Happy 2 Year Anniversary to Ryan & Laura!

Dear Colby,
I wanted to say thanks again for all your work at the reception. You did an awesome job with the music and the flow of the whole event. I honestly wasn't really expecting to have much fun at the reception because I've heard so many married couples say that all they did was play host at their receptions. Luckily Laura and I followed peoples' advice and tried to finish all the meet-and-greet stuff during the dinner hour so we could enjoy ourselves afterwards. During the honeymoon, Laura and I kept talking about how we both had an absolute blast at the reception, and how you kept the pace of the music and dancing absolutely perfect for those last ~2 hours, walking that delicate line of not being upbeat enough to keep everyone going, but not going overboard too quickly and then everyone loses interest. I saw way more people out on the dance floor than I figured there would be, and they were out there for a lot longer than I figured. A lot of my friends that I would've never pictured getting out on the dance floor were actually having a great time. We honestly received so many compliments that night and the next day about how great the music was and how much fun people had. Several people said that was the best wedding reception they'd ever been to, and a few of Laura's little sister's friends said that it was better than any of their homecomings or proms (although the open bar might've contributed to that). And the bride/groom FAQ was an awesome touch; that seemed to really draw everyone into the event, exactly like you said. It was just long enough to be fun and entertaining, but not too drawn out; again, perfect balance.

If you EVER need any type of reference or testimonial, whether written or in the form of a phone call, etc, please don't hesitate to let us know. I'd be happy to recommend your business to anyone. It's not until you've been to a wedding with a weak DJ/MC that you can truly appreciate how much difference a good one can make (and believe me, I saw probably the worst DJ in history at a wedding about 2 months ago). Thanks again for everything, let us know if you need anything in the future as far as testimonials or referrals.

Hope everything is going well, keep in touch.

Thanks, Laura & Ryan Ward

Rowan Elizabeth Logan

Rowan is a sweet little girl who loves to dance, laugh and cuddle at bed time. She's throwing a temper tantrum downstairs as a write this, but I guess that's what 3 1/2 year olds do from time to time.

Lately I've been pondering the vision of her wedding day. Who will she marry? Will I approve? Will it be spontaneous...or will she be very planned and calculated? Will he ask me for her hand in marriage...or will they elope?

One of my biggest questions is...who will handle the entertainment? Who will we hire to represent us and our entire family on one of the biggest days of our life? There's no way for me to know at this stage in the game, but I do know this...it's the most important aspect of her wedding day...of OUR wedding day. This person will be super cool, really good at what they do...and most importantly, they will be extremely prepared in understanding what we want and what we are all about.

A wedding reception is a celebration and by definition it's all about entertainment. I've never understood how a family can spend so much time, energy and money on a single day...yet put so little importance on the most important aspect of the entire celebration.

Bottom line...get the entertainment right...and you guarantee success.

Logan & Lorin Lowry, Dallas Arboretum, 4/17/10

Hey Colby!

I just wanted to thank you for making our wedding absolutely GORGEOUS!! Everything looked exactly like I'd pictured it - and maybe even better. (You saw me cry like a baby when I saw Rosine!) Every single person we've talked to has told us it was the most beautiful wedding they've ever been to. I know people always say that, but with how perfect you made everything look, I believe them. :) One of my dad's friends was telling him how Rosine Hall had really done a good job with all of the lighting they have in there, and my dad let him know that it was all you and your guys that had brought that in. You really reached your goal of making things look like they'd always been a permanent fixture there - obviously! You also did an AMAZING job dj-ing and emceeing. All of our friends loved you. You kept the dance floor packed, and people really had a great time. Everyone loved the Newlywed game, and several people have said they wished their DJ had done that. :) Logan and I had so much fun with that game too. He had no idea we were even going to be doing that!

Seriously, I can't say enough good things about you. You were absolutely wonderful to work with - extremely friendly and accommodating. Thank you so much for making everything perfect for us.

~Lorin :)

Ryan Lee

Astounding Sounds would like to extend a formal welcome to the newest addition of our team, Ryan Lee. Ryan is a ball of inspiration...a great DJ and entertainer...and a super friend.

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Choose your vibe...

I got the opportunity to illuminate the Old Red Courthouse in November 09 with a great team. Becca and Kerrie with A Stylish Soiree executed the floral and overall design of the room, Andy Austin was the DJ for the evening, and we were stoked to be involved with the wedding reception lighting details.

I always shoot a lot of pictures of our work after the room is complete but before the guests have entered. I sometimes allow the color-changing LED lights to cycle between colors so that I can capture a variety of vibes to view later...which leads me to the main point of this blog entry

What color should you choose as the primary hue for your wedding reception? The answer is...whatever works best...and it's different for every reception and every overall decor design.

The honest truth is that you really can't say for certain what will work best until you see it. If I can educate my clients on the best way to achieve a glorious final product it would be to say; thoroughly discuss your vision with your designer and then give him or her the freedom to make adjustments in the moment. I've seen receptions where a deep red would never work...and I've seen some where it was the only color that seemed worked. It's a good idea to remain flexible on the color for your room and allow your design team to work together and find a hue that supports the overall design.

Go big or go home!
~ Colby
http://www.astoundingsounds.com