Meet Matthew Davey
Oh hey gang, I'm Matthew, The Bow Tied DJ behind Completely Celebrated.
I've been hosting parties since I was a teenager in Richmond, Virginia. Right out of high school, I found my way into local bars, college parties, and sorority formals while simultaneously working in live event production, learning the technical side of sound, lighting, video, staging, and creative design.
Then I DJed my first wedding in 2009.
I was hooked.
I loved the energy. I loved bringing people together. I loved the responsibility of guiding a room through one of the biggest celebrations of someone's life. And I became fascinated by something I've spent the next 15+ years trying to understand:
What makes a celebration actually feel incredible?
That question has taken me through hundreds of weddings, the creation of Bow Tied Weddings in 2015, more than 170 client reviews, years of building and leading a team of DJs, and eventually the evolution into Completely Celebrated.
Along the way, my thinking about wedding entertainment evolved too.
I stopped seeing the DJ as simply the person responsible for the music and started thinking about the entire guest experience: hospitality, energy, flow, transitions, hosting, atmosphere, production, collaboration, and yes, one hell of a dance floor.
Today, I call that Entertainment Design.
It's the philosophy behind my work with Completely Celebrated and increasingly the work I share as an educator within the wedding industry.
And after all these years, I'm still behind the booth.
Because I still love that moment when months of planning disappear, the room comes alive, and a group of people who may never all be together again are completely present in the same experience.
That's why I do this.
When I'm not celebrating with other people's families, I'm usually exploring with my wife Elizabeth, traveling with our three dogs, training for another half marathon, cheering on Atlanta sports teams, or trying to find a really great coffee shop in a new city.
If you're curious about where all that exploring takes us, you can follow along with our travels. And after hundreds of weddings alongside some pretty incredible people, I've also put together a collection of my favorite Virginia wedding professionals.
More Than Someone Who Plays Music
Every celebration has its own personality because every room is filled with different people, different histories, and different reasons for being together.
That's where I start.
We'll talk about what you love, what you don't, the songs that matter, and what you want the experience to feel like. I'll prepare for the moments we know are coming, while leaving enough room for the ones we can't predict.
Then, when the celebration begins, I'm paying attention.
I'm reading the room. Watching the energy. Knowing when to lead, when to adjust, when to take a musical left turn, and when we've found something too good to interrupt.
More than 20 years in this business has taught me that the best celebrations aren't built from perfect playlists.
They're built by paying attention.
You bring the people. I'll read the room.
The Entertainment Designer
The best events don't feel like a collection of separate moments.
They flow.
That's why my work starts long before I step behind the DJ booth.
I'm thinking about how guests move through the experience, where their attention needs to go, how energy builds throughout the event, and how music, hosting, production, atmosphere, and timing work together.
I'm collaborating with planners, producers, venues, and creative partners so we're not each creating our own piece of the event in isolation.
Because your guests don't experience separate vendors.
They experience one celebration.
That's what I mean by Entertainment Design.
It's looking beyond what's happening behind the DJ booth and considering how all the pieces work together to create something people genuinely want to be part of.
Experience & Recognition
I've been entertaining weddings, corporate events, and celebrations since 2009. Along the way, I've had the opportunity to perform for hundreds of events, build and lead a team of DJs, teach and collaborate within the wedding industry, and learn a whole lot about what brings people together.
A few milestones from the journey:
20+ years entertaining weddings and events
200+ reviews across Bow Tied Weddings and Completely Celebrated
Multiple WeddingWire Couples' Choice Awards
Richmond Bride Magazine A-List Finalist for Best Wedding DJ
Modern Luxury Weddings Atlanta Diamond Award Winner for Best Reception DJ
Wedding industry educator focused on Entertainment Design, collaboration, and guest experience
Founder of the Richmond chapter of the Wedding Industry Professionals Association (WIPA)
The awards are meaningful. But the greatest recognition is being trusted by couples, organizations, planners, and fellow event professionals to help create experiences that bring people together.
The Educator
The more I've learned about entertainment, the more I've wanted to share it.
Today, my work extends beyond the DJ booth into wedding industry education, where I lead conversations about Entertainment Design, collaboration, guest experience, and the often-invisible decisions that shape how an event feels.
Those conversations have also made me better at the work itself.
They force me to question assumptions, articulate why something works, learn from other creative professionals, and continue evolving an approach I've been developing through hundreds of real celebrations.
I don't believe experience means you've figured everything out.
I think it means you've accumulated enough experience to start asking better questions.
And whether I'm leading a conversation with event professionals or entertaining a room full of guests, I'm still fascinated by the same question that has driven my career:
What makes a celebration actually feel incredible?
Let’s Stay Connected
The conversation doesn't end here.
Follow me on Instagram and TikTok for more about Entertainment Design, collaboration, celebrations, as well as the people and ideas shaping our industry along with plenty of moments from the weddings, events, and conferences I experience.
Think I Might Be The Leader of your Celebration?
Tell me a little about your event, your people, and what you're imagining.
Whether you're planning a wedding, corporate event, private celebration, or something entirely your own, I'd love to hear what you're creating and see if I'm the right fit.
Let's start a conversation.
The Bow Tied DJ brings high-energy entertainment, polished MC services, and expertly curated music to weddings and events that know how to celebrate. Specializing in elevated dance floors fueled by 2000s bangers, throwback singalongs, and crowd-favorite anthems, he creates unforgettable parties that feel both sophisticated and electric. From elegant ballroom weddings and vineyard receptions to country club celebrations and destination weekends, every soundtrack is tailored to match the couple’s style and the energy of their guests.
Based in Richmond and traveling wherever the party calls, The Bow Tied DJ delivers professional DJ and MC services for luxury weddings, corporate events, galas, and private celebrations across the Southeast and beyond — including Atlanta, Richmond, Charlotte, Nashville, New Orleans, Tampa, and destinations nationwide. Trusted by couples and clients who want an elevated experience without losing the fun, The Bow Tied DJ turns great celebrations into legendary dance floors.