Brendan’s Blog - The DJ’s Notes, Real Weddings, and more!

How do you pick a favorite wedding when you get to work for so many great couples? It’s pretty much impossible. However, if I had to come up with a few nominees, I’m confident that Jen & Trevor would make the list. Their wedding reception was perfect.

The reception, at Hawthorne Country Club, was attended by 200 guests. The bride and groom hoped to have lots of time for dancing, and I’m happy to report that the Hawthorne staff timed the cocktail hour and dinner service just right. Some of my selections during dinner included Dean Martin’s “That’s Amore”, Stevie Wonder’s “For Once In My Life”, and Ben Harper’s “Steal My Kisses”.

Once the dancing began, there was no stopping. In fact, we had over three hours of dancing, which gave me plenty of time to please the entire crowd. What made this reception especially fun for me was Jen’s request list - it was four pages long and covered just about every musical genre, and it also included a number of songs that I haven’t played in a number of years. Remember “I Wish” by Skee-Lo? It still keeps the dance floor moving, as does Madonna’s “Lucky Star” and Queen’s “Bohemian Rhapsody”.

Congratulations, Jen & Trevor!

Wedding Party Introduction Music: “It’s Not Unusual” - Tom Jones
Jen & Trevor’s Introduction Music: “Another One Bites The Dust” - Queen
Jen & Trevor’s First Dance: “Every Time I Close My Eyes” - Babyface
(this really was the first dance - the first song they ever danced to, 13 years ago)

Song played during the Cake Cutting: “Everything” - Michael Buble
Bride/Father Dance: “I Loved Her First” - Heartland
Groom/Mother Dance: “My Special Angel” - Bobby Helms
Last Dance: “Grow Old With You” - Adam Sandler
Farewell Dance: “Save The Last Dance For Me” - Michael Buble

I left the photography to the professionals this time… these shots were provided by Adriano Batti. Check him out at www.photographyboston.com.

A view of the room before guests arrive.

A mailbox served as the holding place for cards, and looked great on the gift table.

The bride and groom during their first dance...

Everyone was ready to party!

This is my favorite picture - it truly captures the moment!

The second weekend in October was my busiest, with three weddings taking place. First up was Eric & Becky’s reception at Independence Harbor in Assonet. What a great party! Eric & Becky found me through Dana Pierce, who was outstanding to work with, as always.

Eric & Becky did such a great job with making their day a special one. The reception started with the introductions of their wedding party - the announcements were done by some of their younger family members, and they were perfect! When the bride and groom were introduced, they walked in to overwhelming applause and were smiling right up until the very last dance of the night. Their music selections were very cool - it’s not often that the must-play list that I receive includes “Baby Got Back”, Bust A Move” AND “The Humpty Dance” (and those were just the must-plays!). All of the guests enjoyed the music, including the elderly couple that came out to dance to “Money Ain’t A Thang”. Note to other DJs: Never underestimate your audience!

Congratuations, Eric & Becky!

Wedding Party Introduction Music: “Don’t Stop Believin’” - Journey
Eric & Becky’s Introduction Music: “Mo Money Mo Problems” - Notorious BIG
Eric & Becky’s First Dance: “You And Me” - Lifehouse
Song played during the Cake Cutting: “Baby I Love You” - Aretha Franklin
Bride/Father Dance: “What A Wonderful World” - Louis Armstrong
Groom/Mother Dance: “Can’t Smile Without You” - Barry Manilow
Last Dance: “Ever The Same” - Rob Thomas
Farewell Dance: “Two Tickets To Paradise” - Eddie Money

The Wedding Cake

In addition to featuring wedding pictures of their ancestors, Becky's grandmother's wedding dress was on display.

One of Independence Harbor's elaborate veggie platters.

The dining room. I brought in a couple of red uplights to give the dance floor area some color.

Another packed dance floor = another successful event!

I was fortunate to work for TWO wonderful couples during the first week of October; the second wedding of the weekend was Chantelle & Donnie’s ceremony and reception at Lake Pearl Luciano’s in Wrentham. I’ve done a number of events at Lake Pearl, but this was the first where I was providing ceremony music in addition to the reception entertainment.

Chantelle & Donnie hired me in September 2007, and we met again in September of this year to go over all of the details of their wedding day. It was a great meeting - they were really organized with everything so it made getting to know them a lot of fun. I was especially flattered when they told me that I was their favorite vendor to work with; they told me that of all of the vendors they’d hired, I was the only one who seemed truly excited about their wedding day. I admit that I do look forward to my events more than most wedding vendors might. In fact, I’ve worked with plenty of people who treat each event like just another job, while I feel truly privileged to be part of my clients’ special occasions. When I stop enjoying what I do and appreciating the people I get to work for, that’s when I’ll hang up my headphones.

Back to Chantelle & Donnie’s wedding: it started at 1:00 pm with an outdoor ceremony, followed by cocktails and hors d’ouevres in Lake Pearl’s Lounge. Later, guests made their way into the Treetop room and were treated to amazing love story video produced by Richard Kim of KVB Productions. It was my first time working with Richard, but I can tell you this: He’s a class act. I’ve seen lots of photo slideshows, but this presentation was totally different - a 10 minute program including interviews with the bride and groom, talking about how they met, the times they’ve spent together, and when they knew for sure that their relationship was like no other. When the presentation was finished, there wasn’t a dry eye in the house. You can view the video here.

After a mid-afternoon meal, the dancing began, with an assortment of great dance songs picked out by the bride and groom. Some of the highlights included Chantelle’s PERFECT lip-sync to “We Are Family” (you would have thought that she was once a member of Sister Sledge), and Donnie’s outstanding dance moves during Run DMC’s “It’s Like That” - it’s Donnie’s most favorite song. We finished off the afternoon with a perfectly choreographed last dance, to Frank Sinatra’s “The Last Dance”. It was a WONDERFUL afternoon!

Congratulations, Chantelle & Donnie!

Introduction Music: “I Feel Good (I Got You)” - James Brown
Chantelle & Donnie’s Introduction Music: “Let’s Get It Started” - Black Eyed Peas
Chantelle & Donnie’s First Dance: “Truly” - Lionel Richie
Last Dance: “The Last Dance” - Frank Sinatra

The Treetop Room at Lake Pearl

The place cards are laid out and ready...

One of the outdoor ceremony locations at Lake Pearl.

Monogrammed cocktail napkins are a great way to personalize your event.

The wedding cake.

The bride and groom sharing a dance.

The view from the DJ booth at 6:00 pm.

It’s no secret that I absolutely love my clients. While I’m sure there are many DJs who are in business simply because of the opportunity to party every weekend while making some extra cash, there’s one underlying reason why I do this job: I really like the people I get to work for. The only downside is that I generally don’t see them much, if at all, after their events have taken place. With that said, it was truly an honor to be part of Corinne & Ralph’s wedding day. It will be one of the most memorable and treasured events of my DJ career.

Corinne had first contacted me last October; I was the DJ at her sister’s wedding last September on Cape Cod. I was happy that she liked my work and wanted to check my availability, but also a bit surprised - the wedding was taking place near Utica, New York - not exactly close by. After sending a quote for my services and not knowing what to expect, I received the news: “We would really love to have you as our DJ”. Fast forward to yesterday, when my wife and I made the 300 mile trip to the reception location - Turning Stone Resort Casino in Verona, NY. We arrived at 3:00 pm, which gave me plenty of time to check out the venue, set up for the wedding and relax a bit before my 7:00 start time.

The reception actually began at 6:00 in a smaller room at Turning Stone, with an elaborate selection of hors d’ouevres and music provided by a harpist. One hour later, one of the smaller room’s walls opened up to reveal a HUGE dancefloor and seating for nearly 400 guests. I invited them in with some great upbeat selections - from an outstanding instrumental rendition of Kool & The Gang’s “Get Down On It” to Dean Martin’s “Ain’t That A Kick In The Head”. Corinne & Ralph’s guests really liked my choices - some were even dancing a bit while finding their way to their seats.

After introductions (there were lots of Italian names, which required lots of practice on my part), the bride and groom shared a first dance and then took their seats. After a blessing and then a toast by the best man, the Turning Stone waitstaff emerged from the kitchen to “Be Our Guest” from Disney’s Beauty & The Beast. This was well-received by the guests; it’s something that Turning Stone does at every wedding reception they host.

After dinner, the cutting of the wedding cake and some special dances, I opened the dancefloor with a slow song and then went right to some of Corinne’s requests - with so many guests and so much food to be served, we didn’t have as much time for dancing as I’d hoped. The dancefloor quickly filled; in fact, I’m pretty sure that the bride danced to almost every song that I played. For the most part, I stuck with a mix of oldies (”Runaround Sue”), some party classics (”Love Shack” - a request from one of the guests), and more recent hits from the likes of Rihanna and Black Eyed Peas. I also threw in a number of Frank Sinatra songs, as Ralph’s family really enjoys Frank’s music. We finished the evening with “New York, New York” (complete with ‘Chorus Line’-style kicks), and then a song that I picked out at the very last second - Earth Wind & Fire’s “September”. While it wasn’t quite the 21st night (we were just a day too soon), it was the perfect finish to an absolutely wonderful day. After saying goodnight to the newlyweds and their families, I packed up my gear and headed up to my hotel room on the 17th floor - it offered a tremendous view of the New York countryside.

In the morning, my wife and I joined Corinne & Ralph’s family and friends for a post-wedding brunch - there was an invitation tucked into the gift bag that was in our hotel room when we arrived. That’s why I mentioned the earlier “downside” - not seeing my clients after their events have taken place. When my wife and I walked into the room, Ralph got up from his seat, walked right over to us, shook my hand and told my wife “It was awesome… he did an awesome job”. I was elated beyond words.

I really hope that all of my clients feel the same way that Corinne & Ralph do. More importantly, I hope I get to see Corinne & Ralph again. If I had the opportunity to travel to New York and entertain their families again, I’d do it in a heartbeat.

Parents’ Introduction Music: “Eye Of The Tiger” - Survivor
Wedding Party Introduction Music: “This Is How We Do It” - Montell Jordan
Corinne & Ralph’s Introduction Music: “Party Like A Rockstar” - Shop Boyz
First Dance: “This Is The Time” - Billy Joel
Song Played During The Cake Cutting: “Pour Some Sugar On Me” - Def Leppard
Bride/Father Dance: “You Are The Sunshine Of My Life” - Stevie Wonder
Groom/Mother Dance: “I Hope You Dance” - Lee Ann Womack
Groom/Grandmother Dance: “Al-Di-La” - Jerry Vale
Last Dance: “New York, New York” - Frank Sinatra
Farewell Dance: “September” - Earth Wind & Fire

The Oneida Room at Turning Stone, before guests arrived.

The Dancefloor - Those two narrow speakers fill the room like you wouldn't believe.

The table setting.

The Wedding Cake

The bride, dancing with her father.

Twirling napkins to 'Lazy Mary'.

Everyone was on the dancefloor, and there was still some extra room!

My second September wedding was Melanie & Roland’s reception at Bittersweet Farm in Westport. Although the weather gods were again uncooperative, everyone was in great spirits and had an enjoyable afternoon. The day started at 11:00 with the wedding ceremony, which took place in Bittersweet’s Great Loft - it’s the same room where my wife and I had our rehearsal dinner before our wedding in 2006. Melanie’s music selections for the ceremony were uniquely hers - The Beatles’ “In My Life” for the bridesmaids’ processional, “Lost In Your Eyes” by Debbie Gibson for the bride’s processional, and “Don’t Look Back” by Boston for the recessional. All three songs were well-received, proving that wedding ceremony music doesn’t always have to be classical.

After the ceremony, Melanie & Roland’s guests made their way downstairs to the Tavern for cocktails, and then to the main dining room for dinner and dancing. The newlyweds picked out some great must-play songs, including Earth Wind & Fire’s “September” and Billy Idol’s “Dancing With Myself”. Both songs packed the dancefloor.

Congratulations, Melanie & Roland!

Wedding Party Introduction Music: “Start Me Up” - The Rolling Stones
Melanie & Roland’s Introduction Music: “Love Will Keep Us Together” - Captain & Tennille
Melanie & Roland’s First Dance: “Could I Have This Dance” - Anne Murray
Song played during the Cake Cutting: “Sugar Sugar” - The Archies
Last Dance: “Grow Old With You” - Adam Sandler
Farewell Dance: “I Had The Time Of My Life” - Bill Medley & Jennifer Warnes

An aerial view of the main dining room at Bittersweet Farm.

The bride arrived in a vintage Rolls-Royce.

The wedding cake, with custom-labeled wine for the newlyweds.

The centerpieces were given to the person at each table with the birthday closest to September 13th.

Slow Dancing on a Saturday afternoon.

A picture taken during the farewell dance.

My first September 2008 wedding was for Lisa & Edgar; Lisa’s mom had hired me and I didn’t meet with them until a few weeks before the big day, but I really enjoyed that meeting and knew when I left that their reception was going to be a great time. And despite having to make a last-minute change of plans due to weather, Lisa was in GREAT spirits. The original plan was to have a beach wedding ceremony at Falmouth’s Menauhant Beach. Unfortunately, the remains of Hurricane Hanna were heading up the east coast - not a good combination. So, a late decision was made to have the ceremony in the reception room at Coonamessett Inn.

Lisa & Edgar gave me carte blanche to select their ceremony music, so I picked some traditional classical pieces for the processional. For the recessional, I chose a song off of Lisa’s request list - “Signed, Sealed, Delivered” by Stevie Wonder. It turned out to be a great choice - so good that when I checked in with Lisa later in the afternoon, she immediately told me that I made her whole day with that one song. Perfect timing!

After introductions, the bride and groom took to the dance floor to Santana’s “Love Of My Life”. It did take some time for the dance floor to fill after food had been served, but that’s no fault of the DJ - the bar was a popular hangout spot that afternoon. To bring his friends back around, Edgar called his friends over to the dancefloor for a ’special announcement’ (based on the hype, you might have thought he was giving away a new car, a la “My Super Sweet 16′). The special announcement was that everyone needed to dance - and they did, from the first note of Kid Rock’s “All Summer Long” to the very last song of the afternoon.

Congratulations, Lisa & Edgar!

Introduction & First Dance: “Love Of My Life” - Santana feat. Dave Matthews
Song played during the Cake Cutting: “When I’m 64″ - The Beatles
Bride/Father Dance: “My Girl” - The Temptations
Groom/Mother Dance: “In My Life” - The Beatles

Table number one

The Wedding Cake had a distinct Cape Cod design.

The breakout Conga line.

Dancing during the 'Sweet Caroline' sing-a-long.

The newlyweds - VERY happy with their DJ!

I’m always flattered when I get asked to DJ for family members and friends, so one of my most anticipated August events was Curt & Lori’s wedding at the Fall River Country Club. I’ve known Curt since I was about 5; we grew up in the same neighborhood and his parents are friends with my parents. Coincidentally, I was the DJ at Lori’s cousin’s wedding reception last year and didn’t even realize they were part of her family until I saw them here. Small world!

Curt and Lori couldn’t have picked a nicer day - with temperatures in the high 80s and lots of sun, it was perfect. The afternoon began with appetizers and drinks on the patio - I used the wireless speaker system that I normally use for wedding ceremonies to provide background music there. Later, Curt and Lori’s guests moved indoors for dinner and dancing. From the classic oldies to some of the most current hits, I kept the dance floor filled from start to finish.

Congratulations, Curt & Lori!

Introduction Music: Clumsy - Fergie
Curt & Lori’s First Dance: When You Say Nothing At All - Alison Krauss
Song played during the cake cutting: Sugar Sugar - The Archies
Bride/Father Dance: You Are The Sunshine Of My Life - Stevie Wonder
Groom/Mother Dance: Have I Told You Lately - Rod Stewart
Last Dance: Thank You - Led Zeppelin (it’s Lori’s favorite band)

Fall River Country Club's ballroom before guests arrived.

The view of the Taunton River from the ballroom.

The Wedding Cake

The dance floor at 10:00 PM.

I spent the second week of August at the 2008 International DJ Expo in Atlantic City, so when I got home I was refreshed and ready to get back to my weekend routine. First up was a trip to Duxbury for Kevin & Alex’s wedding. I provided the entertainment at Kevin’s brother Shawn’s wedding back in 2005; coincidentally, Shawn also married a girl named Alex.

The bride and groom live in the San Diego area, so we weren’t able to meet prior to the reception to go over their details. This was no problem for me - although they didn’t give me much direction in terms of their musical tastes, I was able to put together a great mix of music that garnered a number of compliments from the more than 170 guests in attendance. And despite a little bit of rain, everyone was in good spirits. Besides, the weather eventually cleared up as the afternoon turned into evening. I don’t think there was ever a moment when the dance floor wasn’t filled!

Congratulations, Kevin & Alex!

Kevin & Alex’s First Dance: Diamonds On The Inside - Ben Harper
Song Played During the Cake Cutting: How Sweet It Is - Michael Buble
Bride/Father Dance: Unforgettable - Natalie Cole & Nat King Cole
Bride/Stepfather Dance: Romeo & Juliet - Dire Straits
Groom/Mother Dance: Over The Rainbow - Israel Kamakawiwo’ole
Last Dance: I Had The Time Of My Life - Bill Medley & Jennifer Warnes

The ceremony setup, overlooking Duxbury Harbor.

The scene under the tent shortly after the ceremony.

A rainbow that appeared during dinner got everyone's attention.

The dance floor at 9:00 pm.

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: