Friday, May 29, 2009

Hilary and Neal - April 18, 2009

Has it really been since February since I last posted. It has been a busy past couple of months at C Squared Events. I decided to start back up with Hilary because this was a good old fashioned dance party at the Centre Club in Costa Mesa.

Hilary met us in New York, at Mickey and Alyssa's wedding and while I was in California my wife was handling the event design for the Mickey and Alyssa and Hilary was a guest there and got to know Heather. When it came time for her to book have her reception in California she called me and after meeting we connected. Music was very important to her and Neal. Since I joined the group in New York (just missing Hilary and Neal) I knew a good number of people at the reception, including Mickey and Alyssa. It is a tad nerve wracking performing for a group that you know have a friendship with. I was in California so I didn't DJ Mickey and Alyssa, but helped plan a good portion of their wedding with them, and now they were getting to see me in action.

Well once the event got going, it got going and the dance floor was packed. It was an 80's crowd and I got to play classics such as "Heat of the Moment" by Asia and "Peter Piper" by Run DMC. As the event ended the dance floor was packed and my new friends saw me poor everything I have into my event.

I got home and was so amped I could not go to sleep. Luckily when I got home my family was waiting for me. The Long Beach Grand Prix was the next day and this is a Carroll family tradition. I believe this was LBGP number 15 for me all in a row (haven't missed one since 1994) and Grand Prix number 9 for my nephew, it would have been number 10 for Marco but he was born 2 days before the Grand Prix in 1999. I remember my dad and I leaving the Long Beach to go see my first nephew in the Hospital. I have a picture of him at his first Grand Prix and he has been hooked ever since. It was a great day to follow a great event.

I would like to thank Hilary and Neal for allowing me the honor to serves as their reception host.

You can now follow C Squared Events here and on Facebook.

Monday, February 9, 2009

Thank You

2009 Bride's Choice Awards presented by WeddingWire | Wedding Cakes, Wedding Venues, Wedding Photographers & More

C Squared Events has been voted to receive the Brides Choice Award for 2009 from Wedding Wire.

BETHESDA, MD – January 28, 2009 – WeddingWire, the nation’s leading wedding technology company, is excited to announce the 2009 Bride’s Choice Awards(TM). This year’s winners represent the top three percent of WeddingWire’s vendor community, which consists of over 100,000 local wedding professionals nationwide.

In its inaugural year, the Bride’s Choice Awards recognizes and honors wedding vendors from the WeddingWire Network that demonstrate excellent quality of service, responsiveness, professionalism, value of cost and flexibility. Unlike other awards in which winners are selected by the company, the Bride’s Choice Awards are determined exclusively by recent newlyweds through surveys and reviews.

“We are excited to launch this annual award program to honor high-performing vendors based solely on the experiences of our WeddingWire community,” according to Timothy Chi, WeddingWire’s Chief Executive Officer. “This year’s recipients have set the bar high, exhibiting excellent service and expertise in the wedding industry. WeddingWire would like to congratulate this year’s winners!“

Recipients of the 2009 Bride’s Choice Awards will be notified via email during the first week of February. A list of the winners from each region will be available directly from the WeddingWire homepage for all visitors to view. Award recipients will receive a badge to place on their business websites and blogs to showcase this honor.

For more information on the Bride’s Choice Awards, please visit www.WeddingWire.com.

About WeddingWire, Inc.
WeddingWire is the only online wedding planning resource designed to empower both engaged couples and wedding vendors. WeddingWire enables engaged couples to search, compare and book over 100,000 wedding vendors nationwide, from wedding venues to wedding cakes. WeddingWire also offers an online community and a suite of cutting-edge planning tools, including wedding websites, all at no charge. For wedding vendors, WeddingWire provides free online management tools creating the only market opportunity that gives businesses control over their clients, reviews, leads and performance. In addition, WeddingWire has partnered with Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia, Inc. (NYSE: MSO) to provide its network of local vendors and online wedding-planning tools in the Weddings section of www.MarthaStewartWeddings.com. For additional information, please visit www.WeddingWire.com.

Here is a copy of the press release being sent out specifically for C Squared Events:

WeddingWire, the nation’s leading wedding technology company, just announced that C Squared Events has won the 2009 Bride’s Choice Awards™!


In its inaugural year, the Bride’s Choice Awards recognizes and honors vendors from the WeddingWire Network that demonstrate excellent quality of service, responsiveness, professionalism, value of cost and flexibility. This year’s recipients represent the top three percent of WeddingWire’s vendor community, which includes over 100,000 wedding vendors from across the US. That means C Squared Events is one of the very best Disc Jockey.

Unlike other awards in which winners are selected by the company, the Bride’s Choice Awards are determined exclusively by recent newlyweds through surveys and reviews.

“We are excited to launch this annual award program to honor high-performing vendors based solely on the experiences of our WeddingWire community,” according to Timothy Chi, WeddingWire’s Chief Executive Officer. “This year’s recipients have set the bar high, exhibiting excellent service and expertise in the wedding industry.”

C Squared Events would like to thank our past clients for speaking on our behalf and helping us win the 2009 Bride’s Choice Award!

I would like to offer my own Thanks to every one who made this possible, from Jessica and Ryan who first reviewed me on Wedding Wire, to Coyote Hills for supporting me when I started my own Company, to every client both past and present and to my Wife for always supporting me in whatever I do.

1/10/09 Johnelle and Scott Opal

Waaay behind in the blogging duties but this story needs to be told.

Johnelle found me online at weddingcompass.com while she was stationed in Iraq. I have dealt with brides that were planning their wedding out of town but this takes the prize for longest distance. Her wedding was in Simi Valley which is so close to my home town of Oxnard. Since New York wasn't too far away Simi Valley isn't too far away. Most of Johnelle's wedding was planned online, I think she definitely liked my online planning site.

I finally got to meet Johnelle and Scott a couple weeks before the wedding and I instantly fell in love with both of them. They are just this couple that you feel good knowing that they are together. They are High School sweethearts that followed each other into the Army, Scott is in Intelligence and Johnelle is in the medical corps. Johnelle has a good portion of her family with Latin heritage which means a lot of people dancing to Elvis Crespo. I love Suavemente, so much in fact that when Johnelle's mom asked me to play it again at the end of the night I was more than happy to oblige.

At the end both Scott and Johnelle were extremely happy and that makes it all worthwhile. Scott and Johnelle are being transferred to Washington so they won't be going back to Iraq. I don't know if I ever thanked them for risking there lives so I could keep the profession I have chosen.

Tuesday, January 27, 2009

To December... And Beyond

I used to work retail and learned December was the craziest time of Year and Christmas meant it was now safe to breathe.

Well the DJ world is kind of the same. See Holiday parties have no rhyme or reason to when they are scheduled, usually they are planned around getting the best bang for the corporate buck. This year with the Economy things were crazier than usual. Parties on Tuesdays, Thursday's even Sunday's meant that I had Saturdays off while still working a full week. I love December.
With the craziness that is December, which is followed by the equally crazy Bridal Show season, the blog had to take back seat for a time... Well VFBSB (View from Behind the Squared Booth, clever huh) takes a back seat to nothing... Well except December and Bridal Show season. In an attempt to make up for this I will fill in my December in one post.

December 4th - Ricoh Holiday Party.
Great group, probably the only event where I got to follow More than a Feeling with La Vida Es Un Carnaval and then Stronger.

December 5th - Kaiser Permanente Nurses Group
Nominee for Holiday Party of the Year! I did this one as a favor and I am 100% glad I did. These nurses cut loose and as the party wrapped I had to kick them out of Yorba Linda Country Club. I think they left, they may still be there. I am Friends with Julie, the Director of Catering, over at YLCC and she told me a week later they loved everything and are looking to book the same package (me included) again.

December 13th - Jessica's Mitzvah
I did her older sisters Mitzvah so it was cool to return to do Jessica's.

December 16 - Yorba Linda Country Club Holiday Party
The food was great and the GM did a great Job of Emceeing as I played the hits.

December 18th - Presbyterian Hospital Neo Care Unit
Nurses love to party and I love to DJ for them. This one was at Coyote Hills Country Club, which I still owe a top ten moments post, there Bartender Matt telling me "You get tired of hearing this but you are the best DJ we get here". Matt I never get tired of hearing that and your check is in the mail.

Then I got the rest of the month off. I used that time to... get ready for Bridal Show season, and that is a post for another day.

Tuesday, October 28, 2008

9/27/08 - Kristy and Eric

First off, I love Dove Canyon. I love working there, I love the look of the club, I love the food I just really love it there. I also love working with Melody Walker. So you can imagine my excitement when I got to do both in the same night. Add that to getting to work with Bleu Cotton and you have some very talented vendor working for a great couple and that leads to some very good work.

Kristy and Eric were constantly smiling and that was contagious. As we got a Vendor Break, Bleu commented how he wished all couples were that easy to work with. I agree.

On a funny side note, when I had my final meeting with Kristy she mentioned that her mom worked at a Barnes and Nobles near where I live and I just happened to be in that store one day hearing two workers talk about a wedding at Dove Canyon, I asked if she was Kristy's mom, then I got a funny look that was both worry and curiosity. I informed her I was the DJ for Kirsty's wedding and she no longer felt the need to call the cops. I love meeting as many people involved in the wedding as possible, when people feel they know you, they are more comfortable approaching you for things.

The event went very well and people were dancing the whole night. Sometimes this job doesn't even seem like work. Melody handled all the coordination details so I had to only focus on keeping things lively.

As the year closes I get busier, corporate events as well as meeting with Clients that are trying ti book their DJ before the end of the year, I am trying to keep things up to date so keep checking back.

Also C Squared Events is now rated by WeddingWire.com. I have to thank my new friends Jessica and Ryan for getting me started. I didn't even know I was on there till after a Bridal Show I did a search and low and behold there I was. So check out my page and if you are a former client leave a review, if you review five or more vendors weddingwire.com will even send you a gift card.

Monday, September 15, 2008

8/16/08 2 States 2 Weddings 2 Much Fun

You read it right C Squared Events had two weddings in two states on that day. I will start off with the first, Mickey and Alyssa. Mickey and Alyssa are friends of my wife and were getting married in Upstate New York. I was already booked to DJ a reception but they were more interested in the Event Design service we offered. Our design team met with them, and I consulted on Timeline and Music suggestions, helping them plan this wedding from Southern California.

Weddings are my life and I tend to forget that this is not the case for everyone else. When I showed up and asked "What do you want to do?", I found they needed some guidance in this area. I was more than happy to help. The star of this show was the Reception site a converted barn in the Finger Lakes region of New York. Our designers were able to offer suggestions to Mickey and Alyssa and then our team made it all a reality. Mickey and Alyssa wanted to create a Simple Elegance while maintaining the quaint charm that the location allowed.
Now I don't speak design, and this blog is a View Behind the Squared Booth, not a View Into Design, so I will wait til we get some pictures back from the photographer and let them tell the full story.

I am a Wedding entertainer and that was just what I was doing that same night at Coyote Hills Country Club. Jessica and Ryan were a couple that met me at the company I used to work for. When they found out I had went out on my own, they told me they wanted me and not some replacement DJ to serve as host for the event. I was very honored. I immediately connected with Ryan and Jessica and was very happy to be there for them on their big day. Both Ryan and Jessica graduated from Long Beach State University and Jessica is continuing her education at Cal State Fullerton as she is getting her masters in Education.

I personally think Coyote Hills was made to have decor lights used in reception there. Ryan and Jessica agreed and went with our Decor lighting package. The room absolutely sparkled. Their colors were Eggplant and Green, no I never made any Mighty Ducks comments, I utilized the eggplant and added some amber tones to give the room an elegant feel. The centerpiece was the monogram shined on the dance floor.

Once the party got started I had everyone dancing, young and old alike. Jessica's mom came up to me after the first dance set proclaiming I was doing a fantastic job and she had never seen a DJ get everyone involved like I was. I told her "I'm just getting started". At the end of the night the dance floor was just as packed. The limo arrived and whisked Ryan and Jessica away and they didn't want to leave. I did my farewell to them and most the guests turned and waved and then went back to dancing.
Fast forward to this past Sunday when I learned about a website called Wedding Wire kind of a Resource and Social Network site. It allows Vendors to create a profile page advertising the services they offer, as well as allows clients to review the services they received. After finding out about it, I went online to check it out, to my surprise Ryan and Jessica had already created a profile for me and left my first review.

Tuesday, September 2, 2008

Amanda and Tony... A Wedding Over 3000 Miles in the Making

The C Squared Events World Tour continued Monday August 4th at the beautiful Mission Inn in Riverside. The details leading up to this wedding are quite interesting. Tony and Amanda met in Ireland, where Tony was born and lives, while Amanda was going to school. Amanda fell in love with a little more than just the country and thus began the journey that would culminate in the "I Do's" at a venue on the other side of the world.
Doing business in Orange County, it is not uncommon for a story like this to be told, Girl grows up in Sunny Southern Cal, moves away for College, meets boy, comes back to Orange County to take advantage of some of the best wedding venues in the world. Well this story is a little different because Amanda isn't from Sunny California, nope she called Pennsylvania home. So how did this East Coast girl and Irish Lad, come to end up at the Mission Inn, they were guided there by a well known traveler Samantha Brown. That's right anyone who watches the travel channel is familiar with Samantha Brown and her many shows, highlighting travel destinations and the places to see and stay within those destinations. One night as Amanda is watching this show, IN IRELAND, she sees Samantha showing off the hidden treasure that is the Mission Inn, Riverside, CA, she called her mom and told her I found our wedding site.
Planning a wedding ling distance isn't unusual, but planning a wedding with parents on the East Coast and bride on the Irish Coast, does present it's challenges. The mother of the Bride handled most of the back and fourth with myself, and the online planing site allowed Amanda and Tony to get details picked out without having to meet with me face to face. We spoke a few times the week of the wedding and that was all it took to get a flawless reception planned from three locations in three different parts of the world.
This destination wedding got things literally rolling early on. As family arrived in California, they were treated to a Earthquake as the plane sat on the runway waiting to pull to the gate. I was told no one from Ireland was in town yet, so they missed the show that day, but were in great spirits that Monday Evening. Everyone arrived ready to have a good time, except Tony's daughter Ciara, who told anyone who would listen she was not dancing. Well this made most of the Bridesmaids determined to get her to dance. They succeeded, and well let's just say there is a reason I put in my contract that I am not responsible for any therapy bills that are needed, eventually Ciara will realise she had the time of her life, until then....
The event ended at Midnight and one family was headed back to Pennsylvania and another was headed to Ireland, yet all of them enjoyed there time in California.
The month of August has been busy for us here at C Squared events, I have some great events to get to within the coming days and weeks. The next blog will cover events in two states on the same day.