“My wife and I could not be happier with the job that Jackie Sugarlumps and Ceremony DJs did for us during our recent wedding in San Francisco. We absolutely recommend her and Ceremony DJs for your event.
One of our top priorities for our wedding was that we have a good DJ, someone who was knowledgable and passionate about music, someone who could read a crowd and put together a solid set list that got people moving. Jackie exceeded our expectations in every category.
First of all, she was incredibly organized and easy to talk to. We had several meetings before our ceremony and Jackie was always ready to go with questions and great ideas that helped make our experience smooth and unique to our musical tastes.
At the event, Jackie arrived early to the venue and made sure that the sound and lighting would be perfect. As major music nerds and audiophiles we were super impressed. The bass and treble were perfectly set and both the chapel for the ceremony (indoors) and courtyard for the reception (outdoors) had studio-quality sound.
Jackie supplemented the songs that we chose with similar genres and artists that melded perfectly with our musical tastes. Moreover, you could tell that she herself is a huge music fan. As she DJ'd she danced along with the music and made our guests feel like they were attending a music festival. We received so many compliments from our friends and family for our choice of DJ. Everyone, especially this newlywed couple, went home happy.” — Nate
Amanda Tomasetti and James Rymer Wedding
“My husband and I hired Jamie as our DJ for our wedding this past September and he did such a fantastic job! He really wanted to get to know what types of music our guests and we loved to listen to and customized the music to fit our group perfectly! On top of DJing our entire wedding, he also helped us live stream our wedding to all of our guests who were not able to make it. He spent so much time making sure everything went perfectly and we are so happy our friends and family who couldn’t travel were able to share our wedding day with us! Jamie was so fun and easy to work with and we are so fortunate to have chosen him for our special day!” - Amanda Tomasetti
“We noticed Ceremony DJs was highly rated on multiple platforms so we set up a call. We liked Jamie so much that we didn’t call anyone else! During the first call Jamie asked us questions to get an understanding of the kind of music that we liked as well as what our guests might like. From there, he crafted an amazing set for the entire wedding! Another awesome thing with Jamie is he helped us with day of coordination since we did not have a wedding coordinator. Apart from handling the entirety of our music, Jamie and his good friend Ed helped us stream our entire wedding for our loved ones who could not make it. They have a combination of cameras for a variety of situations and we received much praise from the stream viewers! Jamie is amazing at what he does but even better than this he is an awesome person to work with! We will be recommending him to all of our friends and family that are getting married!” - James Rymer
Lexi Clayburn and Ernie Harmon Wedding
Kristal Riddell and Ryan Rettenbacher Wedding
“Groom is a country aficionado, the bride prefers indie and the brides family saved their pennies to visit from Mexico. What to do? what to do? Leave it to Jamie! he figured out how to balance all of our music needs from the uniqueness of our ceremony songs to the out of right field cake cutting song. I told Jamie I didn't want the dancing to stop during the reception so, he kept my family happy with cumbias, norteñas and even some reggaeton mixed in there. It was the best to see our families mixing in together as one on the dance floor. Jamie brought the house down!” - Ryan Rettenbacher
“Jamie Jams was super cool and accommodating to our wedding music needs. We had a rustic country wedding and wanted a very eclectic playlist to accommodate my fiances family and my Latino family visiting from Mexico. Needless to say Jamie knew exactly how to handle this spicy melting pot and brought down the house during the reception with some cumbias and norteñas. We danced the night away!” - Kristal Riddell
Camille Cuentas and Patrick Mahar Wedding
“Jamie was so awesome to work with from the beginning. He met with my husband and I to get a sense of our individual music tastes and to see how he could fuse them together. We appreciate his openness to our requests and understanding of what kind of vibes we wanted to set for our reception. We had a much smaller wedding reception and it still felt like a huge party! The original timeline of events didn't quite go as planned but Jamie was great at going with the flow and reading the crowd to see what was best. Our families love to dance and so 99% of the night consisted of us dancing.” - Camille Cuentas
Neetu Balram and Sean Rush Wedding
“Jamie of Ceremony DJs was incredible both before and during our wedding! We knew we may have a good match when we visited Ceremony DJs' website and it declared, "Finally, a DJ as cool as you are." Jamie and my now husband immediately hit it off. I loved that Jamie prioritized getting to know us and our tastes, but also took the time to hear about our guests. He has a great sound system, which was important for our outdoor venue. Jamie was super friendly, easy to work with and incredibly professional, keeping us on track and focused, without overburdening us. Jamie even made it out to our venue a few months before the wedding to check everything out and talk through the plan. Day of, Jamie was a lot of fun and killed it! He had music going from the moment guests arrived at the ceremony to the final moments of the reception. It all tied together and set the mood for every aspect of the day and evening, transitioning seamlessly. Our guests had great things to say and we couldn't agree more. Thank you Jamie!” -Neetu Balram
“Ceremony DJs and Jamie in particular were awesome to work on. From the moment we met, I felt like we totally understood our vibe and was able to really build on the things I already liked. His skills really gave the wedding the perfect feel, and all of my friends and family loved it. Additionally, Jamie is a calming force pre-wedding. He exudes that "I got you" vibe that's super helpful when you're stressing out about a million little details. Great guy, great DJ!” - Sean Rush
Megan Miller and Jeff Pello Wedding
“Professional, knowledgeable, enthusiastic and down for a bit of an adventure. Jamie listened to our ideas and developed the perfect soundtrack for our wedding in the Joshua Tree area. He seamlessly transitioned from Gram Parsons-inspired, country/western tunes early in the event to a dance party that had the older and younger folks kicking up dust in the desert late into the night. What's more is that Jamie and his girlfriend/co-DJ, Rocky, were excited for a bit of an adventure and made the trek to the desert from SF for the wedding! Phenomenal service! Highly recommend Jamie and the folks at Ceremony DJs!!!” - Jeff Pello
Xander Piper and Andy Scudder Wedding
“Jamie was playing the night that me and my husband-to-be met, and I knew I had to have him DJ for my engagement party. Jamie and Rocky got the whole party dancing while still incorporting our eclectic and esoteric tastes. We can’t wait for them to DJ our wedding!” - Xander Piper
“My husband and I knew we wanted to get Ceremony DJs for our wedding because they were behind the decks when my husband and I first met. But, that alone wasn’t why we loved having them play at our wedding. For our initial consultation, Jamie and Rocky has us sit down with them and discuss the music that is special to us, our friends, and family. Jamie was impressed with how broad our family’s taste was, and was up to the task of making it all fit together! We wanted something special and that represented our tastes, and not just a generic playlist or top 40 pop songs. They went above and beyond when it came to a special request we had. When discussing the plan for the reception and the first dance, we mentioned that we needed a singer for the Magnetic Fields song my husband’s best man was going to perform. As luck would have it, Rocky used to sing in a Magnetic Fields cover band and so was happy to also step into the role of singer again for our first dance! When it was time to plan the setup during the site visit, their experience and familiarity with the venue really showed as they had a plan in mind that allowed us to move seamlessly from an amplified ceremony to music through the reception and dancing that followed. On the day of, they got us through one scheduling hiccup flawlessly. The rest of the night was full of joy thanks to their selections that filled the dance floor, and we had guests asking for a set list right afterwards because they loved the music so much! We really could not have been happier with choosing Ceremony DJs for our wedding.” - Andy Scudder
Danielle Perez and Drew Daniel Wedding
“When I started looking for a DJ, I knew I didn't want your typical cheesy DJ that barks at the crowd and plays the chicken dance. I knew Jamie's DJ work and thought he would be a great fit. And he was! He worked with us months in advance to make sure he knew our music likes and dislikes. My FH had a great time talking music with Jamie, who is a music knowledge god. He then came up with a playlist that kept us dancing all night! He was flexible and accommodating when I changed the set-up of the dance area on him day of. He also provided the music for our ceremony. Overall, exceeded our expectations!” - Danielle Perez
“Jamie by far is one of the nicest djs I have ever met. He djed for me and my wife's wedding in May. When I heard he actually uses turntables and records I was blown away with excitement. Months before the amazing day he sent us an extensive list of stuff he has. Me being really into an eclectic range of genres had a blast picking and choosing bands/artists my wife and I would love to hear at our wedding. We was stoked on some of the stuff we chose and he also was very intrigued by our love of 90's hip/hop and country. Weeks before the wedding he came and toured our venue with us to see where he was going to set up. Jamie did such an amazing job queing and looping the jams all throughout the day and night! We had a blast dancing and everyone enjoyed all the music! He goes above and beyond and you can see and tell he enjoys what he does. Thanks again, Brother!” - Drew Daniel
Brittany Schell and Ryan Loughlin Wedding
“Rocky was the DJ at our wedding, and the whole process working with her and Jamie ahead of the big day was very smooth and enjoyable! On our wedding day, Rocky handled the transition from ceremony site to reception site smoothly, and kept people dancing all night with a great mix of music! She really developed a playlist in line with our tastes, we couldn't be happier. Thanks Rocky and Jamie!” - Brittany Schell
Ceremony: Dipsea Gardens / Venue: Stinson Beach Community Center / Photographer: Romin Lee Photo / DJ: Ceremony DJs / Caterer: El Tonayense
Patrick Malloy and Diego Ruiz Wedding
“My husband and I had an absolutely amazing experience with Jamie DJing our wedding a couple of weekends ago! We had a good feeling from the beginning - he hosts indie dance nights at a bar near our apartment and his sample playlists perfectly matched our tastes - and he totally exceeded our expectations.
The most important part first: Everyone had an amazing time at the event! Jamie covered the time before our ceremony, flawlessly handled music and audio during the ceremony, and kept the party going from the cocktail hour all the way through last call. He chose the perfect music for all the different parts of the evening, and managed to appeal to all the generations that were there. I knew he would nail it with the indie music, but he also did an amazing job getting up to speed some on some of our lower-brow pop favorites, which our friends loved.
Bigger picture: Jamie went above and beyond to help with our music. We did not have a wedding planner, so were stretched pretty thin at times. A less involved DJ might have all the music you want, but it will end up on you to spend a lot of time choosing exactly which songs you want to hear and when. All we had to do with Jamie was tell him our general concept, pick a few of the important songs, and mark the artists we liked in his catalog, and then he handled it all from there. I'm sure it was a lot of work for him, but we were immensely grateful that he was able to take vague direction from us and create an unforgettable musical experience.
I will be recommending Jamie to anyone I know in the Bay Area who is looking for a DJ! He does a fabulous job and is also a very nice person who is a lot of fun to be around!” - Patrick Malloy
”Jamie did such an amazing job with everything for my wedding a few months ago in San Francisco! He was super easy to communicate with leading up to the event, and did a great job working collaboratively with my husband and I to figure out music that would both feel distinctively like us but also appeal to all our friends and family – he’s so knowledgeable about so many genres, I got the impression he could work with pretty much anyone’s musical taste. He covered everything with day-of set up, did our sound during the ceremony, edited specific verses out of our recessional song – he was willing to step up and do basically anything we asked to help the event run smoothly (a really big deal, as we had no planner and were not familiar with event planning ourselves!). And above all, he did an incredible job getting our reception party started, keeping everyone dancing until it was time to shut down the venue. I’d enthusiastically recommend him and Ceremony DJs to anyone who needed a DJ for any event, and especially a wedding -- his music and all-around service was a huge part of what made the day so special for me, my husband and all our friends and family! (A sample text from a friend the day after about our wedding music: “THAT WAS LITERAL BLISS FOR ME”.)” - Diego Ruiz
Craig Daniel and Rob Delamater Wedding
"James DJ'd our wedding reception at the de Young Museum this Summer and it could not have been more perfect. James took the time to really get to know us and our tastes in music (we are both huge music fans) and used that to tailor a set list that both met our expectations but also surprised us and packed a lot of unexpected joy. The dance floor was smoking. Throughout the entire experience James was personable, organized and enthusiastic. He made himself a trusted partner in our wedding plans. Press "play" for James and his deep record collection and knowledge of music. A wonderful fellow." - Craig Daniel
Amanda Lawrence and Tommy Good Wedding
"To start, we want to say that Jamie was an absolutely amazing DJ. We found Jamie through our wedding photographer (who we also had a wonderful experience with), and were immediately impressed. After very promising email correspondence, we had an hour-long video chat with Jamie where he asked us all about what we wanted in terms of music for the wedding ceremony, reception, and everything in between. He then went on to ask about each of our favorite songs, bands, and genres, as well as what our family and friends liked. This may seem like a simple step, but it's far removed from what we experienced with the other DJs we interviewed - his interest in our musical taste and how to cultivate a great experience for our guests was incredibly genuine. He clearly took time to listen, take notes, and think about how to create a wonderful experience. It's obvious that Jamie didn't simply take the music that we and our friends liked and make it into a simple playlist. He very clearly dove into the genre and came up with a killer soundtrack informed by our input and interests. We had at least three people stop us the night of the wedding, and more since then, to compliment him on his playlist. If you're looking for a non-cheesy, fun DJ who will listen to what you, your friends and your family like to hear, and take the time to build a playlist you will love, we highly recommend Jamie. If you're looking for a cheesy wedding DJ, we suggest you go elsewhere. If we were to do it all again, we couldn't imagine a scenario where Jamie wasn't our DJ." - Tommy Good
"Jamie was the best DJ! We were planning our wedding from afar, so we had a call with Jamie just to chat with him and understand his vibe and his services and he was hands down the best DJ we spoke with. We had several other calls with other DJs and the all sounded like yourtypical, cheesy wedding DJ. Jamie is completely the opposite. It was so clear to us how much Jamie loves music and cares about what he does, so it was a pretty easy decision to decide to book with him. Once we booked, we had another call with Jamie to go over our musical tastes, what our friends and families like, and the overall feel we wanted for our wedding. Then we went through his insane list of music that he has, marking off what we liked. He took so much time to really understand what we liked and craft the most perfect soundtrack for our wedding. The wedding day was perfect. Jamie’s music was exactly what we hoped it would be and more. Our friends and family still talk to us about how great the music was. I’ll also note it was about 107 degrees the day of our outdoor wedding and Jamie was a champ setting up all of his equipment in the horrible heat. You really could not find a better DJ so just save yourself some trouble and go with Jamie!" - Amanda Lawrence
Shayna Rader and Michael DiGrande Wedding
"If you’re looking for a thoughtful, professional, and an unbridled showman—stop reading this review and hire Jamie as your DJ. But if you’re here for the review, I’ll elaborate. Thoughtful – Jamie provides the kind of attention that can’t be replicated. He gets to know you and what your expectations are for your event, and he lets that inform the structure and vibe. For my wedding, we told him to focus on Motown, 60s rock, power-pop and 90s hip-hop. He then worked with us to connect the dots, to experiment in finding a way to make these moods track seamlessly throughout the night. In a way, it felt like we were sculpting the vibe with him, rather than rely on some Spotify algorithm. His encyclopedic knowledge of music is unmatched—he finds a way to suggest things that will surprise you—and is unafraid of getting creative. He brings you into the process because he’s thoughtful in a way most DJs won’t be. Professional – Jamie brings his own gear and he * knows * his gear. He arrives earlier than early and keeps everything above board with venue staff. Jamie may have a laid-back demeanor, but he’s hyper focused on the details (you know, where the devil lives). And when the show’s over? He’s gone. Like a ghost. Our venue staff noted how efficient he is when it comes to set up and teardown. He won’t leave you in the lurch. Jamie’s prepared for every contingency. Showmanship – I’m not a dancer but Jamie had me on the floor all night. It is a non-stop party when he’s spinning. And when the mood changes, he changes with it. When our folks and family got tuckered out, Jamie skewed contemporary, which give our wedding about 5 different lives of its own. The result? We all left exhausted. Jamie had us on our feet all night and kept things moving as the night went on. tl;dr I saw my 62-year old father dance to Lil Jon…and love it. Thank you Jamie. I hope you can give someone else a memory like that." - Michael DiGrande
"Jamie did an absolutely amazing job at our wedding!! We had a pretty specific idea in mind of how we wanted our evening to play out, and some of the genres of music we picked were a bit unfamiliar to him, but he dove headfirst into researching and compiling a fantastic playlistfor us, including some songs I’d never even heard of but totally fit with the vibe. He kept our guests up and out of their seats (even the old folks!) and we got SO many compliments on our music. Jamie is an artist and a veteran of the club circuit in SF, so he puts a lot of thought into curating an entire evening for you and making sure it flows, rather than just taking Top 40 requests all night long. There are plenty of DJs that can do that—if you want something unique and memorable, you should contact Jamie and the team at Ceremony. Worth every penny." - Shayna Rader
SF Weekly Interview
Hey, DJ: Jamie Jams
The San Francisco DJ talks about Last Nite, his Y2K indie dance party.
Christina Li / Thu. Oct. 13th, 2016 12:14pm / All Shook Down
There’s no question that the ‘90s are back and have been for the past few years, whether it’s clothing trends, TV remakes, or musical styles. When All Shook Down first interviewed DJ Jamie Jams over eight years ago, the indie music connoisseur was already foreshadowing the future by wondering, “When is everyone going to realize this ’90s business is the shit?”
To date, Jams is still running his ‘90s night Debaser, but he has also added a party celebrating the last decade of indie called Last Nite. We got a chance to catch up with Jamie Jams about the changing SF scene, his favorite ‘90s outfit, and what a good time means to him.
Last Nite SF Weekly Feature
Top Five Parties This Week Plus Notable Local Records
Chris Zaldua / Wed .Aug. 17, 2016 5:30pm / Some Thoughts of a Certain Sound
One interesting side effect of the unprecedented speed of life in our information age is that society’s nostalgia cycles have been compressed substantially. It used to be that what came 20-25 years before was fun, hip, and cool (in an ironic way) again; now, it’s more like 10 years and change.
Enter Last Nite, a party unabashed in its barely there nostalgia, which harks back to that early-mid aughts period when legions of punks discovered the wonders of disco, house, and dance music — nevermind that many of them scorned it in decades prior — and began trading guitars for synthesizers.
Friday marks Last Nite’s third anniversary, and they’re hosting L.A.’s Moving Units to celebrate. Moving Units have the look and the sound of 2005 down pat — their songs are short, bright, dancy, and catchy. A slew of DJs — Last Nite’s Jamie Jams and Rocky, Popscene’s Omar, 120 Minutes’ Marco, and The Queen Is Dead’s Mario — will be spinning tunes, retro and otherwise, to make you wistful for the days of George Dubya’s presidency.
Last Nite’s Third Anniversary featuring Moving Units at Mezzanine, 9 p.m.-2 a.m. Friday, Aug. 19. $10-$15; mezzaninesf.com
48 Hills Interview
The 2000’s are back! (And that’s OK)
BY MARKE B.
Sep 24th
The great Last Nite party celebrates two glorious years of resurrecting a decade some people would rather forget.
Pop music critics salivate over how Taylor Swift and Carly Rae Jepsen are bringing the ’80s back to radio (despite “’80s retro nights” being a joke older than ’90s bachelorette pit Polly Esther’s, RIP). Dance music critics roll their eyes at yet one more sample from ’90s R&B on a “deep house” record. Someone recently wore an Abercrombie and Fitch tee ironically to a gay party and I almost passed out. “Please, please don’t let the 2000’s be coming back,” I silently pleaded, paralyzed among a forest of perilous drag queen stilettos on the club floor. “Or at least if they are coming back, let them come back like the Last Nite party.”
Charmmie Park and Ryan Hendon Wedding
Tiffany Ishihara and Josh Compton Wedding
"Jamie was the DJ at my wedding and I cannot recommend him enough. I should mention that the music at my wedding was the the most important element to my husband and I; Jamie did not disappoint. He has a very extensive knowledge of all types of music and was able to curate a playlist for our very specific request - 1970’s Power Pop. Not only was he able to create a playlist we really loved, but he was super excited about it and made the process very easy. There was never a moment that we had to worry about what was playing. If you want a DJ that will put a lot of thought and energy into your big day, Jamie is the way to go!" - Tiffany Ishihara
Kate Garklavs and Micah Saul Wedding
"If you’re looking for a top-notch wedding DJ, look no further: Jamie is capital-A awesome. For years, Jamie hosted Debaser (excellent 90s dance party), and it was through Debaser that I got to know Jamie and his work. When my now-husband and I started planning our wedding, we aligned on what we were looking for in a DJ — someone with impeccable (and broad) musical taste; someone with the emotional IQ to cater to not just the bride/groom’s preferences, but also to honor both extended families’ wishes; and someone who can bring a rockin’ dance party. Jamie exemplifies all of these qualities. He spent several hours with us discussing the sort of mood we wanted to create and how we wanted our reception to evolve; he then translated this vision into a playlist that kept our guests on the dance floor all night (and into the morning). What’s more, he was extremely professional, handling all the tiny details that no bride or groom wants to deal with. You’d be hard pressed to find a better, more intuitive DJ than Jamie. " - Kate Garklavs
"Jamie kicked ass at our wedding ceremony and reception. We'd both known him for years through Debaser and other parties he'd DJ in the Mission, so when we decided we wanted someone for our wedding that'd get our guests to dance their faces off, we knew who to go to. Jamie was amazing to work with. We talked through the general them we were hoping for, he worked with us to come up with our lists of must haves, as well as some secret requests, and was just generally super attentive and responsive. The party, of course, was amazing! Jamie is incredibly good at reading the energy of a room and adapting his set to both feed on and feed that energy. We didn't have an emcee or a day-of planner or anything like that, and Jamie was able to direct the flow of the night using the music he was playing. And yes, we all danced our damn faces off!" - Micah Saul