Rancho Santa Fe wedding DJ highlights and photos from a wedding on 6/16/12 at the Rancho Santa Fe Golf Club near San Diego, CA. The Rancho Santa Fe Golf Club is a members only golf club with a very nice clubhouse overlooking the golf course.

Guests were greeted at the entryway and were invited out to the patio for cocktail hour. Our couple hired a quartet to play throughout the cocktail hour and dinner.

One unique element to this wedding was the art on display. These paintings were hand painted by a few of the bride & groom’s family members and friends.

After the cocktail hour guests were then invited into the main dining room. The wooden beams, chandeliers, and fireplaces give this space a warm and intimate feeling. It felt more like you were dining in someones really large home rather than your typical ballroom.

In the photo below you can notice that each person’s name place card was also hand painted with different flowers. This gave a nice personal touch to each table. We kicked things off with the couple’s entrance into the room. They immediately went onto the dance floor for their first dance. The quartet played the first half of the dance and then they had me mix in a fast song to end the dance in a fun way.

Our couple hired me as their Rancho Santa Fe wedding DJ and they also had me provide a little lighting for the cake which was placed in a side room. I washed the walls with some warm coral colored uplighting and then spotlighted the cake to really make it stand out! They also had two other cakes. One was a favorite flavor and the other was a football themed groom’s cake.

Tamara and her staff were always aware of guests needs, the service was excellent, and meal was great. The bride planned a fun surprise for the groom during dinner. She had a friend play the ukulele while she sang to him at their sweetheart table “Grow Old With You” from Adam Sandler in the movie Wedding Singer. Everyone loved it! After dinner and a slide show guests literally were allowed to kick off their shoes, trade them in for dancing flip flops, and celebrate with our newly married couple. They were itching to get out there and have a good time.

The dance floor was pretty much packed for the rest of the night. It was a really great crowd and a fun group. Guests lined up at the end, bubbles were passed out, and they sent them off with a huge congratulations!

Rancho Santa Fe Wedding DJ, Lighting, & Extras Provided:  Cake Spotlighting and Uplighting

RANCHO SANTA FE WEDDING DJ MUSIC:

Bride & Groom Entrance Song:  Chariots Of Fire –  Vangelis

First Dance Song:  Quartet Played (1st half), Spin Me Round – Dead Or Alive (2nd half)

Father & Daughter Dance Song:  Dream Along With Me – Perry Como

Mother & Son Dance Song:  Dream Along With Me – Perry Como

Cake Cutting Song:  Sweetest Thing – U2

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

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San Diego Wedding DJ highlights and photos from a recent wedding reception at Admiral Kidd Club.

Cocktail hour was held outside on the large patio overlooking downtown San Diego.

The escort cards were displayed on various shaped black trays surrounded by two large floral pieces with hanging crystals.

The unique aspect to this wedding was the use of quite a bit of black. You do not see black as one of the main colors too often but they did it in a really stylish way that actually added drama to the space.

As their San Diego wedding DJ I tried to play a large variety of music tonight. The group truly had a good time with it!

San Diego Wedding DJ & Vendors:

Coordinator + Enchanted Dream Weddings

DJ + Positive Energy Productions

Photographers + Heather Pepin

Florist + Artquest Flower Studio

Cake + Sweet Cheeks Baking Co.

Groom’s Cake + Sweet Cheeks Baking Co.

Photo Booth + San Diego Photo Booth Rental

For more information about this event or to hire us as your San Diego wedding DJ or San Diego wedding and event lighting company please 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

One of my last weddings of 2011 was at Estancia and now I am grateful to start off 2012 with the first wedding of the year at this great La Jolla wedding venue as well! The ceremony was held at a different location so our couple hired me as their La Jolla wedding DJ for the reception only. Cocktail hour kicked off just outside the ballroom on the patio. During this time guests were “signing” the tree guestbook with a signature & a thumbprint. I think our couple will enjoy this unique wedding idea much more than a book with a few signatures which typically gets tucked away in a closet.

Once guests entered the Grande Ballroom they were treated to lots of warm lighting. I provided amber uplighting throughout the room and over by the cake. I also used some atmospheric lighting up on the ceiling to create some interest. This all really made a huge difference in the look & feel of the ballroom. After dinner I was able to project the couple’s slide show up onto the wall with about a 15 foot image size. It looked really clean without having to use a screen.

After the meal & slide show we invited our couple out for their first dance. We started off dancing with a few slow songs which all of the couples enjoyed. We then moved into some “please all” type music to get dancing going. Guests were easing into party mode a little slower this evening. After the cake cutting & bouquet / garter toss they were ready to dance. The photo booth opened up and the party was underway…

Our couple wanted to keep a classy atmosphere but still wanted to add a little color & movement later on so once the formalities were done I switched the atmospheric lighting over to change colors. It gave it more of a party feeling without all the blinking and flashing lights. This was a perfect lighting option to add that interest. The crowd finished strong and we actually played about 30 minutes past our planned ending time.

Below are some professional photos from Teale Photography:

Click Here To View More Professional Photos From This Wedding.

San Diego Wedding Lighting & Extras Provided:  9 uplights,  atmospheric ceiling lighting,  & video projection equipment

LA JOLLA WEDDING DJ MUSIC:

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

First Dance – “The Way You Look Tonight ” by Tony Bennett

Father/Daughter Dance – “In the Midnight” by Van Morrison

Mother/Son Dance  – “You’re Nobody ‘Til Somebody Loves You” by Dean Martin

Anniversary Dance – “Wonderful World’” by Louis Armstrong

SAN DIEGO WEDDING VENDORS:

Coordinator = Jennifer Destein

Photographer = Teale Photography

Cake = Flour Power Bakery

Photo Booth = Recorded Memories

For more information about this event or if you are looking for a La Jolla wedding DJ click here to contact Positive Energy Productions or call us at 858.490.0445.

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

The Museum of Photographic Arts (MOPA) is a modern San Diego wedding venue tucked within Balboa Park. One nice thing about this space is that there are many options nearby for an outdoor ceremony in the park. Our couple hired me as their San Diego wedding DJ for the reception but also decided to have their ceremony in the Casa Del Prado courtyard. This allowed for a semi-private ceremony in a very busy place. There is no electricity in the area so I had to use a battery powered system for music & microphones. The bride’s uncle performed the ceremony. He was extremely nervous in the beginning but ended up doing a nice job for them and made the ceremony personal.

After the ceremony guests headed out of the courtyard over to the cocktail hour located on the East Lawn in front of the Botanical Gardens building. This lawn area is also next to the reflecting pond which makes for a scenic backdrop.  Balboa Park does not allow any electrical powered amplification so I once again had to use a battery operated sound system in the cocktail hour area.

Our couple lives in Tanzania so of course there was an African theme throughout the entire wedding reception. This theme was evident in the personalized table runners & linens that they had hand made in Africa. An artist they met in Africa designed the beaded table number card holders. For unique wedding favors they gave out packets of spices from the Zanzibar region and also colorful handmade Zanzibari scarfs for all of the women. They brought these back from Dar Es Salaam & Zanzibar’s Stonetown. You can see the handmade scarves displayed on the hand railing at the entrance to the museum.

Instead of a traditional wedding cake our couple decided to have a variety of different flavored cupcakes with a smaller cake on top for the two of them to cut. Check out the “mustachio” cupcakes! These were a white chocolate pistachio cake with pistachio butter cream and of course different shaped mustaches to top them all off.

The museum is an all white space so you really need to bring in some lighting to warm things up and create more of a wedding environment. I provided 10 red uplights around the reception gallery that added some necessary color.

This is probably my most musically unique wedding this year. They hired me as their San Diego wedding DJ over the phone since they were planning from a distance. Once they arrived in San Diego a few weeks before the wedding our couple gave me lots of DJ friendly African music that they brought back with them. We all knew that typically (American) wedding guests will only dance to songs they have heard many time times before so all of us were not sure if their guests would dance to this music since it was unfamiliar to most of them. We talked it over and thought we would test out the waters that night and see what happens. I listened to and categorized all of this music in advance. This allowed me sort the music by beats per minute and to seamlessly mix in their African songs in between some mainstream dance music and popular American favorites. It was sort of a back and forth between the styles all night. They actually ate it up and had a great time. I honestly think the seamless beat mixing really helped keep that momentum going from a familiar song into an unfamiliar song and then back to something familiar again. Essentially I didn’t give them a chance to have a “conscious moment” to think: What song is this? Do I like this song? Do I want to dance to this song? It just happens. This was a really fun and unique wedding that I will definitely remember.

San Diego Wedding Lighting & Extras Provided:  10 Uplights,  Battery Powered Sound System for Ceremony & Cocktail Hour

SAN DIEGO WEDDING DJ MUSIC:

Ceremony Wedding Party Entrance – “A River Flow in You” by Yiruma

Ceremony Bride’s Processional - “Neria” by Oliver Mtukudzi

Ceremony Recessional – “L.O.V.E.” by Natalie Cole

Bridal Party Introductions –  “Waka Waka (This Time for Africa)” by Shakira

First Dance – “Malaika” by Harry Belafonte and Miriam Makeba

Cake Cutting – “Closer to the Bone” by Louis Prima

SAN DIEGO WEDDING VENDORS:

Catering =  Personal Touch Catering

Coordinator =  San Diego Weddings by Gina

Florist =  Haydee’s Creative Flowers

Photographer =  Amazonas Photography

Cake & Cupcakes =  Elizabethan Desserts

Transportation =  Haynes Antique Car

For more information about this event or to hire us as your San Diego wedding DJ click here to visit us:   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 I provided San Diego wedding DJ and lighting services for a wedding at the Inn At The Park Hotel, otherwise known as Park Manor Suites, which is a historic 1926 all-suite boutique hotel and is a San Diego wedding venue that is located near Balboa Park and downtown. The reception space “Top Of The Park Penthouse” is located on the top floor.

There are two nice outdoor patio areas for a ceremony or cocktail hour which can be a perfect setting to enjoy great views of downtown. For some reason there are always amazing sunsets overlooking the water and city when I work here. There is a nice dining area and a permanent bar / dance floor. Jim Harmon is always great to work with. He is always attentive to every detail and truly cares about the outcome of each event.

As you can see in the photo below our bride and groom a made their grand entrance into the hotel from below. One unique wedding idea was to have all of the guests throw flower petals off the seventh floor balcony area as they arrived. It made for some great photos. As their San Diego wedding DJ and MC I then introduced our couple into the ballroom. They made their way directly onto the dance floor and started off immediately dancing (not the first dance) as the mariachi played. They were truly having a great time and I knew it was going to be a fun night!

After cocktail hour guests were seated in the dining area for dinner. As I mentioned earlier I was hired as their San Diego wedding DJ but they also hired me to provide lighting for the reception room. To really set the cake off I spotlighted it from a distance as you can see in the photo at the top. I also set 10 purple uplights throughout the space. After dinner I then invited everyone to gather around the dance floor for the couple’s first dance. This immediately lead into open dancing. They were ready!

It was mainly a Latin group tonight so as their San Diego wedding DJ I was able to play a huge variety of music. I enjoyed going back and forth mixing cumbias into hip-hop and merengue into faster 128 bpm dance music. They enjoyed the variety and it really kept everyone up on the dance floor.

San Diego Wedding Lighting & Extras Provided:  10 uplights, cake spotlighting, and slide show projection equipment

SAN DIEGO WEDDING DJ MUSIC:

Wedding Party Introductions Song:  Raise Your Glass – Pink

First Dance Song:  The Book Of Love – Peter Gabriel

Father & Daughter Dance Song: Y Cómo Es El – Marc Anthony

Mother & Son Dance Song:  Wonderful World – Louis Armstrong

Cake Cutting Song:  Lucky – Jason Mraz with Colbie Caillat

Last Dance Song:  Que Bonito! – Rosario

SAN DIEGO WEDDING VENDORS:

Photographer = TLS Images

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

Our couple tonight hired me as their San Diego wedding DJ at the Scripps Seaside Forum which is an amazing wedding venue located in La Jolla right on the water.

We started off with the ceremony outside on the grass at an angle facing the palm trees and beach. Once the wedding ceremony was done guests moved over to the patio and lawn area for cocktail hour. The bar was open… The couples specialty cocktail was named after a play on their last name (Whelan) called the “Peach Whelinni”.

A nice assortment of tray passed appetizers were served that included: Seared Beef- with sweet potatoes and pomegranate reduction, Seared Ahi on Wonton, Brie Pops, Grilled Vegetable Kabobs, and Chicken Picatta Puffs.

The draped patio space with a center hanging chandelier along with the all white leather bar looked great. The guest’s name cards were displayed in a playful way tucked inside of flowers that almost looked like some sort of dessert.

After cocktail hour the doors were opened to the reception space. The tables really stood out with the rich blue linens and the bright contracting orange floral centerpieces that were lit from below. You can also see in the photo below that the back of the Scripps Forum was draped with flowing white fabric and the room was completed with a custom seamless white dance floor.

Tonight they hired me as their San Diego wedding DJ but they knew that they were interested in my San Diego wedding lighting services as well. The Scripps Forum is one of my favorite places to provide lighting for. I have done so many different things in this space and each wedding has had a totally different look and feel. I used the orange uplighting inside and outside to add lots of warmth and color. Spotlighting the cake also allowed us to really turn down the lights for an intimate atmosphere but still allowed the cake to stand out at a distance.

After dinner we kicked into dance music. We got everyone up and they really kept the party going. Lets just say that the flawless circular white dance floor got a little scuffed up by the end of the evening.

Two last unique wedding ideas or items that made this wedding fun were the engagement photo puzzle that guests were constantly working on throughout the event and the late night snack complete with Sprinkles Cupcakes and cold milk.

San Diego Wedding Lighting & Extras Provided:  Cake Spotlighting and 16 Uplights

SAN DIEGO WEDDING DJ MUSIC:

Wedding Party Introductions Song:  Crazy in Love – Beyonce

First Dance Song:  Chances Are – Johnny Mathis

Father & Daughter Dance Song:  Isn’t She Lovely – Stevie Wonder

Mother & Son Dance Song:  Because You Loved Me – Johnny Mathis

Cake Cutting Song:  Sugar Sugar – The Archies

SAN DIEGO WEDDING DJ & VENDORS:

Coordinator = Liz Beck Events

Catering & Linens = Culinary Concepts

Florist = Jennifer Cole Florals

Photographer = Tim Otto

Cake = Sweet Cheeks Bakery

Cupcakes = Sprinkles Cupcakes

Dance Floor, Bar, & Draping = Concepts Event Design

Chiavari Chairs (110 white – ceremony, 120 silver – reception) = Chiavari 4 Rent

Ceremony Music = Caprice Strings

Transportation (56 passenger motor coach) = Balboa Transportation

White Rolls Royce Getaway Car = Simply Elegant Vintage Vehicle Limousine

For more information about this event, to inquire about San Diego wedding and Event lighting services, 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

San Diego wedding DJ highlights from a ceremony and reception held at Park Manor Suites Hotel located near downtown. We started off the evening with the couples wedding ceremony held outside on the patio overlooking Balboa Park & the city. One unique wedding item was instead of having a guest book our couple had a wooden bench that each guest was able to write on and sign. They plan on putting this bench in the entryway of their new home.

After cocktail hour outside on the patio guests entered the reception and dining room. Instead of having one cake they had a small cake with other cakes and desserts all displayed together.

The tables were all uniquely decorated which added some interest to the room. There was a common theme throughout the tables with the same colors but each table had different centerpieces and different linens. Just before dinner we were treated to an excellent sunset.

Our couple hired me as their San Diego wedding DJ but they were also interested in having me provide some uplighting in the dining area and near the dance floor. As you can see in the photos below it really adds a lot of color and warmth to the room, as well as, the photos.

After dinner we kicked off dancing. We didn’t have too much time to work with at this point so as their San Diego wedding DJ I had to really try to fit as many songs in as I could in a short period of time. I mixed in and out of songs much faster than I normally would to really get a huge variety in there and play as many hits as possible. They definitely made the most of it! Dancing was non stop until we closed things out with our couple’s last dance.

San Diego Wedding Lighting & Extras Provided:  12 uplights

SAN DIEGO WEDDING DJ MUSIC:

Ceremony Bridesmaid’s Song:  Don’t Stop Believin’ – Vitamin String Quartet

Ceremony Bride’s Processional Song:  Con Te Partiro – Andrea Bocelli

Ceremony Recessional Song:  Sweet Disposition – The Temper Trap

Wedding Party Introductions Song:  Barbara Streisand – Duck Sauce

First Dance Song:  In My Life – Beatles

Father & Daughter Dance Song:  Through The Years – Kenny Rogers

SAN DIEGO WEDDING DJ & VENDORS:

Photo Booth = San Diego Wedding Photobooth Rental

For more information about this event, to inquire about San Diego wedding and event lighting services, 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 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.

The 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.

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.

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…

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

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

Well it’s been a while since I have DJ’d a wedding at Bernardo Winery (back in 2003 to be exact!). Pretty nice San Diego outdoor reception space with a garden / winery type setting. The only major thing that has changed since I was there last is the fact that the DJ has to plug into their sound system and use their speakers for the entire event. This is because they have multiple houses located directly next door and they have gotten many complaints in the past. I will try to be nice about this… let’s just say the volume is WAY too low for dancing. It is appropriate for a crowd that is not looking for a big dance party. I would describe the maximum volume just slightly louder than “cocktail hour” volume. Difficult to inspire a party without a little more volume! That can be worked around with the correct casual group. The major problem I had was the volume when it came to using the microphone for introductions, announcements, events, and toasts. Either too soft or totally distorted! Anyways back on track… I think the bride did an excellent job designing all of the wedding elements for this event herself. It really fit the rustic feel of the outdoor winery location.

The ceremony was held off to the side of the reception space under the gazebo. Perfect weather for our couple…

Cocktail hour was then held under the covered patio area & Cake

Colorful candy bar that disappeared in minutes! Always a hit.

One unique wedding item was the guestbook. Each guest was invited to “leaf” their fingerprint on the tree in the photo below along with their signature. A fun way to display the “guestbook” at a wedding.

Dancing was fairly reserved this afternoon/evening. I think it was appropriate for the winery setting and the limited volume we were aloud to play music at.

MUSIC:

Ceremony Bridesmaid’s Entrance – “Canon In D” by Pachabel

Ceremony Bride’s Processional - “Wedding March” by Wagner

Ceremony Recessional – “Signed Sealed Delivered” by Stevie Wonder

Bridal Party Introductions – “Good Life” by One Republic

First Dance – “Marry Me” by Train

Last Dance – “Carolina In My Mind” by James Taylor

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

I 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.

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.

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.

It 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

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