Weddings Archives - Page 7 of 10 - B-Boy Productions, Inc.

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!

July 25, 2014 by B-Boy Productions, Inc.

NYC Event Space: The Manhattan Penthouse

Beyond music, one of the biggest questions we get as an event entertainment company is where we recommend having their party. This makes sense because just about every weekend we are working at a different venue. It is one of our most searched blog topics. With that in mind, we’ll be giving you some ideas on venues over the next few weeks in each of our regional locations. There’s a lot to consider: guest count, indoor/outdoor, functionality, catering, and of course, price. Today we’re going to highlight the Manhattan Penthouse in New York City. This venue and it’s sister venue, The Alger House, are run by Green Mansions Catering.

I’ve actually worked both venues and my experience at both have been great. They share a lot of the same staff at both venues and that cameraderie is on full display. It’s also obvious to see that they genuinely care about the client experience. They all are dressed in tuxedos and present themselves professionally!

As for the venue, it’s located in Greenwich Village off of 5th Avenue on the top floor (hence the penthouse in its name). It’s a very modular space and each time we’ve performed there, clients have also used it for their ceremony as well. You might as well take full advantage of the gorgeous rooftop views!

The building has three elevators which makes for little to no wait time. Upon exiting the elevator on the top floor, you will enter what is commonly used as the “cocktail hour area” or if you’re having your ceremony at the venue, it doubles as the “waiting area” before the ceremony. Lots of windows gives you a view down 5th avenue as well as 13th and 14th street. They have a large bar in that particular room and some seating as well as a few highboy tables to set your drinks on. This particular room is also equipped with a sound system…perfect for the client or the DJ to plug in an iPod solution for cocktail hour. It is a private room which can be closed from the main room so guests won’t get an early peak of the main room.

As you make your way into the main room, they have the asian style zen Shoji room dividers which hide the pre-set reception tables if you’re having your ceremony in there first. The is a very open room…no permanent bar in this room (guests generally go back to the other room when they are looking to get another drink) so it really is an open canvas to do what you want.

The main room can seat at least 150-200 comfortably for a ceremony. The DJ is set-up in their “reception spot” and can play music for both the ceremony and reception. They won’t be in the view of pictures and makes for a stress-free, one-time set-up for them.

Once the ceremony is complete, guests are led back to the other room while the venue staff transforms the main room to a reception-ready space! With tables pre-set, this transition is virtually seamless. One of the other big perks of this venue are the pin-spot lights which can highlight centerpieces on every table as well as the cake table. 120-150 guest count feels comfortable with tables. The events we’ve worked there have had 100-150 in attendance.

The food is excellent! The catering company does a phenomenal job not only with presentation but taste and service as well! The room doesn’t come equipped with any speciality lighting so the DJ would need to either bring dance effect lighting or the client would want to consider hiring a lighting company. The house lights are dimmable, however, which is great for dinner service and dancing. The main room has great acoustics and the sound is great! While there appears to be speakers in the main room, we’ve always brought our own PA system. I’m not sure if their sound system is rentable or not in the main room.

In closing, what separates this venue from a lot of others, is that this is strictly an event space. That means they know how to run an event. This can’t be overstated enough. Additionally, the views are magnificent. I’ll leave you with this picture I took in dining room where you could see the Freedom Tower through the sunset. Stunning!

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July 14, 2014 by B-Boy Productions, Inc.

Hilton Sandestin Wedding DJ Duane In The Mix | Lindsay & Anthony

One of the biggest thrills that I experience in my job as a Destin and Sandestin wedding DJ is seeing a bride and groom truly get to enjoy themselves with friends and family as they completely throw down on the dance floor in celebration! That being said, Lindsay and Anthony definitely made it to my highlight reel for 2014! It all took place at one of our favorite venues, the Hilton Sandestin Beach Golf Resort & Spa in Destin, FL. They recently renovated the property and if you haven’t had a chance to check it out, you absolutely need to! It’s really one of the best looking hotels in the area bar none. That said, one of the reasons the Hilton has become one of our client’s favorite venues is because of the ‘all-in-one’ wedding packages they offer: a venue, a coordinator, catering, and indoor/outdoor options for a reception. This makes for easy communication and transitions in case of emergency (the rain, heat, etc).

Everything went according to plan for Lindsay and Anthony’s big day! They enjoyed a beautiful ceremony out on the sugary white sands of the Emerald Coast and took photos right after their vows while their guests headed inside for cocktails. Once the couple was ready to make their grand entrance, I gave their guests a quick pep talk reminding them to cheer, dance, and laugh as much as possible to make sure this would be a day Lindsay or Anthony would never forget. If the picture of the groom and his groomsmen at the top of this post didn’t already give it away, let me tell you, this crowd did not need much encouragement at all! Once we went through all of the formality dances and dinner, it was time to PARTY! The dance floor was never empty and Anthony stole the show with dance moves on par with Justin Timberlake himself! We had such a great time that when it came time to end, the couple decided to extend the party for another hour! A big congratulations goes out to the newlyweds and a big thank you for letting me be a part of such an important day in their lives! Check out the highlights we put together in this video.

in Florida / Past DJ Events / Weddings 0 comments

July 7, 2014 by B-Boy Productions, Inc.

Highlands House Wedding Highlights with DJ Dan Davis | Jenna and Evan

Highlands House Bed and Breakfast is a wedding venue located in Santa Rosa Beach, FL along the world-famous Highway 30-A stretch of the Emerald Coast. B-Boy Productions is the exclusively referred entertainment company for the property. As the B-Boy “resident DJ” for Highlands House, I am there often and their staff and I recognize one another by name and face. We have developed a teamwork dynamic that really helps create a smooth and efficient atmosphere for our clients and guests that really shines. This particular wedding was one of their largest guest-wise. They handled this entire affair with the utmost care and service, better than I’ve ever seen them administrate any event (and that’s saying a lot since they’ve done such a good job with every one that I’ve been a part of!).

For a mid-June wedding, Jenna and Evan Sanders really won the Florida lottery. No, not the one you may be thinking of, but the weather lottery. The chance for precipitation in this state can often times be unpredictable, but I could not imagine a better day to get married. Perfect sky, perfect warmth, and naturally, one the world’s perfect beaches!

This wedding had a few stand-out moments. The first was that the date was Friday, the 13th. If that wasn’t already unique, how about the fact that 5 other couples who were attending their reception as guests were also married on a Friday, the 13th? It was actually a family tradition! Jenna and Evan put together a tribute of which I got the privilege to read through during dinner as we called up each couple who went before them in marriage and honored them. So cool!

The other stand-out moment was the Father/Daughter dance. Jenna had mentioned during our planning session that she had a special edit that she was going to send me. Intrigued, I eagerly awaited to hear what it was going to be and I don’t think anything could have prepared me for what she sent. To an unsuspecting crowd, after an un-announced “wardrobe change” (Jenna changed into a more “active wear” dress), Jenna and her father began dancing to the wedding staple “My Girl” by The Temptations. Things quickly took a turn when that tale-tell melody of “Thriller” by Michael Jackson began playing, fittingly enough for Friday the 13th. In reality, Jenna and her Father had choreographed a dance number beforehand, and really wowed not only their friends and family, but me as well! The medley concluded, rather surprisingly, with “Bye Bye Bye” by N*Sync. What a great way to kick off a party!

After a lovely meal and some special toasts, we danced the rest of the night away on the dance floor. After such a special day filled with great memories, it certainly didn’t take a lot of effort to get people out on the floor! What a happy day! Here’s a quick highlight reel of the night. Enjoy!

DJ Dan Davis Highlands House Wedding Video from B-Boy Productions Inc on Vimeo.

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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

June 10, 2014 by B-Boy Productions, Inc.

Barn Wedding with Nationally Traveling Wedding DJ, DJ Brian B: The White Barn, Prospect PA | Helbling Wedding

Some of you know that our company was started in Southern California. There was a time when Temecula / Winery / Barn Weddings were the rage in California. I absolutely loved doing them. They have the rustic feel but still modern vibe as well. Nowadays, those types of weddings are few and far between for us to DJ.

So when one of my favorite photographers on the planet, Dear Wesleyann, asked if I would consider coming to Prospect, PA to DJ her sister’s wedding, it was a no brainer. The fact that it was a Barn Wedding was icing on top of the cake. I was so pumped to be a part of Haley and Chad’s wedding and being a Traveling Wedding DJ is one of my favorite things about our business.

Although the White Barn was only 20 minutes outside of Pittsburgh, it felt like it was way out in BFE. Literally, the cemented roads stopped and I was on gravel for the last few miles. The clouds were crazy amazing that day.

One of my favorite things about this couple was their awesome taste in music. They had some phenomenal selections. For the exit of the ceremony, they walked out to an edit I did of Mumford and Son’s “She Said Yes”. This is not off any regularly released CD but a live concert CD bought at one of their shows. I’ll be suggesting this song for a while to couples. Such a great track!

After the ceremony, they had cocktail hour on the outside deck of the barn where a Lumineers/Mumford & Sons style band played. They were great and really picked up the energy.

We then transitioned into the reception space inside the barn. The décor was amazing, the speeches were full of humor and sincerity and once we got to the dancing, they were ready to have a party! The dance floor never emptied.

One moment that stood out was when the grandmother of the bride who was in her 90s wanted to dance with a guest. She goes by “Na Na”. So I put on Rihanna’s track “What’s My Name” where it starts off with, “Oh Na Na, what’s my name…” I looped it for a few bars until she figured it out it was for her, and they danced. It was awesome.

Haley and Chad were genuinely in love and even though I didn’t spend a ton of time with them outside of their wedding day, it was easy to see. Thanks for the opportunity to be a part of your day!

All images by Hot Metal Studio unless notated with our logo.

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

Wedding Entertainment with DJ Irving G: Henderson Park Inn, Destin FL | Harris Wedding

With the sugar white sand on the beach, the perfectly clear sky and the turquoise water color on full display, it was another awesome spring day on the Emerald Coast of Florida. Our bride and groom, Justin and Hayley Harris, had assembled an all-star supporting cast of vendors to work with us at Henderson Park Inn in Destin, FL. We had Michael K Photography, Florals by the Sea, Cake Destination and Beach Walk Café. There was no doubt that we were primed for an amazing wedding.

As the guests filed down to the beach, you could just feel the excitement. When Justin saw Hayley walk down that aisle, his face lit up with a huge smile. It was such a beautiful ceremony.

With the ceremony over, the guests transitioned to the lawn for cocktail hour. They enjoyed cocktails and hors d’oeuvres while listening to the the smooth Caribbean sounds of our steel drummer extraordinaire, Rudy Applewhite. Drinks in hand and the great company of friends, many of whom had not seen one another for a long time, made for the perfect combo as we got ready for a fun-filled reception.

Mr. and Mrs. Justin Harris walked into the reception and the crowd went wild. The first dance was a very appropriate choice with it being a beach wedding. They danced to “Kokomo” by the Beach Boys. The happy couple was just lost in the moment.

The music for the dinner hour was a mixture of laid back reggae, some retro throwbacks and a few current selections mixed in. Guests were singing and clapping along to many of the songs. As we got ready to transition into dancing, we picked up the tempo a bit.

Once we segued into open dancing, it became very apparent that the crowd loved that old time rock and roll. Everything from The Beatles to Jerry Lee Lewis, guests couldn’t get enough. From the very first song, guests were out on the floor!

When the crowd really got down, the white Wayfarer shades came out and the dance floor stayed packed almost the entire night.

I even got on the dance floor and led a few dances with Justin, Hayley and their guests.

How did they end this perfect night? With a glow stick tunnel of course. All of their family and friends cheered them on as Justin and Hayley made their way through it. It was a great send-off and completed an awesome reception.

Want to see more? My DJ Assistant for the night, DJ Dan Davis, took some pictures and video and we put together this quick collage. Enjoy!

in Florida / Weddings 0 comments

May 20, 2014 by B-Boy Productions, Inc.

Weekend DJ Entertainment Recap: Nightclub, Weddings, & Bat Mitzvah

Whew! What a weekend. We are just now recouping from a phenomenal weekend where we had 12 events across Florida and New York. Here’s a little journey through our DJ Entertainment life in pictures.

On Thursday, DJ Brian B kicked off the weekend at McGuire’s Irish Pub of Destin in Destin, FL. It’s Destin’s best Ladies Night and DJ Brian B did not disappoint. He was rocking it along with the band, Grape Drink. It was packed! If this is any indication of what the summer is going to be like, we’re in for a good one. We’re there EVERY Thursday from 10PM – 2AM with a rotation of our DJs and there’s no cover! It even prompted this amazing text from management to Brian B.

Friday night, DJ Irving G was mixing it up for the wedding of Craig Farthing and Nicola Kirkham on the deck at the Hilton Sandestin in Destin, FL. Look at this view!

Saturday, we had 7 events on the schedule. DJ Dan Davis kicked it off with the wedding of Meagan Blais and Lacey Nivers at a private residence in Navarre, FL. Dan handled the ceremony sound and DJ/Emcee duties. He did so well that it even warranted a kiss from the brides at the end of the night.

DJ Irving G was at Bud and Alley’s in Seaside, FL for the wedding of Chris Olfers and Arielle Warner. We worked this wedding with the uber-talented Heather Archdeacon-Williams from Defining Moments Wedding & Special Events.

We had a chair rental for a Seascape Golf Beach & Tennis Resort wedding at Whale’s Tale in Miramar Beach, FL. Our own DJ Charles and Mace Livingston handled the chair set-up. The wedding even featured a special appearance by Harry and Lloyd from the movie Dumb and Dumber to announce the arrival of the bride. Ha!

Meanwhile back at the Hilton Sandestin, DJ Josh B was rocking the turntables for the wedding of Ryan Murray an Liberty Getman. Check out this amazing cake by the Hilton Sandestin Beach Weddings’ own Yascha Becker. Incredible right?

DJ Brian B and DJ Charles did a tag team DJ set for the Bat Mitzvah of Sophia Feldman at Rutherford’s 465 in Destin, FL. We had 3 party motivators assisting us and the event went off without a hitch!

Sunday, DJ Irving G and DJ Charles were at the Palazzo Del Sol house in Destin, FL for the wedding of Matt Gerry and Elena King. We worked with Shana Bliss of Laugh Live Travel and Laugh Love Events Exclusive Concierge. Irving even got a selfie with some of the bridal party! Ha!

Meanwhile, DJ Brian B took an early morning flight back to New York for the wedding of Patrick Gillen and Chantal Lutin. It was held at Jericho Terrace in Mineola, NY. The venue was absolutely stunning.

That was a quick snippet of our weekend for you! We sure do love our job and our clients are absolutely the best. If you have a need for our services, contact us ASAP as we’re booking into 2015 right now. Not having your event in California, Florida or New York? No problem! We are a nationwide company that can be booked throughout the United States and abroad.

in Florida / New York / Weddings 0 comments

May 15, 2014 by B-Boy Productions, Inc.

Venue Spotlight: Rutherford’s 465 (Regatta Bay) – Destin, FL

We’re highlighting another venue today in Destin, FL called “Rutherford’s 465“. It is located inside the Regatta Bay community. This is a property owned and ran by Legendary Inc.

This is a great venue for those that are not looking for a beach atmosphere but still want that serene and peaceful vibe. Guest count wise, you can comfortably accommodate up to 200 people here but you can also configure the room to feel full with 30-40 guests. The modular ability of this venue is limitless.

To start, there is plenty of parking. You would think this would be an obvious feature, but not in this tourist town. Parking is scarce at most venues but not here. This is a crucial feature that too many people with large guest counts overlook when they decide on a venue.

Ceremonies can be done here on the adjacent lawn to the left of the venue. This little nook has a very garden’esque look to it with the foliage and well-manicured lawns. It’s very quiet as well at this venue so you’re sure to have an uninterrupted ceremony.

The walk from the ceremony site to the reception location is only about 40-50 yards. There’s a back deck that is used for cocktail hour which boasts a 2 level deck. A live musician (which you can also book through us as this particular couple did) can set-up and serenade guests as hors’ d’oeuvres are passed and cocktail drinks are served.

Dinner is usually inside. The room can be divided into 3 sections. If you have a small guest count, you can close off one of the sections. Another option is to use one of the 3 sections for a buffet spread. The wedding cake is almost always set-up inside so the elements don’t get to it.

Most couples who book this venue for their wedding in the nice weather months (Spring and Fall) will then utilize the lowest level deck outside to bring guests down to dance once the dinner portion has concluded. The set-up looks amazing at night. The dance floor area is extremely large for dancing.

We’ve put together a video tour for you as well so you can get a simulated “walk thru” of the facility. The staff is amazing to work with. The food/catering is exquisite. This is one of the Emerald Coast’s premiere venues to consider for any type of private event function.

in B-Boy Recommends / Florida / Weddings 0 comments