Sunday, March 18, 2012

Wedding 03/17/2012 - Tammy Steele and Casey Flinn

We had a great wedding last night (3/17/2012) at the Umlauf Sculpture Garden for Tammy Steele and Casey Flinn. Since I had recently purchased some new items to add to my setup, I decided to put them to use at this wedding and they all worked great.


First, I had purchased a new scrim for my light pole. Just like the other scrims for my speaker stands, this looked great. As you can see from the image, it now matches the speaker poles and table.

Second, I purchased the new American DJ Micro Hypnotic, which looked great on the outdoor dancefloor. Since there was not much light outdoors, this light  made the dancefloor come alive.

Third, I had recently purchased the Chauvet FreedomPar. Since it runs on battery, I decided to set it up behind me, which gave a nice glow from behind the DJ booth.


Finally, I used my wireless lapel to make the Bose L1 Compact a wireless remote speaker, which came in handy since the guests were eating dinner about 30 yards away.


View from dinner location.

This was a great crowd and a fun bride and groom. The weather was fantasic as well.

Playlist:
First Dance - At Last - Etta James

Parent's Dance - Unforgettalble - Nat King Cole

Don't Know Why - Norah Jones
Celebration - Kool and the Gang
Shipping Up to Boston - Dropkick Murphys (Just for St. Patrick's Day)
Love Shack - B52s
Mony Mony - Billy Idol
My Sharona - The Knack
Build Me Up Buttercup - The Foundations
La Bamba - Los Lobos
I Want You Back - Jackson 5
But It's Alright - J.J. Jackson
Twist Again - Chubby Checker
Sexy and I Know It - LMFAO
Moves Like Jagger - Maroon 5
Forget You - Cee Lo
Tonight Tonight - Hot Chelle Rae
Bouquet Toss - Ladies Night - Kool and the Gang
It's Tricky - Run DMC
Brass Monkey - Beastie Boys
Funky Cold Medina - Tone Loc
Sexyback - Justin Timberlake
Time of My Life - Bill Medley & Jennifer Warnes

Next week, I return to Star Hill Ranch.

Sunday, February 19, 2012

Wedding 02/18/2012 Victoria Klimt and Nicholas Chremos

After some time off from the event blog, we’re back with the second wedding of 2012 for Victoria and Nicholas Chremos. This was my first Russian and Greek wedding, so I had many music requests that I had never played before, as you will see below. I always enjoy weddings that challenge me, and this wedding was such a case.

The first challenge was that the bride wanted to dance her first dance under snowflakes. We created this effect by using a rotating mirror ball and our new Chauvet Gobozoom 2.0 with a snowflake gobo. As you can see from the pictures, this effect came out great.

The second challenge was that the bride wanted a lighted leaves and branches effect on one of the walls. We created this effect using our LED projector and a photo-shopped image that we shaded till we got the exact shade of green the bride wanted.
The third challenge was finding the Russian and Greek music requests that the bride made. Considering that I did not speak or read Russian or Greek, this was the bigger challenge. But, as I had done in previous weddings with foreign music requests, I immersed myself in the music to become more familiar with it and comfortable DJing it.

The fourth challenge was when I arrived at House on the Hill. Due to the cold rain, everything (ceremony, buffet, cocktails, and reception) was moved inside the same room. This left me very little space for setup. To accommodate, I moved the DJ setup as far in the corner of the room as I could and ran off one speaker as there was no space for a second speaker. Fortunately, I have plenty of patience and flexibility and both came in handy for this reception.
All four challenges were met with success and the bride and groom were very happy. I received many complements from the many Russian and Greek guests who were in attendance from their home countries.

The wedding and reception were at House on the Hill, where I have DJed for a number of receptions. It is a nice, intimate wedding venue. This was my first time, however, to be setup in the main house, as I am usually in the pavilion. This was also the first wedding where the guests did a box game for the toasts. This consisted of a decorative box being passed around by the guests during dinner while the music played. When the music stopped, whoever was holding the box had to give a short toast to the bride and groom. Inside the box, I placed my wireless mic. This was an interesting and fun way for guests to say something about the couple.
Playlist (all bride and groom’s requests)

1.       First Dance – Shostakovich Waltz
2.       Nat King Cole – L-O-V-E

3.       Peggy Lee – I’ll Dance at Your Wedding

4.       Frankie Valli – I Love You Baby

5.       Glenn Miller – In the Mood

6.       Fred Astaire – Putting on the Ritz

7.       Peggy Lee – Fever (Remix)
8.       Erasure – Love to Hate You

9.       Jump in the Line – Harry Bellefonte

10.   Baccara - Yes Sir, I Can Boogie

11.   Basement Jaxx - Take Me Back To Your House

12.   Zorba the Greek

13.   Greek Song

14.   Boney M - Rasputin

15.   Russian Dance Song

16.   Russian Dance Song

17.   Russian Dance Song

18.   Russian Dance Song

19.   LMFAO - Sexy and I Know It

20.   Tomas Nevergreen - Since You Been Gone

21.   Filip Kirkorov - Ti Ti Ti

22.   Russian Slow Song

23.   Greek Song

24.   Village People - YMCA

25.   Russian Dance Song

26.   Dalida - Besame Mucho

27.   Quincy Jones - Soul Bossa Nova (Remix)

28.   Erasure - Take A Chance

29.   Boney M - Daddy Cool

30.   Eruption - One Way Ticket

31.   Maroon 5 - Moves Like Jagger

32.   Greek Slow Dance

33.   ABBA – Does Your Mother Know

34.   Yolanda Be Cool - We No Speak Americano
35.   Justin Timberlake –Sexyback
36.   Leonard Cohen - Dance Me To the End of Love

Friday, November 18, 2011

Brandi Weaver and Aaron Welch Wedding 11/12/2011

I returned to the Chateau Bellevue, on November 12, 2011, which is one of my favorite wedding facilities in Austin for the wedding of Brandi Weaver and Aaron Welch. After the ceremony conducted on the veranda, the party moved inside, where Brandi and Aaron did their first dance to "Lullabye" by The Dixie Chicks after introduction of the bridal party (while "Raise Your Glass" by Pink played).

As you can see from the above picture, we had a lighted monogram for the dancefloor.

We also did pink uplighting for the room.

After dinner and toasts, Brandi and Aaron went to cut the cake and the dance floor opened up.
Cake Cutting - It Had to Be You - Harry Connick Jr.
Cake Cutting - How Sweet It Is - Michael Buble
Cake Cutting - Say Hey - Michael Franti
I Gotta Feeling - Black Eyed Peas
Tonight, Tonight - Hot Chelle Rae
Raise Your Glass - Pink
Wrapped - George Strait
Chicken Fried - Zac Brown Band
Margaritaville - Jimmy Buffet
Woman's Love - Alan Jackson
Crazy - Patsy Cline

Cha Cha Slide
In The Mood - Glen Miller

Jump Jive and Wail - Brian Setzer Orchestra
Shook Me All Night Long - AC/DC
Living on a Prayer - Bon Jovi
All Summer Long - Kid Rock
Forget You - Cee Lo Green

Motownphilly - Boyz II Men
Sexy and I Know It - LMFAO
Baby Got Back - Sir Mix a Lot
OPP - Naughty By Nature
Michigan Fight Song
Texas Fight
You Are So Beautiful - Joe Cocker
I'm Yours - Jason Mraz
You Are the Sunshine of My Life - Stevie Wonder
Landslide - The Dixie Chicks
Wonderful Tonight - Eric Clapton
Georgia On My Mind - Ray Charles
Last Dance - Don't Stop Believing (sung by friend of the bride and groom)






Kimberly and Andrew Marcus Wedding 10/22/2011


We had an awesome wedding at The Gardens of Cranesbury View in New Braunfels, TX on 10/22/2011. All of the planning had to be done via email or phone as the bride was in Switzerland and the groom was in Pennsylvania. For this wedding the color scheme was fall colors, so we used our uplighting package to add a warm glow to the facility, as you can see from the below picture:


After the introductions, the bride and groom went right to their first dance, "Faithfully" by Journey.

Below is our playlist from the reception:
I Gotta Feeling - Black Eyed Peas
Wanna Be Starting Something - Michael Jackson
Signed, Sealed, Delivered - Stevie Wonder
Let's Twist Again - Chubby Checker
The Way You Look Tonight - Frank Sinatra
My Girl - The Temptations
Unforgetable - Nat King Cole
In My Life - The Beatles
Kiss Me in the Dark - Randy Rogers Band
Cake Cutting


Cotton Eyed Joe - Isaac Sweat Payton
Sweat's Schottische - Isaac Sweat Payton
Boot Scootin' Boogie - Brooks and Dunn
The Time (Dirty Bit) - Black Eyed Peas
Wobble - Vic
Brown Eyed Girl - Van Morrison
Shout - Isley Brothers
Twist and Shout - The Beatles
As Time Goes By - Jimmy Durante
Never My Love - The Association
Party Rock Anthem - LMFAO
Brass Monkey - Beastie Boys
Bust a Move - Young MC
Crazy in Love - Beyonce
Shook Me All Night Long - AC/DC
Living On a Prayer - Bon Jovi
Poker Face - Lady Gaga
Low - Flo Rida
Moves Like Jagger - Maroon 5
Empire State of Mind - Jay Z
Chicken Dance
Lights - Journey
Last Dance - Don't Stop Believing - Journey

Special thanks goes to Laura Cathey for assisting me at this wedding.

I had a fantastic time at this wedding and from the below review (available here), so did the bride and groom:
"Greg was an excellent DJ. He had asked for song and genre suggestions prior to the wedding, and he fulfilled all of these (even the songs we requested mere days beforehand).
He provided the desired amount of interaction with the guests and announcing the different events during the evening, without going overboard. Our guests were dancing constantly after dinner, which is a credit to him keeping the right music playing.
He even surprised us by recording the best man and maid of honor toasts, which is something we'll treasure amongst our favorite wedding mementos.
We also used him to provide uplighting in the room, which again was exactly what we wanted (even though we had a difficult time describing it to him, he fine-tuned the color to create the desired effect).
I would highly recommend GGC to anyone looking for DJ services in the area."

Saturday, September 10, 2011

Natali Sandlin and Carson Thomas Wedding 9/4/2011

This was my first wedding at The Hummingbird House. Prior to the wedding, we received news of the wildfires in Bastrop. With the wind blowing our direction, we began to smell the smoke. Fortunatelly, nothing happened to us and the smoke disappeared well before the start of the ceremony.
Playlist:
First Dance - "When You Got a Good Thing" - Lady Antelbellum
Father/Daughter Dance - "You've Got a Friend" - James Taylor
Mother/Son Dance - "I Hope You Dance" - Lee Ann Womack
"I Gotta Feeling" - Black Eyed Peas
"Don't Stop Till You Get Enough" - Michael Jackson
"Play That Funky Music" - Leif Garrett
"Brickhouse" - The Commodores
"Cupid Shuffle" - Cupid
"Brown Eyed Girl" - Van Morrison
"Shout" - Isley Brothers
"Twist and Shout" - Beatles
Bouquet Toss - "Single Ladies" - Beyonce
Garter Toss - "Rude Boy" - Rihanna
Dollar Dance - "Kiss Me In the Dark" - Randy Rogers Band
Dollar Dance - "Crazy Girl" - Eli Young Band
Dollar Dance - "Boots On" - Randy Houser
Dollar Dance - "Perfect Love" - Alpha Rev
Thanks to Jamie Maldonado for assisting during the Dollar Dances
"Let's Twist Again" - Chubby Checker
"Getting Jiggy Wit It" - Will Smith
"Hip Hop Medley"
"Zoot Suit Riot" - Cherry Poppin Daddies
"Party Rock" - LMFAO
"Empire State of Mind" - Jay-Z
"Moves Like Jagger" - Maroon 5
"Cha Cha Slide"
"Take Over Control" - Afrojack
"Ghosts N Stuff" - Deadmau5
"Dynamite" - Taio Cruz
"I Want You Back" - Jackson 5
"Sex Machine" - James Brown
"Respect" - Aretha Franklin
"La Bamba" - Los Lobos
"Cotton Eyed Joe"
Last Dance - "You Are the Best Thing" - Ray LaMontagne

Jenny Hui and Jesse Ontiveros Wedding


I know it's been a while since I've written a wedding blog, but it's been a very busy summer.
We met Jenny and Jesse at the Bridal Extravaganza show in June. Their wedding was held at House on the Hill, which is one of my favorite facilities in the Austin area. Nice and intimate. Everything can be done onsite, including rooms for the bride and groom. This was a great wedding.
Playlist:
First Dance - Nick Drake - Pink Moon
Father/Daughter Dance - Unforgettable - Nat King and Natalie Cole
Anniversary Dance - The Way You Look Tonight - Frank Sinatra
I Gotta Feeling - Black Eyed Peas
Don't Stop Till You Get Enough - Michael Jackson
Party Rock - LMFAO
You Shook Me All Night Long - AC/DC
Living on a Prayer - Bon Jovi
Don't Stop Believing - Journey
Hip Hop Medley (Apache, Funky Cold Medina, Brass Monkey, Bust a Move)
Jammin - Bob Marley
Just Like Heaven - The Cure
Bizarre Love Triangle - New Order
Come On Eileen - Dexy's Midnight Runners
Shout - Isley brothers
Twist and Shout - The Beatles
La Bamba - Los Lobos
What a Wonderful World - Louis Armstrong
One Love - Bob Marley
Chicken Dance - Brave Combo
Tik Tok - Ke$ha
Poker Face - Lady Gaga
California Gurls - Katy Perry
Cupid Shuffle - Cupid
Like a G6 - Dev
The Eyes of Texas and Texas Fight - Longhorn Band

Tuesday, March 15, 2011

Cheadle/Winfrey Wedding 03/12/2011

After a break from writing event blogs, I'm back to write some more. What a wedding to start the wedding season, which seems to last from March to October.

The wedding and reception were held at the Walden Plantation in Llano, Tx. This is a new bed and breakfast in the hill country right on the Llano River. The wedding was held next to the pool and hottub. The reception was held in a tent just behind the facility.

What a wedding to start the season with. With almost 300 guests and running from 6:00 to midnight, this was going to be a awesome reception. Plus, this was the first wedding I got to use my new Chauvet Min Laser. Against the ceiling of the white tent, the laser looked fantastic.

Playlist:
First Dance - Chasing Cars - Snow Patrol
Father/Daughter Dance - I Loved Her First - Heartland
Mother/Son Dance - What a Wonderful World - Louis Armstrong
Stepfather/Daughter Dance - He Didn't Have to Be - Brad Paisley
I Gotta Feeling
Don't Stop Believing
Cake Cutting (was warm in the tent, so the icing was melting, had to move the cake up about 45 minutes)
I Like It, I Love It
Wrapped
That's How Country Boys Roll
Undo It
My Wish
What I Said I Do
Waltz Across Texas
Crazy
Won't Take Less
Pound Sign
Pretty Good At Drinkin' Beer
Your Man
It's 5 o'clock Somewhere
Love Like Crazy
My Little Girl
Seminole Wind
Do I
Tosses - Bouquet - Ladies Night
Tosses - Garter - Foxey Lady
Retro Medley
Bust a Move
Cupid Shuffle
Blow
Hold It Against Me
Round and Round
Copperhead Road
My Maria
Cowboy Casanova
Carried Away
She's Everything
My Best Friend
In Da Club
Cha Cha Slide
Don't Stop Till You Get Enough
Brown Eyed Girl
Shout
Twist and Shout
Funky Cold Medina
Ice Ice Baby
Jump Around
Take Me Out
Friends in Low Places
Lukenbach, Texas
Family Tradition
Good Directions
Billie Jean
I Want You Back
Sex Machine
You Shook Me All Night Long
You Give Love a Bad Name
It Takes Two
Like a G6
Tik Tok
Party in the USA
Low
Nuttin' But a G Thang
Hypnotize
Yeah!
Blister in the Sun
Bizarre Love Triangle
Come On Eileen
Footloose
Cotton Eyed Joe
Sweat's Schottische
Lord Loves the Drinkin' Man
Getting You Home
Let's Get It On
Pony
Bump and Grind
Save the Last Dance For Me
New York, New York (no "Last Dance")

Overall, we had a great time and were worn out by the time we got back home.

Next week, we return to the Chateau Bellevue in downtown Austin.