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6 min read

Q&A With DJ Robin of Ventura, California

Q&A With DJ Robin of Ventura, California

We first met Robin Sanford of Lime-Light Entertainment back in 2007, after spotting her talent in a local karaoke club in Ventura, CA. Lime-Light Entertainment has been a premier partner of Wedgewood Weddings ever since, offering DJ and Emcee services at our Ventura County wedding venues. It’s truly been an honor to work with Robin over the years and watch her business thrive. Her professionalism is unparalleled, and she continues to push the limits on what it means to be a wedding Emcee and DJ in Southern California. Put on your favorite tunes and settle in for an exciting Q&A with Ventura’s favorite DJ!

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Thanks for joining us, Robin! We’re excited to learn more about you. Let’s start with a bit of a history lesson. How has your business evolved to the version it is today? 

I guess you could say it all started on my 21st birthday when I performed an enthusiastic version of “The Joker” by The Steve Miller Band at a karaoke bar in Tucson, AZ. There was something about the music, the crowd, the energy that grabbed me—I was hooked. A few years later, I packed up my bags and headed to Southern California with a dream to become the next big karaoke DJ.

After landing in Ventura, and working on my craft, I officially launched Lime-Light Entertainment in 1994, specializing in DJ and Karaoke for parties and events around Ventura, Santa Barbara, and Los Angeles counties. I even won the coveted title of “KJ of the Year” in 1999-2000. 

Lime-Light Entertainment has since evolved into a thriving, award-winning entertainment business offering DJ, Karaoke & Emcee services for parties, weddings, and corporate events. I love that we’ve become a channel for brides and grooms, friends and families, businesses, and communities to connect through music.

That’s what it’s all about for me.  I continue to develop myself and my craft with each year of business and musical influence. 

 

You’ve been a premier partner of ours for a long time! How has working with Wedgewood Weddings helped your business?

I officially joined as a Wedgewood Weddings partner in 2007 as the in-house DJ/MC at the former Buenaventura location. I am so grateful for that opportunity, as it really opened the door for me to start entertaining at weddings and larger private events. I love that the Zaruka family and the entire Wedgewood Weddings crew have continued to support me throughout the years, creating a foundation for me and my business to thrive. I’ve since expanded to support all of Ventura County for Wedgewood Weddings, and it’s been such a wonderful partnership.

 

Do you have a favorite wedding moment? 

Yes! There are two moments in particular that get me every single time.

First, I love a traditional First Look, when a bride or groom is walking down the aisle to their soon-to-be-spouse, and they lock eyes for the first time. Everyone loves this moment, but there’s an element that’s special for me, and that’s the music. I love when a carefully selected song is perfectly timed with each footstep, building up the anticipation, and then crescendos when the first look finally takes hold. Everyone’s breath is taken away, the crowd falls silent, and the music fades seamlessly as the couple unites at the altar. 

Second, I love a really great speech or toast. Speeches that are thoughtful, sweet, appropriately playful, and maybe even a little roasty without being offensive, are my favorite. I particularly love hearing words of wisdom from loved ones who have been trusted friends for many years. And as weird as it sounds, I love the tears! I love the raw, emotional, authentic vulnerability of human beings expressing their love and appreciation for each other.

 

What’s your best advice for newly married couples?

A sense of humor is vital. Flexibility is key. Being happy is more important than being right. Enjoy the journey. Don’t take yourself too seriously. Don’t sweat the small stuff.

 

Where do you see your business in five years?

The goal right now is to keep doing what we do with love, integrity, and honesty. I’d like to see modest growth with a focus on excellence and customer happiness. 

I would love to have a third "Best in Sound" award on my shelf, from the annual Wedgewood Weddings Award Banquet. As the company continues to grow, new DJs join the family, and the competition has gotten steep! I love a good challenge though, and it’s an honor to work alongside a team of excellent vendors. When I’m able to consistently place in the top percentile, that's a reward in itself. 

Another thing that’s so simple, but so so important to me, is expanding my collection of happy reviews by clients and partners that I’ve had the privilege of working with over the years. These reviews help to grow my business, and they communicate that the work I do is meaningful to people’s lives. 

 

This Wedding Sucks by Robin SanfordWe hear that you’ve published a book! Will you tell us about it?

Of course! It’s called This Wedding Sucks! —a humorous guide to wedding planning, teaching couples how to avoid weird, awkward, and tacky wedding moments. 

 

Do you have any great wedding stories that have stuck with you?

There was a wedding I worked in 2019 at Pacific View Tower in Oxnard that I truly will never forget. It was a beautiful day for a beach ceremony, just steps to the ocean, with blue skies and only a few clouds. The couple hired someone with a trained hawk to fly in during the ceremony, perch on top of the wedding arch, and deliver the wedding rings. Afterward, it was supposed to fly right back to the trainer. This hawk had a mind of its own, however, and loitered on the arch for several minutes as the ceremony proceeded. While it didn’t quite go according to plan, it was a humorous moment, and everyone felt like it made the ceremony a little more special. 

 

How would you describe your DJ personality? 

I’m flexible, quick-witted, reliable, detail-oriented, and quick to communicate. Humor is infused into everything that I do, but I am also sensitive to difficult or emotional moments where a more serious touch is needed. My priority is excellence in service and customer happiness, so clients that I work with can expect to receive my full, undivided attention when we are working together. The day is all about the couple saying I do I’m just there to provide the soundtrack to the best day of their lives.

 

What are the best types of clients to work with?

I really enjoy working with couples who are genuinely grateful and joyful human beings. When couples come in and you can see love personified in the way they treat each other, their friends, their family, and vendors that's a gift. 

I've had the opportunity to work with so many amazing couples who have incredible backstories: couples who have almost lost each other because of car accidents, cancer battles, military deployment, and so on. These stories make great clients because they’re focused more on the love, and less on the production of the event. 

One of my favorite client love stories is that of two high school sweethearts who drifted away because they had different dreams. They both went on to live separate lives, get married, start families . . . until later in life when both were widowed, and they reconnected on social media. Watching them exchange their vows, after almost a lifetime apart, was one of the sweetest moments I’ve ever witnessed. 

 

How specific should couples be when planning their wedding music? 

In my opinion, the best wedding music is created when the couple gives clear and specific guidance but also leaves some creative freedom to the DJ to adjust to the energy of the event.

I always recommend that couples start with two lists: a Do Play, and a Do Not Play list. Those two lists alone will communicate a lot about a couple’s musical preferences and ensure we cover all the basics. From there, focus on style and ambiance. Should dinner be quiet and elegant, or a little more upbeat? Should the dance party be focused on formal, slow dances or fast-paced 80’s dance jams? 

Ultimately, I’m your musical guard dog! I will make sure that the tunes reflect your personality, culture, and preferences.

 

I have to ask . . . Do you have a favorite first dance song?

Oh man! It changes each year . . . But there are a couple of tracks that still choke me up if I had to choose. Those would be "Free" by Zac Brown Band and "From the Ground Up" by Dan + Shay. 

 

Do you have any advice for those giving toasts and speeches?

Speak from your heart. Don't apologize for being emotional. Try to avoid profanity. Be mindful of your audience. Don't embarrass anybody with off-colored jokes or inappropriate stories. DON'T DROP THE MIC!

 

Do you ever struggle with name pronunciations?

Yes, it’s something we all struggle with, I think. As a personal rule, I ALWAYS write down questionable names phonetically as couples pronounce them to me and it has served me very well over the years. When in doubt, clarify! 

 

What about music requests - yay or nay?

Definitely YAY, but with conditions. Requests are a lot easier to manage when I have free rein musically. It gives me an idea of what the crowd is responding to and can really help keep the energy alive. On the flip side, when the couple has given me very specific musical guidelines to abide by, requests can get sticky. It’s uncomfortable to tell a guest no because a song is on the Do Not Play list, but I’ll always stand by the guidelines set by the couple.

 

That's great advice! We appreciate your support and partnership more than ever, and we look forward to many more years of working together!

Thank you so much for allowing me to share a bit of my experiences over the years. The amazing moments that I've had the opportunity to be a part of are just mind-blowing. I am indescribably grateful to be a valued member of the Wedgewood Weddings family. It's impossible to go back 13 years and predict what was going to be in store for me. I'm a blessed woman.

***

Lime-Light Entertainment is Ventura's premier DJ/MC for weddings and special events. DJ Robin has entertained at over 800 weddings and countless karaoke events. We've personally been working with Robin since 2007, and we trust her implicitly! Our customers rave about her outstanding service, reasonable rates, and charming personality. For professional, detail-oriented, and FUN wedding music services DJ Robin can't be beat!

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