Covid Update 6-2020

In California the limit to gather is 10 but it is slowly opening. I feel a little foolish writing about weddings since we been under lockdown for about four months. I started to put down my thoughts but I felt fake. So I just want to give an update of what is happening on my end.

 I have been getting tons of music. I mean lots of music to sort through. This is the time to do it. My baby has a bib that say snacks on snacks on snacks. So I am literally getting songs on songs on songs.

  Maybe out of 100 djs, there were maybe 25 who learned from spinning vinyl. And out of those 25 there are probably 10 who still have the vinyl and turntables. I am part of those 10 percent who still have vinyl. When I was converting my vinyl tracks to MP3s it was a super long process. I had to play each song and record it. Once it was recorded I would have to burn it on a cd then master the volume. But a little known fact is when you download a cd on iTunes its default is at 192 bitrate. So I did all my vinyl and converted it to the default. It does sound fine to the ear but if you were going to play at a stadium it would not sound as crisp as a 320 bit rate. So That is what I have been doing is getting songs I already have but at a higher bit rate. Also going through my collection and just keeping songs I would play. Sometimes more is too much and its good to have the essentials and the one tracks that make you different as a performer. It is always good to review what you have and what tracks you have forgotten. This time last year, I was super busy but these past four months I did not throw in the towel but rather looking to come back stronger and more organized than ever. 

What Can We Do While the Pandemic?

Slowly places are opening up with restrictions. Eventually they will start opening wedding venues. When will it will it happen in California? We have no idea. It can be frustrating since in other states they are allowing it. California is conservative in that respect. But in the long run it just makes it safer for everyone.

Keep your guests in the loop about what is happening with your wedding and keep your vendors closer. Go over your music playlist and with all this time it will be flawless. Get your guests involved and ask them what they want to hear at the wedding and you can include the feedback on you playlist.

As your dj, I am keeping safe myself. I am home 23 hours a day. For an hour a day, I go on a run with a mask and filter on. I do see families walking without masks and I avoid them. I go through the backstreets so it is not busy. Anyone who comes to the door, I talk to them through the window. I have not mixed any households meaning I have not set foot in another house no anyone come to my house. 

 I have subscribed to a multiple music record pools to keep the music fresh and look for classics that will always be fresh. I also was pretty decent with making edits of songs but I have been honing my craft with edits by putting them out for other djs to use in their sets thus keeping editing skills up for your special song needs to be the way you like it. 

Do it Yourself Music versus a DJ

Weddings are not cheap. It is one of the most special days of a bride and grooms life and they want to share it with the special folks around them. Weddings can be very intimate and have under 50 guests or they can be extravagant and have over 200 guests. The hosts have to provide the food, the venue and the entertainment. Location is something people can not skip on since it’s a must to have the physical reception. All these guests got to eat so food has to be in the wedding budget.

After everything has been paid for its time to see if there is budget for the entertainment. Oh brother Steve has an awesome cd collection and he likes the same kind music that we have. Or maybe someone can stream music off their phone.

A dj is more than just a dj and a button pusher. They follow a timeline and make announcements to keep the guests in the know.  They see the crowd and keep feeding them what they want to hear to keep the dancefloor filled.

 Maybe you don’t want to have a dance party then having a friend play off their system. If one goes that route then make sure you have a timeline. A wedding planner can get you one or if you reach out to a dj then they can give you a sample template.

Which is better to have a friend doing music or having a professional dj?

 The Year of 2020 is supposed to be the year of the Bride and Groom. I had the most inquiries this year but next thing you know there have been motions to have less than 100 people can meet up, then it dropped to 50 and finally has been limited to 10.

Postpone and do not cancel the event! Setting up a wedding is like a second job and required hours of work to find the right vendors. Do not let all your hard work go down the drain.

Please let your guests know about the situation. Of course they know what is happening in the world but let them know about the date they are the first to know once the close to clear. You want to make sure it is safe to have a big event.  The year 2020 was a really popular year so be prepared to set the date on Friday or Sunday to secure the venue that you already had booked and to get all the vendors that were originally booked. Since everyone is supposed to be staying home, why not work on the playlist and the order of the timeline.

So in a nutshell, communicate with your vendors and your guests. Having a wedding gives everyone one something to looking forward. Celebrate it the way it should be celebrated. Also work on your playlist and timeline. It is usually difficult to get on that but now we have a little more time since we have the social distancing going on. But once that social distancing stops we can be social and party the right way.

Menlo Park- Holbrook Palmer Park Wedding Set Up

I did a ceremony and cocktail hour plus dance for a wedding. For this venue, it would be beneficial to have an assistant to help set up the equipment. For the ceremony there is a power source to set up on the corner and the bride and groom walk down the stairs. Most djs could use one speaker for the ceremony but I opt to use two.

While the wedding party takes photos after the ceremony then everyone walks over to the dinner area for cocktails. The question that arises is how many set ups would one need for the reception area. People dance inside but the cocktails and dinner is outside. There are a few choices. If you wanted to make it perfect, then a set up can be done outside. One can have one speaker but I have to have balance and had two out. I had a microphone set up for the toasts and announcements. Another option would be to set up in the dance area and have the speakers go out to the cocktail area. It would save time in setting up but the dj has to be inside or he can have an assistant manning the music while the dj can mc in the cocktail area. And of course the dance area inside would have two speakers. Venue does offer in-house speaker system.

The Park is a huge park with plenty of parking. I would recommend going to the venue before hand so you are prepared for the set up. If you organize it well then all one needs are two set ups.

 Less than half a block away from the happening downtown area is a very snazzy hotel called the Los Gatos Toll House Hotel. The first time I went there I was blown away with how classy the establishment was. They have a nice outside area for ceremonies then for the reception they have a nice reception area to dance the night away. They place the dance floor anywhere you want it. The staff members are always pleasant. They are the definition of good hospitality.

I did a holiday party at the Toll House this past weekend. The group really liked to party and they started at the bar first. It was cocktail hour and they wanted some party music. Then dinner started and they still wanted some music to jam to. This was not your typical dinner crowd where you are playing Sinatra and Nat King Cole.  

The owner had some inspiring words to his staff member and he mentioned it was their best year ever. Everyone was ready to celebrate. The party started early and it went straight to closing time. It seemed like everyone was heading downtown night scene which is like a half block away.

Again, if you want a classy place to have a wedding or an event then the Toll House in Los Gatos is the place to go. They have excellent service and a good venue to have a monumental event. And one of the coolest things about it, folks can walk half a block to continue the party if they want to or able to go upstairs to their room if they need to rest from all the fun they just had.

The City offers a perfect urban atmosphere with plenty of beautiful scenery. It is one of the top U.S. cities to get married in. What makes San Francisco so scenic are the spacious parks, the skyscrapers in the business area, and let’s not forget the San Frans’ icons cable cars and the Famous Golden Gate Bridge. San Fran is surrounded by water so it can provide many beautiful pictures. At San Fran, they have various types of gourmet food made from fresh ingredient to make any venue menu mouthwatering.

Temperature wise San Francisco cannot do no wrong. It may get a little chili at times so make sure you have light jacket in case you get married in the summer.

Half Moon Bay is a small town with big scenic views. There are awesome beaches, fantastic golf courses and delicious food. May to October would be the prime months to go but at the same time it does draw crowds of its beauty.

Napa has very stunning views of acres of vineyards. It is famous for all the wonderful wine that it produces. Restaurants produce fabulous food that go with Napa wine. Napa Valley towns are filled with nice boutiques and galleries.

The best time to go would be the summer and October. September may be hard to book since it is their busy time unless you really pre-book.

The thing to do is to go wine tasting. There are so many wineries to chose from. Guests do have plenty to do when they are going to your destination wedding in Napa.

Close to the SF Airport is a wedding venue for anyone who needs to have a reception in the San Francisco Area or the Peninsula. One can be married at a San Francisco church and do the reception in San Mateo since it is so close. They did have a nice courtyard area where people can have a small ceremony or if they wanted to have cocktail area. It was a beautiful day so it was nice to be serving drinks outside in the August summer. 

The wedding reception itself was small and very personable. Around the facility, they had up lighting that added a special aura to the room.  16 up lights were used to surround the whole venue. 

As the dj, I wanted to be close to the dancefloor and the Marriot made it happen. We were able to produce a pretty gobo to project. We did have enough space to include a 7-foot screen and a projector. 

What I liked about this place was we went a few minutes over and the staff was not rushing us out nor tell me to stop on the dot. They let me play the last slow song of the night. Also one of my favorite vibes of the night was the positive energy on the dance floor. The wedding had a mariachi for dinner but I provided the tunes for dancing and it consisted of Spanish music (cumbia and salsa). So the majority was Spanish music and the rest of the music was old school funk. The Couple knew how to have a good time and provided the positive energy in the room.