09/29/2026
WEDDING VENDOR ARRESTED AFTER DISPUTE OVER DANCE FLOOR LIGHTING
WEATOGUE, Conn. — A wedding DJ was arrested following a physical confrontation with a photographer during setup at The Riverview, after a disagreement over lighting escalated before guests had even entered the reception room.
The dispute reportedly began after the DJ spent nearly two hours positioning moving heads, programming lighting scenes and installing uplights around the ballroom. The photographer then placed two bright lights facing the dance floor and switched them on.
“I had warm amber around the room. Elegant. Romantic. Everything matched,” the DJ said. “Then this guy plugs in two suns and lights up the dance floor like the Super Bowl.”
The photographer maintained that the lights were necessary to capture the couple’s first dance.
“He told me he needed to see their faces,” the DJ continued. “Of course you can see their faces. You can see their dental records it's so bright"
Witnesses described an initially professional discussion that deteriorated after the photographer referred to the DJ’s moving heads as “the little spinny lights.”
“That’s when his whole expression changed,” one setup worker said. “He turned the music down. They’d been arguing over instrumental Michael Bublé, and suddenly we were doing it in complete silence.”
The DJ reportedly demanded that the photographer lower his lights by “at least 80 percent,” claiming they were washing out a custom lighting scene he had saved as “First Dance Final FINAL 2.”
The photographer responded that he could not deliver blurry wedding photographs simply because the DJ wanted the room to look “like a Buffalo Wild Wings after midnight.”
The confrontation became physical moments later. Two workers stepped between the men as the DJ shouted, “I HAVE FOUR MOVING HEADS AND APPARENTLY I’M THE ONLY ONE HERE USING MINE.”
No guests were in the room at the time. Setup was still underway, and the couple remained unaware of the dispute until after the vendors had been separated.
As the DJ was escorted out, he reportedly asked whether he could first retrieve his wireless microphone.
The request was declined after he explained that he “just wanted to make one announcement.”
With the reception approaching, the DJ’s roadie stepped in to run the wedding. Previously responsible for unloading speakers, taping cables and finding parking, he was promoted to lead entertainer with approximately 25 minutes’ notice.
“I asked if he knew how to introduce the bridal party,” a worker said. “He said, ‘I have the names, and I’ve been to a wedding.’ At that point, we went with it.”
The reception proceeded as scheduled. The roadie successfully handled the introductions, first dance and formalities, then kept the dance floor busy for the remainder of the evening.
The photographer agreed to dim his lights.
The roadie declined to comment on the arrest, but confirmed that he would be discussing his usual $150 payment.
