Wedding Trends

From time to time I will share with you some of the latest trends in weddings, straight from the front lines. In the years that I have been doing this I have seen trends explode, diminish, change and even a few born. As fashion, style and technology change they all seem to bring about new concepts in weddings, some take off while others never really gain any traction.

Does anyone remember sponsored weddings? Probably not, yet at one point in time Brides would try and get vendors, and even non wedding companies to donate services or money in exchange for being allowed to advertise to guests. There are even web sites that will show you how to do this, but ask yourself is a four hour commercial for a reception really what you want.

Then there are trends such as Photo Booths (Which by the way we offer) that spring up, take some time and then really hit it big.

I saw my first photo booth at a reception almost 7 years ago. It was an honest to goodness carnival style photo booth that a company in Arizona started renting out for social events. In talking to the owner he said he hadn't seen another company doing it on the west coast and that he regularly traveled from AZ to CA. Flash forward to 2010 and these pieces of nostalgia are offered in many different configurations of size shape and picture output.

Another trend that has been around for a while is Candy Buffets.

Candy Buffets which range anywhere to the cost of the candy to $5 per person offer a great way to continue your colors through the reception. This wedding which took place at The Reef in Long Beach, featured a fall color theme so all the candies offered were either orange, black, red, yellow or brown, a huge hit with Reeses' Pieces fans.

This past weekend I think I may have captured the latest wedding trend in it's beginning stage, at least I hope I did. A 10/10/10 reception at South Coast Winery in Temecula featured "Cake Balls".

These way too good to be true treats are balls of cake dipped in some form of chocolate. These treats made by Adair Weddings are a must try. The compact size means that guests can enjoy a sampling of different flavors and still have room for the cake you will be serving. If you prefer to forgo the cake cut or get a small cake just to serve pictures, you could serve your guests three different cake balls instead. As a DJ I also enjoy not having to wait for guests to finish their cake in order to get back to dancing. As I sampled my first one I was told it was an experience and let me tell you it was.

Congratulations to Cassia and Michael. I will tell you about their wedding later.

A View from Behind the Squared Booth - The Series

Last post introduced a new feature the video blog series "A View from Behind the Squared Booth". This series gives people a view very few see, the DJ's view of a wedding reception. The series will highlight different aspects of a reception, the venue, ceremony, dancing and anything else that catches our fancy.

The entire series can be seen at C Squared Events You Tube Channel. Some of the video's will be edited by a professional, some will be taken from the videographer and edited ourselves. Thus explaining some of the rough transitions and lack of digital enhancing.

Our latest episode highlights Coyote Hills Golf Course, one of our favorite locations. It is one of our favs for two reasons, first we are right at the top of their referral list, and second is because our Director of Entertainment, Mike, got married there. Not only does Coyote Hills have one of the hardest working staff, they also offer stunning views. The ceremony site (which will be highlighted in a future episode) is one of the best in Orange County.

The views this club offers can be seen as Stephanie and Brent share their first dance to the timeless classic, Frank Sinatra's "The Way You Look Tonight".

8/21/10 Historic Cottage San Clemente, Jessica and Scott

I have been in this business for a while now and I have seen my share of gorgeous spots to have a wedding and reception, but Historic Cottage in San Clemente is right up their in terms of view it offers. Jessica and Scott said their "I Do's" on a bluff overlooking the ocean. Once the ceremony was finished the guests already at their tables got to enjoy a delicious taco bar that was serving up some great food all night. No scheduled dinner here, if you're hungry eat.

Another great aspect of Historic Cottage is you get the same backdrop for your first dance.

Jessica is a dance instructor for Arthur Murray Dance Studio and wanted her guests to have as much dance time as possible, so as soon as we completed the formal events, the dance floor was open, and her friends and family took advantage of it.

Here is my view for most of the event.

Sometimes I have a rough job.

In further news, C Squared Events now offers fun Photo Booths for your event. If you are interested in more information contact us today.

Next week we will be showcasing our talents at the Bi-Annual Kiss the Bride Bridal Show at Pala Resort. Should you be in the area and are trying to lock in any last minute items, stop by and say hi.

This has been quite the Summer for us, but Rocking Ricky is still on the air!

The summer has been so busy I know my readers have felt like I have been neglecting them. Well, they are right.

This past weekend I had two events that absolutely demanded me telling the world about them.

The weekend started Friday at Rancho Las Lomas for Jenni and Tom Prouty's reception. Tom and Jenni are a great couple that had an eclectic taste in music. Even more so than mine and I love clients that love music. Their request list featured songs from groups like "She and Him" (Zooey Daschanel's band, "Vhs and Beta" and "The Grouch and Eligh" song "All In".

They also were not interested in very many traditional events, they did a first dance and that was it. The night was all about music and dancing. As the evening got to the end, some of their friends wanted some newer music. After confirming with Jenni, I gave the crowd what it wanted.

Jenni at one point came up to me and told me she had to ask her friend what song I was playing, that song was "Poker Face". She like it. I am thrilled that I could be the DJ who introduced Jenni to the phenomenon that is Lady Gaga.

In the end a good time was had by all.

As the day turned to Saturday, I turned my attention to Taryne and Jeff and their reception at Keyways Winery in Temecula. This event can be summed up by Jeff, when asked if he was ready to marry Taryne he proudly exclaimed "Oh Hell Yeah". The crowd erupted with laughter, the minister was speechless. Taryne when asked the same question exclaimed "Hell Yeah" herself. I declared that was the catchphrase for the evening.

Taryne and Jeff have a great family, in fact Taryne's proud father delivered a toast that had to be heard to believed. Not to be outdone, Jeff's best man, Mike, also gave a great speech.

This wedding will go down as one of the few where every event happened on time. Why? Taryne and Jeff had not only yours truly keeping an eye on things, but also Annette, the great coordinator at Keyways Winery. The two of us had that event running like a well oiled machine, meaning the crowd got to maximize the dance time. Young and Young at heart danced the night away.

My first time at Keyways was a ton of fun. The staff there was on top of their game, Annette asked for my card so I hope that I can make their referral list as Keyways is a venue I would love to see more of.

In non event news, C Squared Events is now offering fun photo booths for any event. For more information go to http://csquaredevents.com.

Busy Open to Wedding Season and new Video

It has been a busy couple of months. I have been busy meeting with couples and getting ready for some great events.

The Bridal Show season is winding down, I have one more at Los Coyotes Country club on April 18th. Los Coyotes is a fabulous venue in Buena Park and is without a doubt one of my favorites. I am excited to be on their list and to be serving as Master of Ceremonies for their show.

Despite being busy I have found the time to finally get a Video together. I hope you enjoy it.

It's Been a Long Time

It has been a long time since I posted. Seems like ages ago. I had a good reason, Heather and I have moved to Canyon Lake. The past few months I have been busy getting a house unpacked and trying to build up my business in Riverside County. I still continue to serve Orange County, but have now expanded my roots to include Riverside and San Diego County. 2009 saw me achieving firsts, I recieved the first Bride's Choice award from Wedding Wire, I DJ'd in two different states at once, thanks to Skype's video conferencing technology, I showcased my services for the first time in San Diego County and countless other firsts.
Now 2010 has rolled around and business is booming. I have had to adjust my marketing to meet with the times, but it has paid off in my busiest January in a few years. 2010 is off to a great start and so far has me performing at brand new venues like Cottonwood Golf Club and returning to favorites such as Wyndham Costa Mesa and Ponte Winery.
2010 also saw me finally embrace Twitter. I am going to try something new with it though. At certain Bridal Shows I will be offering discounts to followers. At some point I will offer say an additional $100 off to the first person that comes up to me and tells me they saw my Tweet. You can follow me at twitter.com/csquaredevents. Also you can follow C Squared Events on face book by clicking on the link on the side of the page.
This Sunday I will be at Coyote Hills Golf Course annual Bridal Open House. I will be Emceeing the event. If you are still looking for a venue I recommend you check the show out. If you do, check out Twitter as I might be tweeting during the show.
I promise this year to be more active in the blog world. I hope to have my latest award up soon. Check back often.