Brandon and Christa | Houston Wedding DJ

Saturday we DJed the wedding reception of Brandon and Christa in a park in Humble, Texas.  It was hot outside, but this wedding was a crazy awesome carnival.  Christa was the photographer at another wedding that I worked magic at in downtown Houston last October, which was actually my brother- and sister-in-law's wedding. Christa couldn't help but dance at their wedding, so I was confident that her own would be a blast. 

Christa actually changed the date of her reception so that we could be a part of it.  We were booked for her original date and she decided we were important enough to find a new one. (I like to think we were the only reason but who knows?)  Such dedication. 

Christa planned this thing immaculately and documented every step on her blog.  It was to be the perfect carnival in the park with a party at the end.  Everything was perfect.  The colors, the hot dogs and burgers, the vintage coke bottles and cotton candy, the booths and decorations....it was all fantastic. 

We set up shop in a gazebo with lights going every direction.  Twas warm and a bit fuzzy out there, but maybe that was just the heat talking.  The ceremonious part of the evening went as planned before the fellowship (by way of eating and talking) began.  Then, once everyone was quite carnivaled out, we danced.  The bride and groom were so much fun, but they may have been trumped by the super cute little kids. (I’m just sayin.)  After a good time of shakin our hamburger buns off, the night was done.  What a way to spend a Saturday.

Ryan and Laura | Huntsville Wedding DJ

Oh what a weekend.  As I worked with Laura at Camp and understood her quirkyness/greatness, this was sure to be a wedding to remember.  My expectations were high going into this one and golly were they blown out of the water by an H-bomb of legitimacy. 

I had found out a couple of days before the wedding that Laura was actually going to let me sing in the ceremony for the mothers to walk down the aisle.  She was looking for the song When I Fall in Love by Nat King Cole and by some happenstance it happened to be one of the 3 songs I know how to sing and play on the piano.  Happy day! 

The wedding day was flawless.  The pictures happened and the bride and groom actually had time to sit and watch youtube videos with their respective parties before the big shabang.  The ceremony started right on time and the Kevin Dixon Band rocked the church with soulful songs like Let’s Stay Together and Crazy Love.  I was up next.  The sound system at the church was top notch so honestly I had never sounded so good to myself haha!  And then the song of the evening came on as the bride entered and everyone stood.  Ray Lamontagne’s You Are the Best Thing (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vJ3xTjvj9tw)  changed the wedding from great to greater as Laura swayed her beautiful muchacha-ness down the aisle to Ryan’s ever steady grin.  The maid of honor, Daena Yerkes, (the best female voice on the planet) sang a beautiful song accompanied by another bridesmaid for the candle lighting.  The couple ended the ceremony by dancing out to Mr. Lamontagne soulful sultryness. 

On to the party:  The reception was held at the LSC at Sam Houston State University; A big room for a big party.  I brought the big guns so we were covered where boom is concerned.   The food was excellent; the company better.  Since Bailey was in the bridal party I was set up on a man-date with one of the other bridesmaids’ other half.  He helped me set up and get everything rolling. 

The party really began with the dances.  Ray Lamontagne gave us another nugget of love for the first dance.   Lovely, just lovely.  The father/daughter dance gets its own paragraph. 

If you have never seen the movie Chitty Chitty Bang Bang…more power to ya.  The bride’s dad was a proclaimed bad dancer.  This dance and the night that followed proved his claim to be completely unfounded.  They shkerwoppered a choreographed masterpiece to You’re My Little Chu-Chi Face (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wa66d2ctAH8&feature=related).  (Pardon the made up adjective but it is necessary when no real word necessarily states the veracity of something.) 

The rest of the night was filled with dancing and singing and with much chagrin, it was done. 
Ryan’s wonderful friends absolutely gang massacred their wheeled thing. (Not to be confused with a “car” or “vehicle” after they were done with it.)   Let’s just say had a lifetime supply of contraceptive stuck to their ride.  They finally did get through all of the *insert nasty things* that covered the truck and headed out.  We got everything cleaned up and the rest as they say, is history. 

I don't have any photos from the ceremony or reception just yet.  But these photos are some of Laura's bridal portraits taken by Sarah Ainsworth. 

Chris and Stephanie | Houston Wedding DJ

On Sunday Bailey and I had the chance to head down to her hometown in Houston (Cypress) to stir up trouble at our wedding alma mater Northwest Forest Conference Center.  Oh the history.  Since our reception at the Settlement House in March we also were privelidged to DJ Bailey's older sister Stacey's reception at the Alamo building.  Stephanie and Chris's wedding was extra special to us also because I had DJ'd Stephanie's brother Stephen's wedding last year (the fact that the family invited me back was a huge honor and compliment...and it's always a good time getting to party with old friends again).  We were joined by our good friends from BellaVista Productions, Robert and Virginia, who filmed our wedding, but happen to be related to the bride. 

Sunday we were in both the Alamo and the Settlement House.  The wedding ceremony took place in the Alamo.  I ran sound using the Bose system and Stephanie's cousin Tiffany did an amazing job of singing God Blessed The Broken Road while the parents and grandparents came in.  Stephanie was beautiful and made sure that she was there to hear her cousin sing...even if it meant starting 5 minutes late...which we did.  It was perfect.  I love it when people understand that this day is about them and for them.  If you want something to happen (within reason), there is no reason that it should not happen.  So way to go Stephanie! 5 minutes was definitely worth it. 

We headed straight over to the Settlement house after packing up the Bose and mic.  We arrived just as people were walking in and the music started without flaw.  It is amazing to me that so many DJs don't understand that even background music can and should be quality.  I get almost as many compliments on my music during the beginning of the night and meal as I do during the dance.  I pick the music according to the crowd (filtered by the tastes of the bride and groom of course) throughout the entire evening, not just during the dancing.  Weddings are more than just dancing (but I DO love dancing).

After picture time, the Broom (bride and groom...duh) arrived and started the night out right.  Well, with a little help from Tiffany.  Tiffany decided that since Chris wasn't a big dancer that she would let everybody know that she had chosen a different first dance song.  The mood was regal as Will Smith, accompanied by Tiffany, sang Gettin Jiggy Wit It in all of its glory and distinction :) The tune died down with howls of laughter (and a little bit of dancing by Chris...we have proof on tape) and Tiffany then preformed When God Made You as they did their real first dance.  The rest of the night went very smoothly and the families could not be nicer.