Elevated Entertainment’s
10 Year Anniversary Celebration
Ten years. TEN. YEARS!!
It's hard to believe those two words carry an entire decade of weddings, late nights loading equipment, countless hours of DJing, thousands of photo booth prints, and friendships that have grown into something much bigger than our small business.
When Andrew and I (Emily) started Elevated Entertainment, we never imagined what ten years later would look like. Through it all, one thing remained constant: the incredible community of people who believed in us.
So when it came time to celebrate ten years of Elevated Entertainment, we knew we wanted to throw a party that wasn't just about us—it was about the people who helped us get here.
The Perfect Setting at Avenue D Events
When we started looking for a venue, Avenue D was quickly at the top of the list.
Over the years we've DJed weddings there, participated in styled shoots, attended meetings, and watched Laura and Chuck build one of Birmingham's most unique event spaces.
What makes Avenue D so special is its versatility. The industrial architecture gives you an incredible blank canvas without ever feeling cold or unfinished. Between the greenery, the iconic wallpapered restrooms, and one of the best patios in Birmingham overlooking Sloss Furnaces, every corner feels intentional.
Laura, Chuck, and their team were constantly checking in, ready to jump in and help whenever we needed anything. That kind of hospitality is exactly why so many couples love celebrating there. One of our favorite moments of the evening was simply seeing them enjoying the party right alongside everyone else.
Happy Catering Never Misses
If you've attended a Birmingham wedding, there's a good chance you've already enjoyed food from Happy Catering.
As wedding DJs, we work alongside their team almost every weekend, so we already knew exactly what to expect: delicious food, beautiful presentation, and an incredibly consistent staff.
For the anniversary party, they created an impressive spread of hors d'oeuvres that guests enjoyed throughout the evening. The crostini quickly became everyone's favorite, disappearing almost as quickly as they were served.
Working weddings week after week gives you a unique perspective on vendors, and Happy Catering continues to impress us because they're simply dependable. Great food, wonderful people, and presentations that always elevate an event.
Draping That Completely Transformed the Room
If there was one décor element guests couldn't stop talking about, it was the incredible fringe installation by DrapeScapes.
Rather than traditional draping, we wanted something dramatic that matched our personality and our brand. Trina created a custom installation featuring shades of green, metallic silver, and black; which floated above the dance floor like a piece of interactive art.
Every little breeze brought the fringe to life, adding movement and energy throughout the evening. It immediately caught everyone's attention and completely transformed the atmosphere.
Although this was our first opportunity to officially work together, we've followed each other's businesses online for quite some time. It was so much fun finally collaborating in person, and we've already had the chance to work together again since then!
Capturing the Moments with Bree
One lesson we've learned after ten years in events is this:
If you're hosting the party, you're not going to have time to document it yourself.
That's exactly why we asked Bree Does Social to be our content creator.
Bree captured all the behind-the-scenes moments, guest interactions, décor details, and excitement throughout the evening while we focused on actually enjoying the celebration.
We've crossed paths for years through styled shoots and Rising Tide events, and she's always been one of the biggest supporters of our business. Beyond creating incredible content, she's constantly cheering on fellow small businesses.
Having those memories preserved was one of the best decisions we made.
Introducing Elevated Sips and the Pop Booth
Our biggest surprise of the evening?
The official launch of our newest adventure: Elevated Sips.
We had quietly been working behind the scenes on our mobile dirty soda bar, and our anniversary celebration felt like the perfect time to finally introduce it to everyone.
Guests could choose from six signature drinks:
The Dancefloor — Dr Pepper, coconut, vanilla cream
The Disco Ball — Sprite, strawberry, coconut cream
The Photobooth — Cream Soda, raspberry, vanilla cream
The Confetti — Coke, raspberry, vanilla cream
Emily's Pick — Fresca, strawberry, coconut cream
Andrew's Pick — Fanta, peach, coconut cream
The response was honestly even better than we imagined.
People kept coming back for another drink, asking about different flavor combinations, and telling us how much they loved the concept. Seeing everyone's excitement made us even more excited about adding another fun experience to what Elevated can offer.
The celebration also became the launch party for another exciting announcement: our brand-new POP Booth.
While everyone celebrated with us at Avenue D, our newest drop-off photo booth was simultaneously making its debut all weekend long at De Nada, a Mexican restaurant opened by one of our past Elevated couples.
Seeing both businesses launch new chapters together made the evening feel even more special.
Feeling My Best Thanks to Salon 46
Planning an event for yourself is a completely different experience than planning one for someone else.
Between organizing vendors, setting up décor, and making sure everything was ready, there wasn't much time to slow down.
Thankfully, my friend—who owns Salon 46—gifted me a blowout before the party.
It gave me a chance to pause for a little while before all the setup began, and I truly appreciated having that moment to relax before celebrating everything we'd worked so hard for.
Creative Florals by Deborah Michelle Photography
One of the details I loved most was our floral design!
Instead of traditional centerpieces, Deborah Michelle Photography created arrangements using disco ball vases paired with coordinating bud vases throughout the venue.
The palette featured whites, greens, and purples to complement our company branding while still feeling fresh and elegant.
One thing I love about Deborah is how creative she is. Although photography is her primary business, she enjoys opportunities like this that allow her artistic side to shine in different ways (and she offered!)
We've been friends for years after meeting through Rising Tide. Getting to collaborate creatively together has become one of my favorite parts of working in the wedding industry.
Of Course... We Had to Bring the Party
Since it was an Elevated Entertainment celebration, we couldn't resist showcasing everything we love.
We provided the DJ entertainment, our Glam Booth complete with instant prints, dance floor lighting, uplighting that turned Avenue D completely green for the evening, and a custom balloon backdrop for the photo booth that quickly became one of the most photographed spots at the party.
Most of our guests have attended enough Elevated events that they already knew exactly how to use the photo booth, creating a relaxed, self-serve atmosphere where Andrew and I could spend our evening visiting with friends instead of managing photos.
One of my favorite moments happened after nearly everyone had gone home. We stayed behind for one last dance. After months of planning—and ten years of building this business—it felt like the perfect quiet moment to soak it all in.
Here's to the Next Ten Years
Around 50 of our closest friends, family members, and fellow wedding professionals joined us to celebrate.
Andrew and I shared a few words, thanked everyone who has supported Elevated Entertainment over the past decade, and officially introduced both Elevated Sips and our new POP Booth.
As exciting as the last decade has been, we're even more excited about what's next.
We're growing our team, beginning the process of bringing on additional DJs to represent Elevated Entertainment, expanding with Elevated Sips, and continuing to find new ways to make celebrations unforgettable.
To every client, every venue, every vendor, every friend, and every family member who has been part of this journey: Thank you for helping us build something we are incredibly proud of.
