Brendan's Blog

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.
Continue reading “Sarah & Christopher: June 7, 2008″

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.
Continue reading “Kirsten & Mike: May 25, 2008″

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!

Margie & Chuck’s wedding on Saturday was fantastic, although it required lots of preparation on my part. In addition to handling the music for dinner and dancing, Margie called me the week before the wedding and asked if I’d be interested in playing the piano during their cocktail hour as well. Always eager to share my talents, I accepted the invitation. I’ve been playing by ear since age 5 and took lessons until I was 13, but I’ve only recently started offering live piano music along with my DJ services. At some point I’ll have some samples of my playing available on my website.

The reception took place at the Wellesley Country Club, and it was an outstanding event from every perspective. The skies were sunny and clear, and the atmosphere was formal yet fun. The cocktail hour took place outdoors on the patio, where Margie & Chuck’s 240 guests enjoyed drinks and the sounds of my piano music coming from the adjacent club room. Later, we all made our way upstairs to Wellesley’s ballroom. The room itself only seats 200, so some of the guests were seated under a tent on the attached deck. This is where more preparation was involved - I used my wireless sound system on the deck, so that the guests there would be able to hear my announcements and the toasts by the best man and maid of honor. It worked beautifully.

The introductions also required some practice (one of the bridesmaids has a five-syllable last name and was impressed that I had nailed it without her assistance). After a delicious dinner, the dance floor quickly filled - this was definitely a party crowd! Margie and Chuck left for a short time to take some pictures, but when they returned they found almost every one of their guests dancing and ready to welcome them back. At the end of the night, Margie summed up her thoughts in three words - “We loved it!”.

Introduction Music: “Sweet Caroline” - Neil Diamond
Margie & Chuck’s First Dance:
“Speak Softly Love (Love Theme from ‘The Godfather’) - Andy Williams
Margie’s Dance with her brothers:
“Over The Rainbow/What A Wonderful World” - Israel Kamakawiwo’ole
Chuck’s Dance with his daughter: “Forever Young” - Stoney LaRue
Groom/Mother Dance: “Young At Heart” - Frank Sinatra
Last Dance: “Turn Your Lights Down Low” - Bob Marley

The reception featured a subtle Red Sox theme. Each table was named for a player:

Here’s the deck area - it was a gorgeous day!

Here’s my setup, ready to go:

Here’s the dance floor - make room!