Wiggins/Anderson wedding reception at The Carolina Inn on April 19th, 2014

Lakisha and Ray had both ceremony and reception at the beautiful Carolina Inn in Chapel Hill.  I provided music for both cocktail hour and reception in the old well room.  The ceremony was held inside the Inn due to weather, but it did not damper the guests spirits.  This crowd was here to have a blast!  I was excited to be working with some great vendors in planner Katie Dunn from La Fete and photographers James and Meridith from Walters and Walters.

The cocktail hour started and I had a mix of classic soul and 80’s R&B playing for the 160 guests.  The guests enjoyed cocktails, bbq sliders and chicken & waffles.  They were both awesome!  The doors of the ballroom opened and this party was ready to get under way.  The room was filled with beautiful floral arrangements by Lyn Graves from Fresh Affairs who always does a great job.  Guests found their seats and it was time to introduce the wedding party to an instrumental of T.I.’s “Swagger Like Us”.  It was awesome!  Everyone in the wedding party posed at the top of the stairs and danced in.  It was time for Ray and Lakisha to enter and I changed the song to “Bring Em Out” and the room erupted with a loud cheer.  Ray really looked like a rock star at the top of the stairs pointing out at the crowd. They made their way through the crowd and to the dance floor for their first dance of “If The World Were Mine” by Luther Vandross and Cheryl Lynn.  What a beautiful song.  They took their seats and Lakisha’s father welcomed everyone and blessed the food.  For dinner I switched over to standards for Ray who is a huge fan of Sinatra.  We both wore Frank cufflinks!

After dinner and a few toasts, we had the Simply Cakes cake cutting to Sinatra’s “The Way You Look Tonight” and Lakisha joined her father on the floor to dance to Prince’s “The Most Beautiful Girl In The World”.  Her father is a huge fan of Prince that makes him ok in my book.  Ray then escorted his mother to the floor to dance to “Unforgettable” by Nat King Cole.  I opened the floor to everyone with “The Wobble” and Lakisha and her mother started the line dance that was shortly being done by everyone.  I then went into some 70’s and 80’s R&B including one of my fav songs ever, Maze’s “Before I Let Go”.  We stopped shortly for the bouquet toss to a mash up of “Be Faithful” and “Single Ladies” that was perfect for this crowd. 

 

Ray’s fraternity brothers from Kappa Alpha Psi brought a chair out for Lakisha and they all serenaded her as Ray gave her roses. It was so touching! I opened the floor again to some 90’s and current hip-hop and R&B for Lakisha and her friends to dance to that kept everyone dancing and taking selfies til the end.  Their last song of the reception was their “anthem”, N.E.R.D.’s “Run To The Sun”, and they danced in the middle of the floor like no one was there in that moment but them.  They exited to a rose petal send off.

Lakisha knew in 2005 that this day would eventually come and I was thrilled to be a part of it.  Thank you Ray and Lakisha for everything!

Coons/Vucich wedding ceremony & reception at Highgrove Estates on April 12th, 2014

Ashlee and Jay chose the southern charm of Fuquay-Varina’s Highgrove Estates for their ceremony and reception on a perfect day in April for their 120 guests.  The outdoor ceremony held by Minister Kayelily Middleton was beautiful with floral arrangements by Fresh Affairs.  The wedding party entered to “Canon In D” and Ashlee walked down the isle with her father to “Here Comes The Bride”.  After a short ceremony they left to “The Bridal March” and Kayelily invited guests to the outdoor cocktail hour and I had a mix of country and some rock playing.  The bar opened and the staff passed hors d’oeuvres of grilled shrimp and delicious bbq sliders.  Yum !!

After the wadding party was done with pics by Erin Costa Photography, the ballroom opened and guests found their seats after signing the “Bride & Groom fence door”.  What a great idea!  I acknowledged the Grandparents before the wedding party was introduced.  Jay's Grandfather reminded me so much of my Grandfather and had me laughing before the ceremony even started.  The wedding party entered to Gretchen Wilson’s “Here For The Party” and Ashlee and Jeff had their first dance to “Have I Told You Lately” by Rod Stewart.  They took their seats and the salads, sorbet & entrée’s came out as I continued a mix of country and some rock.

After dinner we had Ashlee’s dance with her father to Tim McGraw’s “My Little Girl” and Jay danced with his mother to “Simple Man” by Lynyrd Skynyrd. I opened the floor with “Happy” that was a request by this adorable little girl that worked great.  I then went into some Motown and current music that brought young and old out to the floor.  We stopped for the bouquet toss to “Single ladies” and garter toss to “Real Good Man”, the toast by Jay'z best man and Sweet Memories cake cutting for both wedding cake and an awesome groom’s cake shaped like a police badge to “Honey Bee” by Blake Shelton.  Jay is a Raleigh policeman as well as an Iraqi war vet.  I can not thank him enough for his service to us all !  The ice cream station opened in the back of the room with the staff mixing fresh strawberries or peanut brittle with the vanilla ice cream on a cold stone.  So good !!!

I opened the floor again with some line dances and current dance music that kept the guests dancing the rest of the night.  I ended the night with some country dance music and sing-a longs and finally their last song of “Wonderful Tonight”. I was even able to play Keith Urban’s “Cop Car” which is the only wedding that it will be appropriate at. Ha ha..

They had a sparkler exit from the front of the house and called it a night.  I am so happy for them and honored to be their DJ!

Barr/Gleason wedding ceremony & reception at The Carolina Inn on April 11th, 2014

Chrissy and Bryan had both their ceremony and reception at The Carolina Inn in Chapel Hill on a beautiful April day for just over 100 people.  I was thrilled to be working with Reverend Barbara Lodge, Photographer Jakob  and wedding planner Tracy Adams from Adams & Events. 

The ceremony was held outside in the Bryan courtyard of The Carolina Inn and I was hired to play music and mic’s for the ceremony that included 2 readings and a beautiful cover of Fleetwood mac’s “Songbird” sung by one of Chrissy’s bridesmaids.  The parents walked down the brick isle to “Canon In D”, the wedding party to “Air On G String” and Chrissy to “The Bridal Chorus”.  The ceremony concluded and the wedding party left to the “Star Wars Throne Room Theme Song”..lol. So funny and perfect for them!  Barbara invited the guests to the hallway of the Hill Ballroom for the cocktail hour where I had a mix of Standards & classic rock playing.

The doors of the ballroom opened and guests found their tables with floral arrangements by Victoria Park Florist.  The wedding party entered to “I Gotta Feelin” which pumped the crowd up for Chrissy and Bryan's introduction to Pharrell’s “Happy”.  They went right into their first dance to The Beatles “I Will”.  I then opened the floor for about 20 minutes of dancing to Motown and some current dance music which worked great and filled the floor until a champagne toast by the best man and the salad’s were out and guests could start dinner.  I continued a mix of standards and classic rock for dinner.  After dinner we had a Cake Couture cake cutting to “Pledging My Love” by Wanda Jackson and Chrissy joined her father on the floor to dance to “Father & Daughter” by Paul Simon and Bryan and his mother to “Beautiful Boy” by Celine Dion.  I invited all the married couples to the floor to join Chrissy and Bryan for an anniversary dance to Journey’s “After All These Years” and it could have not been a better choice for this longest married couple dance.  The dessert bar opened filled with macaroons, cakes and pastries and I opened the floor again with some 70’s and 80’s that brought everyone back out.  There were 20 kids under 5 dancing with their parents and having a blast with glowsticks!  I stopped briefly for a bouquet toss to Madonna’s “Material Girl” and right back into dancing to some current music as the staff brought out late night snacks of  BBQ sliders, hot dogs & fries.

It was time to call it a night and I played their last song of “You Shook Me All Night Long”.  What a fun night and wonderful group to play for!  Congratulations Chrissy & Bryan and I hope you enjoyed your honeymoon at Disney World (I wore my Mickey Mouse cufflinks of course).

Thuan/Kulowiec wedding reception at Prestonwood Country Club on April 5th, 2014

Annabelle and Keith had a small intimate wedding ceremony and reception in the oak room of the beautiful Prestonwood Country Club in Cary NC on April 5^th, and I supplied entertainment for just the reception of 50 guests.  Their ceremony and cocktail musician was an acoustic guitarist and he was fantastic.  I was thrilled to be working with planner Jennifer Viscosi and photographer Michael Moss!

It came time for the reception to start and guests made their way from the bar to the Oak room to their tables. I had some classic jazz standard playing as guests found their seats.  I introduced the small wedding party made up of Annabelle & Keith’s nieces and nephews with their parents to “Tongue Tied” by Indie rock band Grouplove.  Keith and Annabelle made their way to the dance floor and had their first dance as husband and wife to Diana Krall’s cover of “S’Wonderful”.  Keith welcomed everyone and the 3 course meal came out with pasta, salad and entrée’s.  I continued my mix of standards as guests ate.

Towards the end of dinner, the restless kids started coming to the floor and the first song people started dancing to was “Georgia On My Mind” which was a request by Georgia, the cutest little bridesmaid!  She said “I LOVE THIS SONG”!! ha ha.. adorable!  I invited Keith and Annabelle to the dessert table for the cake cutting to “How Sweet It Is” by James Taylor.  The table was filled with petit fours (my fav), wedding cake and a delicious French wedding cake made of cream puffs and covered in honey, I think.  It was awesome whatever it was.

I opened the floor with some Motown and filled with around 2/3 of the guests which I was thrilled with!  I threw in some current dance music and some 80’s that kept them dancing for the next hour and a half.  I even threw in a Dinosuar Jr song for Keith and his college buddies. Ha ha.. that was a first.

Towards the end of the night I ended with my new favorite closing set of “Hey Ya’ into “Happy” by Pharrell and then into “You Make My Dreams Come True” by Hall & Oates that led to their last song of the night was a special song to them, “Home” by Edward Sharpe & The Magnetic Zeros and they made their sparkler exit from the front of the clubhouse.  What a fun group to play for and I am thrilled for Annabelle & Keith!