Posts Tagged ‘Chris Laich’

Wedding DJ Set Up – The Hay Adams

Thursday, February 3rd, 2011

Every time we spy the White House while pulling up to the Hay-Adams Hotel to deejay a wedding, we get excited. You’d think that living in the DC area the President’s house would get old, but it never does!

No matter their size, weddings at the Hay-Adams always seem intimate, as if they’re being thrown in a private home.  Maybe that’s because the Hay-Adams has been entertaining the movers and shakers in Washington, DC since the 1800s!  Or it could be because of Alison, the Hay-Adams’s Director of Catering.  She is one of the most genuine, sweet, and helpful ladies in the entire industry, and all of our brides rave about the time they spend with her!

Whatever the reason, Chris Laich Music Services is always careful to make sure the only things anyone notices are great music and quality sound, not unsightly speakers, wires, or disturbing feedback.  By strategically placing our wireless Bose speakers, we achieve the perfect balance of ambiance and aesthetic.

Have a look at some pictures we snapped of our speakers set up for a recent wedding at the Hay-Adams below:

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Our wireless Bose speaker is right by the bar

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Look closely right by the tree

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Washington DC wedding DJ, Chris Laich Music Services, Hay Adams Hotel

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Washington DC wedding DJ, Chris Laich Music Services, Hay Adams Hotel

Happy Holidays!

Thursday, December 23rd, 2010

This year, we asked my great friend, photographer Kurstin Roe, to come up to Olney and take some shots of us.

He did an amazing job!

Which doesn’t surprise me at all, since Kurstin’s background in photojournalism includes directing the photography and imaging during President Bush’s re-election campaign in 2004 as it traveled to cities across the country via Air Force One. After that, he continued with the White House photographing President Bush, the First Lady, and the Vice President. Needless to say, working in such a demanding environment honed his skill for capturing the moment and producing great shots.

Chris Laich Holiday Pics by Kurstin Roe Photography

Chris and his family, image by Kurstin Roe Photography

It also burned him out. So, when he ran into a wedding photographer friend who encouraged him to give wedding photography a try in 2006, Kurstin took the advice. That wedding changed everything. Kurstin was totally hooked. All the joy, laughter, and emotion of weddings inspires him and gives him goosebumps every time.

We’re lucky that chance meeting brought Kurstin into wedding photography! He’s super talented, and definitely one of Washington, DC’s up and coming wedding photographers.

Chris Laich Holiday Pics by Kurstin Roe Photography

Chris and his family, image by Kurstin Roe Photography


Thanks for taking the time out to shoot the 2010 Laich family photo, Kurstin!

Happy Holidays from Chris Laich Music Services to all of our fantastic clients, friends, and wedding industry colleagues!

History of Here Comes the Bride and the Wedding March

Thursday, September 23rd, 2010

Victorian Wedding

Victorian Bride and Groom

Have you ever sat waiting for the bride to walk down the aisle, ears straining for the first bars of “Here Comes the Bride” or the “Wedding March,” and wondered how long the tradition of playing these songs has been around?

“Here Comes The Bride,” or its official name, the “Bridal Chorus,” is part of an 1850 opera called Lohengrin written by Richard Wagner. The irony is that in the opera, the “Bridal Chorus” is sung as the bride and groom enter the bridal chamber and the wedding party prepares them for their first night together. Not to mention the whole story of two star-crossed lovers ends in tragedy rather than in a happily ever after.

Usually, the “Bridal Chorus” is played without singing at modern weddings, but you can see the original lyrics and learn more about some of the controversy surrounding it here.

The “Wedding March,” composed by Felix Mendelssohn, was created in 1842 to accompany Shakespeare’s famous A Midsummer Night’s Dream.

Mendelssohn’s wedding march was first played in a wedding in 1847, but it was Victoria, the Princess Royal and Queen Victoria’s daughter, who made it the song to play during a wedding ceremony by having it accompany her own wedding in 1858.

info sources 1, 2, 3, 4

Arts Club Washington Set Up

Thursday, September 16th, 2010

The Arts Club building in Washington, DC was not always a space for promoting the arts or one of the hidden gem wedding venues scattered across the city.

It was once the home of President James Monroe, and even acted as the executive residence in 1817 while the White House was repaired from the war with Britain. Over the years, the home has been added onto and expanded, and it has a truly storied history.

The Arts Club’s Monroe House also happens to have a handsome outdoor space perfect for a wedding or special event that feels like a secret garden right in the middle of the city.

To help preserve its magical feel and maintain perfect sound integrity, we carefully plant our wireless Bose speakers around the garden. As you can see, they really blend in!

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Arts Club Washington

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Arts Club Washington

 

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Arts Club Washington

 

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Arts Club Washington

How Do I Choose My Wedding Day Music with Chris Laich Music Services?

Tuesday, September 7th, 2010

Your wedding day is just that – all yours! At Chris Laich Music Services, we are committed to always keeping that in mind.

Each playlist for every wedding we do is custom-tailored for the couple and their one of a kind wedding day. If you had a request that is not in our 80,000 song repertoire, we will download as much as needed from iTunes before the event.

Music selection always starts with the bride and groom, and our process is geared toward making sure the music on their wedding day is exactly what they envision it to be. Whether they have a large list of must-plays or a large list of do-not-plays, or whatever; we will completely honor their lists.

We supply our clients with a song list that covers only about 400 songs, asking them to highlight what they’d like to be played, and encouraging them to write any additional songs they would like to hear.

Christine & Jason, image by Elaine Studley

image by Elaine Studley

Our cocktail/dinner playlists often include Frank, Tony, Dean, and Bobby, as well as Dinah, Etta, Ella, Billie, and Nina. Then there’s Van Morrison, Nat, Marvin, Ray, and James Taylor. Some newer music is also worked in, with tracks from artists like Ben Harper, David Gray, Sting, Dave Matthews, Regina Spektor, Coldplay, U2, Harry Connick, Michael Buble, and Eva Cassidy; but will certainly cater to your likes and dislikes.

Jeff & Patti at the Metropolitan Club

By getting to know our clients and their style, when their wedding day arrives, our brides and grooms trust us to pull songs from their list, read the crowd, and play songs in an appropriate order from cocktails to dinner and dancing. With their feedback, we put together a perfect mix of new and old, a blend of eclectic yet recognizable, romantic, distinctive sounds that will always catch their guests’ ears!

Belmont Country Club Set Up

Tuesday, August 3rd, 2010

Located in beautiful Ashburn, VA, Belmont Country Club is a gorgeous setting for a wedding! The club itself is actually a mansion that at one time was part of the land holdings of Lord Fairfax (now you know where Fairfax County got its name).

The Belmont Country Club house itself is really handsome. Nestled in the grounds of a manicured golf course, the scenery is really absolutely breathtaking! We were there just recently for a wedding, and while you’d think speakers would look really out of place in a historic home, our wireless Bose speakers fit right in.

I took a few shots of the room once it was all set up and added red arrows to show where we placed our speakers.

Belmont Country Club

Belmont Country Club

2010 Wedding Wire Bride’s Choice Awards!

Tuesday, July 20th, 2010

Wedding Wire

WeddWedding Wire 2010 Bride's Choice Awardsing Wire awarded Chris Laich Music Services a 2010 Bride’s Choice Award!! Can you tell we’re excited? Out of over 100,000 wedding professionals, more than 500,000 newlyweds chose us as one of the best music providers in the Washington, DC area. Our clients’ happiness is our goal, so we can’t think of any better award to receive than one that’s based on their satisfaction. Wedding Wire is such an amazing site and resource for planning couples. If you aren’t already using it for everything from finding great wedding vendors to using their fantastic planning tools, check it out! You’ll be glad you did.


Best of Happy Hour Party!

Friday, July 2nd, 2010

Washingotonian Best of Happy Hour

We had the best time at the Washingtonian Best Of Happy Hour at Redwood restaurant on Bethesda Row in downtown Bethesda. When Jan Haber at the Washingtonian invited invited us to participate, I knew it was going to be a blast, and I am so appreciative of the opportunity to be a part of it!

Since it was an outdoor event, we ran 8 of our wireless Bose speakers all around the space, and the sound was amazing!

I spun all kinds of music to create a block party feel!   I was keeping everything right on beat and put together some great sets including the new Katy Perry f. Snoop, Journey, Prince, Jay- Z, Madonna, some B.O.B., Beyonce, Black Eyed Peas, old-school Shaggy, Taio Cruz, a club mix of Living on a Prayer as well as the new Lady Gaga.  All over the board!

The party was packed! I ran into a few wedding folks, including Allison Britton, Aimee Otto, and Brian Childs. The event would not have been complete with a guest appearance from the super-fab Jill Hudson Neal herself! It was so nice to see her albeit for about a minute.

One of the best parts of the night was the cupcakes my great friend Leslie, from Fancy Cakes by Leslie, gave me for my kids! Her shop is right there on Bethesda Ave., facing into Bethesda Row. Of course, we ate them in no time – there is NO wonder why she’s been voted the best in town for so many years. Her talent, passion, and dedication to her craft reveals itself in every product she produces!

After I was done deejaying, we had a delicious dinner at Redwood.  I spoke with the owner, Jared Rager, prior to the event  and he was very accommodating.  Jared owns two more places in DC, Sonoma and Blue Ridge.  He’s a local guy, and I love that Redwood sources almost everything on its menu from local organic farmers and focuses on environmentally sustainable choices.

Thanks to everyone for making it such a fantastic event!

Washingotonian Best of Happy Hour

We’re Going to Disneyland!

Tuesday, June 22nd, 2010

Well, we already went, but I couldn’t resist!

A little off the beaten path, let’s take a break from brides and music to see what my OTHER passion is!

In late January, we took a week to go down to Disney in Orlando. It was the second time visiting Disney for our 9 and 6 year-olds, but the first for our 3 year-old.  Get ready for some cuteness…I had the worst time choosing only a few pics from the over 3,000 we took!

We Went to Disney!

We all enjoyed ourselves immensely, though it was far from a vacation for Mom and Dad.  We spent the entire week chasing three kids around the park all day!

We Went to Disney!

Throughout the day and once we got the kids to bed, I still returned phone calls and emails.  As an entrepreneur, it’s nearly impossible to take vacations, but I will leave the area once in awhile.  I am always glad when I do!

We Went to Disney!

Say Anything…

Tuesday, April 13th, 2010

When it comes to desperate, beautiful love songs, one movie transformed a song by Peter Gabriel into a cultural icon for a generation.  The film?  Say Anything….  The song?  “In Your Eyes”.  Who can forget the scene where John Cusack as Lloyd stands outside his girlfriend Diane’s house playing this on a classic ’80s boom box?

Now that song is a first dance classic, and the movie by Cameron Crowe is revered by many.

Say Anything… is filled with great tracks, from “Cult Of Personality” by Living Color and “Back in the Saddle” by Aerosmith to “Skankin’ to the Beat” by Fishbone.  Not necessarily wedding music, but definitely worth listening to!