On Saturday, April 18, 2009, I did a wedding reception for Stephanie & Anthony at the Holiday Inn down in Owatonna. I got this gig through Midwest Sound & Light Shows as a 1099 sub-contract job. So I wasn’t involved at all during the selection or booking process, but luckily for them they got a great DJ! Anyway, the B & G were from Colorado and for the life of me I tried calling them a couple of times the week of the gig but I never got a hold of them. So I didn’t get the chance to make a connection over the phone to gauge some sort of vibe but it was all good on my end nonetheless.
The reception didn’t start till 6 so I got there around 4 to start setting up and I was really quite surprised at how great the ballroom and the room adjacent to the ballroom looked. The room adjacent to the ballroom was awesome, the designer hired by the bride Ms. Michelle Pittman Owner of Stargazer Designs transformed a plain hall way into a south beach after hours spot that was sectioned off into cozy VIP lounge areas fitted w/ leather backless “couches” and washed in green lighting. Anyway, I can’t describe it in justice you’ll have to see the video to get the idea. Bottom line it was cool and really gave me the impression that the B & G were going to be a fun couple.
At about 6 guests started trickling in and they were pretty blown away by the attention to detail and time that was put in by Stargazer Designs and the hotel staff (it definitely did not feel like Southern Minnesota). The cocktail hour was smooth and I introduced the B & G into the room prior to dinner. The B & G were very laid back and really weren’t interested in drawing attention to themselves by me introducing them, but I said you guys look great, you’re only getting married once, and you may as well get the most out of your day. That said I quickly asked the guests to be seated and did the old, “Ladies and gentleman, please rise for the newlyweds Mr. & Mrs. Last name here”. Everyone applauded the photogs got their shots as did a lot of the guests in attendance and I played L-O-V-E by Nat King Cole as they entered the room.
Dinner lasted until 8 and we did the first dance which was Come Away with Me by Norah Jones. The only other “spotlight” events were a bouquet toss (Single Ladies by Beyonce) and a conservative Garter Toss (Mannish Boy by Muddy Waters).
TIP: If you want to do a conservative version of the garter toss, brides make sure you slide your garter just below your knee and your groom doesn’t have go all the way… until later of course.
The rest of the dance was just a fun mix of oldies, some classic rock, a few eighties, a cha cha slide here, a chicken dance there, a hint of country and the current Top 40 hits. There was a head count of 90 so it was a small crowd but everyone stayed till the end (12 AM) and I received the best compliment from the bride, “I usually never dance, it was fabulous”.
Word…
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