Weddings Archives - B-Boy Productions, Inc.

May 8, 2017 by B-Boy Productions, Inc.

Inappropriate Wedding Songs That Make You Go Hmm

As wedding DJs, part of our planning process is asking our clients for song requests for their reception. As you can imagine, we see a lot of the same requested tunes. We also get some new tunes that will catch our attention. Every now and then, however, a title or two will be on the list that will have us ponder if it really is appropriate for a wedding (even if the song has a good groove). With that, we present to you a sampling of actual client song requests we’ve been given – “Inappropriate Wedding Songs That make you Go Hmm” (in no particular order).

I Still Haven’t Found What I’m Looking For – U2
Bad Day – Daniel Powter
99 Problems – Jay-Z
The Thunder Rolls – Garth Brooks
Call Me When It’s Over – Chris Brown
Lips Of An Angel – Hinder
Help – The Beatles
I Keep Forgettin (We’re Not In Love Anymore) – Michael McDonald
I’m In Luv With A Stripper – T-Pain feat. Mike Jones
Goodbye Earl – Dixie Chicks
Don’t You Want Me – The Human League
I Said I Loved You But I Lied – Michael Bolton
Ready To Run – Dixie Chicks
Treat You Better – Shawn Mendes
Tyrone – Erykah Badu
Me & Mrs. Jones – Billy Paul
Tempted (By The Fruit Of Another) – Squeeze
It’s Wasn’t Me – Shaggy feat. Ricardo Ducent
Tip Drill – Nely
In The Closet (Part 1- 3464) – R Kelly
Before He Cheats – Carrie Underwood
Creep – TLC
Part Time Lover – Steve Wonder
Hit ‘Em Up Style – Blu Cantrell
(It’s Too Late To) Apologize – OneRepublic
50 Ways To Leave Your Lover – Simon & Garfunkel

These are some doozies, no? If nothing else, we hope it brings a bit of humor to your Monday. What would you add to this list? I know there are some good ones we haven’t listed. Let us know. Want our DJs to give you our feedback on some of your reception song ideas? Contact us with your song titles and we’ll let you know if you’re safe or not. It could make our next blog post – ha!

March 28, 2017 by B-Boy Productions, Inc.

How Long Should Your Reception last and What You Can do Without

With wedding season here, we thought we’d address 2 topics that have been huge conversation pieces with our brides and grooms during our sales consultations and creative planning meetings. The first is “How Long Should Your Reception last”. This is based on two things: your attendance count and the meal type (buffet or plated). With large guest counts, this typically means large families and wedding parties. Photos can take a bit longer, there are more toasts, and dinner will take longer regardless of meal type. The ideal wedding reception ends with a packed dance floor and the bride/groom having to decide whether or not to go a little longer. Some guidelines would be for 50-150 people, a 3-4 hour time frame is generally perfect. For every 50-100 people over, add an hour. So if you had between 200-250, you’re looking at a 4-5 hour time frame. If you have a plated dinner as opposed to a buffet, add 30 minutes for each additional course to the times listed above. The extra 30 minutes accounts for taking orders and the extra course delivery/clean-up. Anything less than a 3 hour event for 50+ attendees would feel rushed so give yourself at least that amount of time.

We also get couples asking us what they can take out of the formalities to have more time for dancing because they have a real party crowd. Let this be your rule of thumb: there are no rules. In this day and age, you can do whatever you want so don’t feel restricted by tradition or what everyone else is doing. That said, here’s a few suggestions:

*Grand Entrance: Just introduce the couple of honor. This can shave anywhere between 5-10 minutes from the beginning of the reception.

*Formality Dances: Combine 2 or all 3. Obviously, you want each person to feel special and get those important photos. We’ve had a dance start with just the bride/groom and then we ask the parents to join them about half way through. Going this route, you take 9 minutes worth of dances and get it down to 2-3 minutes. If you want to have the first dance with just your spouse, another way is to combine just the parents dances. Start with the father/daughter and then ask the groom and his mom to join halfway in.

*Move Toasts To The Rehearsal Dinner: Generally most rehearsal dinners don’t have time limits and everyone can be given a platform to speak. Toasts these days can go anywhere from 10-20 minutes so this is a great way to recoup some time.

*No Cake Cut: This has really started to trend with going away altogether in lieu of tiered cupcakes or donuts or a dessert station and just having the DJ/MC announce when it’s open. This is a 5-10 minute formality time saver.

*No Tosses: Another trend starting to develop is no garter removal/toss. We’re seeing this less and less. If you remove the bouquet toss as well, you’re looking at a pick-up of at least 10-15 minutes. If you want to give away the bouquet, think about having the DJ/MC honor the longest married couple and give it to them. It’s a cool moment that can be created during dinner with no time taken away from dancing.

If you incorporate these tips, you’re looking at giving you and your guests anywhere from 45 minutes to an hour of extra dance time. Want more ideas? Don’t hesitate in contacting us. We’d be glad to help.

February 1, 2017 by B-Boy Productions, Inc.

Charles Egstad Promoted To Associate DJ in Destin FL

The 2017 promotions are aplenty at B-Boy Productions, Inc. In our Destin Florida division, DJ Charles Egstad has been promoted to the Associate level headliner DJ/MC.

Over the past 5 years with B-Boy Productions, Charles has gone from A/V technician (running our ceremony kit, lighting fixtures and other A/V gear) to strictly DJ’ing with a headlining MC to most recently being a Jr. Associate headliner DJ/MC. Clients have taken notice and are requesting Charles specifically on a very regular basis. Last year, he took another step in his progression as he was selected to be our nightlife resident DJ at McGuire’s Irish Pub of Destin where he played for the area’s largest Ladies Night every Thursday in season. In addition to nightlife and weddings, Charles also became our “go to” high school dance DJ/MC. As a result, he’s become a DJ in Destin who is in very high demand.

According to General Manager Shawn Frady, “Charles has been a local to the Emerald Coast for nearly half of his life and although he hasn’t had much life to live as of yet, this up and coming DJ/MC knows how to throw a party! He brings an awesome blend of experience, youth and passion to any event. This promotion is well-deserved and I have no doubt that we’re hitting just the tip of the iceberg of what his capabilities are.”

For more information on Charles, be sure to read his bio here.

If you’re looking for a a DJ in Destin, Charles is always a great way to go. To book Charles, be sure to message us and assuming he’s available, we’ll be glad to add him to your event.

in B-Boy Recommends / Florida 0 comments

February 3, 2016 by B-Boy Productions, Inc.

Bud and Alley’s Weddings in Seaside, FL

If you’ve ever driven along 30A going from Santa Rosa Beach into Seaside, then you’ve had to come across Bud and Alley’s in Seaside, FL. We’re so excited to see more and more of our clients having their wedding receptions there. This venue has always been an after-hours place for many of our wedding clients once everything else closes down at 10PM due to the upstairs bar that stays open till 2AM.

However, they just completed a renovation of the main restaurant and over the last year or so, a ton of wedding receptions are now being held on property. I recently got a chance to see the venue a few weeks ago and sit down with their event coordinators, Rachel and Kathryn.

This outdoor space has been redone to include a tented area for the DJ to set up under. Additionally, they have professional grade speakers permanently mounted to the top of the tent that allows us as the DJ to tap into. This eliminates the clutter of seeing our speakers stands, etc. On that lower level is where dancing takes place.

There’s a raised deck that is adjacent to the restaurant. This is where the dinner tables are placed. This picture below doesn’t show it but the deck wraps around to the left and more tables can be placed there. They have standalone heaters for the cold months available and cafe style lighting strands are strung over the dance floor year round to give it that throwback rustic look.

If you haven’t yet seen Bud & Alley’s and are looking for a private venue that serves amazing food, make sure you check it out. They only do 1 event per day so be sure to get your reservation in early. We will be shooting a venue profile video and have it up on our YouTube channel later on this season.

in Florida / Weddings 0 comments

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!

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.

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.

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!

in B-Boy Recommends / California / Florida / Humor / New York / Past DJ Events 0 comments

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!

in B-Boy Recommends / 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

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