Coffman/Neuwahl wedding at The Cotton Room in Durham

When I met Allison originally, I knew that this was going to be a dance party and boy was I right!  She took dance in college and had family coming from Peru.  Allison and Simon chose The Cotton Room in Durham for their ceremony and dance party. 

Their ceremony was held on the right side of the room with white linens closing off the dining area.  It was such a beautiful setting for the ceremony with minister Robin Renteria and music by a string duo.  After the ceremony, guests made their way to the front of the room for signature cocktails and passed hors d’oeuvres while the staff arranged the room for dinner and dancing.

After Allison and Simon had some pics taken by photographers Carl & Michelle from Keepsake Memories, it was time for guests to find their tables decorated with floral arrangements by Fresh Affairs.  I only introduced Allison & Simon and they came in to Jason Derulo’s “Marry Me” and came right to the floor to have their first dance to “Desert Sunrise” by Brett Dennen.  Allison’s father welcomed everyone and the plated salad’s came out.  I started a mix of classical Spanish guitar and soft rock during dinner.  After the salads we had a few toasts and a reading of a sonnet by Allison’s grandmother Fanny both in Spanish and English.  It was a very touching moment to say the least!  The entrée’s came out and I continued the soft rock playlist.

 

After dinner, Allison danced with her father to “My Wish” and Simon danced with his mother to Natalie Cole’s “Unforgettable”.   I opened the floor with “My Girl” that had 130 of the 140 people on the floor within a minute! After a few Motown songs I mixed into some current top 40 & Latin music that brought the energy through the roof.  Wow!!

We paused briefly for the Confectionate Cake cutting to “How Sweet It Is” and then back to dancing with the Hora that had Simon’s friends and family all dancing in a circle.  After that, more Latin music and top 40 closed out the night.  I even got to play Kings Of Leon and The Strokes for them to dance to!  Their last dance was “Sweet Caroline” and guests made their way downstairs for their exit.

What a fun, fun night and an awesome group to play for.  This one has to be in my top 10!  Thank you Allison and Simon and congratulations!

Dillinger/Ellis wedding at The Angus Barn Pavilion

I was thrilled to be DJing Katie & Tim’s wedding reception at The Angus Barn Pavilion with some of my favorite vendors!  I got to work with Jamie & Richie from Jagg Photography, Phil and Jess from Twenty-One Films and wedding planner Kailey from A Southern Soiree working her last wedding.  It was a perfect day with not a cloud in the sky!  As guests arrived to the pavilion, they wrote well wishes on custom pharmacist notepaper to Katie and Tim (who are pharmacists) and took M&M’s contained in prescription bottles as favors.  LOVE that idea!  The guests enjoyed hors d’oeuvres on the patio and inside the pavilion as I had a mix of soft rock and beach music playing. 

The wedding party showed up and it was time to get the party started.  Guests found their tables that were decorated with floral arrangements by The English Garden.  I introduced the wedding party and Katie & Tim to Coldplay’s “A Sky Full Of Stars” (love that song!) and Katie and Tim went right to the dance floor for their first dance to Ingrid Michaelson’s “Can’t Help Falling In Love”.  It’s such a beautiful version!  Katie’s parents welcomed everyone for coming and blessed the meal.  The food stations opened and I continued soft rock and beach music through dinner.

 

After dinner and a few toasts, we had the Ashley’s Cake cutting to Jason Mraz’s “Lucky”.  Katie joined her father on the floor to dance to Steve Tyrell’s “The Way You Look Tonight” that her father dedicated to her and Tim escorted his mother to the floor to dance to “My Wish”.  I opened the floor with “Carolina Girls” and some other beach music that filled it with young and old dancing and singing along.

After about 30 minutes of dancing, the surprise of the night came.  I played the “2001: A Space Odyssey” theme and Katie and Tim had no idea what was coming… Cocky!!  The USC mascot came running out and I played the USC fight song!  They were shocked!!  The expression on their faces was priceless! Everyone started dancing with Cocky and I then played “Shout” that had everyone surrounding them and dancing.  Cocky stayed for an hour getting pics taken and dancing with everyone.  He even helped with the bouquet toss to “Where Dem Girls At” and had everyone out there to do the “Chicken Dance” with him.  I have never had that many people doing that dance at a wedding before!

After another hour of dancing to top 40, 80’s and a few oldies mixed in, it was time for their last dance to “Dream A Little Dream Of Me” by Michael Buble and a sparkler exit.  What a fun night hanging with some of my fav vendors and playing for Katie & Tim and their families and friends!

DeVestern/Chen wedding at The Angus Barn Pavilion

I was back out to one of my favorite venues, The Angus Barn Pavilion for the second time this weekend for a wedding.  This time it was for Rachel and Rick on a beautiful 70 degree October 19^th afternoon with photographer Cade Bowman and The Angus Barn’s Kelly Joslin.  Rachel and Rick saw me play a couple years ago for Rick’s brother Andy’s wedding to Emily.  I love seeing past Bride’s and Groom’s and getting to play for them again!

As guests arrived they were greeted by bagpiper Robert White.  It was an awesome and unique beginning to the night.  The ceremony started and Robert led the Minister and groomsmen in to “Highland Cathedral”.  It was time for the bridesmaids to make their entrance and I played a piano version of “Highland Cathedral” until Rachel was ready to enter to a piano version of “A Thousand Years”. 

After the ceremony and a couple readings, Robert led the wedding party out of the pavilion and I started a mix of standards for the cocktail hour inside and outside.  Guests enjoyed seafood stations made up of king crab claws and oysters on the half shell and drinks.  They were delicious!!! Wow!  After Cade got the pictures he needed I invited guests to their tables that were decorated with beautiful floral arrangements by Heather Miller with Eclectic Sage.

The wedding party entered to “Happy” by Pharrell and Rachel and Rick came in and stopped at the dance floor.  Rachel’s father welcomed everyone for coming and took his place by my table to perform Rachel and Rick’s first dance.  He is an awesome guitarist and played guitar to an instrumental of the 50’s hit “Sleepwalk”.  It was such a sweet & special moment and he did a terrific job!  Rick then escorted his mother to the floor to dance to “You Raise Me Up” and Rachel’s father joined her to dance to “Pretty Maids All In A Row” by The Eagles.  They took their seats and the food stations opened.  I continued a mix of standards through dinner.

After dinner we had toasts by Rick’s brother and best man, Andy, and Rachel’s maid of honor Lauren.  I invited Rachel and Rick to the cake table for the Gigi’s Cupcakes cake cutting to “How Sweet It Is”.  I opened the floor with some Motown and current dance music that had young and old dancing together until we paused for the bouquet toss to “Single Ladies” and garter toss to “Smooth Criminal”.  I went back to dance music until the end of the evening playing lots of Michael Jackson for Rick, some 80’s and current for Rachel and her girls and ended with sing a longs for everyone. 

The night ended with Michael Buble’s “Hold On” and a sparkler exit from the front of the pavilion.  Congratulations Rachel and Rick and I hope you had as much fun as I did!

Rifkin/Murray wedding at 1705 Prime in Raleigh NC

I knew when I met Rich and Mark a year ago that this was going to be a great party and a blast for everyone, and it was. I was thrilled and honored to DJ one of the first legal same sex wedding ceremony and receptions in NC for Mark and Rich on October 18^th, 2014 at 1705 Prime in Raleigh, NC!  As guests arrived for the indoor ceremony, I had light classical music playing.  The wedding party was ready to “Come On Down” to the altar and I played the theme to “The Price In Right”. Get it?? LOL.  This set the tone for the night.  Rich and Mark both walked their parents down the isle to the ‘Linus & Lucy Theme” and met at the altar for their ceremony.  During the ceremony everyone in the wedding party each told stories of how they met Rich and Mark and why they love them as much as they do.  I have to admit, this was one of the sweetest ceremonies ever!  After the ceremony, Priscilla and Micaiah from  Orangerie Events led guests into the bar area for cocktails and I had a mix of soft rock, country and 80’s alternative that was largely requested by Rich playing.  He picked some great stuff!

After the cocktail hour was over, guests made their way back into the ceremony location that was set up now for dinner and dancing.  Mark and Rich entered the room and had everyone join them for their first dance, “Car Wash”. LOL!!!  I then played the “Horah Medley” that was crazy fun,  “I Will Survive” and a few disco songs followed before we settled down for dinner.  During dinner I continued the same playlist as cocktails.

After dinner we had a couple heartfelt toasts and opened the floor again.  I played Tracy Ullman’s “They Don’t Know About Us” to start dancing again.  Rich has dreamed of dancing to this at his wedding for years!  I was glad I was there to play it for him.  Back to dancing to some 80’s, oldies and current dance music until the Cakes By Chloe cake cutting and speeches by Mark and Rich’s parents.  After the speeches, we had a “crowning ceremony” which happenes in the Jewish faith after the last single child gets married.  I opened the floor again with Cyndi Lauper’s “Time After Time” and then back to a full dance floor until the end of the night.

Rich and Mark’s last song was Carl Carlton’s disco classic “Everlasting Love” and everyone filled the floor to dance with them.  What a fun, fun night and I had a blast!  Every time Mark laughed, the whole room lite up as did Rich’s face.  Thank you Rich and Mark for having me as your DJ and a heartfelt congratulations!

Rogers/Fuller wedding at The Angus Barn Pavilion with Mr & Mrs Wuf

Rachael and Zack had both their ceremony and reception at Raleigh’s Angus Barn Pavilion on a beautiful October 17^th evening.  The weather could not have been more perfect for their special day!  They held their ceremony at the pond with Elegant Ensembles providing live classical music.  They also played for their cocktail hour on the patio.

After some pics were taken by Jim Coleman Photography and video by John Carter of Perfect Day Images, it was time for the intro’s and guests started making their way to their tables under the “big ass fan”.  I introduced the wedding party to Pink’s “Get The Party Started” and Rachael and Zack entered to their first dance “Carried Away” by George Strait.  After their dance, Rachael’s father joined her on the floor to dance to “I Loved Her First” and Zack danced with his mother to Lynyrd Skynyrd’s “Simple Man”.  Rachael’s father thanked everyone for coming and Dr. David Hailey blessed the meal.  The food stations opened and I played a mix of soft rock and country.

After dinner we had a couple of toasts and the Cinda’s cake cutting to “Sugar, Sugar” by The Archies.  I invited Zach and Rachael back to the floor for another ballad to open the floor, but this was just to surprise Zack.  I started “Can’t Help Falling In Love” by Elvis and after about 30 seconds I played the NC State wolf howl and Mrs. Wuf (The NC State Mascot) cut in for a dance with Zack.  He was shocked!  I then played the NC State fight song and the 7 foot Mr. Wuf appeared. Everyone joined them on the dance floor and I played “Jump Around” that had everyone dancing with them for about 45 minutes to Motown, top 40 and a couple line dances.   Guests even got to get pictures taken with “The Wuf’s”.

Some guests made their way outside the pavilion to the bonfire for s’mores and cigars.  We had an anniversary dance back inside after Mr & Mrs Wuf left to “Longer” by Dan Fogelberg and the winning couple was at 48 years.  More top 40 and some hip-hop brought us to the bouquet toss to “Girls Just Wanna Have Fun” and garter toss to “Danger Zone”, then back to dancing until the end of the night.

The night ended with “This Will Be (An Everlasting Love)” and a sparkler exit.  What a fun night and a great group to play for.  Congratulations Rachael and Zack and I hope you are having a blast on your honeymoon in Italy!