Erika & Tony's Wedding Reception 11-26-10

The stars were definitely out at Erika & Tony's reception on November 26th 2010. Depending on how you looked at it, there were big ones and little ones. The breath-taking view of 3 horizons high-atop the Penthouse, at the Holiday Inn Express on Mannnheim Rd in Rosemont, was a spectacular setting. Drenched with starlight from above and busy city lights below it truly made for a delightful, picture-perfect backdrop. Then there were our 'stars', Tony and Erika who were delightfully surprised along with their guests by the choreographed routine to the Black Eyed Peas song "I Gotta Feeling" (certainly coming to a YouTube channel near you) that Erika's sisters Amanda & Christina put together including a cast of 20 or more participants! The scrumptious dinner buffet provided by the Victoria Banquet staff (which started promptly as the guests arrived) was also unique and a treat for hungry guests who may have skipped a breakfast or lunch earlier in the day, re-coiling from the traditional Thanksgiving 'feeding-frenzy' the day before. Then there were the stars on the dance floor, who kept it populated all night long. A gallery of old and young partied 'til well after midnight and enjoyed a few eclectic tracks to boot. Thanks Erika and Tony, we wish you a 'galaxy' of happiness in your new lives together. Salute!

Sheila & Larry's Wedding Reception 11-20-10

With abundant warm temperatures throughout the week, a more typical fall day was in store for Sheila & Larry's Wedding Reception on Saturday 11-20-10. While the day was not without its challenges for our guests-of-honor (Sheila's beautiful wedding gown was destroyed by fire only a few days prior to the day), both her and Larry handled it masterfully. An old saying claims "It is good luck for it to rain on your wedding day" but without a doubt, it's safe to say that adage can be extended to this situation. As the night began, it was obvious the McDonald Hyatt Lodge's phenomenal food and service were ratcheted up once again to the highest level. Arguably one of the best receptions all year, the guests filled the dance floor the whole nite. They even seemed amused when DJ Jay played "Fire Burning" by Sean Kingston as a dedication to the wedding dress that went up in flames. Even more impressive was Sheila's Uncles (Ted and Tony) whose rendition of Rolling Stones rockers Mick Jagger and Keith Richards was incredibly well-done during the song "Start Me Up". It was so good; the audience was spell-bound! All-in-all, it was obvious a great time was had by everyone. Here's wishing Sheila and Larry all the best in their new lives together!

Nikki & Brian's Wedding 11-6-10

Another beautiful fall day with a relatively warm temperature was in store for Nikki & Brian's big day! With a supporting cast of over 250 family and friends, a great time was had by all. While sometimes it is difficult for the Father of the Bride to find words to say, this definitely was not the case! Most guests had a laugh when the priest was called for the toast and he almost did not respond. Upon taking the mic he said "Sorry, I was just waking up and the crowd roared! The rest was music history. The unique blend of Pop, Rock and Oldies requested by the guests of honor was received well. Nikki & Brian really seemed to know their crowd, which is why we listen to each and every client! Their dedications to each other also sparked an emotional moment on the dance floor, well-supported by the attendees. We wish all the best to Nikki and Brian!

Happy Halloween to all! Here is some interesting trivia I found related to the second most commercially successful holiday (Christmas being number 1). October 31st (Halloween) is the last day of the Celtic calendar. It was originally a pagan holiday, honoring the dead. Halloween was referred to as All Hallows Eve and dates back to over 2000 years ago.

Halloween Holiday Trivia. Orange and black are Halloween colors because orange is associated with the Fall harvest and black is associated with darkness and death. Jack o’ Lanterns originated in Ireland where people placed candles in hollowed-out turnips to keep away spirits and ghosts on the Samhain holiday. Pumpkins also come in white, blue and green. The ancient Celts thought that spirits and ghosts roamed the countryside on Halloween night. They began wearing masks and costumes to avoid being recognized as human. Bobbing for apples is thought to have originated from the roman harvest festival that honors Pamona, the goddess of fruit trees. Black cats were once believed to be witch's familiars who protected their powers.

Monster Trivia & Folklore. Signs of a werewolf are a unibrow, hair palms, tattoos, and a long middle finger. Vampires are mythical beings who defy death by sucking the blood of humans. In 1962, the Count Dracula Society was founded. To this day, there are vampire clubs and societies with people claiming to be real vampires. There really are so-called vampire bats, but they're not from Transylvania. They live in Central and South America and feed on the blood of cattle, horses and birds. Many people still believe that gargoyles were created by medieval architects and stone carvers to ward off evil spirits.

Creepy Tidbits. If you see a spider on Halloween, it is the spirit of a loved on watching over you. Worldwide, bats are vital natural enemies of night-flying insects. The common little brown bat of North America has the longest life span for a mammal it's size, with a life span averaging 32 years.

Jackie & Jason's Wedding & Reception 10-15-10

Bartlett Hills Golf Club was the picturesque backdrop for the Wedding Ceremony and Reception of Jacqueline & Jason. On a beautiful fall day, with delightfully manicured fairways as far as the eyes could see and a slight chill in the air (temps hovering around 60 degrees), this day was already on track to be five-stars. Reverend Jim Rehnberg officiated the union of Jackie and Jason with a spectacular ceremony. All were drawn to every word he said using delightful characterisations of the bride and groom, plus a little levity to break the tension! Things moved indoors with dancing starting promptly at 8:30pm. Jackie & Jason's 'First Dance' as husband and wife ('I Can't Fight This Feeling' by REO Speedwagon) was followed by the unique Father/Daughter Dance('Daughters' by John Mayer) and the classic Mother/Son Dance ('A Song For Mama' by Boys II Men) after which 'The Anniversary Dance' kicked off the dancing festivities for the gallery of 100+ guests in attendance. I knew something special was gonna happen with this unique way dancing started! With most guest requests getting played coupled with many of the 35+ favorites Jackie and Jason submitted (...and a few added by the DJ), the music connected well with the group and a great time was had by all. A fairytale beginning and a happy ending for a wonderful couple. Best wishes always, Jackie and Jason!

Maria & Jaime's Wedding 10-10-10

An 84 degree October day in the heart of Bensenville definitely set the tone for Maria and Jaime's Wedding Ceremony & Reception at White Pines Golf Club. Guests were especially treated to a ceremony officiated by Jim Rehnberg a.k.a. Rent-A-Rev. (Even he had to laugh when the groom came out with 'for richer and richer' on the 'for richer or poorer' line!) All kidding aside, everything was 'Moy Caliente' in a great way from Rev. Jim's homily & Nicole's spectacular live rendition of Cascada's cover of 'Truly, Madly, Deeply' (for their first dance) to the unique table centerpieces and energetic dance experience had by all. Rather than using traditional table numbers, Maria & Jaime had a Hollywood movie DVD showcased for each guest table. The fun started at dessert when the guests were asked to 'Pass the Movie' around the table to the tune of 'Hooray for Hollywood'. With several pauses in the music (where guests had to do creative or borderline crazy things with the DVD), they really got caught up in the excitement, concluding with some lucky guy or gal at each table going home with it. Maria and Jaime's Big day gave a whole new meaning to the phrase 'Lights, Camera, Action!' p.s. - (For those curious, you will have to wait 400 years for another Saturday that is 10-10-10. That will be the year 2410. -- Best wishes!)

Sara & Rick's 'Unique' Wedding Reception 10-2-10

While the weather tried to put a damper on things, the 'buzz' was ratcheted up a notch for Sara & Rick's reception. A highly energized crowd attacked the dance floor at the Grotto in Oakbrook to celebrate their nuptials. Everything about Sara and Rick's reception was unique. Even the guest register was different. It was not a book, a signing picture or photo book but consisted of card the guests filled out and inserted in a fancy, oak box. Could it be there were secret messages writtn to help guide Sara and Rick along the way to having a successful marriage?

Even the venue was unique. The Grotto, being a family-operated business, Matt and Cindy explained how they pamper their clients by imposing "no limits" on many things including the length of receptions hosted there. While known for their steaks, each guest is allowed to choose from an assortment of entree options ordered right there at their table as in a fine restaurant (but aaaah, it is! They have a restaurant and bar, too.). Incredible! I have never see that done for a wedding. I have to admit it at first I had my doubts, but they rocked right down to the smallest detail! I will definitely encourage my Loyola accounts to use their 5-star facility.

Carrie & Tom's Reception 9-25-10

Another 'dance fest' with a great time had by all! Highlights were the impressive reaction by the crowd on some new lighting I debuted for the first time. (I was actually able to hear the collective 'Oooooh' from the dancers!). I also was introduced to "Backthird Events - 2S Twin Strings ensemble" for the first time as they played the Cocktail hour in the hallway outside the room at the Marriott Oakbrook Hills Resort. They were fantastic! Their string renditions of popular new rock songs were most enjoyable and unique. I was impressed! Also, Benji (one of the group members) is a new addition to our wedding 'think tank' that meets the first Wednesday of each month.

9/18 Renee & Glenn's Reception

It was truly an awe-inspiring event for Renee & Glenn's big day at Concorde Banquets in Kildeer IL. We definitely had 'a tiger by the tail' with their friends and family that came to celebrate their marriage. The only thing we could have improved on (if we had the chance) was getting a bigger dance floor! The crowd consisted of party animals from all the age groups. The hardest thing was slipping in the occasional slow dance and line dance (or two). The next hardest thing was ending the evening as those guests still had a lot of party left in them.

A First for Crestline...

Jeanne & Larry's wedding marked a first (of sorts) for Crestline. In addition to avoidong the over-played, wedding standards, I was politely encouraged to play the 'uncensored' tracks of many of today's urban artists for their wedding on 9/11 at Maxim's Banquets in Chicago. While I had reservations about accommodating this request, there seemed to be only positive feedback. If you are a customer (or potential one) keep in mind that adding the 'explicit' versions to our repertory is not something we are changing. In fact, knowing the situation, Jeanne & Larry thankfully provided the these versions. While avoiding the typical tunes was no problem, I thought the rest was worth mentioning as we generally never hesitate to buy music when needed, provided it can be used for other events. Bottom-line: The party was a smashing success. All the best to Jeanne and Larry for a long and happy marriage. Congratulations!!

Carole's Surprise 50th Birthday Party 9/4/10

Carole was completely shocked as she walked in to what she thought was a wedding at Chandler's Banquets in Schaumburg. After all, she was supposed to be attending a wedding reception (albeit an informal one?!) Not only were the candles blown out, but the NITE was a blow out! This event stands to be one of the best of not the the best birthday party I have done in history - period! After picking the music up during the cake serving, we turned the corner and never looked back! 50+ people stayed glued to the party right up until 12 midnight. There had to be alot of soreness the next day! The honoree, her husband, her sister with her husband and the Mom Kathy (who hired me) spent at least 1/2 hour telling me what a great time they had. This is what I live for. :-)

9/3 Wedding Moved inside on account of Wind/Rain threat

It was an interesting weather day for Justine and Edgar's ceremony and reception at Hotel Baker. The day started off beautiful after an evening's worth of showers. However, it was not only the darkening skies that threatened to put a damper on their festive occasion, but the wind. 40mph gusts to be exact. Not great for picture taking when everything is being blown about! Even though everything was quickly moved inside, the ceremony could not have been more beautiful. The reception consisted of buffet stations and had a relaxed feel because there was no sit-down dinner. While it took an extra effort on my part to get the party rolling, a great time was had by all much to the satisfaction of Justine and Edgar.

Mockingjay Book Release Party

On Monday August 23rd, DJ Jay was privileged to be a part of the newest book released from author Suzanne Collins. Many pre-production hours were spent in preparation for the unique music fare that accompanied the event. Talented young writers, artist renderings, games and a costume contest rounded out the festivities. Tribune staff Photographer Steve Johnson (and associate) took this amazing image as the pre-release party was in full swing. The thrills concluded with the distribution of the pre-sold books at 12:01am Tuesday morning. (Photo courtesy of Oryna Schiffman)

 I want to thank Miguel of Miguel Castillo Photography for sending me this picture. Brides, Miguel is a quality Photographer and has images that will make you stop and stare. Taken at the Koenig/Haughton Wedding on 7-16-10.

White Sox Lose Nail-biter In Minnesota.

My fellow White Sox fans. OMG can you believe the heartbreaker tonight? More drama then Perez Hilton's whole life has to offer. It was entertaining up until Thome crushed the winning homer in the 10th inning. Sox lose 7-6. Good game except for Delmon Young's cheap shot on A.J. who wasn't even close to blocking the plate. Stay tuned...the payback is coming.

AWOL (for awhile)

I was AWOL from blogging for a while, but now I'm back! (Whew! It was a busy summer! Hope your's was great. Tell me something interesting you did?) Btw, I left my blogging updates in lieu of the kids. Now that their in school, I can start up again. (he, he)

Holly and Eddy's Wedding 6-26-10

The threat of rain and the humid tempurature did not negatively affect Holly and Eddy's reception Saturday at White Pines G.C. in Bensenville. The reception was a smash from beginning to end! Compliments abounded from the guests, as well as the Mother of the Bride. Besides the intense dance experience all nite long, everyone felt the moment late in the evening when Holly and Eddy melted into each other's arms dancing to Kenny Chesney's - "You Had Me From Hello".

Testimonial from 5-15-10 Wedding Reception just received.

"Our experience with Jay & Crestline was outstanding. We highly recommend him & Crestline. Joy and I, as well as our guests, were delighted with the service!" Noel & Joy Lorenzana - 5-15-10

Exceeding Expectations 6-11-10 & 6-12-10

As Griselda and Jason came off the dance floor to say goodnight, Friday night 6-11-10they informed me that their guests (many from out of state and a few from other countries) told me that everyone had commented that this was the best reception they had ever been to. Tips and compliments sent directly my way affirmed that. God is good and I love my job!!!

Amy and Nathan's reception was one of the most exhilarating events even before dancing starfted. Guests were told that in order to get the bride and groom to kiss that they themselves would need to 'creatively kiss' their significant other first and brother, did THAT ever happen!!! I was amazed especially at the 'ab crunch' style, the take the Mic and sing 'N'Sync - I want it that way' style, the 'kiss you up the arm' style and best of all, the 'female wisking the male off his feet and twirling' style. OMG and that was only the dinner hour! Dancing was off-the-wall; every wall from start to finish. With the remote speaker I placed out on the patio, the 'Train' (C'mon and Ride the Train) never lost a beat or momentum. The night finished with shouts of 'Play One More' and it was time to "Hit The Road Jack'.

Sunday, May 30th 2010 - Daria and Andy's Wedding

Here's what Daria (the Bride) said about their reception:
"Jay, you did such a fantastic job at our ceremony and wedding! We really appreciate you going out of your way to fulfill our random and often hard to find song selections. The music volume was great, and your extra Polish selections were so thoughtful! I can't believe the idea to play "Sto Lat" hadn't occured to me! Our families and guests of all ages were positively delighted. Having the dance floor packed into the closing song was a magical experience! Thank you for a job well done! We loved that you played another ode to the Blackhawks as the lights came on at the end of the evening =) We will recommend you to all of our friends!"


Here's what Andy (the Groom) said about their reception:
"Jay, We'll be sending a formal thank you (+tip) shortly but I still wanted to send you a quick note. Yesterday was fantastic and we couldn't have asked for a better Dj. I can't even count how many compliments you got throughout the night, everyone said it was the best DJ/music at any wedding. You're really great at what you do and the choice/timing of music was perfect.

Hope you enjoyed yourself as well.

Thanks for making the reception a ton of fun


We will post great reviews everywhere, for sure."

Overwhelmed.

Do you ever have that feeling? I stay so focused on day-to-day 'must-do' things, prepping for the upcoming weekend, personal commitments and trying to get caught up on much needed projects that I get to my blog much later than hoped. The weekend of the 21st, 22nd and 23rd was crazy-busy. A School dance and 2 wedding receptions rounded out the 3 day run. Energy-packed dancing was enjoyed by the kids from Marquardt Middle School - Go class of 2010! My bride and groom (Margaret and Eddie)for Saturday were extremely gracious and generous hosts. I was astounded by their $200 tip! Thank you soooooo much! Sunday's couple, Dena and Jeff, had actually seen me at her Mom's wedding 3 years ago. While the heat was a little more than bargained for, everyone had a great time minus the inconvenience of "Fairway Banquet's" (Niles IL) problematic electrical circuitry. They have their outdoor beer coolers hooked up to the same power circuit as the DJ. Good grief, in five years with my miserly gear, I have yet to come even close to blowing circuits, so it was quite a shock (no pun intended) when this happened. Albeit this was just a minor inconvenience for the guests, but worry-some for the bride and family. I would steer clear of using this place until they take the initiative to run a separate line, which could easily be done from the outside of the building. They admitted this has been a nagging problem, go figure.

Noel and Joy's Wedding 5-15-10

Another 5-Star event was held Saturday night at The Belvedere in Elk Grove Village. Orla (from the Belvedere) was a pleasure to work with. Cynthia, the Bridal Coordinator, from Everlasting Elegant Weddings did an outstanding job, as usual. I love my job because everytime out, I am exposed to so many cool things! The guests (not to mention the Bride and Groom) were accomplished Ballroom dancers. At minimum, there were at least 25 couples ballroom dancing throughout the event. It was amazing! They even ballroom danced to Beyonce and Lady Gaga! Truly, a great time was had by all and once again, I received many compliments on the music. However, I can't take all the credit. While there is an 'art' to assembling music that flows well together, it still bears mentioning that most clients are pretty accurate when picking the selections that they think are best for their group. It definitely pays to listen and apply their suggestions!

Karen and Marc's Wedding Reception 5-8-10

I was thrilled to be at the Deer Path Inn in Lake Forest on Saturday night for Karen and Marc's reception! Who wouldn't, with Old-world charm meeting a cosmospolitan group of guests who arrived to celebrate this momentous occasion from all over the world. It also was a pleasure to work for one of the most organized bride's (and groom's) yet! Both her and Marc had spent many hours compiling their music choices yet, offered me optional ways to take the evening should it need some adjustment. I'm happy and proud to report the music was about 95% their preferences and that the party could not have gone better. Compliments abounded from theit guests and of course, Karen and Marc. Thank you for having me as your entertainment and Best wishes! - Jay (the DJ)

A Weekend Off

Over the weekend, I got some much needed R & R in preparation for the 2010 wedding season. A 3 hour drive to Kalamazoo and it's nearby Gilmore Auto Museum was well worth it (One of the top 10 Auto Museums in the country!). Also, the Kalamazoo Air Zoo (antique aircraft museum) is highly recommended, too. The Air Zoo was free, and survives only on donations, attraction ride purchases and IMAX movie ticket purchases. The $2 per person short IMAX production is great and recreates the historical B-17 bombing run where 1/3 of these planes were shot down over Nazi occupied Germany in WWII. The movie is dedicated to those men lost and portions of the procedes continue to go to help the families they left behind. I highly recommend both places if you are a transportation history nut like me!

A Personal best (times 2)!

Two personal Milestones achieved this past week. German (level 1) completed on Monday and "Essential Elements" for Alto Sax completed Thursday. Now it's onto German (level 2) and Song Compositions for Alto Sax (over 100 selections). I'll be busy for awhile.

April 17th Wedding was almost a 'crash and burn'.

Erik and Noel's Wedding was one of the more interesting events I had done in a long time. I really enjoyed the eclectic Jazz, Flamenco, Blues and Christian music tastes they had chosen for Cocktail and Dinner music. Unfortunately, the evening was hampered by a 50 minute power outage in April. (Yes, April!) With nothing but clear skies and 50 degree temperatures, who da thunk it? But it happened anyway, go figure (and still a mystery to the writing of this blog!~) The caterer (Refined Dining), the hall (The Woman's Club of Wilmette) and myself pulled together to make it to the finish line. Besides that, the party was a success even with the minor medical emergency by a VIP guest that followed. No ambulances were needed, but I could have used a strong drink by then!!! A word of advice for those having friends as unofficial 'bridal consultants' in the future. DON'T! While the intentions of such volunteers are honorable, it often times is much MORE work for all professionals when such people are assigned to an event. Inevitably (and usually by ignorance) they forget something or fail to connect critical aspects of a reception that directly affects the flow of an event. Inexperience obscures and draws attention away from the timing of important parts of an event that would have been anticipated properly if left to us professionals or a professional coordinator. Bless their hearts for trying, it's just sad that unrealized, lost opportunities can be the result. I highly recommend using ABC coordinators (Association of Bridal Consultants). Since 1955 they have an incredibly knowledgeable member base. I saw it for myself last Tuesday 4/13 at their gala dinner and membership meeting at Bartlett Hills Golf Club. They don't miss a trick! Go ABC!

Shaun and Marianne's Wedding Saturday, April 3rd 2010

Everyone had a blast at Shaun and Marianne's Wedding last nite. While Caroline at the Belvedere managed to almost 'snatch defeat from the jaws of victory' by not confirming with her banquet staff what the customer, myself and ahe had all agreed upon regarding the placement of the DJ, the evening was still a huge success. I was pleasantly surprised at how well most of the club music populated the dance floor, most of which were selected by the groom! This is why special attention is given to promoting what our clients suggest in the way of music. More times than not, they have an inside track on what their friends will respond favorably to.

A Blessed Easter to All

I hope you all had an enjoyable Easter with family.

The Great 80 degree weather!

I hope you all are enjoying this great day today! WGN TV-9 was at our local park and asked me for my thoughts. See what I had to say on their evening news or tonight's 9pm broadcast (Although I may look foolish, this is no April fools joke!)

BPD Sweetheart Ball 2-12-10

Thanks to Kelly at BPD, I got some great images from the Sweetheart Father-Daughter Dance held back on February 12th, 2010

Last Night and Today

Another fun time happened last night for our clients at the American Society of Sanitary Engineers. Jay had the privilege of providing musical entertainment for the second time in a row. A great time was had by all. If you plan on using The Grove in Glenview as your reception destination this year, you can meet Jay today Sunday 2/28 from 1pm-4pm for some good music and great food provided by 'Refined Dining'. See ya soon!

You always get what you paid for...(Part 2)

...and now, for those of you waiting from my post yesterday, the 'dead-beat' company is called "Your DJ" Company (formerly known as "A Solid Gold Sound" (and "A Sensory Sound"). They are now based out of Cinncinati Ohio since being evicted from their offices in Kentucky. The previous owner John Kruer (Syncorp) and 'evictor' decided to pull the plug on them since these new owners also don't pay their bills. They also left many of their DJ's 'holding the bag' on paychecks that never were cut and have been delinquent for months with many of these guys/gals being owed thousands of dollars in unpaid remuneration. Sound familiar? I think it rhymes with "Enron", "Goldman-Sachs" and "AIG", don't you?

You always get what you paid for...

How many times have we all heard that phrase? Yet still another sad example of someone getting taken advantage of has surfaced this evening. My friend Phil (another popular local DJ) received a call from a bride in trouble for her wedding this Friday 2/19/10. Her DJ company claimed she cancelled their services, when in fact the services were paid in full! Now my friend is coming to the rescue and NOT taking advantage of her because he is a nice guy. The offending company will be mentioned in tomorrow's post for any of you who are interested. For now, all I can say is that they are a 'bottom-feeder' organization who deals in supplying DJ's at around $500 or so. More thoughts on this tomorrow, but for now Buyer Beware!!

Beginner at work.

"Let it Snow, Let it Snow, Let it Snow". (Can't play that on the Eflat Alto Sax yet, but I actually scrubbed off "When the Saints go Marching In", shortly after the big game on Sunday.) -- Who Dat?

Friends

Good to see my friends Ken, Kathy, Gary & Lynne at their daughter Zoe's confirmation party on Saturday. Salute!

German Class

I am up to unit 3 lesson one in my Level 1 German class.

Personal Accomplishments

I learned another note on the Eflat alto saxophone tonight, lower octave 'D'.

2010 Bride's Choice Award

Congratulations!
Friday, January 29, 2010 4:40 PM
From:
"Stephanie Minton"
To:
crestline_dj@att.net
Hi Jay,

I just wanted to write a quick email and congratulate you on winning the 2010 Bride’s Choice Award! Let me know when you’re available for a quick chat or feel free to call me directly at (301) 231-9473 x219.

I look forward to hearing from you!

Take care,
Stephanie

Stephanie Minton
Vendor Relations Manager

MARTHA STEWART WEDDINGS
sminton@weddingwire.com
T. 301-231-9473 x 219
F. 877-520-9294

About WeddingWire, Inc.
WeddingWire is the only online wedding planning resource designed to empower both engaged couples and wedding vendors. WeddingWire enables engaged couples to search, compare and book over 100,000 wedding vendors nationwide, from wedding venues to wedding cakes. WeddingWire also offers an online community and a suite of cutting-edge planning tools, including wedding websites, all at no charge. For wedding vendors, WeddingWire provides free online management tools creating the only market opportunity that gives businesses control over their clients, reviews, leads and performance. In addition, WeddingWire has partnered with Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia, Inc. (NYSE: MSO) to provide its network of local vendors and online wedding-planning tools in the Weddings section of www.marthastewartwedddings.com. For additional information, please visit www.weddingwire.com.

RECENT CHANGES TO OUR ONLINE WEDDING PLANNER

GREAT NEWS!
We have officially begun distributing invitations to our latest song list utility by e-mail. This will make your song list creation easy and fast. It will also eliminate the need to fill out the 'Music Selection' part of the questionnaire for those who wish to give us more than 10 songs. However, distributing access to this will take time. If you have not received yours yet, please be patient as we are adding accounts based on date proximity. Thanks!

Also, cosmetic changes made to the 'Onsite Wedding Rehearsal' option today. In addition, Cocktail and Dinner music options were changed in January to reflect new offerings that you now have available.

While it is hoped that this should not have affected any of your responses already entered, we encourage you to re-visit all these areas just to make sure.

Welcome New Customers!

We proudly announce and welcome the following Brides and Grooms who have entrusted their wedding receptions to Crestline: 10/10/10-Kristy and John, 9/18/10-Renee and Glenn and most recently 6/11/10-Griselda and Jason. We hope to continually impress you from start to finish with our DJ services! Thank You!!

Venuti's Lunch Buffet

It's gotta be the best buffet around! Venuti's Ristorante located in Addison, IL on Lake street between Medinah & Swift roads. While $14.99 may seem like a lot for lunch, the Venuti's buffet included, among the usual Pizza and Calzones, Calamari and Shrimp Salad, Steak Marsala, Turkey Meatballs, Veal Parmigiana, Stuffed Green Peppers and more. Yum! I give it 5 stars.

Windows 7

I just spent my Sunday upgrading to Windows 7. So far it's a vast improvement over Vista. If you have any comments, good bad or indifferent, please post them. Thanks!

New Year, New You

Well, I have to admit that my first experience in hiring a Personal Trainer has been a great one. I was a little apprehensive at first, Rich's personality and MO was positive and reassuring. After my 1st work-out last Tuesday, I was sore in places I didn't know I had. Last night, he threw some new stuff into the routine. I'm amazed at how many ways you can attack the same muscle groups, wow! Since 2006, I started my own workout program that has included walking, weight training, skating (inline and ice), country dancing, biking and a little horseback riding. The good news is, I've kept most of the 20lbs off that I lost in 2006-2007. The bad news is I needed to diversify my routine, bulk up a little which will help me to burn calories off my core and of course, eat right. Rich Ford is showing me how to do all of that. For the small investment of $45 per session, it's definitely worth it...Outstanding!

Morton Arboretum

Today I was informed by Erin Wolkening at the Morton Arboretum that we have been invited to join their preferred vendor list. This is a great honor for Crestline and as with all our vendor relations, one we cherish and will work hard at maintaining. Professional courtesy is the only true way referrals can be trusted by customers. Venues have everything to lose and nothing to gain by referring vendors who don't come through for their customers. Simply put, if money changes hands in exchange for referrals, then it is no longer a situation of mutual respect and admiration, it's just one of greed.

God Bless the Service Industry.

Life is good. Thank God for the service industry; I really enjoy helping people! For us right-brainers, it's always satisfying seeing people enjoying themselves. This is what drives me day-in and day-out. Hey, has anyone heard of the Majestic Bridal Extravaganza Bridal Show or Wayne Ferraro who runs it?

Skating fun.

I went skating at the Wrigley Ice Rink on Saturday. While it was impressive being next to Wrigley Field, it seemed a little disorganized and about 1/2 the size of a normal rink. Ice was resurfaced once in the 1.5 hrs I was there. It didn't take much time for the 30 (or so) skaters to decompose the smooth surface. Regardless skating is always a blast.

Year-end/New Year blues

So many year-end duties running a business! My posts have all but come to a halt! Anyone else out there feel like an indentured servant to the IRS and State taxing authorities?

Song selection and evaluation tool update.

**Important Notice: All existing Crestline customers (within the next few weeks) will be e-mailed access details in order to get started using our lastest song search & song list generating utility, recently added to our site on Monday 1-4-10. Be sure to check your e-mail Inbox (and possibly 'Spam') que!

More Improvements.

Our latest revelation is the addition of a 74,000+ song search utility/list generating utility that has just been added to our site. Any customer will benefit by this tool designed to make the addition of songs (must play, maybe play or do-not-play) a breeze. It also features the ability to hear a sample of ANY song or view the lyrics. No doubt, a soon-to-be favorite with brides and grooms alike!

Improvements Continue...

Cosmetic & continuity changes to the ‘Online Wedding Planner’ featuring a 'hot' new song 'Down' by Jay Sean as our latest ‘Ending Song’ entry and the new ‘After Party’ query to help brides and grooms steer their party-goers to the post-reception watering hole as they make a break for the honeymoon!

Let It Snow

December rendered almost 18" of the fluffy stuff, over DOUBLE what we usually get and we are expecting 5-8" inches today. For all you snow-lovers out there, enjoy! I hate it.

Monogram Projections a big hit!

We are proud to announce 2 exciting new service offerings debuting for the New Year: 'Monogram Projections' which personalize any event by displaying the hosts 'Initials' in a prominate place (dance floor or wall) and expanded 'AV equipment rentals' options. Both are now available to help our clients enhance the ‘ooh and aah’ factors of their events!

New Year 2010

Happy New Year to all!!! I've been so busy between NYE and the after math (I stayed the night at Hotel Baker where I performed). Then tried to get my internal clock set back to normal (creature of the night that I am) over the next couple days. After a thorough workout at the gym on Saturday. I almost regretted it as I picked up some kind of bug even after having the H1N1 shot and seasonal flu shot. Nonetheless, the show must go on and Sunday's party went great. The crowd of 50 people (or so) stayed almost intact to the end (no surprise there). Suzi (the guest of honor) enjoyed her surprise 60th thoroughly. No one 'spilled the beans' so the intensity of the surprise was maximum, especially when she entered the room to the flamboyant tune of "Birthday" by the Beatles.