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. 

Camp/Peedin wedding at Rose Hill Plantation

Marian and Brandon chose the southern charm of Rose Hill Plantation in Nashville NC for their ceremony and reception on August 23^rd, 2014.  I always love playing there!  The ceremony was held on the front porch of the Plantation house and they had a live pianist providing music.  The cocktail hour was held inside the house and the 140 guests enjoyed drinks and hors d'oeuvres.  The cocktail hour wound down and guests made their way to the ballroom for dinner and dancing.

I introduced the wedding party to Bruno Mars “Marry You” and Marian and Brandon came right in to their first dance to the acoustic version of “Latch” by Sam Smith.  If you haven’t heard this version, get it now!  Marian then danced with her father to “Lady” by Styx.  This song was a surprise for him.  He is a HUGE Styx fan and always cranks the radio up when they are on.  Brandon then escorted his mother to the floor for their dance to Lynyrd Skynyrd’s “Simple Man”. Uncle Mike blessed the food and the buffet opened and had a playlist of rock and classic soul playing during dinner.

After dinner we had the cake cutting to “How Sweet It Is” by James Taylor and the cake table opened with a dozen different cakes to choose from all made by Marian’s Aunt and church members.  I have to say, the chocolate pound cake was delicious!!  Marian’s father told us a story about the day she was born and then a toast to Marian and Brandon welcoming him into the family that led into the garter and bouquet toss.

For the garter toss, I played “Blurred Lines” and for bouquet toss “Fancy”.  After the bouquet toss I invited all of Marian’s sorority sisters to the floor for the “loving cup” and the A.O. Pi girls did a great job.  I opened the floor with some beach and Motown, then shortly into some current dance music.

 

After dancing to lots of 80’s, some current music and a few line dances, it was time for their exit.  Guests signed the thumbprint tree and grabbed some honey on their way out for the sparkler exit and I played “Come Away With Me” for their last song.  I can’t wait to see photos by Jana & Michelle from Magnolia Photography and video from Hope Turner.

Johnson/Shelton wedding at The Umstead on August 16th, 2014

Laura and Les chose the 5-star Hotel, The Umstead Hotel and Spa, for their ceremony, cocktail hour and reception. The 90 guests arrived to the back of the Hotel for the wedding ceremony and I had a mix of standards playing.  The bridesmaids came down the isle to “Canon In D” and Laura and her father entered to “Here Comes The Bride”.  After a short service by minister Terry-Michael Newell the wedding party exited to Frank Sinatra’s “Fly Me To The Moon”.  Guests waited for a large group pic with Laura and Les by photographer Brian Mullins and then made their way to the outdoor patio for cocktails.  I had a mix of soft rock and classic soul playing for the social hour as guests enjoyed drinks and passed hors d' oeuvres.

After the cocktail hour, guests made their way into the ballroom for the reception and found their tables with beautiful floral arrangements by The Watered Garden.  I lined the wedding party up with help from The Umstead’s Margaret Northrup and she did an awesome job all night!  The wedding party danced into the ballroom in couples to “Call Me Maybe” and Laura and Les came right to the dance floor to have their first dance to Etta James “At Last”.  Laura then danced with her father to “My Girl” and there was a huge “awwww” from the crowd.  Les escorted my mother to the floor to their dance of “It Happens In A Heartbeat” that led to Laura’s fathers welcome.  The 4 course meal came out with appetizers, salad, entrée’s and dessert as I continued a soft rock and classic soul playlist.

 

After dinner we had toasts by Laura’s Maid Of Honor and Les’s Best man (and younger brother) who had me play the “Rocky” theme as he came to the mic. Lol..  The Cupcake Shoppe’s cake cutting came next to “I Can’t Help Myself” and I opened the floor with some Motown that filled instantly.  I couldn’t believe how many people packed the floor.  After a few Motown songs, I mixed into some 70’s funk and disco that kept young and old on the floor together.  After a few line dances and a 60 person conga line through the room, 80’s and disco we stopped briefly for the bouquet toss to “Single Ladies” and garter toss to “Yeah” and Les did quite a dance for her..ha ha. I opened the floor again with some current hip-hop and dance music mixed with some more 80’s that kept them dancing til the end of the night. I even played “Always Look On The Bright Side Of Life” by Monty Python for Laura’s parents bridge club.  That seems like a fun bridge club!

The night ended with Journey’s “Faithfully” and guests took custom printed M&M’s on their way the bubble exit.  What a fun crowd and a great couple!

McArdle/Lee wedding at Pinehurst Resort 8-2-14

Caitlin and Logan chose the 2014 PGA Masters location of Pinehurst Resort for their wedding reception on August 2^nd, 2014 and I was thrilled and honored to play for this couple that met while both attended West Point and work with Michele Soderquist from Pinehurst and photographer Cara Galati from F8 Photo Studio!  The 150 guests started arriving and I had a mix of standards playing on the patio off the back of the ballroom for the cocktail hour.  Caitlin and Logan arrived shortly and joined guests out back.

The social hour wrapped up and guests found their seats in the ballroom.  The wedding party met in the hallway and I went out to try to settle them down and line them up.  I could tell this was going to be a fun and rowdy group!  The wedding party danced into the room in couples to Fergie’s “A Little Party Never Killed Nobody” from The Great Gatsby soundtrack and Caitlin and Logan came in and right to the dance floor for their first dance to “You and Me” by Dave Matthews.  Caitlin’s father welcomed everyone and her hilarious grandfather blessed the food after we had a few toasts.  The buffet opened shortly and I continued a standards mix through dinner.

After dinner we had the cake cutting to “That’s Amore”, Caitlin danced with her father to “Carolina In My Mind” and Logan escorted his mother to the floor for their dance to “My Wish”.  I then invited the single ladies to the floor for the bouquet toss to “It’s Raining men” and garter toss to “Pour Some Sugar On Me” that brought the energy way up and ready to rock the dance floor, which they did!  I opened the floor with Motown and it filled quickly.  Shortly I went into some current dance music that brought young and old alike out to the floor.  They danced so hard that they broke the dance floor!! Seriously, the floor had to be put back together. Ha ha..

 

After the staff quickly fixed the floor, it was back to dancing to some oldies, hip-hop and even some EDM.  This fun group danced for nearly 4 hours hard.  The night ended with groomsmen dancing shirtless, Caitlin’s grandfather doing “The Wobble” and everyone joining in for their last dance, “New York, New York”, before hitting up the candy bar on their way out.  What a fun crowd and I was honored to play for all these servicemen and women!

Simmons/ O’Berry wedding at Summerfield Farms

I met Kirby and Rob back in January of 2013 when they attended another wedding I DJd for Emily & Chris Sexton at The Stockroom in Raleigh.  Kirby and Rob had been to many weddings together, but knew they had they best time at Emily’s and wanted to have just as much fun at theirs or, dare I say, even more!  They chose the Summerfield Farms near Greensboro for their ceremony, cocktail hour and reception.  It was my first time here, even though I have another coming up there in September.  What a fabulous and unique venue!  The ceremony was held in a barn, the cocktail hour on the front porch of the barn and dinner in an adjoining tent that held all of the 200 guests.  The barn and tent were decorated beautifully by Melissa from Relish Designs and she was great to work with for the planning of the event. 

As guests arrived for the ceremony I had a mix of acoustic indie and soft rock playing.  Their grandparents and parents walked down the isle to “On Eagles Wings” by The O’Neill Brothers, the bridesmaids to “Life” by The Avett Brothers” and Kirby and her father to Sharrod Brown’s instrumental wedding version of “A Thousand Years”.  I will definitely use this one again!  After the ceremony by Tripp Graziano, they walked back down the isle to “I Can’t Help Myself” and everyone started clapping along.  Guests made their way out of the barn for the social hour on the porch and surrounding areas, and I continued a cocktail mix of soft rock, classic soul and some standards.

After photographer Jonathan McCardell took some pics, the wedding party was gathered back up and introductions started.  The guests came back into the barn for introductions and first dances.  The wedding party entered to “Gimme Some Lovin’” and each couple had their own dance.  Kirby and Rob came in to a loud roar and right into their first dance “You Are The Best Thing”.  Kirby danced with her father to “Stand By Me” and Rob with his mother to “Like Jesus Does” by Eric Church.  Kirby’s father welcomed everyone and Minister Tripp blessed the food.  Guests made their way into the tent for dinner and I continued a mix of standards, soft rock and classic soul.

After dinner and toasts, we had the Maxie B’s cake cutting to “How Sweet It Is”.  I opened the floor back in the barn with some Motown and after a few songs the floor was filled and stayed that way for 3 hours!  Guests of all ages enjoyed oldies, line dances and current hip-hop.  I even saw Kirby’s father learning “The Wobble”!  After about an hour, the lights came down and the flashing rings came out.  The whole barn was flashing red, green and purple!  The night ended with “New York, New York” and everyone made a huge kicking circle in the middle of the barn, then the last song of “Into The Mystic” by Van Morrison.  One of my favorite songs of all time!

What a fun night and I was so happy to play for this sweet couple and see Emily and Chris again!