Photo by Steph

They were a non-traditional couple (our specialty) and Nick, a musician himself, made it clear that they did NOT want the typical cheesy wedding songs or a cookie-cutter wedding experience. Our kind of couple!

Thanks to their great taste in music (80’s new wave, Talking Heads, the Cure, Billy Joel, Leonard Cohen) and their fun-loving guests, delivering was a cinch. And so much fun!

Jackie and Nick were introduced to “Ring of Fire” by Johnny Cash and shared a first dance to “San Francisco Serenade” by Tom Waits. Cool, right?

Each table was named after one of Jackie and Nick’s favorite bands: Leonard Cohen, Tom Waits, Led Zeppelin and (my favorite) Black Sabbath. The newlyweds made a decree that if we played a song by one of these artists, the table named for it would have to dance. This was an excellent idea, as each table hopped up when their artist was played. It was the first time I’ve seen anyone dance to Radiohead!

Photo by Steph

THE DETAILS: The girls wore gray gowns that matched the linens on the tables. Flowers at the tables were variegated yellow and red roses with purple flower accents that came together with the bright lilac chair covers. The cake was decorated in blue, yellow and pink psychedelic starbursts to match the menus. (Nicely done, Pastry Chef, Casey!)

Jackie was the picture of vintage beauty, tall and elegant in her simple bird cage veil and loose lace bolero. Nick and the guys wore purple striped ties to match the wedding colors.

HIGHLIGHT OF THE NIGHT: Nick arranged a surprise serenade for his new bride. He plugged his guitar into Jeff’s amp and sang a song he had written. “You are the vinyl. I am the needle. You make me sing…” Thunderous applause!

Not only did we get to play some kick-butt music, we got to hang with real music lovers and help Nick and Jackie create a wedding that was totally them. Thank you so much for inviting us to be a part of it!

The Grandview

Photos by Steve Planck of Blue Sky Photography

Photo by Steph

included multiple tributes to Marist College and was followed by one of the most non-stop dancing parties we’ve had all year!

Travis absolutely loves music and gave us a long list of requests for the wedding.  Man, did he know his group!  From “O.P.P.” to “Jamboree in the Hills,” the music united their Marist friends with their West Virginia and Massachusetts family on the dance floor.

The reception began with elaborate introduction music engineered by Travis.  I announced, “Travis and Bobbie Sue had a really tough time agreeing on an entrance song.  Let’s see who won…”  Excerpts from songs referencing West Virginia, Boston and the Pittsburg Steelers followed before finally settling on “Bobbi Sue” by the Oakridge Boys.

Then I told the love story of Travis and Bobbi Sue, how they met, fell in love and got engaged at Marist College, finally getting married there in the Chapel that day.  Their first dance, “Then” by Brad Paisley said it all.

THE DETAILS:  The bridesmaids wore strapless fuchsia gowns and carried bouquets of fuchsia roses accented by pale green flowers.  The tables were decorated with matching fuchsia napkins and centerpieces of pink and fuchsia gerber daisies.  Guests were treated to drinks in Little Mermaid sippie cups, a tribute to Bobbi Sue’s love for Ariel.

Bobbi Sue was simply stunning!  As the Best man joked, “Travis may be a great guy, but Bobbi Sue greatly outshines him.”

However, Travis is no slouch himself, as the Matron of Honor pointed out.  “Our Ariel has finally found her Prince Eric and now she really is the girl who has everything.”

Travis worked the room with the microphone, singing along to “Sweet Caroline” as he egged on his guests and later on “Take Me Home, Country Roads.”

What made the night even sweeter was working with our buddies Steve Planck from Blue Sky Photography and Bill and Mike from Joyful Moments Video.  These guys are easy as pie to be around, almost invisible at the wedding…and Steve is just so irresistibly fun to mess with.

Once again the Links was spot on with timing and accommodating dinner service.  A true pleasure!

Travis and Bobbi Sue, you masterfully drew your friends and loved ones from across the country together into your own love story using the power of music and your energizing personalities.  You are now my personal heroes!  Thanks for letting us join in the fun.

Links at Union Vale

Photos by Blue Sky Photography

Video by Joyful Video

Photo by Steph

wedding. Rose petals lined the aisle, flanked by chairs decorated with yellow and orange gerber daisies, leading up to the centerpiece: a gorgeous arch softened with cranberry fabric and lush autumn flowers.

Tiffany walked down the aisle on her father’s arm, radiant with her hair in an elegant up-do, to “Over the Rainbow” performed by Israel Kamakawo’ole.

DETAILS: A splash of autumn color with orange and yellow gerber daisies and red roses in low vases at each table. The girls wore deep red bridesmaid dresses.

Photo by Steph

The flower girl, Amber, worked the dance floor all night long. This girl had spunk! Margaret told me that when she walked into the ballroom for the rehearsal in her matching fur vest and boots, her tiny heels clicked as she stepped onto the impressive dance floor.  “Is that it?” she asked.

Guests were treated to the Grandview’s French dessert table, heaps of pastries, cookies, cake and a gourmet coffee bar. Yum!

Photo by Jeff

My favorite moment was watching Bobby and Tiffany steal a dance to “Baby’s Got Sauce” by G Love, locked in their embrace with eyes for no one but each other. These two are destined for a life of love and laughter.

Thanks for having us, guys!

Grandview

Photos by Blue Sky Photography

Flowers by David Anthony

Written by Stephanie Padovani

It felt like we knew half the guests, and we certainly recognized many more from this Pleasant Valley/Poughkeepsie crowd.  I’ll admit to feeling a touch of nervousness at the start, with so many of our friends among the guests…I was bound and determined to impress them…but it quickly passed as I was completely enveloped in the fun-loving spirit of the crowd.

Paula was just radiant, with a beautiful smile that lasted the whole night through.  The couple’s first dance was “When You Say Nothing At All,” performed live by Brian’s talented daughter, Morgan.

Paula and Brian didn’t just want their wedding to be their day; they were dedicated to including everyone in each and every choice they made.  Brian explained during his speech that they’d chosen a Time theme: the herb thyme and bookmarks Paula had made as favors, the photo booth to preserve their memories through time.  “We want to thank you all for sharing your precious time here with us,” he explained.

FATHER’S DAY TRIBUTE:  Paula’s friends pinned red carnations to the lapels of all the fathers at the wedding and then we dedicated, “You’ve Gota Friend” to all the dads.

Paula and Brian gave a shout out for all the birthdays, and even had a couple join in during their own first dance, knowing that they share the anniversary of their first date as well as the same wedding song.

INTERESTING TWIST ON THE CAKE, BOUQUET & GARTER:  I told you Paula wanted to include everyone, right?  Well, instead of cutting the cake with her new husband, she insisted that her friend Queenie (who was celebrating his 50th birthday) cut the cake, then the couple who caught the bouquet and garter had to feed it to each other.

There were far, far too many personal moments at the wedding for me to document here: dedications from Paula’s sons, Brian’s daughter, serenades to “Man, I Feel Like a Woman,” presentations by Brian’s make-believe By Eye Construction company, watching Brian get “party boy’ed” by the girls from Cutter’s Edge.

It was a vivacious, fun-loving, amazing wedding with Paula and Brian.   Thanks, guys!

Grandview

Photos by Steve Planck of Blue Sky Photography

Video by Jim & Kathy Culhane of Artistic Images

Our wedding adventure with Melissa and Jeff started two years ago when Melissa was the Maid of Honor for her cousin Kimberly’s Silo Ridge wedding where we were the DJs.  As soon as she booked her date at the Villa Barone in Westchester, she called us.

Not only did we recognize half this Poughkeepsie crowd, our former newlyweds Kimberly and Brett were there, just two days shy of their two year anniversary.  The group was warm, friendly and VERY ready to party.

The newlyweds set the tone right with their introductions.  The Bridal Party came in to “Let It Rock” by Kevin Rudolf featuring Lil Wayne…and they were diggin’ it.

Then the big moment as Melissa and Jeff were introduced into the beautiful high-ceiling ballroom with crystal chandeliers and marble dance floor…to “Enter Sandman” by Metallica.

Jeff was totally shocked and delighted; Melissa told him she’d chosen another song and decided to surprise him at the last minute with his favorite Metallica song.  Let me tell you, it ROCKED, perfect for their dramatic entrance into the ballroom.

(I was very pleased to play my tiny role in a wedding surprise Melissa gave her new husband.)

I can’t even begin to list the songs that packed the dance floor last night.  Some of my favorite moments prompting air guitar and featuring Jeff with his boys locked arm and arm or bumping chests occurred during “Livin’ On A Prayer,” “Summer of ’69″ and “Sweet Child O’ Mine.”  Oh, and the ladies were no slackers, either.

I should take a moment to talk about the details, because they were truly lovely.  The bridesmaids wore beautiful bright blue dresses and carried wildflower bouquets with white, blue and fuschia blooms.  The boxes containing the favors had matching blue ribbons.  The flowers in the centerpieces were all white roses and accents.

It was our first time visiting Villa Barone and we were thoroughly impressed.  The staff gave meticulous attention to every detail: directing guests to their seats, ornate salad appetizers, pouring the champagne in a choreographed Champagne March.  And the desserts were some of the most elaborate we’ve ever seen, with bananas foster, creme brulee, cordials and cappuccinos, and ice cream sundae bar…in addition to cake and cookies at the tables.  Whew!  It was all I could do not to stuff my face.

Even though I was deprived of those decadent desserts, all the reward I needed was Melissa’s beaming face at the end of the night as she and her new husband Jeff set their sights on their Bahamas honeymoon.

Villa Barone

Photos by Steve Planck of Blue Sky Photography

Video by Best of Times Video

Flowers by Marianne’s Floral

Allison and Steve couldn’t have had a more beautiful day for their wedding at West Park Winery if they had custom-ordered it.  Just a touch of coolness in the air kept their guests comfortable under the tent all night long.

Photographs are incredibly important to Allison, and she shared some of her favorites with their guests.  Allison and Steve were high school sweethearts who met at age 16, so each table was named for a special place or event in their lives…College, Proms, Vanderbilt…and adorned romantic with photos of the couple at every age.  Allison’s cousin put together a slide show photographic journey with the newlyweds from childhood, the time they met, and growing up together that was shown just before their First Dance.

(You can tell by these pictures that Allison made the right photographer choice in Steve Planck of Blue Sky Photography!)

The tent was just gorgeous with spring wildflower featuring daffodils, lilacs and cherry blossoms.  And it was a tearful Father Daughter dance for Allison and her father to “Then They Do” by Trace Adkins.

SPOILER ALERT:  Don’t read on if you’re soon to be a West Park Winery guest or you’ll ruin the surprise…

This season West Park is including an impressive fireworks display with every wedding!  The sky was lit with spectacular colors, ending with a flaming heart on the hill.

One of my favorite moments of the night came after the cake cutting when we sang “Happy Birthday” to Allison’s brother, Todd.  Once she had Todd up on the dance floor, we sang a few verses and scraaaaatch…slammed into “Apache” by Sugar Hill Gang.  Check out how Allison and Steve tore it up for their delighted guests…

West Park truly outdid themselves this time!  And so did Allison and Steve.

West Park Winery

Photos by Steve Planck of Blue Sky Photography

Cake by La Deliziosa

Jeff and I can now officially announce the arrival of our spring wedding season…opening with the magnificent wedding of Dina and Dan at the Grandview.

Dina, an orchestra teacher, had a string quartet as the fitting accompaniment for cocktail hour while guests sipped their signature Blue Hawaiian cocktails and stuffed themselves on the Grandview’s bounteous buffet.

But it was the love of Dina and Dan that took center stage that day.

The couple entered the reception arm in arm to Michael Buble’s “Everything.”  While the couple held hands, each gazing into the brown eyes of their soul mate, I read the letters they had written for each other.

Dina’s spoke of how she knew in her heart that Dan was the man she would marry on their very second date.  However hard she tried to push away those “crazy thoughts,” she knew it was true when he showed up at her door the next day, arms filled with a dozen roses, to confess that he loved her.

Dan’s letter was a poem, “an attempt to define” his love for her.  His words revealed love in the details, “the curve of your lip when you smile,” “your small feet,” the many things that won his love.

Dan and Dina shared their First Dance together as husband and wife to “Bless the Broken Road” by Rascal Flatts, a choreographed dance.  Despite their nervousness, Dan kept Dina laughing and smiling through the entire song.

When Dina’s sister and Maid of Honor proposed her toast, she told everyone of the time when three year old  Dina, then an only child, complained of loneliness to her mother.  “You have Daddy and I have no one.  I want to get married, too!”

It was the happiness of having found that someone, and her two new step-daughters, that radiated from Dina on her wedding day…and causes me to wax romantic and sentimental even now as I remember it.

Now, for the details…Each of Dina’s bridemaids wore either a vintage blue or clover dress from J.Crew in a cut the cut that best suited her.  And the cake!  Grandview pastry chef, Casey, simply outdid herself with an elaborate five-tiered blue and white wedding cake that I have clumsily captured on video.

Huge thanks to Steve Planck, our bud (and the brother I never had) from Blue Sky Photography for sharing the playfulness and affection he captured in these photos.

Grandview

Photos by Steve Planck of Blue Sky Photography