Fatone Saves Brother's Wedding

From MSNBC.com

The host of the TV show The Singing Bee Joey Fatone turned wedding planner on Saturday, August 25th when a power outage disrupted his brother's Las Vegas nuptials. Fatone's brother Steven and his new wife Whitney were only thirty minutes into their reception at Lake Las Vegas, when a power cut plunged the party into darkness and severe humidity after the air conditioning went off.

Joey used his star credentials to get in touch with Planet Hollywood Resort owner Robert Earl and asked if the wedding party could move to one of his resort venues. Planet Hollywood public relations director Amy Sadowsky says, "The catering department mobilized and everyone was able to pitch in and help. We were happy to make Whitney's dream wedding reception come true."

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A Hot Day In Horsham

Karen & Aaron
August 25, 2007
The Manor House at Commonwealth
Horsham, PA
Web Site

The Manor House at Commonwealth Nation Golf Course is an 18th century farmhouse converted into a elegant facility. The staff at the Manor House's attention to detail is really second to none. They go completely out of their way to satiate the needs of every guest.

During cocktail hour, the event was hosted in the lower club rooms. Guests enjoyed each other's company while some light island-style music played. The island music was sort of a tease to Karen, I think. Aaron had made complete preparations for their honeymoon and kept their destination a surprise to Karen.

When the doors to the main ballroom opened, the party got well underway. Guests streamed in to take their seats and eventually witness Karen and Aaron share their first dance as husband and wife.

As a gesture of respect, I usually ask the guests to rise from their seats, just before the bride and groom are introduced into the room, then ask them to remain standing for the first dance. It makes it awkward to chit-chat while the bride and groom share in that five minute time span they've waited for for more than twenty plus years.

Because Aaron, a veteran who recently served our country in Iraq, had proposed to Karen in front of the Lincoln Memorial, his Best Man presented them with (on behalf of the entire bridal party) a bust of Abraham Lincoln.

It's becoming increasing popular to skip the throwing of the bouquet and removal of the garter. Karen and Aaron decided they wanted to honor a couple who had recently celebrated 61 years of marriage by presenting them with a bottle of champagne and two crystal champagne flutes.

Despite the very hot weather, everyone had a great time dancing, getting loud, and generally celebrating the union of two great people!

Congratulations, Karen and Aaron!

Click here to see some photos from their event!

Agenda

6:00-7:00 PM Cocktail Hour

7:05 Grand Entrance
"Gimme Some Lovin'" by The Spencer Davis Group

7:10 PM First Dance
"Into The Mystic" by Van Morrison

7:15 PM Blessing & Toast

7:20-9:00 PM Dinner

8:00 PM Bride & Father Dance
"I Loved Her First" by Heartland

8:05 Groom & Mother Dance
"Blessed" by Elton John

9:05 PM Cake Cutting
"How Sweet It Is (To Be Loved By You)" by James Taylor

9:10 PM-11:00 PM Open Dancing

9:40 PM Anniversary Dance
"The Way You Look Tonight" by Steve Tyrell

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Karen & Aaron's comments about their wedding day:

"Absolutely the best. Steve made the party. We received so many compliments about him. I wouldn't have changed a thing. Everyone was sorry to see it end..."

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Nice Photo Idea

While surfing through the internet today, I came across a cool photo from a wedding photographed by Rich Miller of Rich Weddings in Indiana, and thought I'd share it with everyone. Enjoy!

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Interview With Peter Merry

This is an interview between wedding entertainment director Peter Merry and Dodie Rahlman of KLOU Radio 103.3, on the subject of wedding entertainment!

In the interview, Peter explains the difference between standard wedding music providers and those select few individuals who offer a wedding reception more.

He also provides questions a bride can ask her entertainment candidates. Enjoy!

Peter Merry is the author of the book "The Best Wedding Reception... Ever!" and currently provides comprehensive wedding entertainment to the Southern California area.

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A Radnor Reception By The Water's Edge

Sarah & Zack
August 18, 2007
Pond Restaurant & Cassis Bistro
Radnor, PA
Web Site

Formerly known as the Passerelle, the Pond Restaurant and Bistro Cassis are new dining experiences on the Main Line.

Their well-appointed rooms are dressed in the finest French and Mediterranean decor, giving guests an elegant, yet comfortable setting.

Sarah and Zack's reception was split into three separate areas. The cocktail hour was hosted by the edge of the pond on the lower level. While guests enjoyed music and each other's company, swans floated nearby, watching everything as it happened.

When the guests made their way to the upper levels, Sarah and Zack had their close friends and younger family members seated across the foyer in the Cassis Bistro, while their older family members surrounded their sweetheart table in the main restaurant.

Despite my someone limited involvement with their planning process, the reception was executed flawlessly. Guests filled the dance floor while Sarah and Zack moved from back and forth from the bistro to the restaurant collecting hugs, kisses, and well-wishes.

When I spoke with Sarah and Zack at the end of the evening, to see what their final impression of their day was, they let out a great sigh of relief.

"It was so nice, not having to worry about all the details, knowing you could do everything we wanted without being told... It was great!", Sarah told me.

Congratulations, Sarah and Zack!

Click here to see some photos from their event!

Agenda

4:30-5:30 PM Cocktail Hour

5:35 Introductions
"Battle Without Honor Or Humanity" by Tomoyasu Hotei

5:40 PM First Dance
"Someone Like You" by Van Morrison

5:45 PM Blessing & Toasts

5:50-8:00 PM Dinner

6:30 PM Bride & Father Dance
"Young At Heart" by Frank Sinatra

6:35 Groom & Mother Dance
"God Only Knows" by The Beach Boys

8:05 PM Cake Cutting
"It Had To Be You" by Harry Connick, Jr.

8:10 PM-9:30 PM Open Dancing

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Sarah & Zack's comments about their wedding day:

"Steve was FANTASTIC!!!! When we met with him, he had all sorts of suggestions in terms of music to set our desired mood.

Steve was integral in directing the flow of the evening and getting our guests up on the dance floor. This was a bit of a challenge as our guests were seated in two separate rooms, but he ensured that no one missed any of the big events throughout the night by patching in sound to the 2nd room. He also stepped in as needed, in terms of rounding up the bridal party for the grand entrance, and provided a few laughs a long the way. He is definitely more of an entertainment director than a DJ ;)

Not only did he exceed our expectations the day of our wedding, but we've been able to relive our special day by visiting his website, where he put up a little recap of our reception and posted photographs! Add photographer to his resume!

THANK YOU, STEVE!!!"

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An Intimate Affair At Normandy Farm

Kristin & Michael
August 17, 2007
Normandy Farm
Blue Bell, PA
Web Site

What a great reception! Kristin and Michael's guests were a lot of fun!

What really struck me the most about Kristin and Michael's big day was the obvious amount of careful thought and planning they seemed to have invested. Everything they provided their guests was designed to make them feel comfortable and fulfilled, from the food to the accommodations.

Kristin's father surprised her by picking the song "Baby Mine" to have their dance to. Michael also had a very moving moment with his mother on the dance floor, sharing a dance with her to the song "Dance With My Father".

Instead of throwing the bouquet and removing the garter, Kristin and Michael decided to present one special couple with the bouquet, in honor of over 56 years of marriage. Most everyone in the room hadn't been ALIVE that long, let alone married for such a long time!

By the way, if there were awards given to Best Men for being memorable, Matthew would be a serious contender. His toast had great timing and humor; the kind of speech anyone could hope for.

He could also be found, nearly the entire evening, on the dance floor. He was good enough to help me kick off the festivities by dancing with Kristin to "Hot For Teacher". Apparently, Kristin used to be one of Matthew's teachers in high school!

It was a fun evening I was honored to be a part of. Kristin and Michael really seem to complete one another.

Congratulations, Kristin and Michael!

Click here to see some photos from their event!

Agenda

7:00-8:00 PM Cocktail Hour

8:05 Introductions
"Tequila" by The Champs
"I'll Always Love My Mama" by The Intruders
"Walking On Sunshine" by Katrina & The Waves
"Beautiful Day" by U2

8:10 PM First Dance
"By Your Side" by Sade

8:15 PM Blessing & Toasts

8:20-9:30 PM Dinner

8:50 PM Bride & Father Dance
"Baby Mine" performed by Bette Midler

8:55 Groom & Mother Dance
"Dance With My Father" by Luther Vandross

9:35 PM Cake Cutting
"It Had To Be You" by Harry Connick, Jr.

9:40 PM-12:00 AM Open Dancing

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A New Chester County Facility Is On The Horizon

Starting this past June, the Hankin Group began breathing life back into a 125 year old landmark structure along the French Creek in Phoenixville.

The gigantic Phoenixville Foundry, abandoned when Phoenix Steel went bankrupt in 1987, will be undergoing major restoration and renovation to convert the historic structure into a large banquet hall for special events.

Yesterday, I had an opportunity to meet the facility director, Bob Tomasso, and while taking a tour of the grandiose building, learned a bit about the plans he and his company have for the location.

It will be a multiuse, flexible space with partitions to divide the 15,000-square-foot open space. A grand staircase from the lobby will lead up to a 7,000-square-foot mezzanine, taking advantage of the 65-foot ceilings.

"Currently, when you enter the building, it's pretty overwhelming.", Mr. Tomasso told me. "The 65 foot ceilings and the vastness of the room would really benefit from the addition of a mezzanine. We also plan to remove the bottom sections of the oven stacks to make room for a kitchen area, but we'll leave the upper parts to remind people of the building's origin."

The Schuylkill River Heritage Center will also be housed in the foundry. The center's 12,000-square-foot space will officially open on Sept. 28. The center is headed by Barbara Cohen, who spearheaded the exterior restoration of the foundry and the installation of the "Symbols of Steel" sculpture garden.

Tomasso said Cohen was the "angel" who transformed the foundry into "saleable condition".

In one part of the foundry sits a large wooden crane used when steel was being made here. Tomasso said the crane may be the last of its kind in the United States, and the Hankin Group intends to keep the historical machinery in the space.

The project is expected to be completed by December.

"There are very few places in Chester County that have this much space for a wedding or corporate event", Tomasso said. He also shared his belief that the restoration of the Phoenixville Foundry would contribute to the revitalization of the town. That's a pretty hard nbotion to refute.

I am currently speaking with a bride who plans to host her reception at the location in August. She'll be using the ENTIRE facility!

It's really exciting to consider what this new location will have to offer to the community! Please enjoy some photos I took there yesterday: Click here to see the photos

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A Big And Loud Party In Valley Forge

Erin & Matthew
August 4, 2007
The Waterford Room at VF Radisson
King of Prussia, PA
Web Site

This past Saturday, I had the distinct pleasure of performing for a friend I met about five years ago. Erin is a teacher and coach for the Kennedy-Kenrick cheerleader squad, whose Catholic League championships I provide the music and entertainment for each year.

Last year, when she approached me about providing the wedding entertainment direction for her special day, I enthusiastically seized the opportunity.

Erin and Matthew's wedding was awesome! There was not a single moment when the dance floor seemed to die down. It was bumping from start to finish!

A special note of thanks should be given to the facility director, Clem Pascarella.

One of the groomsmen (who looked like an alternate for the Philadelphia Eagles' defensive line), had the misfortune of tearing his tuxedo pants during the post-ceremony photos.

Clem picked up the phone and within minutes had a replacement pair of tuxedo pants delivered to the Valley Forge Radisson, presented them to the groomsman, and REALLY saved him from the embarrassment of wearing defective formal wear.

Way to go, Clem!

By the end of the evening, the crowd had been worked into a controlled frenzy. Guests young and old crowded the floor, dancing to wedding favorites all night; including songs like Bell Biv Devoe's "Poison".

At the very end of the event, several guests crowded on the stage and gave a final send off to the bride and groom, lip-syncing to Def Leppard's "Pour Some Sugar On Me". It was great!

Congratulations, Erin & Matthew!

Click here to see some photos from their event!

Agenda

6:00-7:00 PM Cocktail Hour

7:05 PM Grand Entrance
"SexyBack" by Justin Timberlake

7:10 PM First Dance
"Just The Way You Are" by Billy Joel

7:15 PM Bridal Party Dance
"In My Life" by The Beatles

7:20 PM Bride & Father Dance
"The Way You Look Tonight" by Rod Stewart

7:25 PM Groom & Mother Dance
"Through The Years" by Kenny Rogers

7:30 PM Blessing & Toasts

7:35-8:50 PM Dinner

8:55 PM Cake Cutting
"When I'm Sixty-Four" by The Beatles

9:00 PM Bride & Brother Dance
"Sister" by Dave Matthews

9:05-11:00 PM Open Dancing

10:00 PM Bouquet Toss
"Girls Just Wanna Have Fun" by Cyndi Lauper

10:05 PM Garter Removal & Toss
"Sharp Dressed Man" by ZZ Top

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