Kimpton Hotel Group - a Great Company

Fortune Magazine recently released its annual list of 100 Best Companies To Work For.  Once again, there was only one hotel company among the Top 30:  Kimpton, a hospitality company known for its "boutique" style hotels.

I'm not surprised. Every time I work at one of Kimpton's DC area hotels, I am delighted not just by the professionalism but also by the friendliness of their staffs.  I frequently observe how extra courteous and helpful they are to wedding guests, and I can attest first-hand to how cooperative they are with outside vendors like myself.  It's always occurred to me that Kimpton management must be doing something right, and that the people who work there seem to truly enjoy their work.

The Kimpton Hotels I've worked in include the Hotel Monaco-DC, the Hotel Monaco-Alexandria, the Hotel Palomar (DC), Morrison House (Alexandria) and Lorien Hotel (Alexandria). I highly recommend them to wedding couples!

FIRST DANCES from my 2012 WEDDINGS

Tallying up the First Dance choices of my 2012 wedding couples, old stalwarts Frank, Frankie, and Van the Man led the list.  Frank as in Sinatra – one couple chose his ever-popular “The Way You Look Tonight,” another his lesser-known “Day By Day.”  Frankie Valli’s “Can’t Take Your Eyes Off Of You” was three couple’s First Dance, although one of the three used the Broadway version from “Jersey Boys.”  Van Morrison got the honors with “Into the Mystic,” “Someone Like You” and “Crazy Love,” and yet a fourth  couple went with Michael Buble’s rendition of the latter.

Another popular choice was The Cure’s “Lovesong” as covered by 311 and Adele.  Among contemporary artists, only Ray LaMontagne was picked more than once – both times his “You Are the Best Thing.” 

Other First Dance choices included songs by current artists Norah Jones, Jack Johnson, Ingrid Michaelson, Train, Alicia Keys and the Yeah Yeah Yeahs.  A few couples dug into the soul oldies vaults for First Dances by the likes of Otis Redding and Wilson Pickett.  One choose Etta James’ classic “At Last.”  Country music-loving clients  danced to Anne Murray’s “Can I Have This Dance” (one to her recording, another to a karaoke version sung by a cousin of the bride), Rascal Flatts, Keith Urban, and Sammy Kershaw.

Here's the complete list:

“A Thousand Years” Christina Perri

“At Last” Etta James

“Bring It On Home” Little Big Town

“Can I Have This Dance” Anne Murray

“Can I Have This Dance”  (karaoke version, sung by bride’s cousin)

“Can’t Take My Eyes Off You” Frankie Valli 

“Can’t Take My Eyes Off You” John Lloyd Young (from Broadway’s “Jersey Boys”)

“Come Away With Me” Norah Jones

“Crazy Love” Van Morrison

“Crazy Love” Michael Buble

“Day By Day” Frank Sinatra

“Do You Remember” Jack Johnson

“Even If I Wanted To” Daisy Dern & Dave Gibson

“Harvest Moon” Neil Young

“Here” Rascal Flatts

“Hey Mama” Mat Kearney

"Hysterics” (acoustic version) Yeah Yeah Yeahs

“I Only Have Eyes for You” Flamingos

“I Want to Be Your Man” Roger & Zapp

“I’ll Let Nothing Separate Us” Otis Redding
“If I Ain’t Got You” Alicia Keys

“If I Give My Heart To You” Doris Day

“Indefinite Leave to Remain” Pet Shop Boys

“Into the Mystic” Van Morrison

“Love of My Life” Sammy Kershaw

“Love Song” 311

“Love Song” Adele

“Making Memories of Us” Keith Urban

“Marry Me” (acoustic version) Train

“Maybe I’m Amazed” Paul McCartney & Wings

“One True” Mishka

“Someone Like You” Van Morrison

“Stand by Me” Phillip Phillips

“Stick With Me Baby” Robert Plant & Alison Krauss

“The Way I Am” Ingrid Michaelson

“The Way You Look Tonight” Frank Sinatra

“Three Little Birds” Bob Marley

“True Companion” Marc Cohn

“You Are The Best Thing” Ray LaMontagne

“You Are The Best Thing” Ray LaMontagne

 “You’re So Fine” Wilson Pickett

Wedding Wire "Bride's Choice" Award

Good Note DJs is proud to again be the recipient of a WeddingWire Bride's Choice Award™ , bestowed upon the top five percent of wedding professionals within the WeddingWire Network who demonstrate excellence in quality, service, responsiveness and professionalism.

New Venues (for Me) from the Past Year

With many years of DJ'ing under my belt, most of the weddings I perform at are at venues I've worked at before. But each year, I work at a few new ones -- new to me, that is.  Here are the venues I worked at for the first time in the past year, 2012:

• 1840s Ballroom, Baltimore MD 
• Eastern Market (North Hall) , Washington DC
• Trummers on Main, Clifton VA
• Lorien Hotel, Alexandria VA
• Rock Creek Mansion, Bethesda MD
• The Belvedere, Baltimore MD

If you're considering holding your event at any of the over 200 venues I've performed at, I'd be happy to share my insights about them.  Just send me an email and I'll be happy to respond (please include your phone #). 

Most Requested: the DJ Intelligence "Top 200" Songs

DJ Intelligence generates a list of the 200 songs most requested by mobile DJ clients over the past 12 months. The 2012 winners are now posted at Mobile Beat’s website.

Of course, just because a song is popular doesn't mean YOU have hear it at YOUR wedding. In fact, some of my clients go through a list like this to ferret out songs for their "Do Not Play" list! Still, for most events, the DJ Intelligence Top 200 are sure-fire dance floor fillers. And ultimately, at the end of your reception, you'll be happiest if your guests were having a great time dancing.

For more information on DJ Intelligence, see www.DJIntelligence.com.