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Posts tagged DJ Edmonton
Edmonton DJ for Leduc Junior High at the Denham Inn
Dec 20th
December 18, 2009
It was great to be back with Leduc Junior High for their winter formal. This is one of my favorite functions to do each year. I really enjoy doing school dances as the kids just love to dance and have fun, I wish my adult parties were more like this.
The staff at Leduc Junior High again show what great people they are. This is an outing where the students must be dressed appropriately, no blue jeans allowed. First, they all go to a movie at the local theater and then come to the Denham Inn in Leduc for a semi-formal lunch followed by a dance. Mrs. Ponich was telling me that when they got to the movie theater that some staff did not make in that morning and some of the students that work there on a part-time basis jumped in too fill those spots to allow the function to go that much better. This really shows the quality of the students at Leduc Junior High.
The students and staff all arrived about 11:30 am to the the Denham Inn and even though it was a bit cold outside everyone was in good spirit and everyone really seemed to be enjoying themselves. Everyone was very well dressed and not a hair was out of place. Lunch was served buffet style and it was a good mix of Chinese food.
Right after lunch we jumped straight into the dance and we started out with some songs from their social dance program at the school Dancing is such an important party of our adult life and knowing how to dance is a great thing to know. As and Edmonton DJ I have been with Leduc Junior High for years and I am always surprised how enthusiastic the students are when it comes to social dancing. In fact, more kids were on the dance floor for the social dances then for the top 40 dance hits. Even funnier, is that a lot of the requests were for more songs that were “older” like the “YMCA” and “Macarena”.
There were lots of door prizes, good food and dancing for everyone. I really enjoyed myself and hope I have the privilege of being able to come back again and again. One of the staff at the Denham Inn stated during setup that she still remembers coming to this event and stood out as a great memory from her junior high school days.
Please see the enclosed video below for some highlights of the day.
Edmonton Wedding at Snow Valley Ski Club Edmonton
Dec 14th
Carrie & Jason
September 19, 2009
If you are considering booking your next funtion at Snow Valley you NEED to read this post by Edmonton DJ.

Being an Edmonton DJ for almost 10 years has taken me into almost every venue in and around Edmonton and Snow Valley for the most part is pretty decent location for a function. Except on September 19, 2009.
Lets start with the good stuff.
My bride and groom (Carrie and Jason) were awesome people to work with. I did all my communications with Jason and he was easy to get along with and open to working together to make their wedding the best that it could be.
Even though it was a little cool out that day, the ceremony was out side the front door of the Lodge at Snow Valley. Providing the music for the ceremony generally adds about an hour to two of extra work for most functions.
The bride and groom had provided me with all the songs that were required for the ceremony prior to that day. This made it very easy for me to provide sound for the ceremony. The only thing that I would have done differently would have been to make sure that the justice of the peace wore a wireless lapel microphone. This would have made it easier for the guests to hear and therefore enjoy the ceremony that much more.
The bride and groom did amazing job at planning their wedding in providing some of the most interesting and well planned details I have ever seen at a wedding. As you will see from the photos provided herein the bride and groom spent a lot of time creating a very unique and creative wedding experience.

It started at the ceremony with the program that was passed out prior to the ceremony. The program was actually designed by the bride, as she is a graphic designer. The program had all types of interesting tidbits about the bride and groom along with crossword puzzles and games that could be played to pass the time both waiting for the ceremony and in the reception hall. I had never seen anything like this ever before and would recommend stealing this idea for your next function.


The ceremony went off nearly perfectly. The only thing that could have been a little better was the weather as it was a little bit chilly that day, therefore making it a little uncomfortable for those attending.

This is only the beginning of the uniqueness and creativity the bride and groom provided on this day. As soon as you walk in the front door was the sign in table. It turns out that the bride and groom, in the early days of their relationship, went to a lot of movies and therefore tied the movie theme into their entire wedding.

The seating arrangement was a beautifully designed and laid out table arrangement using movie themes with everyone’s name that was assigned to that movie and the table then had the associated movie placed at that table so you were then able to know where to sit.

Also at the sign in table were some photographs that were placed into a picture frame in the form of a film strip.

Once you made your way upstairs into the main room of Snow Valley you noticed again the attention to detail. The bride was a country girl and the groom was a city boy, there had table tied in the country theme with a wooden fence placed behind the head table. It was simple, yet elegant, and really made the head table standout.

Each table had a DVD with a movie jacket and DVD label custom made for each table with the names of the guests at the table printed on their, and as well some other details for the evening. Each DVD was associated with the seating chart from the main floor and was used as a table number for each table.

After the ceremony the guests were permitted to come straight into the room. Everyone couldn’t stop talking about all the details the bride and groom had taken into account for their wedding day.
The master of ceremonies did a great job of leading the evening’s festivities with some very entertaining stories and good jokes. Dinner was then served buffet style in the adjoining room making it a lot easier for the staff at this venue to be less disruptive by not having the buffet line on the dance floor. The only challenge with dinner was that they ran out of perogies. I cannot remember the last time I had seen a facility run out of food, and especially pierogies, addin you can simply boil some more BUT thet did not. Lucky enough this happened with about the last three or four people, including myself, going through the buffet line.
Speeches were short and sweet followed by a very well made slideshow that was put together via the bride and groom.

Shortly after speeches we moved into the first dance. The bride and groom had decided to do something a little different. They decided to use “AC-DC – Hells Bells” as their first dance song. This definitely caught everyone off guard but really broke the ice and set the tone for the entire night. With a good number of requests and the bride and groom being on the dance floor most of the night helped to produce a great reception.
Now the bad Stuff.
September is a great month to book a venue like Snow Valley where there is a tremendous amount of glass. This is a venue, in my opinion, should never be booked in June, July or early August. As nice as it is to look out the windows the challenge one faces is that there is too much light coming into the room until the sun falls which can be as late as 10:30 p.m. at the end of June. This poses a challenge when getting people to dance as most people have a fear of being watched and generally like the room a little darker which generally leads to a better dance early in the evening. I have done functions in the past in this room in early July and they generally don’t really get going until the sun falls.
I really do think a Snow Valley is one of the better Edmonton venues except for one thing. Maria, is the lady that looks after/runs this facility and is truly one of the most difficult people I have ever had the displeasure of working with. As an Edmonton DJ, I have been to this venue a number of times prior to this function and have always had very few issues in the past. The biggest challenge is that Maria thinks that the DJ should set up in what I would consider an inadequate location for the type of show my customer has paid for. When I arrived at the Hall I let her know that we were there and it was good to be back. I then proceeded to set up my show in a location that would provide both the best sound and allow me to interact with the crowd. The location I chose to set up my rig had no impact on any other component of this function. It did not impede the movement of the guests in or out of the room nor did it detract from the look of the room. Maria came to me when I was nearly finished setting up and asked if that’s where my rig would remain and my response was simply yes for the reasons I do stated above. She then proceeded to ask you for my business card, politely at that point, upon which I gave her one and as she walked away she turned around and told me that I would never be allowed to return to this facility. As far as I can tell the only reason she said this is because I did not set up my show in the location upon which she wanted me to. I simply set up my show, where I had discussed with my customer prior to that date, where I felt would produce the best possible party. This is the first time I can remember I was treated so poorly as a vendor coming into a reception facility. It should be the goal of all parties involved in this industry to work together, and to provide the best possible environment for both the client and their guests on that day. This is clearly not the case at Snow Valley. My customer and other DJs have also stated that Maria can be very opinionated and rigid when it comes to planning or working at this venue.
I can only say that this was my experience on this day and had been to Snow Valley a number of times before without any incident, what is funny, each time I was there in the past I have set up in the exact same location without any incident or objection from Maria.
Please click on the Edmonton wedding DJ highlights video below to see Carrie and Jason’s special day.
Wedding at the Garden Valley Hall in Spruce Grove
Dec 13th
Susan & Chad
August 29, 2009 – Garden Valley Hall Spruce Grove – Edmonton Wedding DJ
Little things can make a big difference!!!
Susan and Chad did a very good job of planning their wedding ceremony and wedding reception all in the same location. It all started about 330 in the afternoon. The hall was very nicely decorated and ceremony was held at the front of all which was changed over for the head table after the ceremony.
The ceremony was officiated by a marriage commissioner who was very well spoken and had a few entertaining anecdotes. The young flower girls stole the show as they played with her flowers during the ceremony. I have been to more ceremonies than the average person and this was the first time I’d ever seen the groom kiss the bride and have his hands a little below the waist. Everyone noticed this occur and erupted in applause and cheers.

The only thing that could’ve been a little better was the fact that the photographers were using strobe lights with wireless flash control that beeped every time they took the photo. This is extremely annoying and distracting during the ceremony.
After the ceremony the room was converted to accommodate the reception. There was a very simple buffet which then led into a very short formal end of the evening. Speeches were short and sweet with the highlight being three relatives sang a traditional song to the bride and groom.
When booking any venue there are a couple of things one needs to pay attention too. The first is lighting control. As an Edmonton wedding DJ atmosphere plays an important role in getting people in the mood to party. If the venue does not have proper lighting or dimmable fixtures like scones then you should seriously consider artificially lighting the room. Garden Valley Hall has very poor lighting control. The entire facility has fluorescent fixtures with no dimmable lighting. Lucky enough as an Edmonton DJ I carry extra lighting with me and used it to light the parameter of the hall so we could turn off all of the fluorescent fixtures providing a better atmosphere for everyone to dance.

The second, is air conditioning. Edmonton weather in the summer can reach temperatures of over 30°C. If you’re venue does not have air conditioning, generally speaking, your party will not be a successful as a venue with air-conditioning. Simply put it can be hotter inside some venues than it is outside. That was the case with the Garden Valley Hall as the kitchen door was opened as the cooks were preparing the meal and all the heat from the kitchen moved into the main room causing it to become hotter.


Due to the heat and the lack of air conditioning it took a little while for this party to get going. But what the doors open and the fans on by about 11 o’clock the temperature was a bit cooler than people have had enough to drink that they were ready to start dancing a little more. Everyone was having a great time and we ended up doing a couple of karaoke songs throughout the dance which really added to the night as it was not the focus but was an add-on that created an even better party.
Please watch the video below to see some of the highlights from the Garden Valley Hall.
Edmonton Fairmont Hotel MacDonald Wedding DJ
Sep 15th
It’s all in the details.
September 12, 2009 – Dana & Graham
As an Edmonton DJ, the Fairmont Hotel MacDonald is a the place I both love and hate. I love everything about this venue expect for getting into and out of this location. If you can image, a 100 year old building was not really designed for all that we ask of it in this day and age.

Once you get into the hotel you soon forget about the load in and again you are over taken by the grandeur of this beautiful and historic building. Combine this with the finest hotel staff in the city and you have all the elements needed to create an unforgettable day.


Both the ceremony and reception were held in the Wedgewood room of the hotel MacDonald. It was a beautifully decorated ceremony with all the chairs wrapped in chair bags which were supplied by Elegant Touches. There was also a 4 piece quartet which filled with air and that just added to a beautiful ceremony. The ceremony started almost on time and went off without a hitch. The justice of the peace was very well spoken and also very entertaining. Her lighthearted approach put everyone at ease and made ceremony that much better. The young ring bearer stole the show when the justice of the peace asked who carried the rings and without hesitation the young ring bearer yelled out “I do”.

Dana and Graham took it all in stride and would like no one else was in the room except for them. It was great to watch two people that really have a connection with each other get married. Being an Edmonton disc jockey I have witnessed a lot of ceremonies over the years. This was truly one of the best. The ceremony was followed by a dove release on the patio of the hotel MacDonald. The bride and groom and their son together opened the birdcage and with a little help the doves flew off.
The ceremony was followed by champagne, a toast to the bride and groom, and lunch. The guests visited and enjoyed a great meal until about three o’clock in the afternoon.

The staff at the hotel MacDonald then proceeded to flip the room over. There’s a lot of work that needs to be done in a very short period of time to convert the room from a ceremony set up to a reception setup. The room was then again open to the guests at six o’clock for the reception.

Just before the reception the bride and groom took some additional family pictures in the garden. Their photographer was Nicole Fast of Nicole Fast Photography.
What surprised me the most on this night was the fact some of the guests were not dressed appropriately for a facility of this caliber. I counted three pairs of blue jeans and one person was wearing hiking boots, shorts, a white T-shirt and an army vest. Neither the jeans nor the shorts are appropriate attire for any wedding and especially a wedding being held at the hotel MacDonald.

At about seven o’clock dinner was served and we enjoyed, a buffet style, meal that was amazingly well done. There are four different types of salads, sliced meats, turkey, potatoes and the best chicken I think I have ever had. Dinner was followed by desert and then speeches.

The master of ceremonies did a great job, he was funny and entertaining right from the get-go. The formal speeches were all very short and sweet and were capped off with the bride and groom saying there thank you’s.


Just after nine o’clock we got the dance started with the bride and groom leading the way just like every other function. This has been a very funny year for first dances. Almost every single wedding I have done this year, the bride and groom have chosen a song that is not as well known. We then had a song for the father and daughter followed by a mother son dance.

Starting with only about 60 people generally makes my job, as an Edmonton DJ, harder. I was very happy that we had quite a bit of dancing most of the night. We also went right through until 1 a.m. There were a good number of requests which made my job a little easier for such a small crowd. This really helped me hold him find what they liked as a format and play within that format.

It has been quite awhile since I’ve seen a wedding done this well. Dana did a great job of planning her dream wedding from start to finish. The bride and groom definitely did it right and did it with style, right down to the Lyndor chocolates that were given as favors.

A special thanks goes out to Dana and Graham for having me be a part of such an important day. And thanks for letting me do my job without tying my hands behind my back.

Please see the below video for highlights of Dana and Graham’s special day.
Michelle & Ryan at Woodvale Hall
Aug 25th
July 10, 2009
A Friday Night Rocker!!! at Woodvale Community Hall.

It is always enjoyable to be an Edmonton Disc Jockey at Woodvale Hall. This Edmonton venue is more than just a community hall it is one of the best places in Edmonton to hold a wedding. Add in the fact that Fong and his staff could compete with the staff at the Hotel MacDonald you have the best of both worlds; an afforable wedding venue and staff that work hard to make sure all in attenance are happy.

Michelle and Ryan went all out with the decorations in the room and this truly changed the look and feel of the room. With a head table back drop right through to the chair covers and ties they turned this room into a beautiful place to hold a function.


One of the highlights was the candy table. Instead of favours the bride and groom had a table of candy where veryone could fill there bag with what every treats they would like. At times people were lined up 5 deep to get some treats.

Dinner at Woodvale Hall is always very well done and that night it was amazing. There were so many things to pick from on the buffet line I needed a larger plate.
Speeches followed dinner and they were very well done. This summer as an Edmonton Wedding DJ keeps surprising me as people are so very well spoken. The other thing that has impressed me is that guests are dressing up again. Blue jeans should not be allowed at almost any function, and on this night I don’t think there was a pair insight.


We then go the dance under way right after the slide show and I am always a little concerned about doing a party on a Friday night. People have worked all day and have been awake since early that morning. Saturday weddings allow people to sleep in and have a full set of batteries from the tiime they roll in the door. The groom and bride again did it right. They had an open bar, which allowed for the guests to cut loose and not worry about spending a huge amount of money on drinks as some venues are now charging $6 – $7 per drink.
All I can really say about the dance is WOW!!! It was a great party led by the bride and groom that were on the dance floor a good chunk of the night. We had a great time with everyone loving the songs they could sing along to and the classics. The dance went until about 1:30 and everyone that stayed had a lot of fun.
Please take a look at some highlights of the Edmonton DJ Wedding.
University of Alberta – Faculty of Medicine Graduation 2009
Aug 14th
June 5, 2009
Being an Edmonton DJ is more than just playing music. The University of Alberta Faculty of Medicine Grad was a win event for both client and myself. I worked closely with the grad committee and was able to save them hundreds of dollars by providing the entire infrastructure for this event. Doing an event of over 800 people is no small feat and this function had a few challenges. Most Edmonton Events of the type generally cost the client more as they end up using multiple companies to provide all of the services needed.

Puttin’ on the Hitz is more than just an Edmonton DJ Company, we can also handle the production side of any event. By providing the DJ Services and adding in the screens and projectors and a live camera to shoot the speeches allowed for the customer to do two big things. First, they only had to deal with one company for all their production needs allowing them to make better use of their time. There is less meetings and less confusion with no problems on the day of the function. Secondly, the customer saved money. Since we are already there for the DJing it made is far easier to provide the screens and projectors for this event. As there is only one company traveling to the Shaw Conference Centre the cost to do the show was decreased.

We also tied in my computer to the video screens and we were able to show some pictures from the day in the background during dinner and we played music videos during the dance. This added an extra touch to the party to give the guests something to look at as they enjoyed their dinner and for those that did not dance something to look at on the screens.
A special thanks goes out to the staff at the Shaw Conference Centre as they made sure both myself and the videographer (David Matthew Bonner) had dinner even though we had to eat off the back of my speaker stack as the organizers forgot to include us in the seating arrangement.
I cannot remember the last time this room ever looked so good. Sheldon from Infinite Event Services did a great job of decorating the room and the seating areas next to the dance floor were a great touch that really made the room.


The speeches were very well done and everyone spoke like a pro. I was very impressed with the speakers and add in the fact that they were very entertaining and not to long-winded made for a great formal end of the evening.



After the speeches we went into the dance and it started off like a wedding and it took it a little while to get off the ground but by about 12:00 AM it got going and we had a great time right until 2 am. What surprised me the most was that they liked the older music more than the newer, with the big song of the night was Kylie Monogue – Loco-motion.
Please watch the video below for highlights of this function as an Edmonton School DJ.
Redtail Landing Ceremony & Wedding Reception – Kelly & Justin
Aug 6th
August 2, 2009
Dollar for dollar, Pound for pound, one of the best parties ever.

I have been an Edmonton DJ for almost 10 years and this past weekend was the 1st time I have ever been in the same room 2 nights in a row.
RedTail Landing is a great place to DJ and even made better when you get to leave your gear there over night. The day started out with an outdoor ceremony and the weather looked a little iffy but it all came together for a beautiful ceremony. The highlight of the ceremony was when one of the bridesmaids sang during the signing of the registry. WOW!!!


After the ceremony there was a short reception outside and by about 6 pm we were all back in the main room awaiting another great meal and RedTail Landing. I have been to RedTail a few times and Dean knows I am a bit of a picky eater and made sure that a piece of chicken was BBQ’d up for me. Thanks Dean, I don’t know of any other venue that works to make sure the venders are looked after.

The speeches were extremely well done some of the funniest I can remember.

We then went into the dance and earlier that day I was chatting with Dean and Steve and we were talking about how much harder it is to do parties that are under 100 people. This party had a total of 62 guests and it was on a Sunday night. We took a friendlybet as to the time the party would go to. Steve said 11:30, Dean said 12:30 and I took 1 AM. Boy, it sure feels good to be right. The dance started out great and never let up all night. We started with 60 people and ended with over 30. Kelly and Justin loved to dance and Justin was on the dance floor more than Kelly, usually it is the bride that dances more than the groom. The song of the night was “Kung Fu Fighting” and when the groomsmen were doing all the karate moves I was almost on the floor from laughing.
What surprised me even more was that fact that they were not big drinkers and just loved to have a good time.
Edmonton Wedding Highlights
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