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 Wedding Showcase and Open House
Posted by Jason | Filed under Announcement, Ventura County Wedding Reception Venues
The 2nd Annual Bridal Showcase at Walnut Grove presented by Command Performance Catering will take place on Friday, May 14th, 2010 from 6:00pm – 9:00pm.
Walnut Grove is formerly known as Tierra Rejada Ranch in Moorpark, now simply known as Walnut Grove, and Weddings at Walnut Grove are spectacular!
Elegant Event Entertainment will be the Master of Ceremonies and DJ’s for this Ventura County Wedding Showcase and Open House, come by and say hello to our very popular Ventura County Wedding DJs Jason Jones and DJ Chris Mortillaro, the founders of EEE. If you need a Wedding DJ, we’d love to speak with you about your upcoming event!
Reservations are requested in advance by calling (805) 523-3232 or via email tina@cpcatering.com or contact Michele at Walnut Grove (805) 558-8279.
Here is a list of vendors that will be at the Wedding Showcase.
DJ / Master of Ceremonies – Elegant Event Entertainment
Cake – Skiff’s Cakes
Cake – Jana’s Creative Cakes
Florist – A Beautiful Day Productions
Invitations – An Occasion to Celebrate
Photography – Kimberlee Miller Photography
Photography - Alex Neumann Photography
Videography – Mr. Loki Productions
Hair/Makeup – Beau Ideal Beauty
Harpist – Jazz Harp Records
DJ / Photo Booth – I’m A Girl DJ
Wedding Coordination – Mia Bella Weddings
Vintage/Classic Rental Cars – Classy Chassis
Happy Mothers Day; a special reflection from one Wedding DJ who meets a lot of moms!
Posted by Jason | Filed under Wedding DJ Advice
I am not a mom…I’m a Wedding DJ in Los Angeles and Ventura Counties. I love my job and my company! You know that much about me if you’ve been coming here to read our blogs for a little while. I also love my mother, and I wanted to write something about mom’s on this Mothers Day Weekend, because I get to see a lot of moms in my line of work. There are usually 6 very important people that I deal with week in and week out. Of course, there’s the Bride and Groom, and the Bride’s Father, and the Groom’s father…but then, there are the moms! Mother’s are often the most proud people on earth on a wedding day. Even the moms that are simply in attendance are proud, ever thinking of the day their child or children will say “I do.” My poor mother sits 2700 miles away in Florida, reading my posts about another wedding I’m DJing this weekend on Facebook, week after week, and I can only imagine that she keeps hoping one of those posts will include me as the Groom and not the DJ! Well, truthfully, I hope the same thing, but it’s just not in cards for the immediate future I suppose. In the meantime though, I do want to say a personal thank you to my mom for all of her support for me, her guidance of me growing up in North Carolina to become a well spoken, well dressed, smart, southern gentleman with a savvy city-boy sense of humor and taste. My mom never allowed me to accept failure or anything less than what I knew I could achieve. It’s been her drive and determination to see me succeed that has carried me to the highs of success as a business owner and in my performing career. I am perhaps the most confident performer and businessman I know, and I owe that confidence to my mother’s belief in me and her ability to trust me with “grown up” tasks beginning at a very early age.
I’ve also been lucky to have other women in my life who were very much like a mother to me, and I speak for all the people who’ve had similar women in their lives when I say “thank you so much for all of your love and support.”
Mom’s are pretty awesome aren’t they? Wedding DJs get to stand back and watch mothers having the time of their lives dancing with their son for the Groom and Mother dance, or mothers who hold back the tears as their daughter dances with dad one “last time”. All of these wonderful mothers are such a special part of the Wedding Day festivities… well, all accept for the Momzilla’s that come along every so often and try to ruin a Bride and Groom’s special day, but I’m quick to remind them that this is their daughter’s big day and not their own. Mom’s are emotional and sentimental, sometimes high strung and very protective, but they’re also extremely strong and loving and it’s an honor to work with so many wonderful mothers of Brides and Grooms each and every week. And let’s not forget all of those Brides who I have watched walk down the aisle or as they smiled and melted into the eyes of the groom during their very first dance with their new husband, those many many young women who are now also Mothers themselves. I love each and every one of my clients and I honestly love to keep up with them on facebook or other social media sites, just to see how their marriages and their families are growing in all that love that surrounded them on their Wedding Day. I’m no fool, I know that marriage and family isn’t perfect, but I can tell you one thing, in this line of work, it’s hard to focus on the negatives and dysfunctions of family, even the negatives in my own family, when week after week I get the chance to work with people on their happiest day.
This Sunday is Mother’s Day. Whether you are a Bride’s Mom, a Groom’s Mom, a New Mom or Not a mom, Go tell Your Mom how much she means to you, how much you love her and how much you care…you can be sure of one thing, she’s always thinking the same about you.
Happy Mother’s Day!
Jason Jones- CEO
Elegant Event Entertainment
Maravilla Gardens Wedding Showcase and Open House
Posted by Jason | Filed under Announcement
On Friday, April 30th, 2010 from 6-9pm, Elegant Event Entertainment will exhibit our Ventura County Wedding DJ Services at the Maravilla Gardens Wedding Showcase. This will be an Open House event, allowing Brides and Grooms to view the beautiful property in an evening setting, to see precisely what their wedding day will look like. Attendees will also have an opportunity to taste the marvelous creations of the exclusive catering company Command Performance Catering. In addition, there will be numerous preferred vendors on hand to answer questions about the services they provide. These Services include Photographers, Cake Bakeries, Florists, and DJ Services provided by Elegant Event Entertainment. 
The venue will be staged with numerous event rentals to give Brides and Grooms great ideas to enhance their guests experience for the wedding. Attendees will have a chance to view table settings and linens, tents and canopies, upgraded lighting, lounge style seating, and much more.
The lush gardens and intimate setting of this gorgeous Ventura County Wedding Venue is located in Camarillo on Santa Rosa Road. The property, which once belonged to the Camarillo Family, later purchased by the Maravilla Family who have owned it since the early 1970’s. Their expertise in Gardening and Landscape design led them to begin hosting weddings at the property in 2003, and now, they accommodate up to 60 Weddings per year.
Maravilla Gardens is yours and yours alone for the day of your wedding, only 1 wedding is allowed per day on the property, which makes this facility unique and sought after in Ventura County. The venue is located just 50 miles from downtown Los Angeles, and you’ll never feel further away from the hustle and bustle of city life. For more information about this facility or if you would like to attend the Open House please contact Command Performance Catering or Maravilla Gardens for an invitation.
If you need DJ Services for your special day at Maravilla or any other wedding venue in Southern California, please feel free to fill out our no obligation contact form. On behalf of all the vendors involved in this showcase, we hope to see you this Friday and we’re looking forward to the opportunity to work with you for your very special day. Best Wishes!
Vendors Attending the Showcase:
Elegant Event Entertainment
A Beautiful Day Productions
Yamaguchi Flowers
Skiff’s Cakes
Pastries by Vreeke
Courtyard by Marriott
Evening Entertainment
Mr. Loki Productions
Rev. Barbara Laughray
Kimberlee Miller Photography
Alex Newman Photography
Photography by Charise
A Rental Connection
Belle of the Ball Designs
LA Photobooth
We’re the DJs for Macy’s Bridal Registry Event at Macy’s Sherman Oaks
Posted by Jason | Filed under Announcement
Thank you, Macy’s and the Knot, for selecting Elegant Event to be the featured Wedding DJs at the Macy’s Westfield Fahion Square in Sherman Oaks for their “Sip and Scan” event!
Macy’s Department Stores and The Knot are sponsoring a great event for Brides and Grooms called Macy’s Sip and Scan featuring fun beverages, hors d’oeuvres, music, and fabulous registry experts to help you create your dream registry.
Elegant Event Entertainment has been chosen as the featured Los Angeles DJ and Entertainment company at the Sip and Scan on April 23, 2010 at the Westfield Fashion Square Mall. If you would like to attend this event you’ll have the opportunity to meet with one of our DJs, dance to the music, and meet numerous vendors in the Macy’s Bridal Registry Department. You’ll meet with our co-founder DJ/MC Jason Jones
These events are well planned and aimed at helping bridal couples with their gift registry and vendor decisions. To RSVP, just call or email Macy’s with the number of people that will be attending, your phone number, and the store location.
Email RSVP: diane.crost@macys
Or: 818-788-8350 x7808
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
“The Madison Restaurant” in Long Beach is perfect for Weddings or any occasion!
Posted by Jason | Filed under L.A. Wedding Reception Venues
Located on Pine Street in Long Beach, California is a diamond in the rough, a restaurant that harkens back to a time in American history when partying in ‘high-society’ style was a standard. The Madison Restaurant says “The Jazz Age” or “Roaring 20’s” from the moment you walk in the door, but there’s so much more to this place. I was fortunate to be the Wedding DJ here on a sunday evening in March and I wanted to share the space with our readers who may not have heard of it or thought about it for their wedding reception, birthday party, corporate or other special event. The space is strikingly beautiful with it’s beautiful and very large Chandelier’s, 35 foot high ceilings, woodwork that any aficionado of fine wood working would envy, gorgeous flooring, and a terrific layout overall.
The wait and bar staff is about as beautiful and well appointed as any place I have worked a Wedding in Los Angeles, the bar men wore tuxedo’s without the jackets and most of them looked like a younger version of George Clooney, the security person wore a double breasted Zuit Suit and stood about 15 feet tall, while the young ladies could have all been models as they wore gorgeous black cocktail dresses “very well”. While looks may not be important to you, if you want your wedding to be perfect from head to toe, the staff serving your drinks and food should also look really nice and The Madison delivers with a bang! The food is really terrific as well and the presentations I saw were not over the top “fake fancy” but the flavors were far superior to most Wedding Food I’ve tasted. The wine list is immense and service on all levels was impeccable. If you add some simple but gorgeous florals, a few personal touches with photos of the newlyweds, birthday girl, or company banners, you’ll be on your way to a truly unique and spectacular event and I guarantee your guests will rave about the space you chose and what a great time they had there. But of course, don’t forget to hire a great DJ! Either myself or one of our other DJs would love to entertain there anytime!
The wedding I worked felt much more like a great cocktail/dance party than a formal event, but it had all of the elements that a wedding needed. I loved working with our friend and photographer Cheryl Ogden, she’s always a lot of fun and very professional…just click on her name to visit her website and see some of her work.
There was also a pianist that the Brides mother knew and he came in and played the gorgeous mahogany Grand Piano at the cocktail hour and I took over as DJ after that.
Although my photos don’t do it much justice, this room has an enourmous Bar with the rolling ladder to get to the Top Shelf libations, 35 foot ceilings that grab your attention immediately, and some really interesting murals that harken 1920’s cocktail parties, the atmosphere is really stunning.
Thanks to all the staff and especially to Patrick the proprietor of The Madison as well as Megan the coordinator and Makena and the two gentleman working the bar and floor all of who were very accomodating to the DJ’s needs for loading in and setting up my gear as well as helping me keep the party on schedule and running smoothly throughout the night.
By the way, the dancefloor and DJ area are centrally located and it’s easy to see and hear the DJ from any seat in the house.
The space accommodates about 300 people, and there’s a “cellar” or “vault” space below that holds parties of up to 150 guests. The Madison is available for rent on Sunday’s when the entire restaurant is closed and yours to enjoy! If you’re having a special event anywhere near Long Beach, definitely place a star beside the Madison Restaurant and go check it out.
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
We won an award: Winner of the Bride’s Choice Award for Mobile DJs!
Posted by Chris | Filed under Announcement
Los Angeles, CA – 1/19/10 – WeddingWire, the nation’s leading wedding technology company, just announced Elegant Event Entertainment has been selected to receive the 2010 Bride’s Choice Awards™ for Mobile Disc Jockey Service!
The annual Bride’s Choice Awards™ recognizes and celebrates excellence in quality and service within the wedding industry, as determined by recent reviews and extensive surveys from over 500,000 newlyweds.
Elegant Event Entertainment is among the top five percent of all vendors in the WeddingWire community, which includes over 100,000 wedding professionals across the US and Canada. Awards were given to winners across 19 different service categories, from wedding venues to wedding photographers.
“We are excited to recognize and honor the success of the top wedding professionals within the WeddingWire Community” said Timothy Chi, WeddingWire’s Chief Executive Officer. “The annual Bride’s Choice Awards™ program has given us the unique opportunity to highlight the best wedding professionals in each region as reviewed by brides and grooms who have utilized their services in the past year.”
We are happy to announce that Elegant Event Entertainment is among the very best Mobile Disc Jockey Service within the WeddingWire Network, which includes WeddingWire and Martha Stewart Weddings. We would like to thank our past newlyweds for nominating us for the 2010 Bride’s Choice Awards™.
For more information, please visit our WeddingWire Storefront today at http://www.weddingwire.com/biz/elegant-event-entertainment-inc-newbury-park/df911e0875c68ff5.html
If you are an experienced wedding DJ who loves working to serve the needs of your clients,