotlighting tonight and you can really see in the photo below what a difference it makes in a room like this! It places some importance on the cake and helps it stand out from across the room (especially when we dim the lights down later on). We opened up the dance floor and guests were ready to get out of their seats.

El Cortez San Diego Wedding Cake Spotlighting El Cortez San Diego DJs El Cortez San Diego Wedding Entertainment

El Cortez San Diego Wedding DJ 5-28-11It really is extremely important for all of the vendors to communicate with each other. A professional coordinator always helps with this process.There were a few hiccups in the schedule (the photographers taking the bride & groom outside right after I announced that we were going into the next event). This put things on hold for about 15 minutes and guests started lose their momentum. We picked things up once they got back inside and ended the night on a strong note.

Click Here to view the professional photos from this wedding.

Extras Provided:  Gobo Monogram Projection, Slide Show Projection Equipment, Cake Spotlighting

MUSIC:

Bridal Party Introductions – “Yeah 3X” by Chris Brown

Bride & Groom Introduction – “The Time (Dirty Bit)” by Black Eyed Peas

First Dance – “From this Moment” sung by Bride’s Mom & Step-dad

Mother/Son Dance  – “The Perfect Fan” by Backstreet Boys

Bouquet Toss – “Holding Out For a Hero” by Bonnie Tyler

Garter Toss – “Pour Some Sugar On Me” by Def Leppard

Last Dance - “When You Got A Good Thing” by Lady Antebellum


SAN DIEGO WEDDING VENDORS:

Coordinator = Courtney

Catering = Ranch Events

Photographer = Pix Of Life

Videographer = Taylor Films

For more information about this event click here:  San Diego Wedding DJ

Positive Energy Productions  |  858.490.0445

May 212011
 

San Diego Wedding Cake A large 300 person wedding tonight over at the Hilton La Jolla Torrey Pines! This is an excellent San Diego wedding venue for a few reasons. They have one of the nicer ballrooms that can fit around 300-350 guests, the ceremony site is directly outside which is convenient for guests, and the outdoor patio area overlooking the golf course is a perfect spot for the cocktail hour.

Our couple had quite a large wedding party with 17 total bridesmaids & groomsmen. One unique wedding item was the large head table set for 19 placed in the middle of the guests tables. It felt like they were surrounded by their guests rather than up in front of all of their guests.

As I was walking through the room a couple got my attention and called me over to their table. It turns out that I was their wedding DJ over 11 years ago. Tonight’s groom was actually at their wedding but he must have only been about 13 or 14 years old! Always great to bump into past clients!

Hilton La Jolla Torrey Pines Wedding Uplighting

The ballroom really looked great. The uplighting and cake spotlighting I provided added some color to the all tan/brown space and helped warm up the photos. I am looking forward to seeing the professional photos!

San Diego Wedding Uplighting Hilton La Jolla Torrey Pines Wedding Coordinator Hilton La Jolla Torrey Pines Wedding Centerpieces

Tonight I was hired as their San Diego wedding DJ but they also hired a band. I handled all of the announcements and events that took place, as well as, helped play music during the band breaks. It was a great combo where guests got the best of both worlds. They played some fun music that kicked off the evening.

Hilton La Jolla Torrey Pines Wedding Band Hilton La Jolla Torrey Pines Wedding DJ San Diego Wedding DJ

The band was scheduled until 10pm so I took over as the DJ from 10pm until 11pm. This really worked out well and I was able to squeeze quite a few top hits into the last hour! Full dance floor and fun times…

Hilton La Jolla Torrey Pines Wedding Entertainment San Diego Wedding Entertainment San Diego Wedding Music

Extras Provided:  14 Uplights & Cake Spotlighting

Music:

Bridal Party Introductions – “Yeah 3X” by Chris Brown

First Dance – “Can’t Get Enough of Your Love, Babe” by Barry White

Father/Daughter Dance  – “Mack the Knife” by Louis Armstrong

Anniversary Dance  – “The Way You Look Tonight” by Michael Bùble

Bouquet/Garter Toss – “Just Haven’t Met You Yet” by Michael Bùble,  “Best Night of My Life” by Jamie Foxx

Cake Cutting – “Wanna Love You Girl” by Robin Thicke

Last Dance - “Let’s Get It On” by Marvin Gaye


San Diego Wedding Vendors:

Coordinator – San Diego Weddings by Gina

Florist – Hartworks Floral

Photographer – Julie Parker Photography

Videographer – Drew Renaud

Band – Clay Davis Band

Makeup - Brides by Brittany

Chair Covers & Chocolate Fountain – Lovely Chair Covers

For more information about this event click here:  San Diego Wedding DJ

Positive Energy Productions  |  858.490.0445

May 142011
 

San Diego Wedding CakeTonight’s wedding was held at the Bali Hai Restaurant on Shelter Island. Our couple had their ceremony in a church so I was hired as their San Diego wedding DJ for the reception only.

They opted to have a music theme throughout the wedding decor so I knew music was important to them! The cake was wrapped in music notes, the tables were all named after famous music artists or groups, and the place cards were actual custom printed concert tickets for each guest.

San Diego Wedding Uplighting & Monogram Projection San Diego Wedding Gobo Monogram Projection Bali Hai Wedding Dance & Monogram Projection

Our couple decided to add in some lighting at the last minute. I provided light blue uplighting around the room and projected a gobo letter onto the center of the dance floor. They thought it really made a huge difference!

Bali Hai Wedding DJ San Diego Wedding DJ San Diego Reception DJ Entertainment

Once we opened up the dance floor everyone jumped out there and were ready to party. Dancing was pretty solid for most of the evening and then slowly tapered off towards the end. They were an extremely nice group to work with.

Here is a link to the photographer’s blog:    view professional photos from this event

Extras Provided: 8 Uplights  &  Gobo Letter Projection

MUSIC:

Grand Entrance:  One Block Radius – “You Got Me”

First Dance:  Jay Sean – “Down (Candlelight Remix)”

Father/Daughter Dance:  Mariah Carey – “Hero”

Cake Cutting:  T.I. Feat. Keri Hilson – “Got Your Back Boy”

SAN DIEGO WEDDING VENDORS:

Photographer =  Adam Baruh Photography

For more information about this event click here =  San Diego Wedding DJ

Positive Energy Productions  |  858.490.0445

May 062011
 
Cake Spotlighting San Diego Wedding

Cake Spotlighting

The Robert Paine Scripps Forum in La Jolla is one of my favorite San Diego wedding venue locations because of the modern architecture (which opens up many options for lighting) and the view!

The ceremony was held out on the grass at an angle facing the palm trees and ocean. The wooden birds at the base of the floral stands added a fun element to the design (these birds also showed up at the base of the cake table later on).

After the ceremony guests were greeted into the reception space by a fun place card display strung between two white ladders topped off with flowers and hanging photographs. Our coordinator Suzanne from Crown Weddings and her team really helped keep the schedule and events running on time.

Scripps Forum San Diego Wedding Ceremony Unique San Diego Wedding Idea Scripps Forum San Diego Wedding Centerpieces

I performed my main duties as their San Diego wedding DJ but they also were really interested in many of the lighting options I was able to show them. We added lots of uplighting throughout, projected a custom monogram gobo up above their sweetheart table, added in the cake spotlighting, as well as, some ambient dance floor lighting for later in the evening. I can really do quite a bit with this space to totally transform it into something special!

Uplighting at Scripps Forum San Diego Wedding Monogram & Uplighting at Scripps Forum San Diego Wedding San Diego Wedding Music

After the meal and toasts were finished their guests were ready to dance! I started off with a few slow songs and some older songs that worked for all ages. As you can see a few of the photo booth props made it out onto the dance floor.

San Diego Wedding Dancing San Diego Wedding Photo Booth Props Scripps Forum Wedding Entertainment

As the evening progressed I played more and more of the current music to make sure the younger crowd was also having a great time.

San Diego Wedding DJ Scripps Forum Wedding DJ San Diego Wedding Lighting

I used some ambient dance floor lighting (in the photos above and below) to really throw some color into the area and to also set off the fun dancing photos. Guests danced until the end and our bride & groom had an excellent night!

Monogram Gobo at Scripps Forum San Diego Wedding Lighting Scripps Forum San Diego Event Lighting Last Dance at Scripps Forum San Diego Wedding

Extras Provided:  Uplighting, Cake Spotlighting, Monogram Gobo Projection, Ambient Dance Floor Lights

MUSIC:

Ceremony Bridesmaid’s Entrance – The Frey “How To Save A Life Instrumental”

Ceremony Bride’s Processional - Norah Jones “Come Away With Me Instrumental”

Ceremony Recessional – Ingrid Michaelson “The Way I Am”

First Dance – Sade “By Your Side”

Mother/Son Dance  – Sarah McLachlin “Blackbird”

Last Dance - Tim McGraw “Tiny Dancer”


SAN DIEGO WEDDING VENDORS:

Coordinator =  Suzanne with Crown Weddings

Photographer =  Michael with True Photography

Caterer =  TK&A Custom Catering

Cake =  Michele Coulon Dessertier

Chairs & Linens =  Concepts Event Design

Transportation =  Avante-Garde Limousine

For more information about this event click here:  San Diego Wedding DJ

Positive Energy Productions  |  858.490.0445

Apr 172011
 

Los Willows Fallbrook Wedding CakeLos Willows located in Fallbrook, CA is a San Diego wedding venue that provides an all in one wedding ceremony and reception space. They have a few different outdoor areas to take advantage of, as well as, a nice large lake onsite. The reception is held in a large permanent white tent where the inside is nicely draped with white fabric and has few hanging chandeliers to enhance the overall look.

This wedding was a referral from a past San Diego wedding I helped DJ back in 2007. The other couple were guests at tonight’s wedding so it was nice to see them and chat for a few minutes. They now have a child so it sounds like things are going well :)

Los Willows Wedding Ceremony Site

The ceremony is typically held in the gazebo that is right next to the lake. Sometimes the bride will choose to make her entrance into the ceremony on a boat that crosses the lake. Other wedding couples choose to make their exit from the ceremony onto the boat. Our couple didn’t opt to do either of these today. In the photos below you can see the ceremony gazebo, the outdoor patio space with built in bar used for the cocktail hour, and the wedding centerpieces on the tables inside the tent.

Los Willows Fallbrook Wedding Ceremony Los Willows Fallbrook Wedding Cocktail Hour Los Willows Fallbrook Wedding Centerpieces

The inside of the tent is draped in all white fabric which is a perfect canvas for adding lighting. You can really do some fun things with an all white tent like projecting patterns up onto the walls and ceiling or projecting a monogram above the head table. Tonight we used some custom colored uplighting to wash the tent in a purplish pink and to pull some color out of the flowers while adding some color to the area.

Los Willows Fallbrook Wedding Uplighting Los Willows Fallbrook Wedding DJ San Diego Wedding DJ

Dancing went fairly well tonight considering it was a Sunday evening. We didn’t have too much time to work with since the entire event was only five hours long. At the end of the event we had everyone line up just outside the tent to see our newlyweds off. They made their exit and headed off in a Rolls Royce…

Los Willows Wedding Reception Tent

MUSIC:

Bridal Party Introductions – “Home” by Edward Sharpe & The Magnetic Zeros

First Dance – “I Will” by The Beatles

Father/Daughter Dance – “Love & Happiness” by Mark Knopfler & Emmy Lou Harris

Cake Cutting – “You Make Lovin’ Fun” by Fleetwood Mac

Last Dance – “Small Town” by John Cougar Mellencamp

 

SAN DIEGO WEDDING VENDORS:

Photographer – Flutter Glass Photography

For more information about this event click here:  San Diego Wedding DJ

Positive Energy Productions  |  858.490.0445

Apr 022011
 

Ceremony Magazine 2011.

A Positive Energy Productions San Diego wedding is featured in the 2011 Ceremony Magazine!  This was a great wedding held at the Hilton La Jolla Torrey Pines.

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You can view professional photos and a description of the wedding here:  California Wedding Wave Website

Here is a link to the Positive Energy blog post from that wedding:  Hilton La Jolla Torrey Pines Wedding

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San Diego Wedding DJ in Ceremony Magazine San Diego Reception DJ in Ceremony Magazine