Spring ’17: Sin City Seven

Las Vegas for 7 straight days. A whole week in Sin City. Yikes!

I didn’t think I could do it. Would I still have my sanity? Would my ears be ringing from the slot machines? Would I become blind from the neon lights? Would I be hacking from all the cigarette smoke? I’m happy to say that none of these things actually happened. Yes, I survived. I did, however, see a 70-year old dude walking down Fremont Street wearing nothing but a G-string thong. Like the saying goes, “What Happens In Vegas, Stays In Vegas”.

This was my 28th trip to Vegas.  Almost all these trips have been for the annual DJ convention Mobile Beat Las Vegas or the Wedding MBA conference held each October. This was the first time that I spent more than 4 days.  What was different this year is that I bookended the Mobile Beat conference with a 2-day “hands-on” wedding workshop hosted by Mark & Rebecca Ferrell. More on that below, but here’s a photo recap of the week:

Day 1: After spending a few days in sunny San Diego visiting friends and family, I drove to Vegas with two other DJ friends. Thank you Eric for the Tesla experience. This photo was taken at a charging station in Barstow.

Day 2 & 3: Close to 1,000 DJs from all over the US and the world converged on Las Vegas for 4 days of learning and networking…and a few parties. My good friend Marcello Pedalino kicked things off on Monday with the opening presentation. It was a tough act to follow for the next 20 presenters over the following 4 days.

Day 4: It wasn’t all work and no play. After 2 straight days of seminars, it was time to get some fresh air. We headed out to Red Rock Park 30 minutes east of the city for a hike with a few dozen of my favorite DJs. This spot is highly recommend, and is a welcome respite from the craziness of Las Vegas. There are several fantastic trails of varying lengths just off the 13-mile loop road that goes around the park.

Day 5: After a final day of seminars, it was time for another break. We checked out the Neon Museum, home to all the vintage signs that lined the Strip over the decades. Yes, even the old Stardust and Riviera signs are here. I couldn’t resist taking this photo.

Day 6 & 7: My week in Nevada wrapped up with a 2-day, 16-hour Love Story workshop hosted by Mark & Rebecca Ferrell. I highly recommend their workshops for any DJs who want to take their business and skills to the next level. See link above for more information, and their upcoming workshop schedule.

Winter ’17: Year In Review

Another year is in the books. 2016 was marked by numerous celebrity obituaries and a crazy presidential election unlike any other in U.S. history. More importantly, it was a great year for weddings.  There were lots of new trends – many of which started in 2015 but only really caught on this past year.  More on that later.  Music-wise, the biggest trend was that there were no big new trends. Prince’s untimely death in April vaulted him into the Top 3 most requested artists for the first time in over 20 years. Michael Jackson and Bruno Mars rounded out the rest of the Top 3. The biggest new dance anthems of the year – JT’s “Can’t Stop The Feeling”, DNCE’s “Cake By The Ocean”, and Bruno Mars’ “24K Magic” were all about fun and kept Colorado dancefloors rocking all summer long.  As you can see by this year’s tally, group dances were still extremely popular as well. Love them or hate them, here’s a rundown of this year’s Top 10 requests:

1. The Wobble – VIC
2. Cupid Shuffle – Cupid
3. What A Wonderful World – Louis Armstrong
4. Can’t Stop The Feeling – Justin Timberlake
5. Uptown Funk – Ronson & Mars
6. Cha Cha Slide – Mr C
7. Don’t Stop Believin’ – Journey
8. Shout – Isley Brothers
9. Shut Up And Dance – Walk The Moon
10. Sweet Caroline – Neil Diamond

2016 was a big year for changing trends in weddings. Most of these emerging trends include drone videography, food trucks, and late-night dessert / coffee & espresso bars. By far, the biggest trend was having a friend / relative officiate the wedding ceremony. I’ve seen first-hand how this is both good and not-so-good. On the plus side, a friend or relative can offer a real personalized touch since they personally know the couple. I’ve even witnessed a few ceremonies this year where the Father Of The Bride officiated. These were some of the best weddings I’ve witnessed in years. There is rarely a dry eye in the crowd when a father tells a sentimental story about his daughter before marrying her.

On the negative side, many of these friends have little to no public speaking experience. Some of the worst officiants I have ever seen were at 2016 weddings. All were friends. All were either unprepared, nervous, didn’t want to be the officiant, or a combination of the three. All were asked by the bride and groom to officiate. They obliged out of respect but really they would have rather been guests watching from the seats. I know this because each of them told me as I was getting them “mic’d” before the ceremony. If you are considering this option, PLEASE…. choose someone who is willing and capable, preferably someone who has approached you already and offered to do this very important part of the most important day of your lives….or when in doubt – hire a professional officiant.

The photo above is from Mandie & Steven’s wedding at The Manor House back in August.  Their friend Jim did a great job as their officiant. He was prepared, professional, and well-spoken. He offered a personalized ceremony since he new the couple for many years. Well done, Jim!

Here’s to a fantastic 2017…

Fall ’16: Armed DJs?

A couple of months ago I hopped a flight to Tennessee to attend a DJ conference known as ARMDJS, which stands for Appalachian Regional Mobile DJ Symposium. On the flight over, I sat next to lady who was asking me questions about where I was heading. When I mentioned the name of conference, she politely said in her southern accent, “Armed DJs?…So y’all are a bunch of DJs with guns?…My son would just LOVE that.”  No ma’am. Let me explain….

That was the start of a fun week. This was my fourth time attending ARMDJs.  The conference is a bit of logistical issue to get there as I needed to fly to Nashville, then rent a car and drive 4 hours across the state to the small town of Greeneville at the foot of the Appalachian Mountains.  Greeneville’s population is just 15,000, but its claim to fame is that it the childhood home of the 17th president of the United States Andrew Johnson.  The area is also a hotbed for Civil War buffs, as there are several battlefields in the area.

Attendees of The Professional Process pose for a group shot with our completion certificates at the conclusion of the workshop.

The 2-day conference was bookended by a 2-day workshop called The Professional Process – an intensive 16-hour marathon training event featuring tons of information on wedding structure and planning hosted by Peter Merry, author of the book “The Best Wedding Reception…Ever”. When all paired together it was 4 days of DJ panels, workshops, seminars, and networking. This was the fourth time I’ve taken this workshop, and amazingly each time I walk away with pages of notes and new ideas. Check out the photo of the attendees with their certificates.

I’m featuring two different guest wedding blogs in this issue.  The first is an article I wrote for Adore Photography’s blog a few months ago entitled “Selecting A DJ For Your Wedding”. Thanks to Shannon for including me in her post.

The second Guest Wedding Blog is an informative look at some new wedding design trends for 2016 from award-winning DJ / Wellness Coach, Marcello Pedalino from MMP Productions in New Jersey. Marcello’s new book “Celebrate Life” is available at http://www.celebratelifebook.com

Summer ’16: Brides Talk

On February 20th, I attended a bridal panel discussion hosted by the Northern Colorado Wedding & Event Professionals at The Agave Room in Fort Collins. Four recently married couples answered questions from a roomful of local wedding professionals regarding their decisions about their who they hired, why they hired them, and if they had to do it all over again……what would they do differently. It was an insightful evening of information.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Here are my Top 10 Takeaways (in no particular order):

1. At least half of all wedding planning research is done online. Social media plays a key role, but few couples initially find their professionals via social. Most are found from word-of-mouth, venue referral lists, or online review sites like Wedding Wire and The Knot.
2. Online reviews are huge.  Most couples are very aware of Wedding Wire and The Knot and realize these review site are legit, and the reviews can not be altered by the vendor.
3. The top 3 things couples would have spent less on if they had to do it over again are: Food…Dress…Flowers.
4. Other things that they would have done differently included: Having more time with guests (longer reception / rehearsal dinner / cocktail hour)…Having a weather backup plan for the outdoor ceremony….Spending more time writing their individual vows for the ceremony…and the ever-popular “Should have hired a professional DJ”.
5. Most couples were limited by their parent’s allocated budget which seemed to be split evenly among brides and grooms parents.
6. The top 4 reasons for hiring a particular wedding professional was: Price / Value…Reputation…Familiarization with the venue….First impressions when meeting them.
7. Almost all couples liked the idea of all inclusive package pricing vs. an ‘Ala Carte’ style pricing structure, mainly due to a concern for hidden charges and extras.
8. Recent photo trends that couples like: ‘The First Look’ and the photojournalistic / candid style wedding photography.  Photo booths are also still hot.
9. Their wedding budgets ranged from $10,000 to $30,000 and guest lists ranged from 130 to 190.
10. Speaking of budgets, their top 4 budget items included: Photography…Food / Bar…Venue…Entertainment (DJ/MC, Photo Booth)

Spring ’16: MBLV & CSES

Last month I attended two great conferences during the same week in Las Vegas.  The first was the Catersource / Event Solutions (CSES) conference, a wedding professionals conference that “catered” (no pun intended) to catering and wedding service professionals.  This show was attended by thousands from around the world, and was the first time I attended.  You certainly didn’t have to be a caterer to get benefit from the show as there were lots of learning opportunities for anyone in the event production field. The second was the annual Mobile Beat Las Vegas (MBLV) DJ conference at the Tropicana Hotel & Casino.  This was my 20th consecutive year attending this conference…yes I’ve managed to attend ever one they’ve put on since 1997.  I’ve watch this show grow from its humble beginnings in a small, cramped hotel lobby to a massive contingent of DJs from across the nation and as far away as Australia. It was great catching up with my DJ friends from across the nation, checking out the latest gear, and learning the latest tips from the experts. Here’s more:

One of the attractions of the Mobile Beat conference are the evening festivities. This year, they brought in Redfoo from LMFAO to “Party Rock” the crowd.

The banner was up to greet the multitudes on opening day at the annual Catersource Event Solutions conference at the Mirage.

I was fortunate enough to get an advance copy of “Celebrate Life”, written by my friend, New Jersey-based DJ Entertainer and DJ Of The Year winner, Marcello Pedalino. His book describes “how to live it up, discover fulfillment, and experience the joy you deserve. Look for it in bookstores soon.

Wedding Wire’s marketing expert Alan Berg gave an informative seminar at about social media at the Event Solutions conference.

Winter ’16: Budgeting

What would seem to be a fairly straightforward way of going about coming up with a realistic wedding budget, many couples get sidetracked due to other people’s expectations and media manipulation.  What should be an enjoyable process is sometimes very stressful. Some couples end up with their wedding budget depleted before they’ve even hired all their vendors. The problem ultimately lies NOT with the actual budget dollar amount itself, but in the allocation of where the money is spent.

More specifically, the problem lies with the source of where this wedding budget information is coming from.  It’s no surprise that couples use wedding budget pie charts and suggested budget breakdowns.  They’re all over the internet and the percentage numbers vary widely.  You’ve seen them (like the one shown here) in wedding books, websites, and other media. They list the percentages of various wedding services that couples “should” be spending their money on. As ridiculous as it sounds, these lists and pie charts are suggesting the percentage that couples should spend on each category like every wedding and every couple has similar preferences.  This kind of logic isn’t used in any other type of major lifetime expenditure. Can you imagine buying a car or a house and the sales person hands you a pie chart with pre-determined categories and preferences that they think you should have?  Of course not.

So how does a newly-engaged couple juggle this jungle of wedding hi-jinx, and come up with a reasonable budget that doesn’t bankrupt them while having the wedding day of their dreams?

The answer is MUCH simpler than you may think….

Spend money in direct proportion to the importance that you place on each service.

First, come up with a reasonable wedding budget amount that you can afford and is not going to put you or your parents (if they are paying for it) in debt.

Second, come up with a realistic allocation plan. On two sheets of paper, the bride and groom should write their “Wedding Top 3”. This can be a combination of various things such as…

• What you want the most important part(s) of the wedding to be
• What you want your guests to remember most about your wedding
• What you dream about most for your wedding day

Combine your answers and come up with an overall Top 5, then correlate each to their respective vendors that represent that service. These are the Top 5 items that you should spend your money on. Hire the best vendors you can find for anything in the Top 5.  Whatever money is left over after you’ve reserved your Top 5 services, should be spent on anything else you may need, but shouldn’t exceed your overall budget.

Warning… this method goes against the typical wedding budget philosophy, but if you think about it, it makes perfect sense. It requires most couples to develop a different way of thinking about their wedding, but it pretty much guarantees that a couple will have the wedding of their dreams while keeping their budget in check. Most couples can save thousands of dollars by sticking to this plan.

Here’s another way to look at budgeting for your wedding…

What’s your focus? Are you currently planning a food-focused, visual-focused, or entertainment-focused wedding reception?  The answer may surprise you.

THE “FOOD FOCUSED” RECEPTION is by far the most popular type.  About 60% of all wedding receptions are food-focused. If you’ve ever been to a wedding where most guests started leaving after dinner and / or the cake cutting, you’ve attended one of these. A large portion of the budget is spent on food and beverage (the bar), leaving little left over for much else. Interestingly, in post-reception surveys, most wedding guests (74%) can’t remember what they ate at the last wedding they attended. Few guests at these types of weddings make it to the last dance.

THE “VISUAL FOCUSED” RECEPTION accounts for about 30% of receptions. At these, the couple wants to impress guests with a high-end venue and décor.  The “Wow Factor” is in full effect. Though great food is prominent, the majority of funds are spent on a high-end venue, décor, linens, chair covers, beautiful centerpieces, ambient lighting, etc. These tend to be the highest budget weddings. “Wowing” your wedding guests can be costly for a multitude of reasons. There is certainly nothing wrong with this type of focus, but visuals will only hold guests’ attention for so long.  If the guests are not entertained, and if they become bored, they may start discreetly heading to their cars. I wish I had a dollar for every time I’ve heard someone say, “We were at this amazingly beautiful wedding where they spent all this money, but everyone left before the end of the night. We felt so sorry for the bride and groom.”

THE “ENTERTAINMENT FOCUSED” RECEPTION accounts for just 10% of weddings. By far, this is the rarest type of wedding because most couples budget a small percentage for entertainment (national average is 8% of the budget). Entertainment focused couples not only budget more for entertainment than the typical 8%, but more importantly…they know the value of hiring a competent full-time professional DJ / MC who can not only keep the dancefloor full, but also run the reception, plus collaborate with them on some fun and unique customized and personalized reception activities. They also tend to have money in their budget for other entertainment options like a fun photo booth, or lawn games for their cocktail hour, among other things that will keep guests’ attention. Weddings that have this type of focus tend to last longer, and almost all end with a packed dance floor at the end of the night with the vast majority of guests still there to witness a fun send-off finale like the photo above. The focus is on the FUN, but also on saving money, as these weddings require a much smaller budget. The Colorado average for an “Entertainment Focused” reception is $10-15,000 versus the state average of $20-30,000 for the other two types of weddings.

Feel free to contact me with any questions regarding these money saving concepts, or if you’d like to set up a free budget analysis.

Fall ’15: Year In Review

Normally, this year-end recap is about recent trends and “What’s Hot” and “What’s Not” as well as the top requests of the year.  Since I covered the non-music items a couple of months ago, this month is all about the music….my top requests at my 2015 weddings. By far, the top new songs were Ed Sheeran’s “Thinking Out Loud” also the most popular first dance at my weddings this year, and the Bruno Mars / Mark Ronson collaboration “Uptown Funk”.  The usual group dances and classic floor-packers were popular, as well. Love them, or hate them, here a rundown of the most popular:

TOP 10 REQUESTED SONGS:

1. Cupid Shuffle – Cupid

2.  Uptown Funk – Mark Ronson / Bruno Mars

3.  Watch Me (Hip Nae Nae) – Silento

4.  The Wobble – VIC

5.  Shut Up And Dance – Walk The Moon

6.  Thinking Out Loud – Ed Sheeran

7.  Shout – Various Artists

8.  Cha Cha Slide – Mr. C

9.  Don’t Stop Believin’ – Journey

10.  Shake it Off – Taylor Swift

TOP 10 REQUESTED ARTISTS:

1.  Michael Jackson

2.  Bruno Mars

3.  Journey

4.  Beatles

5.  Taylor Swift

6.  Maroon 5

7.  Ed Sheeran

8.  Tim McGraw

9.  Bob Seger

10.  Pitbull

If you want more charts, here’s a listing of the top 200 most requested songs at weddings across the nation put together by the DJ software company DJ Intellegence.  In addition, there are charts for each decade, as well as wedding specific music charts.

 

Summer ’15: WMBA 4.0

Wedding Wire’s social media expert Sonny Ganguly addresses the masses on Day 1.

It’s been 3 years since I last attended the WMBA conference in Las Vegas (WMBA stands for “Wedding Merchants Business Association”) and my 4th time overall.  This is the top wedding professionals conference in the US, attended by well over 1,000 photographers, planners, caterers, venue owners, DJs, and others that service the wedding industry to learn the latest and greatest in all things wedding.  This year had the largest turnout in the event’s decade-plus history (over 1,600), and the best of the four that I’ve attended. The three-day conference is held at the massive Las Vegas Convention Center. There was certainly no need for me to do my regular daily workout or run as I probably logged 3 or 4 miles just walking around the cavernous confines each day.

One of the highlights of the conference was a group photo with other 2015 Knot “Best Of Weddings” winners.

Dozens of wedding experts covered every topic from legalities  to social media to customer service to what’s hot / what’s not.  The topics were great and it was great to connect with wedding industry friends from around the country that I haven’t seen in an awhile.  As an added bonus, Wedding Wire and The Knot hosted some great evening parties at two of the hottest clubs in town – one in the Bellagio with an incredible view of the world-famous water show. So here’s some information that both brides and grooms who are reading this as well as wedding pros may find interesting. My Top 15:

1. Average wedding guest count is 136 (down 10% in 3 years).
2. Average engagement: 16 months
3. June is still the #1 wedding month.
4. December is still the #1 engagement month.
5. 91% of wedding pros serve LGBT couples.
6. 62% of couples want their wedding published in a major wedding magazine.
7. 96% of couples use mobile devices for online wedding searches.
8. Cake is still tops, cupcakes are peaking, designer upscale donuts may be the next “big thing”.
9. Wine and beer blendings are becoming a popular alternative to the sand blending at ceremonies.
10. The Knot & Wedding Wire are still the top 2 wedding search engines.
11. Periscope (a live video streaming app) could be the next big social media craze.
12. Pinterest, Instagram, and Facebook are still the top 3 social media sites used by couples.
13. 50% of all couples are using an Instagram hashtag for guests to post their wedding photos from their mobile device (#weddingname).
14. Signature cocktails still very popular…now at up to 30% of weddings.
15. Gender-blended wedding parties are the rage (Best Woman, Man Of Honor, Bridesman, Groomswoman).

Spring ’15: Fab Photogs

For this quarter’s blog I’m featuring some of my favorite photographers doing what they do best at the weddings we worked together this year. They say “a picture is worth a thousand words”, so I should be set for a few months.

Photos listed chronologically from most recent:

Amanda & Stewart
alpandisle.com

Chelsea & Larry
September 6
http://www.kimballnelson.com

Jennifer & Andrew
September 7
http://www.tomkphoto.com

Courtney & Anthony
August 22
http://www.joeandrobin.com

Kim & Gary
August 20
http://www.thepicturechick.com

Holly & Jordan
August 15
http://www.kjanrob.com

Audrey & Jeremy
August 14
http://www.chrisgentilephotography.com

Rachel & Brad
August 8
http://www.kbdigitaldesigns.com

Krista & Mike
August 7
http://www.daylenewilson.com

Lindsay & Jeff
August 1
http://www.bluehausstudios.com

Marianne & Kyle
July 25
http://www.adore-photography.com

Natalie & Justin
June 27
http://www.kristawatzelphotography.com

Joni & Kris
June 26
http://www.kellykasper.com

Jade & Tyler
June 12
http://www.ashleymckenziephotography.com

Julie & Jason
June 7
http://www.emoonphotography.com

Matt & Shelly
May 31
http://www.enjoyingnowphotography.com

Winter ’15: Indian Weddings

India is a diverse country of more than 1 billion people, and is the world’s most densely populated country and second most populous. It’s also about as far away geographically from the United States but in many ways it’s much like the US. This former British colony is made up of more than 30 states and territories. It’s climate ranges from the humid tropics of the south to the hot and dry western deserts all the way to the snowcapped high Himalayas. It’s also a melting pot of culture and religion. Though Hindu dominates, Islam, Christianity, Buddhism, and Sihkism is also prevalent.

Devi and Matthew share a dance.

Last year I had the opportunity to work not one, but two Indian-style weddings here in Colorado.  This is pretty amazing because the Indian population in Colorado is relatively small. The chance that I would have two within four months is quite unusual. What’s even more amazing is that they were both at the same venue – the Fort Collins Country Club. What’s the chance of that happening? The June wedding featured Devi & Matthew. Much of Devi’s family came over from India for the occasion and it was quite the family reunion. The one thing I’ll always remember about this couple is that she never stopped smiling from the time I met her months before the wedding right up until the last dance. The September wedding featured Sumanth & Cynthia.  This time, the groom was from India. Cynthia & Sumanth had a big traditional wedding in India a couple of months before the Colorado festivities, yet some of Sumanth’s family still made the multi-day flight to the US. They had a really fun crowd with lots of dancing.  They even had Bollywood style dancers entertain their guests after dinner.  Truly one of my favorite weddings of the year. While both weddings incorporated Indian traditions in both the ceremony and reception, they were predominately Western in style.

A post-reception photo with Sumanth and Cynthia.

Weddings in India, are of course, a bit different.  In general they tend to be multi-day events.  Depending on the family’s budget and social class, they can also be quite opulent and grandiose. It’s not unusual to have 200 to 500 guests attend with lots of food, music, and celebration. As with most Asian weddings, Indians celebrate with color as the wedding garments that both the bride and groom wear are colorful and most change attire between the ceremony and reception. Though there is plenty of dancing at the reception, there is also much time spent visiting with friends and family. Since the celebration usually lasts for at least a couple of days, there is plenty of time to mingle as opposed to most American weddings where the couple sometimes seemed overwhelmed and rushed with the limited time factor. Since there are so many regions, religions, and cultures in India there are no set traditions but many include a Henna Party, the Baraat (the men’s party), the Pheras or Saptpadi fire ceremonies, and the very popular Vidai or Rukhsati ceremony where the bride finally says goodbye to her family to be with her new husband.

 

 

Fall ’14: Year In Review

Happy New Year! 2014 is in the books. It was another great year with some fabulous couples to work with.  I’m not quite sure what is going on, but as of New Year’s Day, I’ve got a record number of weddings reserved for the new year. The recession is most definitely over, or it may just be that “Love Is In Air” (somebody cue up that classic hit from John Paul Young from 1978, please!). Speaking of music, this was the year of Pharrell’s “Happy”. It not only was the biggest year on the charts, with a whopping 10 weeks at #1 on Billboard’s Hot 100, but was also the most requested new song at weddings across the nation. Although Mr. Williams has been a household name as a producer, songwriter, and collaborator with just about every artist on the planet, it was his first huge hit as a solo artist. In case you’re interested, the top new first dance song was “A Thousand Years” by Christina Perri.  The ballad was released in late 2013, though really became popular at weddings this past year.  I also played various instrumental versions of it as a ceremony processional.  More on that later…

Other new dance floor faves included Taylor Swift’s “Shake It Off”, Meghan Trainor’s “All About That Bass”, Florida Georgia Line’s “This Is How We Roll”, and the Pitbull / Kesha collaboration “Timber”.  In addition to the Christina Perri song mentioned above, the John Legend ballad “All Of Me” was one of the year’s best new slow songs. It’s no surprise that line-dance songs like “The Wobble”, “Cha Cha Slide” and “The Cupid Shuffle” still garnered lots of requests throughout the year.

On to what’s hot and what’s not. Here are a few of the trends that were getting popular this year. Some couples have decided to forgo the traditional wedding cake for pies or dessert bars. Some have even added a late-night dessert bar or hot chocolate / coffee station.  Family-style dinners are more the norm than ever before.  Instead of the traditional buffet or served meal, the wait staff brings out large plates of food for each table to share. I’ve also been seeing food trucks used for cocktail hour.  Obviously, you need the right outdoor venue for this, but it seems to work well at most venues. Instead of the traditional wedding gift, I’ve seen an increasing number of couples give their guests an alternative option to donate to the couple’s favorite charity.  And finally, since Instagram is now so popular, couples are requesting guests to send them their wedding day photos via this burgeoning social media platform via hashtags.

What’s not…The photo booth trend may have peaked. In 2013, almost half of my weddings of my weddings had photo booths.  This year I can think of maybe half a dozen. What I am seeing more of is a scaled-down version of this with just a backdrop instead of a booth (provided by the photographer).  This is certainly more cost-effective and requires less setup time and area. Nonetheless, I would imagine that within the next few years, photo booths will probably be delegated to the “Remember When Bin” along with chocolate fountains and disposable cameras….remember those?  Also noticeably absent from wedding ceremonies this year was traditional classical music.  Processionals like Pachibel’s “Canon In D” are out, and instrumental acoustic / string covers of love songs by artists like Vitamin String Quartet, the Piano Guys, and Boyce Avenue are all the rage. I honestly can’t remember the last time I played the traditional Wedding March.

Special thanks to Marla with CakeKnife Photography for the two black and white photos above from Lori & Sam’s reception at Mary’s Lake Lodge in Estes Park…one of my favorite weddings of 2014.

Speaking of awesome wedding photographers, I just got word that one of my weddings from this past summer, Kassi and Justin’s at Taharaa Mountain Lodge, was featured in Rocky Mountain Bride magazine, and it was photographed by Meghan Ritchey-Wilson with Visual Poetry.  Here’s the link.

Summer ’14: The ‘Boat

The year was 1825.  A group of three French trappers were hunting in what is now known as the Yampa River Valley in western Colorado.  They heard what sounded like the chugging sound of a steamboat engine.  Upon further inspection, it turned out to be a natural mineral hot springs. It would be named Steamboat Spring.

By the late 1800s families were homesteading in the area, and the turn of the century saw a railroad being built and several businesses were established.  Carl Howelsen built a ski jumping facility here in 1915 that would become one of the first ski areas in the country.  The rest is history.  Over the next 100 years, the area has turned into one of Colorado’s premier resort locations with world class skiing in the winter and countless outdoor recreational activities in the summer.

It’s always a pleasure to travel to the ‘Boat (as the locals call it).  This month I had a wedding here, so I decided to spend the entire weekend.  I drove up on Friday afternoon to attend the ceremony rehearsal (photo left), Saturday was the wedding, and I stayed an extra day to enjoy some outdoor activities.  Chassity & Jeff really went out of their way to create an incredible weekend for their guests, almost all of which spent the entire weekend in town as well.

They picked Bella Vista as their venue, a beautiful hilltop location overlooking Lake Catamount just east of town on the main road up Rabbit Ears Pass.  A tent was set up for the reception’s 100+ guests on Saturday.  These guests loved to party…and so did the bride and groom.  What began as a late afternoon ceremony ended 7 hours later at midnight with a full dance floor and a great sparkler exit of the bride and groom.  Wisely, Chassity & Jeff provided shuttle buses for their guests to get back into town to the Sheraton as they had a hosted bar and frankly, many guests had a few too many drinks to be driving back to town on a winding mountain road.  Definitely a good move!  Overall it was one of my favorite weddings of the year.

As a side note, a wedding that I was hired for last summer was recently featured in the latest edition of Rocky Mountain Bride Magazine.  Christina & Jason’s wedding took place at the Black Canyon Inn.  This was another really fun couple.  Here’s the featured link: