Brendan’s Blog

My third July wedding reception was for Jennifer and Sean; they’re friends with my sister and had planned on having their reception under a large tent in Jen’s mom’s backyard. However, about three months before the big day, they decided to change their plans. As a result, the big day became much smaller, the guest list became limited to close friends and family, and the event became one that will be one of my most favorites for years to come.

The ceremony and reception were held at a summer cottage on the shores of Waquoit Bay in Falmouth MA; it belongs to my grandmother and has been in our family for a number of generations. Although I’ve been there just about every summer since birth, I had never seen it set up for a wedding (I still haven’t figured out where Sean managed to hide all of the furniture). Had I known about its potential as a wedding venue, I might have chosen it for my own reception back in 2006!

The afternoon began with the ceremony on the beach; my wireless sound system came in handy for this, as it was portable enough for me to take down the stairs and onto the sand with no troubles. Afterwards, Jen and Sean’s 40 guests gathered on the side lawn for cocktails and then came in for dinner. Despite the lack of air conditioning on one of the hottest days of the year, everyone was in great spirits. After a short toast by the best man, we were treated to a photo slideshow of the bride and groom, put together by Jen’s sister Stephanie.

The food, provided by The Crazy Chefs Caterers, was outstanding. In addition to providing the projector and screen for the aforementioned slideshow, I also set up some special lighting to highlight the cake table, appetizer and dessert stations.

Once dinner service was finished, the bride and groom opened the dance floor with their first dance of the evening - Sonny & Cher’s “I Got You Babe”. Everyone loved it, and quickly filled the dance floor at the start of the next song.

The night ended at 11 pm with a dance to Israel Kamakawiwo’ole’s version of “Somewhere Over The Rainbow”. And somehow, all of the furniture found its way back into the cottage the very next day.

Congratulations, Jen & Sean!

Karen and Adam’s wedding ceremony and reception took place on July 18, 2008 at the Hawthorne Country Club in Dartmouth MA. Karen’s aunt served as the wedding coordinator and had been referred to me by the staff at Hawthorne, and was always happy to see me when she stopped by the local bridal shows. By the time Karen and Adam’s wedding day arrived, I felt like one of the family.

I arrived at Hawthorne a few hours early for this event, as the temperature outside was in the high 90s and I wanted plenty of time to load in, set up, and get comfortable. 90 minutes later, Karen and Adam’s 160 guests began to arrive, staying indoors until it was time for the ceremony to begin. The ceremony was perfect, with Justice of the Peace (and New Bedford City Councilor) David Alves officiating. David’s great to work with, as he’s quick-witted and able to keep the ceremony moving at a steady pace.

Once the ceremony had finished, everyone moved back inside for cocktails and hors d’ouvres, followed by the introduction of the wedding party, a blessing, toasts, and dinner. After dinner, the dance floor quickly filled and stayed that way for much of the evening. However, once the temperatures had cooled off outdoors, the adjacent deck was also a popular spot.

Congratulations, Karen and Adam!

Introduction Music: “The Boogie Bumper” - Big Bad Voodoo Daddy
Karen & Adam’s Intro Song:
“You’re The First, The Last, My Everything” - Barry White
Karen & Adam’s First Dance: “Me And You” - Kenny Chesney
Song played during the cake cutting: “When I’m 64″ - The Beatles

My 4th of July weekend festivities started on Thursday night - Beth & Steve’s wedding reception at Raffael’s in Walpole. When Beth first contacted me, she had July 3rd in mind but wasn’t able to confirm it right away because her now-husband Steve is in the Marines and was being sent overseas. Fortunately, Steve was back in the states a couple of weeks before the big day, so everything went smoothly.

Beth & Steve’s idea of getting married on a Thursday was genius - after all, who doesn’t want to leave work early (or take the day off!) and get a head-start on the weekend? All of their guests were clearly in the mood to celebrate, which made for an outstanding reception. For me, the party was over at 11:00 pm, but they could have danced all night. More weddings should be like this one!

Introduction Music: “For Those About To Rock” - AC/DC
Beth & Steve’s Introduction Music: “Theme from ‘Rocky’” - Bill Conti
Beth & Steve’s First Dance: “Me And You” - Kenny Chesney
Song played during the cake cutting: “You’re My Best Friend” - Queen
Bride/Father Dance: “I Loved Her First” - Heartland
Groom/Mother Dance: “My Wish” - Rascal Flatts

A view of the room before guests arrived:

My setup:

The wedding cake - red, white and blue!

The dance floor:

The newlyweds’ last dance of the night:

My second June 2008 wedding was Melissa & Stephen’s reception at the Harding Allen Estate in Barre, MA. It was a nearly two-hour drive for me, but I don’t mind traveling so I was happy to make the trip up 495, past Worcester and through the towns of Paxton, Rutland, and Oakham. Up until then, I wasn’t aware those towns existed.

The location itself was really very unique - an old mansion with an elaborate garden terrace and an adjacent function room. Getting in and out wasn’t entirely easy (I actually had to walk all of my gear in through the garden), but the Harding Allen staff were very accomodating and did all they could to make things as easy as possible for me.

Of course, the reception itself was fantastic - everyone had a great time and the dance floor was never empty. At the end of the night, the owners of the estate asked for my business cards and offered to add me to their referral list. Hopefully, I’ll be back there soon.

Introduction Music: “The Boogie Bumper” - Big Bad Voodoo Daddy
Melissa & Stephen’s Introduction Music: “More Today Than Yesterday” - Spiral Staircase
Melissa & Stephen’s First Dance: “Something In The Way She Moves” - James Taylor
Song played during the cake cutting: “More” - Bobby Darin
Bride/Father Dance: “The Way You Look Tonight” - Frank Sinatra
Groom/Mother Dance: “You Are The Sunshine Of My Life” - Stevie Wonder
Last Dance: “You’re Nobody ‘Til Somebody Loves You” - Frank Sinatra

The garden terrace at the Harding Allen Estate:

Inside the reception room:

The dance floor at 10:00 PM:

June 7th is/was one of the most popular wedding days for 2008 - last year’s big one was 7/7/07, so it’s no surprise that I had lots of inquiries about 6/7/08. Fortunately, Sarah and Christopher reserved my services last August. They were referred to me by a few different sources, including the then-coordinator at their venue and the bride’s neighbors, whose daughter’s wedding I did a very long time ago.

The June 7th weekend was one of the hottest on record so far this year, but the guests at this wedding didn’t seem to mind at all - everyone was keeping cool and in great spirits as they arrived at LeBaron Hills Country Club in Lakeville. The bride spent an extended amount of time in France during college, so there was a subtle French theme for this reception - large vases of fleurs-de-lis on each table, and some French pop songs during cocktail hour and dinner. Because of the heat, many of the guests opted to stay indoors instead of watching the golf action from the patio, but everyone really admired at the efforts that had been made to give the room a unique atmosphere.
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My second Memorial Day weekend wedding was Kirsten & Mike’s reception at LeBaron Hills Country Club in Lakeville. I love working there because it’s very close to my office. However, they always seem to have a new manager there each year. I’m happy to report that the current manager, Andrew, does a fantastic job and is super-easy to work with.

Kirsten and Mike were referred to me by Dana Pierce; they were planning their wedding from out-of-town, and were very specific about what they wanted from their DJ: great personality, no cheese, and lots of lighting. Kirsten’s from the New York/New Jersey area and has experience as an event planner, so she was expecting me to bring 110% to her reception. I do that for all of my clients, so I was definitely up for the assignment. And from start to finish, this one was perfect.
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I had two weddings to DJ over Memorial Day weekend - the first was Katie & Norm’s outstanding reception at Quidnessett Country Club in North Kingstown, RI. This was my first time doing a wedding at Quidnessett, and everything about this reception was fantastic. For me, the hardest part was making sure that I got the bride’s name right. I was the DJ at her sister Kerri’s wedding in 2006, so it would have been very easy to slip up when making announcements or introductions.

The introductions went fine and were followed by a first dance, a few toasts to the bride and groom, and then a slideshow that featured the newlyweds before and after they met. It was a nice touch. After dinner, the dancefloor quickly filled with Katie & Norm’s family and friends, and they kept dancing right up until midnight.

Katie & Norm’s First Dance: “Someone Like You” - Van Morrison
Song played during the cake cutting: “How Sweet It Is” - James Taylor
Bride/Father Dance: “I Loved Her First” - Heartland
Groom/Mother Dance: “Though The Years” - Kenny Rogers
Last Dance: “Crazy Love” - Van Morisson & Ray Charles
Farewell Song: “Save The Last Dance For Me” - Michael Buble

Here’s the view from the reception room at Quidnessett - what a gorgeous day!

The bride and groom during their first dance:

Some of the many dancers:

My Friday night event was a summer-themed dance for the 8th grade class at Milton Academy. Although it was a cold and rainy day (and not at all summer-like), the 40 students in the class didn’t let that hamper their spirits. In fact, this group was probably the most polite group of students that I’ve ever worked for (the dance was organized by the parents’ association, but at the request of the kids, the parents weren’t allowed to stick around while the dance was taking place). The dance absolutely rocked. In addition to current hits, the future class of 2012 enjoyed a “Sweet Caroline” sing-along, a musical-chairs game, and a few older songs that were requested by the students - “Love Is A Battlefield”, “This Is How We Do It” and “Ants Marching”.

This was my first time working at Milton Academy, but I hope that I get asked back in the future. It was a great night!

My wedding this weekend was at Plimoth Plantation, and was a referral from my friend Kim Heidke at Candid Casuals Photography. Kim’s one of my favorite people to work with, so when she refers a couple to me I know even before I speak with them that they’re just as much fun as she is. Colleen and Ryan were no exception!

Although I arrived early to set up, many of the guests were already on-site and were enjoying the warm weather and scenic grounds. After a cocktail hour, dinner and parent dances, I opened the dance floor with a Joan Osborne rendition of “At Last” and then segued into an assortment of floor-fillers and dance party classics. As the night went on, the energy level in the room continued to rise, as did the number of guest requests - everything from “Disco Inferno” to the Outfield’s “Your Love”, “Soulja Boy” and Gwen Stefani’s “Hollaback Girl”. The evening ended with two big sing-a-longs: Billy Joel’s “Piano Man”, and a song on the bride’s “must play” list, “I Want It That Way” by the Backstreet Boys (the crowd’s reaction to this one really surprised me… they LOVED it).

I really didn’t want this party to end.

Introduction Music: “The Final Countdown” - Europe
Bride & Groom’s Introduction: “Theme from ‘Rocky’” - Bill Conti
Colleen & Ryan’s First Dance: “You’ve Got A Way” - Shania Twain
Song played during the Cake Cutting: “Love And Marriage” - Frank Sinatra
Bride/Father Dance: “Daughter Of Mine” - John McDermott
Groom/Mother Dance: “A Song For My Son” - Donna Lee Honeywell
Last Dance: “Last Dance” - Donna Summer

Gainsborough Hall at Plimoth Plantation - it’s beautiful.

The view from just outside the room:

Another packed dance floor!

The second wedding that I had last weekend was Amie & Aaron’s reception at Bittersweet Farm in Westport. As I’ve mentioned in this blog before, I love working at Bittersweet - the staff is always helpful and the food is amazing. Plus, the atmosphere is really unique compared to what you’ll find at most of the other banquet facilities in that area. Amie & Aaron hired me fairly recently - less than six months ago. Her dad encouraged her to meet with me after visiting Apponequet.com, a website that I put together many years ago to help my fellow high school classmates keep in touch.

The wedding guests arrived to the event a bit early, but I also arrive early and was ready to go well before my scheduled start time. Despite the early arrival, most of Amie and Aaron’s 125 guests stayed right until the very end of the reception. Both the bride and groom are into country music, so my song selections included more country songs than I’d normally play. Everyone loved it, whether they were dancing to “Friends In Low Places” or “Honky Tonk Badonkadonk”. It was an outstanding event, and a terrific finish to a busy weekend!

Introduction Music: “Zoot Suit Riot” - Cherry Poppin Daddies
Amie & Aaron’s First Dance: “Me And You” - Kenny Chesney
Song played during the cake cutting: “How Sweet It Is” - James Taylor
Bride/Father Dance: “My Wish” - Rascal Flatts
Groom/Mother Dance: “You Needed Me” - Anne Murray
Last Dance: “I Could Not Ask For More” - Sara Evans

A new option at Bittersweet Farm: Your initials carved in fruit.

My setup - great sound in a very small space!

The dancefloor, as seen from my corner of the room: