California Archives - B-Boy Productions, Inc.

February 10, 2017 by B-Boy Productions, Inc.

B-Boy Productions Launches Aggressive Non-Profit Initiative: #BBOYGIVESBACK

2017 marks a definitive marker in history for B-Boy Productions, Inc. For years, B-Boy has supported and been a part of non-profit projects that came across our desk. It’s been a fabric of B-Boy’s DNA. However, for the last year or so, a concerted effort has been made to do more and drill down to find “perfect fits”. This year begins an aggressive non-profit push with the #bboygivesback initiative. Each of our DJ/MC staff has committed to doing a minimum of 1-2 events per year. With over 12 headliner entertainers, that’s almost 2 dozen events.

Brian Buonassissi, owner of B-Boy Productions, Inc., says, “One of the calling cards of our staff has been a desire to bless others with the talents we’ve been given. The #bboygiveback initiative is laser-focused to partner with non-profits that are a perfect fit with what we can bring to the table. In many cases, a lot of the benefiting organizations have been ones we’ve helped for years under the radar. We want to do a better job of promoting the non-profits we work with so others can hear about their mission and potentially get involved with us to make a difference”.

Some of the 2017 projects chosen:
*Shelter House: Brunch and Bowl (January 21st)
*The Birthday Party Project (February 16th & 21st)
*UWF: Dance Marathon (February 18th)
*Boy & Cub Scouts: Pinewood Auto Show (March 4th)
*Emerald Coast Autism Center: The Hole In One Event (March 10th)
*Shelter House: Purses With A Purpose (March 21st & 22nd)
*American Cancer Society: Bark For Life (April 1st)
*American Cancer Society: Relay For Life (April 28th & May 5th)
*Emerald Coast Foundation: Father-Daughter Princess Ball (May 19th)

“We’ve always wanted to lead in our industry – not just with excellence in paid events but also in a philanthropic capacity. Our desire is to do what we can to benefit these amazing organizations”, Buonassissi said.

If you have a non-profit project in mind that would benefit from our services or you would want to be a part of one we’re connected with, be sure to message us and we’ll get in contact with you as soon as we can. #bboygivesback

September 10, 2015 by B-Boy Productions, Inc.

Wedding DJ Wedding Package Winners | Des & Basil

Last year we did a wedding package giveaway. It was one of the best contests we’ve ever ran. It came down to the wire but Deserie and Basil (pictured bottom left below) pulled away and won it!

It took over a year to see the wedding come to fruition but wow, what an awesome event. I didn’t get a ton of time to hang out with Des and Basil but you could see the genuine love in their eyes all night. Their crowd was amazing and boy did they love some old school!

This was the first time I’d ever worked at this venue, Plaza De Magdalena, in San Juan Capistrano, CA. From the street, you’d have no idea this hidden gem was there. And a hidden gem it is! The courtyard is downstairs and very private – perfect for ceremonies and cocktail hours. But the crown jewel is the Magdalena Room, which boasts a phenomenal in-house lighting system (complete with decor and monogram/gobo lighting potential) and they have an in-house sound system. Patti, the contact at the venue, was amazing to work with. She was very accommodating and unlike many venue contacts, she stayed until the end (which I very much appreciated).

Des had her friend, Elena Moreno, run the event and she couldn’t have been easier to work with! You’d have thought she had done this for years by the way she was so calm and collected throughout the night. Here are a photos of the evening we snapped.

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

Grandma Didn’t Make It | Awkward Wedding Situations

This is our final installment of the most “Awkward Wedding situations we’ve seens as DJs” series. We hope we’ve provided a little humor for you. After almost 20 years in the wedding DJ business, we can tell you that weddings, in and of themselves, make for great stories. With the exception of a few minor glitches, most turn out as planned, but in some rare cases, the “glitches” can be a bit more….well…interesting. As a matter of fact, some can be downright awkward.

Obviously, the awkward ones make the most interesting stories. We whittled it down to the top 5 and they are told by our entertainers themselves.

NOTE: To protect the innocent, we have purposefully left out names but beyond that, I assure you that none of this has been embellished. If you’re in the industry, I’m sure you will sympathize with us. If you’re a soon to be bride or groom or a general reader, this may have you shaking your head.

This definitely gives a whole new meaning to the phrase lost in the translation. As the manager on duty, I had the night off from actually DJ’ing while our other entertainers were working. I get a text from one of our ceremony musicians that one of the grandmas cut her leg as she was walking down to the beach for the ceremony, and she was losing so much blood that they had to call an ambulance.

They had to take her to the hospital and the ceremony was delayed for almost an hour. I texted our DJs so they could be aware of the situation before the reception started. Our ceremony guitarist was distraught about what happened and he said he felt bad for the family as he could see the look of disappointment and worry written across their faces. I told him I’d keep him posted on what ended up happening.

About 30 minutes into the reception, I sent a text to one of our DJs to see how everything was going. He said it was a tough crowd because everyone was bummed about the grandmother. I asked him if he had any updates on her condition and his reply made my heart sink. His text read, “Grandma didn’t make it.” I texted him back and asked him if he was sure and he said the nurse called the family and told them.

I couldn’t believe it. I mean, I understand losing blood in your leg can be serious, but death? I had never had a death occur at an event, so as you can imagine, I had no idea how to deal with it. I texted our guitarist and his level of shock was equal to mine.

Come to find out, our DJ left out some key information. Apparently grandma didn’t make it TO THE RECEPTION! What a difference a few words make, huh? Of course, I didn’t get this info until after the reception when I talked to the DJ on the phone.

A happy ending was still on the horizon, however, as the grandmother did finally make it to the reception. Our guys did a special “grand entrance announcement” mid-reception just for her when she arrived and the party went off without any deaths whatsoever. Needless to say, I’ve made sure to tell our entertainers to over-communicate when it comes to texting me anything.

To see more humorous wedding stories, click here!

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

The 1.5 Party Crowd | The Most Awkward Weddings We’ve Ever DJ’d

We’re in part 3 of a 5 part series of posts that we’ve entitled “The most awkward weddings we have ever DJ’d”. We’ve had some doozies so far and this is yet another. After almost 20 years in the wedding DJ business, we can tell you that weddings, in and of themselves, make for great stories. With the exception of a few minor glitches, most turn out as planned, but in some rare cases, the “glitches” can be a bit more….well…interesting. As a matter of fact, some can be downright awkward. Obviously, the awkward ones make the most interesting stories.

NOTE: To protect the innocent, we’ve purposefully left out names but beyond that, I assure you that none of this has been embellished. If you’re in the industry, I’m sure you will sympathize with us. If you’re a soon to be bride or groom or a general reader, this may have you shaking your head.

In our early years, we did not have the same event vetting process in place that we have now. Starting out in business, you are sometimes forced to take whatever clients come your way. The couple in this particular story had read our reviews and booked our DJ services online…without any initial phone conversations or face to face visits.

During the planning phase for their big day, I asked what they did for work and the groom mentioned he was a chemist and the bride said she was a librarian. Knowing how serious some librarians and chemists can be, I then asked them to rate their wedding guests on a scale from 1-10 scale (1 being hard to get out of their seat and 10 loving to party). Their response: “1 – 1.5.” Yikes! Not exactly the type of crowd we usually get. Given this situation, I suggested we have a few backup plans in case dancing did not go over well. Trivia was one of the solutions.

Fast forward to wedding day; I start the song for the first open dance set and no one even thinks of dancing. Everyone just stared at me. The dance floor was open for business, but no one was buying. So, I tried a slow song…then a fast one. I even tried line dancing, but no one moved from their seats.

At this point, I was thinking that the 1-1.5 rating was entirely too generous and decided it was time to pull out the trivia. We literally played trivia for an hour and 40 minutes…at a wedding reception. Fortunately, trivia loosened them up enough to finish the last 15 minutes dancing.

Of course, I thought that our services bombed, but was surprised to have multiple guests say that this was the best wedding they had ever been to. Some even said they’d be calling me for their wedding. Ugh, thanks?!? Not exactly the type of wedding style I wanted to be known for, but at the end of the day, it’s all about making a reception fun, and if trivia is what it takes, I’ll do it.

See more awkward wedding stories stories here!

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April 21, 2015 by B-Boy Productions, Inc.

The Five Most Awkward Weddings We’ve Ever DJ’d | Surprise Toast And…

We’re continuing our series of posts of the top 5 most awkward weddings we’ve ever DJ’d (as told by our entertainers themselves).

After almost 20 years in the wedding DJ business, we can tell you that weddings, in and of themselves, make for great stories. With the exception of a few minor glitches, most turn out as planned, but in some rare cases, the “glitches” can be a bit more…well…interesting. As a matter of fact, some can be downright awkward. Obviously, the awkward ones make the most interesting stories.

A good toast takes you through a color wheel of emotions. It can bring laughter, tears, and even create a sense of togetherness. To RUIN a wedding with a toast, however, takes skill beyond measure. We were fortunate to have learned these particular skills from a master who was an active Duty General AND father of the Groom. Based on his example, we were able to compile a list of steps that will allow you to offer the worst of Toasts:

1) Talk as long as possible! A wedding is supposed to be a once in a lifetime event, so this is your chance to shine! Every little girl dreams of having a full hour and a half toast at their wedding reception, don’t they? You don’t want to disappoint that bride on her special day, so be sure to fulfill your diplomatic duty and filibuster until the cake starts to mold. Just ignore Aunt Irma’s shushing and stay strong. Do so and you will ALWAYS be remembered as the person that everyone wants to forget.

2) Lose the filter. This point is heavily debated and can be somewhat controversial. Some people think that unfiltered stories are shameful, but we know that it helps loosen up a crowd like nothing else. Rest assured, a good cringe worthy story will make some prudish folks a little squirmy, but they’ll get used to it.

If you have a story, like General Toaster did, about catching your son on the couch with a lady of the night…YOU SHOULD ABSOLUTELY SHARE IT! The bride will eventually calm down and come back to the reception (we think). She may be crossing her arms and tapping her foot, but she’ll come back. And, that toe tapping is a sure sign that you have made a huge impact on her special evening.

3) BONUS! Not part of the toast, but still a great way to ruin a beautiful evening. Plan a surprise horse and carriage to pick-up the bride and groom about halfway through the reception. DON’T TELL ANYBODY that you have planned it… especially the couple, the DJ and the wedding coordinator. When the Bride and groom get back from their little horsy trip around the block and get back to their grand exit that THEY actually planned, everyone will be so confused that dancing will be out of the question. WIN/WIN.

Be mindful: All of this takes serious dedication, and you have to suspend any and all self-awareness…but if you follow these 3 simple steps, you can offer a toast that will let others know that, no matter how bad they screw up in life, it can always be a lot worse.

See more awkward wedding stories stories here!

in California / Florida / Humor / New York / Past DJ Events / Weddings 0 comments

April 17, 2015 by B-Boy Productions, Inc.

The Most Awkward Weddings We’ve Ever DJ’d | Wish Lantern Gone Wrong

After almost 20 years in the wedding DJ business, we can tell you that weddings, in and of themselves, make for great stories. With the exception of a few minor glitches, most turn out as planned, but in some rare cases, the “glitches” can be a bit more….well…interesting. As a matter of fact, some can be downright awkward.

Obviously, the awkward ones make the most interesting stories. We have whittled it down to the top 5 most awkward weddings we have ever DJ’d (as told by our entertainers themselves) and will be posting them over the next week.

A while back, we had a groom who wanted to use wish lanterns for their grand exit. Mind you, this was before they became the rage so we had no clue what he was talking about. The grand exit on the client sheet just simply read – “Wish Lanterns”. No bold letters, no all caps, no special attention, and no instructions. As a result, we had no mental preparation for the eminent disaster that lay before us.

For those of you who don’t know, a Wish Lantern is an eco-friendly lantern that you write a wish on then set on fire and it flies away in the sky. It symbolizes good luck for the couple. Admittedly, it’s pretty cool to see, but you should only use them in the right conditions…conditions which were not present at the venue in this story.

The groom had paid a pretty penny for his lanterns and by golly, there was no way that heavy winds, low hanging trees and a nearby building was going to keep him from lighting them.

The first spark of the lighter gave off a familiar glow, but quickly sputtered and died in the gale force winds: another attempt, and another fail. Those fails might have shut the lantern party down, but in the wake of vows and romantic first dances, the promise and hope of eternal bliss still filled the air.

Finally, one of the lanterns accepted its flame (barely), took shape and rose gently into the sky. If you had been there, you would thought it postcard worthy, but that was short-lived. An event that had started out as a dreamy and romantic celebration was now turning into a terrifying and hellish nightmare.

The flaming ball of death slowly hurdled towards the wedding party, ricocheted off of an unsuspecting girl’s head, and finally found rest in a few dry tree branches. Did I mention that they were dry branches? A second flaming sphere soon followed and found refuge on the roof of the clubhouse (which allowed me to segue appropriately to the song “The Roof Is On Fire”). Cheers of jubilee soon turned to blood curdling screams and as you could imagine, panic ensued.

Every couple wants their reception to be memorable… and though blood soaked arson wasn’t the original plan… that day will surely go down as “memorable”.

Have a story of your own? We’d love to hear it. Please comment below.

See more awkward wedding stories stories here!

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November 3, 2014 by B-Boy Productions, Inc.

Company Holiday Parties | Ideas for Throwing a Memorable Holiday Party

As we move into the holiday season, we’re pumped up at B-Boy Productions! Part of it is just because there is a genuine shift in the atmosphere. People tend to get excited as we move into a time of family get-togethers and reflection on the past year. New holiday music albums are released, Starbucks holiday drinks and….holiday parties are thrown!

We’ve seen a resurgence of company holiday parties over the last few years which is a good thing. Why should these parties matter and why should companies do them? Here’s our top 3 reasons:

*IT SENDS A MESSAGE TO EMPLOYEES…that you, as a company, care. With the economy being erratic at times over the years, this gives employees a feeling that things are OK in their company world. It also shows that the company is willing to spend money, which could otherwise pad the company’s bottom line, to lift company morale.

*IT ALLOWS EMPLOYEES TO LET THEIR GUARD DOWN…and just be them. It is t a great way to see how down to earth everyone is OUTSIDE the office. This also has been known to create bonding moments among employees alike. We hear these types of comments all the time in our holiday party debriefs with clients.

*IT’S HEALTHY TO CELEBRATE…how the year went. If it was a good, it’s easy to do. But even if it is a down year, there is still victory in what was learned through it. Management can use it as an opportunity to encourage employees to look foward to the following year. But most of all, it always good to celebrate your team.

With all that said, we don’t take these events lightly. We try to create an atmosphere that adds to those things and make the event one to remember. So what are some of our ideas to make these events stand out? Glad you asked!

*PROGRAM THE NIGHT LIKE YOU WOULD A PRODUCTION! This might seem silly at first but there’s a ton of truth in this. You want the night to have ebb and flow, encouraging guests to stay throughout the entire event. There is no “formula” or websites dedicated to holiday parties (like The Knot or Wedding which help wedding couples) so this is where we come in. Just a few examples of ways we try to keep it flowing:
– Don’t do all your raffles in the beginning or at end of the night
– Come up with creative ways to entertain during dinner (we have a ton of these things in our arsenal)
– Holiday entertainment should be more than just Holiday music

*ADD A PHOTO BOOTH! This is the perfect complement to your main entertainment. You can utilize this as guests arrive, during dinner and/or while the dancing is going on. The print-outs also make a great party favor for your guests to take home. Talk about letting loose and breaking down barriers; nothing does that quite like a photo booth. In our case, we have two types of booth styles and we also give you all the photos on a jump drive to use as you wish (blackmail possibly? ha!).

*ADD KARAOKE! This can definitely take your party to another level. It also can get people out of their shell pretty quickly. We’ve done “battle of the departments”, “women vs men”, and various other types of karaoke party competitions. You also may find some hidden talent within your company (and some amazing YouTube material to post). If you’ve never had this at your party, you don’t know what you’re missing!

*THE RAFFLE MUSIC! If you’re not careful, the raffles can suck all the energy out of the room (accomplishing the exact opposite of what you’d think would happen). Why? Because there is no musical help here. The average DJ just waits until this portion is over and then resumes with the holiday or dancing music. In some cases, the raffle can take 15-20 minutes. Talk about a buzz kill (pun intended). We utilize “audio stingers” during each raffle pull and as winners make their way to the stages. These are short 10-20 second pre-produced clips of songs (typically the hook) like Dancing Queen, Respect, Movin’ On Up, Jeopardy Theme, Sexy and I Know It, Roar, etc. and we play off the vibe of prizes being raffled and those who win them. We have about 100-200 of these ready to go and we can fire them at any time.

*WALKING MUSIC! At most company holiday parties, the CEO or someone on the management team gives a few words either as a welcome or in the middle of the night. This is a great opportunity to honor him or her with some “walking music” as they make their way to the stage. Think about the Oscars. There’s always walking music as speakers make their way to the stage. The song choice can range from comical (Rocky Theme, Superman Theme, I’m Too Sexy, etc.) to serious (instrumental music).

*GAMES & SKITS! I know what you’re thinking…these will be CHEESY! Well, surprise, the ones we do are not. These can run the gamut as we’re constantly adding new and fresh games and skits to the mix. Everything from “Holiday Trivia” to “Celebrity Sightings” to “Build A Snowman” to “Name that Guitar Riff” – this is just a small snippet of what we can do.

At the end of the day, our goal is to have company employees be able to forget what’s happening in their world with the hustle and bustle of the holiday season and just enjoy one another for the few hours we’re there. If we do it right, we’ll have helped create moments that will be talked about for years to come. Let us help you do that. Contact us for availability.

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September 9, 2014 by B-Boy Productions, Inc.

Huntington Harbour Yacht Club Wedding with DJ Graeme | Shaun & Stephanie

I’m a sucker for stories and this couple’s propsal story was a great one. Stephanie and Shaun met in Washington DC and began dating very soon thereafter in June 2012. Shaun worked on Captiol Hill for a congressman and Stephanie worked for a non-profit. Ten months later, in April 2013, Shaun invited Stephanie to a event that was honoring his boss at the Capitol. Shaun took her out to the Speaker’s balcony (which just so happens to have one of the best views of the city) for an alleged picture to send to his mom. Stephanie noticed a guy taking pictures of the city with a camera. Turns out that this whole thing was just an alibi as he had an elablorate propsal planned. He finally let her in on it by saying, “I have a confession. We aren’t going to an event for my boss tonight.” Stephanie noticed the guy with the camera taking picures much more rapidly and realized he was taking pictures of them. Shaun then went into a speech that Stephanie cannot remember and got down on one knee and asked if she would marry him! She could not believe it was actually happening, so she asked, “Is this for real?” and he said, “Yes.” She said yes and of course started crying/laughing/shaking! Way to go Shaun!

I know this beautiful couple from the church my wife and I attend and they are completely in love with each other. I love that. I love when a wedding is an authentic celebration of love and commitment. When I asked them what they would rate their crowd on a scale of 1 to 10 (1 being hard to get out of their seats and 10 being party animals) , they said, “8”. I rolled my eyes. I’ve done weddings for church friends before and I’d say “4” is usually a safe bet. Well, they did get the number wrong…but the opposite direction. These guys were a 10 without batting an eye. Incredible energy from beginning to end.. it felt like they were there with no other motive than to celebrate.

The ceremony and reception took place at the beautiful Huntington Harbor Yacht Club in Huntington Beach, CA. If you’re looking in the Huntington Beach or surrounding areas for a wedding venue, this is a phenomenal one to consider. It’s multi-functional with a serene and peaceful view and the staff is incredibly accomodating and helpful. We worked with amazing vendors who helped make the wedding come to life. The wedding was coordinated by her aunt, Christine Wells. The ceremony was officiated by friends of the bride and groom and former B-Boy groom himself, Jordan Lynch. Catering was provided by Rhonda and her team from Davenport Catering while Alison Meyer from Just Ask Alison was the cake maker. Jocelyn Girouard of 1703 Event Studios was the florist on hand. Photography was done by Elaine from George Street Photography and they also provided videography services as well.

We had a very eclectic crowd but all were willing to explore dancing to each other’s genres. It was a beautiful event that reminded everybody there why so much time and detail go into these days; people will look back on that day and remember a beautiful event and partying the way a wedding should.

in California / Past DJ Events / Weddings 0 comments

June 27, 2014 by B-Boy Productions, Inc.

Top First Dance Songs for Weddings 2014

In weddings, the First Dance song is one of those tracks that define you and your significant other for a lifetime. You’re always looking for that one song that you’ll be able to resonate with years into your marriage. With all that pressure, it’s nice to have a little help from the wedding DJ professionals with some song suggestions.

We’re continuing our series of top wedding formality song choices and in this installment, we give you most popular First Dance Songs for Weddings so far this year as selected by our clients. DJ Josh B and DJ Brian B break it down for you with a Top 10 list. This compilation covers a wide range of genres and decades.

As always, should you want more ideas, don’t hesitate in reaching out to us and we’ll be glad to send more suggestions.

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

June 24, 2014 by B-Boy Productions, Inc.

Top Wedding Grand Entrance Songs 2014

Since we’re almost halfway through 2014 (how is that even possible?), we thought it would be helpful to future brides and grooms to let them in on the top wedding Grand Entrance songs choices as based on the selections by our clients from January of this year through now. DJ Brian B and DJ Josh B sit down at the fine dining estabishment of Denny’s in Fort Walton Beach, FL to break it down for you top 10 style. If you need more ideas, just give us a call or e-mail us and we’ll be glad to help.

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