Great wedding this weekend Dresser Mansion with The French Bouquet Tulsa, Erica Weddings Ladyfingers Catering & Party Planning and Ann's Bakery! Mike and Kathy danced the night away from Alabama for their first dance to rocking the night away with some LMFAO..great times, great family.
http://www.facebook.com/myweddingpartydj
Weddings Wedding Weddings!
So Its been QUITE some time since this blog was updated! BUT that is about to change! Starting.......NOW!
We have a fantastic wedding this weekend in Claremore! The entire team will be there! Look for the photos and more next week!
We have a fantastic wedding this weekend in Claremore! The entire team will be there! Look for the photos and more next week!
Wedding Wire 2011 Award
Just received my wedding wire 2011 award. This will be the third year in a row that I have been honored with this award. Thanks to all my great clients and vendors that make fantastic wedding & events possible.
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Cassie & Rickey - Wedding
http://www.amurphyphoto.com/blog/cassie-and-rickeys-wedding-tulsa-wedding-photographer/
Andrea says it best! Check her blog out about this great wedding!
2010 Updates
Weddings, Wedding shows, meetings, lunch meetings, breakfast meetings, traveling to Oklahoma City, Dallas, Kansas..this has been a busy 2010 so far. I have not had much time to update the blog with the great weddings I have been a part of so I thought I might just post some videos today. I am working on a new blog layout(wordpress) soon to come...so enjoy! Not sure why its cutting the video off..but we'll work on it in the new blog.
(Oh and if you would like to be a part of the BEST weddings, I am NOT the largest company around..but some say the best, as you know size does not matter when it comes to your once in a lifetime day) www.ZachDowning.Com
The last video is from my other company, TulsaParty.Com - Proms, Sweet Sixteens, MItzvahs, Corporate Events...it was started over 12 years ago and in the past few years we have focused on other areas but schools are begging us to come back and we came back in 2010 with a force. Investing in new lighting, new sound, new ideas and are going to roll back into Tulsa. This was Booker T Winter Ball..we had not done anything for them in about four years, they called and wanted to invest in quality instead of a company that boasts "quantity" they really got what they paid for...they are booked for next year..the prom was already booked with a "un-connected" DJ company.. that wont happen again next year.
Bixby, Jenks, Owasso, The rest of Tulsa & Oklahoma come next!
(Oh and if you would like to be a part of the BEST weddings, I am NOT the largest company around..but some say the best, as you know size does not matter when it comes to your once in a lifetime day) www.ZachDowning.Com
The last video is from my other company, TulsaParty.Com - Proms, Sweet Sixteens, MItzvahs, Corporate Events...it was started over 12 years ago and in the past few years we have focused on other areas but schools are begging us to come back and we came back in 2010 with a force. Investing in new lighting, new sound, new ideas and are going to roll back into Tulsa. This was Booker T Winter Ball..we had not done anything for them in about four years, they called and wanted to invest in quality instead of a company that boasts "quantity" they really got what they paid for...they are booked for next year..the prom was already booked with a "un-connected" DJ company.. that wont happen again next year.
Bixby, Jenks, Owasso, The rest of Tulsa & Oklahoma come next!
Great Wedding Lighting - Vanessa & Micheal
Vanessa and Micheal what a great wedding, the lighting is unique, the white dance floor and custom vinyl monogram is posh and the couple...fun! Enjoy the video!
How unique is your wedding going to be? Give us a call and talk with us to find out how!
How unique is your wedding going to be? Give us a call and talk with us to find out how!
Vanessa + Michael "The Story" by JJvideoFilm from JJvideoFilm on Vimeo.
Keep em' coming!
Just found another blog post with some testimonials about working with me.... :) Enjoy!
PS. Kriea is GREAT to work with! :)
PS. Kriea is GREAT to work with! :)
Rachel & Timmy Wedding Blog Comments
A little late posting this blog update, but just saw some great comments from Kriea a great photographer out of Oklahoma City who is very cool & takes some amazing shots. She has a few words to say about working with me! Thanks for the props!!
Delancy Wedding Oklahoma City December 2009
Great wedding, Gaylord-Pickens Oklahoma Histroy museum in Oklahoma City, great venue, staff and the BEST couple! Everyone had a great time, very laid back and Jeff & Jennifer left the details of the reception in my hands. Making sure all the guests were happy, comfortable & most of all ready to have a great time was my number on concern and it looks like that is exactly what happened.
Enjoy!
Enjoy!
Wedding Show in Tulsa - Free to Anyone!
(want to avoid what you see here?)SKIP THE CRAZY LINES, SWEATY SMELLS AND OVER SELLING SALESPEOPLE!!
I would encourage any bride looking for wedding services to look at the boutique wedding show's going on around Tulsa in January.
These laid back, casual affairs boast some of Tulsa's most requested wedding vendors.
These laid back, casual affairs boast some of Tulsa's most requested wedding vendors.
Why spend 4 hours fighting a crown on a Saturday when you can stroll in grab some bubbly and mingle and talk one on one with Tulsa's premier wedding vendors.
The First will be at the dresser mansion on January 9th at the Dresser Mansion. Meet with your Photographer, entertainer,
florist, catering company, venue, party rental needs and more!
florist, catering company, venue, party rental needs and more!
The Third for January will be at the Hotel Ambassador in downtown Tulsa Oklahoma. This will be on January
Tulsa Mayo Hotel
So here are some photos for those that might want a peek into the new venue....ummm old venue...ummm what is old has become new venue.....here in Tulsa.
Enjoy!
Enjoy!
Congratulations to Scott & Sidney
Venue: Five Oaks Lodge
Catering - Five Oaks Lodge
DJ- Zach Downing
Lighting - Empire Lighting Design
Photographer: Francines Photography
Videography- Cherished Traditions
Ice: Millennium Ice Carvings
What a beautiful weekend for weddings, I wanted to post one that I did on Saturday night with Scott and Sidney Webb. They arrived ahead of the guests so the grand entrance was scratched as the guests came piling in behind them giving them hugs and high fives so we went with the flow.
Dinner was served with some GREAT catering by the family at Five oaks, Randy had some mean smoked Salmon, Roast and Chicken that could compete in any competition in Tulsa for smoked meat! The staff at Five oaks was great as usual! It was a great night of dancing, mingling and hanging out by all, the click stuck 11:30 and all were sent off for the night. Congratulations to a great family and enjoy the photos.
More to come soon I hope!
Catering - Five Oaks Lodge
DJ- Zach Downing
Lighting - Empire Lighting Design
Photographer: Francines Photography
Videography- Cherished Traditions
Ice: Millennium Ice Carvings
What a beautiful weekend for weddings, I wanted to post one that I did on Saturday night with Scott and Sidney Webb. They arrived ahead of the guests so the grand entrance was scratched as the guests came piling in behind them giving them hugs and high fives so we went with the flow.
Dinner was served with some GREAT catering by the family at Five oaks, Randy had some mean smoked Salmon, Roast and Chicken that could compete in any competition in Tulsa for smoked meat! The staff at Five oaks was great as usual! It was a great night of dancing, mingling and hanging out by all, the click stuck 11:30 and all were sent off for the night. Congratulations to a great family and enjoy the photos.
More to come soon I hope!
New Iphone version of website launched
For those of you browsing the internet on an iphone or blackberry our website is now compatible with your iphone/blackberry or other mobile phone. Its best to view it on a mac/PC but if your on the go and want to look at some photos etc...it will do the trick!
Ken and Beth October 3rd 2009
Wedding venue: South Tulsa Baptist
Reception venue: Renaissance Hotel
Photography: Storybook Wedding Photography
Videography: Ralph lasiello
Cakes: Ms. Laura's Cakes
Flowers: Floral Touch
Catering: Renaissance Hotel
DJ: Zach Downing Entertainment
Lighting: Empire Lighting Design
Transportation: Crumpton Aviation Helicopter
What a great wedding, Ken and Beth have been the best clients to work with, they are both so down to earth and wanted to have a special evening with family and friends. They both put alot of planning and work into making the wedding and reception absolutely unique. From arriving at the reception at the hotel in a helicopter to the fantastic decor and lighting everone was blown away as they came into the reception. Below are some pics to enjoy!(taken via Iphone)
Reception venue: Renaissance Hotel
Photography: Storybook Wedding Photography
Videography: Ralph lasiello
Cakes: Ms. Laura's Cakes
Flowers: Floral Touch
Catering: Renaissance Hotel
DJ: Zach Downing Entertainment
Lighting: Empire Lighting Design
Transportation: Crumpton Aviation Helicopter
What a great wedding, Ken and Beth have been the best clients to work with, they are both so down to earth and wanted to have a special evening with family and friends. They both put alot of planning and work into making the wedding and reception absolutely unique. From arriving at the reception at the hotel in a helicopter to the fantastic decor and lighting everone was blown away as they came into the reception. Below are some pics to enjoy!(taken via Iphone)
Four Great Weddings This Weekend!
The weekend is over, four great weddings to show and four 5 star ratings!
Starting Friday afternoon we setup for two weddings at the wonderful Summit club in Tulsa, working with the summit club staff is ALWAYS a pleasure! They are very accommodating and always friends and willing to help with any need. If your getting married I would say CALL Abby and talk with her about their options, this is one venue that always strives for the very best for your wedding and they do care about the quality of the work they do for each event. Saturday all fell into place with four exceptional weddings and receptions another wedding at the beautiful Dresser mansion and I was in Ponca city at the Marland mansion to help Brian and Kellie Mccarthy celebrate with 200 of their closest family and friends until the clock struck at midnight with a package dance floor many tears of joy with a great toast by the best man and Maid of honor (who's wedding I did last year)..great family a SUPER father daughter dance...well more below :)
Congratulations to Jay & Cassandra Clark!
30th Floor Wedding
Venue: Summit Club of Tulsa in the BOA building downtown Tulsa
Photographer: Jesse Reich
Videographer: NA
Lighting - Empire Lighting Design
DJ - Karl - TulsaWeddingDJ.Com
Catering Company: Summit Club
Cake Maker: Mallory's Mud Pies
Florist: French Bouquet
Colors: Eggplant, pewter, green
Jay and Cassandra said I do in May and wanted to celebrate with Family and friends here in Tulsa. They have been planning this reception for many months and it came together without a hitch(no pun intended) Saturdayt night with horse and carriage rides around downtown, beautiful weather, a 30th floor view at the Summit club, great summit club food, staff and dancing. Empire lighting design accented the room with table pin spots on each table, dance floor monogram, cake spotlights and uplighting in eggplan around the room. Dancing ended around 11:30 with many happy faces ready to head to some local hotspots downtown for the after party. Karl did a great job and as our newest staff member pulled off a fabulouse evening.
Congratulations to Racheal & Thomas Loper
31st Floor Wedding
Venue: Summit Club of Tulsa in the BOA building downtown Tulsa
Photographer: NA
Videographer: NA
Lighting - Empire Lighting Design
DJ - Joe - TulsaWeddingDJ.Com
Catering Company: Summit Club
Cake Maker: NA
Florist: NA
Racheal and Thomas have been working with us for awhile, they wanted a laid back, chill factor at their wedding, buble, sinatra and alot of hang out time. They had the 31st floor done in tan, pewter and some tones of green. The bar was flowing, food was amazing per the guests and the staff once again was there to serve! Congrats to these two!
Congratulations to Hillary and Ryan!
Venue: Dresser mansion
Photographer: Andrea Murphy
Videographer: NA
Clergy: Mr. John Pruett
DJ - Paul - TulsaWeddingDJ.Com
Lighting - Empire Lighting Design
Catering Company: Zios' Italian Kitchen
Cake Maker: Ludger's and Icing on the Top
Florist: Lindi Collins - Bridal Garden by Lindi
Ryan and Hillary Mottern said I do with a great ceremony that took place outside in the coutyard of the dresser mansion. We provided the wireless microphones so all the guests could hear the vows, a ceremony setup outside behind the alter so the sound would be natural, hookups for the singer and guitarist. Inside the Dresser we provided red/white lights to bring in the colors of their favorite football team(OU) and the colors of the table scapes put together by Erica at Erica Weddings. Paul rocked the house and kept the party moving along with help from Erica and her great staff all night. They had to kick the party off the dance floor with guests ready to go at 11:00! Great wedding, great reception and big contratulations to all!
Congratulations to Brian and Kellie Mccarthy
Venue: Marland Mansion - Ponca City Oklahoma
Photographer:
Videographer: NA
Clergy: NA
DJ - Zach Downing - Zach Downing Entertainment
Catering Company: NA
Lighting - Empire Lighting Design
Cake Maker: NA
Florist: NA
I have been working with Brian from afar as they live in Dallas and only come to Oklahoma every so often and most of the time its past Tulsa into Ponca City, when I did meet with them a few months ago they said they wanted FUN! They also didn't want any "hokey" wedding songs at the wedding. We kept it modern fun and involved everyone including the catering staff! The party was host to over 200 guests, the 2nd level of the marland mansion was decked out in great colors. The grand entrance to Beyonce Crazy in Love with each member doing their own version of dancing :)
Brian and Kellie had their first dance in the grand ballroom of the marland mansion followed up by a GREAT father daughter dance with a VERY excited Father to My girl(video to come soon so check back)..Brian had a very special dance with his mother and the party started! We danced until 11:15 and they were sent off to sparklers and many cheers!
Great weekend and we are now preparing for more weddings this weekend! Congratulations to ALL that put their trust in our companies and we hope to be able to add many more names to this blog!
Zach Downing
ZachDowning.Com
Tulsa - Oklahoma City - Dallas
Starting Friday afternoon we setup for two weddings at the wonderful Summit club in Tulsa, working with the summit club staff is ALWAYS a pleasure! They are very accommodating and always friends and willing to help with any need. If your getting married I would say CALL Abby and talk with her about their options, this is one venue that always strives for the very best for your wedding and they do care about the quality of the work they do for each event. Saturday all fell into place with four exceptional weddings and receptions another wedding at the beautiful Dresser mansion and I was in Ponca city at the Marland mansion to help Brian and Kellie Mccarthy celebrate with 200 of their closest family and friends until the clock struck at midnight with a package dance floor many tears of joy with a great toast by the best man and Maid of honor (who's wedding I did last year)..great family a SUPER father daughter dance...well more below :)
Congratulations to Jay & Cassandra Clark!
30th Floor Wedding
Venue: Summit Club of Tulsa in the BOA building downtown Tulsa
Photographer: Jesse Reich
Videographer: NA
Lighting - Empire Lighting Design
DJ - Karl - TulsaWeddingDJ.Com
Catering Company: Summit Club
Cake Maker: Mallory's Mud Pies
Florist: French Bouquet
Colors: Eggplant, pewter, green
Jay and Cassandra said I do in May and wanted to celebrate with Family and friends here in Tulsa. They have been planning this reception for many months and it came together without a hitch(no pun intended) Saturdayt night with horse and carriage rides around downtown, beautiful weather, a 30th floor view at the Summit club, great summit club food, staff and dancing. Empire lighting design accented the room with table pin spots on each table, dance floor monogram, cake spotlights and uplighting in eggplan around the room. Dancing ended around 11:30 with many happy faces ready to head to some local hotspots downtown for the after party. Karl did a great job and as our newest staff member pulled off a fabulouse evening.
Congratulations to Racheal & Thomas Loper
31st Floor Wedding
Venue: Summit Club of Tulsa in the BOA building downtown Tulsa
Photographer: NA
Videographer: NA
Lighting - Empire Lighting Design
DJ - Joe - TulsaWeddingDJ.Com
Catering Company: Summit Club
Cake Maker: NA
Florist: NA
Racheal and Thomas have been working with us for awhile, they wanted a laid back, chill factor at their wedding, buble, sinatra and alot of hang out time. They had the 31st floor done in tan, pewter and some tones of green. The bar was flowing, food was amazing per the guests and the staff once again was there to serve! Congrats to these two!
Congratulations to Hillary and Ryan!
Venue: Dresser mansion
Photographer: Andrea Murphy
Videographer: NA
Clergy: Mr. John Pruett
DJ - Paul - TulsaWeddingDJ.Com
Lighting - Empire Lighting Design
Catering Company: Zios' Italian Kitchen
Cake Maker: Ludger's and Icing on the Top
Florist: Lindi Collins - Bridal Garden by Lindi
Ryan and Hillary Mottern said I do with a great ceremony that took place outside in the coutyard of the dresser mansion. We provided the wireless microphones so all the guests could hear the vows, a ceremony setup outside behind the alter so the sound would be natural, hookups for the singer and guitarist. Inside the Dresser we provided red/white lights to bring in the colors of their favorite football team(OU) and the colors of the table scapes put together by Erica at Erica Weddings. Paul rocked the house and kept the party moving along with help from Erica and her great staff all night. They had to kick the party off the dance floor with guests ready to go at 11:00! Great wedding, great reception and big contratulations to all!
Congratulations to Brian and Kellie Mccarthy
Venue: Marland Mansion - Ponca City Oklahoma
Photographer:
Videographer: NA
Clergy: NA
DJ - Zach Downing - Zach Downing Entertainment
Catering Company: NA
Lighting - Empire Lighting Design
Cake Maker: NA
Florist: NA
I have been working with Brian from afar as they live in Dallas and only come to Oklahoma every so often and most of the time its past Tulsa into Ponca City, when I did meet with them a few months ago they said they wanted FUN! They also didn't want any "hokey" wedding songs at the wedding. We kept it modern fun and involved everyone including the catering staff! The party was host to over 200 guests, the 2nd level of the marland mansion was decked out in great colors. The grand entrance to Beyonce Crazy in Love with each member doing their own version of dancing :)
Brian and Kellie had their first dance in the grand ballroom of the marland mansion followed up by a GREAT father daughter dance with a VERY excited Father to My girl(video to come soon so check back)..Brian had a very special dance with his mother and the party started! We danced until 11:15 and they were sent off to sparklers and many cheers!
Great weekend and we are now preparing for more weddings this weekend! Congratulations to ALL that put their trust in our companies and we hope to be able to add many more names to this blog!
Zach Downing
ZachDowning.Com
Tulsa - Oklahoma City - Dallas
The Mayo Hotel Weddings
Exciting news and flutter around Tulsa with the opening of the Mayo hotel. We are happy to already be working with several brides and grooms on their upcoming wedding, our first wedding will be in November and another in January...both are doing some really great things and one will be in the crystal ballroom with the other in the main lobby area of the hote which will be great with the tall pillars and grand staircase as the backdrop. Here is some info about the mayo and events.
- The Penthouse – 50-80 guests
- The Crystal Ballroom – 300 guests
- The Penthouse – 50-80 guests
- The Crystal Ballroom – 300 guests
- The Grand Hall – 150-200 guests
- The Terrace Room – 100 guests
- The Parlour – 100 guests
- The Writing Room – 30 guests
- The Mayo Museum – 75 guests
- The Card Room – 40 guests
- The Crystal Ballroom – The premiere location for events from its very inception, the 16th floor featured ballroom for up to 300 guests has been home to exclusive galas, weddings and star-studded events for decades.
- The Grand Hall – Completely restored to its original splendor, the Grand Hall is perfect for the most extravagant events. The stately hall hosts 150-200 people and features the stunning Grand Staircase and a dazzling stained glass ceiling.
- The Terrace Room – Neighboring the Grand Hall on the first floor, this elegant space for up to 100 guests is the former home of the Terrace Club restaurant.
- The Mayo Museum – Located on the Mezzanine level the museum displays The Mayo’s lifetime and timeline through various articles and artifacts from her heyday, making this ideal for a unique reception of up to 75 guests.
- The Board Room – A perfect, permanent boardroom for 40.
- The Card Room – Located on the Mezzanine Level, this room with large north-facing windows, is beautiful and ideal for a small gathering of up to 40.
- The Parlour – Tucked into the South end of the Mezzanine level, crystal chandeliers complement large arching windows to welcome up to 100 guests.
- The Writing Room – Also positioned on the Mezzanine level, this room ideally accommodates 40 guests for a more intimate affair.
- The Penthouse – Located on the roof, inside the former penthouse, this private room for 50 to 80 guests will take you back to the days of a charming speakeasy with its stained glass windows and dark woodwork. This glamorous rooftop room inside the former penthouse opens up to a rooftop garden and balcony for a top-of-the-world view of Tulsa.
Maxwell & Kristie Krause
Congratulations to you two! FAB wedding at the German American Society last Saturday!
Here is a GREAT email they just sent to me from their honeymoon in Hawaii.
Here is a GREAT email they just sent to me from their honeymoon in Hawaii.
"Zach,
Last night, The German American Society underwent a major transformation and we were completely blown away by the beautiful lighting...it looked like a completely different place, just what we were wanting!! You did an excellent job moving everything along and were awesome in getting people out on the dance floor and having a great time. Your staff did an excellent job too, working the guests and getting everyone involved. We just wanted to say how much we appreciated everything you did for us and were glad you made this special day that much more special for us. You will be highly recommended by us for any upcoming occasions/weddings!! It was just PERFECT!
Thanks again!
Kristie & Max Kraus
Lighting was done by www.empirelightingdesign.com
Photos(coming soon) by Aaron Snow Photography
Catering: Cowbow Sharkies Catering
Cake: Mallories Mudpies
Decor and Planning: Erica Weddings - www.Erica-Weddings.Com
Allen & Amanda - Married!
Congratulations to Allen and Amanda Porter..what a great Saturday night for a ceremony & reception at the Golf club of Oklahoma...
The weather was great for a 7:30 ceremony which started right on time thanks to Erica Weddings.
We provided ceremony microphones for Allen(groom) and the officiant so that each guest would be able to hear the vows and promises being made at dusk.
Inside we provided courtesy of our company Empire Lighting cool red lounge which featured white couches to hang out on. Each table was filled with candles, very tall centerpieces and lit up from above in a mixture of red and orange hues. Dance floor lighting was intense as they really wanted to have a powerful feel for dancing which is exactly what was achieved.
I also of course provided entertainment and dancing all for the many family and friends as well as some ambient cocktail music outside on the patio to some crooners...guests also enjoyed the Tulsaphotobooth.Com
Here are some below and after photos - We hope to have some more soon courtesy of Jesse Reich the photography that evening!
The weather was great for a 7:30 ceremony which started right on time thanks to Erica Weddings.
We provided ceremony microphones for Allen(groom) and the officiant so that each guest would be able to hear the vows and promises being made at dusk.
Inside we provided courtesy of our company Empire Lighting cool red lounge which featured white couches to hang out on. Each table was filled with candles, very tall centerpieces and lit up from above in a mixture of red and orange hues. Dance floor lighting was intense as they really wanted to have a powerful feel for dancing which is exactly what was achieved.
I also of course provided entertainment and dancing all for the many family and friends as well as some ambient cocktail music outside on the patio to some crooners...guests also enjoyed the Tulsaphotobooth.Com
Here are some below and after photos - We hope to have some more soon courtesy of Jesse Reich the photography that evening!
LED Dance floor is here...
We are now the only company(that we know of) that offers a true unique dance floor experience.
Want white? Want Blue? Want Red? Want Pink? what color do you want your floor to be....lets change it up for your first dance...walk on the floor and you step on a panel and the colors change with each dance step...
11 x 11 30-40 dancers
11 x 21 60-80 dancers
21 x 21 100-120 dancers
Give me a call to talk about pricing and availability..can be used indoors or outdoors...
Want white? Want Blue? Want Red? Want Pink? what color do you want your floor to be....lets change it up for your first dance...walk on the floor and you step on a panel and the colors change with each dance step...
11 x 11 30-40 dancers
11 x 21 60-80 dancers
21 x 21 100-120 dancers
Give me a call to talk about pricing and availability..can be used indoors or outdoors...
Pricing starts at $1,500.00 for the evening in Tulsa and surrounding areas.
Will also serve Oklahoma City and Dallas (+travel fee)
Video coming soon!
Will also serve Oklahoma City and Dallas (+travel fee)
Video coming soon!
Five Oaks Lodge Wedding Video
Thanks for the hard work of Casey at Hawkins Digital Media for putting this together of a wedding we did for Erica at Erica-Weddings (Yes she was the bride!)...go to Casey's website for lots of other great wedding video!
Wedding Show Thanks!
Thanks to all the lucky B&G's that stopped into the wedding show Sunday! Above is a photo of our booth just to jog your memory :)
Give us a call if we can help make your day extra special!
Zach Downing
TulsaWeddingDJ.Com
918-284-4933
Give us a call if we can help make your day extra special!
Zach Downing
TulsaWeddingDJ.Com
918-284-4933
Jada & Matt Wedding - Summit Club
JADA & MATT
It has been a few months since this wedding but I just got some great photos from the photographer(Jesse Reich) who took some great shots! The reception was at the summit club and went WELL past midnight with more than half the guests still on the dance floor! What a fun crowd and beautiful setting.
We provided the lighting design, some "starry" projections for Jada & Matt via a custom star monogram for their first dance and they did a really great custom first dance to "SexyBack"...check out the pics and enjoy!
Thank You 2009!
I wanted to post before heading out for the weekend to perform at a great social event on Friday and two weddings on Saturday(morning and evening). It is such a compliment when I can say that most of my business this year came from referrals, clients and all the great wedding vendors in Tulsa who are "in the know" about what I offer(so they tell me)..When I get a request for cards to be mailed to a photographer in OKC because she really likes how I help transform a reception into exactly what her vision for photos are going for that is a true compliment!(thanks Kriea!
Providing trendsetting entertainment & specializing in contemporary & unique wedding receptions is where I feel I needed to focus on and have changed my marketing to match that. My clients have appreciated and appreciate that I take the time to sit down and really talk with them, get to know them and what they would like in their very special day so instead of TulsaWeddingDJ.Com, I am now marketing under ZachDowning.Com.
As 2009 passes I appreciate all the many people who let me be a part of their special day, the many friends I have made in this business and the referrals from the many, many photographers, wedding venues, video journalists, catering masters and MOST importantly my past and current clients (you know who you are!) as well as others in the wedding & special event industry.
In 2009 I invested heavily in upgrades to equipment, attending seminars across the US bettering myself to provide the very best in wedding entertainment for all my clients. In 2010 there will be new idea’s, more equipment changes, expansions and changes to other aspects of how each of my clients that have booked or will book for next year and beyond experience how a truly unique and unforgettable wedding reception cannot be replaced.
Thank you once again and have a great 2009 & 2010 everyone!
Zach Downing
Trendsetting Entertainment
Racheal & Timmy - Edmond Golf Club
What a great couple! I met with Racheal and Timmy early in 2009 and felt the excitement of their engagement and was very excited when they selected me to provide the wedding entertainment and lighting for their special day! Below are few photos taken by the fantastic Kriea Photography!
I provided the ceremony music and microphones so everyone could hear the vows, I also provided intelligent reception lighting as well as spotlights for the cake as well as uplighting! Great wedding had by all! More photos to come soon!
I provided the ceremony music and microphones so everyone could hear the vows, I also provided intelligent reception lighting as well as spotlights for the cake as well as uplighting! Great wedding had by all! More photos to come soon!
Catching up!
Its been a very busy wedding season this year with great clients and great weddings! I thank each and everyone of your that have trusted me with providing entertainment for your special day. I am planning on updating with new photos, new video and a new promotional video rolling out soon. For those of you getting married be sure to visit us at the upcoming Tulsa Wedding Show in august!
Amplification for Your Ceremony
Some like live music and will have vocals at their ceremony sung by a live singer. We agree it can be a great way to help ensure your wedding is unique. But for those that are having live music you might not think about amplification for those musicians. We now carry BOSE live PA sound equipment for the best possible sound for the most important day of your life. Simple, elegant and won't stand out like a sore thumb. Give us a call and ask us how we can help make your ceremony sound the best it can...and should.
918-284-4933
150 Guests for dinner - $5-$10k
White Dress and Tux - $2000-$5000.00
Bose PA package with wireless lapel microphone - $299.00+
Making sure your guests can hear you say "I DO" with the crisp sound of a BOSE PA- $Priceless
New Wedding - Tulsa Garden Center
BEFORE & AFTER LIGHTING - SPOT LIGHT FOR CAKE
Did a great wedding this weekend for Lesli and Shawee Li! Both from California and both planned the entire wedding out of state. We worked with Josh mershon on the event to ensure all was well. The couple went with our intelligent lightshow and uplighting as well as some cake spots to high light the great cake ludgers put together, other than the wedding next door trying to invade our party the entire night was a blast! dancing until 10:00 kickout time and left the guests wanting more!
June 7th - 13th
We are going to be out of the office in Florida for the week of June 7th - 12th. Please leave a message or email us.
Want to plan a hillbilly hoedown? Here is a great link!
The blog, titled ‘The Big Wedding Money-Wasters’ was posted to Yahoo blogs in the Food section, and seemingly featured as well. The authors were two women - Rita Mauceri and Elicia Rubin - who call themselves ‘Entertaining and Style Experts’ but judging from their blog, nothing could be further from the truth. Apparently they also author books, which after reading this blog I would suggest brides steer clear of wasting their money on because if their books are anything like their blog, they are likely filled with equally worthless advice.
http://food.yahoo.com/blog/foxyfestivities/19773/the-big-wedding-money-wasters/#post
My friend Craig over at cutting edge DJ's had a great observation from the above link...
http://food.yahoo.com/blog/foxyfestivities/19773/the-big-wedding-money-wasters/#post
My friend Craig over at cutting edge DJ's had a great observation from the above link...
The Dress
By suggesting spending $300.00 on your wedding dress they are in fact suggesting that your wedding dress be reduced to what many girls spend on prom dresses. I don’t even think a bride would consider this ‘advice’ in the first place, so no need to waste time on the foolish suggestion. Brides, this is your magical day that you have dreamed of all your life…Nuff said.
Band (and DJ)
The prices they list for a band of DJ are quite unrealistic on the low end (that is being kind) and they go on to suggest either having a friend DJ for you or using and IPod in combination with renting a sound system.
Please don’t believe for a second that a random friend or an automated IPod could replace a band or DJ with experience at reading a crowd, the IPod being the worse of both options. So when people aren’t dancing because the auto-play IPod isn’t playing the correct sequence of songs are your guests expected to shuffle through songs making wild guesses? Just go to YouTube and search ‘Ipod DJ’ to see a plethora of horror stories regarding this option.
Cake
As they say, cupcakes can be nice… but remember, the ‘Etsy’ featured cupcakes were likely made by a bakery and the photo taken by a professional photographer hence making them look so good. Do yourself a favor, don’t bake Betty Crocker cupcakes in your kitchen and bring them to your wedding. By cutting the cost of a wedding cake or bakery presentation you aren’t cutting enough money to compromise the look of your wedding cake and reduce it to the look of something you bought at a bake sale.
Photographers
I was married once, and my former mother-in-law did just what this blog suggests… went with the lowest low-budget photographer available. What we got was low-budget photographs. Bad lighting, bad angles, bad pictures. If the photographic memories of your wedding day are of little to no importance to you, just ask an art school student or better yet a guest with a camera to take those important photos and hope you get something worth framing. A camera in the hands of someone with little to no experience is no different than you or I trying to paint a masterpiece on canvas with oil paints… trust me, you wouldn’t want to hang it on the wall.
Flowers & Food
I don’t suggest picking your own flowers or skimping on the food. I know I’ve used this term already, but once again it just sounds ‘ghetto’ to me. A cocktail type party or a reception with stations can be nice, but to say that a professional caterer makes ‘rubbery chicken’ is just propaganda to scare you away from doing things the right way. As for making your own flower arrangements, good luck with that… florists are called florists for a reason.
In a nutshell, these two women tout themselves as ‘professionals’ yet their advice would suggest that using professionals on your wedding day isn’t the best course of action. Look up the word ‘hypocrite’ and you may just find a link to their blog. Remember that before you consider buying their ‘professional’ book or seeking their ‘professional’ advice.
Or perhaps they are trying to start a new trend called ‘Ghetto Chic.’
Let’s face it… I’m not sure if it’s a certain social responsibility or just an unspoken expectation, but if you are going to have a reception at all and your plan is to serve store-bought cupcakes and play your favorite tunes on your IPod to entertain your invited guests, does that somehow absolve your invited guests from giving you gifts, or for that matter skimping by giving you the bare minimum from your bridal registry? One spoon or one plate perhaps? If you’re going to throw a reception, do it the right way… otherwise you might as well just elope.
I’m surprised they didn’t suggest a CZ over a diamond for the engagement ring. Maybe that’s in in the book, or they’re saving it for a future blog.
Dresser Mansion Open House
We had the privilege of attending the Dresser Mansion open house last week and it was a great event. We brought out the new setup that really fit nice inside the mansion. Small compact and very elegant(per Gina). There is not alot of room at the mansion for a large sound system, belive me you will really regret it if your DJ shows up with a concert sound system at your reception and you have to figure out how to fit it inside the mansion!
If your getting married at the Dresser Mansion be sure to check with us about your wedding ceremony as well (okay commercial over!) Time for the pics! Also links to come!
Catering company was Chefs on the Run and I have to say that I heard SO many comments about how great the food was and I myself sampled some and have to agree, it was about the best catering that I have tasted from a "on the run" catering company.
Cake was done by Ludgers, while the cake was still frozen when sampled its hard to beat the Bavarian cream(although I am a bigger fan of the chocolate version).
Photographer was Andrea Murphy and she had some really cool photos on display!
There was also a real treat upstairs in the bridal sweet..a Spa! What a perfect idea! Have them come up for some chair massages, hand rubs and more the day off..your family, brides maids will love them. They also have a great palce over at 81st and Memorial..
Blue Label bartenders were on site and Garrett was great! He is great and you can't go wrong when you bring them into the picture! (plus its required at the dresser to have a licensed bartender on site)
Entertainment - Zach Downing - TulsaWeddingDJ.Com
Photobooth - TulsaPhotobooth.Com
If your getting married at the Dresser Mansion be sure to check with us about your wedding ceremony as well (okay commercial over!) Time for the pics! Also links to come!
Catering company was Chefs on the Run and I have to say that I heard SO many comments about how great the food was and I myself sampled some and have to agree, it was about the best catering that I have tasted from a "on the run" catering company.
Cake was done by Ludgers, while the cake was still frozen when sampled its hard to beat the Bavarian cream(although I am a bigger fan of the chocolate version).
Photographer was Andrea Murphy and she had some really cool photos on display!
There was also a real treat upstairs in the bridal sweet..a Spa! What a perfect idea! Have them come up for some chair massages, hand rubs and more the day off..your family, brides maids will love them. They also have a great palce over at 81st and Memorial..
Blue Label bartenders were on site and Garrett was great! He is great and you can't go wrong when you bring them into the picture! (plus its required at the dresser to have a licensed bartender on site)
Entertainment - Zach Downing - TulsaWeddingDJ.Com
Photobooth - TulsaPhotobooth.Com
Recent email from a bride!
Zach with Tulsa wedding DJ was AMAZING! He FAR exceeded our expectations! Anything and everything I asked for was done with no questions. Zach provided uplighting for the reception venue, which completely set the mood. The lighting totally transformed the room and was beautiful! His DJ'ing was top notch. Everyone has complemented on our DJ. He did not just stand behind his machines and play music, he walked around the room with a portable mic and was VERY interactive with the guests. He kept everyone engaged, and no guest was ever bored. Truly. He kept things moving and flowing seamlessly all night. I truly feel that Zach MADE our reception! Thanks to him it was fabulous and everything we could've ever dreamed of and more. Thank you so much from the bottom of our hearts!
Ryan & Julie
Ryan & Julie
Excellant Blog Posting By A DJ Associate
Can you really trust The Knot?
This week I was at Barnes & Noble and I picked up The Knot’s 2009 ‘Best Of Weddings’ {the winners} issue. Now I know that many brides and grooms view The Knot - both the magazine and the website - as a reputable resource, one which they can turn to for recommendations for wedding vendors. In many cases - if not most - the pages are filled with respected professionals, some of which I know personally and would enthusiastically endorse like Mark Kingsdorf from Queen Of Hearts Wedding Consultants - www.qohweddings.com - for example, who truly is one of the best in his field.
But it looks like one slipped through ‘The Knot.’
On page 171 of ‘The Knot Best Of Weddings 2009′ issue, there is a DJ company listed as an editors choice, meaning, The Knot ‘hand picked’ them and chose to list them as one of their ‘winners.’ It seems to me that The Knot didn’t do very much research at all.
The name of the company is ‘A Solid Gold Sound.’ A simple Google search turned up several complaints on my3cents.com, and well over fifty complaint submissions on Ripoff Report and that was only on the first page. Dig a bit deeper and I found several news stories, one from WCPO, the ABC television affiliate in Cincinnati, Ohio and one from Inside Edition. Even the Better Business Bureau has multiple listings for this company, and gave them an ‘F’ rating claiming that they never responded to refute any of the claims.
Here are the links
my3cents.com - http://www.my3cents.com/showReview.cgi?id=27820
Ripoff Report - http://www.ripoffreport.com/searchresults.asp?q5=A+Solid+Gold+Sound&searchtype=0&q1=ALL&q3=&q2=&q7=&q4=&q6=&start=0
ABC Television - http://www.wcpo.com/news/local/story/April-30-2007-I-Team-Report-Solid-Gold-Wedding/SEI9Fa-lFEGYXS5HnKyVwg.cspx
Inside Edition - http://www.insideedition.com/news.aspx?storyID=1336
Better Business Bureau - http://www.bbb.org/us/Find-Business-Reviews/#middle-result (Just type in ‘A Solid Gold Sound’)
Seeing that these complaints were coming from cities all over the United States, I decided to do a little further investigation of my own. I contacted a DJ colleague Rob Green of ‘Entertainment Express’ - www.houstondiscjockey.net - in Houston, Texas regarding an address that A Solid Gold Sound had listed as their Houston office. Rob physically drove to the listed address and had this to say…
They have a fake address for the Google “local business results” section here in Houston. The address they are using here is 9521 Westheimer. My work is close by, so I drove three blocks over one day to see what was there. It’s a mostly vacant strip mall that (surprise, surprise) doesn’t have A Solid Gold Sound office.
Ironically, this blog has very little to do with ‘A Solid Gold Sound.’
Do I think that The Knot could have been more responsible in giving a strong endorsement to a company like this? Yes. I can’t imagine how many brides-to-be look to The Knot for ideas and for vendors. This isn’t merely a case of a paid advertisement that turned out to be a scam, this was what The Knot saying is ‘the best’ of 2009. Remember… The Knot isn’t in the bride’s best interest business, they aren’t even in the wedding business. The Knot is in the publishing, selling magazines and selling advertising business.
It took me all of fifteen minutes to Google and come up with this information. I guess The Knot was too busy.
Brides, do your homework. Use Google, ask the other vendors you are working with, ask your friends but whatever you do don’t look to a magazine like The Knot as if it were scripture. Ask whatever vendor you are working with for references or ask the hall, country club or hotel where you are having your reception for their recommendation. For example, my friend Keith KoKoruz from Spinnin’ Discs in Chicago, Illinois - www.spinnindiscs.com - provides potential brides with up to four pages of past brides wedding dates, names and phone numbers (given with their permission of course) for them to contact before choosing his services. This is a man clearly proud of his work, but I guess that The Knot felt A Solid Gold Sound was a better choice for their ‘best of’ list.
Whatever you do, don’t make the same mistake that so many brides who submitted complaints to these sources made by not using the internet until it was too late.
-Craig Sumsky
Cutting Edge Entertainment
http://www.cuttingedgedjs.com/blog/2009/04/21/untying-the-knot/
Let the Parties Begin!
What a busy weekend for everyone here... Where to start!?
Friday Night - 4/17/2009
Lighting Design, Two Entertainers(DJ's) and 600 Guests:
DJ: Randy & DJ Chase - Lighting Tech: Kyle
Venue: Petroleum Club of Tulsa
We entertained at a large 600 person prom.
Two floors, Two DJ's, four lighting tech's..MAJOR lighting design on both floors with moving heads, custom gobos, up lighting and more! This was truly the nightclub the client wanted. This was a great prom other than the fire alarms being pulled TWICE which ended the night early..the lighting, sound and dance floor were packed all night...this was the BEST prom in Tulsa that night...www.TulsaProm.Com / www.OklahomaProm.Com for more video & Pics
Ceremony and Reception - Tulsa Historical Society
DJ- Paul
Photographer: Unknown
Video - Unknown
Catering: Unknown
The same night we had a wedding & Ceremony at the historical Society across town..Everyone danced the night away..while the ceremony got rained out from being outside it was held inside and was a great success!
Fundraiser - Bernson Life Community Center - Tulsa
DJ - Joe
Venue: Bernson Life Center - Downtown Tulsa
Catering: Unknown
This was a fundraiser put on for CASA which was a smashing success: Lauri and everyone did such a good job and were VERY organized! We had so many compliments from guests that DJ Joe had been the best entertainment they have EVER hired(they had normally booked a band in the past)..thanks!
Wedding - Belmar Golf Club - Norman Oklahoma
DJ: Zach Downing
Photographer: Art by Kriea Visit her Blog Here
Food: Belmar Golf Club (Best Mac and Cheese EVER)
Venue: Belmar Golf Club
Bartenders: Belmar Golf Club
Fourth: I was off to Norman to the Belmar for a GREAT wedding of Ryan and Julie..both whom met each other at service merchandise years ago and now were getting hitched in grand style at Toby Keiths Golf Course. A great PINK wedding with lots of "sparkly stuff"(per the bride) we provided the lighting design, cake pin spots, uplighting and lighting outside for their grand exit! The guests were great, the venue was great, great photographer(can't wait to see the pics) and we ended around 11:30pm with a full dancefloor...the grand exit was done wiht long sparklers and pink lighting behind the VIPS......congrats you two!! Pics & Video Above!
Saturday Night:
DJ: Zach(main floor) & Chase(second floor) / Ronnie Roadie
Catering: Head Country BBQ
Prom! While we normally don't take on new schools or proms we have done this school for years...always a success...we love mixing it up..keeping the floor going and people having a good just ..its really a more relaxed wedding type of event! The Marland Mansion in Ponca city was the setting for the night, we traveled two hours east from Norman from our wedding the night before(after staying at the Hilton Garden Inn(very highly recommend this hotel) A++
We arrived in Ponca City to begin setup for 700 students at the prom of proms at the Mansion. This was the 8th year to do the prom and it was nothing short of a complete success!! Two Dj's on two floors, lighting design and lots of students dancing until the end at 11:00pm! A complete success with very happy clients and guests. Booked again for next year!
Venue: German American Society
DJ - Paul
Catering - Cheesecake Lady
Photography - Destiny Pics
Another wedding was going on at the German American Society in Tulsa with Paul DJ'ing and helping things go smoothly..from a customized grand entrance to dancing until 11:45 everyone had a GREAT time and it was a very nice reception! Congrats to the bride and groom!
Congrats to All!
Zach Downing
TulsaWeddingDJ.Com
BOOM! Lighting and Design
918-284-4933
Friday Night - 4/17/2009
Lighting Design, Two Entertainers(DJ's) and 600 Guests:
DJ: Randy & DJ Chase - Lighting Tech: Kyle
Venue: Petroleum Club of Tulsa
We entertained at a large 600 person prom.
Two floors, Two DJ's, four lighting tech's..MAJOR lighting design on both floors with moving heads, custom gobos, up lighting and more! This was truly the nightclub the client wanted. This was a great prom other than the fire alarms being pulled TWICE which ended the night early..the lighting, sound and dance floor were packed all night...this was the BEST prom in Tulsa that night...www.TulsaProm.Com / www.OklahomaProm.Com for more video & Pics
Ceremony and Reception - Tulsa Historical Society
DJ- Paul
Photographer: Unknown
Video - Unknown
Catering: Unknown
The same night we had a wedding & Ceremony at the historical Society across town..Everyone danced the night away..while the ceremony got rained out from being outside it was held inside and was a great success!
Fundraiser - Bernson Life Community Center - Tulsa
DJ - Joe
Venue: Bernson Life Center - Downtown Tulsa
Catering: Unknown
This was a fundraiser put on for CASA which was a smashing success: Lauri and everyone did such a good job and were VERY organized! We had so many compliments from guests that DJ Joe had been the best entertainment they have EVER hired(they had normally booked a band in the past)..thanks!
Wedding - Belmar Golf Club - Norman Oklahoma
DJ: Zach Downing
Photographer: Art by Kriea Visit her Blog Here
Food: Belmar Golf Club (Best Mac and Cheese EVER)
Venue: Belmar Golf Club
Bartenders: Belmar Golf Club
Fourth: I was off to Norman to the Belmar for a GREAT wedding of Ryan and Julie..both whom met each other at service merchandise years ago and now were getting hitched in grand style at Toby Keiths Golf Course. A great PINK wedding with lots of "sparkly stuff"(per the bride) we provided the lighting design, cake pin spots, uplighting and lighting outside for their grand exit! The guests were great, the venue was great, great photographer(can't wait to see the pics) and we ended around 11:30pm with a full dancefloor...the grand exit was done wiht long sparklers and pink lighting behind the VIPS......congrats you two!! Pics & Video Above!
Saturday Night:
DJ: Zach(main floor) & Chase(second floor) / Ronnie Roadie
Catering: Head Country BBQ
Prom! While we normally don't take on new schools or proms we have done this school for years...always a success...we love mixing it up..keeping the floor going and people having a good just ..its really a more relaxed wedding type of event! The Marland Mansion in Ponca city was the setting for the night, we traveled two hours east from Norman from our wedding the night before(after staying at the Hilton Garden Inn(very highly recommend this hotel) A++
We arrived in Ponca City to begin setup for 700 students at the prom of proms at the Mansion. This was the 8th year to do the prom and it was nothing short of a complete success!! Two Dj's on two floors, lighting design and lots of students dancing until the end at 11:00pm! A complete success with very happy clients and guests. Booked again for next year!
Venue: German American Society
DJ - Paul
Catering - Cheesecake Lady
Photography - Destiny Pics
Another wedding was going on at the German American Society in Tulsa with Paul DJ'ing and helping things go smoothly..from a customized grand entrance to dancing until 11:45 everyone had a GREAT time and it was a very nice reception! Congrats to the bride and groom!
Congrats to All!
Zach Downing
TulsaWeddingDJ.Com
BOOM! Lighting and Design
918-284-4933
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