Wedding at the Westin Georgetown – Chelsea & Damien

March 7th, 2012

In November, Chris Laich Music Services had the privilege of being a part of Chelsea and Damien’s wedding day at the Westin Georgetown.

Chelsea & Damien's wedding, photography by Theresa Choi

Chelsea & Damien’s wedding at the Westin Georgetown, DJ - Chris Laich Music Services, Photography - Theresa Choi

As you can see from the awesome shots from photographer Theresa Choi, the wedding was a lot of fun. There was even a really funny and sweet slideshow! After the newlywed’s first dance to Hold on to Hope by Guided by Voices, everyone couldn’t get enough of the dance floor. In fact, folks were having such a good time cutting a rug that at the end of the night nobody was ready to leave. So Chelsea and Damien ended up extending their celebration!

Thanks to their planner, Kristen Puzzo of Kelly Cannon Events, who was fantastic to work with (as usual) and to Theresa Choi for sharing Chelsea and Damian’s pictures. To see more fantastic shots of their wedding visit photographer Theresa’s blog.

Chelsea & Damien's wedding, photography by Theresa Choi

Chelsea & Damien’s wedding at the Westin Georgetown, DJ - Chris Laich Music Services, Photography - Theresa Choi

Chelsea & Damien's wedding, photography by Theresa Choi

Chelsea & Damien’s wedding at the Westin Georgetown, DJ - Chris Laich Music Services, photography - Theresa Choi

Chelsea & Damien's wedding, photography by Theresa Choi

Chelsea & Damien’s wedding at the Westin Georgetown, DJ - Chris Laich Music Services, photography - Theresa Choi

Chelsea & Damien's wedding, photography by Theresa Choi

Chelsea & Damien’s wedding at the Westin Georgetown, DJ - Chris Laich Music Services, photography - Theresa Choi

Chelsea & Damien's wedding, photography by Theresa Choi

Chelsea & Damien’s wedding at the Westin Georgetown, DJ - Chris Laich Music Services, photography - Theresa Choi

Chelsea & Damien's wedding, photography by Theresa Choi

Chelsea & Damien’s wedding at the Westin Georgetown, DJ – Chris Laich Music Services, Photography – Theresa Choi

Engaged! 2012 Bridal Event

March 1st, 2012

Engaged! 2012 is this Sunday, March 4, 3:00-7:00 pm!

If you or anyone you know is planning a wedding, this is one not-to-miss event. You’ll tour four of the DC area’s best hotels (The Hay-Adams, St. Regis, The Willard, and The W) via private limo bus, see bridal fashion, get an engagement portrait shot, sip champagne, talk to vendors…and more.

Buy your tickets here, and be sure to stop by Chris Laich Music Services!

A Wedding Wire Wedding – Lynn & Lee

February 29th, 2012

When a member of the wedding community becomes engaged, they’re faced with every soon-to-be-wed couple’s most daunting task – selecting vendors. But when your company is the resource for wedding planning, choosing the best becomes a special challenge. It’s almost what the judges on Top Chef contend with – experts deciding from among a pool of great professionals who is more excellent than the rest.

So, when one of the owners of Wedding Wire, Lee, and his fiancé, Lynn, contacted Chris Laich Music Services, we were thrilled, honored and excited. We love working at the Ronald Regan Building (especially fun weddings), and, most importantly, it meant a lot that we’d be providing Lynn and Lee’s wedding day soundtrack.

As expected, Lynn and Lee’s celebration was a beautiful blast. Their happiness that day was totally infectious, and their team of DC’s finest wedding pros did a superlative job creating the special, personal event Lynn and Lee imagined.

To see what we mean, check out this terrific wedding day video by the amazing crew at Thomas Bowen Films!

(just hit refresh if the video does not appear below)

Lynn + Lee from Thomas Bowen Films on Vimeo.

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Washingtonian Bride & Groom – Unveiled 2012

February 22nd, 2012

Washingtonian Bride & Groom did it again! Unveiled 2012 was a lot of fun, full of creativity, and a huge success.

Held at the Mandarin Oriental, this year’s event featured a Reem Acra bridal fashion show (Reem Acra herself even made an appearance!), and, of course, the cream of DC’s wedding industry crop.

Washingtonian Bride & Groom Unveiled 2012, photography by Holland Photo Arts

Washingtonian Bride & Groom Unveiled 2012, photography by Holland Photo Arts

The staff of Bride & Groom had their hands full planning Unveiled 2012. Organizing food, drink, panel discussions, vendor booths, the runway show and more is no small task, but Rebecca Schwartz and her team did an extraordinary job.

We had a blast chatting with all the brides, grooms and their families who stopped by, as well as our wedding industry friends!

Washingtonian Bride & Groom Unveiled 2012, photography by Holland Photo Arts

Washingtonian Bride & Groom Unveiled 2012, photography by Holland Photo Arts

For a complete list of the fantastic vendors at Unveiled 2012, and to see their Twitter recap, visit the Washingtonian.

Whitney Houston

February 16th, 2012

The 2012 Grammys will go down in history as a night of great performances, and as the day after music lost one of its great voices.

When her first album, Whitney Houston, came out, the music and her incredible voice became an automatic hit. MTV constantly played “How Will I Know” while any one of her debut tracks was a constant fixture on the radio. After that, the hits kept coming, and almost overnight, Whitney Houston was one of the world’s iconic singers.

Whitney Houston’s First Album (image source)

But that first album holds a special place in our hearts. It’s been part of Chris’s playlist since 1990 when he began deejaying! So, like everyone else, it was a shock to learn of the great vocalist’s passing the night before the Grammys.

Recent troubles aside, Whitney Houston was a person whose talent shone brightly and who had an incredible musical career that transcended the music industry. She will definitely be missed.

2012 Grammys

February 15th, 2012

Sunday was the Grammys!

As usual, the Chris Laich Music Services team spent the night watching the whole show, and one thing is for sure – getting LL Cool J to host was the best decision ever. Not only did he strike just the right tone in acknowledging Whitney Houston’s death only 24 hours earlier, but he kept things moving smoothly.

Adele at the 2012 Grammys (image source)

The night was filled with some great performances. Adele was fantastic! She’s become an artist we often play, and we’re hoping her next album is as amazing. We thought it was great how Bruno Mars channeled the Temptations, the Foo Fighters got rowdy, and, of course, Jennifer Hudson rocked it out.

Bruno Mars at the 2012 Grammys (image source)

Bonnie Raitt and Alicia Key’s tribute to Etta James was especially moving, as was the tribute to Glen Campbell, which became poignant when the Rhinestone Cowboy himself came out to sing. And, of course, it was awesome to see Bruce Springsteen, Paul McCartney, Tony Bennett, and The Beach Boys perform.

Jennifer Hudson at the 2012 Grammys (image source)

So, who were the winners of 2012?

Adele (deservedly) won all six awards for which she was nominated, including Record of the Year, Song of the Year with her powerful “Rolling in the Deep,” Top Solo Performance with “Someone Like You,” and Best Pop Vocal Album.

Bon Iver won Best New Artist and Best Alternative Album.

Tony Bennett won Best Pop Duo for his performance with Amy Winehouse and best Traditional Pop Vocal Album.

Best Rock Performance went to the Foo Fighters. They also won Best Hard Rock/Metal Performance, Rock Song and Rock Album.

Corrine Bailey Raw won Best R&B Performance.

Best Traditional R&B Performance as well as Best R&B Song was won by Cee Lo Green and Melanie Fiona.

Chris Brown won Best R&B Album.

Best Rap Performance went to Kanye West and Jay-Z for “Otis.”

Kanye West won Best Rap Album, Best Rap Song and Best Rap/Sung Collaboration for “All of the Lights” and My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy.

The Civil Wars won Best Country Duo/Group Performance.
Taylor Swift won Best Country Song for “Mean.”

For a complete list of all the 2012 Grammy winners, visit The Washington Post.

Staff Party at The Fairmont Hotel

February 8th, 2012

For the past four years, Chris Laich Music Services has had the pleasure of deejaying the Fairmont Hotel’s staff party. Since The Fairmont is our favorite spot in DC and we love working with Bob Mikolitch, Mark Medrick and their staff, it’s really great to see them relaxing at their own party.

Staff Party at the Fairmont, DJ - Chris Laich Music Services

Staff party at Washington, DC’s Fairmont Hotel, DJ – Chris Laich Music Services

However, the 2012 party was extra-amazing. With the recent remodel of their lobby and ballroom, The Fairmont has taken polished, fresh elegance to a whole new level. On the night of the event, between the slick lighting and lounge furniture, the space was spectacular. But the coolest part of the evening was when, in the middle of the General Manager’s award announcements, the staff flash mobbed a performance of “Dynamite” by Taio Cruz!

Staff Party at the Fairmont, DJ - Chris Laich Music Services

Staff party at Washington, DC’s Fairmont Hotel, DJ – Chris Laich Music Services

Everyone had so much fun and we had such a blast deejaying that it’s going to be hard to wait a whole year. So thanks to everyone at The Fairmont for asking us to be a part of your killer staff party…and see you soon!

Staff Party at the Fairmont, DJ - Chris Laich Music Services

Staff party at Washington, DC’s Fairmont Hotel, DJ – Chris Laich Music Services

Unveiled 2012 – The Rehearsal Dinner

February 1st, 2012

Washingtonian Bride & Groom’s annual Unveiled event is definitely a must-go for area couples planning a wedding. This year, Bride & Groom added a really cool pre-party, The Rehearsal Dinner.

The Rehearsal Dinner at Lincoln, photos via The Washingtonian (by Erik Uecke)

The Rehearsal Dinner at Lincoln, photos via The Washingtonian (by Erik Uecke)

Hosted at Lincoln, one of DC’s choicest restaurants, The Rehearsal Dinner was an intimate affair. Ten engaged couples (chosen from the first 75 Unveiled ticket buyers) were invited to enjoy a fine meal with a few of the area’s finest wedding professionals. Needless to say, Chris Laich Music Services was both delighted and honored to be included!

We had a lot of fun getting to know everyone, and, of course, the food was excellent. Plus, we finally got to meet Bret Freedman from the Mandarin Oriental and Sherri Dalphonse, a senior writer at Washingtonian.

The Rehearsal Dinner at Lincoln, photos via The Washingtonian (by Erik Uecke)

The Rehearsal Dinner at Lincoln, photos via The Washingtonian (by Erik Uecke)

Best wishes to all the couples we met at The Rehearsal Dinner!

Thomas Birkby House – Wedding DJ Set Up

January 25th, 2012

On the edge of historic Leesburg, VA sits the Thomas Birkby House. Upon entering its charming rooms, terrace, white gazebo and lovely gardens, you feel you’ve entered a more gracious time.

That, along with the fact that the Thomas Birkby House can accommodate up to 175 guests, makes it a really wonderful wedding venue.
Historic outdoor spaces are often a challenge when it comes to setting up wedding DJ equipment.  But striking the balance of sound and aesthetic while making sure your guests hear every vow and dance to every song is something we do best!

Check out below how we set up our wireless Bose speakers on the Thomas Birkby House’s terrace for a wedding this summer:

 

Thomas Birkby House

wedding at Thomas Birkby House, DJ – Chris Laich Music Services

Thomas Birkby House

wedding at Thomas Birkby House, DJ – Chris Laich Music Services

 

Chelsea & Nick Featured in Perfect Wedding Guide!

January 19th, 2012

When you pick up the newest issue of Perfect Wedding Guide, flip to the wedding spotlight…and you’ll see Chelsea and Nick!

We shared a few shots of their awesome wedding at Potomac Point Winery where the newlyweds smashed grapes a la I Love Lucy and their guests danced all night long. Now more details (like who created Chelsea’s gorgeous bouquet) can be found in Perfect Wedding Guide.

It’s so exciting to be featured in Perfect Wedding Guide – what a way to start 2012!