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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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:
I’ve been working on a number of projects lately and haven’t had much time to post here, but whenever I get busy with things, it’s generally a good sign. For example:
- I’ve been remixing a number of popular party songs to make them more dancefloor-friendly. When you’ve been playing some of the same songs over and over for 20 years, it’s nice to have a new rendition of a time-tested classic to play. I never like to change what makes a song popular or fun, so I only make subtle changes, like a different introduction. It freshens things up and keeps the energy moving on the dance floor.
- I’ve been moving over to a new event planning system. If you’re one of my clients, you’ll soon see some really exciting and new features when you access your event details online. Unfortunately, the switchover isn’t a one-click process for me, so I’ve been doing a lot of typing, moving everyone’s event details from the current system to the new one.
- I’ve expanded my light show. Although I don’t use it at every event (and very rarely at weddings), it’s fantastic. I’m planning to to use it at a school dance that I’m working tomorrow night.
One more thing to note - Congratulations to Mike & Kristie McLaughlin, whose wedding I attended last weekend in West Bridgewater. I’ve known them for years, and it was a wonderful celebration.