Al & Talia – Wine & Roses
Al & Talia Martin were married on July 20, 2007 at Wine & Roses in Lodi.
It was a wild and crazy night, with wild and crazy friends and family!
Al is deaf and Talia is a teacher who works with hearing impaired community, so they had sign language interpreters in their ceremony and reception, which really added a lot of energy. From the opening welcome to the final dance, this was a group that was there to celebrate, with dancing, laughter and applause all night.
Al & Talia’s first dance started as “Endless Love” but then morphed into “I Like The Way You Move,” and brought down the house!
Talia danced with her dad, starting with “You Raised Me Up” by Josh Groban, with a special voice-over message she added for her dad, then broke into “Isn’t She Lovely,” a song she and her parents had enjoyed since she was a toddler.
Al followed with a dance with his mom to “A Song For Mama.”
They had a great wedding party dance which moved from “That’s What Friends Are For,” into “Thriller” and which kicked off the dancing.
Check out the highlights here!
Ryan & Lisa Greif
With a goal in mind of a fun, organized, funny and energetic celebration, Christian couple Ryan and Lisa Greif accomplished all of that and more. Their wedding reception, held at the Davis Veteran’s Memorial Center was catered by one of our favorites, Cracchiolo’s, out of Woodland.
The reception started with fun music as guests arrived. Introductions of their parents, and custom introductions of their wedding party followed. Wedding party introduction music included Vogue, Hot Stuff, If I Knew You Were Coming I’d A Baked A Cake, Let’s Get Physical, Miss America Theme, We Are Family, Zombie Nation, Le Freak, Superman, God Blessed Texas. Secret Agent Man and Unbelievable, before Ryan & Lisa came in to the Black Eyed Peas, “I Gotta Feeling.”
Dinner followed, with tables being sent to the buffet line with songs chosen by Ryan & Lisa and then a fun centerpiece giveaway and a hysterical version of The Shoelywed Game.
Ryan & Lisa’s Love Story was a huge hit, with guest laughing and clapping and crying throughout. Because their faith plays such a major role in their lives, we were able to bring that in throughout the reception, while keeping everything fun and exciting.
Toasts followed, including one from Jonnalee Henderson, one of the bridesmaids. This was the second time I’ve had the opportunity to hear Jonnalee give a toast, the first being at the wedding of her sister, Kara, to Jake Spooner last year. Once again, Jonnalee knocked it out of the park – she’s a dynamo who proves that big things come in small packages. (And thanks for referring this wedding to us, Jonnalee!)
After a traditional bouquet and garter toss, it was time for the first dance, and they chose Must Be Doing Something Right by Billy Currington, which I edited down for them from 3:54 to 2:06.
Lisa followed with a dance with her Dad, a custom recording we made of Heartland’s I Loved Her First. Then it was Ryan’s turn to dance with his mom, to a custom recording we made of “You’re Gonna Be.”
And since the next day was Mother’s Day, we finished with a recording that Lisa made for her mom, of Josh Groban’s You Raise Me Up, and invited all moms and their children to the dance floor.
Dancing rocked the house for the remainder of the evening and before we knew it, it was time for their finale, to Lonestar’s Amazed, which we played with highlight audio clips from their welcoming and reception.
As Ryan & Lisa headed off on their life together, all their friends and family were gathered in two lines, showering them with bubbles and cheers!
Check out their highlights here!
Mike & Giana – Vizcaya
Mike Wheless & Giana Papadakis were married on September 17th, 2010 at Vizcaya Pavillion with a ceremony in the courtyard by their friend and groomsman, Evan Pane.
With Randy serving as Wedding Entertainment Director(tm), photography by Christopher Kight and videography by Premier Video, the entire event was captured forever.
Mike & Giana had some great moments, including the fun introduction of their wedding party, a special Mototcycle groom’s cake, a football-garter toss, their Love Story Presentation as well as a video montage of their lives up to their marriage, a centerpiece giveaway and a marriage certificate signing where all their guests got to watch and participate.
Their entrance song was “Ain’t No Mountain High Enough” by Marvin Gaye & Tammi Terrell, and their first dance was the timeless, “Let’s Stay Together” by Al Green and their ending song was Con Te Partiro.
What a fun and exciting couple and although Giana isn’t that much into dancing, Mike was, and Giana joined him from time to time, while still visiting with all her guests.
Their video montage included a dedication to Giana’s dad, Bud, who had unfortunately passed away before seeing his daughter be married. Here is that montage, with the dedication, in Giana’s own voice, at the beginning.
Dennis & Tasha Karidis – Newcastle Wedding Garden
On July 31st at the beautiful Newcastle Wedding Gardens, Dennis & Tasha exchanged their vows, in a ceremony presided over by the Honorable Judge Tom Cecil.
Beginning with a garden ceremony in which their Boston Terrier, Chibi served as Best Dog, through the end of their very fun Italian/Greek wedding reception, their wedding day was described by their guests as “fun, relaxed and thoughtful.”
Denice served as their Master Of Ceremonies, with an assist from her DJ, TJ. (Not a typo, just funny.)
Their first dance was one we hadn’t used before, called “Home” by Edward Sharpe & The Magnetic Zeroes, almost a jig style. They danced to a short version for the first dance, and finished the night off with the full length version with all their guests.
Being a big fan of the Oakland A’s, Dennis wrapped Tasha’s garter around an A’s baseball, which they both signed and then threw to the single guys.
Dennis’s sister, Mel, led the group in a traditional Zorba’s dance, with napkins twirling in the air!
We loved their follow up to us in which they wrote, “Thank you…your presence was perfect – non-intrusive, but completely organized and helpful. So much fun! Everything was as we imagined.”
Premier Video took care of the videography and Jeff Sharpe from Sharpe Photographers, one of our favorites, personally handled the photography.
Check out their video highlights!
Paul & Kelly – Croatian American Center
On July 16, Paul & Kelly were married. They liked it so much, they did it again the next day!
On Friday the 16th, they held a small Catholic ceremony for family only, and then the following day, had a beautful outdoor ceremony at the Croatian-American Cultural Center, followed by a rocking reception inside.
Kelly is from Sacramento and Paul is from Chicago, where Kelly went to teach elementary school. They came back for their reception, and since Kelly was a Premier Entertainment Dancer/Party Motivator back when we used to perform at all the great Bar/Bat Mitzvahs, she knew she wanted us for her wedding.
It was fabulous. Christopher Kight was the photographer and he helped us create a great little surprise. We produced a video montage for Paul and Kelly and I had Chris send me a few photos right after their ceremony. We added those photos, plus some same day photos and video from Saturday into their video montage. It was awesome!
For the reception, they used Premier Video to capture the day. Highlights included Personalized Wedding Party Introductions, a fun centerpiece giveaway, an Anniversary Dance, custom voice-overs for both the father-daughter dance and the mother-son dance, a Top Ten List of reasons why Paul & Kelly should be married, a Chicago Bears football/garter toss, a Love Story, a video montage and about three hours of a kicking dance floor, including some time spent dancing on the head table! (Got in a little trouble for that.)
Since Kelly’s dad’s name is also Paul, it made for some funny moments, but with Kelly’s sister Katie serving as Maid Of Honor, it was going to be funny anyway. She’s a riot!
Paul’s family had a great time experiencing a California style reception and when it finally all ended, the dance floor was still filled and no one wanted to leave.
I like that.
Here are some video highlights!
Chris & Brandie August 7, 2010
What an amazing story. Chris & Brandie attended Lodi High together 20 years ago and then last summer, got together at their high school reunion. Sparks flew and before they knew it, they had fallen in love and a wedding was in the air.
They weren’t sure where to have it, but Chris’s grandmother, who they call “Mini” was sure. It would be at her house, just like all the important family events over the last 50 years or so. And so, in a beautiful backyard setting in Woodland, Chris & Brandie were married and stayed there with their friends and family to celebrate.
Brandie’s gorgeous 16 year old daughter was her Maid of Honor, and she showed poise and maturity far beyond her years.
After the ceremony and toasts, Brandie & Chris danced to Lonestar’s Amazed, then Brandie danced with her father to Celine Dion’s “Because You Loved Me.” That was followed by a family dance, beginning with Brandie and her children dancing to LeeAnn Womack’s “I Hope You Dance,” and Brandie recorded a voice-over message to her children, which we mixed into the song. You can hear that mix on their video.
Afterwards, with our color changing LED lights highlighting Mini’s beautiful backyard, everyone danced and celebrated for the rest of the evening. Another fun wedding for two very, very, very nice people.
Eric & Amanda Pine – Granite Bay Golf Club
On May 1st, 2010, Eric & Amanda Pine held their wedding reception at Granite Bay Golf Club. Eric & Amanda are both accomplished ballroom dancers and incorporated their dance skills into their grand entrance as well as their first dance.
Videography was provided by Premier Video and photography was Vida Mia Photography.
This wedding was one of my favorites of the year, because there were so many personal touches, from the Personalized Introductions, to Eric & Amanda’s Love Story entrance, their “first” first dance, including Eric taking photos of his guests during the standing ovation, which we then quickly edited and included in their video montage, as a surprise to the couple. (Hey Eric, why do you think I had you use MY camera?)
It continued with a fun Be Our Guest presentation of lunch, some very funny toasts, including Jared, Amanda;s brother, who didn’t realize we would be playing a recording Amanda had given us as his “surprise toast, ” and fun and emotional tribute videos to Amanda’s Father and Eric’s late Mother.
Heck, even their group photo was a blast, just prior to their running exit to their waiting car as Amanda tossed the bouquet back into the waiting crowd, just like a Hollywood movie.
Electing Your Entertainment
On Tuesday, November 2nd, we went to the polls to elect our leaders. We watched as millions and millions of dollars were spent marketing and packaging candidates to make everyone look good, so that we would vote for them.
But really, most of the time, most of the money and effort were spent trying to smear the other side. It’s icky. I began thinking about how we, as entertainers make our case to you, the consumer, to get you to “vote” for us. I often talk about the difference between what we do and what other DJs do, but because I don’t want to “smear” other DJs, most of the information is kept from clients.
Because we own a videography company, I have a lot of video of other DJs in action. Frankly, most of it is mediocre at best at embarrassing at worst, but I can’t show that footage to clients who are searching without looking like I’m slinging mud. I just had a client tell me that they chose another DJ company who they think will offer the same service we do at a lower price. It was a great couple with whom I really connected and for whom I really wanted to create an awesome experience, so I was quite disappointed to find out they had chosen someone else.
Beyond my own personal disappointment, I know they’ll probably end up “satisfied,” but I also know they won’t get the quality of experience for their guests they would have had here. I know, because I have footage of that DJ trying to copy our style of fun, personal introductions and really, it’s almost embarrassing how poorly it’s done. But I can’t say that, can I? If they saw the video of that company trying to do what we do, they’d be shocked, but they’ll never see it, because I just can’t do that.
What would YOU want me to do if you YOU were that client? Be gracious and wish you well, knowing full well that you aren’t getting what you think you are, or say, “Wait. Let me show you something!” I suspect most would elect for me to take the high road, which I did, as always. Unfortunately, at almost every wedding where we perform, we are approached by guests who tell us what a great time they had, and who wish they had known about us for their wedding. They usually tell us their DJ was, “fine” or “ok” but no comparison to what they’d just seen.
We’re not going to play dirty politics. I’ll show video of our performances and I’ll even show other DJs, usually from out of the area or if we can show a video without divulging who the DJ was, I’ll do that so our clients can see the difference, but much like elections, the best doesn’t always win. Sometimes it’s whoever spent the most money marketing or who simply offered to do the “same thing” at a lower price, only to disappoint on the big day.
If you knew what the real voting records of candidates was, it would be easier to choose. Make sure you know what the real performance skills are for your Master Of Ceremonies or DJ, not just a bunch of people dancing. Dancing is the easy part. Make sure you choose someone who can make your reception fun for everyone for the first two hours, not just the last two hours.
Three Years Later – Neil & Julie Harms
I just received a great message on Facebook from a client. Here’s the message:
Hi Randy,
You may or may not remember me. My name is Julie Harms and you did the DJ work for my wedding to my husband Neil at Sun City in Roseville almost 3 years ago (our anniversary is Aug. 5). Neil and I went to a wedding on Friday where there were a lot of friends and family that had also been at our wedding 3 years ago. I was told no less than 5 times that we had the best DJ of any wedding they had been to (the one on Friday–for lack of better words–sucked). In discussing the wedding with my in-laws who were not at the wedding on Friday, my father-in-law mentioned he has been to a few weddings lately and he thinks your services were the best he has seen–and he is 84 and has been to his share of weddings! Anyway, I just wanted to thank you so much for the lasting memories you gave Neil and I as well as all of our guests!!
Thanks,
Julie Harms
Of course I remember you, Julie – I remember all of my clients! We incorporated several very cool and personal ideas, including having Neil’s sister, Dawn, play violin during their Love Story. It was hysterical, because we had rehearsed together and I had given her some great song ideas and she would switch from song to song without missing a beat, playing everything from “Take Me Out To The Ballgame,” to “Jaws,” to “Psycho” to “Romeo & Juliet.” She’s incredibly talented.
But my personal favorite moment came at the end when Neil’s mom came over and asked me, “Do you ALWAYS make weddings so personal?” Well, yea. Otherwise, what’s the point?
Thanks for keeping touch, Julie. Sorry about your experience last week. It always saddens me to know that they could have had a great experience but ended up with a dud. Keep spreading the word about Premier Entertainment!
Dave Barry On Grooms
From my June 10th Dave Barry calendar:
“Don’t tell me that the groom can help with the wedding plans. Please. The groom is useless. Statistically speaking, something like 92 percent of all grooms are male. If you let males plan weddings you are going to end up with Skee Ball at the reception. No, the groom dropped out of the picture minutes after he proposed. For all the bride knows, he has been kidnapped by aliens. It does not matter. The bride must pluge grimly ahead, making decision after decision, day after stressful day, night after sleepless night, until she has, at most, two remaining marbles.” – Dave Barry
Funny, but not exactly true. (Well, maybe the Skee-Ball part – can you imagine how much the guys would LOVE that?) I can’t speak for other vendors, but we’re pretty lucky – most of our grooms are very much interested in helping to put together a fun and exciting wedding and they love helping with the planning for this part of it, at least. Our only issue is sometimes trying to get grooms to understand that this isn’t just about music, but about the entire feel of the day. Once they get that, they have a blast with planning.
Maybe we should add a portable Skee-Ball game?