Best DJ and lighting company.. they are all friendly, energetic, and most of all detailed!!! My husband called them very professional. My daughter had a graduation party and Ajay and team took care of everything. Her friends and our family enjoyed till the lights shut off. Thank you Special Occasions, I can't imagine anyone going to any other company. love this group read more

SODJLA did the music, lighting, video projection, photo booth, dhol, DJ / MC work at 2 events and all of it was excellent! The team (Ajay, Vinay, Aamir, Neema, Praneel and others) was awesome to work with. They were able to accommodate our requests and venues to make everything work seamlessly. Aamir was an excellent DJ / MC and made everyone feel included and involved. They even did a surprise mix that turned out amazing! I would not hesitate to use SODJLA again! read more

DJ Aamir is an exceptionally talented DJ, and our wedding truly would not have been the same without his incredible energy and professionalism. From start to finish, he created an atmosphere that was vibrant, elegant, and unforgettable for both us and our guests. The team was equally dedicated to making every detail seamless. They were accommodating and willing to work closely with us to bring our vision to life. I highly recommend DJ Aamir to anyone looking to create a memorable celebration. read more

Great service, great MC, and brings the best vibes to any event!! AJ and team MCd and DJd my sisters wedding and we had the time of our lives! read more

We were lucky enough to use Special Occasions for our three day wedding celebration back in 2014, and again this year for our 10 year anniversary bash! The entire Special Occasions team were professions, offered guidance, ensured we understood where we had a choice and absolutely made it turn key to be successful. We gave the team very little guidance/ didn't have a strong vision going into it, and the team were able to ask insightful questions that led to the perfect output. And even more importantly, day of they were able to accomodate the vibe of the room and keep things moving. Throughout both events, I got live feedback from guests on how much the DJ rocked during the celebration and afterwards praising how the evening was a 'journey' - ranging from nostalgia , to sentimental to contemporary moments. Given our attendees were varying in age, ethnicity and willingness to dance, the team showed great judgement in balancing things to feel inclusive and welcoming. Can't wait to work with the team again!! read more

SODJLA was the absolute best decision for our wedding weekend for music and lighting! From the very beginning, everything was very organized and professional with their 3-step process. They really take the time to personalize everything to our story and our preferences. DJ Aamir was absolutely amazing and the music and mixes were just perfect for both the wedding day and reception day themes and vibes! Nobody wanted to leave the dance floor even to eat dinner! Our guests could not stop raving about the music and mashups as well! They loved the special touches including the introductions, the energy, and the photobooth! SODJLA even made our special recessional mix of two of our favorite songs exactly the way I envisioned it, and we will forever be listening to that! We are super grateful to have worked with the incredible SODJLA team and definitely recommend them to anyone needing a DJ, emcee, lighting, and more for your event! read more

Our wedding in Cancún, Mexico in 11/2021 was the best week of our lives and the Special Occasions team played a HUGE role in us feeling that way. We SO as one of our first vendors back in 2019. Ajay was such a pleasure to work with - we were nervous about planning a wedding in Mexico and he gave so much helpful first-hand experience which really put us at ease. In addition, Ajay helped us look over our Ryder from our local vendors and help us cut some costs and make sure we had everything we needed to an optimal setup. Due to changes in wedding dates (the usual Covid changes, etc etc), Ajay was not available to DJ our wedding but he highly recommended Aamir. Kevin and I cannot say enough wonderful things about Aamir. He was such a professional and really brought the energy to every single event. Each song was perfect for the event. We hosted a Glow after-party and the highlight was seeing Aamir in an all-white track suit - that is commitment. So many of our favorite memories of our wedding have a specific musical memory attached to them and Aamir made that all possible. (Aamir, we'll never forget the debauchery during Pepas and All I Do is Win.) We recommend Special Occasions without reservation and we hope anybody reading this is lucky enough to have them available during their event. Much love, Kevin and Nina read more

Since the day we initially reached out to SODJLA to inquire about our wedding, Ajay, Aamir and the rest of their team have been an absolute pleasure to work with. They were accommodating of all our requests and patiently responded to all our questions throughout the process. We hired them for the professionalism, communication strengths and confidence they showed in assuring us they would be able to pull off our vision for music and lighting during the wedding weekend and they did exactly that. From the planning calls to week-of logistics to the impromptu changes and music requests, the team did a perfect job of executing as planned. A special shoutout to DJ Aamir, who is an absolutely amazing DJ, emcee, and person, for whom we specifically got so many compliments from our family and friends. We were nervous at the beginning of the process because of all the unknowns but came out of the wedding weekend with some beautiful memories on the dance floor. We are going to make sure to spread the word about SODJLA and Aamir far and wide in the near future! read more

I highly recommend SODJ and DJ Aamir. I cannot express how much we loved the music at our baraat and reception. Weeks later, friends were still bringing up how good DJ Aamir was and how much fun they had dancing. For us, the songs were important, as well as having clean/skillful transitions and having good judgement about what parts of the song to play and for how long. DJ Aamir nailed it. I barely left the dance floor during the reception because there was never a lull or anything close to one that made me want to take break. SODJ provided DJ services for our baraat, wedding ceremony, and reception. They also did lighting and a photo booth for our reception. Neema was easy to work with and communicative from the beginning of the process. She quickly got a sense of our preferences and vibe, and very perfectly matched DJ Aamir as the right person for our big day. Leading up to the events, Ajay, and Aamir were also great to work with, making themselves available via email and prep calls to ensure that they had everything they needed to know for a smooth day. The lighting and tech seemed to all work without a hitch for all the events. The team is friendly, cares about their clients, and skilled in what they do. read more

I loved it here! I had do much fun with my cousin. She had her sixteen here and it was the best experience ever! I really recommend this place. Food is good! And the service is professional and nice. The salon is beautiful as it has flowers in the next room on the ceiling which makes it beautiful if you are having an elegant flower theme and also very cute the salon! Yay read more

We were so happy with SoDJLA and their service. We needed to find a DJ quickly for our small, family wedding during the pandemic and Ajay and Sonal quickly hopped on emails and calls with us and helped us book DJs. DJ Aamir: Aamir DJed our sangeet and was so great to work with. He hopped on a call with me to chat about our style, event, and gave me song recommendations for everything we needed. He was great with our families - chatting with the parents and making sure everything in the set up was up to their standards before starting. Music wise, he nailed all of our asks and kept the dance floor full throughout the night!! DJ Ali: Ali was our reception DJ and was also amazing! He hopped on the phone with me as well and, knowing I chatted with Aamir first, made sure to get the full rundown from him before we talked. That helped save me time (which was very appreciated during wedding planning) and made everything smoother. He also brought an additional person with him to ensure set up and clean up happened even faster and more efficiently. Ali had a great mix of music for us our reception night to cater to the mixed crowd. He adjusted as the night went on for the vibe and really made it a great experience! read more

I cannot rave enough about DJ Aamir, he took our fusion wedding (Sri Lankan and Mexican) and killed it. I had multiple ppl on day one ask if he was going to be the DJ for next day's events. Multiple ppl also asked for his contact info because he could not have done a better job or provided every event with a more hype experience. He was an absolute gem to work with and I am hoping I can convince him to do a hype baby shower next year . In all honesty he is also very kind, attentive and overall just gives off such a positive vibe. If our wedding was an 8 to begin with he truly made it a 10! read more

One of the best DJs in the business. Wasn't even my wedding but I emailed AJ a few months later asking for what songs he played at my friends wedding and he was so nice and sweet about it. Really cool mix if Indian and Pakistani and Hip hop music, great going team. (Wedding was last year sometime around thanksgiving). read more

Special Occasions DJ & Lighting - My best friends wedding! - DJs Near Me - Brea, California

Wow. Truly Amazed not only by Special Occasion (SO) but in particular, our DJ & MC Bhavin. My wedding was literally 50 days ago and looking back, out of all the vendors I hired, SO and Karmagraphy were my top two. Not only did everything go seamless and smooth, they communicated with each other regarding timing, first dance music, etc that I did not have to use a wedding planner. My guests are still coming up to me asking for the names of my DJ/MC and Entertainers! Bhavin was truly a god-send. He was extremely patient with me during our phone calls (and lack of phone calls!!), he broke everything down to the minute, asked details about my now hubby to make his MC-ing a little more personal. He has a strong, up beat voice- not over the top where it gets annoying. He gets the people going- both with his voice and his music. I cannot recommend him enough! To the brides/grooms reading this- I would suggest over and over again Bhavin- at least you know your wedding will be a party! One thing I do remember was that, last minute our timeline got changed and when Bhavin announced dinner, i signaled to him that it should be 'cake cutting', I cant stress enough how seamless he was in changing the program. He didn't stutter, no 'uhhh...actually'. It sounded super natural, as if there no mistake made. He is a quick, thinks on the spot, and did I mention, he has a great voice!? Someone give this guy a raise..! read more

My wedding day was spectacular because of Special Occasions!! My wedding was at the Ritz Laguna Niguel and they are a preferred vendor (makes sense with how great they are). They knew the location so well and gave great recommendations. I initially spoke with Ajay and he was great at offering recommendations for lighting, dance floor, and DJ. Our DJ was Ali and he was such a great MC! We had multiple compliments on the music and always felt the energy all night. Lighting was on point. I had color changing lights so when I did the first look of my ballroom they changed the colors until I found the perfect one. Throughout the entire process it felt like they were family. They all really want your event to be special and they were the most professional vendor I dealt with during the wedding. They were always following up with me and answering questions promptly. I got a few quotes from other companies and it was a waste of my time so save your time and call them. I highly recommend this company and highly recommend you request Ali for your MC/DJ. I wouldn't think twice about booking them again. Thank you Ajay and Ali and the Special Occasions team! read more

We used Special Occasions DJ & Lighting for our company Holiday party and had lighting and a DJ. Our company was very pleased with the uplights, stages wash, and DJ Ali who MC'd the event as well. They also gave us a 15% discount as well which was awesome! I would say communication and delivery of photos was a bit difficult. Once we paid the 20% initial deposit and were locked in, communication became more sparse, and some questions I've asked were never answered. Usually, once the photobooth closes the night of the event, the vendor would provide us with the USB with pictures. However we didn't receive a USB of all our photobooth pictures until 2 weeks after our event, and guests who input their emails at the party didn't get their photos emailed to them until 4-5 days after the event. They are out of office on Monday's so if you reach out to them on Friday you won't hear back until that next Tuesday. So definitely would advise planning ahead if you are on a short timeline. The photobooth pictures were not lit up that well. All the photos turned out to have a yellow tint, like there were only incandescent light bulbs, which was also pretty disappointing. I would recommend these guys for specifically lighting & DJ/MC's however not for photos. read more

Special Occasions DJ & Lighting - photobooth lighting was too dark and yellow. The backdrop is supposed to be white glitter. - DJs Near Me - Brea, California

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Pre-Wedding: Preet took the time to meet with my husband and I in person before the wedding. He used this opportunity to get to know us, our taste in music, the audience demographics, song choices and vibe. As soon as we finished this meeting, my husband and I felt a sense of relief...we knew we were in good hands! Baraat: Man it blows that brides can't partake in baraat's because Preet absolutely rocked ours! We had an amazing Dholi as well and they kept the beats going getting a LOT of first time baraaters to break it down. Speeches: Preet listened to our speeches real time and added soundtrack between them! Perfect example...my brother called me a gamer in his speech. At the end of his speech, Preet played the theme song from Mario Bros! It was those delightful little touches that added to the magic. Reception: Our wedding guests were pretty varied....we had a few older folks, quite a few indians, and quite a few non indians. Playing music to get everyone on the dance floor together was going to be a real challenge! Preet had a strong pulse on the party the entire night and adapted accordingly. Finally, he's just a real sweetheart to work with! Thank you Preet for an incredible wedding night! read more

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We recently used Special Occasions for a alumni charity gala. They were fantastic! Ajay was very accommodating and worked with our limited budget leading up to the event. Preet did an excellent job on the day of with the up lighting and music throughout the night. The event was casino themed and Preet matched the music/tempo perfectly with some contemporary hits with a 1920s flare. Would definitely recommend SO going forward. Easy to work with and very professional. read more

Special Occasions DJ & Lighting - Preet setup the purple up-lighting and was the DJ for our charity event. Really phenomenal job overall. - DJs Near Me - Brea, California

Attended a great wedding by Ajay and hope to see him and his team back in action soon at my cousins (rescheduled) wedding. The energy was something else and It was the first time I so many different groups of people from different countries dance to Bhangra and Bollywood.   The selection of songs was perfect. What was the name of that Drake and Bollywood mix btw? read more

Ajay and team are excellent to work with. If your wedding or any other event is organized and produced by Special Occasions you're in great hands and won't have to worry about a thing. They have great attention to detail and are very easy to work with. Their DJ mixes are great. It's a blend of east, west and hip hop and great to get people on their feet and party hard! I've attended two events - one was in Tulum Mexico and another in Bangkok. Both were some of the best weddings I've been to. No matter what your age group- young or old, everyone has a great time at Special Occasions events and no one is left out. I highly recommend their services to anyone looking to curate a stellar experience. read more

Wow! Really glad we worked with you guys for our wedding! Bhavin killed it at Garba and Aamir, you have us speechless. You guys looked like you were enjoying it too! Garba was jumping and the reception was hands-down the best party I've ever been to. As expected, we had a couple communication hiccups along the way, but hey, you guys did a great job of being on top of it and solving the issue in a quick and professional manner. Bhavin: Really glad we had the opportunity to work with you. From making the mixes to dealing with annoying cousins of mine, you handled it all very professionally. Really appreciate that! We were nervous about how the music at garba would be, and we have zero complaints - you really are the Garba expert! Length, duration, flow, pace, song selection, very well done! Thanks for working with us throughout the night and offering suggestions about our timeline. It all went perfectly and we had a blast! Aamir: Thank you for bringing the energy on our wedding day! Couldn't have asked for more! From the start of the baraat at 10am til the end of the reception at 2am, you were energetic, charismatic, and you even helped find a doctor when one of my cousins got sick. ha! You knew exactly what our taste was from the playlists we shared with you, so every song you played was a banger! You even really wanted the the maid of honor to give her speech again (thats our bad, it was a couple day before change we forgot to tell you about), but it was all laughs in the end! You handled it all well and we have no complaints! It was also dope that you jumped in for a second alongside our family during their performance. Beautiful timing and execution. Really enjoyed having you there to party with us! Thanks again to all of you for working with us through the entire process. We will definitely be recommending Special Occasions to our family and friends and are looking forward to working with you guys again! read more

Ok, so Special Occasions was one of THE BEST INVESTMENTS for my wedding. Every time I think back at how AMAZING the party was, I can thank Parag and his team for pulling of one of the most incredible day's of my life. You can see for yourself in the link below, as they know how to keep one hell of a party going: https://vimeo.com/84182143 The lights, the Dhol (we're not Indian, but we knew it was a must to keep the energy high!), the incredibly flawless emcee-ing of the night, are a just a few of the countless amazing things that their team executed for our wedding. My husband and I are wedding photographers, and we meet tons of DJs/lighting experts in the past 6 years of business, but Special Occasions is by far the most professional and skilled of the bunch. We wouldn't recommend anyone else! I've attached photos of the crazy reception that they put together for us, which included loads of confetti, lights, fog, and co2 canons. What more can you ask for?! If you're reading this, look no further since you've found the absolute best team in SoCal. Book them now! read more

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Unfortunately we had Special Occasions DJ two events for us. One of the events turned into a nightmare. The DJ for that night made two huge mistakes: 1. He did $500 worth of damage to the event space. (the company did reimburse us for this, so I consider this a wash) 2. Worse, the DJ did a number of things we had specifically instructed him not to do, including getting on the mic, being generally loud when not wanted. In addition he made some inappropriate jokes. We latter found out he was drinking during the event. While the Special Occasions management did provide some slight compensation for item #2 we didn't believe it was adequate and so unfortunately we have to leave this review. Overall I would not use this company. read more

We had such a wonderful experience working with Special Occasions. They are exceptional! Ajay and Sonal were very communicative and professional. They worked with us when our wedding was rescheduled, when their DJs' schedules changed, and when we had last-minute needs change in order to deliver on every event as we had wanted! Ajay took many phone calls from us at random times throughout the day to make sure everything was arranged for our events. Between his SODJLA blog and his advice over the phone he was almost like an advisor on the side for aspects of our wedding that weren't even DJ related! Aamir mixed music for our Sangeet and it was incredible. Ajay was our DJ for the Sangeet and he was amazing! The whole night the dance floor was full and he knows how to get the party started and keep it going! Ali was our DJ on our wedding day and everyone loved his energy. Our wedding was a multi-cultural wedding and Ali knew how to get ALL of our guests involved in the Baraat. Prior to our events we had a call with Ali to discuss our day-of music for ceremonies and all of the music was played exactly how we had envisioned and described! This team knows how to DJ and keep everyone entertained throughout all of the events. We would highly, highly recommend the Special Occasions team! read more

For our Persian-American wedding we hired DJ Ali and he was AMAZING! The genres and ranges (instrumental, big band, Persian, Hip Hop, house, 90s, etc.) he was able to weave into a single day was unbelievable. We had multiple guests ask tell us "this is the best DJ we've ever heard at a wedding" and "we're firing our DJ and hiring this guy" - the proof was that nobody ever left the dancefloor. His success during the day's events was due to his exhaustive and meticulous planning. We met on multiple occasions leading up the wedding to discuss the perfect songs for the ceremony, cocktail hour and reception. Ali was also familiar with our Persian traditions which was a bonus. Finally, the quality of his equipment was far superior to the venue's. He even helped us pick the perfect extras (up-lighting, photo-booth, etc.) that made the reception space even more special. If you are looking for a high-energy MC/DJ for your upcoming event - Ali is the perfect pick! read more

If I could give them 10 Stars, I would give them 11! Absolutely THE BEST wedding DJs and company I've ever come across. They did all the sound for my brother in law's wedding and reception. The DJ kept everyone engaged, entertained and involved during the groom's entrance at the wedding; and it all the way later into the night into the reception. Their equipment was top notch, all of their staff were dressed and acted professionally at ALL times, and their dholi (the female) was AWESOME! Disclaimer: I did not pick them, pay for them, or know anyone in their group... I was just so impressed with their services, I had to post a review! read more

Special Occasions DJ & Lighting - DJs Near Me - Brea, California

My wife and I just got married a couple of days ago. Neither of us can stop talking about our DJ, Bhavin. We are still getting texts from family members asking about our DJ. Bhavin knew how to get the party started and how to keep everyone on the dance floor. His energy is contagious and his professionalism is refreshing. If anyone is looking for ab AMAZING DJ, make sure to ask for Bhavin! read more

Wow - where do I start? From when my husband and I first spoke with Ajay about our upcoming wedding to when Parag and Ali emcee/deejay our Sangeet, Wedding & Reception - we felt extremely comfortable and excited. We had so many guests compliment their work (from young to old, and local to international)! The baraat was absolutely amazing and people had a blast at all the events because of the product the boys created. All in all, 10 for 10 on price, product, and overall professionalism. These guys are the absolute best and I highly recommend them to friends & family. read more

Probably the most unprofessional experience I've experienced thus far with any wedding vendor. They quoted me a price, asked me to send them via email other competing quotes, and then scheduled a call with the owner Ajay - that he completely missed. Scheduled a makeup - he called me 30 minutes late. Both calls were in the evening, cutting into my personal plans. Finally, when we got to a price that was in range of my others - they went radio silent. I followed up, and after 3 days of no word, was told the DJ I wanted was no longer available. But not to worry- wait a week while we secure another one. I waited a week, at which point I didn't hear back, and booked someone else. Then 4 weeks later I get a random email saying they couldn't find another DJ. I don't know how this company has so many good reviews given they lack basic courtesy and professionalism - they clearly think their time is more important than their clients' and ask for unprofessional things like quotes from competitors. read more

We have used these guys for almost 20 years for every event we have had. From my high school graduation party, to my engagement party and now to my father's 70th birthday party. They are awesome. Bhavin is amazing and so is Parag. They can do any style and any size event. I recommend them without any reservations. read more

I recently got married here in Orange County and hired Special Occasions to take care of our DJ and lighting package and they were simply amazing! The whole team at Special Occasions is great! Ajay was super insightful in pre-wedding planning and budgeting. Ali and Praneel were also very hands on when we discussed music and mood settings for the various events. On the day of the events, everything went according to plan and the wedding guests had a blast! Thank you for the phenomenal experience Special Occasions! Sashant & Mohini read more

Hey Mr. DJ, put a record on, I wanna dance with my baby! I was first introduced to Special Occasions when my brother got married a few years back. We loved Parag's style for the different occasions so when I was planning my wedding, I knew I wanted to use Special Occasions for my special occasion. Parag was not available on my wedding date, so we were fortunate to work with Ajay. From the start, he made my husband and I feel very comfortable. He encouraged some of our less conventional picks. He also let us know what he has experienced in some of the weddings he's done at our venue. We were easily able to provide him our songs for the different events and had him work with another vendor for one of our entertainment pieces. He also provided some great ideas on saving money on lighting and draping. I was able to see how he worked a crowd at an Indian Bridal show so I knew he'd be a great fit for our event. Preet (I believe) was his 2nd on hand and he did a great job taking requests for songs at the reception. Many of our guests told us that the music and MC'ing was so on point and most didn't leave the dance floor until the lights came up to signal it was closing time. I can't recommend them highly enough. They are just great at what they do! read more

These guys are great. They did the first Indian weddings that I went for in California after moving here from India and wow, I was blown away with how much they knew. The music was FANTASTIC and they cater to such a large demographic. Already hired them for my best friend's wedding in Florida this fall. Keep up the great work! read more

We definitely recommend SODJLA for your lighting/music needs! For our Indian/Persian wedding we were initially hoping to go local and work with a smaller DJ but after discussing the needs for our venue and now after the event and seeing what went into it, we're so glad we chose SODJLA. We went back and forth multiple times on what was needed (it was a very DIY venue) and Neema, Ajay, Aamir, and Ali were professionals throughout. Ajay was an expert in working with us to sort out our lighting needs when I expressed that I didn't know if we had enough, which included taking our budget into account and finding the right cost/lighting balance. He even worked with us the night before the wedding helping finalize a last minute track. Aamir and Ali were incredible at fusing both cultures into the music and thoroughly heard our requests (and delivered!). Their energy and talent was a huge factor in making our wedding (what we think was) a success. One of our greatest concerns was that a group of Indians, Iranians, and a variety of other cultures wouldn't all find common ground on the garba and reception dance floors...but we were wrong. We ended up having to expand the reception dance floor to make room for everyone. I remember during planning I would read reviews of people saying 'everyone complimented us on our DJ for weeks after the event' and I thought who does that? But then it happened to us. Even those who basically attend 5+ of these crazy weddings a year were commenting. So much so that a friend getting married 1.5 months later decided to switch around plans with her own DJ so she could hire SODJLA for an east coast wedding too. Hire them if you can - you'll be happy you did! read more

We worked with SoDJLA for our wedding last month in Malibu, and they were amazing!! Ajay was really great to work with and was very invested in making sure we had the best experience possible. We loved Ali and the dhol player's energy during our baraat and reception, and the whole wedding went off without a hitch. No issues at all with the audio or lighting, which is always a thing I notice at other people's weddings. The dance floor was popping the whole night, and our wedding wouldn't have been the same without the SoDJLA team. Definitely recommend!! read more

I'm very glad we went with Special Occasions for our wedding. Ajay has been great to work with, as has Preet. Preet was our lead DJ and he did an amazing job. We had a list of songs for him to play in the baraat and at the wedding and reception. He stuck to the list and the queues that we had given him and everything went great. The dinner music at the reception was a fusion of American and Indian, for which we had many guests saying how much they enjoyed. The lighting was good too. These guys are very welcoming and accommodating when you meet with them. Overall, id certainly recommend them. read more

We got married in June 2021 and used Special Occasions DJ for a mobile DJ, photo booth, lighting and dhol player. They were extremely professional and a pleasure to work with! They went above and beyond making sure that we could print out the pictures from our photo booth! This was a last minute request that we were so happy that they could accomplish! They also did a great job Djing my baraat. Everyone had the best time. I would highly recommend any of my friends to work with Special Occasions. read more

I used special occasions for my wedding, October 2021. They are EXCEPTIONAL. I had DJ Bhavin as our MC, and he was as genuine and calm as they come. He kept the crowd entertained and pumped throughout the entire Bharat. Ajay and Sonal have been so great at responding and answering my questions in such a quick manner. I would recommend them to anyone that's looking for the best. Thank you so much!! read more

Ajay, Aamir and Sonal went above and beyond to ensure that we had an amazing wedding day. The SODJ crew and Ajay in particular have been on this journey with us for 2 years (Our first chat was in 2019!) From being supportive through the several date changes, to Aamir delivering an incredible custom baraat playlist, managing the venue's quirky A/V needs, helping us navigate baraat noise limits, working with the decorator to deliver amazing lighting and then going above and beyond by patiently working with us to learn about the LED bands, we could not have asked for more! After the wedding we've had so many guests mention how funny Ajay was and what an amazing presence of mind he had throughout the reception program. Finally, we love to dance and the open-segment was the most fun we've ever had dancing. Keep doing what you guys do... delivering incredible music, lighting and joy to couples who work with you. read more

I knew it would take a momentous event (some might say a Special Occasion) for my long-awaited, much anticipated return to Yelp. Well, I suppose getting married and all of its associated commerce qualifies. Planning a wedding in Huntington Beach from our home in Washington, DC is actually not as troublesome as it would seem, given all the modern forms of communication. But the one aspect of wedding planning causing me and my now wife much stress was finding a good DJ. We had a few non-negotiable requirements: our DJ had to be well-versed in Indian music; they had to be experienced in hosting large events; and they also had to be flexible and able to play other genres, since generally, I like Bollywood music as much as I like Dollywood music (i.e. not very). We tried out a few DJs, but the first one would disappear and not return phone calls for over a month, and then say he was in India the whole time. Our second came recommended from a friend, but his sound equipment was apparently sub-par and people couldn't give a two-minute speech without more feedback than a Sonic Youth concert. The third seemed fine, but he ended up planning his wedding for the same weekend as our own. Enter DJ Ajay and the Special Occasions team, our knights in white, shining sherwanis. DJ Ajay was so organized and responsible, every conference call was punctual and informative, he often answered our questions before we could ask them. The Special Occasions website was incredibly well-designed, enabling us to easily make music choices and plan our event. Ajay had done so many weddings of this type, he had recommendations for everything (entrance music, dances, the baraat) but also patiently listened to exactly what we wanted for our wedding day. And when DJ Ajay and Special Occasions really came through was the day of the actual event. I've been to numerous Baraats where the Dhol drummer simply starts playing and they assume everyone knows what to do. This really wasn't the case with my side of the wedding, and Ajay took the time to explain the history of the tradition, teach everyone a few moves, and get the entire party engaged and excited. During the Ceremony and Program, every music cue went perfectly, and the sound quality was spot-on. DJ Ajay once again came out of his booth when it was time to get people on the dance floor and personally got the party started. I can't emphasize how much that adds to the atmosphere, and how many guests complimented us how fun the Baraat was and how good the DJ was. If this sounds anything like the wedding or event you want to plan, I wouldn't mess around, do yourself a favor and go with Special Occasions. read more