Photo by Steph

Valley.  Talk about a winter wonderland!

This was a Tuesday night wedding, but it was as crazy with dancing as any Saturday night.  These guys had it covered!

JoAnne and Rich were introduced into the atrium room to share a first dance to “Love of My Life” by Jim Brickman and Michael W. Smith with their families surrounding them.

The Details

Cranberries and floating candles in bowls were centerpieces at each table.  The girls carried bouquets of white roses and pale greenery.  But it was the cake that stole the show.

JoAnne and Rich turned to the Cake Boss to add a sense of humor to their wedding cake.  JoAnne is a cemeterian and Rich is a funeral director, so they asked for something funeral-y.

The result was a cemetery display complete with RIP tombstones and a hearse.  The bride, shovel in hand, digs her groom out of a coffin.  Beside the cake were two stuffed animals, each wearing a T-shirt, “I love my cemeterian,” and, “I love my funeral director.”

So if you haven’t figured it out yet, this couple loves to have FUN.  Their kids helped pick out the music and did an amazing job at including a broad selection of music, from Sinatra and Earth, Wind and Fire to Usher and Flo Rida.

This night was all about family love and celebration.  Thanks so much for having us and have a Happy New Year!

Round Hill House

The newlyweds set the tone for their reception by making their grand entrance to “Ticks” by Brad Paisley.  Yep, cued it right up to, I wanna check you for ticks.

The Best Man and Maids of Honor told the story of how Jay and Jess met on the bus in high school years ago.  When Jay finally got up the nerve to get Jess’ number, he wasn’t sure he would call.  “I’ll throw this dart,” he told his brother.  “If I hit a bull’s eye, I’ll call her.”

Bull’s eye!  “You guys were meant for each other,” Jay’s brother, the Best Man said.  “The dart proved it.”

THE DETAILS:  The bridesmaids wore strapless, floor length yellow gowns and the groomsmen had cool pale green ties.  Lovely tall and short floral arrangements of blue and pale green flowers on the tables.

Each table was named for a Lake or Mountain that was special to the couple, who hikes and camps regularly, and also decorated with a postcard.  Guests received favors of jars of honey.

The wedding cake was decorated like a birch tree, complete with peeling paper, pine cones and acorns.  So cute!  Instead of a guest book, Jay and Jess asked their guests to sign an Adirondack chair they plan to seal later on.

These guys danced from the end of dinner until the very end.  I watched grandma on the dance floor raising her fist to “Dynamite” by Taio Cruz, and we played Hank Williams Jr.  It was diverse, energetic and FUN.

Thank you so much for letting us be a part of it, Jess and Jay!

Round Hill House

Photos by Elisabeth Millay Photography *Photos in this blog post courtesy of Elisabeth Millay.

Photo by Steph

exotic vibe of their wedding with its abundant flowers and gourmet fare.

Guests were greeted with lemonade and iced tea at the garden ceremony to ward off the heat.  Jeff performed acoustic guitar from the shade of the arbor.  (Lucky him!)

THE DETAILS:  The bridesmaids wore the coolest, flirty above the knee dresses with a pale green scalloped pattern.  The girls carried bouquets of purple, blue and green lilies, roses and succulents.  Rebecca was the centerpiece of the garden in her elegant slip dress and bird cage veil as she carried an enormous tiger lily bouquet.

The flowers at the reception were exotic and beautiful, reflecting the couple’s personality.  Steven Bruce Designs did an amazing job working in skulls, insects, turtles and elements of Rebecca’s personal collection (she is a zoo keeper) into the centerpieces and floral arrangements.  Some were encased in terrariums, other had the height of elaborate displays.  The effect with both gorgeous and quirky. You can see better photos and close ups of their amazing floral designs on the Steven Bruce Designs blog here.

After dinner Rebecca changed into a playful above the knee white party dress to dance the rest of the night away.  When she and Rob cut the wedding cake I was astounded by the aqua design with Rococco accents by Pastry Garden.  Wedding guests were treated to a delightful Gelato Bar.

Love the style, love the personality, love the fun.  Thanks so much for having us, guys!

Round Hill House

Flowers by Steven Bruce Design

Photo and Video by Bella Pictures

Photo by Steph

Round Hill House in Washingtonville, NY, but watching them and the love they shared with their guests told me all I needed to know. This couple is fun and loving, the kind of friends you want to keep forever.

It was a beautiful spring wedding despite the drizzle outside, “Sunday Funday,” as it was dubbed by Stephanie. What an amazing and strikingly beautiful bride! Before dinner was even served she dragged her girlfriends to the dance floor to sing along with, “Hey, Soul Sister” by Train.

THE DETAILS: Blush tulips graced the tables named after special places and moments in the newlyweds’ lives. The bridesmaids wore dark purple dresses—with pockets!—and carried stunning bouquets of orange Gerber daisies and purple flowers. The favors were tulle wrapped bulbs in flowers pots. A monogram cake topper and flowers to match the bouquets. Photos of Stephanie and Dave smiling and laughing adorned the mantle above the lit fireplaces.

Stephanie and her brother danced to, “Isn’t She Lovely,” by Stevie Wonder, while Dave and his mother enjoyed, “I Hope You Dance,” by Leann Womack.

Round Hill House outdid themselves (as usual) with a delicious buffet and wedding cake followed by a chocolate fountain. In addition, we got to make friends with photographer (and fellow former DJ) Pete, Julie and Bruno, the photo/video team.

More than anything, I was struck by how close this group was with each other and the certainty that they will be in each others lives forever. Thanks for letting us share your day, guys!

Round Hill House

Photos by InfocusNYC Photography

Non-pro photo

3.26.10  Laura and Ty’s wedding at Round Hill House in Washingtonville, NY was an unbelievable celebration that was a long time coming…22 years exactly since the couple’s first meeting!  It was a day of full of passion, purple, love and unconditional support.

The ceremony in the Atrium room took place beneath an arch draped with white flowers and accented with lavender butterflies, a dream catcher hanging at the top to honor the bride’s Native American heritage.  Laura simply adores purple and it was everywhere on her wedding day: the flowers, centerpieces, lights…even her wedding gown!

Jeff performed Earl Klugh’s jazz piece, “Till the End of Time” as Laura eagerly made her way down the aisle to Ty, radiant in her purple wedding dress.

THE DETAILS:  The tables were decorated with wreaths of purple, lavender and white flowers surrounding a glowing purple centerpiece and candle.  The signature cocktail at the bar was called, “The Prisoner of Love” and the tables were given mysterious titles such as Key, Heart, and Ball & Chain.

Non-pro photo

Cocktail hour music included the couple’s smooth jazz favorites by Kenny G, David Benoit, Yanni and others.  And I personally witnessed those guests willingly submit themselves to the joys of that “Prisoner of Love!”

The thoughtful newlyweds dedicated many songs to their loved ones and to each other.  From Taylor Dayne’s “I’ll Always Love You” and “Everytime I Close My Eyes” by Babyface, to “You Dropped a Bomb On Me” and “Man! I Feel Like A Woman,” there was something for everyone.

The cupcakes were backlit and displayed on tiers beneath the wedding arch, decorated with purple lights, of course!  After Laura and Ty cut their cake, they “revealed” the wedding favors–a caricature of Laura and Ty, the “prisoners of love,” with Ty checking his watch and Laura declaring herself only “late-ish.”

The surprise finale: Laura serenaded Ty with the song, “My Guy,” cleverly changing the lyrics to My Ty, to everyone’s great delight.

Dancing spanned the decades and the generations.  Laura and Ty truly opened up their hearts and shared their story with all of their guests.  The couple’s story of love, transition and transformation is only just beginning.  Thank you so much for letting us be a part of it!

Round Hill House

Photos by Clift Photography

We caught the end of the cocktail hour with music performed and sung by Chris Turpin and his teenage daughter. They were amazing!

Kristin and Evan’s marriage was 18 years in the making and their family and friends were surely primed to celebrate the long awaited occasion. They started the night with an awesome Hora to version of “Havah Nagilah” performed by Harry Belafonte.

Her guests bombarded us with requests from the start and danced with wild abandon. Well, I may be exaggerating slightly by saying, “wild abandon,” but there sure was some crazy energy on the dance floor!

Some of my favorite moments happened just after a fabulous Kosher dinner when the older folks made their way to the dance floor to enjoy some Nat King Cole, Frank Sinatra and the like. One silver haired gent danced with his wife, whispering the lyrics to Johnny Mathis’ “Chances Are” in her ear and my heart just melted. (Later on, this same gentleman was boogying enthusiastically to the Black Eyed Peas and I loved him even more!)

THE DETAILS: Flowers on the tables were lavender and cream hydrangeas and roses. Each table was named after a destination the couple had visited together. Even more spectacular, the favors at each table matched their destination; they came from hotels at the resorts! An incredible feat pulled off by Kristin’s sister and “Queen of All,” the upgraded nickname she gave her uber-helpful planner Maid of Honor.

It was a gorgeous night, surrounded by family and love. Thanks for making us a part of it, guys!

Round Hill House

Photos by JT Sander

to the best of the Hudson Valley’s winter elegance.  Snow showers, candlelight, charming fireplace, warm hearts.

The bridesmaids made a stunning ceremony processional in their elegant, black evening gowns and scarlet shawls, carrying bouquets of white flowers.  Amy’s infectious smile lit up the room as she joined her guests in the atrium, the beautiful trophy on her mother’s arm, as Jeff performed “Over the Rainbow” on acoustic guitar.

Amy’s Maid of Honor described the “twinkle” in Amy’s eyes when she spoke about Rich for the first time as the moment she knew they were something special.  That twinkle intensified as the newlyweds slow danced together, savoring the moment surrounded by their loved ones.

The dance floor belonged to the ladies that night.  The bridesmaids belted out the words to Lady Gaga’s “Bad Romance,” the song they had been singing all day, and sang every word of Jay-Z’s “Empire State of Mind.”

“We are in New York,” one of the ladies pointed out.  “It’s appropriate.”

Amy’s energy on the dance floor was unbelievable!  It drew her girls around her…and made it a whole lot of fun for Jeff and me.

What a beautiful way to start the New Year!  Thanks for having us, guys.

Round Hill House

Photos by Jason Hermann Photography *All awesome photos in this blog courtesy of Jason Hermann Photography.  Thanks!

Jeff performed on acoustic guitar as the guests took their seats.  Then, as the bridesmaids readied for their walk down the aisle, he swapped positions with Stephanie’s brother who played and sang “Can’t Help Falling In Love” by Elvis.  Dogs Lily and Magee, the ring bearer and flower girl with sunflowers tucked under their collars, were walked down the aisle.

Stephanie blinked back tears and smiled at her brother’s serenade, stunning in her strapless mermaid dress as she met Josh before Stephanie’s uncle, the minister.  Their marriage had been many years in the making (a fact the newlyweds were teased about numerous times in the ceremony and toasts.)

The bride’s uncle related a few character defining highlights from their childhoods…

At eight years old, Stephanie decided to dress all in black for school one day; when her teached asked why, her answer: “Because I am a unique individual!”  At the same tender age, Josh was riding in the front seat with his brother when his father passed out at the wheel of the car.  In a heroic move, Josh controlled the car until his father regained consciousness, saving all their lives.

Though Stephanie and Josh didn’t know each other as young children, they each enjoyed summers playing in the sand of Long Island beaches.

I learned so much about this couple and their love story listening to a ceremony delivered by Stephanie’s uncle, who had actually been present at her birth.

THE DETAILS:  Tables in the dining room were decked out in brown linens accented with mini-pumpkins, gourds and leaves.  Guests took home personalized jars of maple syrup.  Sunflowers!

We snuck 80′s power ballads into the dinner hour music, songs by Heart, Def Leppard and Led Zeppelin…Stephanie’s guilty pleasures.

We also got to see our friends Catherine and Scott, whose wedding we performed at back in spring.  It was great to reconnect…and pay “C’mon Ride the Train” for an enthusiastic Scott.

The day was amazing!  Thanks so much for making us a part of it.

Round Hill House

Photos by Majestic Studios *All photos in this blog courtesy of Majestic Studios

At their garden ceremony, the Reverend began with the Native American tradition of Calling the Seven Directions, North, South, East, West, Up, Down and Within.  The mothers of the bride and groom read a selection of readings, including excerpts from the traditional 1 Corinthians 13:4 along with Shakespeare’s Sonnet 116: “Love is not love which alters when it alteration finds…”

NOTES ON DETAIL:  Chandeen wore a champagne gown with a pale pink sash around the waist to match the accent in her hair and the cream blushed lily behind her ear.  The bridesmaids chocolate dresses had gold sashes and faux slips.  Chandeen made lovely marbles with words and pictures inside them to decorate the tables and the entire house.

People came from as far away as Indian and Europe to attend this wedding, and there was so much love and fun that it was contagious.

Jeff’s family celebrated their Portuguese heritage with several lively dances.  Of course, having spent several years in Woodstock, Chandeen asked us to include some Grateful Dead and Stones for the “hippie” side of the family.  A plastic pink flamingo circulated the party (a “guest” from the wedding shower) and we played “Always Look On the Bright Side Of Life” as a tribute to Jeff’s passion for Monty Python.

I loved watching Chandeen and Jeff swing dance to Elvis and slow dance to a Portuguese tune.  I couldn’t understand the words, but heck, I know love when I see it.

Beautiful, moving and engaging for everyone.  Wonderful!

Round Hill House

Photos by JT Sander

Joette and Patrick braved the gray skies for their ceremony in front of the fountain in the famously beautiful Round Hill gardens.

Joette was stunning, playful and romantic, with her hair drawn over one shoulder and romantic, and a cream rose tucked behind her ear.  Her bridesmaids wore kelly green, a tribute to their Irish heritage.

COOL DETAILS:  The ceremony programs were mounted onto woven fans. Instead of place cards, guests found their seats on a huge alphabetized listing bearing the couple’s monogram.  Photos of Joette, Patrick and their families decorated the house, making it feel like their own home.  Our friends Ulysses and Jenni from Ulysses photography created an amazing album filled with the couple’s engagement photos for their guests to sign.

CEREMONY READING:  I’ve attended hundreds of wedding ceremonies, and this was the first time I heard the adorable reading Joette and Patrick chose.  A friend read excerpts from the children’s book I Like You by Sandol Stoddard.  It was both whimsical, silly and romantic.  Loved it!

Music also featured prominently in the newlyweds’ day.  Joette requested Beatles tunes for her ceremony.  Jeff put together beautiful covers of “In My Life,” “Blackbird” and “Here Comes the Sun” performed on acoustic guitar.  She walked down the aisle to “Over the Rainbow.”

For their introduction music, the Bridal Party walked in to the 90210 Theme.  (Jeff didn’t recognize this one, but I confess it’s forever linked to my memories of the early 90′s.)  For Joette and Patrick we played the first bars of “Rainbow Connection” sung by Kermit the Frog and then switched into the punk version by Me First and the Gimme Gimmes.  Perfectly sweet and FUN.

Then a surprise gift from Patrick’s parents: the NYPD Emerald Society Pipe and Drum Band marched in, set a beret on Patrick’s head and performed for all the guests while the newlyweds danced inside the circle.

Joette dedicated the Dave Matthews Band song, “You and Me” to Patrick as a surprise “second dance” because it made her cry the first time she heard it.  With lyrics like, “When the kids are old enough we’ve gonna teach them to fly.  You and me together, we could do anything…” it’s easy to understand why.  Check it out for yourself…

The day was beautiful, amazing and tailor made for Joette and Patrick.  Congratulations!

Round Hill House

Photos by Ulysses Photography