Shanghai Red’s, Marina del Rey, Ceremony & Reception

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Shanghai Red’s is a cozy restaurant set right on the harbor of Marina del Rey.  The back patio area overlooks the harbor.  On this day, there was a slight breeze on a perfect day and sunset occurred while the bride and groom had dinner with all their guests.  The sunset was clearly visible through all the windows throughout the intimate room.

The ceremony took place in front of a gazebo which was decorated with flowers.  The ceremony area (patio) is separated from the general restaurant guests by different furniture, so the guests will be able to enjoy the ceremony as well.  There is no wall between the harbor walkway and the patio, so some people may casually stroll by a wonderful event.

The reception room held 12 tables which would be the maximum with a dance floor.  The Sweetheart table was set with the back to the windows overlooking the harbor which created a beautiful view.  The DJ booth had to be adjusted to accommodate the location for the booth.

Cocktail service with hor d’oeuvres were served in the ceremony area, where some tables were brought in and most of the chairs taken out to provide a more social atmosphere.  The bar was located near the rear of the ceremony area, and this is where the bar stayed throughout dinner and receptions as well.  Dinner was buffet-style which moved fairly smoothly.  The buffet tables were located in the adjacent room, which was later modified into the candy table and cappuccino service.

Services provided:  Ceremony, cocktail hour, reception music, dance lighting, wireless microphone, uplighting, cake highlighting, Sweetheart table highlighting, projection services

Congratulations Amanda and Wayne!

San Gabriel Hilton, Reception

Sweetheart table with DJ booth in background

Sweetheart table with DJ booth in background

The San Gabriel Hilton is a beautiful building which stands out among all others in the area.  The large ballroom can be divided into smaller rooms; this wedding used one-third of the ballroom.

The ballroom is already equipped with a projection screen above the stage (the couple would have to move to enjoy the video/slideshow).

Services provided: Sound, music, dance lighting.

Congratulations April and Dean!

Chart House, Redondo Beach, Wedding & Reception

Cake and ocean

Cake and ocean

Located right on the beach (even has its own piece of the beach), has beautiful views of the Pacific Ocean.  With two ceremony areas, either outdoors on the beach or indoors with a view of the ocean, Chart House offers choices for the bride and groom.

The indoor ceremony room, used during this wedding, was a narrow, long room that has six seats per row (2 x 3 with aisle in between).  The ceremony room is adjacent to the reception area, which is the dining room of the restaurant.  The reception area, like the ceremony room is covered with windows with beautiful views.

The restaurant was closed for the morning and afternoon, but needed to be vacated for evening dining service.

Services provided:  Ceremony sound, music, dance lighting.

Congratulations Barry and Stella!

White House Event Center, Anaheim, Spring Ball

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The White House Event Center is located in Anaheim, California.  Do not let the busy streets of Highway 39 deter you from this beautiful venue.  Located at the far end of various store fronts, the White House has a room with classic decor and another room with a club atmosphere, separated by a patio area.

For this event, Santa Ana College’s International Student Program held their Annual Spring Ball.  For many of the students, it was their first time dressing up and attending a formal dance (as many students come from areas where Proms and formal dances do not exist).  It was a lovely evening with dining and dancing to a variety of music.

Services provided: uplighting (interior and exterior), dance lighting, fog effect, gobo, sound and music

Mile Square Banquet Room, Fountain Valley, Lighting

Located in Fountain Valley, the Mile Square Banquet Room is actually located at the golf course.  Uplighting gives a room a different feel.  Amber around the room and one pink uplight to highlight the Candy Table.  (As I was cleaning up, I overheard a little boy say, “I got a tummy ache and kinda feel like throwing up.”  I think he found the Candy Table.)

Close to the end of the evening, switched the amber uplights to sound-active mode to change with the music and create a festive mood.

Congratulations Melissa and Julian!

(Before and after photos)

Uplights in sound-active mode.

Portofino Inn, Redondo Beach, Casino Birthday

Colleen’s loving family surprised her with a casino themed birthday party.  Portofino Inn has a lovely view of the ocean.  To keep with the mood, background music included Sinatra, Presley and other crooners, along with classic rock and 80′s music.  After all the gambling was done, the dance floor came alive.

Another type of spinning

Noon Year’s Eve, Discovery Science Center

Noon Year’s Eve at Discovery Science Center in Santa Ana!  Family friendly atmosphere with activities for the kids and sparkling cider for the noontime countdown and toast.  Assisted by DJ Heartless during the long day.

Anaheim Marriott, Wedding Reception


 

 

 

December 15, 2012

Intimate reception on a busy night.  The hotel had two other events with thousands of people.  The room (Orange County Ballroom) was the furthest from the entrance.  Luckily everyone was able to find the right room.  Cute theme:  Hello Kitty, Asian dolls, snowflakes on the side walls.

Contemporary and traditional Cambodian reception.  The groomsmen wore traditional Cambodian attire and the bridesmaids wore contemporary dresses.  Traditional Cambodian wedding blessing dance, for which music was provided to me ahead of time.  The evening included top-40, hip-hop and Cambodian music.

Services:  Audio, music, microphones, dance lighting (drapery, uplighting, pinspotting and gobo lighting provided by a single vendor, not myself)

If the ballroom didn’t have to be cleared, the crowd would have danced until dawn.  Fun night.

Congratulations Vandra and Neangry!