August 2014

August 28, 2014 by B-Boy Productions, Inc.

DJ Josh B Rocks Hilton Sandestin Weddings | Nikki & Donnie

As B-Boy Productions’ resident Hilton Sandestin DJ/Emcee, I had the privilege to perform for the wedding of Nikki Young to current University of Tennessee men’s basketball head coach, Donnie Tyndall. Their ceremony took place on the white sands of the beach. The weather was gorgeous, the attire was casual, and the smiles were abundant!

Nikki and Donnie said their I-do’s, the crowd of loved ones and onlookers alike erupted in a cheer as they kissed, and within minutes the wedding guests were making their way up to the deck to enjoy some refreshments and the Florida evening air as the sun began to set and the newlywed couple tended to having their photos taken.

I have discovered in my time as a destination wedding DJ that the term “cocktail hour” is often a misnomer, considering one hardly ever actually lasts a full hour. But on this particular occasion, the bride and groom were in no hurry to rob themselves of one moment in the gorgeous outdoor surroundings offered by the Hilton’s beachside verandas. They joined their guests on the Sunrise Deck as the cafe lighting took over for the retired sun, and the merry crowd mingled and consorted for the entirety of the hour. I was happy to lurk a bit in the shadows, manning my laptop as the music offered a subtle soundtrack to the merriment around me, because it gave me a chance to observe the attendees and get a bit of an idea what sort of celebration they would be up for as the night progressed.

As cocktail hour came to a close, we moved indoors to the Coral Ballroom, for the reception. Inside the long and majestically high-ceiled hall, a massive dance floor and plenty of spacious seating around ornately decorated tables awaited their guests. A long banquet table for the bride and groom to sit flanked by their bridesmaids and groomsmen ran along the main wall in plain view of every guest.

Nikki and Donnie, along with Donnie’s two young daughters, made their grand entrance into the ballroom to “Rocky Top,” the fight song of UT, as their friends and family cheered their arrival with as much gusto as any sports crowd. As I had instructed them, they made their way to the dance floor to share their first dance … but that’s when a surprise was sprung on the bride. Donnie appeared on the large screen in a prerecorded message, offering a poetic tribute of love — which he “rapped” — to his new bride. The mixture of humor and genuine emotion on display as the video version of Donnie cracked a bit in his delivery had Nikki, and plenty others, giggling through happy tears. At the video’s conclusion, I cued up “Whatever It Is” by the Zac Brown Band, and Donnie and Nikki were in each others’ arms sharing their first dance as husband and wife.

Nikki remained on the dance floor as I invited her father to join her. Dad and daughter shared a few short minutes of closeness to the tune of Fleetwood Mac’s “Landslide” — which then suddenly transitioned into “Happy” by Pharrell. All sappiness abandoned, Nikki and her dad let loose and cut a rug, much to the delight of all in attendance. At Donnie’s turn to dance with his mother, the classic “Wind Beneathe My Wings” by Bette Midler proved a perfect choice.

Upon the conclusion of dinner, the Best Man offered a toast to the happy couple as did the Maid of Honor. Then I introduced another video presentation featuring a photo slide show of both Donnie and Nikki as they grew up. From baby pictures to present day, the memories played upon the screen and in the end there was hardly a dry eye in the room. I offered the microphone to the groom, who managed to say a brief but very heartfelt thank you to everyone before we moved ahead with the cake cutting and other festivities. The bouquet toss mustered a sizable crowd of fairly competitive single ladies, but the catch ended up going to one of the youngest (and most petite) girls in the group. Donnie removed Nikki’s garter to the sultry vibes of Marvin Gaye’s “Let’s Get It On”. Once again, the catch — or more accurately, the scoop, was scored by a very young lad who clearly wasn’t quite sure what it was he had there (I’m sure it will occur to him sometime when he’s older).

The crowd proved eclectic in their musical tastes, shaking it down to everything from golden oldies and 70’s disco, to 90’s hip hop and today’s hottest country! One of Donnie’s young daughters entertained with an impromptu karaoke of “Fancy” by Iggy Azalea.

Being on vacation in Florida, everyone related well to “Toes” by Zac Brown Band. Figurative boots were scooted to “Wagon Wheel” by Darius Rucker. I took great pleasure in teaching the bride (and a few unwashed others) how to do the “Cupid Shuffle.” Great classic rock hits like “Shout” and “Do You Love Me?” rounded out the energy of the night, and the evening drew down with the dance floor covered in couples as Jason Mraz sang “I Won’t Give Up” and finally, the legendary Elton John mused “I Guess That’s Why They Call It The Blues.”

For the multitude of memorable moments packed into this one single evening, I can’t help but consider Donnie and Nikki’s wedding to be one of the best I’ve had the pleasure to be a part of! When by the end of the night it genuinely feels like you’re not just DJ’ing another “gig,” but instead you’re celebrating with a room full of new friends — it makes it hard to stop. My hope for this happy couple is for all that same joy and exuberance to continue on beyond their wedding day and into the full length of their marriage. Because if so, their life together will be an absolute blast!

***UPDATE [This review just came in from Nikki on our Yelp page]***
“My husband and I just had the most amazing wedding on the beach in Sandestin, FL. Our DJ, Josh, was amazing! He was so professional and did a fantastic job. He called me a month before the wedding and went over the playlist with me. I felt assured he would do a great job and that is what ‘brides to be’ need! He did everything I asked and then some! The songs he picked were perfect for every occasion (grand entrance, dinner music, etc.). If you are a ‘bride to be’ looking for an experienced, friendly, professional DJ for your wedding…look no further than B-Boy and DJ Josh B.”
– Nikki Tyndall, Sandestin, FL (event date 8/2/2014)

August 26, 2014 by B-Boy Productions, Inc.

WaterColor Inn Wedding with DJ Brian B | Catie & Russ

I truly believe that WaterColor Inn is one of the most stunning wedding venues on the planet. Having performed all over the country as a wedding DJ, I say this with extreme conviction. So when Catie called us to inquire about our services and mentioned they had just booked that venue, I was so happy for them. Multiply that excitement by 110% when she asked me personally to perform at her wedding!

Although she was extremely laid back, Catie and I were in contact frequently up to her wedding day. I love it when a bride takes that much interest in the entertainment portion of her wedding. We threw formality song suggestions back and forth many times until we found songs that fit them perfectly.

On the day of the wedding, the weather was stunning. We set up on the lawn for the cocktail hour and reception while the ceremony took place on the beach. With our 2 person DJ/Emcee package, DJ Charles handled the ceremony sound technician duties while one of our guitarists provided the ceremony music.

Image Courtesy of Paul Johnson Photography

At the reception, we kicked into “The Wobble” immediately following the first dance and the entire crowd came out onto the dancefloor. Talking about setting a dancing tone right off the back! Wow! They were ready to party.

As I started playing for dinner, a huge cloud formed over us. I tried my “music karma” in getting the sun out there with this Beatles selection.

In true Florida fashion, within all of about 90 seconds, a slight drizzle started. We quickly covered our gear and waited for it to pass. As soon as it did, we went back out and started again. The weather kept threatening and when the wind picked up, it was obvious that Mother Nature had other plans.

We quickly packed up our gear and moved inside one of the ballrooms and carried on with the rest of the night. The crowd was in such a great mood despite the weather ordeal. It was probably one of the best dancing crowds I had all summer long.

What really stood out to me, however, was the love that this family shared. The toast tributes to both the bride and groom were so touching.

Image Courtesy of Paul Johnson Photography

It was great sharing this wedding with some of the local area wedding industry all-stars. We had Cheryl from WaterColor coordinating the event, Paul and Mecheal from Paul Johnson Photography, Celia and Danny from Momentus Films, and the crew from Fisher Flowers and Events.

Image Courtesy of Paul Johnson Photography

We send out heartfelt best wishes to both Catie and Russ!!! With that, we’ll leave you with this awesome highlight video from Momentus Films.

in Florida / Past DJ Events / Weddings 0 comments

August 21, 2014 by B-Boy Productions, Inc.

Destin Wedding DJs Brian B & Josh B at Rutherford’s 465 | Lauren & Alex

When I first met Lauren and Alex at the Commons in Destin, FL before they booked us, I just knew that they would be a fun group. Although laid back, they both had a “cool” factor and I was really looking forward to sharing their day with them and their guests. They had a vision for what they wanted and being one the few Destin wedding DJs that has seen just about everything, I loved the fresh and creative spin that they were putting on their wedding!

I started following them both on Instagram and was stoked to see that Alex was totally into fly shoes like I am. Sure enough, he and his groomsmen were sporting some dope kicks at the wedding. But I digress…

The wedding was great on so many levels. We worked with some talented professionals – Christine Walker from RSVP Destin, Michael from Michael K Photography, Sally from Florals By The Sea, Heidi from Bake My Day Destin and of course Jackie from the venue, Rutherford’s 465. A few years back when I was living full-time in Destin, it seemed like I worked with this crew just about every weekend so it was exciting to be reunited with some of the best in that local market again.

As far as our staff goes, we had Eric Partin officiating, Cam Ray playing keys for the ceremony and cocktail hour, and then I got to work the reception with DJ Josh B as the wedding DJs. The venue, itself, is such a modular space and the couple took full advantage of the multiple levels that it offers. Sally and her crew did an awesome job with the décor throughout from lounge seating on the deck to sweeping linens from the inside ceiling, etc.

When it came to the dancing, this crowd was ready! The space is so well lit that everything just popped! Each song seemed to go over perfect and the dance floor filled almost immediately. In our venue review, we used a ton of photos from this wedding so to not be repetitive; we leave you with this highlight reel we put together. We wish Alex and Lauren many happy years together!

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August 12, 2014 by B-Boy Productions, Inc.

Brooklyn Restaurant For Wedding Receptions | The Atrium Dumbo

We’re headed back to New York City in our latest venue review. Today we’re looking at the Atrium Dumbo, a restaurant/event venue in the Dumbo neighborhood of Brooklyn where we just recently DJ’d a wedding.

One of the hallmarks of a great DJ is not only have great skills (that should be a given) but also doing your homework on the event and being well prepared with plenty of back-up options in case of an emergency. Part of our internal procedures is doing a site inspection of any new venue we haven’t worked at prior to the event (when possible). Some of our DJs get booked to play all over the country and seeing a venue beforehand isn’t always an option.

Because this was in our backyard so to speak, I went and did a site inspection a few weeks before the wedding day. Right off the bat, I loved the layout! It is a multi-level space with 3 floors.

This venue works best for guest counts between 80-120 people. The bride mentioned they had a sound system in-house which they (both the client and the venue) preferred we use. I’m usually opposed to this because it has been my experience that most in-house systems aren’t “DJ Friendly”. Especially for restaurants, in-house sound systems are usually installed for low-level background music and not intended for dance parties. Unfortunately, I wasn’t able to test the system due to customers being in the space at the time I visited but the manager assured me all the DJs who’ve worked there have used the system and actually prefer it because they have multiple speakers throughout the space so everyone can hear clearly. It was only at the event that I realized I should have pushed harder to test the system (more on that later).

Another perk of this venue is that it is close to the East River so a lot of couples who have their reception at the Atrium Dumbo, will have their ceremony at the Brooklyn Bridge Park (a 2-3 minute walk) which makes for some amazing shots with the Manhattan Bridge as your backdrop. One thing to note about the park is that there is NO power so all speakers and PA must be battery-powered. Luckily, we have battery-powered systems. It is also a bit windy being so close to the water, so it’s important to have windscreens for mics.

When I arrived the day of to plug into the venue system, there was no sound. Of course, this was a little disheartening and I panicked for a moment as this was a little out of my control. The manager called someone who was able to walk us through getting the system on. The only issue once we got the sound working was that it was super quiet. I couldn’t push too hard or the speakers in the space would distort. I tested opening announcements and no one could hear me.

And this is where the back-up comes in. I ended up plugging in my ceremony sound system as well so I could double up the sound. Thank God I had it. Without it, the event would’ve been extremely tough to not only create a dancing environment but to make any announcements for people to hear unless everyone was completely silent. So until they update their sound system, bring your own! You’ll thank me later.

Where this restaurant really shines, however, is with the food…both in quality and presentation. They kitchen is very visible and clean so it’s actually kind of neat to watch it all unfold from the third level. The staff was extremely nice to everyone and seemed to really enjoy working as a team. The only thing that seemed off was that the staff wore their plaid shirt uniforms. Not sure if that fits with a formal wedding reception event but it could be that the bride wanted it at this wedding.

With transportation, train stations are close by for locals who are coming from Manhattan and cabs frequent this area so you can get one pretty quickly. If you drive in, there is an all-day parking garage close by. With construction happening nearby, street parking is tough to come by.

If you’re looking to break away from the traditional “wedding venue” and have a trendier feel, I’d recommend this venue. Just make sure the DJ brings his own sound gear.

in B-Boy Recommends / New York / Weddings 0 comments

August 5, 2014 by B-Boy Productions, Inc.

Top Destination Destin Wedding Beach Houses Part 2 | Emerald Coast of Florida

We continue our thoughts on the best Destin Wedding beach houses. Before we jump into it, a few things to keep in mind when considering booking one for your event:

Always check with the owner of the house to make sure you can have a wedding/private event function there and be sure your rental contract has verbiage stating this. Don’t go just by what the website says. More times than note, the website is not up-to-date and it may come back to bite you later.
The city/county noise ordinance should always be considered. The area has a strict curfew outside (usually 10PM). So if you’re planning on having the reception outside, this is definitely something to take note of.

Martinis In The Sand – Destin, FL

This picture above is of the back deck. As you can see, it is very spacious. This is one of the few that lead right out to a private beach where you can have your ceremony. You can easily add a tent to the deck if you need it in case rain becomes an issue. We’ve done mostly 30-40 person weddings at this location. The house is massive at 6000 square feet! It has 4 floors, 7 bedrooms, 8.5 baths and sleeps 24-25 people. This is a perfect house for a small wedding.

Margaritaville House – Destin, FL

This three-story house has a 4th story observation deck with 360 degree views. The house sleeps 24. Comfortably, you can entertain up to 40 guests in the private backyard. The public beach is a short walk where most of the ceremonies occur. We usually set-up on the porch of the backyard close to power and most of our clients who use this house typically hire a caterer who does a buffet style set-up.

Frangista Beach Houses – Miramar Beach, FL

This is a community of homes that are available and close to public beach access. If you have between 25-35 people, these homes are ideal. One of the ones we tend to work at quite often is the Santorini House. It has 8 bedrooms and sleeps 24 people. If you go to their website, you’ll find a ton of different options that can fit exactly what you’re looking for. At most of these, we DJ the party outside in the private backyard or sometimes in the front yard that has a white picket fence to make it feel more private.

Escape To Il Paridso – Miramar Beach, FL

This home is unique because it has a very large back deck where you can have a more casual reception, provided the weather doesn’t have rain in the forecast. Should rain be a possibility, the living room space can make for a great back-up plan as it’s quite large and it is easy to move furniture around. This house is perfect for entertaining 30 or so guests. Right down the steps from the deck, you can have your ceremony on your own semi-private beach. The house itself sleeps 18.

Hix Six House – Grayton Beach, FL

This 3 story home is one of our faves. You’re a 60 second walk from the beach. The architecture and amenities will blow away your guests. We’ve DJ’d on the deck and inside this home. It sleep 15 and would entertain 30-40 people easily.

Casa Del Mar – Santa Rosa Beach, FL

This is another home that we’ve worked at quite frequently. Santa Rosa Beach is away from the heavy traffic so a lot of people gravitate towards this area. This particular house is actually inside of a gated community which makes the event feel even more private and is just a short walk to the beach. The house also has a spacious backyard with a pool (you can do so many cool things decor-wise with a pool – lighting, candles, etc.). We typically set-up back there when DJ’ing events. The 3 story house itself is spacious as it sleeps 16.

A Point of View – Seagrove Beach, FL

This house shares beach access with a few other neighboring homes as shown in the picture. However, it boasts a nice private back deck (with a pool) for entertaining small crowds of 30-40 people. It sleeps 12. Additionally, it’s close to a few restaurants (723 Whiskey Bravo is a good one) which would be perfect for a rehearsal dinner.

So there you have it! We have other beach house recommendations we can give you but for this blog focus, we’ll leave you with these. Like we’ve mentioned in the post, we’ve worked with each of these properties and know your guests would thoroughly enjoy any one of these!

in B-Boy Recommends / Florida / Weddings 0 comments

August 1, 2014 by B-Boy Productions, Inc.

Top Destination Wedding Beach Houses Part 1 | Destin, Florida & Emerald Coast

One of the most searched sections of our blog is “Top Destination Wedding Venues” in Destin, FL and the Emerald Coast. We did a 3 part series last year on actual event venues. For our venue posting in the panhandle of Florida this year, we thought we’d do a focus on wedding beach houses. In the panhandle, this is picked quite often by our wedding clients in lieu of the traditional wedding venues with guests counts of 30-80 people. Some of the obvious advantages:

If you’re a destination bride or groom bringing in friends and family with you, this usually cuts down the cost of individual rooms per night for you and your guests.
A lot of these wedding beach houses have access to a private beach which gives you a chance to steer clear of other sunbathing tourists and make it truly a private event.
With some of these venues, you can bring in your own caterer and vendors!
No one has to risk driving intoxicated. If you and your guests are staying at the beach house where the wedding is occurring, it’s just a walk to the room rather than a drive back to a hotel.
This can give your event more of a “family” feel since it’s being done at a house. If you’re looking for a little more laid back vibe, this is the way to go.

There’s so many great options out there that this is going to require multiple posts. Here’s some of our favorites:

Highlands House – Santa Rosa Beach, FL

We are the exclusive entertainment company for this bed and breakfast location. Sherry and Denise are so easy to work with and do a stellar job. Here’s a few of the venue highlights: The B&B can sleep 21 people. If you’re party is larger than that, they recommend putting the family and/or bridal party there. They have 2 beach haven cottages that sleep 10 each for other guests. So perfect for a 40 person wedding! If your party is larger, they have other places they recommend for guests that are close by. This has private beach access for your ceremony! Also, everything is done in-house (one of the few venues like it); from florals to photography to catering to rentals, etc. This gives some brides and grooms peace of mind in not having to source that. They recently added a café and bar in the lower level of the property. They have a 4.9 Wedding Wire Rating and have won the Couples Choice Awards 2 years in row. To contact them, e-mail Sherry and Denise here.

Palazzo Del Sol House – Destin, FL

By far, this is one of our favorite houses to recommend for those looking to stay in Destin. This is literally the PERFECT wedding event house. It is located within the Holiday Isle community. The house sleeps 12 within 3 bedrooms and 2 additional bunk rooms. If you need additional rooms, they manage some condos that are also on holiday isle. A couple of the highlights: They have a tremendous manicured grassy backyard which is great for receptions. This gives you unlimited options for decor with furniture, etc. There’s a pool back there as well (floating votive candles anyone?). They offer private beach access and although the have a list of preferred vendors they recommend, you can bring in whatever vendors you choose. There is a gourmet kitchen inside the house and although it’s not a commercial kitchen per say, they have a double oven which has 6 burners that any caterer can use. They do require a 5 night minimum stay. If you’re looking for a house without the beach, they also manage the Southern Hospitality House which overlooks the bay. For more information on either of these locations, contact April here.

Atypical House – Grayton Beach, FL

Grayton Beach is in Walton County, which is about 20 minutes east of Destin. This particular house we’ve DJ’d at quite often. It has 6 bedrooms that can sleep up to 19 people with 7 full bathrooms and 1 half bathroom. The backyard is perfect for receptions with guest counts of up to 75. You can bring in your own vendors and it’s within walking distance to the Red Bar, which is great for rehearsal dinners. Contact Larry and Laurie today.

Anna’s Veranda – Inlet Beach, FL

A little further east of Grayton Beach is Anna’s Veranda in Inlet Beach. It’s a Victorian Style Home which gives it a real uniqueness compared to other homes in the area. While it doesn’t have private beach access from the property, you can walk to the dunes in less than 90 seconds which is where most couples have their ceremony. This house is a great option for guest counts of up to 75 people. Typically, when we’ve performed here, couples will utilize the front yard for cocktail hour and then the backyard for the reception. They allow you to bring in your own vendors as well.

Villa Capri – Miramar Beach, FL

Another favorite of ours is the Villa Capri house located in Miramar Beach (about 5 minutes from Destin proper). The house sleeps 25 and is multi-level but one of the best things about it is the architecture and landscaping (with palm trees and pool) which makes for amazing photos. Again, you can bring in your own vendors and the house has a gourmet kitchen. While there is no private beach access from the home, it’s just a short 2 minute walk. For larger groups of 50-60 people, this house is ideal for a casual reception.

The Seahorse Retreat and Palm Breeze Beach House – Mary Esther, FL

These two houses we have experience with as our owners were married at this property with 150 people in attendance. While it may not have the actual pristine white beach sand per say, it is located on the Santa Rosa Sound which has a dock that makes for some amazing pictures. The Seahorse Retreat and The Palm Breeze Beach House are literally right next door to one another and they share the same backyard that boasts an amazing infinity pool. You can rent each one separately or do what we did and rent both together. Private access to the sound makes it ideal for pictures and the sand is still great! However, if you really want the white sandy beach photos, Navarre Beach is less than 5 miles away. One of the big selling points of this venue is that you’re dealing with way less traffic! It’s in between Navarre and Destin so you’re able to avoid the craziness that those two cities can bring in season. You’re also able to bring in your own vendors. Both houses sleep 16 each and they both are outfitted with a gourmet kitchen. The parking can fit anywhere between 6-10 cars on property and you are allowed to line up the street with parking as well. You can also park in an open lot which is just a small walk nearby.

Be on the look-out for part 2 of beach houses next week!

in B-Boy Recommends / Florida / Weddings 0 comments