Corwin/Biersdorf fairytale wedding at Castle Ladyhawke in the mountains

Cadence and Nick wanted a fairytale wedding on September 13^th, 2014 (well.. Cadence did J) and that’s exactly what they got!  I had never been to Castle Ladyhawke on top of the Appalachian Mountains in NC before, but it is gorgeous!  About 5 hours away from Raleigh, this recreated Scottish castle is perfect for a fairytale wedding. 

 

The ceremony was held in the back lawn of the castle overlooking the mountain range and it could not have been a more beautiful setting for them!  There was a threat of rain, so I waited until the last moment to set up.  I provided mic’s for the 2 ministers, 3 readers and a singer who sang with a string trio.  Guests took their seats and the musicians played light classical music and some covers of pop songs.  After Nick and his groomsmen took their places at the altar and Cadence’s sister did an interpretive dance to “1,000” miles by Mark Schultz, the wedding party came down the stairs from the castle as the singer and musicians performed “A Thousand Years”. The ceremony ended and guests made their way to the outdoor patio for a social hour and the string trio provided music again. Still no rain!

After photographers from Perry Vaile and videographers Life Stage Films got some pics, the wedding party was ready to be introduced and join the cocktail hour.  They danced into the patio to “Walk It Out” and Cadence and Nick came in to “Timber”.  They stopped at the middle of the patio for their first dance to Marie Miller’s “6’2””.  After a few minutes the Gold Room was ready for dinner and guests made their way through the castle to their reserved tables.  Cadence’s father welcomed everyone and minister Eric blessed the meal.  The buffet opened and I had a mix of rock and country playing.

 

After dinner I invited all the guests to the great room for cake, toasts and dancing.  We started with 4 toasts and a thank you by Cadence and Nick.  Instead of gifts, they wanted everyone to make donations to an organization of their choice.  They gave over $2,000 in donations!!  I LOVE this idea and glad no one had to do an ice bucket challenge at the wedding, especially Cadence.  The cake cutting was to “Chapel of Love” and the dessert table opened.

Cadence made her way to the floor and joined her father to dance to “Cinderella” by Stephen Curtis Chapman and it could not have been a more appropriate song for them.  Nick escorted his mother to the floor and danced to “Let It Be”.  I opened the floor with “My Girl” and guests filled the floor and made their way out to the lite patio for drinks and conversation.  Still no rain!!!

After a couple hours of dancing to current dance songs, a few line dances and some oldies, Cadence and Nick made their way to the outdoor back patio for their last dance surrounded by friends and family with sparklers to “All Of Me” by John Legend, still no rain and they made their way back to the front of the castle for a sparkler exit….now beginning to sprinkle.  As guests left, they were given a potted succulent to take home and grow.  What a beautiful and charming wedding and I am so glad I was a part of it.  Thank you Cadence and Nick for a wonderful wedding I will never forget!

Balentine/Clay wedding at The Oaks At Salem on September 7th, 2014

I met Jillian and her mother during an open house at The Oaks at Salem in Apex in April.  We hit it off instantly and I was excited to play for this beautiful bride, her mother and their 200 guests and The Oak’s April and Joslin!  I provided mic’s for the ceremony that was held across the pond from the house under a huge tree.  It is a beautiful setting for a wedding and Jillian had harpist Amy Kortus provide music.  She plays beautifully!  After a short ceremony that somehow missed the rain, guests made their way back to the house for the cocktail hour inside the house and under the tent.  I had a mix of soft rock, country and classic rock playing as guests enjoyed cocktails and hors d’oeuvres.   Photographers Three Little Birds took pictures of the wedding party around the grounds until the introductions.

I introduced the wedding party from the house into the tent to T.I.’s “Bring ‘Em Out” and Jillian and Zach came right in and into their first dance to Mumford & Son’s “Not With Haste”.  They took their seats and Zach’s father welcomed everyone and minister Jay Minnick blessed the meal.  Beau Bennett from Beau Catering explained the buffet menu to everyone and I went back into a mix of soft rock, country and classic rock for dinner. 

After dinner we had several toasts rounded out by Zach’s father and then the Ashley’s Cake (yay!!) cutting to “Build Me Up Buttercup”. I opened the floor with some Motown and current dance music for a few minutes until we paused for the bouquet toss to “lady Marmalade” and Jillian’s mother caught the bouquet!  So funny! We then had the garter toss to “Danger Zone” from Top Gun and back to dancing to some line dances and current top 40.  One of the highlights for me was everyone singing “Wagon Wheel” by Old Crow Medicine Show and, of course, the look on Jillian’s mom’s face when she caught the bouquet.

The night ended with their last dance to Michael Buble’s “Everything” and a sparkler exit from the front of the house.  Thank you so much Jillian and Zach and congratulations!

Collins/Pierce wedding at The Cotton Room

I never met Amanda and Ben until just before their ceremony and reception at Durham’s Cotton Room on September 6^th, 2014.  We had Skyped a couple times, but I knew they were going to be a blast to play for and very nice!  This is the first Bride and Groom that gave me a pair of cufflinks to wear at their wedding (classic Nintendo controllers!).  What a thoughtful gift for me.  All I knew going in was that they loved Springsteen..and having fun.

I provided music and mic’s for their ceremony on the right side of the room with the dinner area hidden by white linens.  As guests arrived, I had a mix of light classical playing.  The ceremony started and the parents entered to John Tesh’s cover of “Can You Feel The Love Tonight”, the wedding party to a string version of “Jesu, Joy Of Man’s Desiring” and Amanda entered with her father to “Canon In D”.  After a short ceremony by Terry- Michael Newell and a few readings, Amanda and Ben recessed to “Anywhere With You’ by country singer Jake Owen.  Guests made their way to the front of the room for cocktails and the wedding party had pics taken by Casey from Urban South and video by Michelle from Post Script Productions as I had a mix of soft rock, country and lots of Springsteen playing.

The white linens opened and guests made their way to their tables with floral arrangements by Tre Bella.  The wedding party danced into the room to “Gonna Make You Sweat” and Ben and Amanda to “Anywhere With You” again.  They went right to the head table and Amanda’s father welcomed everyone and thanked them for coming.  The salad’s came out and it was time for the toasts rounded out with a wonderful heartfelt toast by Ben’s father.  The plated dinner came out and I had a mix of soft rock and country playing.

After dinner, Amanda and Ben went around to tables until it was time for their first dance.  They made their way to the floor, guests took their seats and enjoyed their first dance to Clarence Clemons sax solo from “Jungleland” by Bruce.  Amanda then danced with her father to “ Things We’ve Handed Down” by Marc Cohn and Ben and his mother danced to Brother IZ’s “What A Wonderful World”.  I opened the floor with Motown and it filled with young and old.

After some dancing, we paused briefly for the Daisy Cakes cutting to “Waiting On A Sunny Day” by Springsteen and back to dancing to some line dances, some latin music and current top 40/hip-hop.  The night ended with “Piano Man” and “Sweet Caroline” that had everyone in a huge circle singing and, of course, 2 Springsteen songs.  “Born To Run” turned into an air guitar contest between Ben, his father and Amanda’s father and their last dance to Bruce’s “When You Need Me”.  They had a sparkler exit from the ground floor.  What a fun reception and wonderful couple!  Thank you Amanda and Ben and congratulations!

Chumney/Scotton reception at The Cotton Room in Durham

Taylor and John chose the 3^rd floor Cotton Room in Durham for their cocktail hour and reception on August 31^st.  The dinner area was closed off with long white linens until after the cocktail hour.  When guests arrived I had a mix of soft rock and country playing and drinks and hors d’oeuvres were served.  I was thrilled to be working with their planner Angie Wright from Chic Details and photographers James and Meridith from Walters & Walters!  Taylor and John got there early and joined their guests for most of the cocktail hour.

The linens opened and it was time for guests to take their seats.  I lined the wedding party up and could tell this was going to be a great reception!  They were introduced in couples to Heavy D’s “Now That We Found Love” and they all danced into the room.  Taylor & John were introduced to “Raise Up” by Raleigh’s Petey Pablo and went right into their first dance of “Forever Like That” by Ben Rector.  I LOVE this song!  They took their seats and Taylor’s parents welcomed everyone, we had toasts and the blessing.  The individually served dinner came out and I continued a mix of soft rock and country.

After dinner we had a cake cutting to “Signed, Sealed, Delivered” and the cake shooters were ready, and later the homemade donuts and ice cream station. OMG ! Taylor and John came to the dance floor for a combined parents dance to “My Wish” and after a couple minutes I invited all the parents with their children to the floor to finish the song.  What a great idea and fun way to open the floor.  I then opened the floor to everyone with “My Girl” that filled the floor! After a few oldies I mixed into some current dance music that had young and old on the floor together.

After 2 ½ of dancing to lots of current hip-hop and top 40, some 80’s and even country, it was time for their send off.  I ended with “Sweet Caroline”, “Last Dance” and finally “Carolina In My Mind” and they made their way back down to the ground level for their exit through blue and white UNC shakers.  What a fun group and I loved playing for Taylor’s UNC lacrosse girls!

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.