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.

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.

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.

Danette Koharchik... We Will Miss You

The DJ community lost one of it's own this past week. Danette Koharchik passed away earlier in the week and the ripples were felt all over the community. While the DJ world is not an all boys club, there are very few females that have been able to make a living as a DJ and Danette was one of the best. She was somewhat of a pioneer for female DJ's. She was named Female Entertainer of the Year and was second DJ of the Year.
I met Danette almost as soon as I entered the industry in 2001, I always looked forward to seeing her at Different shows. She had an infectious personality and I don't think I ever saw her without a smile on her face.
She will be missed by everyone who was lucky enough to have gotten to know her.
To her family, friends C Squared Events offers our deepest condolances. \

Monica and Brandon - or - Stop 3 on C Squared Events World Tour 7/20

First the Peruvians at Coyote Hills.
Then came the Armenians at the Irvine Marriott.
This time it was a very mixed multi cultural event, but there was a definite Swedish flavor to the evening.
Monica and Brandon tied the knot at Lantern Bay Park in Dana Point, and then the fun continued at The Beach House restaurant just down the street from the ceremony. Monica was a member of Gamma Phi Beta at UC Irvine and I have had the pleasure to meet and get to know many of her sisters and even performed for them a time or two, and the did not disappoint. As you couples start planning your wedding you might be tempted to pick a Friday or Sunday as the date for your reception, those dates are usually cheaper but some will tell you that your guests will not be able to let loose on a Sunday.... Survey says.... Wrong. Monica and Brandon's guests embraced the Sunday evening and after very little nudging was ready to go. They danced the night away and at 11pm, when the venue said "Umm your done" they wanted more, and I was glad to deliver.
Monica and Brandon are a great couple, something I have been blessed with this year, I have thoroughly enjoyed working for all my Brides and Grooms. I end up getting caught up in the emotion of the evening. When 1/2 of Monica's Maid's of Honor Natalia started telling the story of how the night Brandon met Monica he had to buy her a number of drinks to keep her occupied, I laughed, when Brandon with tears in his eyes started to thank his bride, well, I didn't cry cause I'm a man and we don't cry. I merely got something in my eye, which caused it to water, that's all.
Monica, who could be the poster girl for the C Squared Events world tour, has a father who hails from Sweden and her mother is from Latin America so this is the first event where I have had the chance to play yodeling and Celia Cruz in the same event. Monica's dad had several relatives who flew in for the Wedding, which lead to some very humorous moments.
Then there was Wendy....... Need I say more.
The next stop on the C Squared Events World Tour is another dual stop. The bride is from Pennsylvania but lives in Ireland which just happens to be where her Fiance is from.

7/12/08 Kristin and Gary

Almost two months after performing for a large Peruvian crowd, this night I got to perform for another group that likes to have a good time, Armenians.
First off let me tell you Kristin and Gary were two very great people. I loved working with them from the very start. Both very athletic, their relationship actually started as a Triathlon partnership and well as they say the rest is history. The thing that I liked most about them was how important family was to them. Gary and Kristin both have children and they wanted to focus the evening not only on there union in marriage but also them joining there new families. They even did a special family dance that had Bride and Groom with all their kids in "The New Family Dance". Now before you start wiping that tear from your eye, Gary and Kristin have a fun side to them, so the song started out with Jack Johnson's "Better Together" and finished with "I Like to Move It", then they wanted me to bring everyone out to the dance floor. That was all anyone needed to get going.
Gary's family is Armenian with some Greek sprinkled in for good flavor, so the guests were treated to a dancing demonstration, done to Gypsy Kings "Zorba the Greek".
It was a great night at a great venue, The Tuscany Ballroom at the Irvine Marriott and I got to meet a new friend in Aaron Wilbert, their talented photographer. I enjoyed working with him as well as Valli the coordinator from the Marriott. Aaron took some great photos that I cannot wait to show off not only here but also at the Homepage.
I will be getting more of these posts in as time permits, but I have been very busy, not only DJing but also keeping Friendly Hills bathed in the warm glow of our Ceiling Swag. The Next Post will tell you all about my Sunday night with Monica and Brandon and some of the Gamma Phi Betta girls.

Will the last Peruvian to leave Coyote Hills turn out the Lights! Kathleen and Renzo 5/17/08

This past Saturday I had an honor that I have been looking forward to for some time, I was serving as Host for Kathleen Price's wedding. She is the Director of Catering at Coyote Hills Golf Club. This was the place I had my wedding and a venue that has been very good to me in my entire DJ career. When she asked if I would DJ for her I immediately said yes.
Kathleen and her Husband have been together for 6 years, when I first met Kat, I was hearing stories about Renzo and how she knew they were gonna get married it was just a matter of when. When we met with her to book my wedding I believe she mentioned she was expecting it soon. Then when I was at the club setting up she told me to hold May 17th and then she sheepishly said "for my wedding".
I got meet Renzo in late March and learned he was born in Peru and that there would be a large contingent of Peruvians at the wedding. Kathleen told me I would have no problem getting people on the dance floor and this was an understatement. Peruvians love to dance and have a good time. I spotted one guy off the dance floor with his shirt covered in sweat. The air condition worked perfectly. Funny thing is I was making sure most my choices had some kind of Latin flair, when one lady who only spoke Spanish asked for YMCA, she even made the arm gestures. I played it and it was a hit. So I threw on a quick Disco set that brought the dance floor alive. This is unique to note cause this was at 11:20 after almost 3 hours of open dancing. I finished the night with a Salsa set that lasted 3o minutes. When the night was over they wanted more. I guess in Peru the nightlife doesn't start until 1 and here it was only 12:30. As I was just about finished tearing down at 1:15 or so, there were still people on the balcony talking having a good time. I however was off to Friendly Hills to tear down ceiling swag I set up that morning. It was the end of a long day that was fun and provided two of my top Coyote Hills memories, the ducks walking up the aisle during the ceremony and the guy who almost walked right through a large window wanting so badly to get back on the dance floor.
After catching up on some much needed rest I will compile a top ten Coyote Hills Memory list. This list will include favorites as fights that get the cops called, guns being pulled, cakes that almost never made it to being cut and the banquet captain and I having to hunt down the groom in the parking lost so we could do the money dance.
Congratulations Kat and Renzo, enjoy your honeymoon!

4/12/08 Angels Stadium

So I was helping out a friend today and did an audio setup at Angels Stadium. It was an auction and I was setting up mics', speakers and then babysitting them all. As I was loading in I forgot how much I hate wheeling my equipment up the slight slope that leads to main entrance of Angels Stadium. Once I'm in I quickly forget all of that. There is no glorious sight that a baseball field. Even to this day a hockey rink can't compare to a pro baseball stadium. The group was using both the inside of the club and the area directly behind Home plate. As I took my seat in the front row, I got a view that I can only imagine is spectacular for a baseball game. As a kid I used to sit 8 or 9 rows back of the dugout at Dodger stadium but those seats have nothing on the one I sat in tonight...err yesterday.

The group also also had VIP tours led by Former Angel great Clyde Wright. This was interesting as I had met Clyde when I did his daughter Devon's wedding. When we chatted I mentioned this. I remember Devon and Chris's wedding , it was fun. The thing I remember most is when I was meeting with Devon and Chris for the first time, she mentions that her brother plays baseball. She is a friend of another Bride, Krista May(Wirthgen) so I had no clue of her connection to Baseball. So I ask, oh does he play minor or Majors, she responded majors and I pause... "Are you Jaret Wright's sister. Yup.They then tell me about Clyde and his exploits in the major. Then Chris added what I will never forget, "Yeah but who cares about Clyde", Devon added, "well he's only paying for most of this" then we all laughed. So to this day every time I see the intro at Angels Stadium where they show clips of Clyde's no hitter, I always think about Chris and him saying "Who cares about Clyde"

On a side note when I told my dad I was DJing Jaret Wrights sisters wedding he said you mean Clyde Wright's daughter. See Chris, someone cared.

Now I am home and as usual I cannot sleep, the best part about being a DJ is I really am a night owl. I get home and find out that Discovery Channel is in the middle of a Deadliest Catch marathon. Why do I like shows about Crab fishing in Alaska. Is it the drama, the struggle against the elements, the macho ness of these rugged fishermen, no I'm pretty sure it is Mike Rowe, he is the narrator of the show. My sister Jenny says she could listen to him read a phone book. I wouldn't go that far but he sure could make me buy a Ford.

Also for those keeping score at home, C Squared Events new office number is (714)656-4132.

Two in One Day.. WOW

I know two posts in one day.

Well I just noticed that when I relaunched my web page I forgot to put the testimonials back up. I just put it back up and even updated some.

Enjoy.

Happy Easter and the Newest Member of ABC

First off ABC is not the American Broadcasting Company, and no I am not getting my own show. ABC stands for the Association of Bridal Consultants and in my eyes just about the best networking group around. I was a member when I was with my other company and have finally joined with C Squared Events. We will even have a booth at their upcoming Vendor Fair.

Now if I could get on my soap box for a little bit! I love coordinators. I am not a coordinator. If a coordinator is not hired I will do my best to make sure everything is running smoothly and that all elements are taken care of but that is where my duties end. I am not at the venue making sure everything is getting setup on time I don't know that one of your guests got chicken when you ordered them a Vegetarian meal. I also do not help load up the presents at the end of the night. Those reasons and a handful of others are why I hired a coordinator. I am friends with a ton of coordinators so I won't mention her name here I will just say that she is in my links section on this blog. Ok I have two coordinators in my links section, If I hadn't used one I would have used the other. A coordinator is just like a DJ when you hire one you want to make sure that your personality meshes well with theirs, otherwise you are in for a long night.

I am looking forward to being involved with such a prestigious group.
Now last Sunday was Easter and it was a time for the Holte and Carroll families to get together for some fun and food. Whenever I go visit my in-laws my father in-law, my wife and I all go play golf. Well this past weekend I emerged victorious for the first time. Yeah I am not ashamed to admit my wife has beaten me every time we play, until now. I golfed the round of my life, and she looked like she had every bit of rust that would accumulate after not having swung a club since Christmas. Her not playing up to par did take some joy out of my accomplishment but I will take it none the less.

I hope you and your families Easter was as enjoyable as mine.

Finally, May 18th is a Bridal Show at the Wyndham Costa Mesa. If you are still in need of a venue I recommend stopping by. They will have the room decorated and even have food. If you are there stop by and say hi.

New Look, New Experiences

I know a thing or two about coding webpages, so I have always done csquaredevents.com myself. I liked the way it looked but frames were causing Google a problem so I decided to redo the site and after a long night I am proud to display the new C Squared Events Homepage! I think I like the new site even better. I always liked the frame look and this gives me that look while allowing the versatility that a non framed site allows. The gallery is still being tweaked but we do have new pictures up for you to take a look at.

We have been doing swag for a while but this past weekend was the first time I set it up at an event by myself. The thing I noticed is the huge difference it makes. Everyone who walked in the room stopped and commented on how good it looks. I see a trending towards more ambiance lighting as opposed to special affect lighting. I got my start in FX lighting so I am not sure how I feel about this, I do know that brides are now able to make a dramatic difference in the look and feel of their reception without having to break the budget. If you are curious about any of this or interested in seeing if this is the right solution for you give us a call.

On a personal note, my friends have had there baby and it is interesting to see my friends go baby crazy. It is funny how guys can even get gaga when someone close to them has a child. Congratulations to Cori, Nathan and now Drew Vanderbeek, the new family is doing well. Course you can see for yourself if you view their blog, the link is on the links side of this blog.

2008 is off to a great start.

January has passed and February is rapidly fading in the rear view mirror and C Squared Events is off to a better start to the year than even I expected. I have done two bridal shows so far and am looking forward to three more before the season ends. I will be attending the Shows at Wyndham Costa Mesa and Friendly Hills Country Club . Now if you have never been to either of these places, I recommend checking them out. Both locations offer a beautiful setting that isn't your everyday banquet facility, while offering a great ceremony location.

C Squared Events is also expanding it's design center, with swag offered at select venues through out the area and will very soon be adding more items and quickly becoming a full service Event Design Company. Don't worry about the entertainment division going away, we are having too much fun doing both. C'mon could I ever give up DJing.

On the entertainment front C Squared Events now offers "Online Planning" now you and your fiancé can plan your reception from the comfort of your own home. Online Planning is a convenience and in no way replaces face-to-face meetings, it simply makes them more productive. It also let's me keep track of where you are at in the process. As clients book they will be given a password to check out the features offered to them. If you want to take test drive e-mail me and let me know where you are in the process of hiring a DJ and II can give you a look see of everything Online Planning has to offer.

As the months progress check back here for more adventures and stories.

Why not, Everyone's Doing It

So after years in the business and seeing these blogs jump up all over the place, I have decided to get one of my own. My own little area to let you know what is going on and who we are serving. I might also posts some tips and stuff for you to really sink your teeth into.

We are just weeks into 2008 and it is already an exciting time at C Squared Events and the fun is just beginning.

Check back here often as I will be updating as often as I can also if you are looking for a DJ and didn't come here via my main web site feel free to check out C Squared Events