Classic hip hop and modern indie wedding, China Live, San Francisco, CA.
“A DJ, MC and lighting team that elevated our entire wedding program. From the initial inquiry, Jamie was very thorough to understand our wedding theme and expectations. He also provided past insight during our pre-wedding brainstorm to help us plan out the run of show (welcoming cocktails, grand entrance, toasting speeches, first dance and party music). We were not having a ceremony and wanted the reception to be more than the usual open bar + dance floor program. Jamie and Rocky delivered more than just the usual dance floor / club /top 40 music. There was deep consideration for the range of guests (family vs. relatives) to really make the music feel like a soundtrack for all on our special night. The equipment was not only high quality in sound and setup in a true audiophile consideration - there was not a table that was overwhelmed by the speakers placement. Last thing to mention, the communication during the whole process went smoothly. They followed up on our curated playlist suggestions, were punctual with load in/out and partnered well with our day-of coordinator and venue staff. Thanks again Ceremony DJs for making it a memorable wedding and New Years party for all!” - Peter Yang
A Glamorous, New Years Eve Wedding in a Chinese Restaurant
What’s cooler than getting married in a Chinese restaurant on New Years Eve! For Peter and Lisa, we knew from the start that there would have to be a formal element to the proceedings that echoed classic New Years Eve’s of yore, but as a couple their taste was both more eclectic and down to earth than the old stodgy stereotype, so we created a flow for them that was hip and modern, but also transitioned smoothly from the classic cocktail party elements through to some smoother R&B influenced elements and concluding with some banging indie dance tracks.
An Indie R&B Dinner
China Live SF is a terrific venue in both style and location and we wanted the overall event to have a modern feel with an emphasis on artists like Unknown Mortal Orchestra, Toro y Moi and Solange that split the difference between a classic 70’s R&B feel and a modern indie feel. Peter is also a DJ and he had a ton of great requests that were more like a Sade kind of vibe, so we were able to start out with a few jazz vocal tracks, transition into cocktail party elements with more complex rhythms, bring in the downtempo funk with some Stevie Wonder-esque tracks and then smoothly incorporate the modern indie stuff during the dinner.
A Chill 80’s Dance Party
For the dancing, we were able to put the classic 70’s and 80’s dance tracks in the context of the modern indie stuff, so you could see the connections between the current style and the classic elements while keeping the whole thing accessible for their family. I think we even did a few boogie ones like George Benson, The Whispers and Evelyn Champaign King to really put the hip indie stuff in context, but also some classic 80’s ones like Depeche Mode, Human League and New Order to sort of tease out a strong synth baseline and set up a groove for some more modern ones at the end.
An Indie Dance Finale
We worked towards LCD Soundsystem “Home” for the finale, which I can’t recommend enough. I somehow slept on that track for years and years, since it’s one of the last ones on This Is Happening but it really has an epic, uplifting feel not unlike the Talking Heads “This Must Be the Place” that must be the single most requested song in our catalog, so good on Peter for recommending that! We finished with Kanye West “All of the Lights” which is pretty much always amazing and hilarious, especially when the venue is forcing you to turn on the lights at 2am and you are already 6 minutes over.
An Old School After Hours
For the epic denouement, we surprised them by having dug up like a dozen versions of Auld Lang Syne including the original one made famous by Guy Lombardo in the 50’s and the South Korean National Anthem which uses the same tune. Special shout out to all the vendors, high fives all around, cue fireworks and scene.
Big Ups & Shout Outs
Special shout out to the folks at China Live SF who were so impressed they invited us back to DJ Chinese New Years a few weeks later. The food was amazing and the secret bar they’ve got upstairs is even better. If you need a great place to eat dinner, enjoy a drink or host an event in San Francisco’s historic Chinatown, this is the place for you.
Special shout out to the Now Ya Ngo Photo Booth. These guys have tons of great props, high quality gear and a user interface that really brings out the best in people. If you need to hire a photo booth for your next event, be sure to book these guys. They are a lot of fun.
And most of all thanks to Peter and Lisa for having us! Getting to DJ in Chinatown on New Year’s Eve was an amazing experience and that LCD Soundsystem request is one we’re going to be playing for years.
Ceremony Songs
Grand Entrance:
First Dance:
Parent Dance:
Requests:
Nat King Cole “LOVE”
Ella Fitzgerald “Too Darn Hot”
Nat King Cole “Aquellos Ojos Verdes”
In the Mood for Love “Yumeji's Theme”
Al Green “Let’s Stay Together”
Otis Redding “Try a Little Tenderness”
Erykah Badu “On and On”
Sade “Please Send Someone to Love”
John Lennon “Woman”
Glen Campbell “Southern Nights”
Dolly Parton “Islands in the Stream”
The Four Seasons “Oh What a Night”
Amy Winehouse “Valerie”
Mark Ronson feat Angel Olson “True Blue”
Destroyer “Tinseltown Swimming in Blood”
The Dig “I Already Forgot Everything You Said”
A Tribe Called Quest “Enough”
Mtume “Juicy Fruit”
Toro y Moi “Freelance”
Post Malone “Sunflower”
Frank Ocean “Lost”
LCD Soundsystem “Home”
Venue: ChinaLive / DJ: Ceremony DJs / Photobooth: Now Ya Ngo
