Nikki and Tim’s wedding - 31 July 2010

LAStoker — Mon, 30 Aug 2010 04:32:57 +0000

From the moment the wedding party made their grand entrance into the reception dancing to Lady Gaga’s “Just Dance” I knew this was going to be a fun group! Eric and Ken, room captains for Our Lady of the Snows, did a great job as usual. They take care of every little detail, and make my job as entertainer a whole lot easier. The dinner meal was among the best I’ve had at a wedding, and they ran two separate buffet lines to keep things moving.

The guests were quite lively, as shown in this photo of the “Love Train” that ran through the halls and back into the banquet room. Fortunately the class reunion party next door didn’t mind the commotion; in fact some of them came over to check out the excitement! As you can see from the photo of the last song, the party was still going strong when we had to shut it down after six hours. I hope I get to work with this group again!

Leslie and James Wedding - 19 June 2010

LAStoker — Tue, 03 Aug 2010 20:58:43 +0000

Leslie and James’ wedding will be remembered by us for years to come. We became a little more than just contracted DJs when we were invited to teach Leslie and James how to swing dance along with both their parents. Leslie’s mom and dad were so gracious when we went to their home to teach them all how to dance on two separate occasions. James and Leslie were quick studies giving us some time to teach them some great moves for their first dance as husband and wife. We were very excited to see them dance at the reception.

When we arrived at the Pere Marquette Lodge it was a relief to see the wedding ceremony was taking place inside the lodge. With the heat index over 100 degrees and a thunderstorm looming, the family decided to change plans and move the ceremony indoors. After a nice sit-down dinner we felt like proud parents when Leslie and James hit the dance floor for their first dance. They looked so happy and did a wonderful job.

When all the formalities were complete, things “heated up” inside as the guests hit the floor and danced the night away. There was some concern from the family they may not have a dancing crowd, but this certainly was not a problem. Even though some of the guests had a long drive to make that evening, we had plenty of folks requesting songs and participating in the fun-filled five hour reception. They even got to see the spontaneous “dueling guitar solos” from Leslie and James to their favorite AC/DC song!

It was truly a pleasure to share this wonderful experience with James and Leslie and the entire family. Thank you so much for making us a part of it!

Jamie and Clinton’s Wedding - 5 June 2010

LAStoker — Sun, 01 Aug 2010 02:15:58 +0000

My first experience at the LaClaire Room in the Nelson Building in Edwardsville was a pleasant surprise. The banquet rooms is awesome, with vaulted, natural lit ceiling and a beautiful atrium. Kelci and the team from Bella Milano do the event coordination and catering for this venue; and they do fantastic work. Jamie’s family did a great job with the decorations, which were unique. The centerpieces were complete with live goldfish and each guest had a keepsake at their place setting. The keepsake was a glass coaster with a photo of the happy couple. Family and friends partied and danced the full five hours, and made the evening a memorable one. The evening would not have been complete until the goldfish were brought safely to their new home at the lake! The interesting photo taken outside shows Jamie scooping up some goldfish that spilled out of their container, wedding dress and all. Jamie & Clinton thank you for letting Laura & I share in your special evening.

Rachel and Anthony’s Wedding - 22 May 2010

LAStoker — Tue, 15 Jun 2010 18:43:32 +0000

It was a little warm for the outdoor cocktail hour on the patio of the Sheraton 4 Points Conference Center, but the guests had a great view of the lake from the hallway of the indoor cocktail area. We set up a second set of speakers so the guest could enjoy music while having cocktails and appetizers before entering the main ballroom, which was decorated beautifully. Ashley and the staff at the Four Points really did an amazing job. The food, drinks and service were excellent, an we even had cake and ice cream for dessert!

Although the group of family and friends in attendance was just a little over 100 in number, I was pleasantly surprised when they kept us working for six entire hours. This group had some fantastic music requests and showed their appreciation by staying on the dance floor. Rachel and Anthony even enjoyed taking part in the Chicken Dance.

What a fun group!

Congratulations Rachel and Anthony…

We hope you life together is happy, healthy and prosperous!

Brandy and Anthony’s Wedding - 15 May 2010

LAStoker — Mon, 14 Jun 2010 19:50:37 +0000

As the bridal party filed out of the bus at the Collinsville Knights of Columbus Hall I realized that I might need a second song to play while I introduced the wedding party. With eight pairs of bridesmaids and groomsmen, ushers, flower girls and a ring bearer, this was huge wedding party!

The hall was packed to capacity with friends and family, and this large wedding party helped to keep the party lively. In fact, I was concerned that it might be “too lively” towards the end of the reception. The stage provided a great place for me to set up and overlook the dance floor, but it also facilitated the means for the wedding party to “stage dive” into the crowd during their favorite songs. Fortunately we got them settled down before anybody got hurt, and this group decided it would be much safer to just dance the night away and scream out the lyrics to their favorite songs until they had no energy left.

This was truly a fun-filled evening to remember.

Good luck to Brandy and Anthony!!!

Kimberly and Scott’s Wedding - 8 May 2010

admin — Sun, 23 May 2010 01:45:31 +0000

The weather was perfect; it was actually a little cool for May which made for beautiful weather. The wedding party arrived right on time, and I began to line up the bridesmaids in their beautiful red dresses. As I gave instructions on the entrance announcements, one of the groomsmen exclaimed “hurry up, that smell of fried chicken is killing me!”

Yes, Turner Hall in Columbia is famous for their fried chicken. They also have a new dance floor; it’s one of those big wooden dance floors that you’re happy to have when the guests want to polka! The guests made good use of that dance floor until we finally wore most of them out after six hours of music and dancing.

Best of luck to Kimberly and Scott!

Mascoutah High School Prom - 1 May 2010

admin — Sun, 09 May 2010 03:22:28 +0000

Even after moving all of the tables to one side of the room, there was barely enough room to fit all of the dancers on the floor! This is the fifth year in a row I provided the entertainment for the Mascoutah prom and it was a rockin’ event as usual The staff the Sheraton Four Points always does a fantastic job - the facility, staff, and services are first class. After a fine meal and some photographers, the students were anxious and ready to make their music requests and hit the dance floor. Except for a short pause to announce the court and select the king and queen, the dance floor remained full and the students were excited by the music, lights, dancing and of course great camaraderie of their friends.

Good luck seniors!!!

Andrea’s 30th Birthday Party - 20 March 2010

admin — Sun, 02 May 2010 01:21:19 +0000

Andrea and about 80 of her friends and family members “took over” the bar and downstairs banquet room of the O’Fallon Knights of Columbus Hall to celebrate the big 3-0! We enjoyed six hours of good food, fun music, dancing, and even some singing! Maybe we can do it again in 10 years…

HAPPY BIRTHDAY ANDREA!!!!

Jenny and Dustin - 28 November 2009

LAStoker — Thu, 17 Dec 2009 01:57:45 +0000

This was a night when it all came together - a nice venue, great vendors, and a crowd that really believed in audience participation! Corey did a fine job as usual as our hostess at Albert’s in Belleville, and we had the pleasure of working with one of our favorite photographers, Joe Vavak. Jenny and Dustin’s friends and family really enjoy a good party and they stayed actively involved for seven full hours of entertainment.

Immediately after the spotlight dances Jen’s grandfather started things off by singing the classic country song “Young Love” on my second microphone. The participation dances filled the entire dance floor; in fact there were very few people in their seats during the line dances and chicken dance. All of the musical requests from the guests we met right up till the last song and group hug during “American Pie.”

Kelly and Matt - 21 November 2009

admin — Sun, 06 Dec 2009 05:33:36 +0000

The St. Libory American Legion hall was packed with nearly 400 guests to celebrate with Kelly and Matt! I recognized some of the friendly guests, since I provided the entertainment for Kelly’s sister’s wedding last year. In addition to the traditional reception activities, Kelly also had some interesting ideas, like the “Newlywed Shoe Game.” Immediately following the spotlight dances, Kelly and Matt sat back-to-back in chairs in front of the DJ stage. Each held one of Matt’s black shoes in one hand, and one of Kelly’s white shoes in the other. As I asked various questions like “who made the first move” and who has the wackier family,” the couple held up the appropriate shoe representing their answer. The guests erupted in laughter during this spontaneous and fun game. The volunteers at St Libory did a great job in hosting this large party, and the reception was a big hit with the family and friends that attended.