Congratulations Chuck & Maya

Last Saturday I had the pleasure of working at the picturesque Mt. Airy Mansion in Upper Marlboro, MD. It was a lovely crisp day, the kind you only see in early fall.

Chuck and Maya chose a beautiful, modern color scheme of aubergine & chartreuse with sleek silver and white accents. Everywhere I turned, there were fragrant flowers displayed in clever ways.  The guest table featured manzanita branches dripping with purple orchids, and crystals. The wall of the bar was lined with glass pillar vases with orchids submerged in water and topped with a floating candle. However, nothing was as striking as their ceremony space in the lower garden. The dramatic white staircase lead to a brick pathway which served as the aisle. Lining that aisle were tall, pomander style floral arrangements that would double as the centerpieces during dinner. At the end of the aisle, stood a striking double arch made of twisted branches, vines, and flowers.  It looked  so natural, as if God had reached down and bent it into shape to bless this day for Chuck and Maya.

The officiant came to me and asked for a microphone. Though I wasn't aware of this need beforehand, I quickly made it work by running 70' of cable and a microphone to the garden below where I had discreetly set-up 2 self powered speakers.

Maya wore a sleeveless v-neck gown with a full satin skirt. The gown's bodice was hand beaded with thousands of crystals. She wore glamorous makeup, simple earrings, and a clean, classic, updo which she finished off with a delicate crystal headband. She was stunning! Chuck, dressed in a sharp black tuxedo, proudly waited at the alter for his bride.

The ceremony was brief, beautiful and sprinkled with laughter. And as the guests entered the mansion to enjoy cocktails, I began their chosen playlist of Brazilan bossa's and jazz. As the hour came to a close, the catering staff and I invited the guests to take their seats. The wedding party met me in the bar when they finished their photos. We went over pronunciation and a few instructions for the first sequence of events to take place.

Karin, the mother of the bride, wore a spectacular black gown with a portrait neckline, it's skirt covered in black rosettes. Sho-yeen, the mother of the groom, is sweet & soft spoken and wore a purple gown. The bridal party entered to the sounds of Daft Punk's "Digital Love". What a fun and different choice! We segued into Chuck & Maya's first dance, Louis Armstrong's "La Vie en Rose." They warned me that they were not very good slow dancers so they had me trim the first 80 seconds off the tune. I think they looked darling during their dance. :-)

The dance was followed by a welcome speech by Maya's dad, a few toasts by their friends, and a blessing by officiant, Rev. Starlene Burns. The guests dined happily on delicious fare from Pineapple Alley Catering, unaware of the surprise which Chuck and Maya had for them. As dinner drew to an end, we were all treated to a traditional Chinese Lion Dance performed by dance troupe "The Wong People." That's a clever, kitschy name, isn't it? The roar of live drums and cymbals filled the room with such a fiery, celebratory energy! What a treat! People were certainly ready to dance after that!

I opened the dance floor with some classic R&B, funk, and motown. Chuck and Maya's friends and family formed big Soul Train style lines and took turns dancing down the center. Throughout the night, guests hit the floor for everything from classic rock to hip hop. Chuck and a friend of his even commandeered my mic to sing along with Rusted Root's "Send me on my way." They were hilarious and so exuberant that they pulled the mic cord right out of the microphone! It took them a few seconds to realize I hadn't turned them off for being too loud. :-D

The party was so much fun that I hated to end it with that dreaded last song. However, pesky noise ordinances have a way of putting the kibosh on merry making. Before heading out on the chartered bus with their friends and family, Chuck asked if he could give me a hug, which made his surrounding family laugh. Before I could answer, he gave me a quick hug and said "Thanks for being awesome! We had the best time!" I said "No, thank you guys for being so easy to work with and so much fun! It makes my life so much easier."

Congratulations Chuck and Maya! I so enjoyed sharing in your most special day! Have a fantastic honeymoon!

Congratulations Mike & Lauren

This past Saturday was the most popular wedding date of the year. 9/10/11. What a great date! And so easy for a new husband to remember. ;-)

I was fortunate to be working with some of my favorite vendors again- Ken's Creative Kitchen and Watermark Cruises. Both companies are fabulous at what they do and their employees are efficient, pleasant, and easy to work with.

We set sail from Annapolis on the Catherine Marie with the beginning of a beautiful sunset at our back. As the guests mixed and mingled, I played an easy going set of big band and jazz from the 20's thru the 40's. Shortly into the cocktail hour, I had the pleasure of meeting Mike and Lauren as they were finishing their photos at the bow of the great Catherine Marie. Lauren was beautiful in her elegant, strapless, lace gown. She carried a stunning cascade of white phalaenopsis orchids, creamy calla lilies, and hydrangeas. Mike looked the part of the handsome "man in uniform" in his crisp Navy whites.

Mike and Lauren are warm, genuine, down to earth and very much in love. I knew their magic would be infectious that night. Before the guests headed to the lower level of the boat for dinner, I gather them all on the top deck for the grand entrance and first dances. It was a tight squeeze, but what's a little extra elbow rubbing among friends? ;-) Mike and Lauren's first dance was to U2's version of "Unchained Melody". What a fun twist on an old favorite! Their parents, Dr. & Mrs. Faust and Dr. & Mrs. Hanzel, took the floor for the next dance to the Elvis classic "I can't help falling in love with you".

The evening flowed in a nice, comfortable manner. The ocean breeze was gentle and welcome in the late summer heat. We stayed on schedule when the time came to cut the cake- a darling 6" round atop a mountain of brightly decorated cupcakes. Following the cake cutting, members of the wedding party took turns passing my mic to offer up warm wishes for the future and sweet anecdotes of Mike and Lauren's courtship.

I love this part of my job, it is one of my favorite things about what I do for "work". I get to learn more about my brides and grooms from the people who know and love them most. Mike and Lauren are both Naval officers whose romance blossomed when Lauren was sent to replace Mike at the post he was leaving. If that isn't the start of a modern American romance, I don't know what is!

The night continued with laughter and dancing. Before we knew it, the relaxing harbor cruise was coming to an end. Lauren and I had come up with the idea for her to toss her bouquet to her single girlfriends from the bow of the boat after everyone had disembarked.

I'll never forget how fun this was! Downtown Annapolis was buzzing with tourists, locals, and revelers attending the Inaugural Annapolis Irish Festival. Mike and Lauren's guests waited happily on the dock for the happy couple to exit. I had aimed a speaker, located on the top deck, so that their guests could hear the song choice for the event. (We were too far away from my equipment, so I didn't use the microphone for this.)

As Katy Perry's "California Gurls" blared, I cupped my hands to my mouth and shouted "Okay girls, we're gonna do this on... 3...2...1...." and Lauren tossed her gorgeous orchids to the eager ladies behind her. The flowers were snatched in mid-air by a sweet faced pre-teen. It was a bit movie-like and, forgive me if this is cheesy, symbolic. A lovely bride passed along the dream of Mr. Right and a white wedding to the next generation. Who knows, maybe I'll get to help that girl's wedding dreams come true one day. :-)

Yes, I get callouses, I break my nails, and I don't have much of a social life during wedding season, but I wouldn't change a thing. I am blessed to be a fly on the wall for the making of one of the most indelible memories of a couples life. What an honor!

Congratulations Mike and Lauren!

Color me Wed!

I don't know about you, but I could get married every year and have an entirely different theme. 

I LOVE color!

After more than a decade of weddings, here are some of my favorite color palettes.

Dove Gray & Canary Yellow

Chartreuse & Aqua

Navy Blue & Hot Pink

Green & Purple

Muted Turquoise & Orange 

Lime Green & Red

Red & Aqua

What are some of your favorite color combinations?

In the beginning...

*Jeff began his DJ career in 1989, Cheryl began hers in 2000. Both worked as sub-contractors for other DJ services prior to founding www.Elan-DJ.com, inc. in 2004.*

When we started our business in 2004, we weren't exactly sure of what we were getting into. What we did know was that we wanted to carve out a niche for ourselves in the wedding industry. We wanted to set ourselves apart from our competitors and exceed expectations. We had skill, a good work ethic, willingness to learn, and passion for music. We hoped for success & growth and began to build our business. What we didn't know was how much fun we would have along the way!

Jeff & I have been very happily married since 1999. :-) I imagine being married to your business partner would be difficult for most people. However, being in the wedding industry constantly redirects us in our own relationship. Seeing couples begin their journey together reminds us not to take each other for granted. Personally, I love to see all of the fabulous ideas that my brides come up with for their decor, food, and music! You ladies are exceptional and I thank you for the inspiration you have brought to our own family parties. ;-)

As Jeff and I continue on our journey together, both professional and personal, we would like to thank all of you newly minted Mr.'s & Mrs.' for breathing new life into our own love story. Congratulations and we wish you a lifetime of laughter and love!