DJ:Plus! Elegant Weddings & Corporate Events - Sydney, Australia

Wedding Ceremony & Reception | 23 August 2008 | Chantelle & Anthony | Chapel Hill, Berambing, Blue Mountains

>> 24 August 2008 – Blue Mountains, Chapel Hill, Weddings

Chantelle and Anthony held their Ceremony and Reception at Chapel Hill Retreat which is located on 80 rural acres in the foot hills of Mt Tomah, at the entrance to the Greater Blue Mountains World Heritage Area about 90 minutes drive from Sydney. Chapel Hill is unique in that it offers a non-denominational chapel modeled on an early Australian country church which features a floor-to-ceiling stained-glass window, a reception facility with magnificent panoramic views across the Blue Mountains and luxury self-contained cottage accommodation.

Whilst it had been raining overnight, the skies cleared blessing Chantelle and Anthony with a fantastic, but crisp, autumn day. The 75 invited family and friends all crammed into the chapel to witness what was a very beautiful ceremony. Following the ceremony guests were served canapes and refreshments whilst Chantelle, Anthony and their bridal party roamed the property for various photographs. I was lucky to be able to quickly duck out and snapped the following shots;

It was a lovely fun and lively reception filled with some emotional moments. Following the entree, Chantelle and Anthony had the first of a lifetime of dances together. As the photos below show - they are very much in love with each other.

After the first dance Chantelle and Anthony had an opportunity to visit with guests and have photographs taken with each of them. The speeches by Chantelle's father, Joe, the best man, Jason, Anthony and finally by Chantelle followed the main course. During the speeches there were lots of lovely sentiments expressed by all the speakers, what was very clear was the deep respect and love that everybody has for Chantelle and Anthony, the reciprocal respect and love that they have for everybody that was invited and most importantly....for each other. Speeches were followed by the cake cutting and then another opportunity was taken by our lovely couple to mingle with the guests.

It was soon time to open up the dance floor and wow what can I say, everybody was ready to help make the evening one which Chantelle and Anthony will never forget. The dance floor was full from the moment the dancing started and did not let up until the end. During the dancing we took two very short breaks - the first was so that Chantelle could perform a special presentation of her bridal bouquet to her mum Anna and toss the "throwaway" bouquet to all the single ladies. Anthony then removed the garter and all the single gentlemen eagerly gathered to catch it. The second pause in dancing was so that Chantelle could have a very special dance with her father. Part way through Anthony was invited to escort Chantelle's mother onto the dance floor and join in to share in this special moment. This was a highly emotional and extremely special time.

Dancing resumed with the crowd going strong right to the very last song. After bidding farewell to the guests, this very lovely couple left to begin their new life together - one which I am extremely certain will bring life long happiness to both of them.

I also had the opportunity to work with photographer Daniel Hatfield again at this wedding. I met Daniel last year at another wedding at Chapel Hill. It was nice to catch up with him again. He is a pleasure to work with, takes a great deal of pride and is very professional in his work.

Songs selected by Bride and Groom;

Bridal Party Entry Song: "Sunchyme" by Dario G

Bride & Groom Entry Song: "In Love Again" by Rogue Traders (Custom Edit)

Bridal Waltz/First Dance: "Just The Way You Are" by Billy Joel

Cake Cutting Song: "The Look Of Love" by Tina Arena

Father /Daughter Dance: "Butterfly Kisses" by Bob Carlisle

Bouquet Toss: "Upside Down" by Diana Ross

Garter Toss: "Need You Tonight" by INXS

Farewell Circle: "This Old Love" by Lior, "We've Only Just Begun" by The Carpenters, "I've Finally Found Someone" by Bryan Adams & Barbra Streisand, "Come Away With Me" by Norah Jones

Final Farewell Song: "I've Had The Time Of My Life" by Bill Medley & Jennifer Warne

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Other Wedding Professionals

Photographer: Daniel Hatfield Photography

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Fun On The Dancefloor

Photography and Video by DJ:Plus! Mobile Disco Entertainment

Wedding Reception | 2 August 2008 | Phuong & Oley | Crystal Palace, Canley Heights, Sydney

>> 03 August 2008 – Crystal Palace, Weddings

Reception for 350 guests held at the Crystal Palace in Canley Heights . This Vietnamese and Chinese couple were absolutely delightful to work for - they both have a charming, friendly nature that created a deep warmth which radiated throughout the whole venue.

It was a very lovely reception with family and friends helping make the evening very special for Phuong and Oley. Phuong's uncle officiated over the reception as the Master of Ceremony and later contributed to the atmosphere by playing keyboards and singing a few songs.

As with most Vietnamese/Chinese receptions, guests were treated to a ten course banquet. Between courses the guests were kept entertained by Phuong and Oley performing their bridal waltz and various brackets of open dancing which consisted of a blend of Laos, Chinese and Western music. A highlight of the evening was when Phuong's uncle asked Oley to kiss his bride - well what can I say, the kissed lasted for nearly three and a half minutes!!! (see photo below)

At the end of the evening it was party time with everybody up and dancing to Phuong and Oley's retro favourites. On all accounts, a very enjoyable evening was had by all. Phuong and Oley will be having a delayed honeymoon in Europe and New York. A beautiful couple who are very much in love and deserve every happiness the world has to offer.

Songs selected by Bride and Groom;

Bride & Groom Entry Song: "Everything" by Michael Buble

Cake Cutting Song: "In The Arms Of An Angel" by Sarah McLaughlin

Bridal Waltz/First Dance: "Stay With You" by John Legend

That Kiss!!!!

Bride & Groom and Venue Photography by DJ:Plus! Mobile Disco Entertainment

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Other Wedding Professionals

Photographer: Beautiful West Photography and Video

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Fun On The Dancefloor

Video by DJ:Plus! Mobile Disco Entertainment

Why There Have Not Been Any Recent Blog Updates

>> 22 July 2008 – News

In case you were wondering why there have been no recent updates to the Blog, unfortunately in May I happened to leave my camera at a venue where I was performing. When I arrived home, I noticed the camera was missing (as this is when I normally upload the photos and videos). I telephoned the venue as I knew exactly where I had left it. Of course being around 2.00 am, there was nobody there to answer the telephone and no opportunity to leave a message. In the morning, I rang again and was informed that whilst a number of items had been handed in, my camera was unfortunately not amongst those items. They took my and the camera details in the event that it was found or turned in - but alas no one ever called to say it had been recovered.

Between one thing and another, I have not had the opportunity to purchase another camera until very recently. I am currently familiarising myself with the camera and in the next week or two the Blog updates will resume. I look forward to sharing the forthcoming events with you.

Wedding Ceremony & Reception | 26 April 2008 | Julie & Brian | The Mint, Sydney

>> 27 April 2008 – The Mint, Weddings

Ceremony and Reception for 92 guests held at The Mint, in the heart of Sydney. Constructed between 1811 and 1816 as the southern wing of the ‘Rum Hospital’, this site holds great historical significance. In 1854 it was expanded to accommodate the first branch of the Royal Mint outside of England. Current day use of the building includes the Mint Museum and innovative and stylish contemporary function spaces perfect for weddings and other special events. The area also features a grassed courtyard perfect for wedding ceremonies.

Julie and Brian opted for a twilight wedding ceremony which evoked a very romantic feel to this special moment. It was a lovely ceremony officiated by Bronwyn Hixon as the sun slowly set. Following the ceremony guests were served drinks and canapes whilst being entertained by The Con Artists String Quartet.

The reception space is quite unique in that the wall that faces the courtyard consists of louvered panels which were raised so that this area was opened up and the courtyard became a part of the reception area. It was a relaxed reception with the ambience of the venue creating a elegant and classy atmosphere. Julie and Brian are a very lovely caring couple who certainly wanted to ensure that everybody had a wonderful time. There certainly were some very entertaining moments throughout the speeches - firstly by Brian's bestman who told the story of how Brian had met Julie in a delightful and humourous manner, next was Brian, who on a number of occasions had to pause in order to recover from laughing. Finally, Julie thanked everybody warmly for being a part of their very special day. Special mention was made of the role which the mothers had played in their lives which concluded with the presentation of floral bouquets as a small token of appreciation by Julie's two young children.

Julie, Brian and their guests spent the rest of the evening socialising, dancing and enjoying music. It was a lovely wedding in a great location - a enjoyable and memorable time was had by all.

Songs selected by Bride and Groom;

Cake Cutting Song: "Somewhere Over The Rainbow" by Israel Kamakawiwo‘ole

Bridal Waltz/First Dance: "It Had To Be You" by Harry Connick Jnr

Bride & Groom and Venue Photography by DJ:Plus! Mobile Disco Entertainment

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Other Wedding Professionals

Marriage Celebrant: Bronwyn Hixson

Floral Design: Designs by Boo Shi

String Quartet: The Con Artists - 0421 106 996

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Fun On The Dancefloor

Video by DJ:Plus! Mobile Disco Entertainment

Post Wedding Celebration | 19 April 2008 | Fiona and David | Waverton Bowling Club, Waverton, Sydney

>> 20 April 2008 – Waverton Bowling Club, Weddings

Fiona and David had married in Port Douglas, Far North Queensland a number of weeks prior. A small number of family and close friends made the journey to witness the wedding and celebrate with them. From all accounts everything was absolutely fantastic and being such a magical location, how could it not have been (as anybody who has been to this special part of Australia can attest). It was Fiona and David's desire to want to share the immense joy of their strong love and lifelong commitment with all the special people in their lives, particularly those who were unable to make the journey with a little Post Wedding Celebration.

The cocktail celebration was held at Waverton Bowling Club on Sydney's North Shore. It was attended by 100 special guests whom have greatly supported Fiona and David throughout their lives and relationship together. The only formality that occurred during the evening was speeches. Fiona's very good friend Jacqui, recounted the story of how she had been responsible for this lovely couple meeting. She also shared some wonderful insights into both their lives and how the relationship had developed - a very lovely speech. This was followed by beautiful heartfelt speeches by both David and Fiona.

It was a relaxed yet elegant evening with great friends, good food, ample drinks, music and dancing. What was really evident was the extreme happiness that both Fiona and David feel in marriage - a love that you could feel everywhere. I consider myself most privileged to have been a part of this evening.