Nothing beats being close to home. It took less than a minute to get to the venue. The location has a stage with power in the front of the stage so there is less cabling involved. Capacity for the venue is a little over a 1000 people so it can hold big functions. This venue is very spacious and we had over 23 tables set up. There was plenty of room for buffet tables, and guest tables and have a photo booth that was really spread out with room to spare. Due to the big venue space, there is plenty of parking available behind the venue.  It was a hot day but the AC did a good job keeping everyone at a good temperature.

For cocktail hour we had a mariachi sing to the crowd. In the front of the community center in the lobby area, folks were able to quench their thirst with the open bar. It was nice since the bar was busy they had a table to fill up your cup with tea or cold water.  The caterers had access to a very clean modern kitchen.

It’s a good spot if you are having a Catholic wedding across the street then head over to the community center. Bride and groom can take pictures in front of the church or in front of the rectory (which is on the same property) which has a lot of trees and green grass. This is a nice spot to have an event in the East Side of San Jose.

Quinceaneras are pretty similar to a wedding in how much preparation needs to be done for both events. There is a lot of planning and it would be ideal to book your event at least a year ahead in advance. 

Find your date.

The day you select for the quince most likely will not be the day of the actual birthday. Make sure it a good date for your family and friends since they will be attending your function. For example, do not select a 3-day weekend during the summer since most folks will travel during that time unless you give your family and friends a good heads up so they don’t make other plans. 

Venue

Once you have your date in mind then find your venue. Most venues are booked on Saturday so its good to book it a year in advance. By some reason if the venue is already booked then the party can be planned for a Sunday at a lower cost since peak days such as Saturday would be more expensive. 

Food (the Grub)

This is one of the most important aspects of a good party. A good caterer is hard to find on a Saturday unless you book way in advance. One has to sample the food to make sure it appeals to the taste buds when looking for a caterer. A good place to find caterers would be at a quinceneara expo or wedding expo. At that moment, you can sample the yummy food. Make sure you do not go hungry to these expos since when you are hungry everything tastes good! 

Find your dress

This party is all about the birthday girl so its time to be fancy! There are a lot of girls having their quinceanera so dresses are limited. It is good to check dresses online and find out where they are located. 

Get your Mariachi On

Mariachis are not as common as you think. To find a good one is one thing but once you find one will they be available? Mariachis are good for the dinner part of the celebration. It is not a must but its mostly for the older family members who enjoy them. If Mariachi is out of the budget then the dj can be playing the dinner music. 

Get Your Dance on! Time to book the dj

Find a dj that has the Spanish music. You know your Aunt Cuca will be asking for the Chona. It would be good to find a dj that has the Spanish music and the latest English jams. Check if the dj has done high school dances to ensure he is properly equipped to do a party for the youngsters. There is a lot of family at the party so make sure they have the classic Spanish music to get everyone on the dance floor. Make sure the dj is familiar with the customs of the quinceanera such as the changing of the shoes, the waltz and the surprise dance. 

Photographer

This is a special moment for the birthday girl so it all should be documented with lots of pictures especially for the “gram”! Pictures and videos would be awesome to have. The special dance and waltz would be awesome to capture on video.

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When it comes to the Bay Area, Real estate is the most expensive in the country. Also when one has to rent a venue that will be the one of the biggest expense of the big event. Saturdays tend to be the most expensive day to hold the event but the non busy days can be considered if it is a budget issue or if the venue is already booked. Venues can be as low as $500 but go as high as $2500 depending how big and fancy one wants their venue.

If one is having a Quinceanera mass, it is recommended to donate for their time and space and that will range from 200 to 600 dollars.

Caterers:

There is a big range in costs for Caterers. If one goes through the venue it can range from  $25 dollars to $80 per plate. Also outside caterers can be considered and it can run from $10 to $30 depending on what they are serving.

Dress: The dress can range from $400 to $2000. The latest collections will get a premium cost but later collections will not be as expensive. 

Photography, Photobooth and Video:

Photography and Video can range from 800 to 3000. Video is must especially for the waltz and the special dance. Photobooths can go from $500 to $800 depending if one wants the basic or want the upgraded features. 

Let’s not forget the entertainment. Please check out www.bwadj.com for more info!

These venues are www.bwadj.com favorites I have played the past year or so. I based it on how awesome the venue is and how fabulous the staff is. 

Favorite Bay Area Venues I have been a Dj At 

Los Gatos Lodge (Los Gatos)

They are my most favorite spot. They can provide an outside venue for a ceremony and also have a nice outside area to have cocktail hour. They do have multiple rooms for events. The staff rocks and do a great job taking care of guests. A great place for birthday parties and high school reunions. 

Dave and Busters (Milpitas)

D and Bs is close to my home and close to my heart. Staff is super fun. Before the guests showed up they were dancing while working. Fun group. Staff helped me take my gear. Packages can include catered meals and game cards for guests. 

Gilroy Gardens (Gilroy)

Gilroy Gardens is a huge venue. They do offer two big venues for weddings. They can offer rides and games to guests as part of a package.  Its so big that I lost a dj table and staff told me if they found it they can drive it to me. What service!

Alexander by the Sea ( Palo Alto) 

Best food I have had in a long time. Everything just melts in your mouth. Staff did help me with my gear which was a good help since we had to go down stairs. Good place for small events or corporate functions. 

Vinyl Room (Burlingame)

The past two new years I have played there. It has a good fun atmosphere.  The biggest decision of the night is to play the biggest song of the year right after the countdown. Last year it was G- Eazy No Limit and this year it was They can hold private events there.

Double Tree San Jose (San Jose) https://doubletree3.hilton.com/en/hotels/california/doubletree-by-hilton-hotel-san-jose-JOSE-DT/index.html

Very nice staff and able to hold huge events.

SF Marathon (2 street locations)

I played at two different spots in the city but the best was by the bridge. I was able to go as loud as I want and the runners would get down when they ran by. 

Westin Hotel San Jose (San Jose)

Centrally located downtown. Very nice décor and staff actually helped me unload equipment. 

Mama Mia (Morgan Hill)

They have a nice outside area with a water fountain and a nice indoor venue space. Staff is accommodating. 

Palo Alto Country Club (Palo Alto)  

Very nice golf course. Staff took care of me when it started sprinkling and saved my equipment. 

There are many reasons to have a destination wedding. Maybe the bride and groom had the dream of getting married by the ocean or even the Golden Gate Bridge! When you do get married locally it is easy to meet local vendors and venues to see whom you would pick for the location and vendors. When you are doing a destination wedding, visits to vendors and venues can be more limited due to the distance.

For brides and grooms looking for an easier way to book their venue and vendors in the bay area then they can select an all-inclusive packages to lessen the stress. In these packages, the venue with décor and catering can be included. Open bar anyone? Venues can set up tables and chairs and take them down. If the ceremony is held at the venue, some venues will provide seating, the arch, wedding rehearsal and recommend officiants.  While some venues may be able to provide the sound for the ceremony or recommend the right dj for that.

Speaking of the right dj, Black and White Affair (www.bwadj.com) can set up the ceremony with multiple speakers to ensure everyone can hear the vows and the officiant no matter how big or small the ceremony is. Need sound for your cocktail hour? That is an easy fix for Black and White Affair. As your Bay Area Dj, we can travel anywhere in the Bay area to make sure your destination wedding happens as smooth as possible. We can also do video calls to make iron out all the details for the wedding.  Let us provide the sound track for your Bay Area destination wedding.

Old Town Road Lil Nas X Billy Ray Cyrus

The Git Up  Blanco Brown

Truth Hurts  Lizzo

Beautiful People  Ed Sheeran

Senorita  Shawn Mendes and Camila Cabello

Bad Guy  Billie Ellish

Talk  Khalid

Same Blood  Aloe Blacc

I Don’t Care  Ed Sheeran and Justin Bieber

Sucker  Jonas Brothers

Suge  DaBaby

You Need to Calm Down Taylor Swift

Cross Me  Ed Sheeran ft Chance the Rapper and PnB Rock

If I Can’t Have You Shawn Mendes

Look  Back At It  A Boogie Wit Da Hoodie

The Wedding is all about the bride and groom. Typically the couple is taking pictures while the guests are enjoying the cocktail hour. First the bridal party is introduced to the guests. Before the wedding, BWADJ makes sure that everyone is in the correct order and makes sure they pronounce everyone’s name correctly. While prepping the bridal party, Bwadj goes over the names of the bridal party to their liking. There have been times where the bridal party were partying and sometimes have a short attention span. During weddings, something always pops up such like the flower girl is too shy to be in the party or someone else from the bridal party is not present so a new order will have to be written. 

With the bridal party coming into the venue, a festive song is pumped through the speakers. Some couples opt to get both first name and last name of the bridal party announced while others just opt to just have their first names announced. In some cases, the dj may announce, “ Ladies and gentlemen, let’s welcome the bridal party. Let’s put our hands together for them!”

Once all the bridal party is at their table, then the music is turned off. Bwadj gets everyone to stand up for the grand entrance. The new Mr. and Mrs. Smith is announced with their own theme song blaring in the background. A dj can say, Ladies and Gentlemen, the moment you all have been waiting for. Put your hands together for the new Mr. and Mrs. Smith.  Everyone is standing and clapping and this is one of the most memorable events of a wedding being introduced as the new Mr. and Mrs. 

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Black and White DJ services (www.bwadj.com) went local around the Down Town San Jose area. It is called Mexico Lindo (https://www.mexicolindoycantina.com) Downtown San Jose Venue and they have a back area for private parties (https://www.mexicolindoycantina.com/private-party-venu). There are a few Mexico Lindos so make sure it is the one on Race Street. Mexico Lindo provides full service event planning with food and entertainment. When I got there, I had to set up next to their dj set up. At the venue, they host dancing and karaoke.  The venue itself from the looks of it can hold up to 75 guests. They specialize in Mexican food and seafood.

The night was full of old school music. This was not your cookie cutter music event. It was all about the old school such as 80’s and 90s r&b. 

Staff was pretty friendly. Food was good. They served salad, beans and rice and 3 different kinds o f meat. They did have horcata at the serving table. In the banquet room, they had a full bar. 

Venue was able to accommodate dj. This venue would be good for small gatherings. They do have a built in dance floor.  Tables can easily be removed to open up the dance floor. Also it already had its dj light system. There are bathrooms located in the room so it makes it convenient instead of travelling to the restaurant part of the establishment.