Groom and Mother Dance Songs, a great list to help you choose!
Posted by Jason | Filed under Wedding DJ Advice
The Mother/Son or Groom and Mother Dance is a very special but relatively new tradition at Weddings. This allows the Groom to honor his mother or another special lady in his life with a special dance. When it comes to choosing a song to dance with your mom, it can be a tricky, but we’re making it a little easier. Below is a list of 37 songs that over 98 Grooms we worked with in 2010, chose to dance with their moms. There are some great songs here!
If you aren’t familiar with one of the songs, we suggest that you go to Youtube and search for the song by title and artist and listen there, then come back to us for more Wedding Music Request tips. Best Wishes!
1.) 100 Years- 5 For Fighting
2.) A Song For Momma- Boyz II Men
3.) Amor De Madre- Victor Manuel
4.) Because You Loved Me- Celine Dion
5.) Blessed- Elton John
6.) Bop- Dan Seals
7.) Child Of Mine- Carole King
8.) Close To You- Carpenters
9.) Don’t Blink- Kenny Chesney
10.) Fascination- New 101 Strings Orchestra
11.) Fernando- Abba
12.) Hero- Mariah Carey
13.) I Hope You Dance- Lee Ann Womack
14.) I Will Be Here- Steven Curtis Champman
15.) I’m a Believer- Monkees
16.) In My Life- The Beatles
17.) In Your Eyes- David Chamberlin
18.) It’s Your Song- Garth Brooks
19.) Love Like Crazy- Lee Brice
20.) Memories- Elvis Presley
21.) Moonlight Serenade- Glen Miller
22.) My Wish- Rascal Flatts
23.) New York State of Mind- Billy Joel
24.) Open Arms- Journey
25.) Over The Rainbow- IZ
26.) Some Enchanted Evening- Perry Como
27.) Sunrise Sunset
28.) Sweet Child O’ Mine- Taken By Trees
29.) The Honey Trees- Edelweiss
30.) The Way You Look Tonight- Frank Sinatra
31.) Wedding Coat- Wedding Coat
32.) What a wonderful World- Louie Armstrong
33.) When You Come Back Down- Nickel Creek
34.) Wonderful Tonight- Eric Clapton
35.) You Decorated My Life- Kenny Rogers
36.) You Raised Me Up- Josh Groban
37.) Youl’ll Be In My Heart- Phil Collins
Top Song Requests for the Father Daughter Dance Song at a Wedding
Posted by Jason | Filed under Wedding DJ Advice
We’ve written a few articles about picking the Bride & Father Dance Song for a wedding like this one Choosing the Father Daughter Dance Song, but we’ve decided to publish this list of all 38 songs our 98 Brides chose in 2010 for the song to dance with their father or step-father or other male figure in their lives.
The Father Daughter dance has special cultural and traditional importance, but it has become more of a way to honor someone special in the Bride’s life and does not always have to be a true “Father”- Daughter Dance. In any case, choosing the song to dance to can be difficult, but take a look at the list below from recently married brides and see if one of the songs might be appropriate for your wedding. If you’re unfamiliar with a song, click on this link to Youtube and search for the song by title and artist and listen to the song, then come on back to our site for more tips! Best Wishes!
1.) A Song For My Daughter- Alliare
2.) Ballerina Girl- Lionel Richie
3.) Butterfly Kisses- Bob Carlisle
4.) Cinderella- Steven Curtis Chapman
5.) Daddy’s Angel- T Carter
6.) Father & Daughter- Paul Simon
7.) God Only Knows- Beach Boys
8.) Hero- Mariah Carey
9.) I Hope You Dance- Lee Ann Womack
10.) I Loved Her First- Heartland
11.) In My Life- Beatles
12.) It’s Your Song- Garth Brooks
13.) Just The Way You Are- Billy Joel
14.) My Girl- Temptations
15.) My Little Girl- Tim McGraw
16.) Ode To My Family- Cranberries
17.) Raised Me Up- Josh Groban
18.) Somewhere In Time- John Barry
19.) Somewhere Over The Rainbow- Isreal Kamakawiwo’ole
20.) Stand By Me- Ben E. King
21.) Sunrise Sunset
22.) Surfer Girls- Beach Boys
23.) Sweet Child O’ Mine- Taken By Trees
24.) The Honey Trees- Edelweiss
25.) The Way You Look Tonight- Frank Sinatra
26.) The Way You Look Tonight- Michael Buble
27.) Then They Do- Trace Adkins
28.) Through The Years- Kenny Rogers
29.) Tiny Dancer- Elton John
30.) Tupelo Honey- Van Morrison
31.) Turn Around- The Brothers Four
32.) Walk With You- Edwin McCain
33.) What A Wonderful World- Louie Armstrong
34.) When You Come Back Down- Nickel Creek
35.) Wonderful Tonight- Eric Clapton
36.) You Are So Beautiful
37.) You Make Me Feel So young- Frank Sinatra
38.) You’ll Be In My Heart- Phil Collins
Bride And Groom First Dance Songs: A comprehensive list to help you choose.
Posted by Jason | Filed under Wedding DJ Advice
The First Dance of the Bride and Groom at a Wedding Reception is the one moment that everyone will have all eyes and ears on the Bride and Groom. Relish the moment, it’s one that you and your friends and family will always remember. When you’re picking your song, keep in mind that lyrics are important, but above all, the song should be one that really means something to you as a couple. We wrote another article a while back that goes into more detail about choosing your First Dance Song, and also gives some Song choices that might not be found on the list below, go check it out here: Choosing The First Dance Song Article
Here’s a list of 62 unique Songs for the Bride and Grooms First Dance. We compiled them from 97 Brides and Grooms who hired our DJ services in 2010. Obviously, several Brides and Grooms chose the same song as other couples, but to have 62 unique choices across 97 weddings is great and it shows how unique most peoples taste in music really is. Go to Youtube and search for the song by artist and title and listen to the song if you aren’t familiar with it.
We hope you find a song that works for you, and if not…pick something totally unique to you and your fiance and feel free to comment on this post with other suggestions for First Dance Songs, we’d love to hear from you!
1.) A Rainy Night in Soho- Pogues
2.) All I Do Is Dream Of You- Michael Buble
3.) At Last- Etta James
4.) At The Beginning- Richard Marx & Donna Lewis
5.) Back At One- Brian McKnight
6.) Better Together- Jack Johnson
7.) Bless The Broken Road- Rascal Flatts
8.) Brighter Than Sunshine- Aqualung
9.) By The Way We Dance- Jump Little Children
10.) Close To You- Carpenters
11.) Come Rain Or Shine- Ray Charles
12.) Come What May- Moulin Rouge
13.) Constantly- Immature
14.) Crazy Love- Van Morrison
15.) Dance Wid’ Me- Hepcat
16.) Dream A Little Dream of Me- Michael Buble
17.) Dreams on Fire- A.R. Rahman fea. Suzanne D’Mello
18.) Earth Angel
19.) Fill Me Up- Staind
20.) Forever- (Acoustic Version by Chris Brown)
21.) From This Moment On -Shania Twain
22.) Grow Old With You- Adam Sandler
23.) Hey Soul Sister- Train
24.) Hold You In My Arms- Ray LaMantogne
25.) I Cross My Heart- George Strait
26.) I Have and Always Will- Dave Barnes Read the rest of this entry »
The Best Songs for The Grand Entrance of the Wedding Party
Posted by Jason | Filed under Wedding DJ Advice
Let’s face it, picking a song for the Grand Entrance of the Wedding Party can and should be a Lot of Fun! We’ve all seen youtube videos of Grand Entrances that include choreographed dance numbers, but honestly, if you and your wedding party are not interested in learning a Broadway worthy dance routine you needn’t sweat it. All you need to know is that the Grand Entrance is simply that, Grand! The MC of your event will introduce each member of the Wedding Party, commonly just the Bridesmaids and Groomsmen, but if you wish to introduce parents and flower girls and ring bearer and sponsors or anyone else, that’s entirely up to you. And of course, the Bride and Groom are last to enter the Reception.
What the DJ/MC needs to know is:
- How Many People will be coming in to the reception hall as part of the Grand Entrance?
- What Are their Names?
- Should I introduce First and Last Names?
- What are the Songs that you want played during the Grand Entrance?
Our suggestion is to keep it fairly simple but make it upbeat and fun! Choose a song that gets people excited, clapping, screaming and yelling for the Wedding Party, and ultimately Up On Their Feet for the Bride and Groom when they enter the room last.
Feel free to pick more than 1 song, but don’t get too carried away and pick 20 different songs if you have 20 people in your wedding party, it just get’s too messy for the guests and it never turns out the way you envision it. The best thing to do is pick a fun song, come in to the reception with lots of energy and this will set the mood for the rest of the evening, giving your guests in attendance the license to let loose and have a lot of fun!
One final tip: Many Brides and Grooms choose to follow their Grand Entrance by immediately going into their First Dance. We think this is a great idea simply because you already have everyone’s attention and you can get this part out of the way and relax and enjoy the rest of your evening with guests and dancing and having fun without being nervous about your 1st Dance. But it’s only a suggestion, it’s your wedding, do it the way you want.
Here are the songs that Brides and Grooms chose for the Grand Entrance throughout all of the weddings we DJ’d in 2010, listed in Alphabetical Order. If you aren’t familiar with or just want to hear a song listed here, go to Youtube and type in the name of the song and artist and search and listen to the song, but remember to come right back to our website!
1.) 1,2,3,4- Plain White Tee’s
2.) 8 Second Ride- Jake Owen
3.) Ants Marching- Dave Matthews
4.) At Last- Etta James
5.) Banana Pancakes- Jack Johnson
6.) Beautiful Day- U2
7.) Better Life- Keith Urban
8.) Bittersweet Symphony- Verve
9.) Burning Down The House- Talking Heads
10.) Celebration- Kool & The Gang
11.) Chicago Bulls theme song
12.) Crazy In Love- Jay- Z fea Beyonce
13.) Crazy Little Thing Called Love- Queen Read the rest of this entry »
Hiring a Wedding DJ? Interview in person, ask the following questions, get references, and trust your GUT!!
Posted by Jason | Filed under Tips for Hiring a Wedding DJ
Hiring wedding vendors can be a very daunting task.
Hiring your Wedding DJ should not be so frightening. After all, the DJ is supposed to be the fun part of a wedding! Certainly there are a lot of things you need to know before you hire, but perhaps the most important thing you can do is to interview your DJ before you make a decision.
In my vast experience, I have found that clients who meet their DJs in person have a far better experience in choosing/hiring the DJ. Brides and grooms tend to get better pricing and more detailed explanations of what the DJ provides with his services when a meeting is held in person rather than over the phone or worse, through a series of very impersonal emails. When you take the time to meet in person, you have the opportunity to get to know the DJ up close and personal, and you should be able to make a much more informed decision based on his presentation or “pitch” as well as his appearance, his demeanor, and the all important “Vibe” or gut feeling you get from him.
Logistics and Location can be a problem for meeting in Person.
Many of our clients are located out of the area and cannot meet us in person before they hire, however we offer alternatives to in person meetings such as conference phone calls between the DJ and the bride and groom. If technology allows we also offer live Skype or video chat sessions where you can actually see the DJ as you interview. And as a final alternative, with our services if the client cannot meet us before they hire we do everything we can to schedule a meeting in person prior to the event. Read the rest of this entry »
Requesting Music from your Wedding DJ with Elegant Event Entertainment
Posted by Jason | Filed under Wedding DJ Advice
We’ve heard horror stories from Brides and Grooms who have been to weddings where the DJs played terrible music, where no one danced, or worse when they knew the DJ did not adhere to the client’s specific request list. Luckily, with EEE, you don’t need to worry about that. As a member of the Los Angeles Wedding DJ community, I am proud to say that our company Elegant Event Entertainment has had great success in playing music for our clients that suit the client’s unique music tastes and keeps the dance floor packed at the appropriate dance times at weddings. This is due in large part to our adherence to the client’s very own personalized music request list which we allow every client to create and provide to us.
Every one of our clients has a personalized Online Event Planner; they can log in from our website and are able to choose as much music as they would like to hear at their event. Using an international database of songs and artists, our Clients can tell their DJ which songs are MUST PLAY, DO NOT PLAY, as well as some additional choices of music that perhaps isn’t found in the database. This information is kept safely in their personal online event planner file for our staff, the DJ, and the client to see 24/7, and both client and DJ can make changes to the list as it’s necessary.
Read the rest of this entry »
Old Ranch Country Club Weddings from a Wedding DJ’s experience with video.
Posted by Jason | Filed under Orange County Wedding Reception Venues
We try to review Wedding Venues in Los Angeles, Ventura, and Orange County as much as possible. After all, the DJ gets to experience a Wedding Venue from the front and back of the house. We get to work with the staff on many levels, and we see what goes on behind the scenes perhaps more than any other vendor.
This month, we’ve featured a Wedding Venue in Seal Beach California, a country club and golf facility in orange county that hosts beautiful weddings as well. On July 31, 2010 our very own DJ Jason Jones of Elegant Event Entertainment was fortunate to DJ a Wedding for Cheryl and Michael at Old Ranch Country Club. This venue is just about a mile off the 405 freeway in Orange County’s Seal Beach area. The scenery is gorgeous, the greens are perfect and the fairways are lush…the water features and mountains in the distance set the perfect backdrop for a wedding Ceremony. The club has recently done a major construction project which includes a brand new Wedding Ceremony site, complete with amazing rock and iron work, and an grand staircase for the entrance of the bride.
The reception hall is enormous, with numerous salons that can be closed off in sections with large air walls, but one entire side of the room features floor to ceiling windows and glass doorways, the length of more than half a football field. If you’re hosting a large wedding, this place is awesome!
The staff was perfect, the food was very good, and the facility was impeccably gorgeous. Let your DJ or MC know that wireless micrphones might have a little trouble at this facility, but if they own a pretty nice mic, they should be able to find a clear channel to broadcast on. The staff all wear radio headsets, which is why they’re so service oriented and attentive, but the radios and the Naval Base nearby will interfere with a wireless mic signal. For the wedding ceremony, it might be best to use a wired micrphone on a stand, then you’re sure to have No Problems with sound.
Otherwise, I’ve included a short highlight video from the wedding we did on July 31 at the Old Ranch Country Club. Mike and Cheryl are of Japanese descent, and you’ll notice lots of Japanese culture influence in this amazing wedding which held over 300 guests and was topped off as a Sports Themed wedding, since the Groom loves the Clippers and Angels, and our Bride loved the Lakers and Dodgers…Of course as the DJ, I had to remain neutral, but at least I am not a Boston fan!
We had a wonderful time at this wedding, and the facility is one of my new favorites in Orange County. If you’re getting married in the OC, go check them out for sure and let us know if you need DJ and Entertainment services.
I hope you enjoy the video.
Bridal Premier Showcase at Westlake Hyatt August 8, 2010
Posted by Jason | Filed under Announcement
Elegant Event Entertainment will be showcasing our Wedding DJ Services at the Bridal Show in the Westlake Hyatt in Thousand Oaks On Sunday August 8, 2010. Doors open at 11:00am. The show is produced by Bridal Premier. Click here for more information.
Come on out to the show, you’ll find many of the top companies in the Wedding Industry there. Come by our booth and let us know you saw this Blog and save money on our DJ Services! We hope to see you there and congratulations on your upcoming Wedding! If you can’t make it to the show, don’t worry, give us a call to schedule a free consultation with our highly recommended DJs. We would love to find out more about your event and help you realize your dreams of a fun-filled and perfect Wedding Reception!
Sincerely,
Elegant Event Entertainment Team.
Walnut Grove Weddings, the DJ’s perspective with wedding video clips.
Posted by Jason | Filed under L.A. Wedding Reception Venues
This season, our DJs have been elevated to preferred vendor status at Walnut Grove at Tierra Rejada Ranch in Moorpark, California. This is a beautiful spot for a wedding, because of the uniqueness of the Walnut Tree Grove which makes you feel 1000 miles from Los Angeles and the gorgeous surroundings of rural and pastoral settings in Moorpark. The wedding ceremony can be held among the beautiful trees and the reception area has recently been remodeled to include a huge dance floor, a large stage built of stone and brick with a fireplace as the central focal point. Otherwise, the grounds are fairly simplistic and are a blank canvas for your wedding or private event. The exclusive catering on the property is done by none other than Command Performance Catering and they always do an amazing job at all of their events. The facility sales and events coordinator is Michelle Spring with Mia Bella Weddings & Events Call Walnut Grove today at 805- 558-8279 for more information.
There is a noise ordinance at this property, since the events are held completely outdoors. Be aware that although we don’t seem to have any problems with complaints there, if you’re having an enormous wedding and want to “blow the roof off the building” this might not be the place for you, you might consider a hotel ballroom or private event facility that is indoors.
We’ve included a few videos of Weddings at Walnut Grove that we’ve shot from the DJ’s perspective, we hope you enjoy! If you need a great DJ for your Wedding in Los Angeles or Ventura County, please give us a call, we’d love to help!
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!
If you are an experienced wedding DJ who loves working to serve the needs of your clients, 