B-Boy Recommends Archives - Page 5 of 8

August 23, 2016 by B-Boy Productions, Inc.

Hilton Pensacola Beach Wedding | Venue Tour

We recently had a Hilton Pensacola Beach wedding where we provided ceremony music and DJ services for the reception.

This venue has gone though a pretty extensive renovation since we were here a few years ago. They also brought in a new wedding staff which has provided an elevated experience for clients, guests and vendors alike. On this particular day, there was heavy wind and rain was threatening. Rather than risk a washout, the venue had a rain back-up plan that allowed the ceremony to take place inside which kept guests dry and the ceremony decor intact.

Since we have so many destination wedding clients looking for venue spaces in our area, we thought this venue tour may help give you an idea of what the venue can look like on your day. Although pictures are helpful, having someone walk you through the space when it is set-up for a wedding can really make the venue come to life. This wedding had 80 guests. The beauty of this space is that it is very modular. You could have as many as 150 in this room or as little as 50 guests and it would still work either way.

When it comes to entertainment for a Hilton Pensacola Beach wedding, we would recommend our 2 person DJ/MC package. This allows the MC to get out from behind the DJ table and be seen by everyone since there is a slight angle to the room. Decor and uplighting in this room should be considered. The neutral wall colors allow you to “colorize” them to your liking. Lastly, a photo booth would not only have plenty of space in this room but it would give your entertainment yet another layer for your guests to experience. All of these things are available through us and our sister companies. Check out the tour below of the Hilton Pensacola below.

For more information on the venue, contact us or peruse the venue’s website here.

June 12, 2016 by B-Boy Productions, Inc.

Wedding First Dance Song Suggestions 2016

Looking for the perfect wedding first dance song for your reception? Having moved through the first quarter of 2016, our DJs are starting to dial in the songs that are working and what’s coming down the pike. When it comes to the soundtrack to possibly the most romantic portion of the reception, the first dance, we’ve got you covered!

Dancing for the first time as husband and wife, it’s understood that picking the perfect song is of supreme importance. In the endless sea of song suggestions from websites and blogs, (like this one) paralysis from too many options is probably becoming more common than ever. One trend that seems to possibly remedy this malady is a moving away from traditional, mass produced songs. It seems that couples are moving towards the indie genre where they have a personal connection to these gems that are not your typical top 40. This trend makes predicting future trends even more difficult! Another trend as of late has been an influx of great country ballads. In an effort to ease the process, see below, a list of song suggestions that covers multiple styles with some of our thoughts listed under each one. Enjoy them!

Over and Over Again – Nathan Sykes feat. Ariana Grande
A beautiful ballad in the same vein as John Legend’s “All of Me” This song was made for a wedding!

You Are The Best Thing – Ray Lamontagne
This track sounds like a 60’s soul jam that keeps finding its way back to the reception; whether it be during dinner or in this case, the first dance. Don’t see this one going anywhere anytime soon.

Home – Edward Sharpe & The Magnetic Zeroes
Indie track that’s been around for a minute but still is a popular choice for the off-the-beaten-path couple.

Bright – Echosmith
From 2015 and still carrying its own. This feel good track is still a great first dance option.

Yours – Russell Dickerson
This straight forward country tune aims for the heart and is a perfect country option.

Die A Happy Man – Thomas Rhett
Another country song with a really chill feel that has been one of the most popular this year. Check it out here.

Always – Chuck Wicks
Romantic slow dance song that has the perfect lyrics for a first dance.

From The Ground Up – Dan + Shay
These guys have been tearing up the charts as of late. Another solid country option.

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May 2, 2016 by B-Boy Productions, Inc.

DJ’s April 2016 Spotify Playlist

It’s time for the B-Boy April 2016 Spotify playlist release – just in time before we fully jump into May. These selections are from some of our working DJs who have given us a few of the songs they are enjoying this month. Not all of these are meant for event purposes (although many are); they represent what our team of event DJs are listening to. If you haven’t subscribed to our Spotify channel, do it today!

DJ Brian B (Owner/ Executive DJ)

This Is What You Came For – Calvin Harris Feat. Rihanna
Faded (Tiesto Northern Lights Remix) – Alan Walker
Let It Go – James Bay

Dj Irving G (Associate DJ)

Pop Style – Drake, The Throne
Traidora – Marc Anthony

Dj Dan Davis (Associate DJ)

Beauville – Letting In
Nas Feat. Genuwine – You Owe Me
Depeche Mode – It’s No Good

DJ Josh Bausch (Associate DJ)

Victorious – Panic At The Disco
Got Getting Up So Down – They Might Be Giants
Cake By The Ocean – DNCE

DJ Shawn (Associate DJ)

She’s American – The 1975
Touch ‘Em – Koi Child
Luxuries – Folded Like Fabric
Panda – Desiigner

Dj Charles (Associate DJ)

Troubled Love – Mullally
Sunshine – Flight Facilities
Champion – Kanye West
Obviously – Gramatik

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April 22, 2016 by B-Boy Productions, Inc.

Grand Entrance Wedding Suggestions For 2016

The flood of Grand Entrance songs of 2015 have swept through the Gulf Coast and, fortunately, left very little damage to our ear drums (inside hurricane joke for our Florida panhandle folks). With the passing of every year, there seems to be a couple of songs that are much like the belligerent guests that linger way too long after the party is over. Despite their generous advances of gear consultation and musical expertise, you can’t help but think to yourself, “Why are you still here?” Fortunately for us, the majority of good entrance songs overwhelmed the not so great.

We believe that the Grand Entrance is one of the most important moments of a wedding reception. It is the first real preview your guests get of what this party will be like. Like any great writer will tell you, it’s imperative to start well and end well. The Grand Entrance is the moment the superstars of the night are introduced to their guests and they, in turn, are introduced to their party. The ending or finale should be the confirmation of what was declared in the beginning. Any polished and aware DJ/MC will know how to help form this. Choosing the right Grand Entrance song to fit your style is an important aspect of the planning process. This task can be fun and off the cuff or maybe a bit stressful. The aim of this post is to hopefully give you some gems from this past year and maybe steer you in the right direction. Below is our list of the top ten most popular Grand Entrance songs of the past year in no particular order (according to our clients).

Adventure Of A Lifetime – Coldplay
Coldplay absolutely kills it with this track. If you’re looking for fresh, electronic pop rock, this is the song for you.

Shut Up and Dance – Walk The Moon
Quirky, indie/dance rock track. Great party starter for sure. *Quote from the band on the song: “We kind of wanted to write a dork rock anthem for all of those poor souls like us.” If you want to save this for your dance set, then play the instrumental (we do this often) for the Grand Entrance.

Marry You – Bruno Mars
Classic summertime pop track. Perfect for weddings. I mean it has the word “marry” in it!

Feels So Close – Calvin Harris
Catchy, synth powered ear worm.

Uptown Funk – Bruno Mars
Instant classic. Throwback Prince homage of sorts.

Get Lucky – Daft Punk
Futuristic rock with a disco/funk feel.

Cake By The Ocean – DNCE
Fun, fresh pop rock feel.

How You Like Me Now – The Heavy
You may not know this track by name, but we guarantee you’ve heard it. Check it out HERE!

Chris Brown- Zero
Fresh electronic, disco/funk pop song.

Anything we should add to the list? Comment below.

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February 8, 2016 by B-Boy Productions, Inc.

How did we get our name? | B-Boy Productions

It happens at least once a month. Someone calls looking for B-Boys. I’d love to say that’s how B-Boy Productions got its name but unfortunately, that’s not the case. I wasn’t blessed with those dancing genes.

When I first started DJ’ing in the nightclub scene, my last name (Buonassissi – pronounced: Boe Nuh See See) was obviously too long for nightclub flyers. I was also never a fan of the cheesy DJ names that people were using, though I did take on the “DJ GranMasta B” moniker for awhile. This was partially due to my affinity for playing “Rapper’s Delight”, looping the line ” I’m the grandmaster with the three MCs” and then cutting down the loop to the first 3 words of the phrase. It also had to do with a patron who jokingly chided me because I was so young DJ’ing in the clubs (I was 18 when I started) that he thought I had a “Bud Bundy” sort of look and it played to the sort of persona he created one season on Married With Children.

As I grew in my craft and started getting requested, the nickname “B-Boy” started making the rounds. I’m guessing it was because my first name starts with a B and my last name starts with a B so it just worked. I liked it! There was a tie-in to the old school music/dancing roots and it was linked to DJ’ing. When it became clear that this was something I wanted to do as a career and needed to create a company name, I had to include it. I still can’t believe the .com URL wasn’t already taken so I snagged it and the rest is history. 20 years in, I’m proud of what our name stands for as well as the reputation and legacy we’re building.

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December 28, 2015 by B-Boy Productions, Inc.

DJs December 2015 Spotify Playlist

It’s time for the B-Boy DJs December 2015 Spotify playlist release – just in time before the end of the month (and year). These selections are from some of our working DJs who have given us 1-3 songs they are enjoying this month. Not all of these are meant for event purposes (although many are); they represent what our team of event DJs are listening to. If you haven’t subscribed to our Spotify, do it today!

DJ Brian B (Owner/Exectuive DJ)

Love Yourself (KANDY Remix) – Justin Bieber
Sugar (HUGEL Remix) – Robin Schulz feat. Francesco Yates
Same Old Love (Filous Remix) – Selena Gomez

DJ Duane (Associate DJ)

WTF (Where They From) – Missy Elliott feat. Pharrell Williams
Like I’m Gonna Lose You – Meghan Trainor feat. John Legend
Here – Alessia Cara

DJ Irving G (Associate DJ)

La Gozadera – Gente de Zona feat. Marc Anthony
One Call Away (KLYMVX Remix) – Charlie Puth
Fiesta – Bomba Estereo feat. Will Smith

DJ Dan Davis (Associate DJ)

Honeymoon – Lana Del Rey
Downtown – Macklemore
Good For You – Selena Gomez

DJ Josh Bausch (Associate DJ)

Adventure of a Lifetime – Coldplay
On My Mind – Ellie Goulding
Lean On – Major Lazer & DJ Snake feat. MØ

DJ Shawn Frady (Associate DJ)

White Iverson – Post Malone
You Got Me – G-Eazy
Bros – Wolf Alice

DJ Che (Jr. Associate DJ)

Good Times Roll – GRiZ & Big Gigantic
Random – G-Eazy
Holding on To You – Twenty One Pilots

DJ Josh Weck (Jr. Associate DJ)

When We Were Young – Adele (original not on Spotify)
In The Night – The Weeknd

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November 6, 2015 by B-Boy Productions, Inc.

Our Event DJs November 2015 Spotify Music Picks

We’ve put together a list of tracks for our event DJs November 2015 Spotify music picks which you can listen to here. This a fantastic way to stay up on some of the new music climbing the charts and getting airplay on the radio as well as to get a feel for what a lot of our entertainers are playing out at parties. Be sure to follow our channel and subscribe to the playlist.

Brian B (Owner/Executive DJ)

Be Real (Vice & Justyle Remix) – Kid Ink, Dej Loaf
Say My Name (Ganz Remix) – ODESZA feat. Zyra
Renegades (The Knocks Remix) – X-Ambassadors

DJ Duane (Associate DJ)

What Do You Mean – Justin Bieber
Delirious (Boneless) – Steve Aoki, Chris Lake & Tujamo feat. Kid Ink
Lean On – Major Lazer & DJ Snake feat. MO

DJ Irving G (Associate DJ)

Hotline Bling – Drake
Sorry – Justin Bieber
Run For Your Life – Big Grams

DJ Dan Davis (Associate DJ)

Skin-Tight Boogie – EODM
Here – Alessia Cara
Disarm You – Kaskade feat. Ilsey

DJ Josh B (Associate DJ)

Honey I’m Good – Andy Grammer
Stitches – Shawn Mendes
Downtown – Macklemore & Ryan Lewis

DJ Che (Jr. Associate DJ)

Revolution – Diplo
Middle – DJ Snake
Don’t Wanna Fight – Alabama Shakes

DJ Josh Weck (Jr. Associate DJ)

Cake By The Ocean – DNCE

DJ Shawn Frady (Jr. Associate DJ)

S.O.B. – Nathaniel Rateliff & The Night Sweats
Weathered – Jack Garratt
Retrograde – James Blake

DJ Heidi (Jr. Associate DJ)

Can’t Sleep Love – Pentatonix
Gibberish – MAX feat. Hoodie Allen
Levels – Nick Jonas

Until next month…happy listening!

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July 31, 2015 by B-Boy Productions, Inc.

Best Wedding Venues in Fort Walton Beach | 2015 Recommendations

In the final installment of our 2015 picks for top destination wedding venues in the Panhandle of Florida, we’re going to show you the Best Wedding Venues in Fort Walton Beach. There has been a resurgence of weddings in this area over the past year thanks in part to some new development. We’ve thoroughly enjoyed working these particular venues and think you be pleased to have any of these are your wedding day venue!

Watervue at Brooks Street – Destin, FL
This is a recently renovated property under new ownership/management. The venue is extremely spacious (over 5,000 square feet and a guest capacity of up to 300). Mary is a delight to work with. She is extremely personable and looks to make each event stand out. With both indoor and outdoor options as well as the ability to bring in your own vendors, this is a venue that should definitely be considered. They have a permanent dance floor installed as well as an elevated stage for the entertainment but what I think is their best feature is the wrap-around outside deck that circles around the ballroom with a waterfront view. Plenty of on-site parking as well.

Holiday Inn Resort – Fort Walton Beach, FL
This new property officially opened its doors in 2014. Kevin (the venue manager) has some amazing group rate specials for wedding parties. While this is a smaller property, the open lobby floor plan, pool, and beach access makes it a perfect place to have your guests stay for your wedding celebration. Their private beach access works well for ceremonies and they have a few indoor ballroom options for receptions. What we like about this resort is that because of its size, they can’t have too many events happening at one time. This means dedicated attention to you and your event. In a day and age where venues want to flip ballrooms as many times as possible in a day, this resort has taken a quality over quantity approach which you will really appreciate!

Southern Bay Manor – Fort Walton Beach, FL
Tucked off of Highway 98 in downtown Fort Walton Beach, this venue is pretty amazing. It’s located along the Santa Rosa Sound and the lush green lawns and beautiful trees give off a feeling of serenity. Capacity is 500 people. The set-up configurations are truly limited only to your imagination. One of the best things about this venue is the fact that you can utilize the private boat/boat captain for some amazing sunset photos of the couple of honor. Amber (the venue manager) has years of experience (though she looks like she’s 25!) so you’ll be well taken care of. If you’re looking for a non-traditional wedding venue, check it out!

Compass Rose – Valparaiso, FL
While not technically in Fort Walton, this is literally minutes away and we had to mention this venue! They recently converted from a restaurant to strictly a private event venue. Not only is the food top-notch, but they have 3 spaces for you to have your function. The have an outside patio that seats up to 100 people and is partially covered with a fantastic waterfront view of Tom’s Bayou. Inside, you have two options. If your guest count is 100 or less, we’d recommend the Banquet Room. It’s updated wood floors give it a real modern touch. If you have between 100-150, then you’ll want to utilize the dining room. It’s very spacious and has some window views out to the Bayou. If you really want to get a feel for each room, go to their website and utilize the 360 degree view function of each space.

Want more location ideas? Check out our 2013 picks and Part 1 and Part 2 of our 2014 picks as well as Part 1 and Part 2 of our 2015 picks.

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July 28, 2015 by B-Boy Productions, Inc.

Best Wedding Venues in Destin | Best of 2015

Here’s Part 2 of our 2015 picks for top destination wedding venues. In this post, we’re going to focus on the best wedding venues in Destin. This is the town everyone talks about for weddings in the panhandle of Florida and for good reason! The beaches are amazing and it’s quickly become of the most developed areas around with some of the hottest retail and restaurants having just come to town in the last year. Believe it or not, there’s still some gems of wedding venues that you may not be aware of. So let us tell you about them.

Resorts of Pelican Beach – Destin, FL
You have to be careful NOT to get this confused with the Pelican property by Wyndham. The Resorts of Pelican Beach can be easily missed as it is backed into the south side of highway 98 with a ton of foliage disguising it. But once in, you realize you have a fantastic all-in-one venue that has accommodations, private beach access and indoor venue spaces. This venue has been around for quite a while but we’re always surprised when people say they’ve never heard of it. As one of their preferred vendors, this is a spot we highly recommend. If there’s any negative to the venue, it would be that it is that the indoor venue space is a bit dated. However, it is very clean and the pricing is perfectly in line with the space.

The Venue at Surfside Resort – Destin, FL
This event space was re-launched in 2014 and Nicki (the venue manager) did a phenomenal make-over to the space. It sits off of Old Highway 98 with unobstructed floor to ceiling window beach views of the gulf. Although not directly on the beach, it’s literally a 5 minute walk away. It has both indoor and outdoor cocktail hour/reception space and can fit 60-75 very comfortably. We honestly believe this is one of the best kept secrets in Destin. They do offer accommodations. Parking is on-site. While they do push their all-inclusive services, they allow outside vendors and catering. With a very neutral color palette, this venue should definitely be considered for intimate and mid-size weddings.

The Henderson – Destin, FL
Just when you thought Destin was all built up, here comes the latest resort development which is opening in the Summer of 2016. It is called “The Henderson” and there won’t be anything close to it as far as luxury goes in the Destin area. The owners also have the Henderson Park Inn property, which is rated the #1 Hotel in Destin according to TripAdvisor. What does that mean? This sister property place is going to be even more spectacular! This will be the only “Diamond” rated resort in the area (next closest one is in Tampa). There will be multiple ballrooms and beach front options for your ceremony and reception. Sherri and her team are one of the most professional in the area so you will have nothing to worry about with your wedding if you choose this location.

Stay tuned for our 3rd installment (the Fort Walton Beach 2015 picks) coming out soon. In the meantime, want some other location ideas? Check out our 2013 picks and Part 1 and Part 2 of our 2014 picks as well as Part 1 of our 2015 picks.

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July 24, 2015 by B-Boy Productions, Inc.

Best 30A Wedding Venues | B-Boy 2015 Picks

Year after year, a set of blog posts keeps ranking as one of our most searched. It’s our annual selection of top Destination Wedding Venues. We love being able to help clients out with as much information as we can (even if it is non-music related). Since we are heavily entrenched in Florida’s Emerald Coast (we do over 400 weddings a year just in that market alone), we have a good pulse of what’s “hot”. In the last year or so, a bunch of new wedding venues have popped up that you should consider. They span from Rosemary Beach (30A) to Destin to Fort Walton Beach, FL which on a good traffic day is about 45 minutes to an hour from one another. We’re going to break this up into a 3 part series.

Why 30-A? It’s becoming the hottest area right now for weddings and the 30A wedding venues are some of the best in the area. This is primarily because it’s less congested than Destin. Also, with more land to build, you’re starting to see more development take place. It’s not too far from Panama City Beach airport and it’s closer to Highway 331 (the gateway to the Emerald Coast from Interstate 10) than Destin or Fort Walton Beach. Here’s our 2015 wedding venue picks for 30-A.

The Pearl – Rosemary Beach, FL
This quaint hotel has quite the impressive look and though not totally evident at first, it has multiple unique room and indoor/outdoor spaces all within the hotel to fit different aesthetics for guests counts ranging from 12 to 40. The plus side…you’re off 30A in Rosemary Beach, which will blow away guests with its upscale an small-town feel. It has accommodations at the venue! Everything can be done there (including your rehearsal dinner). Also Amanda and her staff are amazing to work with. If there is a downside, it would be parking. Unless you’re staying at the hotel, you’re going to have to get creative with the parking (especially during busy season). That said, it can be done and I wouldn’t let that detour you from this amazing venue. Here’s a quick shot of a side lobby that leads into one of the ballrooms.

The Bowery On 30-A – Grayton Beach, FL
We’re super excited to introduce you to the newest multi-level event space along 30-A. They recently renovated this location and folks, it is stunning. Downstairs they have a restaurant which can be shut down for events and is perfect for a cocktail hour. Upstairs, they have two event spaces. The smaller of the two spaces (pictured below) has floor to ceiling windows and can accommodate up to 80 people (seated). The bigger room can comfortably seat up to 150 people, has a stage in place for entertainment and is hard-wired with sound and production lighting. Both rooms have amazing chandeliers. Want a beach ceremony? They have access to a private beach which is within walking distance. Parking is not an issue with this location as they have a huge parking lot. This event space opened earlier this year and we think by this time next year, it’ll be the hottest property for events bar none. Bob and Annemarie are fantastic to work with and they do allow you to bring in your own vendors except for the catering, which must be done in-house.

331 South – Santa Rosa Beach, FL
Formerly known as Bentley’s On The Bay, this location is under new ownership and management. WeddingWire chose this location for their 2015 venue spotlight and had their annual vendor networking night there. This for the couple who is looking for a non-beach wedding venue. It sits next to the Choctawhatchee Bay and boasts both an outdoor and indoor space. You can pick one or the other or utilize both. It also can serve as your built-in “rain back-up plan”. Parking is not an issue at this location. Inside, you can fit 80-100 people comfortablyy and outside around the same (maybe a little more). One of the things they’ve added is outside catering. So if you do the taste test and love the food but want a different location, the food can come with you. Christine and her staff do great work and are referred by all of the top professionals in the area.

Stay tuned for our Destin and Fort Walton Beach 2015 picks coming out soon. In the meantime, want some other location ideas? Check out our 2013 picks and Part 1 and Part 2 of our 2014 picks.

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