Shanghai Red’s is a cozy restaurant set right on the harbor of Marina del Rey.  The back patio area overlooks the harbor.  On this day, there was a slight breeze on a perfect day and sunset occurred while the bride and groom had dinner with all their guests.  The sunset was clearly visible through all the windows throughout the intimate room.

The ceremony took place in front of a gazebo which was decorated with flowers.  The ceremony area (patio) is separated from the general restaurant guests by different furniture, so the guests will be able to enjoy the ceremony as well.  There is no wall between the harbor walkway and the patio, so some people may casually stroll by a wonderful event.

The reception room held 12 tables which would be the maximum with a dance floor.  The Sweetheart table was set with the back to the windows overlooking the harbor which created a beautiful view.  The DJ booth had to be adjusted to accommodate the location for the booth.

Cocktail service with hor d’oeuvres were served in the ceremony area, where some tables were brought in and most of the chairs taken out to provide a more social atmosphere.  The bar was located near the rear of the ceremony area, and this is where the bar stayed throughout dinner and receptions as well.  Dinner was buffet-style which moved fairly smoothly.  The buffet tables were located in the adjacent room, which was later modified into the candy table and cappuccino service.

Services provided:  Ceremony, cocktail hour, reception music, dance lighting, wireless microphone, uplighting, cake highlighting, Sweetheart table highlighting, projection services

Congratulations Amanda and Wayne!

Located in Fountain Valley, the Mile Square Banquet Room is actually located at the golf course.  Uplighting gives a room a different feel.  Amber around the room and one pink uplight to highlight the Candy Table.  (As I was cleaning up, I overheard a little boy say, “I got a tummy ache and kinda feel like throwing up.”  I think he found the Candy Table.)

Close to the end of the evening, switched the amber uplights to sound-active mode to change with the music and create a festive mood.

Congratulations Melissa and Julian!

(Before and after photos)

Uplights in sound-active mode.

December 15, 2012

Intimate reception on a busy night.  The hotel had two other events with thousands of people.  The room (Orange County Ballroom) was the furthest from the entrance.  Luckily everyone was able to find the right room.  Cute theme:  Hello Kitty, Asian dolls, snowflakes on the side walls.

Contemporary and traditional Cambodian reception.  The groomsmen wore traditional Cambodian attire and the bridesmaids wore contemporary dresses.  Traditional Cambodian wedding blessing dance, for which music was provided to me ahead of time.  The evening included top-40, hip-hop and Cambodian music.

Services:  Audio, music, microphones, dance lighting (drapery, uplighting, pinspotting and gobo lighting provided by a single vendor, not myself)

If the ballroom didn’t have to be cleared, the crowd would have danced until dawn.  Fun night.

Congratulations Vandra and Neangry!

Nice wedding venue.  Multiple ballrooms, so make sure you let your guests know the specific name of the ballroom.  I was at the reception to play music and provide audio equipment.  Also helped with the videographer with the slideshow.  The meal was an eight-course meal; music helps pass the time, so do varied slideshows.  The event also had their own MC, so I focused on the music throughout the night.

Services:  Audio, music, microphones, dance lighting (uplighting and pinspotting was provided by a different vendor)

The music was varied throughout the night, transitioning from conservative, light music to hard, dance and techno music.  Here is a rough outline of how the music went for the evening:
Classical
Jazz
60′s & 70′s
Mowtown
80′s & soft rock
Current pop (Dancing began with Gangnam Style)
Top 40
Disco
Old School Hip Hop
Top 40
Rap
I played to the crowd and to whoever was on the dance floor.  And everyone had a good time, including myself.

Congratulations Tam and Diana!

A beautiful gem in Orange County.  Just a little past Cal State Fullerton, the Summit House offers grounds for a small ceremony and a nice area for a reception.  Large windows allow a great view from all tables.  A pleasure to help a military veteran for all he’s done for this country.

Services provided:  DJing, music, MC, projector, dance lighting, cake pinspotting

The couple were from different ethnic backgrounds and music was important to both couples.  There was a mix of Latin and Persian music throughout the night, along with the requisite contemporary pop music and 80′s music.

Congratulations David and Yasmeen!

The reception was held in the church gym right after the ceremony in church.  Uplighting mold the feel of a celebration, especially as the gym lights were dimmed.  Creating a whole experience is my goal.

Congratulations Lana and Jeff!

A lot of people and a lot of vendors.  I didn’t realize how many different vendors were going to be at the venue until I arrived.  I came in for music, monogram lighting and dance lighting.  The bride did an excellent job of coordinating everyone for this event.

There was a company that put curtains all around the restaurant to create a ballroom feeling; unfortunately, they also covered the DJ booth and I had to DJ behind a curtain all night (there were no other places where the DJ equipment could be placed).  The groom got “tired” during the evening and some of the guests had enjoyed ethnic karaoke enough, so I insisted on putting on the dance music a little early. I’m glad I too the time to talk to the bride and groom and know what type of event they wanted.  I stuck to the general plan and the evening went well.

Congratulations Angie and Mike!

Beautiful venue overlooking Irvine Regional Park.  The couple rented the guest house and surroundings for a couple of days.  Very great relaxed couple; the groom and groomsmen were in the pool a couple of hours before the wedding ceremony, not stressed at all.  The groom was a music lover, so he planned all the music from pre-ceremony to the end of the night.  I worked with his music selection and everything went well.  Congratulations Roselie and Ryan!