MERRY WEDDINGS blog

Lisa and I decided to spend our Memorial Day weekend in Phoenix, AZ visiting with our good friends, Curtis & Amy Hoekstra. Curtis & Amy were married in in March of 2005 and I had the privilege of providing the entertainment at their reception. Curtis also provides entertainment at receptions via his company, Remarkable Receptions.

As it turned out, Curtis had a wedding set for last night and so I rode along as his assistant.

Imagine my surprise when the minister walked up and we recognized each other. His name is Dr. Jon Ireland and he’s a Pastor in Santa Babara. We had worked together at 2 weddings in the area in the last 2 years and he is simply one of the best ceremony ministers I have seen in action. His delivery during this ceremony very personalized, friendly, and engaging. He even took a moment to read special notes of thanks that the Bride and Groom had written to their parents.
The reception kicked off with Curtis delivering a very fun and personalized grand entrance that had everyone in attendance laughing and cheering. I heard many people in attendance (including the catering staff) commenting on how creative and fun the introductions had been.

Later in the evening, Curtis really showed how being prepared can make the dancing even better as he began pulling out truly unique songs that had been college favorites of Christie & Garrett’s (the Bride and Groom) inlcuding an upbeat version of “Joyful, Joyful” from their days together in choir, which is where they had first met.

Curtis’ performance as the Master of Ceremonies was truly “Remarkable” indeed. He was polished, prepared, professional, and very classy in everything that he said and did last night. No wonder he’s also one of the first members of the new Wedding Entertainment Directors Guild™.

Share on Facebook

Matt and Tenley first met at a medical conference in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada back in April of 2004. Matt just returned from a tour of duty in Iraq and their guests had flown in from literally all over the country.

Matt & Tenley laughing while wacthing their Wedding Party's introductions.

The location: Hotel Laguna in Laguna, Beach, CA.

I landed this fantastic event thanks to a quality referral from my good friend, Jim Kennedy of Jim Kennedy Photographers. Jim and I have worked together on several weddings in the last few years and his images are featured on the cover and inside my new book, “The Best Wedding Reception…Ever!” Working with Jim is always a blast…and his second camera shooter was Amanda Collins, who also has a photo featured in my book.

One of the more memorable moments involved Matt unexpectedly singing a karaoke verision of Bon Jovi’s “Living On A Prayer” while everyone was cheering him on.

Matt belting out Bon Jovi's "Livin' On A Prayer"

Then, Tenley unveiled another surprise for Matt as several of the men in attendance (including the groomsmen) began peeling of their jackets and shirts to the song, “I Wan’na Be Just Like You” by Big Bad Voodoo Daddy, to reveal t-shirts that each featured a unique childhood photo of Matt on the back. I’ve seen slideshows and video montages at weddings before…but this t-shirt “man-tage” was truly a first for me and the guests as well.

The latest way to display a slideshow...the T-Shirt "Man-Tage"

Yes Matt...that's you!

Share on Facebook

There is only one thing that gets me more jazzed about what I do than seeing the guests at a wedding reception laughing, dancing, and celebrating like there’s no tomorrow…and that’s getting phone messages like this one…

Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.

…and Thank You cards like this one…

A nice Thank You card from Mike & Melissa

Share on Facebook

Julie Weaver has posted some photos from our most recent wedding…here is just one…

Mike and Melissa exiting with a Sparkler Sendoff

 The rest can be seen on her blog page.

Share on Facebook

Mike and Melissa got married last night! Their Ceremony and Reception took place at The Hacienda in Santa Ana, CA.

I had been recommended to this couple by Julie Weaver of Julie Weaver Photography, whom I had worked with back in October of ’06 for Eric & Julie’s Wedding & Reception. Julie is one of only 13 photographers whose work has been featured in my new book, “The Best Wedding Reception…Ever!” And I finally was able to hand deliver her a copy (along with a few more copies to give to her clients). To see some of Julie’s amazing images from our last wedding together, check out these two web sites:

http://www.weddingentertainmentdirector.com

http://www.wedguild.com

I can’t wait to see how her photos from last night turned out!!! We had several memorable moments including a few surprises for Melissa. Mike had actually saved some her early voice mail messages from when they had first started dating. Needless to say, Melissa and her guests were quite surprised to hear her own voice being played back as I was delivering their Love Story Introduction. Way to go Mike!

I also had the pleasure of working with Jeff Deutsch from Elysium Digital Productions. It was our first time working together, but I have done several events with his associates, Alex and Julie Hill, as well. I can’t wait to see the video of the Grand Entrance and the Garter Removal with that surprise soundtrack…LOL!

I am completely wiped out…this reception took a lot of energy and the guests kept giving us their energy as well. There was lots of laughter, lots of great food, and yes…lots and lots of fun dancing! And now…it’s 4:00am…and finally time to get some much needed rest.

Share on Facebook

I just met today with Ryan and Christine. They are getting married in December and they have a fantastic story.  He was the first boy she ever held hands with at 12 years old. I gave them a complimentary copy of my book, “The Best Wedding Reception…Ever!” We had a great time together.  Whether they choose my services or not, I know their reception is going to be a big, fun party!

Share on Facebook