lambertsdj.com Blog

The bridal show at Dennis Vineyards Sunday was great.  You couldn’t have asked for better weather and there was a great crowd.  I saw a lot of old friends and met some new friends.  Dennis Vineyards is a beautiful wedding and reception venue.  Sandon, Amy, and Christy are wonderful people and are a pleasure to work with.  Thank you for including me in your show.

The caterer’s had some great food.  Chef Henry, Bistro Catering and Events, Catering to You (704-488-8227, and Harvest Catering (704-938-4061) were there and of course, I sampled them all.  Don’t ask me my favorite because there’s no way to decide.  I would like to put in a plug for Catering to You.  If you’re a fan of Italian food, Laurie can hook you up.

Cakes, Cakes, Cakes.  Let’s see, Austin’s Bakery & Design, Chef’s Choice Pasteries (704-792-2433), and Bloomin’ Cakes had some beautiful designs and great tasting cakes.  It was the first time I met Austin’s Bakery & Design.  They use real butter, need I say more.  Need some help with cake cutting?  Check out We Cut Cakes, a professional cake cutting service.

Photographers.  Oh man, how can you decide on which photgrapher to use?  I’ve worked with G & G The Portrait Shop, Massey Photography, and Sweet Dreams Portrait Studio and they all do great work and are great to work with.  I did meet some photographers who I haven’t worked with but that doesn’t mean they don’t do great work.  Elaine McDonald Photography, Heather Houston Photography, and Photography by Melissa.  Check them all out and you decide.

There were several event planners there.   The Bride’s Choice , Two Become One Wedding Planning,  The Silk Veil Weddings & Events and Your Party to Remember.  Well, The Silk Veil didn’t attend because of illness, but they were there in spirit.  I’ve worked with Kim at The Bride’s Choice several times and you couldn’t ask for a nicer person to work with.  Two Become One is a fairly new business but their work looks fantastic.  The Silk Veil is out of Charlotte and I know them from the Event Professionals Group of NC.

Ok who else was there.  Notable Stationary for your invitations.  Starnes Jewelers for your rings and gifts.  Designed Memories Florist (704-983-7927) for your flowers.  Shear Dimensions Salon & Spa to pamper yourself and prepare for your special day.  Impressions Bridal & Prom and The Bride’s Choice for your dresses.   Longaberger Baskets (704-982-7056) for that special touch.  LC Travel & Cruises (704-982-4771) to plan your honeymoon or destination wedding.  Michele Deeter from ERA Four Seasons Realty for your first home.  And Ta-dah Dance Academy so you will look fantastic on the dance floor while Lambert’s DJ plays all of your favorite tunes (Yeah, it may be tacky, but I had to give myself a plug).

This was a one stop bridal show.  Plan it all in one day.  If you missed this year’s show, be sure to attend next year.

The Wedding Affair…With More bridal show was held Sun. 1/31 at the Cabarrus Arena in Concord.  Not the best of days for a bridal show with 4 inches of snow and ice on the ground but hey, it was January.  Despite the weather, there was a fair crowd there and I talked to quite a few brides-to-be.  It was an interesting show to say the least.  There was a group of belly dancers there who performed.  Damhsa Gasra is a group out of Salisbury that performs for weddings, showers,  business, clubs, and festivals.  They were all shapes and ages.  I have photos on Lambert’s DJ Facebook page if you want to check them out. 

This show was put on by G & G The Portrait Shop out of Concord.  Saw a lot of old friends from the wedding business and met a few new friends.  It was a fun event even if the crowd was small.  SouthernStar Photography and Lambert’s DJ had to get out on the dance floor when the Cupid Shuffle came on.  There are pictures of the show and our dancing on G&G The Portrait Shop Facebook page.

“The Wedding Affair…With More” bridal show will be held Jan. 31, 2010 from 11:00am-4:00pm at the Cabarrus Arena & Events Center in Concord, NC.  This will be our 4th year there.  This is a great show.   There is always a wide array of vendors to accommodate all of your wedding preparations.   Admission is $10 at the door.  If you click on The Wedding Affair link, you will find a coupon to receive a $2 discount.  There will be free samples, door prizes, contests, and some of the best vendors in the area.

Come by and say hello.

Saturday was the reception for Tyler and Catlin at the Country Club of Salisbury.   You can take a virtual view of their facilities on their site.  Our first time there and I was very impressed.   The staff was great to work with and the food was excellent.

Tyler and Catlin made a lovely couple.  They used fall colors and decorations and flowers were beautiful.  I’m not sure who did the cake, but it was gorgeous.  Four tiered and each layer was a different flavor.  Everything went well and everyone had a good time.  Lot’s of dancing.

 Amanda with Lasting Impressions Photography was the photographer.  I’ve worked with her before.  She is great to work with and her work shows she picked the right profession.

Saturday was the day for Cassie and Jeremy.  We did the ceremony and reception at Il Bella Gardens in Albemarle.  All Saturday morning and early afternoon it was cloudy and raining.  Not good for an outside wedding.  The wedding was at 4:00.  At about 2:30 it stopped raining and at about 3:15 the sun came out as if on cue.  The wedding was beautiful and everything went as planned.   It was our first time at Il Bella Gardens.  It opened this season and is a beautiful site for ceremonies and receptions.  The ceremony site is an open landscaped area behind the pavillion with an arbor and a backdrop of  beautiful Stanly County forest.  The changing colors of the trees with the floral arrangements made a spectacular site.

The reception went great.  Il Bella Gardens has an open air covered pavillion that was beautifully decorated.  Late October can be iffy for an outside evening reception, but the weather cooperated and gave us ideal temperature for lots of dancing.   Perfectly Arranged Floral (704-888-1200) did the flowers and decorating for the ceremony and reception.  I was impressed.  Huge Gerbera Daisies decorated the tables and cake.  Catering was by Bud’s Bodacious BBQ.  They really know how to barbecue.  I can’t say enough about the cake.  It was a 3 tiered white cake with intricate design and topped with Gerbera Daisies.  I’m not sure who the cake designer was.  For information, you can contact Kim McIlwaine, owner of The Bride’s Choice.  She was the wedding planner and is also the owner of Il Bella Gardens.   Photography was by Special Moments Photography of Monroe.

We had a wonderful time at the reception.  It started out slow and I was beginning to get concerned that I had lost my touch, but when the crowd got started, it was on.  Lot’s of good energetic dancers that had a good time.  I think I received more compliments and thank-you’s than any other event.

Thank you to Cassie and Jeremy, their family and guests.  It was a pleasure to work with them.  I also want to thank Kim McIlwaine of The Bride’s Choice and Il Bella Gardens.  I have worked with Kim before but this was the first time at her place.  Everything was beautiful, well planned, and organized.

Scott and Stephanie’s reception at Uwharrie Vineyards on Sat. was a blast.  Lot’s of dancing and the party went on for 5 hours.  I think they would have stayed all night.  The bride and friends did a special clog dance to ZZ Top’s Legs for the groom.  It was great.  The bride is from Ashville and the cake designer and photographer were from around that area.  The cake was beautiful and was made and designed by the brides aunt.  I didn’t get her name.  Photography was by Andy Pennestri.  Catering was by C.J.’s.   A special thanks to Stephanie and Scott for allowing me to be a part of their special day.  I had a great time.

Rocky River Vineyards will be hosting a Halloween Costume Party on Friday Oct. 30 from 7-10 PM and we will be providing the entertainment.  It is a costume party so you have to wear a costume.  There will be music, dancing, food and wine.  Tickets are $20 per person and you can reserve your spot by calling 704-781-5035.

Reception for Joseph and Ashley on Saturday at Dennis Vineyards.  Ceremony and Reception was at the vineyard, but I just did the reception.  They had musicians and a singer for the ceremony.   Weather was beautiful for the ceremony and the reception went great, lots of dancing.  Nice couple and I really enjoyed working with them and their families.

Dennis Vineyards was beautiful as ever.  They had recently harvested their crop and the smell of muscadines filled the air.  They will hold their annual Harvest Festival and Grape Stomp on Saturday Oct. 10 from 12-6.  The event includes a real grape stomp, music, wine & juice tasting and sales, craft vendors and more. There is no admission fee to enter.  Chef Henry did the catering so you know the food was good.  The cake was supplied by Cake for a Budget (704-236-1228).  It was a beautiful 3 tiered cake with grape bunches adorning the design, nice touch for the vineyard.  It was a strawberry cake and was delicious.  The photography was by Deanna Devine.  Very professional and the work on her website looks great.

It’s events like this one that makes me glad I decided to make weddings my specialty as a DJ.

Amanda and Ryan’s wedding reception Saturday at the F & M Trolley Barn in Salisbury.   Nice couple.   Everyone seemed to have a good time.  My first time at the Trolley Barn.  It is a good venue for the Spring and Fall.  I wouldn’t suggest it for the Summer, no air conditioning.   The weather was cool enough that with the open doors and ceiling fans, it was quite comfortable.  I was worried about the acoustics since it was a large open area, but the sound was good.   The guests and bridal party were brought to the Tolley Barn by Trolley car with a Just Married sign on the back.  It was a nice touch.   

Catering was by Debbie Suggs Catering (704) 637-2016 and the food looked great.  I usually don’t eat while working, but I did try one of the meatballs and it was good.   The desert table was awsome.  I didn’t get a chance to sample though, it disappeared fast.

Photography was by Joey Seawell.  I enjoyed working with him, very professional.  Late in the reception, he set up a slide show and I played music he provided.  The slide show was shots taken that day at the wedding and reception.

Saturday was Alex and Heather’s wedding reception in Concord.  It went great.  It was a small crowd, but a good crowd.  I love to DJ when the crowd loves to dance.  The couple’s first dance was an evolution of dance similar to the video.  They gave me a list of songs and I put the music together.  No one knew about it but me and the couple.  It started with Kenny Chesney Me and You.  About a minute in, I put in a long needle scratch.  I acted like I was freaking out and the couple was giving me a fit.  It went in to Elvis, Hound Dog and then clips from several songs and ended with the last few seconds of Me and You.  Alex and Heather did great with the dancing and the crowd really enjoyed it.

Pontiac Pointe has re-opened under new management in Albemarle and we will be there on Thursday nights playing your favorite Shag/Beach Music tunes.  The large opening in the floor upstairs has been closed in to give added area for dancing and dining.   Whether you’ve been shagging for years, just starting out, or just love Beach Music, come on out and get an early start on the weekend.