Doran:Burns Wedding

Kathy and Josh's wedding marked the first ceremony for me where an english bulldog (Chunk) was part of the bridal party. That pretty much illustrates Josh and Kathy's personalities - fun, original, and family oriented. I had fun with this couple and their families who were respectively from New York and California.


Although the day was hot at the Rancho Bernardo Courtyard, the weather cooled down just before the ceremony began at 5pm. The prelude music was comprised entirely of Enya songs. The crazy side of the bride and groom came out during grand introductions when I played Ozzy Osbournes Crazy Train and AC/DC's Thunderstruck.

Catering and coordination services were provided by PearTrees Catering and Stefanie Lynn Muse from Inspired Events. I thoroughly enjoyed the made-to-order stir fry station accented with chinese to-go boxes, chopsticks, and chili sauce.

The guests had a great time and the dance floor stayed packed until I had to pull the plug at 11pm. Since the bride is from the east coast I was asked to a lot of play De La Soul, Tribe Called Quest, Diddy, Run DMC, the Beastie Boys, and Notorious BIG. The last song of the evening was the YMCA and everyone in the courtyard participated... even the Dj.

Congratulations to the new Mr. and Mrs. Burns!

Browning:Waibel Wedding

Terri and Erik were my fun couple from Arizona. They selected the Bernardo Winery as the location for their wedding ceremony and reception. What I will remember most about this couple was their love for each other, their love for wine and cigars, and their awesome family.


I had the opportunity to work with Krystel from Couture Events who was providing day-of coordination services for Terri and Erik. Krystel and her crew did an amazing job in pulling off a spectacular and intimate event. The music of the evening included classics such as Louis Armstrong, Etta James, Billie Holiday, Fleetwood Mac, Stevie Nicks, Jack Johnson, the Beatles, and of course, lots of 80's music. Yes, Erik was a HUGE 80's fan and had me build my dance mix around Michael Jackson, Depeche Mode, the Beastie Boys, Run DMC, the Cure, and many more classics.


The entire event was documented by Erica Schneider and her team from Acres of Hope Photography. The evening concluded with the bride and groom exiting the venue to the main theme from Star Wars. Thanks for such a memorable event and congratulations to the new Mr. and Mrs. Waibel!

NOTE - I forgot my camera and these photos were captured on my Verizon Wireless Blackberry Storm.

Roman:Rich Wedding

When I first met Duane and Jen I thought they were such a cute couple. Just the way they interacted as I asked them questions about the wedding illustrated that they were madly in love with one another. After I was hired to provide Dj and lighting services for their reception and the Bernardo Inn, Duane and I immediately went to work on the music.

With such a profound love for all types of music, it was very important that I take their guests on a musical journey through the minds of Duane and Jen. This musical journey began at the cocktail hour as I played some classic jazz infused with 80's and 90's R&B hits from artists such as Keith Sweat, Jodeci, Stevie Wonder, and Smokey Robinson.


As guests were invited into the reception ballroom they were immediately inundated in the decor accented by the dramatic uplighting placed throughout the room washing the walls in pink and amber. The journey then continued at dinner as we listened to the sounds of John Legend, Robin Thicke, Ben Harper, Jack Johnson, Neo, Jamie Foxx, and Usher.


Erin Melton from Behind the Bride provided the day-of coordination services and kept me on track with the timeline and entertained with her "funky" dance moves. Each of the guests had nothing but great things to say about how the event turned out - all thanks to the vision of Duane and Jen. We danced until 11pm when Boyz to Men's End of the Road concluded the evening and our musical journey. Congratulations to the new Mr. and Mrs Roman!

Smith : Benson Wedding

Who would have ever thought that you could find true love through social networking sites? Although Brian and Heidi originally met at summer camp as teenagers, Facebook is what ultimately brought them back to each other. And on the one year anniversary of their first date, they became husband and wife.

I had the pleasure of providing Dj and MC services for this happy couple at the Rancho Bernardo Courtyard on what turned out to be a gorgeous day. The mood was set with a modern mix of contemporary music including Ben Harper, Jason Mraz, Robin Thicke, John Legend, Amy Winehouse, and more. The couple's first dance song was performed by San Diego musician Tyler Hilton. This was my first time hearing of Tyler but he is awesome!

The evening ended on the dance floor as the guests rocked the night away to a mix of old school hip hop, funk, R & B, and top 40 hits. Good times, good people, and good fun. Congrats to the new Mr. and Mrs. Benson!

May:Hoffman Wedding

The end of the summer is such a bittersweet time of year here in San Diego. It means beach days and backyard bbq's will soon be coming to an end for yet another year. Labor Day is often seen as the "end of summer" holiday and it makes the perfect environment for a wedding.

I had the pleasure of providing dj/mc services for Danny May and Christie Hoffman as they tied-the-knot at the historic El Cortez in downtown San Diego. The ceremony was vintage Hollywood with a modern flair highlighted by the use of Goapele's Closer as the recessional song. The beautiful ceremony was performed by Jeff Zlotnik, Executive Director for the Meditation Initiative located in San Diego.

Cocktail hour took place outside to a DJ Mark Farino Mushroom Jazz mix that put everyone in a mellow mood while they awaited the grand introductions. Our grand introductions started off with the guys entering the ball room to nothing other than What They Do by the Roots. Although the guys did it up big time, the girls definitely outperformed the guys when they hit the ballroom to Ciara's 1, 2 Step.

Dinner music consisted of a playlist including Frank Sinatra, Dizzy Gillespie, Charlie Parker, Ella Fitzgerald, John Coltrane, Dean Martin, and more. The highlight of the evening was when Christie's 80 year old great aunt Mary Ann performed Exactly Like You. She received a standing ovation and set the party off to a great start.

The evening continued on the dancefloor until 11:00pm when the staff made us pull the plug. The day was a complete success and all of the guests left in good spirits. Congratulations to the new Mr. & Mrs. Danny and Christie May! Thanks for including Events by Design in your wedding plans and I hope you have a muy bueno time in Cancun.

Venue: The El Cortez
Catering/FLorals: Ranch Events
DJ: Events by Design
Officiant: Jeff Zlotnik, The Meditation Initiative
Photographer: Justin Lee Photography

Limon:Guillen Wedding

What a beautiful day it was for a wedding on the San Diego Bay. I had the great fortune of providing the musical entertainment for Lisa and Jorge Guillen at the Dana in Mission Beach. Their storybook day began with an intimate ceremony by the waterside and ended with some Latin music on the dance floor. The guests were having a great time throughout the evening listening to the sounds of Nat King Cole, Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin, and Etta James all mixed in with some Flamenco.

We also had a surprise fire twirling performance from the maid of honor. I don't know if that was against the fire code or not but it sure heated things up! Jonathan Chan Photography Was there to capture the whole thing... In all the guests left satisfied and the bride and groom left married. What a wonderful day!

Irieside Releases First LP!

My hometown of Oceanside, California isn't widely known as a hub for music, but the subculture in this seaside town has given rise to a new and unique sound. Irieside is a local band that has transformed their daily experiences as "O'Siders" into an album packed with beats, amazing guitar riffs, floetry, and a trumpet which makes it all sound completely original. I like to think of the style as a fusion of hip hop, rock, ska, and reggae. Highly influenced by reggae legend Bob Marley, Irieside focuses on sending positive messages, good vibes, and irie feelings.

Members of the band include drummer and back up vocalist Sid Hilarides, bass guitarist and back up vocalist Steven Stotelmeyer, Arjay Pantig on the trumpet and back up vocals, lead guitarist and lead vocals Benny Blessing, and the emcee Anthony Williams. Irieside's first album successfully tells the story of a band who started from the bottom in the Oceanside streets but has grown to have a huge following in San Diego. Congratulations on your first release Irieside, your fellow "O'Siders" are expecting big things out of you.

The entire album was produced at Above Ground Records in Escondido, California. Stay posted on details of the first music video coming soon...

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