Roy/Garrett wedding at The Cotton Room in Durham

Shilu and Akinwole chose Durham’s Cotton Room for their wedding ceremony and celebration.  Even though they live in New York City now, Durham was the perfect place for their wedding since they met while attending Duke.  As guests arrived for the ceremony, Arioso Strings provided music.  They had 2 officiants for the ceremony combining elements of an American ceremony with those of African and Indian.  It was a beautiful ceremony with floral arrangements by Fresh Affairs!

The ceremony ended and guests made their way to the front of the room for cocktails and appetizers and I started a mix of classic soul and current R&B that had the wedding party starting to dance while having pics taken by photographer Ethan Yang and videographer Lindsey from Heart Stone Films.  I knew this was going to be a wedding to remember!

After pics were finished, the staff at The Cotton Room quickly set the room up for dinner and dancing and the wedding party made their way to the front for introductions.  Guests found their seats with assignment cards attached to keys (LOVE that idea!).  I lined up the wedding party after practicing pronunciations for 2 weeks and every other couple had their own song to enter to and danced into the room to loud applause!  Aki and Shilu entered to Jay Z and Beyonce’s “’03 Bonnie & Clyde” and went right into their first dance to “You Are The Best Thing” by Ray LaMontagne.  They took their seats and Shilu’s father said a few words followed by Aki’s brother blessing the meal.  The individually served dinners came out and I continued a mix of classic & current soul with some soft rock mixed in.

After the salads were done, we had a few toasts and then the main courses came out.  Shilu and Aki were ready to get the party started and Shilu and her father came to the floor for their dance to “Because You Loved Me” and Aki’s nephew did a modern dance/ballet routine to Marvin Sapp’s “Never Would Have Made It” for Aki’s mother that could not have been more perfect!  He was AWESOME!!!  We went right into the Cinda’s cake cutting to Lauryn Hill’s “Nothing Even Matters” and the bouquet toss to “Single Ladies”.  They had a live cigar roller with a table next to me and I opened the floor to everyone with The Jackson 5’s “I Want You Back” and then into The O’Jay’s “Love Train” that filled the floor.  I mixed into “Blurred Lines” that took the energy through the roof.  The floor stayed packed for the next 2 hours to top 40 & hip-hop, old school hip-hop, reggae and a few Indian songs.

I was thrilled to be able to play for Aki and Shilu and their families.  They could not be a nicer couple and I will never forget this wedding.  Thank you Shilu & Aki and congratulations!!!

Bryant/Smith wedding at The Merrimon-Wynne house in Raleigh

Kelly & Jon chose the historic Merrimon-Wynne House in downtown Raleigh on October 10^th for their outdoor ceremony and reception.  It was the perfect place for Kelly to get married because her Grandmother used to work in the house when it was a government building and Kelly played there as a child.  Guests arrived to the house and took seats in the side lawn for the ceremony as I had light classical music playing.  The wedding party came down the isle to “Trumpet Voluntary” and Kelly and her father entered to a beautiful piano and violin version of  “Canon In D”.  After the ceremony Jon and Kelly exited to “The Wedding March” and guests made their way to the side yard open-air tent for cocktails with floral arrangements by The Watered Garden.  I had a mix of classic rock playing for cocktails as guests enjoyed cocktails, cheese and fruit, passed hors d’oeuvres and checked out the houses porch and inside the house as Kelly and Jon had pics taken by photographer Katherine Miles-Jones and videographer Phillip Kirchoff from My Motion Picture.

Kelly and Jon were all done with pics and ready to get the reception under way.  I lined the wedding party up in the house and introduced them into the tent to Natalie Cole’s “(This Will Be) An Everlasting Love”.  They came right to the middle of the floor and Kelly’s father welcomed everyone for coming followed by a few toasts.  Kelly and Jon then had their first dance to “Unchained Melody” and Kelly’s father joined her on the floor for their dance to Frank Sinatra’s “The Way You Look Tonight”.  Jon escorted his mother to the floor and they had their dance to “Wind Beneath My Wings”.  The Caffé Luna buffet opened in the house and I continued a classic rock mix.  Towards the end of dinner I played “Under My Thumb” by The Rolling Stones and Kelly’s parents started dancing that had others join them for a few Stones songs then into the some beach music and Motown that filled the floor.

We stopped briefly for the Edible Art cake cutting in the house, then back to dancing to some line dances and current top 40. A Thunderstorm came rolling in and Kaila and the staff at The Merrimon-Wynne house was on it fast to put the sides of the tent up.  Great job ladies! 

After a couple hours of dancing to oldies, classic rock, sings-a-long’s and current top 40, it was time to call it a night and have a sparkler exit from the front of the house.  The rain held ended just in time for their exit.  What a sweet and beautiful couple and I am so happy I was part of their day.  Thank you Kelly, Jon and Mr. & Mrs. Bryant!

Morelen/Glance wedding at Cary’s Matthews House

Elizabeth and Bill chose downtown Cary’s beautiful Matthews House on October 5^th for their wedding ceremony, cocktail hour ad reception.  The outdoor ceremony on the side lawn was the prefect setting for the 80 guests with help from The Matthews House’s Preeti and floral arrangements by Brides & Bouquets.  I’m sure photographer Renee Sprink (One of my fav’s!) got some great pics as did videographer Lindsay from Heart Stone Films.  I did not provide music for the ceremony because they had the fantastic harpist, Amy Kortus for that.  After the ceremony, the cocktail hour was held in the courtyard between the Matthews House and the reception hall and I had a mix of soft rock and country playing.

 

After some pics were taken of the wedding party, guests started making their way into the reception hall for dinner and dancing.  I introduced the wedding party to “I Gotta Feelin’” and Elizabeth and Bill had their first dance to “Hey Pretty Girl” by Kip Moore.  I love that song for a first dance!  Bill’s father and best man Jeff toasted them and the buffet opened.  I continued a soft rock and country music mix during dinner.

After dinner, Elizabeth joined her father on the floor to dance to Krystal Keith’s “Daddy Dance With Me”.  Krystal is Toby Keith’s daughter and wrote and performed it for him.  Bill escorted his mother to the floor and they danced to “I Hope You Dance”.  I opened the floor to everyone with “The Cupid Shuffle” that filled it.  After dancing to oldies, line dances and some current top 40, we stopped briefly for the Cinda’s Cake cutting to “How Sweet It Is” and a bouquet toss to “Single Ladies” and then back to dancing until the end.  They even did a train around the room to Grand Funk’s “The Locomotion”.  I loved seeing Elizabeth’s grandfather out there with everyone dancing and singing to “Don’t Stop Believin’” and Elizabeth’s parents dancing to their wedding song “Let It Be Me” by Willie Nelson!  We ended the night with a sparkler exit.  What a great group to play for and the sweetest bride!!!

Fox/Bobbio wedding at Summerfield Farms

Sarah and Giancarlo chose the country chic feel of The Barn at Summerfield Farms in the Greensboro area for their weedding on a perfect 70 degree October 4^th day that Sarah has been planning since she was 12.  I was thrilled to play for Sarah and see 2 of my past brides, Leigh and Angelique, and Angelique’s parents at the wedding!  I was also excited to work with planner Melissa Lewkowicz with Relish Design Company, Twenty-One Films and photographer Griffin Davis! Their ceremony was held in the barn and I had a mix of 60’s and 70’s folk rock playing as guests arrived.  The ceremony was ready to start both in English and Spanish and I provided mic’s for both ministers and well as for a singer & 4 readers later in the service.  The grandparents and parents entered to an instrumental of the Christian song “Joyful, Joyful”, the wedding party to an instrumental of “Awake My Soul” and Sarah to an instrumental of The Rollins Stones’ “Wild Horses”.  After a wonderful ceremony, they exited to Edward Sharpe’s “Home”.  Guests made their way to the side porch for cocktails and I played a mix of soft rock, country and some Latin for Giancarlo’s Peruvian family.  Some guests even went on a hayride around the property while the wedding party had pic’s taken.

The pics were done and it was time to introduce the wedding party to “You Are The Best Thing” and Sarah and Giancarlo had their first dance to Van Morrison’s “Crazy Love”.  Sarah’s father welcomed everyone and one of her ministers, Mark, blessed the family style meal held in an adjoining tent.  I continued a soft rock and country mix during dinner and added some indie rock.  After dinner, guests made their way back to the barn for the remained of the reception.

We had 4 toasts and then the cake cutting to “How Sweet It Is” that opened the dessert bar.  Sarah had a surprise for her father when he joined her on the floor for their dance.  “Sweet Child Of Mine” by Guns N Roses!  He got a huge grin on his face and everyone started clapping to the beat.  They danced and he sang it to her.  So great!!  Giancarlo then escorted his mother to the floor and they danced to Carole King’s “Child Of Mine”.  I opened the floor with some Motown and salsa that had both sides of the family dancing together.  I always love to see how music brings everyone together at a wedding!   After a couple of hours dancing to Latin music and top 40 as well as guests visiting the bonfire outside and snacking on 3 different flavor’s of popcorn, it was time for their last dances to a kick line to “New York, New York and then Beyonce’s XO and a sparkler exit.  What a fun reception !!

Kristi & Mark’s wedding at The Merrimon-Wynne House in Raleigh, NC

Kristi & Mark chose the beautiful downtown Raleigh Merrimon-Wynne house for their cocktail hour and reception on Friday, September 26^th, 2014.  It was my first time playing there although I have several more coming up, and I am thrilled!  The cocktail hour was held inside and I had a mix of standards playing as guests checked out the house and had drinks and hors d’oeuvres on the rocking chair porch and inside.

Kristi, Mark and their wedding party arrived and guests started making their way outside to the open air tent for diner and the reception with help from Kaila from the Merrimon-Wynne house and her team.  The weather was perfect for the outdoor reception with 70 degrees.  There were 3 huge chandeliers hanging in the tent and the tables had floral arrangements by Simply Elegant.  I had music playing in the tent and went inside the house to line the wedding party up for their intro’s. They entered the tent from the house to Natalie Cole’s “This Will Be An Everlasting Love” and Kristi and Mark came right in and into their first dance to Nat King Cole’s “That Sunday, That Summer”. Kristi’s father joined her for their dance to “Landslide” by Fleetwood Mac and Mark danced with his mother to “You’ll Be In My Heart” by Phil Collins.  Kristi’s parents welcomed everyone and pastor Aaron Miller blessed the meal.  The Donovan’s Dish catered buffet opened and I continued a standards music mix.

After dinner and a few toasts we had the Cupcake Shoppe cake cutting to “How Sweet It Is” and I opened the floor with some Motown that filled the floor instantly.  We stopped briefly for the bouquet toss to “Single Ladies” and garter toss to “You Sexy Thing” and back to dancing to some current top 40 and some 90’s.  The night ended too soon (I was having a blast playing for this group!) and Kristi and Mark had a sparkler exit from the front of the house. 

What a fun night and I was thrilled to be playing for this sweet couple and their wonderful friends and family.  I can’t wait to see the pics from Stuart Jones !