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
Getting Married? 25 videos you should see
Posted by Chris | Filed under Wedding Planning
We found this fun collection of wedding videos on the web at www.mahalo.com below is the article.
Weddings can be tense affairs, can be drunk affairs, can be fun affairs.
In this Youtube collection there are 25 wedding video classics waiting for you from all types of wedding video footage.
- Dancing, lots of variety to famous songs, some good and some not so good dancing, but all the fun of a wedding and all adding to the occasion
- Fall into pools – inadvertent and deliberate pool bathing
- Strippers – unannounced and expected strippers
- Bouquet toss – The classic scramble for the bouquet
- Garter removal – Various methods including teeth, how high does the garter go?
- Animations – Some animated wedding scenes too
- Bride in the bathroom – To show men how hard it can be for the bride to go to the toilet
- And even guests dancing to Michael Jackson’s thriller.
- Best man speech, the usual jokes, gags and humor
The videos are all good clean fun and designed for family enjoyment and viewing together. Feel free to leave comments or links below if you have funny wedding stories or videos.
“The Vitamin String Quartet” is thinking outside the “Bach’s” for Wedding Ceremony Music.
Posted by Jason | Filed under Wedding Planning
Wedding DJs are often asked to play music for the Wedding Ceremony when the budget isn’t there to hire live musicians, so of course, if a DJ is playing the ceremony music, Brides and Grooms can pick absolutely any music they want.
So, let’s say you love the idea of having classical music or an elegant feel to your ceremony and you would love to hire a string quartet but simply don’t have it in your budget. Hire the next best thing! Hire your DJ to play music recorded by a string quartet, the cost is roughly 25% of the cost of live musicians. Now please, don’t get me wrong, I am a trained classical singer and I love live music, nothing compares to it, and when you have the budget, I absolutely encourage you to hire one of our preferred string quartets. But, Brides on a budget can do really well by allowing their DJ to play the pre-seating, processional and recessional music. We can also provide a microphone for the minister, rabbi, or officiant or an extra microphone for readers/performers if the venue doesn’t already do so.
Our DJs build the playlist based on the Bride and Groom’s requests. The DJs cue and play the correct songs at the right time for the processional and recessional. But it’s also our job to help guide a client musically in the direction that best suits their style while maintaining at least some components of the integrity and reverence of a Wedding Ceremony.
SO…You like classical music but you don’t know the difference between Bach and Beethoven, and you thought Yo Yo Ma was something you did with that child’s toy on a string. Well, Bach is one of my all time favorite composers and his “Jesu’ Joy Of Man’s Desiring” or “Air on a G Sting” are famously used in Wedding Ceremonies all the time…Beethoven’s music might be too intense for most Weddings, however, I think I’ve heard “Ode to Joy” at a few Ceremonies, though it likely belongs at the Olympics instead. And of course, Yo Yo Ma is widely considered the finest cellist to ever live, he’s certainly the most popular and best selling recording artist in his field, heck he even played at Obama’s Inauguration, even though that was a pre-recorded studio performance, no they aren’t really playing that well on the steps of the capital in January!
Do you need to know any of this? No! Not unless classical music really interests you. But, let your DJ help you make some interesting choices without playing the same 12 songs on “The Classical Wedding Sampler CD” he bought 10 years ago. Does every DJ know classical music? NO! Which is why if you hire one to play your ceremony and you want classical music, you should ask him if he or someone in his company REALLY knows classical music…I happen to be that person in our company and our DJs call on me for questions, and I invite you to as well!
So now, I can finally get to my point. You like the classical feel, you don’t know classical music, you love popular music too, but you don’t know how to incorporate the two in your Wedding Ceremony without the two styles clashing. Four Words: The Vitamin String Quartet. Read the rest of this entry »
The Importance of Making Your Wedding Unique and Memorable
Posted by Chris | Filed under Wedding Planning
This blog is for all those brides and grooms trying to plan a wedding and dealing with all the stress of making it unique. I came across an informative article that I think will help some of you. Below is a quote from this article with a link to the original – hit the link if you’re interested in the rest of the story.
“Each and every wedding is unique in its very own way. Thus, every single detail related to it must carry a persona that truly reflects this sense of uniqueness and exclusivity that will contribute to the whole blissful wedding experience. Having personalized wedding items and novelties is definitely one of the best ways to achieve this. Not only these items depict the distinctiveness of your wedding reception, they also act as meaningful mementos for you and your guests as a remembrance of a beautiful wedding.” -Rene Lacape
Here’s the link to the excellent article: The Best Wedding To Remember
Upper Las Virgenes Canyon Open Space Preserve, a Magical Wedding!
Posted by Dana | Filed under L.A. Wedding Reception Venues
I had the pleasure of being the Event Coordinator for Felicity and Jack on their big day. Their wedding was held at a truly beautiful location, set in the Upper Las Virgenes Canyon Open Space Preserve at the top of a mountain in the San Fernando Valley. The property once belonged to the Ahmanson Family and was known as the Ahmanson Ranch until fairly recently. So if you’re searching for Ahmanson Ranch Wedding, you’ve come to the right place, it’s just changed names.
The property caretaker Joan was also on site and played an active roll with her assistant, to insure that all the aspects of the evening were taken care of. This venue offers a gorgeous outdoor setting for the ceremony and reception. Depending on the size of your event, creating the most romantic outdoor setting can be accomplished. In addition, the 1939 fully restored Ranch House is available for use, dressing areas, restrooms, and kitchen with scullery for your catering staff’s needs. The Open Space Conservancy allows you to bring in all of your own vendors and event professionals from catering, wait and bar staff, entertainment such as DJs and live musicians, décor and coordination. From the coordination perspective, this location allows me a great opportunity to be creative, the grounds of this facility are very large and offer a 360 degree view of the San Fernando Valley, but there are gorgeous trees everywhere and placing small areas here and there for different aspects of the event, such as dinner, cocktails, ceremony, dancing, and even designated smoking areas can all be created with an interesting design aspect. Also, a huge selling point to this property: You can party until 12:00am and potentially stay until 1:00am. Very few outdoor locations in Los Angeles allow events to go beyond 11:00pm and most outdoor wedding sites in Ventura County close you down at 10:00pm. So keep that in mind, you get to hire your favorite caterer and aren’t locked into an “exclusive” company, and you can stay and play past midnight!
DJ Jason Jones from Elegant Event Entertainment and I had a terrific time with all the wedding party and guests. Bride and Groom Felicity and Jack had a great community of family and friends. I have never heard so many heartfelt and wonderful speeches. The Groom and his family were from Norway and the culture of their weddings calls for lots of toasts, which was truly a wonderful aspect of this wedding and the venue provided a perfect setting for the intimacy of speeches without feeling long and drawn out. I credit the toasters and the Toastmaster Kixx Malone, a long time friend of the groom for keeping the toasts moving and adding that special intimate touch to all of the introductions and speeches, Kixx was awesome! Read the rest of this entry »
Bridal Show and Wedding Expo in Westlake Hyatt, Thousand Oaks
Posted by Jason | Filed under Announcement
Elegant Event Entertainment, Inc. will be showcasing at the Bridal Show in the Westlake Hyatt in Thousand Oaks On Sunday August 9, 2009. Doors open at 11:00am. The show is produced by Bridal Premier. Click here for more information.
Plus, we’re giving away Free Tickets to the Bridal Show, call today if you’re interested and would like to claim yours. 818-484-3230
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. We hope to see you there and congratulations on your upcoming Wedding!
Choosing the Father Daughter Dance Song
Posted by Jason | Filed under Event Planning Tips
Here is a list for you to consider when choosing your Father Daughter Dance Song, followed by a more detailed article with helpful hints for choosing a song.
20 Father Daughter Song Suggestions:
1. Wonderful World- Louis Armstrong
2. Unforgettable- Nat King and Natalie Cole duet
3. In My Life- The Beatles
4. The Way You Look Tonight- Frank Sinatra
5. Daddy- Kendall Payne
6. Because You Loved Me- Celine Dion
7. Have I Told You Lately- Van Morrison/Rod Stuart
8. I Learned From You- Miley and Billy Ray Cirus
9. There You’ll Be- Faith Hill
10. She’s Got A Way- Billy Joel
11. Tupelo Honey- Van Morrison
12. I Loved Her First- Heartland
13. My Girl- Temptations
14. Isn’t She Lovely- Stevie Wonder
15. Butterfly Kisses – Bob Carlisle
16. How Sweet it is- James Taylor
17. Father and Daughter – Paul Simon
18. I Hope You Dance- LeAnn Womack
19. Stand By Me – Ben E. King
20. Beyond The Sea- Bobby Darrin
Your Father/Daughter dance is a tradition rich in history. At one time this dance truly symbolized one of the last times a Father would be able to share such an intimate moment with his daughter – it was his chance to “say goodbye” after giving away his daughter in marriage.
The symbolism behind this dance – a tender moment after a father has given away his daughter to create a new household – is the reason that many traditional songs used in Father/Daughter Dances are very sentimental. Some of these songs are considered too sappy and I have even heard clients describe a few songs as “icky,” suggesting some sort of incestuous lyrics. In the last few generations the family itself has changed – many families are “blended” from among multiple marriages and divorce is commonplace, meaning Fathers are sometimes people who come along much later in a person’s life. So a wide range of emotions may be in play during your Father/Daughter dance and it doesn’t have to be a drama fest.
Here are a few suggestions 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
Planning your First Dance; our recent songs list
Posted by Jason | Filed under wedding tips
The Bride and Groom First Dance is one of the happiest moments of the entire Wedding Reception. As you plan your wedding, it’s one of the many little decisions you’ll make along the way.
The placement of the First Dance in the schedule is a personal choice. In most cases the First Dance follows the Grand Entrance into the reception room pretty much immediately. When this is done, the meal usually follows and open dancing is scheduled later, this can allow the Bride and Groom to have their special moment as soon as they enter, with all eyes on them, and it also relieves the stress for the rest of the evening because the hard part is over, now it’s time to let loose and have fun. You can break that pattern if you need to and we’ve seen the first dance influenced by the logistics of the event location and the style of the event. Some Weddings are very non-traditional, or have longer receptions, and it’s often appropriate to hold the First Dance after the meal.
Even if you do not like to be in the spotlight, our suggestion is to keep in mind that this is one moment your guests will want to see and it is one of the most memorable moments of your wedding. We suggest taking a few dance lessons to ease the pressure and loosen up for the dance. If you aren’t the dancing type, don’t try to choreograph a complex Sir Mix-A-Lot surprise dance routine, it will seem too arranged. But dance lessons can definitely help you to look and feel as natural as possible for your First Dance.
But what song to use! Read the rest of this entry »
Cafe Mozart Wedding
Posted by Jason | Filed under Orange County Wedding Reception Venues
Ah, early April in Southern California. Gorgeous weather, blue skies, a light breeze. There is no better place in the country to have a wedding than in Socal, the weather is almost always cooperative. Recently, I was hired to DJ a wedding at Cafe Mozart, a restaurant and Event facility in San Juan Capistrano. Although the drive for me personally is a little far, I was so pleasantly surprised by this place that I wouldn’t mind working there every week, but since we have Orange County Wedding DJs who work for Elegant Event Entertainment and live further south, they too will love to DJ events at this location.
The owners chef Hans and his wife Carla are wonderful people and both are great chefs. Hans is a highly trained European chef and Carla is an incredible pastry chef, she makes the Wedding Cakes, so you can check that off your list right away. The cake at this wedding was gorgeous and tasted great! 
The food was wonderful, from the passed hors d’oeuvres to the salads and entree, I could tell everyone was enjoying the food immensely, which is not something you always expect at wedding facilities. Nevertheless, the ambiance of this quaint reception area is set in a courtyard with a beautiful fountain flowing gently throughout your reception, the architecture has that wonderful Spanish influence, and the lighting is very romantic when the sun goes down, reducing the need for any outside lighting to be rented and brought in, which can be a costly venture. This facility also holds events inside for up to 150 people and outside up to 250. Read the rest of this entry »
If you are an experienced wedding DJ who loves working to serve the needs of your clients,