Kristen + Tom: December 31, 2009
Despite a rough economy, 2009 was actually a very good year for me, business-wise. To finish it off, I was thrilled to be selected to provide the entertainment at Kristen & Tom’s New Year’s Eve wedding at the gorgeous Westin Providence. Kristen was referred to me by Glenn & Anne Turgeon at All 4 You DJ.
The evening began at 7 pm, with the wedding ceremony performed by Rev. Michael Egan. This was my second time working with Michael, and he’s easily one of the best officiants in the area. After the ceremony, guests made their way up to the hotel’s third floor for cocktails and hors d’oeuvres; I used my Bose L1 Compact speaker system to fill the room with contemporary sounds from the likes of Dave Matthews, Matt Nathanson, and Norah Jones. All of the music for the cocktail hour was programmed from my main console and sent to the cocktail hour room wirelessly. The advantage to this setup vs. using a separate mixer/player or iPod is that the audio transition from room to room is absolutely seamless, so guests moving from the cocktail hour area into the main ballroom hear the same song playing without any interruption or delay.
Kristen & Tom didn’t give me much in the way of musical direction, so I pretty much had free reign as far as the playlist was concerned. Basically, my instructions were simple: Play great music, make sure everyone has a great time, and coordinate the New Year countdown at midnight. Tom did throw in a few requests during dinner, which I happily played for him (all of my meetings prior to the event had been with the bride and her mom, so this was my first time meeting the groom). Fortunately, all of the songs I suggested for the evening’s formalities fit well with Tom’s musical tastes.
The New Year’s countdown was timed perfectly, and the “Happy New Year” hats and headpieces supplied by the newlyweds were a big hit – the dancefloor was packed, thanks in part to a music mix that included everything from Flo Rida to The Outfield, Pitbull to Michael Jackson to the Beatles. We wrapped up the party at 1 AM, with a sing-a-long of Journey’s “Don’t Stop Believin” and a slow dance to East Mountain South’s “So Are You To Me”. If you’re not familiar with that one, check it out… it’s a perfect wedding song.
Kristen & Tom’s First Dance: Steady As We Go – Dave Matthews Band
Song played during the cake cutting: Sweetest Thing – U2
Groom/Mother Dance: I Hope You Dance – Lee Ann Womack
Photos are provided courtesy of Gabrielle Marks Photography – Gabrielle and her husband Matt are fantastic to work with, and they did a great job capturing the excitement of the night.
The Bride and her Mom, walking down the aisle
Party on the dancefloor
Rhode Island's got talent!
Party In The USA - Hands Up!
The dancefloor at midnight - Happy 2010!
The bride and groom sharing a kiss at midnight.
