Woodstock Academy High School Homecoming Dance. DJ & Lighting Services.

On a cool Fall night of September 22nd 2012 we setup a large sound system and 10 foot lighting system for over 600 students. In the distance you could hear the sounds of a high school football field, as Woodstock Academy wrapped up their homecoming game that night.

at about 6 o’clock students started rolling into their gymnasium, dressed for their 2012 Homecoming affair. We started with some slower background tunes while the students mingled and ate light snacks. The party quickly kicked off with high energy Top 40 dance music for over 3 hours. The dance floor was hopping all night long, with all radio edits of the most popular tunes the kids enjoy. We took requests and kept the party flowing without any interruption all night.

We paused the dance briefly to announce the homecoming court, and of course the King and Queen. The Homecoming court danced together to “A Moment Like This” by Kelly Clarkson.
Below is a You Tube video of some high energy dancing we caught throughout the night. Check out the effect the lighting has on the energy of the crowd during dancing.

CT Wedding DJ Ceremony Music & Reception Dancing at Mystic Yachting Center.

Another busy September weekend concluded with a small Ceremony & Reception at the beautiful  Mystic Yachting Center.  Melissa & Chet were married outside by the water, with a backdrop of docked boats and the Long Island Sound.  The Ceremony began at roughly 1:15, with about 50 guests seated outside on the lawn near a gravel walkway leading to the boat yard.

  During the Ceremony, the couple performed a ritual known as the “WIne Box Ceremony”.  For those of you unfamiliar, I will explain this unique Ceremony tradition.  The Bride & Groom both write love letters to each other on their Wedding Day.  The letters are sealed in separate envelopes.  During their vows, the couple places the unread letters in a box, along with a bottle of Wine and 2 glasses.  The box is sealed, tied or closed in some way.  In a desired time during their marriage, 5, 10, 20 years, the couple opens the box, drinks the Wine and reads the letters written to each other.  This is a way to relive the feeling that each felt for the other on their special day.

As the couple Receeded to pictures, the guests were moved inside to the downstairs room of the Yachting Center for a cocktail hour.  Guests enjoyed appetizers, an open bar and got to socialize before Dinner. At approximately 2:15 the guests were moved upstairs to the Main Ballroom for Dinner and the Reception portion of the day.  The couple was introduced along with parents and their Bridal Party, which consisted of about 8 young children which were close friends or family.  The couple was introduced to “The Power of Love” by Huey Lewis & the News.

After the couple made their way to their sweetheart table centered near the dance floor, toasts were given by Best Man Tony & Matron of Honor Amy.  Tony sarcastically thanked the couple for having their Wedding on the first day of the NFL season.  That got some laughs. The great meal by Ocean Blue Catering included Prime Rib, Chicken Francese and a mashed potato station with all the fixings.  The couple then danced for the first time together to the song “Brighter Than Sunshine” by Aqualung, which they chose especially for the occasion.

The cake had a Maritime theme, with blue anchors and Navy Blue piping.  The cake was cut to “When I’m 64″ by The Beatles, then served by the catering crew within minutes.   Chet then danced with his sister, who stepped in for their mom, who was no longer with us but smiling down upon her children on this special occasion.  Melissa also danced with dad before the dance floor was opened to guests.  The party ended at 5:30, with the sun still shining upon a beautiful late Summer Wedding day.

Outside Wedding Ceremony & Reception Dj & Lighting on the Patio at Villa Bianca, Seymour CT.

“The DJ was very professional, personable, and was open to any suggestions that I had. During the reception, he seamlessly transitioned from one song to the next which kept everyone on the dance floor. It was exactly what I’d hoped for!” – Joslin Latz

This weekend I was honored to be a part of a company friend’s special day.  Maureen Davis hired us last year for her son Kyle’s Wedding Reception, which was held this past Sunday in Seymour, Ct at the Inn at Villa Bianca.

We setup a small PA system at the lower pavilion for an outside ceremony.  A wireless microphone was also provided for the officiant and a reader.

The bridal party walked down the aisle to Cat Power’s “Sea of Love”.  The Bride entered to the classical Canon in D. The Ceremony was performed by a Justice of the Peace, and a reading of “What Love Is” by a family member.  After the couple was married, they walked back down the aisle to Jason Mraz “I’m Yours”.

The couple went for pictures while the guests made their way to the main pavilion the cocktail hour.

When it was time to introduce the Bridal Party, parents and couple int

o the main recption hall, each couple was introduced to their own song which they chose or was selected by the couple for a special meaning.

Directly after introductions Kyle and Joslin danced for the first time as Husband and Wife together to Tim Mcgraw’s “My Best Friend”. As Dinner was served, the staff at the Villa Bianca had a complete table setting for the photographer and I, and served us all 3 courses.  I mention this because this was just one facet of this venue that testified to their professionalism and committment to a successful event.  The Maitre D Tiffany was on top of things all night, and coordinated the timeline and all events with us to perfection.

Our lighting for this elegant evening included LED color Wash lights for the dance floor, purple/blue uplighting on the pavilion pillars and a dance floor monogram.  The monogram was a heart pattern, set with a purple color.

Dinner included a salad, pasta, and choice of Beef, Chicken or Fish.

After Dinner the couple cut a 4tier Chocolate Cake, decorated in a beach sand theme.

During Dinner, I got the chance to get acquainted with the photographer of the evening.  I was thrilled to discover that she was based out of Quaker Hill, just minutes from our office.  her name is Karen Schlink, and her website www.karenschlink.com should be updated soon with high quality professional shots of this Wedding.  We will keep you updated and make an attempt to post some of Karen’s work here, with her permission.

We kept the music flowing smoothly with mixes that transitioned seamlessly from the 70′s to 80′s and all the way to Pitbull.  Below is a video mix of the dance floor in action, many with the Bride out in front having a blast!  We always tell our clients that as long as the Bride is having fun, the rest of the party will follow.

I must add the following to this post because I think some couples will be able to use this idea.  Below is a picture of a koozie the couple had made with their name and Wedding date on it.  There was a table with these laid out, and enough for each guest to have more than 1.  I was given one of these myself.  I must say this is more than just a great Wedding favor idea, it is so practical, modern, and useful.  I have been using mine all Labor Day weekend since!

DJ,Lighting & Video Services for Birthday Party & Appreciation Dinner at Waters Edge Resort in Westbrook, CT.

We were a part of the Rev. Madry appreciation dinner and Birthday celebration at the Waters Edge Resort & Spa in Westbrook, CT.  Rev. Madry is an outstanding leader of the Madry Temple in New London, CT.  He is honored every year with a gathering of about 100 guests consisting of church members, family and colleagues.  We have been honored to provide DJ services for this event for 4 years running   This year we went the extra mile and included a video screen for a slide show presentation of the reverend.  The pictures were sent to us and we assembled the slide show for the guest of honor.  The slide show was looped on screen during cocktails and dinner, and was shown intermittently throughout the night along with Music Videos.

There was also a special guest comedian who did a skit making fun of the guest of honor, all in good taste.  Below is a video highlight with some ability to see the video screen in action.  The video screen was a great addition to the party and was a hit.

70th Birthday Party at Berlin VFW, CT. DJ Music and Lighting Services.

We were honored to be a part of the Pappalardo 70th Birthday celebration for Lester, a well known and respected veteran of the Armed Services.  We provided a small sound system for the cozy venue at the VFW in Berlin, CT.  The night started with about 60 – 90 minutes worth of light background dinner music.  Dancing included a bit of Old Country-Western and some newer Top 40 for the kids.  We also had a small LED light show that lit up the small up like a “light bulb”, no pun intended.

Wedding Ceremony & Reception Music & DJ Services; New Milford, CT.

“thank you mike! you kept us dancing all night! we had a blast!” -Taylor

This past weekend we performed DJ services with Ceremony Music, Reception Dance Party and lighting at for a beautiful young couple.  This Wedding was held at the beautiful grounds of the Candlelight Farms Inn in New Milford, CT.  The couples names were Ryan and Taylor.  They had a small Bridal Party with only 4 close friends and family members, and no designated Best Man or Maid of Honor.  We started the day out with a small PA system outside for the ceremony, with a wireless microphone for the Master of Ceremony.  The speakers were turned to the small gazeebo area where they had an outside cocktail hour, with light background music.  We then moved inside with the main system and deluxe lighting for their specialty dances.  Below are some picture soy their First Dance and Father Daughter Dance.  Taylor’s Father surprised with the song selection of “My Girl” by The Temptations, Taylor was pleasantly surprised.  We then had another small PA system for their dinner hour which held outside in a third locate under a tent.  The night finished off with 3 hours of energy filled dancing, with high impact dance floor lighting.  Check out some of the video from our packed dance floor, they danced from daylight till nighttime!  Thanks to Karen and Nancy of Candlelight Farms for an awesome time working together for a very successful and fun Wedding.

Wedding Ceremony & Reception Music on the Beach in Westbrook, CT. DJ Entertainer Mike Ortiz.

Click the Audio Link Below to Listen to Stan & Kelly’s Audio Testimonial Left on our Automated Feedback Hotline:

Stan & Kelly Testimonial 06:16:2012

This weekend we performed DJ services with a small ceremony setup for Stan and Kelly on the beach of Westbrook, CT.

We provided a wireless microphone and stand for the Justice of the Peace to perform the ceremony and vows.  The first dance was done under the beautiful sun, with guests joining in as well.  Their first dance was to Steve Tyrell’s version of “At Last”.  CT Party Studios’ own Event Planner Carlos was on site, making sure everything went according to plan. The cake was a beautiful 3D landscape of the beach, with white chocolate starfish an shell accents.  It was almost too beautiful to eat,almost.  The cake cutting was coordinated with the help of DJ Mike and went well, Stan kept it “clean”.  The cake was made by the CT Culinary Institute Students.  Another beautifulCT beach Wedding in the books focus!  Thanks Stan & Kelly!

CT DJ Music Services at Franklin Elementary School Dance. Dance floor lighting and games.

“We had CT Party Studios for our 8th grade graduation dance. The kids had a great time. There was dancing an some games to play to keep them going too. The display was great too. We all enjoyed it.” – Cindy Jacksin, Franklin Elementary School

We had ourselves another great time performing DJ Entertainment services for about 30 students and some teachers at the Franklin Fire House.  We wanted to really show how no party is too small, so we pulled out all the stops.  Below you can see pictures of the extensive thought put into decorations and lighting.  We played games such as coke & pepsi, backwards crab crawl, great egg race, scavenger hunt and more.  This was because the party coordinator warned us that every year the kids just stand around at their party.  so we did something different and kept the kids going all night!

The theme was “Movie NIght”.  So they had a mock concession stand with popcorn, candy, soda and nachos.

They screened “Titanic” in the corner as part of the whole “Movies” theme.

We also had a green screen where the kids could get their faces transposed onto the body’s of several famous actors.

Check ou the video below of our scanning spotlights we used to add to the feel of a “movie premiere” night.  We kept this going while the kids were coming in and eating a buffet meal prepared for them.

The most important thing about this party to take away is that proper planning can go a long way.  The teachers involved in planning had the fear that the kids would stand around not having a great time, as in previous years.  So during our entertainment consultations we helped strategize a lot of these great ideas that were put in place.  We worked with the planner and gave some great ideas which were used.  Also, the proper preparation of games and contests helped make sure the party was a huge success and we received numerous compliments and thank you’s at the end of the night.

Wedding Toasts Perfected