Brendan’s Blog

Take 150 or so K-4 students, add costumes, treats, sound and lights and you get one very cool, action-packed night! Saturday night’s Halloween Party at Taunton’s Hopewell School was the first that I’ve done there, and my second event for kids in that age group. It was an exhausting success - two hours of non-stop dancing, raffle prizes and fun. I brought an assistant along - Charles Bernard of The DJ Experience. He provides the fun and games for the weeknight school events at Camp Bournedale in Plymouth, so he was able to help me keep the kids entertained pretty easily. His knowledge of easy-to-teach line dances and my knowledge of Hannah Montana and High School Musical made a great combination. And yes, we dressed in costume for the party…

Word from the Parent-Teacher Association at Hopewell is that we’ll be back next year… I’m looking forward to it!

Most of this area’s bridal shows take place during the winter months, and I’m planning to take part in a few of them. First on the calendar for 2008 is the Hawthorne Country Club’s annual show, on January 6th from Noon to 3. This is a great show, featuring some of Southeastern Massachusetts’ best service wedding providers (not all vendors can participate - Hawthorne picks the top vendors in each category and invites them to take part). This will be my fourth consecutive year at this show, so I’m really excited about it. Hawthorne Country Club is located at 970 Tucker Road in North Dartmouth - I hope to see you there!

Allison & Ed’s wedding took place this past Saturday at Benjamin’s in Taunton, and it was a fantastic celebration! The day started at 11:00 am with the wedding ceremony, followed by a cocktail hour, dinner and then LOTS of dancing, right until the very last minute of the reception. The 150 guests were so happy to be there, and I was too - it was so much fun helping them plan their big day!

Ed is a big fan of Nat King Cole, which explains the song choices noted below. I also had the opportunity to throw in some Salsa music, as one of Allison’s friends was eager to show off her Latin dance moves. What a great party!

Allison and Ed’s first dance: “That’s All” - Nat King Cole
Groom/Mother dance: “Unforgettable” - Nat King Cole
Last Dance: “Our Love Is Here To Stay” - Nat King Cole

Congratulations, Allison & Ed!

I had last weekend off - it was much deserved after a very busy summer season. Julie & I went into Boston on Friday night to see Blue Man Group, and it was a lot of fun, then we spent Saturday and Sunday working on our house and (still) getting everything in its’ place. We bought the house at the end of May, but with our busy schedules, the move-in process has been a slow one. I’m finally getting my office organized, and we’ve got new dining room furniture being delivered tomorrow.

There’s a misconception that DJs have plenty of time to relax during the week, because they usually work only on weekends. I wish that were true, but it’s not. My week so far has included a DJ networking night, doing some routine maintenance on my gear, designing a new brochure, placing new music and equipment orders, attending a DJ networking event and updating my music library. Between now and Sunday, I’ve got two meetings with prospective clients, plus two events. The work never really stops, but that’s how I like it. I’d be more worried if the phone stopped ringing and I ran out of things to keep track of.

Because more couples are opting to have their wedding ceremonies right at their reception venues these days, I’ve been providing music for lots of wedding ceremonies more frequently than ever.  So often, in fact, that I recently redesigned the sound system that I use for such occasions.  I’ll talk more about that in a moment.  First, let’s talk about something that’s really important at your ceremony:

 Making sure your guests can hear it.   

 It amazes me how many officiants feel that they can get by without the benefit of a microphone.  I’m not sure exactly why this is, but I have a couple of guesses:

First, some officiants feel very confident in their ability to project their voice.  This might be true when they’re in a church and their voice is likely to carry throughout the room, but when you’re outdoors, it’s an entirely different story.   No matter how much they project, they’ll always have a hard time competing with ambient noise and other audible distractions.  Whether it’s birds chirping, ocean waves or a motorcycle in the venue’s parking lot, there’s always something nearby that can make the officiant’s words difficult to understand.

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I had been looking forward to Courtney & Jarrett’s wedding all summer, because I had heard so many great things about them even though I hadn’t actually met them until just a few weeks ago. The newlyweds are both artists living in Baltimore; Courtney’s parents recently moved to this area from New York and met me last February at one of the region’s winter bridal shows. When I finally met with the bride and groom-to-be, we clicked instantly - it was a sign that everyone would be delighted on the big day.

The wedding ceremony took place at Seaman’s Bethel in New Bedford, MA - it’s the chapel known as the Whaleman’s Chapel in the Herman Melville classic Moby Dick. The reception immediately followed the ceremony at the nearby Whaling Museum’s Jacobs Family Gallery - it’s an amazing room that features two authentic whale skeletons hanging from the ceiling. I hadn’t played at previously, so I was excited to be working there (my Bose L1 sound system can do amazing things in big, open spaces).

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This is the type of wedding that’s truly once-in-a-lifetime. 

Not to detract from other weddings that I’ve done recently, but there’s something incredibly special about Caryn & Sean - they met in middle school, have been together since high school, and they’re both so much fun to be around.  From the start of their ceremony, it was clear to the guests that they were in for an uniquely unforgettable night (the ceremony program included a crossword puzzle and pencil personalized with their names and wedding date).

The ceremony and reception both took place at the Coonamessett Inn, one of my favorite locations on Cape Cod.   The bride & groom chose to forgo the usual sit-down meal in favor of food stations and a slightly more relaxed atmosphere, and it was a wise choice for them - it allowed the guests more time to mingle and the freedom to sample from a number of unique dishes prepared to order by the expert staff. 

And then the dancing began. 

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In a post a few weeks ago, I mentioned the monthly church dances that I DJ at St. Bernard’s Church in Assonet MA.  Each dance is a fundraiser for a local organization, and the chaperones and dance organizers all donate their time to ensure a fun, safe night for the kids who attend.  My job is pretty straightforward (keep the kids dancing, avoid songs with questionable content), but this month’s dance is worth mentioning because it marks my 11th year as their DJ!  The first event that I did there was in October of 1996 - approximately 30 kids showed up.  These days, most of the dances sell out. 

Kimberly & Peter’s wedding took place Saturday night at McGovern’s in Fall River MA. I hadn’t done a wedding there in quite some time, so it was nice to see the improvements that they’ve made to the facility in recent years. The weather was perfect for the outdoor ceremony, and it was clear from the start that Kim & Peter’s guests were ready to have fun. After the flaming dessert presentation (a McGovern’s staple), I opened up the dance floor and kept it hopping until the very end, with everything from oldies to disco and some special requests, too. One thing I love is when the bride is having as much fun dancing as her guests - it really adds to the energy in the room. Another plus was getting to work alongside Dana Pierce, one of my favorite photographers. Congratulations to the newlyweds!

Kim & Peter’s First Dance: “At Last” - Etta James
Bride/Father Dance: “I Hope You Dance” - Lee Ann Womack
Groom/Mother Dance: “Sunrise, Sunset” from Fiddler On The Roof
Last Dance: “I Could Not Ask For More” - Edwin McCain