Soltes/Balmadrid wedding at CAM in Raleigh

Mandy and Christian chose one of the coolest places in Raleigh to have their ceremony and wedding reception, Raleigh’s CAM (Contemporary Art Museum) on Saturday, August 30^th.  The building has 3 floors and great and provocative art everywhere, including a huge rainbow made from string across the top floor.  I was thrilled to be working with CAM’s Tamar, photographer Shane Snider and videographers Twenty-One films, who also set up a slow motion photo booth in the front lobby that was amazing.

As guests arrived to the museum for the outdoor ceremony in the courtyard, I had a mix of contemporary love songs playing.  The ceremony began and guests found their seats.  The wedding party came down the isle to Vitamin String Quartet’s cover of “ I’m Yours” and Mandy was escorted down the isle by her mother and brother to Vitamin String’s cover of Sigur Ros’s “Staralfur”.  After a wonderful ceremony blending American and Filipino traditions by Barbara Zelter, the ceremony was finished and the wedding party exited to Capital Cities “Safe & Sound”.  I invited guests into the museum for the cocktail hour and had a mix of electro swing playing per Mandy and Christians request.  It was perfect for this crowd and CAM!

After the cocktail hour, the wedding party was ready to be introduced into the street level of CAM to a dance song called “Who” by Tujamo Plastik Funk and they all had their own dance and pose on the dance floor.  Mandy and Christian came in to thunderous applause and danced for a couple minutes with the wedding party before having their second dance as husband and wife to “Turning Page” by Sleeping At Last from the Twilight soundtrack.  After their dance, Mandy and Christian thanked everyone for coming and guests made their way up the stairs for dinner.  I had a mix of soft rock, classic soul and standards playing during dinner.

After dinner, we had a few toasts and the cake cutting to “How Sweet It Is” and I invited guests back down to the street level of CAM for dancing.  Mandy and Christian and their mothers came to the floor for a combined dance to ‘Isn’t She Lovely” and I opened the floor to everyone with “My Girl” that always does great.  After a few Motown songs and current dance music the floor got filled until the end of the night.  There were so many great moments during the night!  Mandy & Christian doing a choreographed dance to Michael Jackson’s “Love Never Felt So Good”, Christian’s mother singing karaoke to “Stand By Your Man” and guests doing a soul train line to “Boogie Shoes” were all highlights to me.

The night ended with “(I’ve Had) The Time Of My Life” from Dirty Dancing and a sparkler exit from the front of the museum.  What a perfect night and crowd!  I am so happy I was able to play for Christian and Mandy and their guests.