Joel and I worked together on Lewis and Kelley’s wedding in January. He was really great to work with! Joel kept the music going all night long and I don’t think there was anyone in the place who didn’t hit the dance floor at some point. When choosing a DJ, it is really important to make sure they will be able to provide the music that you want and stay away from the music that you don’t. Recently I talked with Joel about what he provides for your wedding day and a little bit more about him.

What inspired you to start Greenbelt DJ?

In my mid-20  all my friends began to get married. Being a DJ as my hobby, I already had all the equipment and music so I volunteered to DJ their weddings for free. I received great feedback from my friends and their guests. So, I bought several new sound systems and lights. Greenbelt DJ took off like a rocket.

What do you enjoy most about your job?

Until 2006, providing DJ services was just a long-time hobby while attending UT and later while I was a teacher for Austin ISD. I had always dreamed of losing the day job and working as a full time DJ, but I never thought it would be possible to earn a good income from being a wedding DJ. I also enjoy the business side of the job, getting to work from home during the week and at beautiful venues on the weekends.

How long have you been DJ-ing?

I started DJing in high school. In the mid-1990s, I moved to Austin to go to college and noticed all the DJ here used turntables to mix dance music. I spent thousands of hours in my 20s practicing and playing at house parties. It seemed I might be wasting my time and would need to grow up – but now the practice has paid off!

Will you always be at the event or do you have other DJs and assistants?

If I tell customers that I am available to DJ their events and they sign up, I will be there. Whether I am sick or not, rain or shine. If I am already booked, then I do have other skilled DJs that pick up gigs for Greenbelt DJ. But, our availability and which DJ will be made clear at the beginning of our first conversation.

What services do you provide? Is it possible for guests to request songs? If you don’t have a song a bride and groom are interested in can you get it?

Greenbelt DJ provides DJ and Emcee services for approximately 200 weddings per year in the Austin area. We provide ceremony, cocktail, and dance music.

Guests can request songs at the event, and we will likely have it with us. If not, we bring Internet access with us to each event and will download it for your guest for free. Any song that a bride and groom request that is not in our music library, we will acquire unless it is something extremely rare and cannot be found on the web.

Is there anything else you would like for people to know about Greenbelt DJ?

There are 5-star reviews about Greenbelt DJ all over the Internet, including WeddingWire.com, BestAustinWeddings.com, Yelp.com, TheKnot.com, and more. We make it our mission to return all phone and email messages within an hour.

Make sure to check out Joel’s website!

My friend Amanda is getting married in Orlando next year and Anna from Rifle Designs is doing her invitations. They specialize in custom, hand drawn stationary and Anna can design whatever you desire! Amanda and Justin’s design will include an illustration of their new home and the dog they have together. I can’t wait to see them! Anna is also preparing to open a retail store that I’m looking forward to visiting when I’m in Orlando for the wedding. Make sure to check out Rifle Designs website and blog.

My assistant Jen and I shot the BEAUTIFUL wedding of Sarah and Rich this weekend. Keri from Leave the Details to me did a fabulous job making sure everything went off without a hitch. Make sure to check back for a preview from their wedding soon. Booth 66 provided the photo booth and Jen and I took a few photos. The photo booth was great! Two copies printed out within 30 seconds, one to keep and one to leave in their guestbook. Check out Booth 66 online if you are looking for a fun and creative photo booth.

I loooove the look of the new Hotel St. Cecilia that opened this past January in Austin. Located in the heart of South Congress, its just another place adding to the unique vibe this city has to offer. It is become quite popular for engagement and bridal shoots and I am reeeeally hoping I’ll be luck enough to shoot a wedding or reception there sometime soon. And I’m definitely saving up my pennies to stay a night there later this year.  The colors and the decor are so vibrant and beautiful, click right here to check out their site.

1. Esther Havens Photography

2. Jake Holt Photography

3. Jake Holt Photography

4. The Nichols

Also, make sure to check out this feature on Hotel St. Cecilia by the super cool girls over at Wedding Chicks.

Kelly Kitchen is the makeup artist and hair stylist behind Defining Styles. As a licensed cosmeteologist and former MAC make-up artist, Kelly is now directing her passion and talent towards weddings. She offers on location hair and makeup for brides and their bridal party. I recently talked with Kelly about her business and here is what she had to say:

What inspired you to start Defining Styles? I was inspired to start Defining Styles when I realized there was a market for my creative passion within the wedding industry. I started getting into up-dos and creative hair styling when I was a student in the cosmetology program at my high school. Eventually I began to be requested for friend’s weddings and as word of mouth spread, a business blossomed! Working with MAC I further developed my makeup artistry skills in learning new techniques, broadening my product knowledge and learning how to create looks that enhance natural beauty whether the style of makeup is natural or very dramatic. Providing hair and makeup services on location truly eliminates the hassle of having to run around to salons and appointments on the day of the event, making everyone feel more relaxed!

How long have you been doing hair styling and makeup artistry? It is hard to believe I have been working with hair for over 10 years! It began when I started high school as I started to try creative ways of taming my unruly and naturally curly locks. When I would get compliments on my hair styles they would always ask who did it and started requesting me to do theirs as well. Throughout high school I began styling my friend’s hair for dances, and junior year I enrolled in my high school’s cosmetology certification program with the plan to become a Texas State Board certified Cosmetologist . After becoming state board certified in the summer of 2003, I went off to college where I continued to use my hairstyling skills for fun events. After working with MAC Cosmetics towards the end of my college career in 2007, I realized that I could use both of my skills and talents for events such as weddings.

What is your favorite part about doing weddings? My favorite part about doing weddings is the excitement and adrenaline rush of the big day. I think it really provides the challenge that I’ve always thrived on and drives my performance. I am a perfectionist when it comes to the details so  the hectic scheduling and the pressure of finishing in plenty of time really creates an environment that could go haywire, but I believe it is my organizational skills that keep things in line. No matter whether the wedding party consists of three or thirteen people I feel I’m always on top of my game and ready to provide an enjoyable beautifying experience for everyone.

Is there anything else you would like for people to know about Defining Styles? Defining Styles is all about you! I strive to provide not only top quality hair styling and makeup artistry services, but also to cater to each individuals personal styles and needs. Defining Styles offers that personal touch to your beauty services all while decreasing the stress of running the bridal party around town to and from salons. We are currently a completely on location service, and will travel to you with no travel fees for the greater Austin area, and travel to Houston and San Antonio as well for a small fee.

You can find Kelly online at Defining Styles.

Courtney and Steve immediately after their engagement in North Carolina.

My friends Courtney and Steve (see their love story in the gallery) are getting married on November 1 of this year just outside of Austin at a place called Texas Old Town. One thing I love most about Austin is the availability of beautiful outdoor venues. If you do not wish to have a traditional church wedding, there are so many options for you.

I talked with Courtney this week and here is what she said about why she chose this particular venue:

“We chose this venue mostly because of its versatility. You are pretty much allowed to do whatever you like. Since Steve and I really wanted fireworks, smores and unique decorations, we were looking for a place that would be willing to let us do that. The owner of the place is so nice! You get the venue from 8am to midnight and don’t have to worry about any clean up fees or deposits. Since we are working on a tight budget and will be doing most planning ourselves, it was important to us to have access to the venue for as much time as we needed. Also, Steve and I really didn’t want to do a traditional church wedding. We got engaged in the mountains of North Carolina, so we wanted some of that to carry over into our wedding. Therefore, the rustic nature of this venue was perfect! We absolutely can’t wait for our wedding day.”

{Click Image to visit their site}

I can not wait to celebrate with Courtney and Steve!