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Cago Cottage

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Cago 1

A few months ago I had the pleasure of meeting Sam from Cago Cottage in Sway, Marie from Isabella Weddings introduced us at the Finest Marquee Hire open day. Since then I’ve visited the Cottage a few times and it really is a lovely place ~ and it’s available for wedding bookings with a really unique twist.

Cago Cottage is a beautiful 300 year old thatched cottage near Sway in the heart of the New Forest with 4 double bedrooms and is set in 2 acres of land. Basically this can become a blank canvas for you to create a truly unique, bespoke wedding day. Here’s the entry for Cago on the Hitched wedding site

A 300 year old cob wall thatched cottage with light oak exposed beams everywhere. Situated right next to the New forest, a beautiful old place (with full mod cons) which provides so much peace but at the same time offers so much fun for all to have – with the many sporting facilities in the vast grounds. Have the wedding day you truly wish for in a unique venue that is all yours, not just for the day but for the whole week of your wedding.

The cottage is without close neighbours so evening party music is not a problem. There is ample space for large marquees with up to 150 guests for a sit down meal, with lots of other facilities to have fun including boule / floodlit tennis / 5-a-side football pitch / snooker room and a massive tree house for kids to explore…! The cottage has 4 double bedrooms with 3 bathrooms, a large kitchen with a huge pine table that can sit 10/12 people. One bedroom and large family bathroom is downstairs (useful for an elderly couple…). Large BBQ outside with a huge outdoor dining table so you can enjoy the outdoor life as well. Plenty of parking for all cars in the adjoining field.

For more information about Cago Cottage call
Sam on 07791 657 309
Marie on 2380 424277 or 07973 423250
or talk to me on 07973 617153

Cago 2

Booking With The Corporate Event Company

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Corporate header

I had a call earlier this week from The Corporate Event Company who needed a DJ for a Christmas Party and I was recommended by another supplier. The function was held in a company head office in Basingstoke and a large area had been transformed into a fabulous play zone and discotheque.

Corporate 1

John and his team from The Corporate Event Company were a real joy to work with and they made me very welcome. I was really impressed by their attention to detail and the quality of service they provided for the client. They installed a brilliant starlit dance floor, drapes and DJ booth as well as a gorgeous semi-circular illuminated bar, a number of table football machines, other big games and around 30 illuminated cube seats – the effect was amazing!

For more information about The Corporate Event Company CLICK HERE

Crporate Party

Private Party

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Here’s a quick post from last Saturday’s private party booking. The event was held in the family home and a marquee extension had been added to create a very exclusive nightclub. Everything was beautifully put together with Cellist Lizzy May playing for the early part of the evening before we kicked the party off in the marquee with the guests dancing through until 2am.

Sat

Woodlands Lodge Hotel

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Woodlands Lodge

Here’s another one of my reviews that I’ve posted recently on the For Better For Worse website’s venue pages …

Situated a few miles out of Southampton, just off the A35 and easily reached from the M27, The Woodlands Lodge Hotel is brilliantly located for couples who want a New Forest Wedding.

I’m a DJ and Master of Ceremonies/Wedding Host, so I get to visit dozens of venues across the region and gain a unique behind-the-scenes insight and The Woodlands Lodge is among the most friendly hotels I’ve visited. Imogene and her team have created a really welcoming atmosphere that only a privately owned/run hotel could hope to achieve.

The venue has two rooms licensed for civil ceremonies and offer various options to accommodate different couples’ requirements for their wedding breakfast and evening reception.

If you are looking for a venue where you’ll feel at home, valued and relaxed I suggest you drop in for a chat with Imogene.

Woodlands Lodge Wedding Disco

Here’s a couple of pictures from a year ago today (10th December 2011) of my last wedding at The Woodlands Lodge for Matt & Kirsten’s Wedding.

Woodlands Lodge Wedding DJ

For more information about weddings at The Woodlands Lodge CLICK HERE.

You can download their current Wedding Brochure HERE Or you could just pick up the phone and give Imogene a call on 023 8029 2257.

Woodlands Lodge Wedding Brochure

A Taste Of Glastonbury?

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Last night’s party was really great fun! The event was the Autumn party for The Buttercup Ball charity and was staged in a marquee supplied by Michelle and Mark from Finest Marquee Hire. Earlier during the day they staged a very successful open day and I met some great new suppliers, plenty of old friends and lots of lovely couples and people looking at staging marquee parties – more about all that later.

For anyone reading this in the future, I should point out that the weather yesterday was terrible, in fact the weather has been grim all week. Inside the marquee we were totally oblivious to what was happening outside, we were warm and safe and getting towards 200 braved the conditions determined to support the charities and have a party.

I was there to support local band Shuffle Alley who played two 45 minute sets of rockin’ covers with a couple of their own songs. Again more about the band later, but for now I’ll just say Jack, Chris, Justin and John are well worth checking out.


I played a mix of styles across the evening, but my final set after the band had finished was a hands-in-the-air mix of anthems from the 90’s to date.

So I got to play with a rock band in a very muddy field. Not quite Glastonbury, but the muddy walk from the marquee to the car park was fun in the early hours of this morning.

Something Borrowed Magazine

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I’m very excited to be working with Sam and Eleanor from Something Borrowed magazine which has just launched in Hampshire.

If you click on the image below you should get a larger version open up on your display.

If you’d like a copy of the magazine please email me at paul@thepartydj.co.uk with your postal address and I’ll send one to you.

Winslowe House

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This is a review I posted recently on the For Better For Worse website’s venue pages …

Rachel & Gareth’s wedding at Winslowe House

As a DJ and Master of Ceremonies/Wedding Host I get to visit dozens of venues across the region so I gain a unique behind-the-scenes insight and I’m delighted to offer this review of Winslowe House.

The ceremony table Winslowe House

I’ve performed here twice this year and I can honestly say the service and attention to detail Jane and her team offer is exceptional.

Ceremony at Winslowe House

There are no “conveyor belt” weddings at Winslowe House, every couple receive the individual treatment that their most special of days deserves. The Barford Room which is licensed for civil ceremonies is beautiful, the driveway and grounds are very well maintained and perfect for photos and drinks, and the range of marquee options that can be so cleverly built onto the back of the house means that the reception space is always just right for the number of guests. I love the fact the marquee incorporates the borders around the terrace and so flowers and lavender are growing in the space creating a fragrant atmosphere.

Wedding Breakfast in the Barford Room at Winslowe House

Winslowe House is Jane’s home and she treats every wedding like it’s for a member of her family. Both of the weddings I performed at were totally different from each other, both couples had a fabulous day. Before you book your wedding venue I recommend you check out Winslowe House.

Mandy & Justin’s first dance at Winslowe House

For more information about Winslowe House visit their website CLICK HERE.

Paul acting as Wedding Host for Mandy & Justin’s wedding at Winslowe House

Ceremony Music

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Another of the services I offer is providing the music for the wedding ceremony. Great production of the music for your ceremony can set the tone for the whole day. Before I returned to DJ’ing I’d actually been asked by several friends to play their ceremony music for them at their weddings ~ it was a really nerve-racking thing to do, I was pushing buttons on machines that I didn’t know and although I managed it was far from ideal.

Many venues provide a sound system, usually a domestic portable cd player or iPod doc, and usually expect you to provide the music to play and the person to control it for you. Is this the right way to start the most important ceremony in your life?

Here’s a document one of my colleagues, DJ Terry Lewis, developed. I’ve adapted it slightly and I hope it will give you food for thought.


Here’s a picture another colleague took at a local hotel recently.
You can see a small domestic CD player has been provided

Here’s our system at New Place last Saturday, set up discreetly at the rear of the room using professional sound equipment ~
Pioneer DDJ S1
MacBook Pro
Bose Compact speaker system

For more information about ceremony music please get in touch email paul@thepartydj.co.uk or call 023 8086 1715 or 07973 617 153

Totton Running (& Limbo) Club Annual Awards Diner

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Yesterday I was back with Steve my partner from our Gold project for our second year with Totton Running Club. The venue was again the function room at AFC Totton.

After the food, Sue and Simon presented the awards and then it was our turn to turn on the action. It didn’t take long for the floor to fill up. Steve and I mixed it up with plenty of our classic Gold oldies as well as lots of this years floor fillers ~ TRC goes Gangnam Style!

The party saw the first outing of my new limbo poles ~ they went down a storm!

Very special thanks to everyone involved in this brilliant night, Sue and Simon from the Running Club who organised another great night, the bar staff the excellent catering team from Smallpiece Catering, and of course all the club members who amde our evening such fun!

If you’d like to find out more about Totton Running Club CLICK HERE

For more information about the function room at AFC Totton LOOK HERE (I know the page is out of date, but hopefully the links work).

You can find out more about Smallpiece Catering HERE