Ron Grandia

Ron came through for us in a lot of ways.
1. He is Mr. Creativity.
My husband and I are not «wedding template» kind of people. Kyle rejected every Top 40 hit from the wedding playlist, and it took us months to simply come up with options for our first dance. Ron asked us about our intent: Did we even want a first dance, because if not, we could explore other ideas of something that evokes that same «Look at us! We’re a married couple now!» thing. Were we just nervous dancing in front of people? Let’s make the song short and swingy, so we could feel comfortable and just have to hang in there for a minute. We had a conversation around all the traditional elements of a reception and put our own twist on them, and it felt wonderful to be able to have ownership over our own party like that.
2. He puts in the time.
We spent hours-​long meetings with Ron before our wedding – mostly because we really liked the guy and loved talking to him – and it turns out, those conversations were being recorded in his memory. That favorite-​song-​since-​birth I talked about? The infamous song from Kyle’s frat days of yore? Our penchant for 80s and 90s music that hadn’t been ruined by movies or commercials? «Our» jams were all mixed in at the right time, for the right groups at the wedding.
3. He can read crowds.
Arguably one of the best moments of our reception came when everyone, including us, was on or near the dancefloor, and that «indubitably Kyle» song was played. The room erupted. Everyone was singing the words, Kyle was surrounded by all his friends, and it looked like he had gone to party nirvana. The timing couldn’t have been more perfect. Honest to god, it was one of the greatest things to ever happen in my life, and it will forever remain one of the most treasured memory from our wedding day.
4. He comes through when plans change.
Our family suffered an untimely and very difficult loss a week before the wedding. Kyle’s grandfather passed away, and the emotional effect of that was being experienced by a large majority of our wedding guests. We spoke to Caitlin, our wedding coordinator, and Ron about it – about the sensitivity of the situation, whether we needed to tone down the celebration to reflect the changed mood, and if we could somehow commemorate the great man we were all thinking about. This is where Ron’s strengths – the three mentioned above – came into play. He suggested announcing our close family members at the very beginning of the reception and kicking off the reception in Kyle’s grandfather, Randy’s, honor. Ron paid beautiful tribute to Randy, mentioning his accomplishments and attributes, and then he asked those of us who were relatives or who knew him personally, to stand. It was a touching, genuine, and very well-​suited dedication. It was something our family members lovingly remembered at Randy’s memorial weeks later.
So, thank you, Ron, for being an indispensable part of our wedding. It was perfect.

Ron was great… we planned our wedding in california from texas, and he was helpful, flexible and really took time to get to know us. he played everything we asked for, and the dance floor was packed the whole night!
Ron also helped us in our unusual situation and accommodated our 2 separate reception locations — he had music playing in both places when we needed it, and didn’t charge us any extra for having to do 2 receptions in one day :)
We were really impressed, grateful to have an MC, and heard lots of raves from our guests.
All in all, he had a great part in our wonderful day!

The best in the business-​Ron has done two weddings for us now in the past 4 years and I thought the first wedding, my son Eric, was married at the Bentley Reserve in San Francisco, an amazing venue and Ron was spectacular. He MC’ the entire event and kept things flowing. Last Saturday was my daughter’s wedding at the Hotel Valencia. Ron was absolutely by far the best money spent, he takes control of the wedding based on how the crowd is responding to the music and dancing. If people are out on the dance floor having a great time, he will not slow down the pace, in my opinion that makes him the best in the business. We love you Ron and thank you for making Stacy and Jason’s wedding the best ever with you talent, your expertise and your ability to know what to play and when!

I had initially found Ron on Google when I was researching for wedding DJ’s and decided to meet with him since there are so many great Unilocal reviews! Ron is very friendly and personable and spent quite a long time during our initial consultation to really understand our personalities, our guests, the wedding itself, and what our needs/​wants are for the wedding — he asked a lot of detailed questions that we never really thought about! By the end of our meeting, we felt as if he was already part of our wedding!
Unfortunately, we decided to go with another DJ in the end because we just didn’t have any room in our budget for Ron… so sad!!!

I wasn’t going to post a review for Ron, who was the MC for our wedding a year and a half ago, but recently I got to thinking about our experience with him, and I think it’s important to provide an opposing voice.
4 stars is not bad, but our standards are high and ultimately I wish we’d hired someone else.
THE GOOD: For the most part Ron did his job excellently. He was very understanding and flexible in negotiating a contract (since we needed him to MC but not DJ). He was professional and worked well as part of our vendor team. I never worried that he would not be where he was supposed to be when he was supposed to be there. The evening flowed smoothly and according to plan.
THE BAD: He didn’t do a good job of understanding what we were about as a couple and working with our priorities and tastes. The first hint of this was in our first meeting, when he criticized our choice for our first dance song. We don’t really have a sentimental favorite song, and we just wanted to choose something lovely and tasteful that would be good to dance to. Ron seemed disappointed with our choice and made us feel that we were letting ourselves down just because it wasn’t a song that made us both cry or swoon. We stuck with it, though, and ultimately were both very happy with it. I don’t know why it was necessary to make us feel bad about a song that had everything we were looking for, just because it wasn’t what HE was looking for. To me it shows a lack of open-​mindedness to be unable to accept a client’s priorities.
In his communication with us over the introductions and ceremony music, he frequently made us feel judged or criticized for our tastes and personalities. As fairly reserved people we knew most DJ/​MC types would find it hard to identify with us, but from the great reviews I thought he would be better at making different kinds of people feel comfortable. I was disappointed.
Most importantly, though, he ended up being responsible for the one moment of the entire wedding that I really wish had gone otherwise. In introducing one member of the wedding party he told some jokes that were quite insulting to the individual in question and slightly insulting to us as a couple. Every wedding guest we spoke to about it agreed that it was oddly mean and distasteful. He also included information in his introductions that he had been asked explicitly not to include. Charitably, I want to say this was just another case of not really getting us as a couple, but to be honest I don’t know what couple would be ok with him going against their explicit wishes and saying things EVERYONE would agree were weird. We’re just lucky that there were no lasting hurt feelings.
Clearly a lot of people have great experiences with Ron, but for me, he was the one person on our wedding team that I regret hiring. Again, when everyone else we worked with deserved 5 stars, he stands out. If your gut is telling you it’s not a good fit, then you may be right.

Ron Grandia really does live up to his reputation. He is friendly, fun and carries the wedding reception with ease. One of my biggest concerns about getting a DJ was that I didn’t want to end up with someone who cracked crude jokes or tried to be funny and wasn’t. Ron is extremely professional and goes out of his way to blend in. He gets the guests’ attention and is great at getting even the grandparents out on the dance floor. I wont give away his secret, but he has a very unique way of introducing the bridal party, which my guests are still talking about! It was so much fun! He is very personable and easy to work with and he understood exactly the type of music and atmosphere we wanted during our reception. I would highly recommend Ron Grandia as your DJ!

I can’t say enough good things about Ron. He was the DJ for my wedding waaay back in ’05, and made enough of an impression that still enthusiastically singing his praises six years later. He was a little more expensive than some of the other people we considered, it was the best-​spent money in the budget. My husband and I love to dance, but we were worried we’d be the only ones on the floor since our families aren’t very enthusiastic dancers. The floor was packed all night, and everyone commented on how great the music was.
I met Ron when he DJed one of my friend’s weddings, and I was very impressed with his responsiveness to guests’ tastes. I remember one song in particular that didn’t go over very well and people started to leave the floor. It took him about 20 seconds to transition into another song and crisis was averted. Everything he played at our wedding went over extremely well. He spent a lot of time talking with us about our tastes and what sort of music we wanted, and he let us put his email address up on our website so that guests could request music ahead of time. It worked out very well. He didn’t play all the music that was requested, but that is because I emphasized to him that it was most important that everyone have a good time rather than one guest get to hear a song that everyone else would hate.
Finally, and perhaps most importantly from my perspective as hostess of the party, Ron functioned as a day-​of coordinator in a sense. He spoke with caterers and the photographer to make sure things went smoothly, MCed everything (while managing to keep a low profile), and generally kept me from worrying about anything the entire day. He even brought his digital camera and took some of the best pictures of the wedding. (Not kidding about this. He took some fantastic pictures!)
In every sense Ron went above and beyond, and I have nothing but good things to say about him. I would certainly hire him again. There was absolutely nothing I disliked about him, and the wedding reception could not have gone more smoothly.

Ron lives up to his company’s slogan: He is A different kind of DJ! And there needs to be more DJs out there like him.
Throughout our wedding planning process, we meet with quite a few number of DJs. Most of them seemed nice and competent, but for us there was something missing. And after my husband and I attended the Wedding University (helpful event), we figured it out… we were missing RON!
He takes being a DJ/​MC to the next level. What sets him apart? His charismatic personality. Fun, witty, creative, original… he says the funniest things and sometimes I wonder whether he realizes how great of a personality he is!
And his philosophy about weddings/​DJ also sets him apart. He cares and he takes the time to learn not only about his clients (the bride and the groom), but also the entire bridal party (yep, he must have spent hours on bridal party intro and let me tell you something, our bridal party is still talking about how great he was!), and he will nail some pretty difficult to pronounce Vietnamese names (he says it better than us! and we speak Vietnamese!) And after ever meeting we had with Ron, my then husband and I would walk away with the biggest smile on our faces. We knew were were in great hands!
What also sets him apart? Like my husband mentioned below, his equipment. You’ll barely notice it! ;)
Need more convincing for Ron to be your DJ? Try this. We had an American Style wedding for a mainly Vietnamese demographic. And after the wedding, our relatives have been ranting about how great Ron was!!!
He made our wedding planning process and the wedding itself, SO MUCH FUN!
We LOVE you RON! And can’t thank you enough for a wonderful evening!!!

Ron Grandia is stupendous. He definately brings more than just the music.
We first saw Ron at one of those wedding events called Wedding University. Unlike other wedding showcases where it is a bunch of vendors trying to sell you their product, this one actually tried to teach you some stuff about weddings and why you may want/​need some vendors. We were able to listen to Ron and his approach to weddings. He really wants to get to know the couple. What made us sign him? Gut feeling. We both just felt that he fit what we wanted in a DJ. We made a great decision!
Ron got to know us, wanted to learn more about the wedding party, and how to pronounce all the names. With some funky Vietnamese accents in some names, he did his best and got them pretty spot on. He made some great intros and kept the night flowing smoothly.
Although not Ron specifically, but just a testament to his team, one of his crew anticipated that my wife would gasp in excitement when she finally saw the surprise I gave her, he turned up my mic for the whole ceremony audience to hear her reaction. How awesome is that?!
Equipment doesn’t make the DJ, but some equipment can help make the DJ blend into the environment. I really liked the Bose L1 speakers that he uses. They just look like tall black sticks. Blends into the venue and doesn’t stick out like a sore thumb.
Ron is professional and overall cool guy. Just a hoot to be around and it makes for a great party environment. Not once was I nervous or scared that anything would go wrong.

*Note: review based only on email correspondence
Sent an email for more information regarding pricing and availability but never heard back (and still haven’t). Decided to go with someone else.

From the moment we met Ron we knew he was going to be the perfect DJ for our wedding. We had met with a few other DJs before, but immediately we were struck with Ron’s professionalism and attention to detail. During that first meeting, Ron impressed us with not being so much interested in the music, but rather in actually trying to get to know us and the people that would be attending our wedding. For instance, he remembered a story that I mentioned in passing about my sister liking a particular song when we were young, and he ended up playing that song at the wedding, which was a big hit.
Ron truly loves his job and is great at it. He came up with a bunch of ideas for how to manage the flow of the evening, all of which we hadn’t thought about, and they all worked great. From bridal party introductions (about which we were skeptical at first but glad we did, people loved them), to transitioning from the cake cutting to the first dances, to the overall vibe of the dance floor, Ron nailed it. It was a pleasure working with him.

Ron is amazing! For our wedding we knew we wanted to give our guests an awesome party and after our first meeting with Ron we knew we had found our DJ. In fact, we loved him so much we asked him to officiate for us.
Ron really put in the extra effort for us. The week of the wedding when we were supposed to be meeting with Ron to finalize our ceremony our dog got really ill and eventually died. My fiancé and I were a mess. We just couldn’t focus at all. Ron took over and wrote the most amazing and touching ceremony for us. He tracked down our bridesmaids and groomsmen to find out little bits of information that he could use during the reception. He was at the rehearsal guiding us through and calming our nerves. He kept the ceremony secret so we could be surprised the day of the wedding. The ceremony was perfect. Ron really captured us as a couple and made the ceremony sentimental and fun. That wasn’t the end of his work though!
After that he became the master of ceremonies. He made personalized introductions of all our bridesmaids and groomsmen, thanked our special guests and introduced the speeches (and talked to the speakers to calm any last minute nerves they might have). Ron also had another special surprise up his sleeve. He knew how much I wanted my Grandfather (who was unable to travel due to health issues) to be there. So he called my Grandfather and had him record a message for me that he played at the reception! It was a very emotional moment.
Of course after all that Ron got the party started and had everyone up and dancing all night long! He really knows how to read the crowd and he made sure everyone had a blast!
Ron is really an amazing DJ. He will do pretty much anything to give you the day of your dreams. But more than that Ron is a really great guy who truly loves his work and it shows.

A Groom’s Review…
Hey guys, if you are in wedding planning phase I hope you’ve all learned lesson number 1 — «what makes her happy makes you happy.» If you pick Ron as your DJ she will be happy and here is why.
First — Take a step back and forget about the music, the personality, and the reviews of your DJs. Ask yourself what kind of music equipment does the DJ have and how will it look in your wedding. If you are like us, you paid a lot for a venue, a lot for flowers, a lot for table settings, overall we paid a lot for «The Look.» Do you want to ruin «The Look» with HUGE BLACK BOX speakers — she won’t be happy.
Ron’s gear is top of the line — of course the sound is good. What is more impressive is the style and size of Ron’s system. He has super slender BOSE speakers that will blend into your venue — you will not even notice the speakers but you’ll love the sound.
Now that you know the speakers will not ruin the atmosphere your bride is aiming for you can focus on the music and the personality.
Ron is very professional very prepared and overall on top of his game. He will meet with you a couple of times, email at all hours of the day and night, and be there for any song suggestions you need.
We’ve been to at least 10 weddings over the past 2 years and (without bias) Ron was the best and our guests agree. It was commonly heard at brunch the following morning «that DJ was awesome» — «what great music» — «I had the best time dancing.»
I truly suggest you call Ron and schedule a meeting — you will not be sorry.

Ron was an excellent DJ, and made my wedding the best day of my life.
He listened carefully to what my husband and I wanted, and didn’t play any of the songs that we did not want to hear. Even when prodded by guests!
He ensured that the party moved, and that all the guests had fun.
And if your minister has issues, he is ordained, and can be your back-​up! What more can you ask for?