The Tony Schwartz Weddings Blog

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Ah, December, one of the most fesitive months of the year.  And if you are going to have a winter wedding – December is just the month to have one!  And for Adam and Michelle Goddard, they had an amazing crowd that was ready to party!

Due to time constraints with Kensington Gardens, I worked with Michelle and Adam to plan a wedding reception that would maximize the amount of open dancing possible – we only had four hours to do a ceremony, room flip, and reception with a sit-down dinner.  Thus, we had to prioritze what was most important in their wedding reception entertainment and then build an itinerary that not only encompassed those priorities – but felt natural as well.  The simplified itinerary below doesn’t do justice – the formal dances were done during dinner, and my narration of the Love Story was performed as the final tables were being served their dinners and was a perfect segue into the toast.

I must give compliements to the guests of the Goddard wedding reception – they were awesome!  After a very cheerful reception of the Wedding Party’s Grand Entrance – I immediately transitioned into “That’s Amore” – and they sang along!  I knew I had a great crowd on hand – and they only proved it after I narrated Adam & Michelle’s “Love Story”.  For the first time ever, my clients got a standing ovation for their love story – and they completely deserved it!

And of course, when we opened the dance floor with “Blame It on the Boogie” – they didn’t stop dancing and singing until the final song of the night.  It was a great mix of funk, pop, and 80s dance – and I wish we had more time to dance the cold night away!

Simplified Itinerary

Ceremony
Cocktail Hour Outside
Grand Entrance
Dinner
First Dance
Father/Bride Dance
Mother/Son Dance
Love Story
Toasts
Cake Cutting
Bouquet & Garter Tosses
Open Dancing
Last Song of the Night
Farewell Tunnel Into the Limo

Sorry, no pictures.

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On the final Saturday of September, Bob & Natalie – another couple I felt so blessed to work for! – exchanged their vows and hosted their wedding reception at Kensington Gardens in Gig Harbor, Washington.  You couldn’t ask for a better Fall day – the weather was beautiful – sunny and no wind!

After an awesome ceremony - ordained by Father Alan Kemp, a special song performance by Steve Sefanowicz, and sound reinforcement by yours truly, guests enjoyed a cocktail period while photographer Lynette Johnson walked the wedding party and family through their photo session.  Once freshened up, the wedding party got set for their grand entrance.

I’ll admit, I am feeling the wear and tear of a long wedding season – but in my mind, I have to be at 110% for my clients on the one wedding day they have waited for all year.  And I can honestly say – I have never felt so in the moment for Bob & Natalie’s grand entrance sequence.  For the wedding party, I wrote and narrated their 30 Second Wedding Party Bios – with the assistance of Bob & Natalie – and the room was a rockin’.  And then, once we completed the bios – it was time for Bob & Natalie’s Love Story.  And something just hit me – feeding off the story, the guests, and Bob and Natalie’s reaction to their story (I was the only one that could see them) – I just got into the story and the performance.  That’s the secret to the Love Story – it’s all about voice, presentation, and how it was written.

I immediately knew – this was my best Love Story performance yet.  And Bob & Natalie later commented – guests were impressed.

After their entrance, the entire party enjoyed salads, dinner, and desserts – there would be no wedding cake.  Natalie’s friend Stacy had prepared a slide show, I assisted with the projector and screen, and two of Natalie’s bridesmaids did their version of the “Shoe”lywed Game.  Somewhere in the midst, we also had the evening’s toasts.  Finally, it was time for the formal dances.

For the first dance, Bob & Natalie chose George Strait’s “I Cross My Heart”.  Then for Natalie’s dance with her father, she selected “The Way You Look Tonight” – only with a little twist – I had made an edit with the Rolling Stone’s “Start Me Up” to interject in the middle.  Natalie’s father, Phil, had no idea it was coming!  Finally, Bob danced with his mother, Sandy, to Lynyrd Skynyrd’s “Simple Man”.  We finished with a couples dance, and then proceeded to open the dance floor for the remainder of the night!

As I mentioned before, I was blessed to work for such a nice and easy-going couple – Bob & Natalie, I wish you both the best!

Simplified Itinerary

Ceremony
Cocktail Hour
Grand Entrance
Love Story Introduction
Social Period
Sit-Down Dinner
Toasts
Slide Show
First Dance
Father/Bride Dance
Mother/Son Dance
Couples Dance
Open Dancing
Last Song of the Evening

Sorry, no pictures.

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A few of the pictures from the wedding of Ryan & Nicole Welander:

A simple, yet elegant table scheme. Thank you Nicole for sending me a table shot - she obviously reads my giglogs!

Ryan & Nicole score another point in the "Shoe"lywed Game

Ryan & Nicole's Final Dance of the Evening

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My second wedding of the weekend was for Ryan & Nicole Welander, a couple I had met with at multiple wedding shows.  Ryan was a very laid-back gentleman, and Nicole was an absolute perfect bride to work with – I couldn’t ask for a better couple (but don’t get me wrong, I love all my couples! )

I was asked to provide sound for both the ceremony and reception at Kensington Gardens, a venue that I have been booked to perform at six times over the course of 2009.  Using my new Bose L1 Compact, I was able to mic both Ryan and Ray, their officiant, for the vows – and as Kensington Gardens has an outdoor ceremony location in a residential area, I ensured that volume levels were appropriate.  Very important – my lack of volume control and monitoring will never be the reason why a venue or event is shut down early.

Nicole and Ryan desired a classy, yet fun and lively atmosphere for their wedding reception.  It was to be noted that everything was kept in good taste and nothing sexual was presented, as Ryan’s conservative parents would not appreciate nor tolerate such.  Obviously, Nicole and Ryan had seen a prior wedding DJ do this – and believe me, they are definitely out there.  As well as DJs who cannot equalize a system correctly – making announcements and toasts virtually inaudible – something Ryan and Nicole also noted in their “wedding vision”.

So with all this in mind, I created a reception that included tradition, class, their style, and fun all into one.  I was very pleased with the end result.  One thing I must add, timing at Kensington Gardens is critical.  Fortunately, I made a very detailed itinerary and kept on top of the clock and the coordination behind the scenes.  Guests were in a relaxed, social setting – but not too casual where interest was lost.

For their wedding party entrance, we did brief introductions of the couples and their relationship to Ryan and/or Nicole, followed by a brief synopsis of their relationship history.  During and after dinner, we gave away the centerpieces via “The Dollar Pass” and Nicole and Ryan did their best in the “Shoe”lywed Game – it started out rough, but they caught on fire near the end!  After toasts and cake cutting (which featured the traditional cake topper that has been passed down throughout the family), we tossed the Bouquet and Garter.  Nicole added a Starbuck’s card to her bouquet, and Ryan an autographed baseball by him and Nicole.

After the tosses, Nicole and Ryan shared their first dance to “Feelin’ Good” – performed by guest Michael Trittin.  And I must say – Mr. Trittin absolutely nailed it.  I was floored and more than impressed – I would have him sing at my wedding if I could!  After that magical moment, Ryan and Nicole’s wedding party and family shared a dance to Garth Brook’s “Friends in Low Places”. 

Our final formality was the “Longest Married Couple” – this time done in reverse.  Starting at zero, I worked my way up to 65 years (our longest married couple) inviting guests onto the dance floor as the number of years announced surpassed their length of time together.  This was done in reverse to put people on the dance floor – and then when we opened the dance floor to all guests for the remainder of the night – they were already there and ready to dance!  Music from every genre was played as guests of all ages partook some time on the dance floor.

And to end the night?  All of Nicole and Ryan’s friends and family circled around them on the dance floor - swaying back and forth, urging the newlyweds to kiss.  At the end of the night, I announced their congratulations, thank yous, and sent them off on their honeymoon to Cabo, Mexico!

Simplified Itinerary

Ceremony
Cocktail Period
Grand Entrance
Ryan’s Welcome & Thank You to Guests
Dinner
Centerpiece Giveaway
“Shoe”lywed Game
Toasts
Cake Cutting
Social Interlude
Bouquet & Garter Toss
First Dance
Wedding Party Dance
Longest Married Couple Dance
Open Dancing
Last Dance
Congratulations & Farewells

Sorry, no pictures.

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It is July 2nd, and we are halfway through the wedding season.  Sitting in my office chair, I can’t help but to think how blessed I am to have truly amazing clients each and every year.  The type of clients where you will work until 2 am in the morning the night before to make sure their Love Story and Wedding Party Introductions are just right.

Scott and Kellie Anabel are those types of clients.

Kensington Gardens – one of my favorite venues and staffs! – was the location for the ceremony and reception for the Anabel wedding.  And as much work as it was, it was all worth it in the end!  For the ceremony, I provided music, mic’d the vows, and provided sound equipment for a reading and a singer – a lot to plan and coordinate for!

And for the reception, Scott told me in his consultation meeting they wanted one thing – a fun and lively party.  And from the get-go – we nailed it.  They gave great material for me to work with for their Wedding Party Introduction Bios, and their Love Story resulted in a standing ovation.  From there, we kept things very interactive throughout the sit down dinner – even seeing how well Scott and Kellie knew each other in the “Shoe”lywed Game!

Scott’s 13 year old nephew, Nathan, performed an accoustic version of “Love Never Fails” for the Bride and Groom’s First Dance.  It was hard to tell if the guests were cheering for Scott and Kellie or Nathan – it was that good!  :)

And despite the daylight still peeking in from outside – nearly everyone was up and on the dance floor to celebrate with the Newlyweds – in the short 40 minutes we had planned for dancing, I believe I mixed in and out of about 25 songs – something that I attribute to my background in club DJing and turntables.

To send Scott and Kellie off to Maui with style, we arranged for the car to transport them to be waiting out front of the grand entryway doors.  When the last song of the night was played, we asked for all guests to allow our newlyweds a moment of serenity and invited them to wait for their Grand Exit outside.  They formed a tunnel for Scott and Kellie to walk through – a perfect way to say goodbye and end the perfect night!

Simplified Itinerary

Ceremony
Cocktail Period
Grand Entrance & Love Story Introduction
Scott & Kellie’s Welcome & Thank You to Guests
Dinner
Gift Card Giveaway
Centerpiece Giveaway
“Shoe”lywed Game
Toasts
First Dance
Father/Bride Dance
Mother/Son Dance
Cake Cutting
Social Interlude
Longest Married Couple Dance
Bouquet & Garter Tosses
Open Dancing
Last Dance
Grand Exit

Sorry, no pictures – between two setups, sound checks, and final preparations, there was no time for photos.

Uncategorized Gig Harbor Wedding DJ, kensington gardens, Tacoma Wedding DJ

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Kensington Gardens in Gig Harbor, WA was the site for David and Kayla Brown’s wedding ceremony and reception on March 28, 2009.  While it was raining outside, approximately 80 guests enjoyed laughing and celebrating inside!

Kayla and David had opted to forego a grand entrance and settle for a very simple approach to their wedding.  But they did have a suprise for their guests – the Guest Kiss List.  About 20 couples demonstrated to David and Kayla how to kiss – and the new Mr. and Mrs. Brown did a fine job attempting to mimic these kisses!

One of my favorite memories comes from the Teddy Bear toss – I finally had to let go of my Teddy Bear that had been riding in my van with me for over a year now!  Always kept in case of an emergency, it was his time to go!  A young boy caught it after David and Kayla’s toss - and at the end of the night, still clutching on to his prized bear, he came up to me and gave me a big hug – thanking me for the Teddy Bear.  Yes, I had a tear in my eye.

And of course, David and Kayla had a bit of a wild side and we did my signature garter switch routine after the winners of the bouquet and garter tosses were determined.  And believe it or not, everyone in attendance got a chance to see me do a “Sexy Dance” as I assisted our single lady put the garter on the leg of our single gentleman!

Overall, it was a small, simple, yet fun and lively reception – and David and Kayla enjoyed a fun and intimate reception with their family and friends – and will have memories to look back upon for a lifetime to come!

Itinerary

Ceremony
Cocktail Hour
Welcome to Guests
David and Kayla’s Thank You to Guests
Blessing
Dinner
Guest Kiss List
Words of Wisdom
Toasts
Cake Cutting
First Dance
Father/Bride Dance
Mother/Son Dance
Longest Married Couple Dance
Dollar Dance
Teddy Bear Toss
Bouquet Toss
Garter Toss
Garter Switch
Open Dancing
Last Dance

Sorry, no pictures for this event – I forgot my camera!

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