DJS Presents: Woof Woof Wedding

DJS Events is proud to present its most unique charity fundraising event of the season given by Twenty Four Fifth!
Please join us for an evening of puppy love and charitable good will for the commitment of Piper Strain (Chihuahua), canine daughter of Dawn Strain and Rudy Holesek, and Boocifer (Boo Boo) Karl (Chihuahua/Pomeranian), canine son of Orfeh and Andy Karl.  The celebration will begin at 7:00pm sharp as Piper and Boocifer become joined in the happy state of doggie matrimony.
The service is followed by hors d'oeuvres. The celebration given by Twenty Four Fifth will feature additional entertainment, a silent auction, raffle and more!
Many people ask the question, why a dog wedding? Well, just as humans need companionship to survive so do animals. In our New York society, we treat our pets to socialization opportunities like “doggie daycare,” dog parks and doggie play dates, so, why not a wedding?
When we asked veterinary expert Amy I. Attas, V.M.D. her opinion of this event, she said, “I applaud DJS Events for promoting “dog weddings.”  While I don’t think dogs need to be “legally married” and their unions can be the same sex, male or female, I believe dogs with dog companions are happier and, in my experience, healthier as well.  Dogs are, by nature, social animals and their lives are enriched by having another dog in their lives."
So it’s agreed, the “Woof Woof Wedding” sets a standard for canine companionship that’s socially sound and will raise money for the outstanding work of North Shore Animal League America and Waggytail Rescue.  Of course, we promise to amaze you with a spectacular venue, delicious food, outrageous décor and an all-around great time!  Don’t miss this one-of-a kind event.

For more information, please visit: woofwoofwedding.com

We're Not in Kansas Anymore Toto- LIE 2011 Masquerade

Every year, we go all out to plan, manage and consult the Long Island Elite's Masquerade Ball, which benefits local charities in Long Island. And every year, we outdo ourselves.
Last year's masquerade was "Wonderland", a fabulous choice to create the fun atmosphere that the masquerade is known for. This year, the theme was Oz, and we wowed our guests, many of whom told us last year's would probably always take the cake for the best masquerade of all time. Now, they're saying the same thing about Oz.


The Long Island Elite (LIE) is an organization dedicated to promoting the growth and development of Long Island's young business executives. The LIE is at once a professional and community oriented group of people, many of whom juggle families while being hard hitters in the LI business scene. Their masquerade has a few purposes, the two that are the most important are raising money for charity and honoring those within the community who choose to a leadership role by giving of themselves in business and charity. It's a very touching night which deserves our best in event planning, and we always deliver.  




Our inspiration for the main dining room was The Emerald City. From the flowers to the sparkly bead curtains hung from the ceiling, everything was either a shade of green or reflecting all the green around it. Everything in this room sparkled and shone incredibly bright, and of course our lighting had to be on point.

Our Munchkinland was a candy-coated flowery-burst of color and fun. Of course, Peanutbutter Inc. was there to airbrush guests with glittery, beautiful designs.      

  The bar and raffle area was teaming with poppies, as was the outside great lawn...


The Lounge was inspired by the Wizard's message of Love and the Lion's journey to find his heart.

 

Chezzam did a great job with creating true to life characters that brought life and fun to the event.                        

And of course, where would we be without Just a Sliver? Her cakes are always scrumptious and works of art!

Woof!! Trends in Dog Friendly Venues and Vacations

Here at DJS Events, we LOVE our dogs. Dawn's poodle, chihuahua and mini pinscher all have their own matching black and white beds in the office, complete with water bowls and toys. We love accommodating and including our furry friends as much as possible, and when we get a client who wants a pet friendly affair,we nearly do somersaults! Picnics, festivals, carnivals, up-scale barbecues, polo matches and pool parties all lend themselves to being pet-eriffic, but what about indoor and destination affairs..especially those that take place in hotels?

Above: Founder and President Dawn Strain at the 2011 LIE Masquerade with Piper, a sassy and sweet chihuahua she adopted that was rescued from a kill-shelter.

As you might already know, dog lovers and animal enthusiasts have got it good right now compared to every other decade. With the advent of dog-friendly culture that started at Lassie and continued on with dogs becoming accessories ala Paris Hilton and Reese Witherspoon's character Elle in Legally Blonde, pooches at parties is no longer strange.

Ooohhh and let's not forget all the current superstars and their pooches...

How cute is that little guy???

Guess what Snoopy lovers! Even if you aren't a star or an heiress, there are plenty of places where you can bring your pup, and now there are some up and coming trends for those of us who like to travel with our canine companions!

Trend #1: Chow Hound

We've hear of some enthusiasts setting a place for their dog at the dinner table...which may be a little extreme depending on what side of the fence you're on! Either way, it certainly wouldn't be allowed in a public restaurant! Still, what if you still want to bring your pet to dinner? Or what if you're on the move and need a bite...leaving Bingo in the car is out of the question. Now with DiningWithDogs.com, you can find the places in your neighborhood that will allow Fido to come along with instead of being sad and lonely at home.
The site covers Cali, New York, Arizona, Illinois and Florida for all the best doggie-friendly spots. This is the site you're going to be checking out if you have an animal lover event, or just an event that you don't want to celebrate without your fave ball o' fur.

Trend #2: Luxury Doggie Hotels

Ok, so we're aware that dog-friendly hotels aren't an "up and coming trend", but what about hotels JUST for your pooch? It's worth mentioning that there are some hotels out there that are totally devoted to you as the primary guest + your pooch, or cushy kennels that dogs can chillax at while you go on vacation. The trend of hotels JUST for dogs..that's a horse of a different color. The Sniff Dog Hotel is one of these fabulous, dog only hotels, for when you travel out to Portland (maybe not the most exciting of destinations, unless you're all about fresh farm to table dining and microbreweries, but still!). Sniff offers daycare, salon & spa treatments and a fido-friendly cafe where dogs have the run of a 2,000 square feet park while you eat, drink and be merry.

Trend #3: Travel Agencies...for you and Fido
This one is most likely a first...a travel agency strictly devoted to finding accommodations for you and your pet. Travel itineraries that include the finest dog-friendly hotels await you with Chien Blue, the UK based travel agency devoted to hooking you up with dog-loving, not just "dog-tolerant" accommodations and itineraries. Planning a trip to Europe and don't want to do the work? It's worth a look...

This is Dawn, our President and Founder of DJS, hanging out with some dogs she's helping to helicopter to new homes. The dogs are rescued from kill-shelters where they would be put down if there wasn't a network of people to help save them. Every animal matters!

Masquerade 2010

The 7^th annual Long Island Elite Masquerade was a great success!

The theme this year was Wonderland. We were so excited to put on this year’s event for the Long Island Elite, who raised money for Long Island Charities and had a blast while doing it!

Rather than the usual cocktail set up of various round tables, we created a mad tea party 8 tables long. Guests loved the tea party so much they chose to sit there for dinner as well, amidst the calculated clutter of flowers, cups and saucers, tea pots, antique books and clocks. We placed some of the clutter on spinning plates for added magic…

Photos by Dennisimo Photography

Besides being cozy, this sociable seating arrangement set up fantastic opportunities for guests to network. One of the most prevalent remarks of the night was how easy it was to make connections and exchange information.

Photos by Dennisimo Photography

Our challenge every year with this event is keep things fresh and exciting. After 6 years of putting on the same event, the challenge grows every year—it’s a good thing we love challenges at DJS, because there’s nothing better than topping yourself!

Some of the other elements of the evening:

We chose fresh, vibrant colors for our floral arrangements. When you are working with bright table tops you have to make sure that your arrangements can stand on their own and aren't drowned out by the surrounding colors.



We accented our special reserved tables with branches laced with orchids, moss and hanging votives. These elements grounded the tables and gave a glittering, whimsical detail.



Dawn Strain, President & founder of LIE looked gorgeous in a gown donated for the evening by Kleinfeld Bridal




Scrumptious dessert by Just a Sliver! We had character inspired cupcakes and ones that said "Eat Me"

Photos by Dennisimo Photography

Who Are You?
We transformed the patio into a hookah lounge, complete with Hookahs from Mystique.

Photos by Dennisimo Photography

Our croquet and life sized chess set was a big hit!

Photos by Dennisimo Photography



Who is LIE?

Founded in 2002, the Long Island Elite (LIE) is an organization dedicated to fostering the growth and development of Long Island’s business professionals under the age of 40, the region’s emerging business leaders. To learn more about LIE, please visit their website at
http://www.longislandelite.com/home.asp

The performers provided by Chezzam created a magical evening with a crazy cast of characters that kept the spirit of the evening fun, quirky and charismatic.

Photos by Dennisimo Photography

The King, Queen and Member of the Year Gary Cucchi (Tweedle)

Photos by Dennisimo Photography

If you couldn't make it and would still like to donate to the Long Island Elite, please go here