My worst experience as a live DJ as a favor to a friend for her birthday party, was having people come up and ask for song after song from Stevie Wonder's new double lp, "Songs in the Key of Life", and then having others come up and insist that I stop playing Steve Wonder. You couldn't win no matter what you did!

We hired a DJ from a bridal show for our reception, so he was supposedly a professional, and familiar with the routine. We didn't give him a complete playlist, but we did give him (in advance) a few special songs that we wanted to make sure he played. We didn't hear about it until later--I guess he waited until we were in the next room at the buffet, or something--but people told us he was making (amplified) cracks about our musical tastes, telling everybody "Hey, this stuff wasn't my idea!!" Well, umm, no--it was the idea of the people you were paying to be here. If that's a problem, you're in the wrong line of work.

The thing that pissed me off the most was that nobody told us about it until AFTER we'd given him a generous tip!!

Probably not what you're looking for, but good DJs are good and bad DJs are bad.  After that, it's all about good business practices.

Unfortunately, for the kind of DJing/MCing that you're going into, it's all about boring, uninterested, vanilla, homogeneous crowd pleasing with standards like YMCA and The Macarena. 

If you care about and love music, all I can say is I'm sorry.  Since you're starting a service oriented business, however, all I should say is that the customer is always right.

Give 'em what they want (which will be nearly universal in these kinds of events...you'll develop a standard set for weddings, another for the ___mitzas, another for sweet 16 parties, etc and you'll not need to infuse many new songs once you do so). 

If you do, they'll come back for their next 2 weddings as well (which could be a streaming source of constant new business when you factor in both parties to the wedding and their new spouses at each of these additional weddings...).

Good luck.

Working with a great DJ is the best thing ever! They know how to read the crowd and act appropriately to keep the evening moving along. Its hard to pinpoint exactly what makes them so great - good/fun personalities but it is so easy to pinpoint the bad qualities!! I would have to say a bad DJ uses the evening as an open mic night - cracking jokes, giving his own commercial and constantly "updating" the crowd with un-important information. Good luck with your business!!

This location probably doesn't fit your needs, as I think it requires pre-planning, but I recently attended a private party at Urban Light Studios, and was thoroughly charmed by the place. http://urbanlightstudios.com/ Honestly, one wouldn't know it's there. Just a glass door near 85th and Greenwood. Then you have to walk down a hallway to get to the space. But what fun awaits. I kept thinking it would made for a great quirky wedding location. There are several rooms, each with their own design/aesthetic. And there's an unfinished basement that was set up for karaoke at the party I attended, which was perfect.

But there are several nice choices at the different Seattle Parks. I've attended lovely weddings at Camp Long in West Seattle. It's an indoor space that can hold around 100 folks (from memory) and wasn't too expensive (which is a relative term, I know. But my pals wanted some space for less than $1000 and they said that this was definitely lower than their budget). And Daybreak Star at Discovery Park is a lovely lovely space. It's probably not so cheap, however, as it's BIG. But, as it's already in Discovery Park, you could always try to Flash Mob a wedding in there. It is generally open to the public unless it's booked for a private event. But I'd be prepared to be done in 15 minutes or risk getting busted/asked to leave (which might make for a fun wedding story, at least). Good luck.

I like the Fremont Troll suggestion for completely free and public space that is out of the rain. I've never noticed a pee smell (ewww). Had pals in the Balagan production of "Taming of the Shrew" that was performed at the troll. So spent several hours there seeing Shakespeare, and none of us seemed to have a smell issue.

Seattle Parks website lets you search by feature. Here are the MANY results from the "wedding venue" feature. http://www.seattle.gov/parks/search_byfeature.asp?ftr=9&searchSUBMIT=GO! But those probably require reservation and payment. Here's the search site, so you can do some sleuthing on your own. http://www.seattle.gov/parks/feature_search.htm

Magnolia Park has a lovely view and isn't always very crowded. They have reservable covered picnic area, so that's maybe an option (depending on how small your group is). It's just some picnic tables and BBQ grills under cover, but could provide an option, and does have a gorgeous view and a decent parking area. Also it's close to Discovery Park. I think your best bet may to plan a research trip and drive to all the parks that have reservable picnic areas, to check whether they are covered and the view. Then you can put in a reservation for that picnic space, if it rains. Congratulations and good luck!

The private dining room at Black Bottle is inexpensive, accessible, private and pretty. We had our rehearsal dinner there, and I bet they'd welcome a ceremony. There are lots of private dining rooms in the city that are generally pretty inexpensive. Maybe ask your favorite art gallery, cafe or restaurant if they'd accommodate a quick ceremony during off-hours?

I would suggest the Asian Art Museum in Volunteer Park because it is a beautiful place in a beautiful setting and can be both indoors and out.

Here are some previous Q&A about weddings, but things change so you may want to ask them again and see what new options there are and whether any have dropped from the list (some of these are quite old).

Congratulations.

http://questionland.com/questions/15221-cool-wedding-venues

http://questionland.com/questions/17916-wedding-venue-locations-in-seattle-for-a-small-party

http://questionland.com/questions/2512-good-seattle-reception-hall-banquet-facility-for-100-people

http://questionland.com/questions/12968-good-really-cheap-place-to-have-a-wedding

http://questionland.com/questions/7158-what-are-some-good-places-in-seattle-to-shop-for-wedding-dresses

http://questionland.com/questions/14970-lets-talk-about-wedding-cakes

http://questionland.com/questions/8669-wedding-photographers-in-seattle

http://questionland.com/questions/10914-what-are-good-songs-to-put-on-a-mix-for-a-wedding-to-get-people-dancing

http://questionland.com/questions/12014-i-need-to-get-wedding-bands-you-know-rings

If it is a total downpour you should do it in front of the Fremont Troll under the overpass.

Maybe...I get weirdly anxious about internet and real life meeting. But maybe...

I'm in. I like the Bremerton ferry idea, but something in Seattle would work for me too.

No way! Every time I come to Questionland I think, "Gee, it would be awesome to meet this amazing Russ fella. Too bad it'll never happen because he exists only in cyberspace."

So... sign me up! Maybe there will be other groovetacular peeps there, too.

I am truly terrible at sticking to plans, but if the group as a whole decides to do something in Seattle and I'm feeling well enough, I would absolutely love to meet everybody (or at least everybody who shows up!). The ferry ride sounds like fun in theory, but is probably a bit ambitious for both the time of year and our current stage of evolution in real-world interactions. I agree with asteria that it'd be nice to have an inside option if the weather is foul.

I'll be in town! I'm in.

Russ, I think this is a great idea and I'm interested in meeting up "IRL" as the kids say. But can you edit your question? I totally didn't get that you were asking for input on a QL meetup based on the question alone - something like "Qland Birthday Meet-up April 1: Who's in?" (Is it too late to edit? Maybe the Gnome could help with that?)

While I love the idea of QLanders mobbing a ferry ride, I think it's too much of a time & money commitment for most people, even if we immediately came back to Seattle. I would suggest the West Seattle Water Taxi as an alternative cruise, but it doesn't run on the weekends till later in April.

Downtown or very close to downtown is best for me, unless people are interested in meeting in West Seattle, because I'll be busing. Seattle Center works for me, but I would rather meet somewhere with an indoor option - something like a restaurant or meeting room with a patio, if people want to have an outdoor option. I just have my doubts that the weather is going to be nice enough to meet by the fountain, and I can't think of anything indoors close by except the Center House, which is not a place I would want to meet up unless it's been remodeled.

What about a cafe or restaurant? Someplace where people wouldn't be obligated to buy something but could just hang out, and someplace Marty's kids would be welcome. I'm totally busy with finals right now; I would offer to check around for options but I don't have time right now. Especially since I've been procrastinating on Qland so much. :)

Thanks for suggesting this Russ. I think the Seattle Center fountain idea is great. It'll be a much easier sell to my wife and kids as well.

I've been turned away from "black tie"/"ultraformal" dress-code events for not wearing a tux. It has a specific meaning ;)

Black Tie does usually mean tuxedo for men (there might be a handful of nice black suits, but they'll definitely be the minority!!).

While Black Tie implies full length gown or skirt for ladies, dress code rules always seem to be more fluid for female attire. Yay! I work at several black tie events in Seattle each year, and easily half of the attendees will be in nice cocktail dresses. Even though this isn't Seattle based, as long as your dress is nice/classy, I don't think it will matter if it is knee length, etc.

Tom is right that these events can be a great chance to show off some amazing jewelry pieces, but it doesn't have to be diamonds/expensive. I've a LOVE for vintage jewelry and have some amazing rhinestone pieces. These events give me a chance to wear some gorgeous sparkles (that only cost $25 to $50 at an antique market).

Presumably, as you're traveling to this wedding, you're close to the bride or groom. I'd think this is something you could ask them, if you're concerned about having the only shorter skirt length. But it seems to me, ESPECIALLY if you're paying to travel for their wedding, that they wouldn't expect you or want you to have to buy a new dress, too. *smile*

I waited for a good first answer to occur that spoke from personal experience, thank you Tom.

Like some questions here, this sent me off reading to improve my own knowledge on a subject. I perused a couple of websites and wanted to point them out. But that is the perpetual complaint here about 'googling' something for someone else. Still they are worth looking at:

Obviously: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Black_tie

From the man's perspective only: http://www.blacktieguide.com/

But the next answer is prompted by the fact that most invitations come from family, friends or folks we know, or rather that we usually know some of the players involved in the event. I think your best resource is to make friendly queries of others attending and find out what they are planning for wardrobe. That way you are assured of hitting the common mark of dress.

The best tact is to plan your outfits together so that you and your escort look fabulous together. J and I attended a family wedding last year (afternoon on beautiful renovated rented farm and grounds) with some rather broad formal descriptions for dress included in the invitation. We planned our look to go with a kind of Gatsby afternoon garden event. I in white coat and dark bow tie and brown slacks and straw hat (parts rented), she in a beautiful teal dress with gathered bodice and some beading from France (Ebay with shipping less than $60) and period hat and bag (other inexpensive rentals and Ebay purchase). I turned out to be the only one dressed in white but we complemented each other so well that people came up to us continually to comment on how nice we looked (including bride and groom). Get some info from others and then plan a coordinated look and you can't go wrong.

I make it a point not to include full face shots of myself and significant other here, but can't resist showing this photo I snapped of J observing the pre-wedding photo shoot happening on the front lawn and porch.

Too late to help this year, but I've found that the Pioneer Square scene has the most crowds/craziness. You also get more frat boys than I enjoy partying with, but still. The New Orleans restaurant (114 First Avenue South) always has a great band and some decent food/drink specials. It's been a decade or so since the Pioneer Square crowds got so out of hand people were severely beaten and at least one person died. It was super bad news. The ghosts of that evening still hang around, and police keep crowds from partying in the street now.

If you're just looking for a New Orleans music club ATMOSPHERE, all year round, the Highway 99 Blues Club is fantastic. http://highway99blues.com/ The vibe here is lovely. "Red House" (a local band of artists who have been doing this for years and have the chops to prove it) is always a solid choice. They've even got a Zydeco band coming next week. There are many tables and chairs, a nice dance floor to the side of the stage.

For Mardi Gras celebrations, in general, almost every bar/dance club will try to capitalize on this event (same goes for St Patrick's Day, Cinco de Mayo, etc). I imagine you'd find beads and masks, and maybe Hurricane drink specials, at most places.

Seattle is too Lutheran. Catholics, being the least Christian of the Christians, can throw it down like no other cult. Not enough Catholics in Seattle. Caliente-Picante Catholics, anyway. Ain't much of a mardi gras in Ireland where it's just a particularly depressing beginning to a particularly depressing month and a half.

Now excuse me while I go flagellate myself.

Here is a list of places around the state that are hosting parties tonight:

http://washingtonunitedformarriage.org/join-us-to-celebrate-history/

Lobby Bar on Capitol Hill is hosting party and are R Place, Neighbors, Diesel, Wild Rose and The Grill on Broadway.

This is not going to be the answer you are seeking, and it does not address the location you are interested in. However, as you are a new registrant here and possibly unfamiliar with Seattle history, you might want to be aware of an event in the recent past concerning this celebratory day. This might help you to understand how police might be carefully monitoring public activity to ensure the safety of citizens.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Seattle_Mardi_Gras_Riots

Mars Hill promotes an interesting brand of macho, misogynistic Christianity in which Jesus is depicted as an uber-manly badass, and women are encouraged to submit to their husbands in everything (pastor Mark Driscoll went so far as to claim that it's "demonic" when a woman won't put out for her husband).

Antioch Bible Church, led by Pastor Ken Hutcherson is one of the most extreme churches in the region. They HATE HATE HATE HATE the gays.

Tierras del Sol is a fantastic place, the very last "hotel" (really just a handful of rooms and a palapa) on the road before you enter the Sian Ka'an nature reserve, but they are tiny and when I checked their prices have gone WAY up since we were there.

Ana y Jose's is probably where most wedding parties head to, but they too are expensive. Really, all the hotels along the strip south from the ruins are fantastic. We saw weddings there.

Oh, wait, you said "all-inclusive". Ergh. I'm not a fan of all-inclusives, because there is so much more to Mexico than steam-table buffets. But I guess if you're going to the Tulum area it doesn't matter TOO much, since the restaurant options along the beach road are somewhat limited.

Do make an effort to get out of the bubble, though -- the puebla or town of Tulum, up on the highway (just past the turnoff to the beach road) is an interesting place to walk around. I STRONGLY recommend taking at least one organized tour, at the very minimum a visit to a couple of cenotes (freshwater swimming holes opened up when the thin limestone crust of the Yucatan caved in). We also did an amazing walk and float through the three lagoons in Sian Ka'an, arranged out of the Weary Traveler hostel in the puebla. Your hotel should also be able to set you up with something.

As I've never stayed at them, I can't recommend one, but when we went I found the forums at playa.info and tulum.info to be extremely helpful. They're the same people; playa.info is for Playa del Carmen, but gets the bulk of the Tulum discussion as well. They have a whole section for All-inclusives. Do a search for "wedding" and dig around a little. Most of the people who post there heavily are American ex-pats or frequent visitors who really know their stuff.

If you're really bored, you can read my entire "Trip Report" that I posted back in 2005, before I knew anything about anything. I don't actually get to Tulum until Page Three. There's not a lot in there that speaks to your needs, but you might laugh.

http://www.playa.info/playa-del-carmen-forum/12969-where-i-went-holiday-trip-report.html

Even if this comes off as a "flash mob" for a couple of group photos, you've got some great ideas.

I'd like to see something get planned. You've got about two months to pull this together.

There is an amusement park between Seattle and Tacoma ( it's got roller coasters and a water park) if you're driving from Seattle to Tacoma it's on the left side of the freeway. Don't know if it's open this time of year, but it's the only one I've seen in the area.