Zefiretto/Bono wedding reception at The Carolina Inn on March 22nd, 2014

Valerie and Matthew chose the Hill Ballroom at The Carolina Inn for their afternoon wedding reception on a gorgeous March day in Chapel Hill NC.  The cocktail hour for the 200 guests at noon was held in the hallway in front of the room and I had a mix of standards playing, heavy on Sinatra of course!  After some pictures were taken by photographer Renee Sprink, the doors of the ballroom opened and gusts made their way to their tables with floral arrangements by The English Garden.  I then introduced the wedding party to “Marry You” by Bruno Mars.  I still love that song!  The wedding party danced in and lined up in front of my table.  Valerie and Matthew came in to a huge roar from the crowd and Valerie looked beautiful in her white dress and dark shades.  She handed her bouquet and glasses off and they had their first dance to Journey’s “Faithfully”.  After a couple minutes the wedding party joined them for the dance.  Valerie then danced with her father to “Butterfly Kisses” and all the fathers & daughters joined them after a couple minutes.  Matthew escorted his mother to the floor to dance to “What A Wonderful World” and, you guessed it, all the mothers & sons shortly joined them.  Everyone took their seats and Valerie’s father welcomed everyone and said the blessing.

 

The individually served salad’s and entrée’s came out and I had a mix of soft rock and classic soul playing.  After dinner we had the Ashley's cake cutting to “L.O.V.E.” by Nat King Cole and the staff passed the cake and the dessert table opened while we sang happy birthday to 3 guests and had toasts by the best man and maid of honor.  I then opened the floor with “My Girl” and it filled immediately.  Shortly we did a conga line and Valerie and Matthew had picked up lots of props for guests to wear.  There were literally 150 people in this conga line going all around the room to Don Omar’s “Feeling Hot, Hot Hot”.

After guests filled the floor to oldies, disco, 80’s and some current dance tracks it was time to call it a wrap after their last dance to Beyonce’s “At Last”.  There were so many people dancing that they didn’t all fit on the dance floor. Valerie and Matthew left first to host a receiving line after the reception and guests made their way to the front of the Inn for a bubble exit after going through a “hugs and kisses” line.