Great news everyone!!!!

Somehow, someway, in all this time I have been keeping up this blog I have failed to mention one of the coolest things Tagas offers: glow furniture!

Here are some examples from work we have done in the past:

Ya know, with all the new technology of today and all those fancy pantsy Facebook invites and e-mail blasts, so many of us forget how cool it is to actually get something in the mail... as in the postal service mail... as in, you know, that stuff that comes in envelopes from the guy who sits like he's British on the wrong side of his truck. Yes, mail. Hard-copy, glorious, mail.

Interested in getting a glimpse into what our very own President/CEO/Bossman DJ Tagas has to offer? Check out his Sound Cloud page! You won't be disappointed.

While we may not be the experts in cakes, we sure do know a lot of talented bakers and we know that picking the perfect cake is no easy feat!

The cake selection process can be an overwhelming ordeal, so we sat down with local baker Johnnie Sue Messler owner and cake designer of the Something Sweet Cake Studio to get the low-down on how to pick the perfect, most-scrumptious cake for your special event. Fortunately enough for us, she had incredible patience while we picked her brain for as most knowledge as we could squeeze into six questions. Hopefully, her advice will lead to a much easier selection process!

Let us begin!

What is the first step in selecting a cake? How would you recommend finding a good cake designer?

Casa Feliz market lights and LEDs. Thank you Cory Callahan for the photos!

Tropical themed wedding...custom Palm textures, pink LEDs, and pin spotting, Radisson in Port Canaveral



Chanell and Donny's destination wedding at the Hammock Beach Resort in Palm Coast, FL. Tagas provided the white floor to ceiling drapery, LED computer programmed up-lighting, centerpiece/cake pin spotting, custom monogram and ceiling texture lighting.




Rosen Centre

We had 4 of our weddings featured in the Weddings Unveiled Section of the latest issue of Central Florida Bride Magazine. Two were posted in the last blog update, now here are the other two real life Tagas weddings. Check 'em out!

Wanta have a fantastic wedding like these brides and grooms did? www.TagasEvents.com

Tagas Says...We Were Featured! Check out the lighting article by owner Bryan Taylor and 2 of our 4 featured Weddings Unveiled!!

In honor of it being Monday, I present to you all...

The Top Five Reasons To Get Your Wedding Filmed:

1) The obvious-- to remember your joyous day, yadda yadda yadda

2) For entertainment purposes 20 years down the road. "Wow, did she REALLY wear that?" "Oh my gawwwd I was so skinny" "Oh Uncle Steve, at it again..." "Perhaps an open bar wasn't a good idea."

3) In case you don't remember the night due to aforementioned open bar.

4) To post on Facebook and make all your friends envy your perfect, newlywed life! Oh come on... you were all thinking it, you just won't admit it!

5) A good way to share your big day with every one who couldn't make it/was too lazy/ slept through it/ ditched. Just upload to YouTube, send a quick email and bam, everyone's all caught up. Sounds like a winner to me. Hey, maybe next time you can just stream it over the internet? I bet that would save a lot on air fare...

...kidding.

Five Things to Remember on Memorial Day:

1) First and foremost, remember the hundreds of thousands of people who have given up or dedicated their lives for the sole purpose of protecting our freedom. We salute you today veterans, armed services and every other individual who has significantly contributed to the growth and continued care of this glorious country. There perhaps wouldn’t be weddings, or parties or even events to plan had these courageous people not sacrificed for our freedoms.

Continuing on...

2) Remember to HAVE FUN when planning your event. Whether it be your wedding or whatever, keep in mind that these are your life hours, days, weeks or even years you’re spending—so why not enjoy them! For those of us who find themselves to be on the OCD side, we love this kind of stuff! Detail can be fun, after all! Oh and if you hate this process, remember… you can always hire an event/wedding planner! Wam bam, thank you ma’am!

3) Remember to address your invitations three months in advance. Why, you say? Because they’ll be ready to send out when the time comes for mailing! Don’t forget, wedding invitations should go out six to eight weeks before your big day. Oh, and if you’re really classy you’ll send out “Save the Date” cards four to six months before your event, or 12 months before if you’re planning a destination wedding.

4) When hiring your photographer, make sure to look for a company that has a good online portfolio. Of course, you’ll want to see their work beforehand. However, it speaks volumes when a company has enough web savvy to produce an online gallery. Remember, it’s always a plus to have technologically-advanced photographers.

5) Lastly, remember to book the linens! Many times, a caterer will provide tableware including linens, but it’s certainly something you should ask about beforehand and not something you should assume. There are many places you can rent linens, all it takes is a quick Google search!

In the past months, as mentioned before, we started a new Greek program that gives local Greek organizations discounted services AND discounted event planning. Capitalizing on our promotion, UCF's Tau Kappa Epsilon chapter hired us to plan their annual semi-formal. After much hard work, we've concluded that it was rad. Yes, rad.

The event was held at the Clarion Resort and Waterpark and kicked off with a buffet and a dance to follow.

While we didn't have a photographer there taking baller pictures, we did get some photos from the event via TKE members. So checka checka checka it out:


No parking on the dance floor!! We LOVE to see a crowded dancefloor!


DJ Marco Polo stealing someone's date. Niccceee.


Probably the poorest quality photo I've seen in awhile, but hey... it's a fraternity semi-formal, who are we to expect flawless photos? Either way, I think this probably sums up the night.

We hooked the guys up with hotel catering, discounted rooms AND access to the hotel's water park. You just can't argue that hotels + booze + a water park don't = massive amounts of fun.

We LOVED working with TKE and can only hope to do more Greek events in the future! Tell your friends! Tagas went Greek!

Diamonds are a girl's best friend, which is why it is very important you learn about their clarity to assure you get the quality best suited for the look you want.

Here is a simple guide to clarity so you know you're getting what you pay for:

FL- Flawless
These diamonds are virtually..well.. flawless. They have few imperfections inside or out of the stone. Of course, with quality comes a high charge to your credit card, so expect these diamonds to be the most expensive.

IF- Internally Flawless
These stones are.... kinda flawless. Basically, if you use a loupe with 10 times magnification, you won't see any inclusions.

VVS1 & VVS2- Very, Very Slightly Imperfect
Personally, I love VVS because it just goes to show scientists aren't always so technical. I mean "very very slightly imperfect?" Very creative label if you ask me...
Anyway, these diamonds have small imperfections, but they're very hard to see...even with a loupe. You pretty much have to be an expert to detect anything iffy about these stones.

VS1 & VS2- Very Slightly Imperfect
Another genius name. Very slightly imperfect... talk about an oxymoron. These suckers do have imperfections, but like the VVS diamonds, they are still very hard to see under a loupe. Even those these are cheaper grade, you probably will never know the difference between this and something that's flawless... unless you're a nerd or an expert diamond looker-at-er.

SI1 & SI2- Slightly Imperfect
These diamonds have boo-boo's. That means, they have incisions you can see with a loupe and sometimes even with the naked eye. This is when you start getting into the discounted prices... But hey, if it's shiney and sparkley you may still be good to go with one of these stones... depending on who you're buying it for.

I1, I2 & I3- Imperfect
Basically, you can see the imperfections in these stones. Totally obvious. This would NOT be the stone to pick if you're going for an engagement ring to wow her.

A good DJ should:

1. Discuss your details and plans in depth

2. Create a custom itinerary to coordinate all your vendors

3. Meet with you prior to your wedding to get acquainted and finalize plans

4. Ensure your event runs smoothly and according to your plans

5. Be friendly, personable, and helpful to all involved

6. Emcee all events in a professional manner

7. Mix and beat-match great music to keep the dance floor filled

8. Be fun and interactive with your guests

9. Check with you throughout the night to ensure your happiness

10. Go above and beyond to truly make your day


Yep... that's what we do at Tagas. Fo sho.

In recent months, we here at Tagas have been reaching out to the Greek community at the University of Central Florida! Check out our very first Greek gig lighting Kappa Kappa Gamma's formal Sapphire Ball.



Tagas lit up the dance floor in more than one way that night! The floor was packed all night long as we DJ'd a mix sure to please a pumped group of sorority girls and their dates! We're excited to say this is the first of many Greek events we hope to be part of in the future!


Tell your friends! Tagas is going Greek and we have started a campaign with special rates exclusively for Greek organizations!

When planning your event, things can get very overwhelming very quickly. One second your booking the venue and then you realize it's time to book the caterer, than the DJ, then oh my gosh you forgot to order tablecloths...

However, there is one quick solution to making this process a lot easier and, more importantly, a lot more time efficient: taking recommendations.

What so many brides and planners fail to realize is that the event industry is an extremely well-connected group of people all in business to serve you. The key words you should take away from that sentence were "well-connected." Go to any city and you'll see that it's not uncommon to find every event-type business aware of it's fellow event-type businesses. While this may seem like common sense, it can make a world of difference in your planning.

To begin down the path of smooth sailing, simply find one business you trust. It can be a caterer. It can be an event planning service. It can be a DJ/Video service. Heck, it can be a florist or a cake designer. Once you've found one business in the industry you respect, that business is sure to guide you to other businesses of equal stature.

Do realize, that a recommendation is far more useful than any informational pamphlet, website or portfolio. People in the industry know who is dependable. They know who is professional. And most importantly, they know who out there has the integrity to serve your best interest. Why, you might ask? Because everyone works together. While you might only know a florist you trust, that florist (I can guarantee you) has worked with dozens and dozens of companies on multiple events. Therefore, they have probably witnesses firsthand their fellow businesses at work on several occasions.

What better way to find what you're looking for than to ask someone who has seen people already in action? This way, you eliminate the frustrating inconveniences of working with duds.

So before you sit on the internet for hours on end researching companies, try asking a business you trust to make recommendations. I think you'll find it's the easiest way to a successful event.

You know that feeling when you walk into a Sam’s Club and the beaming florescent lights glare into your corneas like the death stare of Darth Vadar? Ok, that was dramatic. Let’s start over. You know when you go into Wal-Mart perfectly content and then after about an hour of battling the crowds and pushing through aisles, you leave in a mood less than satisfactory? Ever think that part of your mood swing could be due to the oppressive lighting in those places? I say yes. Ok, not only do I say yes, psychological studies say yes too.

Here’s the thing… lighting at your event can really make or break the mood… just like the lighting at Wal-Mart can suck the energy right out of you. But before you make some serious decisions about the lighting at your event, ask yourself, “What mood am I trying to create?”

Once you have determined the mood, you can find the corresponding color. Here is a quick guide to which colors create your chosen mood.

Blue: Blue is a color that creates a very tranquil mood that leaves guests feeling calm, relaxed and harmonious. Be wary of too much blue, though. Blue can also represent depression, which nobody wants at a party!

Black: Black represents sophistication, mystery, wealth and elegance. When planning a very posh event, use black hues to bring that side out and create a very upscale mood.

Green: Green is most often associated with nature. Therefore, for a very Earthy affair consider using shades of green. Green can exude feelings of renewal, youth, good luck and peacefulness.

Orange: Orange is in the warm spectrum and creates a sense of energy. Orange will certainly bring attention to your event, which is the color’s biggest use: attention. Orange symbolizes balance, warmth, enthusiasm and brightness.

Red: Red is the warmest and most energetic color in the spectrum… which is why Orange has such like qualities. Red relates people to feelings of love, danger, desire and sometimes anger. Red is a tough color, so use it wisely. If used wrong, you could make your guests very tense!

White: White represents simplicity and cleanliness. It also displays feelings of youth, innocence and peace. Look at places like the Apple store in the mall that showcase a lot of white hues… how does that make you react? Consider those feelings when using white.

Yellow: Yellow is a fabulous color! It represents happiness, joy and hope. Still beware, it can also represent hazard if used incorrectly… think “Slippery When Wet” signs.

Give a gift worth remembering!!!

Let’s all be honest for a minute here. When you get that wedding invitation in the mail, do you think YIPPEEE! Someone is getting married? No. You don’t. You think, “Oh great, now what the heck am I going to get them…”

Ok maybe you don’t think that, but I do.

I’ve always been one to thrive off of creative outlets, and that method still holds true for me when it comes to the gift-giving sector. With that in mind, I’ve put together a list of a few creative gift ideas that are sure to separate your present from the masses without breaking the bank.

1) The personality plate:
This particular artist (Wendy Mizell) is local and makes personality plates to look just like the couple! She’s based out of Titusville, Florida. This is a great way of giving that personal touch to wedding present. They can keep it forever and who doesn’t like something this adorable? Click here for the website.



2) A framed keepsake of the couple’s wedding invitation. You can either do it yourself based on the theme of the wedding or go to this company and they’ll do it for you. www.purpleraincoat.com Let your creativity get the best of you! The one below here is actually pretty lame, you can do better!!! Try shopping at stores like Michael's and JoAnne's. Visit the scrapbook section and pick out a nice paper to set as the background. From here just layer with solid colors, ribbons, whatever! The possibilities are endless!



3) A breakfast in bed kit. How fun! Include a bed-stand, some monogrammed napkins, waffle mix, a vase for flowers, etc. etc. The options are endless! You can get these trays online at Amazon, Costco or TVtraysource.com. The run on average between $40 and $50.


This fabulous breakfast in bed kit is a Beechwood foldable bed tray from tvtraysource.com and it's currently listed for $44.99!

4) Try making a personalized calendar. Places like Staples will let you send in pictures of the happy couple and they’ll make a calendar out of it! Be sure to include important dates like their wedding anniversary and major holidays! The staples kit starts at only $9.99!!! Totally cheap and totally original. Sounds like a win-win to me!



5) Make a family cookbook! Send an email around to members of the family and collect recipes. From there, put them in a nice book that’s either printed and bounded or hand-written and supply them with all the family recipes their little happy hearts could dream of! Use Zazzle for a more professional look or just buy a nice empty book/journal from Michael's, Wal-mart or Barnes and Noble—even a three-ring binder would do! Just be sure to doll it up!



There ya have it! Five easy presents to show you're gift goes beyond the housewares section at Macy's. Enjoy and remember BE CREATIVE!

Tagas says… No parking on the dance floor
Now what’s a wedding without dancing? Seriously… Nothing makes a wedding more awkward then when everyone sits around kind of staring at the dance floor, but not going anywhere near it. Since we happen to be professional DJ’s here at Tagas, here are the top five songs sure to get your party started!

Tagas Top 5 get-your-booty-on-the-dance-floor songs:

5) Low (apple bottom jeans)- Flo-Rida
4) Shout- by The Isley Brothers
3) Unchained Melody (or anything similar old and slow)- The Righteous Brothers
2) I Gotta Feeling- Black Eyed Peas
1) Cupid Shuffle by Cupid

Ok Ok Ok… Nobody wants to be the gushing bride whose skin is the same color as her dress, right? Well, while many of you were blessed with naturally dark skin, many of you, like myself, umm… were not. In fact, I’m about as naturally pale as they come. Sometimes I think I may actually be clear.

Either way, thanks to modern technology, there are ways to get a little tan without breaking the bank or frying ourselves in the sun for four hours a day. In fact, high-end tanning salons can almost guarantee you a little color for your big day in just a few short minutes. However, having worked at a tanning salon throughout my college days, I know there are many do’s and don’t’s of tanning that you should know before you start baking yourself in a human oven roaster… oops, I mean tanning bed.

So here goes:

DO:

• Use eye protection
o You have to be an idiot not to use eye protection. UV rays in tanning beds can be strong enough to damage your retinas, corneas or even develop cataracts, Be sure to make sure that your eye-wear is of high quality before you jump in a tanning bed. Usually, the eyewear they sell at salons are suitable.
• Use trusted tanning lotion brands
o Don’t use just any ho-hum tanning lotion brand. Read reviews! A good tanning lotion could really enhance your tan and protect you from burning.
• Know your skin type.
o At the tanning salon I worked at, we made you go through a skin analysis before we even let you near a bed. You need to know your skin type because depending on how light-skinned you are you should only be in a tanning bed for so long. For instance, I have a light peachy color of skin with a rose tint, therefore, any longer than 12 minutes in a tanning bed will burn me and ruin any chance of lasting color I was hoping to get. Don’t overindulge when you’re at the tanning salon, sometimes just a short amount of time can do a world of difference!
• Shop out tanning salons
o Don’t just go somewhere because they offer unlimited tanning for $18 a month. Make sure you shop around and find a salon that offers safe beds and has proper methods of sanitation. The last thing you want to do it lie down in a puddle of sweat left over from the 400 pound man who was in there before you! Also, make sure your salon of choice changes out the bulbs in their beds frequently. If not, you’ll find you could spend 12 hours in a bed without ever getting an ounce of color. You might as well be baking under a florescent light in a high school cafeteria at that point.
DON’T
• Tan completely naked.
o There are parts of your body that just aren’t meant for tanning. Tanning your genitals or breasts can actually harm you! Be sure to cover up these areas!
• Use perfumes, deodorants or makeup right before tanning
o These things can actually increase the chance of a burn!
• Tan more than 20 minutes
o Tanning beds are often very strong, so there is no need to tan for more than 20 minutes… unless you dig cancer…
• Sign a contract with a salon
o Don’t sign up for a membership unless you have used the salon for at least three tanning sessions prior. This way, you can see for yourself how the beds effect your skin, the salon’s level of customer service and how sanitary they keep their facility. Never get caught up in a contract you can’t keep! Remember, a lot of salons make you pay a HUGE fee to cancel your membership. My salon would charge upwards of $100!!!


SPRAY TANNING

Spray tanning always sounds like a great idea, but be weary—sometimes a good thing can go very, very bad.

Don’t get a spray tan for your big day unless you have gotten one before. Test the waters a few months before! Like I mentioned previously, I am very light-skinned, so when I get a spray tan I often come out looking dirty. I don’t know why this happens, but the spray tan makes my face look… icky—like I rolled around in the dirt and called it a tan. It’s also common to come out looking Umpa Lumpa-like and orange. Also, spray tans can go horribly wrong if applied incorrectly. A good friend of mine got a spray tan and it actually flaked off of her day-by-day leaving her with what looked like leprosy or some other kind of ancient skin disease. Be careful when getting a spray tan and make sure to try it out months in advance to your actual wedding day. If it works for you, than by all means DO IT! It can save you from harmful UV rays!!!!

Once upon a time there was a little girl that dreamed of having a purse. So one day after saving up her money, she went to the Dollar Tree. At the Dollar Tree, she sifted around through all of the off-brand candy and faulty products and found a glorious, sparkly pink, plastic purse for only ONE DOLLAR. She was so excited to find a bargain that she purchased it right away!

The next day when she was walking her dog with her sparkly pink Dollar Tree purse, a swift wind flew by and all of a sudden, the strap of her purse broke off! Oh no! Then she cried.

Later on, she thought, “Hmm, I still need a purse.” So she got in her car and went to her local Wal-Mart. After battling the crowds of anxious shoppers all trying to “Save Money and Live Better,” she found another glorious sale on a shiny black, tote bag. It was only $4.99! She bought it right away!

But two weeks later, the tote bag snagged and had a HUGE hole in the bottom. She was SO ANGRY! Why couldn’t she find a quality purse???? She called up her mom furious and said, “MOM, why on Earth can I not find a quality purse?” Her mom then replied, “Because you get what you pay for, DUH!”

So the little girl saved up her money one more time. But this time, she went to the Coach store and got a beautiful leather handbag, with complementing wallet and coin purse. That Coach bag lasted her for the rest of her life. WOW.

Now let’s review. What is the moral of the story? You get what you pay for. While it may seem like a good idea to go with the cheapest option, eventually it will come back to prove why it originated at that low price. I encourage all of you, dear readers, to consider this when booking your DJ. Just like a sparkly pink purse can appear to be a great deal, so can that dude with the speakers in the back of his car. Don’t be led astray! He may end up playing the Macarena 40 times and insulting your mother-in-law. So be wary of something that’s “too good to be true,” because chances are, it probably is. Here at Tagas, we like to think of ourselves as the Coach store of good DJ-ing. You WON’T be disappointed and we’ll even wear something leather if you absolutely insist.

The end.

Marisa and Kevin's Wedding from Tagas Entertainment on Vimeo.

Ask me anything http://formspring.me/DJTagas

In case you didn’t get the memo, Tagas is movin on up…. To the East side… err… actually the West side… of Orlando, that is.
Either way, we brought in the new office with a party hardy, Tagas style, and it was certainly an event to remember. The grand opening of this new facility is a big step for Tagas and certainly a new beginning to a long life full of bringing the “funk,” as Bossman Tagas would say, to your events.
So come visit us! We’re open Tuesday through Thursday 11 am to 7pm, Friday 11 am to 5 pm and Saturday, Sunday and Monday by appointment only. So, uh, what are you waiting for? Make an appointment or just drop by! DO ITTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTT.
But in the meantime, check out our new sweet crib and the fabulous festivities we hosted inside.

Welcome to Casa ala Tagas! If we can make a parking lot glow imagine what else we can do. The new location is 8600 Commodity Circle, Suite 126 Orlando, FL 32819. HOLLA!

More deliciousity. Yes, I made up that word because food from Big City Catering makes my mouth water and start to make up words to describe its fantasmication. We know how to keep it classy people.

Some fabulously yummy treats provided by Big City Catering.

Glow tables just add such a nice touch…. Kind of wishing I had one of these beverages RIGHT NOW. I wish I had one of these in my bedroom at all times. Let’s make it happen Bryan.

For all those who sit in front of the boob tube, it’s no secret that it’s awards season. Yes the gowns are lovely and it’s paparazzi warfare, but who doesn’t love taking home an award, right??? Well fortunately, it seems to be that way for Tagas lately as well!!!
Granted, we aren’t taking home Golden Globes, but we were just voted the 2010 Best of Weddings in the DJ category by the TheKnot.com

And just last night…

We were voted as the 2010, 5 Carat Diamond Award winner for Best Entertainment Company in Central Florida by Central Florida Bride Magazine!!!

We are so honored to be your number one and we look forward to a new year full of even better work to come!