A Wedding at Calamigos Ranch, from the DJs prospective.
Posted by Jason | Filed under L.A. Wedding Reception Venues
So you are or are thinking about having a wedding at Calamigos Ranch in Malibu, California? Well, we’ve been fortunate enough to be the Wedding DJs for at least 40 weddings at this unique and very well known venue located in the mountains of Malibu. Having been the DJ for about half of those events myself, I can tell you with confidence that Calamigos delivers excellence in all of their events. They’ve been in the event production business for a long, long time and they have a pretty well oiled machine there. Granted, there are a lot of events hosted there each and every week, so you won’t really be able to have the venue all to yourself (unless it’s the dead of winter) but this simply shows their popularity, affordability, and excellence in execution as being more than adequate for hundreds of Brides and Grooms in Southern California every year.
I’ve attached a video from a recent wedding where Elegant Event Entertainment were the Wedding DJs for Chris and LaShelle’s wedding, held at Calamigos Ranch in the Main dining room and courtyard, with a cocktail hour reception held behind the building and featuring local Aerial Circus Performers . Don’t judge the quality of our videos too much, we aren’t professional videographers, but we make the videos as a record of our events and they make a nice gift for our clients! Notice the different areas of the property and how unique each one is aesthetically and functionally.
There are at least 4 high quality locations on this enormous property in which a couple can get married, including unique ceremony and reception sites for all types of parties and sizes of guest lists. Although the majority of the events we DJ are held in the Main Building, we are also familiar with the logistics of other locations on this property. The Main Dining facility has a dance hall area which includes a beautiful fireplace for those cozy autumn and winter weddings. There’s also a gorgeous waterfall and lots of mature greenery surrounding the Ceremony Site just outside the main dining area, which makes this site very accommodating, convenient and really beautiful. There’s also a new outdoor bar/lounge area which I have attended an “after party” with my clients and I thought this was one of the coolest features of the property, so be sure to check that out as well if you take a tour of the property.
The food at Calamigos Ranch is always good, and the service is great as well. From the event coordinators to the banquet captains and servers, everyone is friendly and tries to help make your event the most important one of the day! The ranch also makes it pretty easy on your vendors in terms of load in, accommodation, vendor meals, etc. keep in mind though, all vendors must sign a release for the ranch and must have a liability insurance policy of their own.
Congratulations on your upcoming event and good luck with your search for a wedding venue, with Calamigos you might have found the perfect location. You can certainly count on a great wedding or event if you’re hosting it at Calamigos, but keep in mind, great events require great entertainment, so please consider hiring one of our experienced and fun Wedding DJs for your most special day!
Small Weddings don’t need Wedding DJ’s…Or Do They?
Posted by Jason | Filed under Wedding DJ Advice
It occurred to me that our Wedding DJ’s seem to be working more and more weddings with smaller guest lists these days. It got me to wonder whether there are more small weddings due to economic hardship, or in fact, if the majority of weddings have been smaller all along. Statistics show that most weddings are of a smaller nature which gives me confidence to know that most of our clients understand the importance of hiring a wedding dj no matter the size of their guest list. If your wedding is of a smaller nature don’t be discouraged, some of the most fun weddings can have 75 people or less, I’ve witnessed it, I’ve been a part of those joyous celebrations!
Now, although a smaller guest list does not necessarily mean a smaller budget, it’s fair to say that the majority of smaller weddings are on a stricter budget than those “pull out all the stops” weddings with 300 or 400 guests. Many Brides and Grooms who approach us are very concerned about their budget, especially if they have a smaller wedding. However, even with a smaller budget and guest list, you need some form of Entertainment! The most obvious and affordable choice is a Wedding DJ. I’ve written numerous articles for our Blog on how to hire a DJ, why to hire a DJ, and so on, but I simply wanted to reinforce that you really do need an Experienced Wedding DJ if you expect the party to be fun, to stay on some type of schedule, and to be handled professionally. The great news for you is, you can afford it! Pricing for DJs ranges all over the place, we’ve talked about it in several blog articles such as our Wedding DJ Pricing article and you’ll see it for yourself if you shop enough places on the web and at bridal shows and magazines. If you’ve got 60 guests coming to an evening wedding in a smaller ballroom or even a garden venue or backyard setting, you want those 60 people to have fun don’t you? Many clients with smaller weddings think they should simply keep it “low key” and just use an ipod or home stereo system to play music throughout the reception, or perhaps worse, they have a friend strum the guitar all night. My question is “who will make important and appropriate announcements to keep your guests involved and aware of things that are happening throughout the event?” The answer is usually “uh? We didn’t think of that.” or “my Uncle is public speaker (translation=teacher/sales manager) and he’ll do it.” My answer: “so your Uncle has to work on your wedding day? How many Weddings has your uncle actually ‘worked’? Or “does your friend have to play guitar all night? Does he have a sound system so he can be heard clearly and does he have microphones for your toasts and other announcements?”
I hope you get my point and that you’ll let your relatives and friends enjoy themselves at your wedding and allow a professional to keep the party moving along nicely without feeling rushed or too “produced”. You also should relish the fact that even though our DJs want you to provide us with a lot of your favorite song requests, you won’t have to try to put the songs in a sequence that flows perfectly and entertains from start to finish, that’s the DJs job and he’ll constantly tweak the music set list throughout the night, which is something you or your guests should not be worrying about! Our DJs have many styles, we can keep it very low key, but always professional and fun, so don’t let your “Smaller Wedding” discourage you from allowing it to be a lot of fun. Oh and by the way, “Fun” does not mean “Cheesy”, our DJs certainly know the difference!
So, whether you have “Religious Constraints” that prohibit or limit dancing or certain types of music, or alcohol, (all of which can be “fun inducers” but are not necessary to have a party) or you think you have “No Dancers” on your guest list (which I highly doubt) these weddings still need someone to play music to serve as a nice accompaniment to the event. You don’t need the smoke and mirrors and crazy lights and confetti blasters that many DJ companies try to sell you, but you will want a professional sound system with microphones for toasts and announcements. And although I wouldn’t use the term “no-frills DJ” you might require a more simplistic approach, a DJ who at the very least will manage the flow of the timeline, play great music in sensible rotations, make announcements and keep the guests aware of the schedule and special events throughout the evening. Let the professionals, not your friends and family keep up with all of those details and your event will be executed perfectly!
DJs provide the soundtrack to the most important day in your life and they carry the responsibility of making sure that everything they are in charge of happens without a hitch, which leaves you and your guests to do one thing: enjoy yourselves! No matter the size of your guest list, consider hiring a DJ, you’ll be very surprised at our affordability and you absolutely won’t regret it. Your guests will thank you and they’ll be talking about how much fun they had for years to come!
Photo provided by Cheryl Ogden
Top 200 Song Requests For Weddings and Parties
Posted by Chris | Filed under Announcement, Wedding Planning
The link below will take you to the list of the top 200 most requested songs in 2009.” It represents song requests from thousands of events ranging from Weddings to Birthday parties and is dynamically created by Gigbuilder. which is software created by WEDJ.com
Mother-Son Dance Song ideas for Weddings, with audio/video samples!
Posted by Jason | Filed under Wedding Planning
The Mother Son Dance is a relatively recent trend at Weddings, but because most of the attention is on the bride and her family, this is a great way for the Groom to have a nice moment to share with his mother.
Here’s a list of the most popular requests we’ve gotten for the “Mother-Son Dance Songs” also known as the “Groom and Mother Wedding Dance.” Feel free to leave us your suggestions as well, we’d love to hear from you! Click on the songs in Pink to redirect to “youtube” and hear a sample of the song, but remember to click the back button to return to our site! If these are too sappy for you and your mom, pick something more fun and upbeat. It’s your wedding, do what you want!
If you’re looking for Father-Daughter Dance Songs Click Here!!
These songs are in no particular order:
1. Unforgettable- Nat King Cole (also w/Natalie Cole)
2. In My Life- The Beatles
3. What a Wonderful World- Louis Armstrong
4. A Song For Mama- Boys II Men
5. Blessed- Elton John
6. Have I Told you Lately That I Love You- Rod Stewart or Van Morrison
7. I Hope You Dance- Leanne Womack
8. My Wish- Rascal Flatts
9. You are the Sunshine of My Life- Stevie Wonder
10. You Raised Me Up- Josh Groban
11. Because You Loved Me- Celine Dion
12. Close to You- Carpenters
13. God Bless the Child- Tony Bennett (other artists)
14. The Mother and Child Reunion- Paul Simon
15. Mama’s Don’t Let Your Babies Grow Up to be Cowboys- Waylon Jennings & Willie Nelson
Los Angeles Wedding DJ Prices: What exactly are you paying for anyway
Posted by Jason | Filed under Wedding DJ Advice, Wedding Planning
If you’re planning a Wedding or other Special Event I’m sure you’re interested in how much it’s going to cost. And if you’re hiring a DJ in the Los Angeles area, we know you are certainly concerned with your budget, but we all know that old saying “you get what you pay for.”
In this article, I want to point out some of the factors that influence DJ pricing so you will have a better understanding of how we determine our prices and you’ll realize that we truly can work with almost any budget. We believe having some kind of entertainment is better than none at all, but great entertainment and hiring a great DJ is paramount to the overall success of your event.
First I’ll list the “5 Most Important Questions” a Professional DJ should ask you to help determine your needs. If you can answer some of these questions for us, we’ll know exactly how to price and plan for your event.
5 Main Factors that influence Wedding DJ Pricing:
1. Q: What is the date, time, and location of your Event?
By Knowing these details, we determine which of our DJ’s are available, what type of equipment you’ll need, the level of difficulty of set-up/tear-down, and if we’ll need to asses any other fee’s.
2. Q: How Many Hours of DJ Services do you require?
We build our prices first by determining the number of hours of Entertainment you need. As a rule, Most Receptions are 4-6 hours, Ceremony & Receptions are 5-7 hours.
3. Q: Do you need the DJ for the Ceremony & Reception?
If you require Music and/or microphones for the Ceremony and the Wedding Ceremony is in a different area than your Reception, we will generally need to provide an additional sound system.
4. Q: What is your overall vision for the Event?
Your Event is unique, and we want your vision and personalities to shine through! By knowing the “feel” you’re trying to achieve for the event we can pair you with the perfect DJ to meet those needs. In addition, our Event Planning/Coordination staff can help you locate other vendors and offer great tips to help you achieve your dream of a perfect event.
5. Q: What is your overall Budget for Entertainment?
We believe Great Entertainment is Priceless, but we can custom tailor a package to suit most budgets. Being up front about your budget will save you a lot of shopping hassle.
Read the rest of this entry »
Los Angeles Bar/Bat Mitzvah DJ brings the party to life at an Orthodox Bat Mitzvah.
Posted by Jonseltzerdj | Filed under Bar Mitzvah and Bat Mitzvah DJ Tips
I recently had a very interesting experience DJing and hosting an Orthodox Bat Mitzvah at the Chabad of Northridge in the San Fernando Valley. Despite many years of DJing Reform Mitzvahs, surprisingly, this was the first Orthodox Bat Mitzvah I have hosted in my career, and it was both challenging and inspiring.
As it turns out, there are many key differences in how these events need to be handled in accordance with Orthodox law. Firstly, it is of crucial importance in Orthodox Judaism for men and women to worship separately. Similarly for the reception and party, I was instructed to maintain this division within the boys and girls when playing games, leading dances, etc. I was a little concerned that the kid’s wouldn’t have fun if they couldn’t interact. One of my most valued skills as a los angeles mitzvah DJ is my contagious sense of fun and ability to lead the kids in games as a group. So how was I going to pull this off? Read the rest of this entry »
A Wedding DJ’s personal journey: A special message from our President.
Posted by Jason | Filed under Announcement
Today is my 32 Birthday and I was thinking about my life and our business this morning, reflecting on the successes I’ve enjoyed and especially those as a Wedding DJ and business owner. I just wanted to take a quick moment and share with our clients and readers (past, present, and future) the happiness and joy that I have gotten and continue to get from being a Wedding DJ. I can’t say enough about the great feeling I get from working with Brides and Grooms, and for working with so many talented and driven people in our company as well as our long list of wonderful colleagues in the Wedding and Event Industry.
We are 1 of many Los Angeles Wedding DJ companies, we serve much of Southern California, and every week we have a chance to entertain at events for people from all walks of life. I personally started my career as a DJ in Asheville, NC in 1999, I was 20 years old. I’ve had the opportunity to share so many wonderful memories with my clients, whether it was a child’s birthday party, a bar/bat mitzvah, a corporate holiday party, or my personal favorite, a wedding. My list of clients has reached over 500 individuals that I have personally served, and since the inception of Elegant Event Entertainment, inc. in 2007, our company has added over 200 more satisfied clients to that list. I cannot imagine how many tens of thousands of people we have performed for in our careers, how many people have left an event that I was DJing and said to me “thank you so much” “you were amazing!” “I’ve never had so much fun!” 
It’s a joy to be a part of this company, to be it’s visionary leader, to be it’s biggest fan, and to cheer it on, over and around every obstacle and every victory. I just wanted to share my thoughts with you, because I don’t believe that a company like ours is just “another DJ company” I believe we are vastly different. Our passion is built on more than just some nice sound and lighting equipment and a love of music. Combined with my co-founder Chris and all of our DJs, Jon, Raul, Matt, and whoever the next great “EEE DJ” might be, we currently have over 65 years of experience as “mobile DJ’s” and we all truly love our “jobs”, our clients, this industry, and this company.
I look forward to the many years of success that I know we will continue to have, to the thousands more happy clients that will come into our lives, and to helping build the careers of future DJs and Event Planners who have a similar passion for the Wedding and Event Industry. Thank you for all your continued support of our business and please, keep coming back, keep in touch, keep dancing, and keep having fun!
All My Best,
Jason Jones
CEO and Co-Founder
Elegant Event Entertainment, inc.
Elegant Event Entertainment DJ Jason Jones
The photos in this post were provided by www.photographybycharise.com and mi belle photography
Moorpark Country Club, a great location for a Wedding.
Posted by Jason | Filed under L.A. Wedding Reception Venues
I hope my reviews of Wedding locations in Southern California aren’t all beginning to sound repetitious, but I must say, this summer our company has been working at so many great wedding and banquet facilities that I felt the need to write about each of them. I honestly can’t think of any bad things to say about these venues and while I know they are all distinctly different, I want to share with you why I like each one of them individually.
Moorpark Country Club is no exception, I really like it there. Located on a beautifully manicured golf course in the hills of Moorpark, California, this facility is a great venue for your wedding or any event. The scenery is great, the hills are beautiful, the banquet room is large but very nice. The Ceremony location is on the property and features a gorgeous and intimate gazebo with lots of mature vegetation and landscaping. The grounds and facilities are above par, no pun intended!
I was honored to be the DJ at Pamela and Eran’s wedding on August 23, 2009 and it was a perfect day for this bride and groom. I must admit, the service at the country club is stellar, the banquet manager Jarvis is one of the kindest and most accommodating people in this industry, every Bride and Groom will love him. Director of Catering Anna Padilla is also great, she has had many years of experience in the Wedding industry, having a great career at a few of the premier properties here in Ventura County, she has exhibited vast knowledge and great professionalism in her field. Anna is passionate about what she does, and so is her staff at Moorpark Country Club , which is why our company loves to work there!
This wedding was a perfect example of cohesion between great wedding vendors in Ventura county, we had Suzie of Your Neighborhood Florist working her magic with the flowers, our great friend Josh Beller of Mi Belle Photography who also provided the photos for this article, Moonlight Video Productions shot the live action, the beautiful cake was provided by For Heavens Cakes, and of course, providing the entertainment was me, DJ Jason Jones of Elegant Event Entertainment! Read the rest of this entry »
Los Robles Greens Wedding and Banquet Center
Posted by Jason | Filed under L.A. Wedding Reception Venues
A few weeks ago our company was hired and I was the DJ for Justin and Casey’s Wedding at Los Robles Country Club, also known as Los Robles Greens, in Thousand Oaks, CA. This is the second time Elegant Event Entertainment, Inc. has been there this year and each event was really great. The staff at Los Robles is extremely professional and helpful to their clients and other outside vendors like ourselves. We really enjoy working at this facility.
If you’re considering a wedding at Los Robles Greens, I can certainly attest to the fact that it’s a very nice place for a wedding in Thousand Oaks. The views of the golf course and mountains in the distance can be enjoyed by all during your Ceremony and throughout the reception. The Banquet hall has floor to ceiling windows which spotlight the views.
Read the rest of this entry »
Macy’s Cosmetic Department Giveway at Westfield Topanga Mall
Posted by Jason | Filed under Announcement
On May 2, 2009 the cosmetic and fragrance department at Macy’s Department store in the Westfield Topanga Mall will be hosting an event for all customers, featuring new product lines for Spring and Summer as well as great raffle giveaways to shoppers. Elegant Event Entertainment will be there with DJ Lucid spinning tight grooves and Los Angeles DJ Jason Jones will be the MC for the event. You can find us on the main floor of Macy’s Topanga from 12-5pm. Brides and Grooms, this is a great opportunity to try new product lines and find great deals on cosmetics so you can look your best on your big day. You will also find some very nice gifts for your Wedding Party at this event. Enter to win prizes including a Cosmetic gift basket valued at over $500.00! Don’t forget Mother’s Day is right around the corner as well, and mom loves Cosmetics and Fragrances from Macy’s. Bring your fiance, bring your friends, bring your mom, and come by and say hi to DJ Jason Jones and DJ Lucid of Elegant Event Entertainment.
We look forward to seeing you there!
When: May 2, 2009
Where: Macy’s Department Store Westfield Topanga Mall in Woodland Hills/Canoga Park, California
Time: 12-5pm
If you are an experienced wedding DJ who loves working to serve the needs of your clients,