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!