We are having a heat wave during this month of September. Heatwave or not I always talk to the planner about having some sort of shade for my gear. With extreme heat, it can cause the speakers to shut off and also the computer will not play music.

  We were having a nice outside ceremony. Right before the ceremony everyone was trying to cool down in the bar area and were reluctant to go outside. The venue did provide some umbrellas spread out amongst the chairs.

 The ceremony had two officiants with some who specialized in the Jewish culture while the other focused on the Spanish component.

It was a nice blend of two cultures and the bride and groom left the ceremony with a festive Spanish song.

  For the cocktail hour, we played Spanish bolero music. Bolero is like slow tempo Spanish music. It was love themed. Again everyone was in the bar area and not in the reception area. We had to round everyone out to the reception area so we can do grand entrance.

 Bridal party came out to Big Energy by Latto while the bride and groom came out to Through the Fire by Chaka Khan. We had Spanish and English announcements. We had a bilingual emcee.

But we can tell everyone wanted to dance. And we gave them what they wanted: Lots of Salsa and Spanish hitters to get everyone moving. Of course Bad Bunny was requested and they got him. Bride and groom got a confetti send off which made an awesome picture.

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What is a budget Wedding? These times I have seen weddings are not as big as they once were in California. I have been to a few events and there were less than 30 folks in the attendance. So, in essence weddings can be more budget friendly since less guests are actually attending these events. 

I recently got an inquiry asking for a quote and they really stressed having a budget dj. I liked how they were direct and to the point. But the word budget can throw off folks. Everyone’s budget is different. When I think of a budget dj, I think of someone who does not have the best equipment and does not have regular events. Do you want someone to be the host of your wedding with out experience? That is when a budget dj comes in. You do get what you pay for. If someone wants a wedding to remember make sure you hire a professional.

What is a professional dj? A professional dj has a music planner guide to help organize the music for the wedding. They make the music selection easy to choose from. They have a script to use to help guide them with announcements. You want someone who commands attention of the audience and want them to lead the audience in whatever needs to be done.  They have vast amount of good quality music at 320 kbps quality and did not rip music from YouTube at a low quality which is tacky and also illegal. You want them to be able to beat match so the songs do not end suddenly and want it to sound seamless. 

Professional djs have a backup system with the best equipment and have the experience to solve gear issues. I have learned to always carry multiple microphones so voices can be amplified. My wire microphones have always worked but once in Sacramento it was cutting out although it did sound fine in the sound check. With experience, I know to always have a wired microphone close by to handle any wireless issues. 

A good dj for a wedding will easily be over 1000 for just a reception. If you are requiring the ceremony and a reception a good dj will be 1500 to 2000. They can also bring up lights or have photo booths if you want more for the wedding. 

Hire a budget dj if you want some background music at a backyard BBQ. But hire a professional dj to do the soundtrack for one of the most important days of your life. Please look at the reviews of all the djs you and selecting and also keep tabs on how quickly they respond. It is important to have good communication with your dj. 

For your professional dj please call Black and White Affair Dj Services to help you plan your music and events for your big day. We serve the Bay Area and would love the opportunity to make your day memorable and stress free as possible. 

Lori and Tim had a fabulous wedding at Fortino Winery.  Weather could not be any better. What was a treat was with the shade installed on the grounds it was not hot for the ceremony and reception. Fortino Wineries has to be one of the best outside venues in the area since it has a lot of space and a good shelter from the sun. They had a nice ceremony in the grass area by the Officiant Frances. She did a fine job. They incorporated a Japanese tradition of planting a grape wine together. 

Grand Entrance consisted  of the bride and groom and mother of the bride with best man and maid of honor. 

Cocktail hour was only 30 minutes and the great food was served. Dinner had a good r&b vibe during the meal. 

A few toasts were made and one was made via recording that was very touching. The first dance was a special one. It started off as a country song then it turned into C + C Music Factory song with the lyrics Everybody Dance Now Looped 4 times. Folks were able to join the couple with their first dance. Right after dinner it started to get dark. So we arranged to get some uplights to add some color around the venue. Venue is already pretty but the uplights add accents. They were lined up with the trees and bushes. Uplights always add a nice touch. They are a classy touch and it gives the area a new vibe. 

Music was very diverse. It was a lot of old school throwbacks. It was a mix of 70s, 80s, 90s, and 00s.

Matt and Stefanie had a beautiful micro wedding at a Monte Serrano Residence. It was decorated beautifully that you would not think it was a residence but an actual venue. They had around 7 long tables wrapped around the house. We had enough volume for everyone to hear the toasts but we did not go too loud for the neighbors to call for loudness. 

They were married elsewhere and brought the party to Monte Serrano. 

 They kept their wedding events to the minimum so they can really focus on the toasts and the dancing. There was no bouquet or garter toss. I do notice of late a lot of couples are opting to not include all the wedding events. They can decide what to keep and what to drop. Bride and groom came in with the Chicago Bulls theme song. Knowing the Bulls dynasty, it’s a very epic intro song. 

The caterers were from Irvine. I know why these folks came up North for this wedding because their food was outstanding. I overheard one wedding guests say she had been to many weddings but never had food this good. I agree it was top notch food. 

The toasts were good ones while the best man, matrons of honor, and the dads of the bride and groom spoke. I truly enjoy listening to toasts since you able learn more about the bride and groom. 

We had plenty of dancing. A lot of the songs were fun throwback songs. The song of the night was Chumbawamba. I can honestly say I never played that live anywhere but this night and it was a hit. 

How to select a Bay Area Dj for your wedding. (San Jose, Milpitas, Sunnyvale, Gilroy, San Martin, Mountain View, Redwood Ciity and Morgan Hill)

 People have been putting their wedding on ice for the past year and some change. We had so many folks cancel their date and wait for it to be clear. In California, we have been super conservative but it has proven to be safe by its extreme tactics. People are now trying to figure out what dj they should use for their wedding.

First step is to figure out your wedding dj budget.

A dj is what makes or breaks the wedding. You do not want to skimp on this. A dj creates the vibe for the night with the music that they play. 

Time is of the essence.

Weddings are going to be taking up dates really fast. I have been getting inquiries for the next two months. Ideally you want to select a dj from 8 to 12 months ahead. For us, we can do a wedding at least a month in advance if needed to be.

Talk with the Dj

Some folks are still resistant to meet one on one in person still. That is ok. There is zoom or facetime or the old school phone call. Pay attention how the dj talks about weddings. Are they excited about it and do they give advice about your special event.

Pay attention how quickly they respond to you.

Setting up a wedding may seem like a second job and folks need answers asap. It helps if dj is on it with the response time. Its nice if they respond the same way you contact them. 

Some djs are prepared and send out an organized planner for bride and groom to fill out. I send that out and have couple complete it on Google docs so it can be edited at any time. I also include a long list of most popular songs to help out brides and grooms pick their music. 

If you are having a dj provide the ceremony music, I always recommend to have about 30 to 45 minutes of pre-ceremony music. I typically start music 30 minutes before the ceremony but sometimes the bride and groom need extra time or maybe some guests have not arrived yet. 

The Pre-ceremony music I mostly play instrumentals but it can be anything the bride and groom can cook up.

The Processional music can be 2 to 3 songs for wedding party, groom, and bride. 

The Recessional song would be the song everyone exits to.

In your song selections make sure you add the must play songs that you want at your wedding. Make sure to include songs that your guests and family would like also. Maybe you can include the old classics your parents would enjoy for the dinner portion of the reception. Keep in mind during the cocktail hour your family and wedding party will be taking photos so make sure your must play songs will be played after the cocktail time. 

On the same note, please let the dj know of what songs not to play. Maybe you do not want the Chicken Dance played so make sure the Dj does not play it. I never play it unless the hosts ask me to. There maybe a few songs on that list or maybe include a genre of what not to play. 

Not everyone can speak Spanish. What happens if you find a really good dj but his Spanish is non existent? I have been a part of many Spanish weddings. Some weddings playlist have been all in Spanish. There have been times where the bride and groom offered to have a guest make the announcements in Spanish. Most of the time they just want to make the grand entrance in their language then the rest of the announcements the dj can do. They mostly do that so that the last names are pronounced correctly.

My Spanish is ok but I do have assistants who speak perfect Spanish so if the bride and groom want that then I make sure that assistant is available.

Also what helps is to have a script of what they are going to say. Some people say they are professionals and want to wing it but I advise to have a script. When it comes to announcements I like to repeat what is being said then rephrasing it so the folks that are not paying attention can follow directions. I do not advise using google translator for the Spanish translation because sometimes its translated but it’s not the correct meaning. If a Spanish script is written then it should be translated by a fluent speaker. 

For most Spanish weddings, I like to play a lot of cumbias. It’s the cumbias that gets everyone out of their seats and onto the dance-floor. Best bet is to have a playlist from the couple with Spanish music. 

Call Black and White Affair to book your latin party. Always repping the bay and now in Southern California.