My Saturday night event wasn’t a wedding reception; it was a Jack-And-Jill wedding shower for Matt and Tanya. I’ve known Matt since I was about 4 years old. In fact, he was probably the first person that I met when my parents moved into their Freetown neighborhood in the late 1970s.
(For those of you wondering what a Jack-And-Jill wedding shower is, eHow.com seems to have the general idea figured out).
The party started at 6 with a cocktail hour, followed by an incredible meal coordinated by Matt’s dad - it’s rumored that everyone in that same Freetown neighborhood had sirloin roasts in their ovens on Saturday afternoon in preparation for the party. It’s also rumored that the manager of the function facility where the party was held has offered Matt’s dad a job in their kitchen. Cooking for 150 guests isn’t exactly an easy feat.
After the delicious dinner, our guests of honor and two randomly selected couples participated in my “Not-Quite (and No-Longer) Newlywed Game”. If you’ve ever been on a Royal Caribbean cruise, you might have seen a similar variation played there. I occasionally use this game at anniversary parties, and it’s great fun. Unfortunately, Matt and Tanya finished in last place, but their answers to my questions certainly got lots of laughs from the audience. It’s clear that they’re off to a promising start as they prepare for their July wedding.
The dance floor filled up fairly quickly after the game and dessert, with couples young and old dancing to a wide variety of music - Flo Rida’s “Low” to Frank Sinatra’s “The Way You Look Tonight”. Another treat was Jackie Wilson’s “Baby Workout” - it had also been a floor-filler when I played it at Matt’s brother’s wedding in May of 2003.
Unfortunately, I won’t be the DJ at Matt and Tanya’s wedding reception - their date has been reserved by another client. But, I wish them much success (and hope that the Newlywed Game questions get easier for them as years go by). Congratulations, Matt & Tanya!