Spencer Weddings | Sacramento, Folsom, Roseville DJ Entertainment

Bay Area Celebration and Fireworks 2011

When a holiday weekend rolls around, most of us in the wedding industry have an extended weekend of work. However it’s always more exciting for me to DJ  a weekend like the 4th of July… because we get fireworks!  If I’ve done my homework, I also know when they are going to start (generally between 9:30pm and 10:30pm) and can even put it on our timeline and announce as the Master of Ceremonies.

However, with the recent economic crisis, many cities (like here in Santa Clara’s Central Park and Downtown San Jose) have opted cut out their fireworks spectacular.  That doesn’t mean that you can’t still take a short drive and enjoy a show.  Here is a list that I’ve compiled that will get you some fancy fireworks all around the Greater San Francisco Bay.

If you attend any of these shows, please feel free to send me your pictures at inspiration@spencerweddings.com — maybe I’ll use them in a followup post!

Berkeley – Marina

4th of July at Berkeley Marina
Monday, July 4th from 12pm-10pm

Santa Clara – Great America

4701 Great America Parkway
Saturday & Sunday, July 2nd & 3rd at 9:30pm
(NOTE: No fireworks on the 4th!)

San Jose – Municipal Stadium

San Jose Giants Fireworks Extravaganza
Monday and Tuesday, July 4th and 5th
(after the ballgame)

San Francisco Pier 39

Fourth of July Waterfront Celebration
Monday, July 4th from 12pm – 9:30pm

Oakland – USS Hornet Museum

Fourth of July Party
Monday, July 4th from 1pm – 9pm

Scotts Valley – Skypark

Scotts Valley Fourth of July Festival
Monday, July 4th from 3pm – 10pm

Mountain View – Shoreline Amphitheater

Fourth of July Fireworks Spectacular with the SF Symphony
Monday, July 4th at 8pm

City of Monterey

Fourth of July Big Little Backyard Bar-B-Que & Entertainment Extravaganza
Monday, July 4th from 11am – 5pm
(NOTE: Due to budget constraints there will be no fireworks display this year.)

After the vows and after the last dance…

It’s very easy to have buyer’s remorse immediately after purchasing a big ticket item, but what about after the wedding has happened? I did some digging around and pulled together several statistics produced by top magazine surveys* in our industry. I felt that they would be good to share with everyone that takes time to read my blog.

• During wedding planning, Brides say their highest priority is their attire, followed by the reception site and caterer – reception entertainment is among the least of their priorities. Within one week after their reception, 78% of Brides say they would have made the entertainment their highest priority!
• 72% of all brides say they would have spent more time choosing their reception entertainment.
• Almost 100% of those same brides say they would have spent more of their budget on the entertainment.
• When asked 81% of guests say the thing they remember most about a wedding is the entertainment.

*These statistics were published in St. Louis Bride & Groom Magazine in 2003. Sources include: Simmons, 2001; USA Today, 2002; National Bridal Service, 2001; The Knot, 2002; Brides Magazine, 2001.

You are right, those are just magazines…

We all know that facts can be spun to favor the side you want. These facts were originally compiled by the national American Disc Jockey Association (they also have a snoozefest iPod wedding that makes a point). I would venture to say that they have a genuine interest in making the wedding disc jockey an ideal choice for wedding entertainment.

It’s too bad that someone else — someone that does not make their living as a wedding disc jockey — couldn’t tell us the important answers.

The Flirty Guide: How Much Should Your Wedding DJ Cost?

If you were looking for the answer on why you should stop hoping to get the average and start looking for the great ones, then I have good news for you. Stacie Tamaki, aka The Flirty Girl, has put together one of the best magazine style blog posts out there. She will boil it down and open your eyes to what you should be looking for… what you should be expecting… from your qualified wedding DJ or MC.

She will remind you why there is a common misconception of only having “cheesy” and “obnoxious” entertainment options. She will also break down your budget and tell you why everything you expected to spend is probably wrong.  Stacie will also tell you all the things to consider (insurance, contracts, equipment, etc), but more importantly she talks about the intangibles. Questions you can ask to really understand your wedding DJ or MC of choice.

Does the DJ you are considering care about your wedding?  Are they honored to be a part of your special day or is it just a job to earn money?

Then, just in case you really wondered why we are not all $500 floozies, she’s going to remind you why the Creme Brulee of Professional DJs ask for above average rates. The common misconception is that I show up, play some music and make announcements for about 5-6 hours, and go home. Stacie reminds the world that this is still a business, and like any business there is an overhead cost of staying in business (meaning the professional guys will still be around to perform on your special day).

The bottom line

It’s true. At the bottom of the post, you will see my name squished between some of my favorite people in the industry, including several local DJ/MC vendors that I refer when I am not available. The truth is that Stacie had written most of this story when she wanted to get feedback. I was happy to offer some input before she shared it with the world. I also think that you’ll find the comments, mostly from DJs, to be valuable — don’t skip them!

This past weekend I was a vendor in the Bay Area Wedding Showcase that took place at The Golf Club at Boulder Ridge. I was here last year in the smaller clubhouse, but in the middle of 2010 they opened up their Pavilion. Very few venues in the south bay can offer you the view available from this hill. You can see the Almaden Valley, Downtown San Jose, and lots more in between.

A few quick notes about the facility. First, it has the ability to seat up to 300 guests indoor or outdoor, but you’ll drop to 240 inside if you have a dance floor.  The inside of the pavilion is practically built for lighting design, so go crazy with uplighting and gobo patterns.  Your catering choice is limited to Boulder Ridge or exclusively by Le Papillon (which isn’t that bad, now is it?). You can find more on their website or by contacting Lisa Nunes at (408) 323-9900.

The dance floor is 15 feet by 15 feet, and usually in the center of the room – that’s a good thing, and you’ll want your DJ/entertainment to be in the middle part of the room as well. I’m not entirely sure why, but sound can get eaten up by the ceiling and walls here – having your DJ’s speakers in the center of the room will keep him (or her) from having to crank it next to a guest table to carry sound to the other end of the room.

Also remember that the Pavilion is only about a year old.  The plants and trees will take some time to mature, but there is no doubt that the grounds will look better with time.

The Golf Club at Boulder Ridge
1000 Old Quarry Rd.
San Jose, CA 95123
(408) 323-9900
Contact: Lisa Nunes, lisan@boulderridgegolfclub.com

She was a hit on SNL over the weekend, with her typical odd costumes and weirdness that makes for great gossip. But today, the water cooler was buzzing about Lady Gaga’s new album Born This Way [+digital booklet] that is selling like hotcakes in Amazon’s digital download MP3 store. Perhaps that’s because the new release is selling for just $0.99 as this afternoon. I got my copy, did you?

If you can scrounge together your nine dimes and nine pennies (or some other combination or change), you’ll also land 20 GB of storage in Amazon’s new Cloud Drive. I’ve been a fan of Amazon MP3 downloads ever since Apple changed their pricing structure. I’ve found that most tracks via Amazon are 20-50 cents less than iTunes Store. Albums can be even better, often running as much as 50% less. The new Cloud Player lets you access those tracks from just about any device that has access to the internet, or you can download the tracks and use them like any other MP3 in your favorite player (including iTunes and iPod). I’m not the only one that thinks Amazon MP3 is better than iTunes either.

Related tracks of interest

• Born This Way (The Country Road Version)
• Born This Way (Glee Cast Version)
• Born This Way [Vinyl]
• Born This Way [Special Edition]

Fox Theater, Oakland – May 9, 2011

It has been 25 years since Elvis Costello brought out “The Spectacular Spinning Songbook” where the audience is invited to participate in a one-of-a-kind concert.  If you are lucky enough to live near (or travel to) one of the nine cities where Elvis Costello and The Imposters will play this month, you won’t be sorry.

Audience members will be invited onstage where they may spin “The Wheel” and then be offered a chance to enter the “Hostage to Fortune Go-Go Cage”, while their selection is performed.

Alternatively, they may choose to take a seat in the on-stage “Society Lounge”, where light refreshments will be served, during what promises to be a splendid and surprising evening.

–taken from www.ElvisCostello.com

This was actually my first time seeing Costello live (in-person that is).  I’m perhaps what you might call a “casual fan” of sorts.  My wife certainly has a deeper understanding of the catalog than I do.  However, that didn’t stop me from having a great time.  The music sounded amazing.  Sure, there were tracks I recognized, but there were many more that – despite not knowing the words – I still danced and tapped along to the beat.  It’s hard not to, the music is just so damn good, it’s practically infectious.

“I Can Sing A Rainbow” – Jackpot Spin

Spinning “The Wheel” makes for a custom playlist each show, and we were lucky enough to hit a special jackpot purple wedge on the second spin.  “I Can Sing A Rainbow” yielded us songs about color, including Green Shirt, Blue Chair, and Red Shoes.  Before Costello started the set, he asked the spinner what her favorite color was.  She responded with a color not in his library, so he borrowed a few lines of Purple Rain from Prince – well done, I might add.

If you have ever seen VH1 Storytellers, then you’ll understand how pretty much of the remainder of show went.  Costello told many tales of how certain songs were written, stories about when they would be on tour, and just lots of great humor in between.  Each time someone got invited to the stage to spin “The Wheel” meant Costello would take on a new role as Master of Ceremonies, including a tiny costume change.

The entire set played that night of the tour (and other nights), as “borrowed” from the ElvisCostello.com website:

Overture
I Hope You’re Happy Now
Heart of the City
Strict Time
Mystery Dance
The Spectacular Spinning Songbook
Shipbuilding  (SPIN #1)
“I Can Sing A Rainbow” Jackpot (SPIN #2)
Green Shirt
Blue Chair
Red Shoes/Purple Rain
The Other Side of Summer  (SPIN #3)
Chelsea  (SPIN #4)
This Wheel’s On Fire/River In Reverse  (SPIN #5)
Monkey To Man  (SPIN #6)
Counting Darkness – IMPROMPTU
Harry Worth  (SPIN #7)
Alison/Wind Cried Mary/Somewhere Over the Rainbow/Somewhere  (SPIN #8)
* Interlude *
A Slow Drag With Josephine
Jimmie Standing In The Rain
Pump It Up – in 6/8 – Busted
The Spectacular Spinning Songbook
“Girl” Jackpot (FINAL SPIN)
Girl
This Years Girl
Doll Revolution
* Finale *
You Belong To Me
Next Time Around
Peace Love And Understanding

The Bottom Line

Go see this show! If you can find yourself a ticket, you won’t be sorry! The sixth row made for a great up close and personal view, but I think that darn near any seat in the Fox Theater would have been great to enjoy the show. In some cases, it might have been better, as the podium and Society Lounge did block some views of the band.

The Imposters are: Steve Nieve (keyboards); Pete Thomas (drums) and Davey Faragher (bass).