beach

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Angela and Kristofer’s Dance Party - Hotel Del Coronado Wedding

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A perfect Southern California late afternoon for a perfect Coronado wedding, right on the beach. 

Angela and Kris celebrated their wedding day at the always majestic Hotel Del Coronado in Coronado, California. They took full advantage of having a Southern California wedding with a ceremony right on the sands of Coronado Beach.

The evening continued with an oceanside cocktail hour and experience (literally … a dining room was created on the beach by event decorators Platinum Pro) and finally moving inside the hotel for a dance party to conclude the night.

Angela and Kris were great to work with. Congratulations!

The party got off to a fast start since each couple in their wedding party walked/danced out to their own song … the last of which was Montell Jordan’s “This Is How We Do It.” And really, if you cannot get hyped up to that, then you don’t really need to be near a dance floor.

I provided DJ service, dance floor lighting and the slow motion video booth. The dance party included two bars, drinks and candy, to keep the guests filled with spirits and sugar.

After spending a considerable amount of time on the beach, the dance party inside was just two hours long. So it was a lot of quick hits so I could get in as much as I could.

Here’s their setlist:
Montell Jordan - This Is How We Do It
Usher - Yeah (Wedding Crasherz Break)
House of Pain - Old School Jump Off
Britney Spears, Iggy Azalea - Pretty Girls (Select Mix Remix)
George Clinton - Atomic Dog (Hot Classics Remix)
Kool & the Gang - Celebration
KC & The Sunshine Band - Boogie Shoes (Hot Classics Remix)
Marky Mark & The Funky Bunch - Good Vibrations (Select Mix Remix)
Whitney Houston - How Will I Know (Select Mix Remix)
Mariah Carey - Emotions (Select Mix Remix)
Boyz II Men - Motownphilly
Bell Biv Devoe - Poison
Eazy-E - We Want Eazy
Notorious B.I.G. - Hypnotize
Skee-Lo - I Wish (Select Mix Remix)
Next - Too Close
Backstreet Boys - I Want it That Way
Marvin Gaye - Sexual Healing
Silento - Watch Me
Chromeo - Jealous (I Ain't With It)
Aerosmith - Walk This Way
AC/DC - You Shook Me All Night Long (Short Edit)
Journey - Don't Stop Believin (Intro Clean)
Major Lazer & DJ Snake f./MO - Lean On
The Weeknd - Can't Feel My Face (Select Mix Remix)
Marcia Griffiths - Electric Boogie
Al Green - Let's Stay Together
Flo Rida f./Sage The Gemini - GDFR (Goin' Down For Real) (Promo Only Clean Edit)

Bouquet/Garters Toss
Jagged Edge - Where The Party At
V.I.C. - Wobble

Last Dance
OMI & Felix Jahen - Cheerleader (DjGogos Remix) (Clean)

Vendor Team:
DJ: Justin Kanoya, DJ Kanoya Productions
Venue: Hotel Del Coronado
Florals & Design: Platinum Pro
Wedding Coordinator: Emily Smiley Fine Weddings & Soirees
Photographer: The Youngrens
Slow Motion Video Booth: DJ Kanoya Productions

Other events hosted by DJ Kanoya Productions at the Hotel del Coronado

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Newsflash: Same-Sex Wedding Photographs Look Like Every Other Wedding

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A fairly popular hashtag on social media in recent months has been #loveislove, a mantra that was linked to the Supreme Court decision that made gay marriage legal throughout the United States. 

On the surface, the tag made sense to me, because love is love. What else would it be?

As an MC at hundreds of weddings in the past decade, I've witnessed love first hand. Seriously, I don't know if two people have ever been more in love with each other than on their wedding day. It is love defined.

Same-sex marriage was legalized in California in early 2008, then was rescinded in the November 2008 election. The proposition that made same-sex marriage illegal in that election was thrown out in 2013 and since then -- and up until the nationwide ban was lifted -- California was one of the states where same-sex marriage was legal.

However it was not until 2015, coincidentally about one month before the Supreme Court decision was made, that I MC'd my first same-sex wedding in San Diego at the Hotel Del Coronado.

And yes, there is a difference. It was two men getting married. That's different than the previous 300 or so weddings I have been privileged to be a part of.

But the one thing that was not different ... love. Because, yes, love is love. 

Sure, there are things I had to be mindful of, like being mindful to not to say "bride and groom" (in general, just say the couples first names); asking politely which last name I would use for their introduction (the same thing I would ask any couple); and being non-chalant when inquiring if there would be a best man and maid of honor (just ask who will be making up your wedding party).

This idea is illustrated perfectly in this photo essay. Twenty-two wedding photos. Twenty-two gay couples that are in love with each other.

Brian and Todd are toasted at the wedding on the beach in Coronado. They celebrated their wedding at the Hotel Del Coronado in May 2015.

This concept that love is indeed love finally struck me when I saw my couple, Brian and Todd, standing side-by-side as they listened to their friend give his toast. There they were, standing next to each other, basking in the euphoria that this was their wedding day. They were surrounded by people they love and people that love them back equally.

Until that moment, I will admit, I saw them as two guys ... as a gay couple. But at that moment, surrounded by love, they were not "just two gay guys" ... they were like every other couple on their wedding day.

They were two people in love. The gender didn't matter.

 Love knows no boundaries. It was "love is love" personified.

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Brian and Todd’s Dance Party - Hotel Del Coronado Wedding

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Brian and Todd took full advantage of a Southern California wedding setting by having their entire Coronado wedding on the beach at the Hotel del Coronado. The ceremony, cocktail hour, dinner and dancing all taking place on the famed white sands of Coronado Beach.

Brian and Todd commit to a life together in  a beach wedding at the Hotel Del Coronado. 

It was a spectacular evening, "love is love" at its finest. 

With many guests visiting from out of town, family and friends enjoyed a perfect late spring day into evening that concluded with a great set of dancing.

Here is their setlist:

First Dance
Beyonce - At Last

Dinner Music
Ellie Goulding - Love Me Like You Do
Craig David - Officially Yours
Tupac - Tupac Tribute Medley
Joss Stone - Super Duper
Aloe Blacc - The Man
Justin Timberlake - Not A Bad Thing (Promo Only Clean Edit)
Ingrid Michaelson - Boys Chase GirlsBeyonce - Love on top
Allen Stone - Your Eyes
Eric Hutchinson - Back To Where I Was
Michael Jackson - Rock with You
Luther Vandross - Never Too Much (Radio Edit)
Mindi Abair - Save Tonight
Justin Timberlake - Take Back The Night (Promo Only Clean Edit)
Mutya Buenya - Real Girl
S.W.V. - Right Here (Human Nature Duet) [Select Mix Remix]
Mary J Blige - Real Love (Intro Clean)
Mark Morrison - Return Of The Mack (Intro Clean)
LL Cool J - Doin It
Taylor Swift vs Lauryn Hill - Blank Space (DJ Skillz Throwback Blend) (Short Edit)Lauryn Hill - Doo Wop (That Thing)
Levert - Casanova
Tears for Fears - Everybody Wants to Rule the World
Wham! - Everything She Wants (Extended)
Jay-Z - Change Clothes
Awa & Anuhea - Perfect Day (feat. Anuhea)
Colbie Caillat - Hold On
Ariana Grande - One Last Time
Mindi Abair - The Joint

Open Dancing
Al Green - Let's Stay Together
Jackson 5 - I Want You Back
Natalie La Rose f./Jeremih - Somebody
Usher - Yeah
Katy Perry - Firework
Chromeo - Jealous (I Ain't With It)
Mark Ronson f./Bruno Mars - Uptown Funk
Michael Jackson & Justin Timberlake - Love Never Felt So Good (Wedding Crasherz Party Break)
Maroon 5 ft Nicki Minaj - Sugar (Remix) (Intro Clean)
Journey - Don't Stop Believin (Intro Clean)
Madonna - Holiday
The Jets - Crush On You (Select Mix Remix)
Ariana Grande, Zedd - Break Free (Select Mix Remix)
Michael Jackson - Wanna Be Startin' Something
Marvin Gaye - Got To Give It Up (Hot Classics Remix)
Earth Wind & Fire - September
Sam Smith - I'm Not The Only One (Nathan Scott Remix) (Short Edit)
Britney Spears - I'm A Slave 4 U
Mariah Carey - Emotions (Select Mix Remix)
Boyz II Men - Motownphilly

Last Dance
Walk The Moon - Shut Up And Dance

Vendor Team
DJ/Master of Ceremonies: Justin Kanoya, DJ Kanoya Productions
Venue: Hotel Del Coronado

Other events hosted by DJ Kanoya Productions at the Hotel Del Coronado