Jason Kelley and Laura Spiess met while working at a pizza parlor in 2010. Nearly five years later, they are the brains behind JL Entertainment and bookthatdj.com.
They are also in the middle of planning their own wedding.
“I’ve found that we’re more picky because we see the same things over and over,” Kelley said. “The biggest thing was finding a venue. We don’t want to have our wedding at a place where we’ve worked at.
“It’s stressful any way you look at it,” he said. “Planning a wedding is stressful.”
After the pizza place where they worked closed, the couple began planning open-mic sessions, karaoke and comedy contests with their business, JL Entertainment. During this time, Spiess got certified as a wedding planner.
Eventually, the couple began managing and handling the booking for Graystone Banquet Hall in Perrysburg.
“That became our place of business, I guess,” Kelley said. “The great thing is we live across the street.”
The two collaborate using their individual skills: Kelley likes to work with people and Spiess dives into the small details of their business.
The couple has a panel made of dry erase boards they hang in their living room and call their “Brain Board.”
JL Entertainment, which bookthatdj.com was launched through in 2011, offers professional sound and event planning. Other options include a photo booth, chair covers and, coming soon, a catering service.
They hope to double that number in 2015. Photo courtesy Jason Kelley.
In 2013, Kelley was voted best disc jockey in Toledo in a local poll.
“I don’t necessarily consider myself the best DJ in Toledo. There [are] a lot of great DJs,” he said. “But I do love that all the people that know me and appreciate me went out and voiced their opinion.”
Kelley said there’s never a dull moment when he DJs weddings. His energy is directly correlated to the energy from the crowd.
“You have multiple age groups, multiple types of people, multiple vibes throughout the entire evening,” he said. “It’s the DJ’s job to provide a backdrop for that and create energy. … I feed off of people’s energy, whether they’re having a good time or a bad time.”
Kelley said he tends to tune out songs he doesn’t like when seeking that energy.
“I like when people are happy and, at the end of the day, that’s what makes me happy,” he said. “I’m not listening to the music; I’m feeling the vibe and watching the people.”
Kelley said he has a lot of fun with his profession, but admits it is hard work. In 2014, the company, which has about 20 employees, DJed almost 400 weddings, a number Kelley said he wants to double in 2015.
“I get up early in the morning and go to bed late at night,” he said. “It’s constant, constant, constant work.”
For more information, visit
bookthatdj.com. Kelley can also be seen at Bar Louie, 4105 Levis Commons Blvd., every Saturday night.
