Today I was near downtown at the El Cortez to provide San Diego wedding DJ and lighting services for a ceremony & reception. It was in the forecast to likely be a very rainy day here in San Diego. Our bride and groom knew this was going to be a problem for their planned outdoor ceremony so they had a tent setup outside on the El Cortez patio. The ceremony and our bride’s uncle performed ceremony which was held facing the fireplace. He was really able to add a personal touch to the couple’s stories & vows.

Our couple met in high school and one memory that was brought up during the wedding ceremony was the fact that our groom always remembers his first kiss on the cheek with her. He graduated a few years before her & went on to college at USD. During this time they broke up for a while & moved on their lives. They both went their separate ways during college. Seven years went by… They didn’t totally lose touch during this time because when they were both in San Diego during holidays and summer they had a similar group of old friends. Our bride eventually moved back to San Diego. Once back they began to spend more time together and both realized they felt a little differently towards each other. They were a little older, wiser, more understanding, & slightly more mature. They learned how to value each other and eventually decided to get engaged & married. The bride’s uncle ended the ceremony with a great saying: “It only takes a few minutes to marry the one you love but it takes a lifetime to learn how to love the one you marry.”

Once inside the reception room our couple used lots of gold linens, candles, and manzanita branch centerpieces to complete their fall themed wedding. As a unique wedding favor our bride and groom decided to give each guest a personalized bottle of champagne. Our couple hired me as their San Diego wedding DJ but they also knew that they wanted to hire me to provide quite a bit of lighting for the reception ballroom inside the El Cortez. Our couple felt that the reception room tends to be on the darker side of things so it needed quite a bit of lighting to really make it look good. We were originally going to also add some lighting to the outside patio space and on the fireplace but because of the rain we had to pull everything inside. I used 20 uplights in various fall themed colors, cake spotlighting, and a gobo monogram projected down onto the dance floor to give the room a really warm and interesting look.

After the meal we kicked things off with the toasts. Our bride and groom made a very personal slide show that I projected onto an 8 foot screen as their “thank you” to family & friends. We then moved into the first dance and opened up the dance floor. Guests were a little slow to start dancing early on in the evening but after the cake they really warmed up and let loose. Everyone ended up having a great time.

San Diego Wedding Lighting & Extras Provided:  20 uplights, gobo monogram projection, cake spotlighting, and slide show projection equipment

SAN DIEGO WEDDING DJ MUSIC:

Ceremony Bridesmaid’s Song:  Forest Gump Theme – Soundtrack

Ceremony Bride’s Processional Song:  Canon in D – O’Neill brothers

Ceremony Recessional Song:  The Prince of Denmark’s March – Wynton Marsalis

Wedding Party Introductions Song:  Galvanize – Chemical Brothers

Bride & Groom Entrance Song:  Sweet Child Of Mine – Guns n Roses

First Dance Song:  Until – Sting

Mother/Daughter & Mother/Son Dance Song:  I Hope You Dance – Lee Ann Womack

Bouquet Toss Song:  Girls Just Want To Have Fun – Cindy Lauper

Cake Cutting Song:  Pour Some Sugar On Me – Def Leopard & Sugar Sugar – Archies

Last Dance Song:  November Rain – Guns and Roses

SAN DIEGO WEDDING VENDORS:

Photographers =  Your Inner Song Photography

For more information about this event or to hire us as your San Diego wedding DJ click here:   Positive Energy Productions  |  858.490.0445

Visit Us: POSITIVE ENERGY - SAN DIEGO WEDDING DJ BLOG - Professional San Diego Wedding DJ, Corporate DJ, MC, and Lighting Services

Tonight’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.

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!

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

Visit Us: POSITIVE ENERGY - SAN DIEGO WEDDING DJ BLOG - Professional San Diego Wedding DJ, Corporate DJ, MC, and Lighting Services

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.

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!

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.

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.

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!

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

Visit Us: POSITIVE ENERGY - SAN DIEGO WEDDING DJ BLOG - Professional San Diego Wedding DJ, Corporate DJ, MC, and Lighting Services

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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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Visit Us: POSITIVE ENERGY - SAN DIEGO WEDDING DJ BLOG - Professional San Diego Wedding DJ, Corporate DJ, MC, and Lighting Services

The Bali Hai on Shelter Island was remodeled about a year ago and has really been updated into a nice San Diego wedding venue with one of the best views of downtown. It still has a comfortable Polynesian feel with a modern twist. We started off with the ceremony right at sunset which made for some dramatic photos. Perfect spring weather for an outdoor ceremony!

The wedding lighting I provided this evening looked amazing. I think the uplighting (they selected blue to go with the wedding colors) and the monogram gobo on dance floor really made these photos stand out. The monogram gobo was a complete surprise for our bride & groom since the bride’s parents told me to keep it a secret. They loved it!

After dinner we moved into our couple’s first dance and then into about 45 minutes of dancing.

Time to cut the cake!

They had a great time this evening. Guests of all ages were out there on the dance floor.

We topped it all off with an exit filled with bubbles.

San Diego Wedding Vendors:

Photographer:  A Slice Of Life Photography

Cake:  Shirley The Cake Lady

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

Positive Energy Productions  |  858.490.0445

Visit Us: POSITIVE ENERGY - SAN DIEGO WEDDING DJ BLOG - Professional San Diego Wedding DJ, Corporate DJ, MC, and Lighting Services

The Scripps Forum is one of the best modern inside and outside La Jolla wedding venues in San Diego. The view isn’t too bad either… We started off with the ceremony out on the grass facing the ocean. At the end of the ceremony our couple released two white doves as a symbol of love since the white dove chooses one mate for life.

Guests moved to the side patio for cocktail hour.  The clear acrylic tables were illuminated by uplights and were a small taste of what was waiting for them inside. We were all treated to one of the best sunsets San Diego can offer!

Our couple is truly into electronic music and nightlife. Each table was named a different nightclub they have been to in the past. They primarily hired me as their San Diego wedding DJ but I also walked them through some excellent options for lighting that quickly caught their attention. They had clear acrylic tables inside that were also illuminated with blue uplights. We then placed purple uplights around the perimeter. This provided enough light so we didn’t have to use any of the ceiling lights. The whole room gave off a warm glow and really set the tone for the rest of the evening.

Lighting can make such a difference in a space!  The fun and personal slide show looked great on the large screen above their sweetheart table.

Dinner was amazing as you can see from the photo below. After the meal we moved into dancing. I projected their custom monogram gobo down onto the dance floor which looked great during their first dance.

After 30 to 45 minutes of dancing we cut the cake and tossed the bouquet and garter.

As I mentioned our couple and all of their friends are really into electronic music. We planned on playing progressive house and electro for the last hour. Their friends were waiting for this all night to say the least… The bride and groom broke out about 200 glow sticks and we turned the volume up!

The night would not have been complete without a formal glow stick sendoff. No bubbles or sparklers here! A truly perfect wedding.

This wedding was featured by San Diego Style Weddings Magazine. Click Here for photos & information.

Click Here to view professional video highlights from NR3 Video.

Click here to view a short video from the last hour…

Here are some professional photos from Felici Photography:

Click Here to view professional photos and slide show from Felici Photography.

Extras Provided: 18 Uplights, Custom Gobo Monogram Projection, Water Effect Lighting

MUSIC:

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SAN DIEGO WEDDING VENDORS:

Coordinator:  Melissa with I Do… Weddings!

Photographers:  Felici Photography

Videographers:  NR3 Video Productions

Catering:  Coast Catering

Rentals & Lounge Furniture:  Kool Party Rentals

Florist:  Jennifer Cole Florals

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

Positive Energy Productions  |  858.490.0445

Visit Us: POSITIVE ENERGY - SAN DIEGO WEDDING DJ BLOG - Professional San Diego Wedding DJ, Corporate DJ, MC, and Lighting Services

The Bristol Hotel in downtown San Diego has one of the most unique elements within it’s Starlight Ballroom reception space. The ceiling opens! Guests are usually totally surprised because most often this is kept as a secret before the big event. Most couples choose to open the roof during their first dance.

Tonight’s wedding couple decided to have their ceremony in the ballroom. A fun moment was when they opened the roof right as the bride was walking down the aisle.

Some unique elements to this wedding were the Halloween inspired cake complete with a red candied apple ontop, the personal first dance song that was sung by a friend, and the large “B” for the couple’s last name that I projected onto the dance floor.

San Diego wedding entertainment breakdown: fun crowd + fun music = fun dancing.

Extras Provided:  Monogram Projection

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

Positive Energy Productions  |  858.490.0445

Visit Us: POSITIVE ENERGY - SAN DIEGO WEDDING DJ BLOG - Professional San Diego Wedding DJ, Corporate DJ, MC, and Lighting Services

The Bahia Resort is a San Diego wedding venue located on Mission Bay. The property has a few different ballrooms available, as well as, a few different locations for an outdoor ceremony. Tonight’s couple started off with their wedding ceremony outside by the pond. This area is tucked away in a garden and is fairly hidden from the main resort. After the ceremony guest’s headed up to the Mission Ballroom which is on the top floor of the main tower. The large windows provided excellent views of the water and the Sea World fireworks in the summer.

One unique wedding item tonight was the large map located at the entrance. The tables were all named after places the bride & groom had traveled to in the past. Each location was pinned and the guest’s names were all connected to that location. The flowers were also unique colors and extremely vibrant.

They hired me as their San Diego wedding DJ but I also provided quite a bit of lighting tonight. The lighting included 12 uplights and a custom gobo monogram projection. The projection of their names onto the wall really helped distract attention away from the fact that it is an airwall. The uplighting added warmth and interest to all of the columns in the ballroom. All of this really dressed up the room.

Dancing went really well tonight. They were ready to get up after dinner and we didn’t stop until the very end. Overall a very fun wedding!

Extras Provided:  12 Uplights  &  Custom Gobo Monogram Projection

SAN DIEGO WEDDING VENDORS:

Officiant – Jerry Bryant

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

Positive Energy Productions  |  858.490.0445

Visit Us: POSITIVE ENERGY - SAN DIEGO WEDDING DJ BLOG - Professional San Diego Wedding DJ, Corporate DJ, MC, and Lighting Services

Rancho Bernardo Inn has many different locations for your San Diego wedding ceremony. Tonight’s ceremony was held over on the Valencia Lawn. There is a fountain well located near the ceremony and our couple put a box of pennies on it with a note to make a special wish for our newlyweds. The sports and football themed reception was held in the San Bernardo Ballroom. The groom’s cake was a fun football field with the couple running from the “Single” side to the “Married” side of the field. The uplighting really warmed up the room and the gobo monogram projection on the wall above the couple’s sweetheart table added some interest. You can see the before and after photos below. After the cake cutting we showed a nice 8 minute photo slide show of our bride’s mother that passed away a short time ago. It was a nice way to celebrate her life and have her be a special part of our couple’s wedding. Dancing went really well tonight. We had a little bit of a late start but they really ate it up. We were scheduled to end at 12 midnight but the bride ran up to me and wanted to extend until 1 am. At about 12:15 the staff told the bride and groom that the event had to end at 12 midnight so we closed the evening out with their last dance. Overall a great wedding!

Click here to view a short video slide show of this wedding from Photographer Sara France.

Extras provided: 8 uplights, gobo monogram projection, cake spotlighting, slide show projection equipment

MUSIC:

Bridesmaids: All I Want Is You – U2

Bride’s Processional:  Instrumental Bridal March – Jonathan Cain of Journey

Recessional: Magnificent – U2

Bridal Party Entrance: Let it Rock – Kevin Rudolf Ft. Lil Wayne

Bride & Groom Entrance: Monday night Football Theme

First Dance: Life After You – Daughtry

Father/Daughter Dance: She’s a Wild One – Faith Hill & Daddy’s Money – Ricochet Mix

Mother/Son Dance: All to You – DJ Keo

Last Dance: My Way – Robbie Williams

SAN DIEGO WEDDING VENDORS:

Coordinator:  Lindsay with First Comes Love

Photographer:  Sara France

Cake:  For The Love Of Cake

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

Positive Energy Productions  |  858.490.0445

Visit Us: POSITIVE ENERGY - SAN DIEGO WEDDING DJ BLOG - Professional San Diego Wedding DJ, Corporate DJ, MC, and Lighting Services

Tonight was a large 225 person Filipino wedding in downtown San Diego at the Omni Hotel. The referral trail is long on this one… First off this couple hired me to be their San Diego wedding DJ based on a referral from a wedding that the bride & groom attended in 2008. That wedding was a referral from a wedding I DJ’d back in August of 2001 at the US Grant. The 2001 wedding was a referral from a previous wedding that is no longer in my computer system which means it was sometime back in 1995 to 1999. It always amazes me to look back at how each couple finds me. I just sent an indirect “Thank You” to the 2001 couple.

The cocktail hour tonight was held just outside the ballroom. Once we opened the ballroom doors guests made their way to their seats to find a nice bottle of sake wrapped up as their wedding favor. We started off the evening with the huge grand entrance of 42 people! I put in some time practicing to make sure I pronounced all the unique names correctly. After our couple entered we went directly into their first dance. Toasts were held after the meal (with sake service) and were followed by the father/daughter, as well as, the mother/son dances. We kicked off dancing and the dance floor was full. After about 20-30 minutes guests were naturally wanting a break so we slowed things down and showed the couples slide show which the NR3 videographers added footage from the ceremony and reception filmed just minutes earlier. We then went into the money dance which is a well-loved tradition at Filipino weddings which represents the wish that good fortune is “rained” upon them. We finished off the events with the cake cutting and the bouquet/garter toss. The rest of the evening was open for dancing. I played a large variety of music including all the major dance hits, some Cha-Cha, and a few songs from Lea Salonga (see below). Dancing went well for the rest of the evening. The lighting helped add some color to the walls and bring more purple into the room. I also projected a custom gobo monogram image down onto the dance floor that added a personal feel to the space.

Lea Salonga is a great singer and actress in the Philippines. She has appeared in “Miss Saigon” on Broadway, as well as, the voice of Princess Jasmine in Disney’s Aladdin. It was Filipino Cultural Night at Petco Park and Lea sang the National Anthem during the Padres game (the groom works for the Padres and helped line this up). In the photo to the left you can see Lea Salonga with our couple.

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Extras Provided: 10 Uplights, Custom Gobo Monogram Projection

MUSIC:

Sponsors Entrance:  DeBarge  “Rhythm of the Night”

Wedding Party Entrance:  Chris Brown “Forever”

Bride & Groom’s Entrance:  Allure feat. NAS “Head over Heels”

First Dance:  Stevie Wonder “You are the Sunshine of my Life”

Father/Daughter Dance:  Rascal Flatts “I Loved her First”

Mother/Son Dance:  Kenny Rogers “Through the Years”

Cake Cutting:  Portrait “How Deep is your Love”

Bouquet Toss:  Brotherhood Creed “Helluva”

Garter Removal:  TLC “Red Light Special”

Garter Toss:  P. Diddy “I Need a Girl”

Last Dance:  Koffee Brown “After Party”

SAN DIEGO WEDDING VENDORS:

Photographers:  Trailbrook Photography

Videographers:  NR3 Video Productions

Cake:  Edelweiss Bakery

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

Positive Energy Productions  |  858.490.0445

Visit Us: POSITIVE ENERGY - SAN DIEGO WEDDING DJ BLOG - Professional San Diego Wedding DJ, Corporate DJ, MC, and Lighting Services