Confessions Of A Wedding DJ

Since I have fallen behind, I am going to combine my reception from June 14 with my reception this evening (August 1). The common denominator you ask?…Lost River Cave.

Before I go into one of my famous tangents again, I want to say that I love Lost River Cave. It is one of the most beautiful places in Bowling Green, and probably Kentucky (I haven’t seen most of Kentucky, but I DO know Bowling Green). in fact, my wife and I decided to get a family pass to Lost River so we could visit with guests as often as we want.

With that said, Lost River Cave is the most difficult place I have ever had to DJ. Now, on a dry day, it is still wet in the cave, which is not a great place to be in with thousands of dollars of electronics. When it rains…watch out! I have been placed in several different places in the cave and they all DRIP. It makes it dangerous to walk, to work and especially to play music. Not to mention, there are a lot of stairs (wet stairs!) to walk up and down.

On to the DJ stuff…The Lyles-Roller Reception was a great time. Not much for dancing, but atmosphere. I was happy to have my wife with me (The kids were with family), and that made it especially fun for me. It reminded me of when we were dating and she would go to all of my events. The bride and groom were a happy couple (as you would expect), and the families and friends made it a special evening. Best of all was the brides dad, who she referred to as “Daddy.” I love when young adults still call their fathers “Daddy.” I hope my kids always do (And I am lucky that they still do to this day)! Anyway, Daddy was a fun-loving gentleman, ready to get the party over! He obviously loved his daughter and it was especially noticeable in his being the very last person there other than me. He joked and had a lot of fun and made his cleanup duties seem effortless (Although I not ignorant enough to really think it was). To top it off, he gave me an entire layer of cake to take home…how cool. My kids, my wife, my friends and my dogs enjoyed the cake for nearly a week!

Heather and Dave Roller

My event tonight was for a friend, although I did not know it was a friend until shortly before the reception (about a week). I had run into Justin working at a local restaurant (He’s the guy that blows up balloons for the kids!), and he told me he had just gotten engaged. He was elated and showed my wife and I pictures of his fiance, the ring and everything else he had on his cell phone. So, as an undying salesperson, I mentioned to him that I had a DJ business, gave him a card, and never heard from him again…until about two weeks ago, which I already mentioned.

I received an email from a seemingly stressed bride-to-be about three weeks ago. She was looking for a DJ, visited my website and sent me the email. Luckily, I was free for the event and told her I would be happy to do the event (Although it was at Lost River Cave, so I hesitated a little). About a week afterward, I received an email from Justin…he was getting married and I was his DJ!Somehow… through fate I suppose…his fiance happened upon my website and decided to go with Lewis DJ Service. It is quite a small world out there!

The evening was perfect. I already knew I was in for a treat because I knew Justin loved Ashley from our run in at the restaurant, but I did not expect such a great crowd. Without alcohol, dirty music or any of the things that tend to get people dancing, this crowd of young and old alike took to the floor as soon as started playing and never left until the event was over.

The best part was when I announced the bride and groom when they first arrived. It was like a movie! Justin and Ashley walked down the hill to the cave with their wedding party. Just as they came into the entrance of the cave, which is a bit above the dance floor and dinner tables, I announced their arrival. Like the movies, the crowd absolutely erupted (It gave me goose bumps)! Now that is how it should be at every wedding reception…like the movies.

So, I’ve had a great summer doing wedding and parties. I want to thank each and every one of the people I have come in contact with through this great job I have. Without them, my life would be different. I wouldn’t  have the opportunity to see love, friendships and families grow outside of my own home. If I have never mentioned this before…I am blessed to be a DJ. I have the opportunity to see things that many will never see, and I thank all of you.

You will hear from me again soon! Love and Peace!

Justin & Ashley Guest

Scott

BGHS Graduation PartyOn May 31, I was right in the middle of a high school graduation party! Now, if you want to see everything that is possible, then try a graduation party.

The party was in honor of three young men from the Bowling Green area, but there were most likely more than 60 other graduates in attendance, and they were ready to get the party on. The parents of the three graduates were gems. It almost felt like I was a guest at this graduation party (You know, the one tied to the DJ stand!). There was all the food and drink that one could handle, and when I say food, I mean serious food. This is probably a good time for me to make a confession…I love wedding food, and this was food from one (if not THE) of the best places in town…Cambridge Market and Cafe. For years, I have been going to Cambridge, where the owner, Mike Hughes, has put together one of the best places to eat in the history of Bowling Green. I mean this guy knows how to put out a spread, and lucky for all of us, his son was one of the three graduates I mentioned earlier. Though I realize this is not a food column, I strongly recommend you try Cambridge Market if you have not done so before. You are in for a treat.

So, getting through another of my many tangents…the dancing was was of the best times I have ever had at an event. For the first three hours, it was as I wasn’t even there (except for the great music in the background…okay, a blatant pat on the back!). Once it got a little dark (Nobody likes to dance in the light), everyone started dancing. The crazy thing was that all the graduates wanted to hear was old Motown and R&B music! Anything from Marvin Gaye to Wilson Pickett to the Disco sounds of KC & the Sunshine Band…these kids seemed to love everything I played. And they kept on asking for more and more. Now that’s what I call a great gig!

To sum it up…there was food and drink and music, and we all had a great time. Congratulations 2008 graduates!! Go on to college (or wherever you may go), and make us proud. We are so blessed to have such a great generation of kids these days and I look forward to growing older with these young people changing the world!!!

BGHS Graduation Party - Some of the graduates

I am quite a bit behind on my blog, so I am attempting to play catchup. On May 23, I had the pleasure of doing one of my favorite gigs of the year…an end-of-the-year blowout at Richpond Elementary.

Now, you’ve all had a chance to hear me rant and rave and carry on about how a lot of people don’t like to dance, but that will never be the case at Richpond. I did the event for the first time last year and really looked forward to doing it again. For awhile, I thought I wasn’t going to be asked back because I had not heard from anyone…but lo and behold, I got the call just about two weeks before the event. Hurray!!!

Some people don’t like to mess with younger children because they are pretty hard to please (I know you parents feel me on this one), but I love going to Richpond. The children are polite, accepting and fun…even when I can’t play some of their favorite songs due to language and inference.

Okay, if you’re a kid reading this, an inference is what something is trying to say without actually saying it (Like “Snap,” which happens to be my daughters favorite phrase these days. She uses it in place of the words she knows she’s not allowed to say. I love you, Nina!).

Anyway, these kids don’t really care. As long as there’s music, they are happy. They dance…They play…They have a great time. Not to mention the teachers, administrators and teachers! They love to dance with the kids, and it shows that they really care.

So, Here’s to the students, teachers, administrators and parents of Richpond Elementary. You Rock!!!