Menlo Park Wedding Venue Holbrook Palmer Park

Up the 101 there is a pretty park that can hold weddings and private functions. Included is a ceremony area that includes trees and stairs great for pictures. One can hold a small intimate wedding at the venue. Then they can walk about a 150 steps to get to the dinner slash cocktail area which is an outside area. It would be an ideal for a summer gathering. There is shade for the outside the dinner slash cocktail area. 

I was part of a beautiful wedding celebration this past Saturday. I set up in the corner of the ceremony in the shade which I was so grateful. Classical music from Bach and Beethoven was the pre-ceremony music but the rest of the music was so unique. It was by far a very custom event and not your cookie cutter ceremony.  In the procession, a dancer gave her interpretation of a catchy muppet song. The officiant was a friend of the bride and groom and he said great insights about the couple. The couple had touching vows that they shared with their guests. 

There were many highlights of the night but one that stuck out was the bride wanted to dedicate a song to her new husband. She was able to arrange an instrumental and sing a beautiful song in front of everyone right after the thank you speech. It was a big surprise for everyone. Everyone knew the bride can sing but no one knew she was going to give them this treat.

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.

Trivia: Everyone loves trivia. A Trivia host would need a PA system and a projector to display their questions. Different departments will face off with other departments to show their intelligence. Or better yet mix up the teams so different staff members can work with other members they would not typically work with. (www.Brainstormer.com)

DJ: The Dj can bring the party to the corporate event. They can include the lights for the dancing portion and also provide the music for the soundtrack of the night. Also they can provide the PA system for the host of the corporate event. (www.bwadj.com)

Karaoke Set Up: Some Djs have a Karaoke add on and can host the Karaoke event. Send the dj your list of retro hits so they are prepared. Team members can sing duets or in bigger groups. Make sure your dj brings multiple microphones for the karaoke singing.

Karaoke on Roids! Rockaroke: A basic Karaoke set up may not be enough. In the South bay, die hard Karaoke singers will get on stage and sing with a band behind them. (www.eventyoda.com/bay-area/events/rockaroke)

Escape Room: Groups of Coworkers are locked up in the room and they have to put their minds together to solve puzzles that help them escape the room. No man is an island and this activity gets everyone engaged since there is a time limit and puzzles to figure out.

Winchester Mystery House Scavenger Hunt and tour: Located in the heart of San Jose is the Winchester Mystery House. Garden Scavenger Hunt. The team look for clues on the grounds. It also includes a tour of the mansion. (www.winchestermysteryhouse.com/group-tours-team-building/)

Best load in in the business! It is so easy for outside vendors to park in 20 feet way you can unload everything. Staff is on it and make sure they get the door open and they are always readily available in case I needed anything. Recently we had a birthday celebration. The Birthday girl wanted the night club theme with karaoke. Dave and Busters catered the event buffet style. The main venue area had a nice bar area also The karaoke was available the whole night and folks were able to partake on it. Behind the Dj area there is a huge screen with a projector up high so in case the dj wanted to mix videos or show the karaoke above that could be an option. There is a good size stage and a good sized dance floor. They had these tall round tables on the side of the dance floor so guests can leave their drinks there and they did have some party games they can get involved in. What was cool was the tables were not there then someone told staff in within in 3 minutes all the tables were out. That is what I call service.

This is a great place to throw a party. You have you own private area then guests can go outside to the main arcade area and shoot free-throws, take out zombies, or race your fellow party goer in a race car. It is the best of both worlds.

Great staff and many options for fun at Dave and Busters in Milpitas.

Deep in South South San Jose is a beautiful golf course, Cinnabar Golf Course but it is more than a golf course. They have an event area to throw elegant parties. Last Saturday, I was at a wedding that was pleasant to the eye. The staff really did a good job setting up the tables and the décor. The wait staff was so on it. They were serving appetizers and made sure everyone had water at the table. It was a big wedding so they had a lot of work and handled it perfectly.  Cinanabar has an outside area where they can hold weddings or it can be the cocktail area. During the party they had managers to make sure the buffet line was not too long and they communicated to make sure the tables were released at their appropriate time. It was very efficient. Managers also introduced themselves to me and kept me in the loop of change of events. Cinnabar has a nice long bar to serve their guests. My favorite perk of the bar is they have fruit infused water that is self served in case the bartenders are serving others and you just want some water.

Cinnabar has had some new upgrades to the event area. They have a new white dance floor which stands out. It does feel more spacious than before. I was there last February and It has a fresh look. What I like about Cinnabar are the windows. They have windows everywhere so you can see wonderful expansive greens outside. I have done 2 weddings and a private party here and it has been phenomenal experiences. I look forward in playing her again soon.

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.

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.