ZG Productions Events Blog

San Diego DJ/MC Entertainment Company Back From Vacation!!!

2012-01-17T19:36:00.000-08:00

Well after traveling for a month ZG Productions wasted no time in getting back to our events. We started our crazy weekend at The Ocean House in Carlsbad for Harrison's Bar Mitzvah party. Usually going into a day event and it being a boy, I expect to be playing a lot of activities but it was just the opposite. We danced pretty much the entire time and we also provided a photo booth and at one time I saw 12 people packed in there!!! Many thanks to Roxi Link from The Party Link for putting together a great event!! Next event was held at Temple Emanuel which Lydia Krasner from Mitzvah Event Productions transformed that room into a dog park theme and did a terrific job! We had probably double the amount of guest from our day party and a lot more going on from green scree, dog bloopers on the big screen, henna tattoos and much more. We danced and jumped around for another 4 hours with some amazing guests at this party but it was time to get some rest for our event the following day which was held at Gaslamps Belo Nightclub. Again, Lydia Krasner from Mitzvah Event Productions transformed the decor of the nightclub to be a basketball theme and that is what the guest of honor DJ wanted and thats what he got. It was like walking into your very own Dave & Busters which basketball shoot, video games and I was playing highlight dunk videos on the big screen. We even did a grand entrance just like they do at the NBA games. The kids went back and fourth from the arcade games to dancing but the last hour was strictly dancing madness and we had a blast!!

November 12th Bonanza!!

2011-11-18T12:45:00.000-08:00

For us DJ's, waking up on your event day to a down pore is never what you want to see but that is what happened. After loading in all of our equipment at Temple Beth Am in Del Mar we were all set to go. The beginning of the night turned into me giving some DJ scratching lessons and the kids ate it up but other than the photo montage that was created by the client who did a great job, we played games and danced the whole night and had a blast!

Client Recap:

Hi Zack,

I think that you did an amazing job. Half the time, I could hear your voice but I did not know where you were because you were in the thick of it with the kids! I know the kids had a blast because they were dancing all night. I thought that you had a nice mix of music that appealed to both the kids and the adults at the party. I thought it was great that some of the adults were participating in the games!!! It was a memorable evening and we are very happy that you were the DJ for our party and we would definitely hire you again!

Leslie

Inspirational Event!

2011-11-08T20:55:00.000-08:00

Saturday November 5th, the day before my birthday, I was luckily to be a part of a very inspirational event for the 2nd year in a row. Project Walk, a spinal cord recovery center had there grand opening at their new facility in Carlsbad, CA. This is event is focused around clients who had come to Project Walk because they had been involved in a horrendous accident and told they would never walk again. Well I was witness to see people who were told that to be walking right in front of me and it was amazing. With a raffle, silent auction and a chance to win $2000.00 cash from Global Cash Card, the guests were entertained throughout the entire event. You definitely walk away from an event like this feeling very grateful for what you have and I can't wait till next years party!! Below are actually pics from the 2010 event which I never posted and will be posting the 2011 once I receive them.

Besa Boogie Photos

2011-10-04T13:54:00.000-07:00

Here are a couple photos of last Sundays Besa Boogie put on by BESA and the photos were courtesy of Penguin Productions.

Crazy Weekend!

2011-09-29T21:56:00.000-07:00

Well this past weekend was a busy one for ZG Productions!! We had a private pool party on Friday where kids were jumping in the pool and dancing all night. Saturday brought is to the W Hotel in the Gaslamp district for a Bat Mitzvah. We always love when our events take us to the sheik hotels because they have so much style and it is a place I would go on a night off. Party Pals brought green screen, virtual reality games and pool tables so the guests. After the first hour of lounging around it was to time to get the party started. The guest of honor had something special planned for everybody when she sang an amazing song which was ridiculously amazing! I seriously believe we will see this girl being famous in the years to come. You will see from the video below how much fun we had! Sunday we were pleased to be a part of the Besa Boogie put on by an organization we belong to called BESA. I want to thank everybody who was a part of the Boogie because it was a blast! Marlene from Absolutely Fabulous brought the huge piano from the movie "BIG" with Tom Hanks and I always wanted to try one out. After the event while we were loading out I saw my chance and had know idea how to play the song from the movie, but I figured it out and had some help from Noah who is Lydia's kid and an amazing event planner from Mitzvah Event Productions! Check out the video.

Birthday Pool Party!!!

2011-09-23T22:34:00.000-07:00

San Diego DJ ZG Productions was proud to be a part of an amazing birthday celebration on September 23rd, 2011 with Laine and all of her friends. I knew this one was going to be a blast because it was a pool party and nothing's better than going to work in board shorts and T shirt and then getting crazy with 12 year old kids for 4 hours. After all the kids arrived and got changed, the music requests came flooding in and the party began. Kids cannon balling and belly flopping while I jumped around like a crazy person having a dance contest with all the kids!!

ZG Productions is San Diego's top rated special events company. If you are looking for a San Diego Bar Mitzvah DJ, San Diego Bat Mitvzah DJ,San Diego Bar MItzvah Disc Jockey, San Diego Bat Mitzvah Disc Jockey, San Deigo Mitzvah Dj, San Diego Wedding DJ, San Diego Wedding Disc Jockey, San Diego School Dance DJ, San Diego Bar Mitzvah Event Lighting, San Diego Bat Mitvzah Event Lighting, San Diego Wedding Event Lighting, San Diego School Dance Event Lighting, look no further.

The Grand Del Mar Wedding

2011-09-22T15:10:00.000-07:00

The Grand Del Mar was the location for Cody & Debra's wedding on September 17th and all I can say is WOW! 75 degrees, sunny and surrounded by some of the most amazing landscaping I have ever seen was the setting for this day. The event began at 5pm with the ceremony which I ran sound for and it was beautiful! After we had a cocktail hour on the upper terrace and than at 7pm we had the grand entrance of the newlyweds. Dinner and toast until 8pm and than non stop dancing and craziness until midnight!

ZG Productions is San Diego's top rated special events company. If you are looking for a San Diego Bar Mitzvah DJ, San Diego Bat Mitvzah DJ,San Diego Bar MItzvah Disc Jockey, San Diego Bat Mitzvah Disc Jockey, San Deigo Mitzvah Dj, San Diego Wedding DJ, San Diego Wedding Disc Jockey, San Diego School Dance DJ, San Diego Bar Mitzvah Event Lighting, San Diego Bat Mitvzah Event Lighting, San Diego Wedding Event Lighting, San Diego School Dance Event Lighting, look no further.

August 2011 Event Recaps

2011-08-31T09:15:00.000-07:00

Well August was one of ZG Productions busiest months to date and we are very blessed to have had so many awesome clients!! August 6th took us to EL Camino Country Club in Carlsbad for Katrina's Bat Mitzvah Party! When we first showed up to set up we had an instant smile on our face because there were around 30 balloons that were 4ft tall and shaped like a person provided by Lickety Split Balloons (See funny pic of Jessica below). With a travel theme and all the tables decorated amazingly by the client the room looked amazing!!

August 13th was a crazy day with back to back Mitzvah's. First one was at the restaurant in Carlsbad called Tommy V's and the placed looked amazing with Roxi Link from The Party Link providing amazing decor to transform the restaurant into a unique atmosphere for Robyn's Bat Mitzvah. Guests had a blast getting henna tattoos and there picture taken against the photo wall and scrap booking it for Robyn to take home as a keepsake. Robyn surprised her guests by doing a guitar performance with her teacher, than a Green Day solo and killed it!

Later that night we headed to La Jolla Hyatt for the Wienstien pool party and I was excited for this one because it was one of those rare parties that I could were my board shorts! These kids had some energy because from start to finish we were either in the pool playing games or getting crazy on the dance floor. I even got to wear my bath robe that I brought when the temperature dropped down but the kids were jumping up and down all night in their bathing suits!!

August 19th was a last minute booking for a private party at a clients house I did an event for in the beginning of the year. It was a nice break from the past 2 crazy weekend and it always makes me feel good to do repeat client parties!

August 27th took us to Del Mar Firehouse which just has an amazing feel since it was a bright sunny day and the facility is located right on the water. Noa's Bat Mitzvah had both adults and kids but with adult sat outside I don't blame them to want to soak up the amazing scenery that Del Mar provides, so we had a kids party for most of the time. Scrap booking and Henna Tattoos kept the kids busy for the first half hour but after that, it was on. We had some fun crazy go on at this event and you gotta love ending the night off with a 45 minute dance set with adults and kids sweating their a** off! We were proud to be a part of all of these wonder events and now its on to September which has the same schedule amount of events!!!

Photo courtesy by Ken Randall

Photo courtesy by Ken Randall

Photo courtesy by Ken Randall

Photo courtesy by Ken Randall

ZG Productions is San Diego's top rated special events company. If you are looking for a San Diego Bar Mitzvah DJ, San Diego Bat Mitvzah DJ,San Diego Bar MItzvah Disc Jockey, San Diego Bat Mitzvah Disc Jockey, San Diego Wedding DJ, San Diego Wedding Disc Jockey, San Diego School Dance DJ, San Diego Bar Mitzvah Event Lighting, San Diego Bat Mitvzah Event Lighting, San Diego Wedding Event Lighting, San Diego School Dance Event Lighting, look no further.

Chabad of Coronado Connections Bash

2011-08-11T10:08:00.000-07:00

Tuesdays are usually reserved for meeting and video projects but on Tuesday July 26th my good friends at Chabad of Coronado had their 2nd annual Connections Bash. It was a perfect day outside with the sun shining and the turn out was great! The night started out with a silent auction with items from week stays in Palm Springs to an IPAD 2. After the silent auction we went into dinner which was an amazing spread of 2 carving stations, a massive salad station and an Israeli station. I was asked to do something I have never done before and that was MC a live auction! The people of Chabad of Coronado had put together some impressive items to auction off like 2 court side seats to a Laker game and brand new electric golf cart so I knew we could have some fun with this one. The live auction was amazing and I may have found a new calling! Rabbi Eli Fradkin and his wife Zeldi put together a great event and raised a lot of money for Chabad of Coronado and I got to see some previous clients and my good friend Rabbi Ezagu!

"Spenceropoly" Another San Diego Bar MItzvah by ZG Productions

2011-07-19T23:47:00.000-07:00

The place was La Jolla's Beth Israel and the the Bar Mitzvah boy was Spencer. Lydia of Mitzvah Event Productions had the great idea since Spencer loved games to create "Spenceropoly" and WOW did she do a great job in transforming the room. We had a packed house that night and everybody wanted to play games and dance. We actually had a game show brought in which went over well with the kids and the adults. The energy that night was awesome! Anybody who knows me, knows I love chocolate cookies and the client made all the desserts and one of them was chocolate chip cookies!!!!! The vibe and energy of the night was all there and we had a great time!!

Thank you to Richard with Sunset Productions for all the wonderful photos!

INSPIRATION

2011-06-16T09:43:00.000-07:00

Thanks to my main man CL Christensen who put me on to this amazing video of non other, Little Richard at the age of 9 years old.

ZG Productions Crazy Month of May Events

2011-06-01T21:01:00.000-07:00

So the month of May could have been ZG Productions busiest to date. With 6 events, and 4 video projects, I had my hands full and I am ready for break! I decided I would just combine all the info for some of May's events to let the world know what ZG Productions has been up to.

Specer's Bar Mitzvah was a different one for myself because it was heavily game based and a lot of our Bar & Bat Mitzvah Parties the kids give me a list of games they want to play but we end up having such a great time dancing that they pass and we dance the night away. Well, this Bar Mitzvah Party we had Party Pals bring in an actual game show that went over great with the kids and event had the adults participating. The room was amazing and it was all do to Lydia at Mitzvah Event Productions!

Well we have started to branch out to Orange county and L.A and we couldn't be happier. There is no better feeling to generate more clientele through word of mouth and have it be in different cities! An event planner asked us if we wanted to be a part of Irvine's 2011 Israel Expo. It was a blast and I don't think I have seen that many Jews in one place other than the High Holidays.

Usually a Sunday morning Wedding is a good switch to the normall Saturday night event but after having Family in town for a week and my brother getting married I wasn't so energized for the wedding and it was cold and gloomy out. Once I arrived at the Darlington House in La Jolla I saw a my good friend Debbie of Tera Catering & Shalom Catering so that put a smile on my face. After saying hi to the groom who was a little frantic do to the weather I got all set up and ready to go. The space looked great and actually remined me of Italy which I love! Right as guests were starting to show up the the sky's began to clear and the tempreture rose which put a smile on everybody's face. It was a relaxing reception which I got to play some of my favorite loungy laid back songs!

Lewis Middle School had their of the year outdoor "Spring Fling" and I was happy to donate my DJ services for it. I actually got the gig because I was the DJ at one of the students Bat Mitzvah. The kids had games to play, cakes to win and music to dance to on a nice sunny San Diego day!

Amazing Wedding Video

2011-05-11T16:56:00.000-07:00

This video blew my mind and I cannot wait until the right client comes along and wants to do something like this!

ZG Productions Biggest Event Yet!!!!!

2011-05-06T23:11:00.000-07:00

ZG Productions had no idea that on April, 16th, 2011 we would be walking into on of the biggest events we have ever been a part of. Pacific Events transformed the La Jolla Hyatt into A custom nightclub with 7 9 x 12 foot screens which I did music video mixing on, a huge circular trussing hung from the ceiling that had a sound system projectors and lighting that looked amazing. We also had Eve Selis and her amazing bad backing me up and it was awesome. If you never tried a virtual reality machine, well they had one along with Video Games, Charming Expressions, Hair Extensions, Surf Simulator and so much else. From the moment the ballroom doors opened you could feel the excitement and the guests had that WOW look on their faces. ZG Productions was so happy to be a part of that amazing Bat Mitzvah Event!

ZG Productions CD, 2007's Will I Am "Song About Girls"

2011-05-04T09:46:00.000-07:00

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD "SONG ABOUT GIRLS CD" HERE

In all honesty, I’ve called Will.I.Am a sell-out. It’s hard to believe the b-boy dropping verses with the Black Eyed Peas back in the day is the same guy dancing behind Fergie, but for people have heard his album have to reconsider. His solo album that was released September 2007 and still remains as one of my favorite creations. Song About Girls is musically adventurous in a way I couldn’t have imagined; a simmering stew of 70’s disco, 80’s new wave and contemporary pop that’s sometimes brilliant.

Will.I.Am isn’t the only producer making booty songs, but at least he’s got his own style. I Got It From My Mama was the lead single off Songs About Girls and while we could debate whether the “hot mother equals hot daughter” formula is true, what can’t be argued is the track’s contagious appeal. He gets the ladies feeling so good about themselves they want to show off, a far cry from the testosterone drenched bangers that treat women like cattle. Speaking of which, The Donque Song (come on will, it’s “Donkey”) is Will.I.Am's ode to “mega-ass.” The beat is a surprisingly effective combination of speaker shaking bass and 70’s disco melodies, it’s like someone brought a roller skating rink to the club. Only Snoop could rap over a song like this and the Doggfather speeds up his flow for a memorably trippy verse. These songs aren’t as catchy as My Humps, but they’re not as borderline Teeny Bopper, either. Sorry Fergie, I just call em like I see em.

One listen to Songs About Girls confirms that Will.I.Am is an expert producer. One More Chance drops distinctly island percussion over softly climbing synths and reverb-heavy guitars, it’s the kind of mad genius mixture that somehow creates a living, breathing song. Will.I.Am. continues his spacey vibe on Ain’t It Pretty, a valium-slow joint that takes the old love at first sight cliché and gives it some soul. He’s not necessarily breaking new ground on Ain’t It Pretty, but he’s certainly pushing the boundaries of hip-hop with extended instrumental jams and infusions of electronica. He hits his creative peak on She’s A Star, a haunting song that relies on Will.I.Am’s meager but distinctive vocals. Production quality, concept, lyrics, She’s A Star is the complete package. These tracks show Will.I.Am has the potential to go down as a brave musical experimenter. Songs About Girls has plenty of both.

Not many people know that the world wide hit from Estelle ft. Kanye West "American Boy" is actually a track from Will.I.Am's Song About Girl's. Will.I.Am has continued to stay at the top of the charts since his solo release in 2007 but I am very anxious to see if he is going to put out another solo projector if the future. Below is a link to download the full album.

Will I Am Website Link

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD "SONG ABOUT GIRLS CD" HERE

ZG Productions Featured Artist "ADELE"

2011-04-17T18:32:00.000-07:00

ZG Producitons loves quality music and loves to follow the budding careers of new talented musicians and recording artists! Recently we have been listening to a lot of 21, the latest album of the 22 year old London native, Adele. Although Adele is not exactly brand new to the music scene (her debut album, 19 won 2 Grammys in 2008), we want to recognize her impressive accomplishments by featuring her in today’s post! She is becoming more popular in the US as each day passes, and her sophomore album, 21 recently broke Madonna’s record of holding the number one spot on the UK album chart by a female artist for the longest amount of time! The album 21 beat Madonna’s 1990 album, The Immaculate Collection by keeping the number one position for a period of 10 weeks! What an enormous accomplishment for such a young artist with only her second album!

In a time when much of the music on the radio is packed full of fun lyrics and auto-tune, it can be refreshing to hear someone with pure and raw emotion belting out a heartfelt love song about their broken heart. Adele’s 21 is just that—refreshing. She wrote the album when she was 21 about her experience of a recent failed relationship. Her vulnerability along with her smooth voice and honest lyrics prove to be the perfect recipe for a truly beautiful and moving album. ZG Productions looks forward to what Adele will come out with next, and we wish her a long and prosperous career!

ZG Productions is San Diego's top rated special events company. If you are looking for a San Diego Bar Mitzvah DJ, San Diego Bat Mitvzah DJ,San Diego Bar MItzvah Disc Jockey, San Diego Bat Mitzvah Disc Jockey, San Diego Wedding DJ, San Diego Wedding Disc Jockey, San Diego School Dance DJ, San Diego Bar Mitzvah Event Lighting, San Diego Bat Mitvzah Event Lighting, San Diego Wedding Event Lighting, San Diego School Dance Event Lighting, look no further.

March Mitzvah Madness!!!

2011-04-15T23:06:00.000-07:00

March was a busy month for ZG Productions with 4 Bar / Bat Mitzvah Events. We were happy to be a part of all of them but one that stood out was our March 19th Bat Mitzvah for Mara Huberman. The event was held at L'Auberge Del Mar. We started the night out with appetizers and drink on the main level patio for the 1st hour. With rain in the forecast we had to switch a couple things around, one being where we were going to hold the hora. We ended up fitting 150 plus people into an area and had Wayne Foster Entertainment ready to play for the grand entrance. Once we kicked off the grand entrance there was so many people in our hora area that they blocked the sound of my microphone for me to run the hora so I ended leading the hora with just my voice and it was great. People were dancing and it was a great way to set off the night. Next, we had the guest move a room where we had set up a video screen for the photo/video montage that ZG Productions created. Once that was finished it was up to the top deck where they had tented the whole area in and it looked and felt like you were at an Oscar's after party. The kids and adult had an amazing spread of food to choose from and I even was able to get a quick bite. An hour into dinner the kids were than escorted to the bottom level where ZG Productions transformed the room into a nightclub. From Up Lighting, Dance Floor Lighting to Glowing cubes that the guests could dance on. At the end of the night you could just feel the vibe in the room and it was great! Below is a recap of the night and ZG Productions would just like to thank and congratulate the Hubberman's!

Tips On Proposing A Wedding Toast

2011-04-11T23:09:00.000-07:00

Proposing a toast is a ritual conducted all over the world. Several religions practice this daily, as an effort to honor something or someone in their life! Toasts and speeches are most popular are at weddings. Though proposing a toast may seem like a small part of a wedding tradition, it actually is important and has a purpose. By proposing a toast to the bride and groom, you are taking a moment to honor them and their joining of one. Whether you are hand selected to speak, or just being thoughtful, giving a toast remains a memorable moment for everyone. With that being said, ZG Productions researched some pointers for those who have the honor of giving a toast to review before their spotlight moment!

Things to Avoid During a Wedding Toast

Tips are always great to help you along the way, but they do not put the words into action! Remaining classy, elegant, and fun are the biggest reminders! Just go with the flow and speak from your heart. When it’s all said and done, you should have a satisfied and rewarding feeling about yourself. Not only did you conquer public speaking, but you just created a moment for the bride and groom to remember for a life time! ZG Productions knows you can do it and we are hoping these pointers give you a basis to start from.

Please feel free to suggest any helpful tips from your own experience to help guide those in the future!

ZG Productions is San Diego's top rated special events company. If you are looking for a San Diego Bar Mitzvah DJ, San Diego Bat Mitvzah DJ,San Diego Bar MItzvah Disc Jockey, San Diego Bat Mitzvah Disc Jockey, San Diego Wedding DJ, San Diego Wedding Disc Jockey, San Diego School Dance DJ, San Diego Bar Mitzvah Event Lighting, San Diego Bat Mitvzah Event Lighting, San Diego Wedding Event Lighting, San Diego School Dance Event Lighting, look no further.

Man & Machine

2011-04-07T18:25:00.000-07:00

This is a great video that goes to show how creative one person can be!

ZG Productions is San Diego's top rated special events company. If you are looking for a San Diego Bar Mitzvah DJ, San Diego Bat Mitvzah DJ,San Diego Bar MItzvah Disc Jockey, San Diego Bat Mitzvah Disc Jockey, San Diego Wedding DJ, San Diego Wedding Disc Jockey, San Diego School Dance DJ, San Diego Bar Mitzvah Event Lighting, San Diego Bat Mitvzah Event Lighting, San Diego Wedding Event Lighting, San Diego School Dance Event Lighting, look no further.

Creative Mitzvah Grand Entrances

2011-04-05T14:14:00.000-07:00

The Grand Entrance is the formal and festive introduction of the Bar Mitzvah boy or Bat Mitzvah girl, their parents, and their siblings. Ranging from simple to extravagant, it offers an initial opportunity for everyone in attendance to be included in the party. The Grand Entrance provides a chance for the guests to share show their joy by communicating their excitement to the hosts, the hosts’ family, and most especially to the Guest of Honor! When orchestrating a Grand Entrance, I aim to stage it in a dramatic way that lets all in attendance know that the event is going to be a one-of-a-kind celebration filled with entertainment and excitement!

Dare To Be Different

In a typical Mitzvah Grand Entrance, the emcee lines up the Mitzvah family, introduces them one at a time along with their pre-selected song. All of the guests expect this because they’ve seen it done this way time and time again. ZG Productions believes that this party-opener sets the tone for an affair, and it is usually one of the most memorable parts of it. Because of this, I like to do something different and original that incorporates the Mitzvah theme, and is something that people have likely not seen before.

Photos Provided by Sunset Productions

How I Create Drama

At many of our Southern California Mitzvahs, we use large video screens. To customize the Grand Entrance introductions, we create an HD video entrance. Before the event, my production team, videographer and I consult with the client to obtain relevant family information. We also ask about the event’s theme so this can also be incorporated in the video. A high-energy musical intro helps to build the suspense. At the live event, we build the anticipation in the room by having the guests view the video before the guest of honor is announced into the room. The lights fade to black and then we shine lights on the entryway just as the Mitzvah child is announced and walks into the room surrounded by our interactive dancers.

ZG Productions is San Diego's top rated special events company. If you are looking for a San Diego Bar Mitzvah DJ, San Diego Bat Mitvzah DJ,San Diego Bar MItzvah Disc Jockey, San Diego Bat Mitzvah Disc Jockey, San Diego Wedding DJ, San Diego Wedding Disc Jockey, San Diego School Dance DJ, San Diego Bar Mitzvah Event Lighting, San Diego Bat Mitvzah Event Lighting, San Diego Wedding Event Lighting, San Diego School Dance Event Lighting, look no further.

Why hire an event planner?

2011-03-30T23:04:00.000-07:00

In the past, many have thought that hiring an event planner was an extravagance only meant for the elite. After all, why spend money for something you could “do yourself”? Today, however, times have changed. The costs and complexity of planning any event, but most especially Bar/Bat Mitzvah's and Weddings have many people turning to an event planner. An event professional not only saves time and emotional stress, but it can actually save money. This is possible because:

    * What is your time worth? Do you have XX amount of hours per week to devote to planning your event? Think of it in dollars. How much do you make hourly at work? Now, multiply that with the mass amount of hours you’ll need to spend researching, planning, and working to make your event happen. It adds up, and it will likely be a high enough figure to enlist someone else to plan your event, so you can spend those hours doing something else.
    * Professional event planners have already done this hundreds, if not thousands, of times. They know the best vendors in the area that will best meet your vision and your budget. Therefore, it will take them far less time to gather the information you need to make your decisions.
    * Emotional stress is impossible to escape when you’re planning an important event all on your own. You have to juggle a lot of balls, all at once, and keep everything else in your life going at the same pace. However, when you hire an event planner – they take all those balls from you, so you can focus on your job, your family, or whatever else you have going on. This means you’ll be calmer, more focused, and able to really enjoy the event when it finally arrives.

Do You Think You Can Plan Your Event?
We realize that everyone’s needs and visions are different. Event Planners custom design your event to fit your needs, style, and budget. For example, you may find along the way that with your busy schedule, and never ending commitments, you don’t have the time, and you need an event planner to step in and assist you with partial planning, researching specific information for you, or full event planning.

Link to some great Southern California Event Planners:

Mitzvah Event Productions
The Party Link
Red Letter Days
Once Upon A Time Wedding
Pacific Events

ZG Productions is San Diego's top rated special events company. If you are looking for a San Diego Bar Mitzvah DJ, San Diego Bat Mitvzah DJ,San Diego Bar MItzvah Disc Jockey, San Diego Bat Mitzvah Disc Jockey, San Diego Wedding DJ, San Diego Wedding Disc Jockey, San Diego School Dance DJ, San Diego Bar Mitzvah Event Lighting, San Diego Bat Mitvzah Event Lighting, San Diego Wedding Event Lighting, San Diego School Dance Event Lighting, look no further.

Uplighting or Special Event Lighting for your San Diego Bar/Bat Mitzvah, San Diego Wedding or San Diego Private Event.

2011-03-16T17:17:00.000-07:00

So what is uplighting?

Quite simply, it's a series of lights, set up around a room (or outside a building), placed on or near the floor, shining up toward the walls. The lights could be any color, from a white to a red to green (or whatever else). When they're implemented, the house lights at the venue can be dimmed. When used properly, uplighting can greatly enhance the ambiance of the room in a very elegant way.

I should also note that there are two different "schools of thought" regarding uplighting. The first is to focus on subtlety. In this way of applying up lighting, the focus is on having the lighting complement the venue/event, but not allowing it to distract. One of the characteristics of this is that there will just be one color at a time. Although, potentially someone may decide that they periodically want the color of the uplighting changed (for example, red uplights during dinner, and blue uplights during dancing). Personally, when I provide uplighting, I fall into this first way of approaching uplighting, by putting my focus on applying it tastefully and in a subtle way.

While most A/V professionals share a similar philosophy, others shun subtlety and prefer to use up lighting in a way that that is completely opposite. Those that fall into this second uplighting "school of thought" will apply uplighting in a more flamboyant manor, programming the up lights to constantly change colors, and sometimes even using them to act like a strobe light (I'll include a video further down on this page to show you what I'm talking about). I'm not saying that one way is wrong and the other is right-but it's something to keep in mind, as the results between these methods will vary dramatically.

At this point, I'm going to post some pictures for you to look at. After you view them, you can scroll down and I will further discuss uplighting.




So, is uplighting for me?

At best it can greatly enhance your event, helping to make it more lively, elegant, and visually stunning. At worse, it can potentially look tacky and essentially cheapen your event.

First off, no matter what any one says, uplighting is never absolutely necessary. It's a personal decision to make, as to whether or not you want it.

If you're in the decision making process, the first thing you'll probably end up considering, is whether or not you can fit uplighting into your budget. If you don't have it in your budget, well, it's not the end of the world.

Like many people, though, maybe you're a perfectionist and you want every aspect of your event to be wonderful on your special day. So in that case, my first recommendation is to consider what the character of the room is-does the room have character to it or is it a plain room. If its a plain room, than almost definitely up lighting would be an improvement. If you room already looks excellent as is-uplighting could potentially make it even more stunning (but at the same time might not be a big improvement, or might be a bad thing, especially if the color of the up lights clashed with the natural color balance of the room).

Should you trust your intuition? Yes, I don't see why not. If you have a gut feeling one way or another, it might not be a bad idea to go with it. Otherwise it's probably a good idea to consult with the venue manager (they'll surely have an opinion and also will be able to provide you with some perspective about whether or not their clients usually opt for uplighting). Of course you can get some good (but potentially biased) advice/perspective from a DJ, Audio Visual, or up lighting company too.

Regardless, don't rush into make a decision. Think it over and figure out whats feels right to you.

Another great lighting effect if the Gobo projection light. This effect can be used at Bar & Bat Mitzvah's Wedding, Reception, School Dances, Private Parties, Corporate Events and more. A gobo is a template that is cut out of thin metal and placed inside a special lighting ficture that is designed to shine a light beam through the template to project the image of the template to a dance floor, wall, side of a building or the clouds (remember Batman)...
The effect can be dramatic and very memorable. The templates (gobos) can be your monogrammed initials, specific words, company names, sayings, stars, or even basic pictures.
Here are some examples.

As you can see these Gobo lights can make a dramatic difference in your events look. These special event lights are not for everyone but they will make a huge difference in the way that your hall, facility of room looks. I provide uplighting and Gobo lights, lasers, smoke, bubles and dance floor lighting at VERY resonable rates.

DJ vs. Live Music

2011-03-14T22:19:00.000-07:00

ZG Productions knows that music is the lifeblood of any party. It is the one thing that will get people to get out of their chairs and dance or just sit back, relax and set the mood for a really good time. There are many ways to have music playing in the background. The setting is important when determining how you will be presenting the music. For example, if you are planning a bar mitzvah, an engagement party, a wedding or a school dance, the decision has to be made as to how the party with have the music presented.

There are many options to choose from, you can have a DJ perform at your special function, be it a wedding, a school dance, corporate or a bar/bat mitzvah. Another option is to choose a band to play live music. Both options are good, but some options are better than others, and below we are here to point them out.

When deciding between the 2, some things to consider are, cost. A live band can be very expensive depending on the notoriety on the band within the community or status, and that might not include a singer, that might be a separate charge that will have to be added on. A DJ on the other hand can be a lot less expensive depending on what packages you choose from the DJ and depending on the event, however, the general difference is about half the price.

A second option between a live band and a DJ is dealing with a individuals, with a live band there maybe a manager or you may have to deal with the entire band depending on the setup, whereas a DJ tends to represent themselves. With this setup, there is no need to have to worry about having “too many chefs in the kitchen” which might cause some problems.

So it is with that thought in mind, that ZG Productions understands that a decision like that might come up, and as a San Diego based special events company, will strive in every which way to make sure that the decision you make, if it is a DJ, to make you feel like you have made the right decision. We understand the cost difference, but that does not guarantee making a final decision easier, and we are always willing to work with live bands in case you want to choose both.

ZG Productions is San Diego's top rated special events company. If you are looking for a San Diego Bar Mitzvah DJ, San Diego Bat Mitvzah DJ,San Diego Bar MItzvah Disc Jockey, San Diego Bat Mitzvah Disc Jockey, San Diego Wedding DJ, San Diego Wedding Disc Jockey, San Diego School Dance DJ, San Diego Bar Mitzvah Event Lighting, San Diego Bat Mitvzah Event Lighting, San Diego Wedding Event Lighting, San Diego School Dance Event Lighting, look no further. ZG Productions is a Bar and Bat Mitzvah, Wedding, School Dance and Corporate Entertainment company that has created its reputation by offering new and unique ideas to help your event standout from the rest.

Saturday Night Live Bar MItzvah Video "Hilarious"

2011-03-10T21:44:00.000-08:00

Besa Expo, March 13th, 2011 @ La Jolla Hyatt

2011-03-09T14:30:00.000-08:00

ZG Productions is getting very excited for this years BESA Expo at the La Jolla Hyatt. The event start at 12pm and ends at 4pm. If you are looking for any kind of entertainment for your upcoming Bar or Bat Mitvzah than you should be attending this event!

BESA EXPO LINK

(Zack & Jess @ BESA Meeting)

San Diego ZG Productions Bar Mitzvah Video Screens & Lighting March 5th, 2011

2011-03-08T19:18:00.000-08:00

ZG Productions was proud to be a part of another San Diego Bar Mitzvah event! Having the night off from being the DJ/MC was a nice break but that doesn't mean there was no work involved. Starting the day out at 2pm to load in (2) 9ft by 12ft Big Screens , Dance Floor Lighting and 20 LED Uplgihts at the La Jolla Hyatt.
We had custom digital gobos created just for the event and they looked great. I was supposed to DJ/MC this event but a lot of guests at the event were Persian so the client wanted a Persian DJ/MC. The event started around 7pm and when the doors open to the guests you could see the wow factor in everybody's eyes. For the grand entrance the Bar Mitzvah Boy was accompanied by the "BODY POETS" who are an awesome San Diego based B-Boy / Break dance Troop. The room looked awesome and the room was packed for the DJ to rock it out!

ZG Productions is San Diego's top rated special events company. If you are looking for a San Diego Bar Mitzvah DJ, San Diego Bat Mitvzah DJ,San Diego Bar MItzvah Disc Jockey, San Diego Bat Mitzvah Disc Jockey, San Diego Wedding DJ, San Diego Wedding Disc Jockey, San Diego School Dance DJ, San Diego Bar Mitzvah Event Lighting, San Diego Bat Mitvzah Event Lighting, San Diego Wedding Event Lighting, San Diego School Dance Event Lighting, look no further. ZG Productions is a Bar and Bat Mitzvah, Wedding, School Dance and Corporate Entertainment company that has created its reputation by offering new and unique ideas to help your event standout from the rest.

Why do DJ's & MC's costs vary so much?

2011-03-07T18:00:00.000-08:00

There are a lot of factors as to why one DJ will cost differently than another. You can put them into the following primary categories.

* 1. Experience
* 2. Overhead
* 3. Professional vs. Part-time vs. Hobbyist
* 4. The Nature of the Business

EXPERIENCE:

With a tons of events under ZG Productions under our belt, years of experience and many enthusiastically satisfied clients we are confident in the services we provide and know without a doubt that we will do a fantastic job for any client. If we weren't so sure of our services we would not charge as much as we do today. Why else would a true professional continue to be a mobile DJ if he or she would not be able to raise his or her rates from when they first started? There would be no money and incentive for that DJ to continue so longevity as a mobile DJ would be extremely hard to come by.

OVERHEAD:
Starting off I we didn’t have a web site, our equipment was lower grade, we didn’t have liability insurance, we didn’t invest in back-up equipment, we didn’t have a dedicated van for my business, we didn’t have a business license, we had another part-time job and so on. Now that I have been doing this for over 10 years I have made this a full time career and invested in everything I should have when I first started out. With true professionalism comes costs. My overhead is now greater with the costs of more professional equipment, business licensing, taxes, music royalty fees, replacing/repairing equipment, insurance costs, web site development and more. If we did not invest in these things we would not be found for people to hire us or people would not want to hire us after they found me.

PROFESSIONAL VS. PART-TIME VS. HOBBYIST

This makes up another good portion of why some DJs cost less than others. As I mentioned in the EXPERIENCE category of this article I used to charge a lot less when I first started than I do now as a true professional. Most DJs you find will probably fall into the part-time category. By the nature of this business over 90% of the work a DJ receives is on the weekend making it easy for someone to hold a weekday job Monday – Friday and still be available part-time for Saturday and Sunday gigs. This also means they don’t need to charge as much since this is not their only source of income. However part-time DJs usually don’t offer as many of the reassurances and are not able to perform as many events per year as a full-time DJ. The flip side for a full time DJ however is that we only have a limited number of days each week to perform and to make a living. How many weddings have you been to on a Tuesday? In addition, out of that 90% of the work we receive on the weekend, over 65% of that is for Saturday alone. This is why you will notice prices highest on Saturday. Most people and their friends and family have a regular weekday job so Saturday’s make the most sense to hold a party. This way they are not tired from working all day Friday and can stay up later since they don’t have to go to bed earlier on Sunday. Hobbyist DJs typically charge the least but they also tend to perform less events per year than any other DJ and don’t typically offer any (if at all) reassurances such as a back-up DJ, liability insurance, web site, back-up equipment, etc.

NATURE OF THE BUSINESS:

By the nature of this business over 90% of the work a DJ receives is on the weekend and over 65% of that is for Saturday alone. This is why you will notice prices highest on Saturday. Most people and their friends and family have a regular weekday job so Saturday’s make the most sense to hold a party. This way they are not tired from working all day Friday and can stay up later since they don’t have to go to bed earlier on Sunday. How many weddings have you been to on a Tuesday?

BOTTOM LINE:

Not all DJs are created equal and shopping around for a DJ should never be based on price alone. With just price you are never comparing apples to apples. As the old saying goes, it’s not a great deal if it’s not a great service. Spend a little extra time and do some research, it will pay off for you in the end.

ZG Productions is a Southern California based DJ/MC Company providing services Bar Mitzvah's, Bat Mitzvah's, Weddings, School Dances, Corporate and Private Parties!

Should I give my Bar/Bat MItzvah DJ a Playlist?

2011-03-02T10:21:00.000-08:00

Should I give my Wedding DJ & Bar MItzvah DJ a Playlist?

Planning a San Diego Bar Mitzvah or Bat Mitzvah can be a daunting task with details abounding everywhere. To make it worse everyone has an opinion about how things should be handled. It can be a very tense time so it’s of the up most importance to hire competent professionals who can help you plan your event. Good advice doesn’t cost; it pays.

Every Bar Mitzvah and Bar Mitzvah understandably wants their party to be perfect and, most realize or at least should, that the DJ is a critical choice that will shape the entire event. The DJ will make or break your party.

He is the front person at your Bar or Bat Mitzvah. They generally attend to the announcements and the special events at the event. It’s his job to keep the focus and spotlight on the kid … after all, it’s their special day. The music that’s chosen will greatly impact the success of the celebration.

First realize people’s goals and desires are different. Not everyone envisions a Bar / Bat Mitzvah event where all guests are up partying and dancing up a storm while for others the party is paramount. It all depends on what you want and what your vision is for your Bar / Bat Mitzvah Event. That’s why it’s important to choose a DJ who both understands what you want and whose personal style is able to deliver it.

Because of the importance of choosing the right music for the right event to set the right mood, many kids decide they want to give their DJ a complete playlist of tunes that will be played throughout the evening. Now, as far as DJ’s go, there are two schools of thought on this. I subscribe to the latter.

The first says that since the kids (I mean kids parents) are paying the bill they should be able to choose all the music if they so desire. These DJ’s say, “Sure, I’ll play whatever music you choose. Just make a list and I’ll play through it.” While less confrontational and seemingly more helpful, they’ve just transferred the job of running the party to the kids, which is, ostensibly, what they seem to be asking for.

The second school of thought goes like this: I’ve been a DJ for 15 years and because every event is different with a unique blend of guests and musical tastes, even with my extensive experience I wouldn’t feel confident choosing all the music prior to the event. There’s just no way to predict how a party will go before it begins.

While I have worked with a few clients who asserted that, “this is our party, we’re paying for it and we want to hear the music we like,” most often kids want their guests to have input into the party also and want a DJ who can nurture a tiny seed of a party until it breaks out into a mighty celebration.

You probably wouldn’t go to your attorney, doctor or auto mechanic and tell them in advance exactly what you want them to do because, hopefully, you’re dealing with people you trust and whose advice you value and want to follow. When you give your DJ a complete playlist for the evening you’re really saying, “I don’t think I trust you enough to choose good music for my party.” Hmmm. Maybe it’s time to find someone else to work with whom you do trust.

What a DJ brings to the table is the experience of having presided over hundreds, maybe thousands, of similar parties and has developed the unique ability to read the crowd, gauge the direction they’re moving in and help lead them happily down the path they’ve chosen. Most times having the flexibility to guide the party by letting the guests guide the DJ worked best. To do otherwise might be like trying to fit a size nine foot into a size six shoe.

So, what should you do? Doesn’t the Bar & Bat Mitzvah kids have the right to help choose the music? Of course they do.

I’d never suggest that the client should have no input into the music played at their own party. But I would suggest they choose seven or eight of their personal favorites and then give the DJ some guidelines to follow such as don’t play rap, country or hip-hop at our event or, perhaps, play hip-hop or rap only if family members ask and then do so only sparingly. Guidelines are extremely helpful in that a DJ knows the limits and can choose the very best music within them.

Another quick suggestion while I’m still on my crazed rant. Try to keep your “Do Not Play” list as tiny as possible. I’ve seen couples literally suck the life out of their own parties, parties they desperately want to be successful, by banning the very songs people expect at a wedding.

Remember, Aunt Sally and Uncle Joe may not be the hip nightclub set you’re used to hanging out with. For them, the YMCA may be the height of a great time. If it’s on the banned list, the party suffers when they don’t participate. It’s really about a compromise between what seems corny and what keeps the party going.

Several of the best bar & Bat Mitzvah parties I’ve done had the least likely people dancing wildly to such unsavory tunes. My choices? No way. But they loved it. Afterward, in each case, the client wrote to tell me how pleased she was that so many of her guests had called to tell her they thought their Bar/Bat Mitzvah party was one of the best they had ever attended. Go figure.

Real Life Mario Cart

2011-02-24T12:42:00.000-08:00

Anybody who has ever played Mario Cart or been to K1 Speed track in Carlsbad must watch this!

How to have a Meaningful Mitzvah Celebration without Breaking the Bank

2011-02-23T10:21:00.001-08:00

At ZG Productions we speak regularly with families who are concerned about the costs of having a Bar or Bat Mitzvah party for their child.

In the first group are parents who pull out all the stops and throw a big, flashy party. If this describes what you want – go for it. Be prepared both for significant costs and a great party. Remember that the best Mitzvah’s manage to keep the focus on your child and the spirit of the occasion, no matter what the final budget of the event.

But what if you want something less flashy, less expensive, and just as (or maybe more) meaningful? In this group are families who are not interested in trying to out-do others on spectacle. The best part of planning a party for this second group is that you’re already focused on the heart of the event: planning a special, memorable and fun family party that incorporates Jewish tradition, special ceremonies and good times.

Here’s how you can have a special, exciting and memorable Bar/Bat mitzvah party for your child without having to take out a second mortgage on your home!

1. Choose a venue that has great dynamics for a party vs just a room in a fancy building – look for a large main room sized to the number of guests, allow for some alcoves/smaller areas that allow people to get away to talk, that has clean restrooms, and that has easy access for setup and takedown.

2. Choose inexpensive but interesting party favors to hand out to guests as a special memento.

3. Choose game prizes like I-Tunes gift cards, $2 bills, or other small chatchkis; small gift bags that appeal to kids and adults alike filled with inexpensive, Jewish themed items which can be assembled at home.

4. Make good use of simple fabric backdrops and up-lighting to make the room look beautiful.

5. Use your photos, videos, and LCD projectors to best advantage. In some rooms this may be off to the side; in others your slideshows may be part of the main event.

6. Think about interactivity for your guests. A digital snap shot booth, a live camera fed to a projector, a fun game table off to the side, and so on.

7. Keep the focus on your child and your guests.

8. If you are the host parent, then delegate, delegate, delegate even if you are not hiring coordinators. This leaves you free to work the room and relax.

9. Sweat the details of the guest list. A good party starts with a good crowd.

At ZG Producions we strive to work with families to create a Mitzvah party that accomplishes both your objectives: affordability and fun. We’ve learned to find the happy medium between a lavish, high cost affair and a casual low cost get together by placing the emphasis on fun, family and tradition. We are good at it and we’d love to be your Entertainment company of choice.

Seven Alternatives to Traditional Bar Mitzvah Candle Lighting Ceremonies

2011-02-22T10:00:00.000-08:00

Many mitzvah moms struggle with the tradition of candle lighting. They worry about offending or excluding family and friends, their kids spend hours writing rhyming poems instead of studying their Haftorah portions and song selections become a family debate. All the while, the underlying question remains – how can a Bar Mitzvah candle lighting ceremony be unique, memorable and “cool”, all at the same time?
Well, let’s start by considering the history of the candle lighting ceremony. Contrary to popular belief, there’s nothing in any Jewish text that describes or mandates this tradition. No one knows exactly when it began or who started it, only that the popularity of the candle lighting ceremony has grown to the point where it’s now an expected occurrence at any New York Mitzvah celebration. But what does it all mean?
Technically, when Jewish children “become a Bar or Bat Mitzvah”, they become responsible for their own actions. The term mitzvah has also come to express any act of human kindness. By using these definitions, I have found and created 7 non-traditional alternatives to candle lighting ceremonies which are inclusive and meaningful. Who knows? Maybe we’ll start a trend!

CUP OF LIFE - Created by Rabbi Anchelle Perl. Fill 14 small cups of grape juice or wine (13 for each year plus one for good luck). One by one, they are poured by each honoree into a large brandy snifter. At the end, your child recites Kiddush and drinks from the snifter. Each cup represents an ingredient in the “recipe” for a good life:

Cup of Good Health
Cup of Wisdom
Cup of Faith
Cup of Compassion
Cup of Good Humor
Cup of Dedication
Cup of Success
Cup of Prosperity
Cup of Generosity
Cup of Friendship
Cup of Happiness
Cup of Humility
Cup of Patience
Cup of Love

2. ALL INCLUSIVE - Place a votive candle and a book of matches at each place setting. For young adults and children, use battery operated flameless candles which can be purchased from Michaels craft store or Save-On-Crafts.com. Also consider giving everyone flash lights in lieu of candles which double as favors. Check out the assortment at from FarFromBoring.com. If you call, ask for Sheila.
Dim the lights. As your child lights each candle, he/ she will call upon a particular group of guests to light their own candles. Ideally, by the time your child lights the last candle, everyone has lit theirs and the room is glowing. Some examples below.  Create your own groups.
”Because you mean so much to me and I’m grateful that you’re all here today to help me celebrate, I’d like to call upon each of you to participate in my candle lighting from your tables.”
1. I would like to light a candle for those who could not be here with us tonight (mention names)
2. Would my immediate family please stand and light their candles now (mention names).
3. Would my grand parents please stand and light their candles now (mention names).
4. Would all my aunts, uncles and cousins please stand and light their candles now.
5. Would those of you who knew my family before I was born, please stand and light your candles now.
6. Would those of you who I met in elementary school please stand and light your candles now.
7. Middle School
8. Summer Camp
9. after school activities (hockey, gymnastics, etc.)
10. Family friends
11. My parents work colleagues and their spouses
12. Those of you who took care of me as a child (babysitters, nannies)
13. Neighbors
These are a few examples of grouping guests so get creative. Use common interests or geographic locations. The possibilities are endless.
2. VALUES – Work with your child to identify qualities in your honorees which he/she hopes to incorporate into his/her own life. Have your child tell a short anecdote about how each quality is reflected in that person or group of people. For instance, “I remember my grandfather whistled everyday. I think it was because he was content with his life, everyday. Now, when I whistle, I realize it’s because I’m content. Thank you, grandpa.” Other qualities to consider are Consideration, Strength, Compassion, Honesty, Reliability, Humor, Courage, Honor, Tenacity, Creativity, Intelligence, Cooperation, Love and Patience.
3. MITZVAH PLEDGE – Have your child pledge 13 mitzvah or good deeds that he or she plans to achieve, either over the next year or over his or her lifetime. It can range from helping around the house without being asked to organizing volunteers at soup kitchens. Ask each guest to silently light his or her candle at their table and make a mitzvah pledge of their own.
4.  WISDOM – Combine the montage with the candle lighting by hiring a company that specializes in combining video and photos, such as rewindpics.com/. Have them film interviews with honorees. Long distance relatives can be recorded by phone. Each honoree offers words of wisdom your child. Candles can be lit live by your child as he/she watches candles being lit in the video.
This idea can also be accomplished without a montage. Ask honorees to offer a blessing or words of wisdom to your child when they’re called up to light the candle. Be sure give enough advance notice so that honorees can prepare something appropriate and don’t forget to tell them to keep it short. One or two sentences per candle is perfect.
5.  PLANT A TREE - Instead of lighting candles, plant 14 trees in Israel. Display 14 saplings during the reception in the same way you would display a cake with a small card in front of each explaining the Honorees they represent. his is a great option for families who don’t actually want a candle lighting ceremony.
6. VOLUNTEER – Take photos of your child doing 13 volunteer projects and create a montage. Have him/her dedicate each mitzvah to an honoree. For example, “To my Grandmother, who always read to me and continues to inspire my education, I donated books to our local library” or “To my Aunt and Uncle, who taught me to reuse, renew and recycle, I planted a tree in Israel”.
7. REMEMBER US PROJECT - The simple act of remembering someone restores that person’s value and meaning, and adds meaning and value to your own life. One-and-a-half million Jewish children were lost during the Holocaust before they had a chance to grow into Jewish adults, many before their own call to the Torah. Visit www.remember-us.org to request a name of one of these children. Dedicate the first candle to this lost child and ask your child make a commitment to saying the Kiddush prayer on the anniversary of his/her Bar/Bat Mitzvah each year, so they never forget.

Are you comfortable with your DJ?

2011-01-31T16:25:00.000-08:00

Sometimes you can get a great price or a great deal from a dj or other vendor — but something just doesn’t feel right. Should you follow your pocketbook … or your heart?

Well, sometimes it gets confusing.

But the one thing I hear over and over from my clients is that they hire me because they like me and feel comfortable chatting with me. As with all relationships chemistry is important. How many relationships have stuttered because, although a person is wonderful witty … there just doesn’t seem to be that chemistry happening.

It’s no different when hiring a DJ, photographer or other vendor or performer. You have to choose someone you like — someone you feel comfortable with when things are going well and when they start to fall apart.

My advice is: When you find that special dj or other vendor who is easy to talk with and with whom you share that special chemistry — that’s the one you should go with as long as their cost is in the ballpark.

More than one person found out too late that their “bargain” dj or vendor just wasn’t a bargain after all.

Plan A Midweek Wedding For Substantial Savings

2011-01-29T22:32:00.001-08:00

If you’re on a tight budget (and who isn’t, these days) you’re probably thinking of ways to save some green. Well, have you ever considered having your wedding on a week day?

Ten years ago, the idea of planning a weekday wedding was unthinkable. Today, due in large part to the substantial savings involved, it has become not only commonplace, but has spurred another wedding industry trend.

The concept of midweek weddings always has been a part of European tradition, and people have picked up on it at least two decades ago. The custom has slowly made it’s way throughout the country.

By opting for a Thursday “or any weekday” wedding date opens a world of possibilities for couples and parents who are planning an affair. For the majority of couples who announce engagements a year or even two years before a wedding, weekend dates at well-known facilities throughout the major metropolitan areas are already reserved, especially during the high-volume months of April through November.

If the bride and groom and their respective families are flexible, they can save themselves a lot of legwork and phone work, and will not need to settle for vendor alternatives. For a weeknight wedding, they have a strong chance of obtaining their first-choice musicians and others who can fulfill their wedding dreams. It all falls into place.

Midweek also works well for couples who want weddings with all the trimmings soon after becoming engaged, and cannot book a weekend easily. Thursdays are usually available within four to six months and off-season midweek weddings are even more cost-effective.

For those getting married, and for those attending, a weeknight wedding can add spark to a normal workaday week. Generally, most invitees know about the date far enough in advance to work out their personal schedules. If they want to be there, they will. And once the festivities begin, bridal parties and guests are aware only of the elegant surroundings, and they don’t think about what day of the week it is.

When sending out your engagement announcements, includ a “save the date” segment. Friends and family will know ahead of time that you are getting married on a Thursday, and should be able to arrange to travel earlier or to arrange to leave work early, if necessary. Many guests might be happy to start their weekend as early as Wednesday, and they can combined the wedding with other vacation plans. It will also allow the newlyweds to use Friday for tying up loose ends before leaving on their honeymoon the next day!

ZG Productions January 22nd, 2011 Birthday Party

2011-01-26T20:01:00.000-08:00

San Diego special events DJ company was proud to be a part of Jesse's 39th birthday party. The event was held at Del Sur Ranch House in Del Sur. the weather was amazing for guests to have drinks and appetizers provided by Dinners by David. Crazy coincidence,a lot of the guests were from my home town of Minneapolis, Minnesota. This was definitely a party crowd with requests from Run DMC to Lady Gaga. The party was supposed to end at 10:00pm but the guests did not want to stop dancing and we went 2 hours overtime, ending at midnight.

ZG Productions is San Diego's top rated special events company. If you are looking for a San Diego Bar Mitzvah DJ, San Diego Bat Mitvzah DJ,San Diego Bar MItzvah Disc Jockey, San Diego Bat Mitzvah Disc Jockey, San Diego Wedding DJ, San Diego Wedding Disc Jockey, San Diego School Dance DJ, San Diego Bar Mitzvah Event Lighting, San Diego Bat Mitvzah Event Lighting, San Diego Wedding Event Lighting, San Diego School Dance Event Lighting, look no further. ZG Productions is a Bar and Bat Mitzvah Entertainment company that has created its reputation by offering new and unique ideas to help your event standout from the rest.

Looking for a DJ/MC or Photographer

2011-01-21T12:01:00.000-08:00

Usually finding a dj is a once (maybe two or three times) in a lifetime event. Most people don’t have a relationship with a dj or entertainer the way they do with their attorney, doctor or dentist. That’s why it’s important to begin to research dj’s and vendors before that big event is upon you.

My advice to people is, when you know when you’re going to have your event, check with the vendors, get on their mailing lists, call them up, visit their web site and start building a relationship. That way, when the big day comes, you’ll have someone you can trust.

Nothing is more disconcerting than to have to hire someone quickly and not feel confident in your choice because you were forced to rush to a decision.

A little advance planning goes a long way!

ZG Productions is a San Diego based entertainment company offering DJ's, MC's, Special Event Lighting, Video Production and Event Extras.

ZG Productions 01/15/2011 B'nai Mitzvah Event!

2011-01-17T23:56:00.000-08:00

January 15th, 2011 was a crazy one for ZG Productions! Del Mar Marriot was the setting for Miles and Blake's B'nai Mitzvah party. This all kids event was a blast from start to finished. I was mixing music videos all night on the big screen while the kids sang a along with the music. Thanks to the the Arnold's for letting ZG Productions be a part of their very special day!

ZG Productions B'nai Mitzvah 1/15/2011

2011-01-17T23:55:00.000-08:00

Gabriel's ZG Productions Bar MItzvah DJ Party December 11th, 2010

2010-12-14T19:01:00.000-08:00

The Birch Aquarium Forum in La Jolla on December 11th, 2010 was a crazy one. ZG Productions was proud to be a part of Gabriel's Bar Mitzvah Party! The night started out kids mingling and adults having a few cocktails on the patio with the breathtaking views of La Jolla Shores. From the moment of the grand entrance of Gabriel the party had energy from start to finish and ZG Productions had a great time with their family and friends!
Photos courtesy of Richard Pecjak Jr of Sunset Productions!

Flickr

2010-12-14T18:33:00.001-08:00

This is a test post from , a fancy photo sharing thing.

ZG Productions DJ/MC Annual ChanukahEvent in La Jolla (Dec 2nd, 2010)

2010-12-02T22:54:00.000-08:00

ZG Productions was honored to be a part of Chabad La Jolla for the third year in a row on December 2nd, 2010. I always look forward to any event that Rabbi Ezagui is a part of. He is such an amazing individual who knows how to bring people together and did with around 80 guests in La Jolla on the famous Prospect street. Candles and potato latkes were shared all night along with a group of kids that put together their own Chanukah rap. ZG Productions looks forward to all the future events with Chabad and Rabbi Ezagui! Happy Chanukah to all!

Skye Berman's November 6th Bar Mitzvah

2010-11-17T21:00:00.000-08:00

On Broadway Events center in Downtown San Diego was transformed by Lydia Krasner with Mitzvah Events Productions into a Rock & Roll VIP party for another ZG Productions Bar Mitzvah party for Skye Berman! From start to finish the guests wanted to dance all night long but we had to stop at ten because the nightclub opened to the public. Thanks again to Skye and Judy Berman for including ZG Productions for their very special day!

Max Lyle September 4th 2010 ZG Productions Bar MItzvah Recap

2010-11-17T18:33:00.000-08:00

ZG Productions was proud to be a part of Max Lyle's September 2010 Bar Mitzvah Party at Party Pals in San Diego! It was a fun filled night with a great energized butch of kids that dance the night away.
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A Great Inspirational Weekend!

2010-10-16T19:28:00.000-07:00

Just finished a great fun filled day for the Project Walk in Carlsbad. I witnessed a bunch of patience who were told that they were never going to walk, WALK! It was truly inspirational and I was happy to donate ZG Productions time to plays some great tunes and MC a great event!

Besa Boogie Sunday September 26th

2010-09-28T19:19:00.001-07:00

Thanks to everyone in Besa in helping putting on an amazing event for all the Bar/Bat Mitzvah kids. ZG Productions was one of 3 San Diego DJ companies that rocked the dance floor.

A Very Busy August

2010-08-31T21:25:00.001-07:00

ZG Productions has three events this weekend and is working on editing 3 photo/video montages!!

August 28th "Donnie's Bar MItzvah

2010-08-29T19:19:00.000-07:00

ZG Productions had a blast yesterday at Donnie's Bar Mitzvah party downtown San Diego at On Broadway. The Weismans picked a great venue for their event having it in one of the greatest clubs that San Diego has to offer. Donnie and his family had tons of energy from dancing all day to our lip sync contest which which was a blast! ZG Productions was honored to have experienced Donnie's great day and we wish the Weismans all the best in the near future!

Launching New Website

2010-08-24T19:54:00.001-07:00

ZG Productions is proud to announce the launch of our new and improved website.