Creative Director Damian Ramos of Genesis Events creates the wedding day party you envision.
Image courtesy of Genesis Events
You may not realize it at first, but so much of your wedding day vibe is determined by your DJ – from music choice, to booth set ups, and even fun details like lighting effects, your DJ is responsible for creating an ideal celebratory atmosphere.
Damian Ramos of BOLI Preferred Vendor Genesis Events understands his company’s important role in your day. That’s why they collaborate with every couple for a fully customized experience, so that it matches the wedding day you’ve always pictured – whether it’s sophisticated and chic, or epic and outrageous.
“I saw an underserved portion of the market.”
When presented with an unfulfilling alternative, Damian recognized his true passion in life. “I realized after doing a college internship that I wasn’t interested in office jobs,” he remembered. “I would throw parties for friends in college, and I was putting more attention into that than actual schoolwork. I had an uncle in the field, doing weddings in Queens and some in Long Island, and he brought me into the industry. We started the company in 2009.”
Filling a noticeable gap powered his business motivations. “I saw an underserved portion of the market, which was younger brides that didn’t want your ‘traditional’ weddings. They wanted a more high-energy kind of wedding. As a minority-owned company, we understand the importance of having access to a culturally authentic wedding experience.”
Image courtesy of Genesis Events
“We don’t outsource anything, we do everything in-house.”
Genesis Events’ offerings include personable and professional DJs and MCs, of course. But that just scratches the surface of what they can bring to your party. “We offer live musicians like sax players, percussionists, violinists, and acoustic guitars. And then everything that goes with dance music – lighting, dance floors, and photobooths.”
Most importantly, they offer customized set ups that seamlessly integrate with your theme. “We don’t outsource anything, we do everything in-house,” Damian explained. “We custom-build the DJ set ups and façades, we have customized DJ booths with the bride and groom’s names on them, we tailor everything to the decor. So if your theme is rustic, we have a rustic style booth. If it’s black-tie, we have a sleek all black booth. We specifically tailor everything for each event, so that the set ups are never the same.”
Image courtesy of Genesis Events
“We’ll usually have a margarita and plan the wedding.”
When a client books with Genesis Events, Damian’s team begins the planning process with an in-depth questionnaire. “There’s two big parts of it,” he described. “What they want to avoid, what they’ve seen that they don’t like. Then after that, I’ll ask for genres, maybe songs they already know they want for the ceremony or the cocktail hour – all the good stuff.”
Next, Damian and his team will meet you in person to discuss specifics – with a little twist. “We’ll sit down and play songs, where things will start and where things will end, where we’ll cue songs from at certain points. We’ll usually have a margarita and plan the wedding. It’s a fun little weekday night. I want clients to be in the same mood they’ll be in for the wedding. I always say, you’re looking for something different from your DJ than your accountant!”
Image courtesy of Genesis Events
“There were two very different families together on the dance floor.”
With almost two decades in the industry, a few special experiences stand out in Damian’s mind. “There was one wedding where the dad booked everything for them, and he was very serious,’ Damian remembered. “He didn’t want anyone to bother him. Even on our paperwork it said ‘don’t bother dad.’ So during the wedding, the music’s going, and I start to hang out with dad a little bit. He had a few drinks, he loosened up, and eventually he’s doing backspins on the dance floor. I grabbed his legs and I was spinning him around! His daughter came up to me and said ‘I’ve never seen him like that, that’s amazing.’”
A second memory involved uniting two very different cultures. “We get a lot of weddings that are mixed, and they’re polar opposites. One of our first was where the couple was from Bangladesh and the Dominican Republic. Very opposite in terms of music and culture. And they were concerned because they didn’t want it to feel like two different weddings. So I said ‘okay, we’re going to play the music a little quicker, and stick to the high energy versions of the songs.’ There was a little Bollywood, a little Merengue. And there were two very different families together on the dance floor – the Bangladesh side doing the Merengue, and the Domincans super into Bollywood. It was really cool.”
Image courtesy of Genesis Events
“You want the ‘wants’ to be worth it.”
While Damian understands that budget is a major consideration for most brides, he stresses another factor that should take priority when selecting your vendors. “Chemistry with your vendor is so important, because you’re going to be spending this important day with them. It should be your number one concern – chemistry with the vendor themselves.”
He continued, “At the end of the day, this is all a ‘want,’ not a ‘need.’ And you want the ‘wants’ to be worth it. Obviously you have to have a realistic budget, but it’s better for you to go all in and really get exactly what you want, as opposed to spending less and having it not even be close to what you want. Why even spend the money at that point?”
Image courtesy of Genesis Events
