Love on Ice

Ashley and Riley
August 10, 2012
Hotel du Pont
Wilmington, DE
Web Site

When it comes to attentiveness to detail and unparalleled white glove treatment, one need look no further than the luxurious du Pont Wedding Collection and the Hotel du Pont. The soaring 33-foot ceiling of the Gold Ballroom with its gilded rosettes, glittering chandeliers and bas-reliefs of famous women including Helen of Troy and Cleopatra, could not be more festive or extravagant.


From the very beginning of meeting Ashley and former Philadelphia Flyer and all-around great guy Riley, I felt confident that our personalities matched and we were going to orchestrate an outstanding wedding reception.


I must admit, it was quite a thrill to party and dance with some of the great NHL players of our time, including Scott Hartnell. To see an awesome wrap-up video of Ashley and Riley's wedding day, check out video below (filmed by VideoOne Productions) or check out some of the photos taken by incomparable Mike Kehr by clicking here!

Congratulations, Ashley and Riley!





Agenda

6:30-7:25 PM Cocktail Hour

7:25 PM Grand entrance
Bridal Party: "I Gotta Feeling" by Black Eyed Peas
Bride and Groom: "Back In Time" by Pitbull

7:30 PM Bride and Groom dance
"Marry Me, One Love (Croce Remix)" by Train & Bob Marley

7:35 PM Welcome, blessing and toasts

7:40-8:45 PM Dinner

8:45 Cake Cutting
"Pour Some Sugar On Me" by Def Leppard

8:15 PM Bride and father dance
"The Way You Look Tonight" by Frank Sinatra

8:20 PM Groom and mother dance
"I Hope You Dance" by Lee Ann Womack

8:50-10:55 PM Open Dancing

9:30 PM Bouquet Toss
"Single Ladies" by Beyonce

9:35 PM Garter Tradition
Removal: "Let's Get Rocked" by Def Leppard
Toss: "Let's Go" by Trick Daddy

10:55 PM Final song
"At Last" as performed by Etta James

Philadelphia DJs - Steve Croce

Permalink

A Sweet Reception In Wilmington

Chelsea and Allen
March 20, 2010
Hotel du Pont
Wilmington, DE
Web Site

If you were to ask my opinion of the East Coast's most romantic and nostalgic hotels, Hotel du Pont would be one of my Top Ten favorites. Affectionate charm and elegant sophistication runs rampant in this highly prestigious Wilmington hotel. Situated close to Winterthur Museum, Garden, and Library, Delaware Art Museum, the Longwood Gardens and Conservatories and more, there is no shortage of rich heritage and culture that surround the building.

The architectural décor of Hotel du Pont's magnificent Gold Ballroom features rich wood and hand-crafted medallions of twenty famous women of history, from Helen of Troy to Cleopatra. The hardwood floors and thirty-foot high ceilings "wow" every first-time visitor.

However... There is a distinct trade-off. Due to the size and expanse of the Gold Ballroom, the acoustics are similar to a canyon.

Not to sound like a commercial, but fortunately I was using the Bose L1 sound columns. Their sound dispersion filled the room with the clearest of sound, heard the same from any spot in the ballroom.

According to Jillian Cournoyer, Senior Catering Sales Manager of the Hotel du Pont: "I love your sound system. It looks great and sounds better than anything else I ever hear in this room. When I'm standing in the foyer, waiting for the introductions to begin, most DJs and Bands sound like they're shouting into a CB radio. I love you guys!"

Speaking of love, it was totally obvious that Chelsea and Allen are a great match. Their friends and family really seemed to enjoy every moment of the celebration. I personally had a GREAT TIME!

Congratulations, Chelsea and Allen!



Click here to see some photos from their reception!

Agenda

6:30-7:20 PM Cocktail Hour

7:20 PM Room Reveal
"City Of Blinding Lights" by U2

7:45 PM Grand Entrance
Parents: "All You Need Is Love" by The Beatles
Bridal Party: "Now That We Found Love" by Heavy D & The Boyz
Bride and Groom: "Life In Technicolor" by Coldplay

7:30 PM First Dance
"Crazy Love" by Van Morrison

7:50 PM Father of Bride's Welcome Speech and Blessing

8:00 PM-9:45 PM Dinner

8:15 PM Toasts

8:35 PM Bride & Father Dance
"There You'll Be" by Faith Hill

8:40 PM Groom & Mother Dance
"Have I Told You Lately?" by Rod Stewart

10:15 PM Cake Cutting
"Sweet Disposition" by Temper Trap

10:20 PM Baked Alaska Flambé Service
"Battle Without Honor Or Humanity" by Tomoyasu Hotei

10:25 PM-11:25 PM Open Dancing

11:25 PM Final Song of the Night
"Strawberry Swing" by Coldplay

Wilmington DJs - Steve CrocePermalink

Love & Basketball

Kelly & Dayne
May 25, 2008
Hotel du Pont
Wilmington, DE
Web Site

The glorious Gold Ballroom at the Hotel du Pont is a French Neoclassic ballroom, with gilded rosettes, glittering chandeliers and bas-reliefs of famous women including Helen of Troy and Cleopatra, and could not be more festive or extravagant.

I have said it before and I will say it again: If you have dreamed of a wedding day as near to perfection as humanly possible, the only location to consider is the Hotel du Pont. Their unprecedented attentiveness to detail is unparalleled. Their ability to satiate every need allows a bride and groom to relax and savor every moment.

Kelly and Dayne met while attending Lehigh University, both spending most of their time on the basketball courts, playing in front of thousands of screaming fans and the cameras of ESPN.

Dayne and Kelly spent a lot of time preparing an outstanding visual presentation for their friends and family, producing full-motion videos for their bridal party's introductions, the parents dances, and a ten minute video documenting their basketball careers, their lives, and Dayne's proposal to Kelly via a beach plane banner in Ocean City!

You didn't have to know Dayne and Kelly personally to be moved by the creativity displayed in their videos.

Congratulations, Kelly & Dayne!

Click here to see some photos from their event!

Click here to see some GREAT photos taken by Mike Kehr!

Agenda

6:00-6:55 PM Cocktails

6:55 PM Grand Entrance
"Theme from Pirates of the Caribbean Megamix" remixed by Dayne Mickelson

7:00 PM First Dance
"Fields Of Gold" by Sting

7:05 PM Toasts & Blessing

7:15-8:30 PM Dinner

7:45 PM Groom & Mother Dance
"Wind Beneath My Wings" by Bette Midler

7:50 PM Bride & Father Dance
"My Girl" by The Temptations

8:15 PM Cake Cutting
"This Will Be (An Everlasting Love)" by Natalie Cole

8:20 PM Flambe Presentation
"Battle Without Honor Or Humanity" by Tomoyasu Hotei

8:35 PM-11:00 PM Open Dancing

---

Kelly & Dayne's comments about their wedding entertainment: "We wouldn't have wanted to have any other entertainment for our big day. From the first time we met Steve we knew we were in good hands and had nothing to worry about since it was under control of such a professional perfectionist. Our reception required some complex AV & coordination, and Steve was prepared for it all. He came well before everyone else and setup, testing everything in advance. The reception was nice and his music was great! Everyone had a wonderful time. We highly recommended Steve for any event!"Permalink

"Evviva Gli Sposi"

Candace & Ralph
October 12, 2007
Hotel du Pont
Wilmington, DE
Web Site

The Hotel du Pont is luxury redefined. Located in the heart of historic downtown Wilmington, Delaware, this internationally renowned facility caters to the most sophisticated style and the demand for exceptional quality. If you expect the best, you can find it in the walls of the Hotel du Pont.

Candace and Ralph's wedding day was absolutely no exception.

Starting with a cocktail hour hosted in the Du Barry Ballroom, the always decadent presentation displayed by the staff of the Hotel du Pont was without flaw.

After cocktail hour ended, the guests adjourned to the Gold Ballroom, enjoying a choreographed first dance by the bride and groom. Their first dance was a rumba, a sensual Latin dance, known for its relatively slow rhythm and the hip movement.

During dinner, the guets were treated to the vocal stylings of Don Felice, an Italian crooner hailing from Molise, Italy. He was not only very entertaining, but was a true gentleman in every sense of the word.

After dinner, the lights dimmed and the chefs of Hotel du Pont wheeled out four golden carts to the center of the room to prepare a flambéd Baked Alaska.

I have seen numerous facilities attempt to properly prepare flambéd Cherries Jubilee, Bananas Foster, and Baked Alaska, but no one does it with the distinct flair and panache as Hotel du Pont. Just awesome...

Candace and Ralph's guests filled the floor from start to finish, dancing the night away and taking time here and there to congratulate the newlyweds.

Congratulations, Candace and Ralph!

Click here to see some photos from their event!

Agenda

7:00 PM-7:55 PM Cocktail Hour

8:00 PM Grand Entrance
Bridal Party: "Black Betty" by Ram Jam
Bride & Groom: "Do Your Thing" by Basement Jaxx

8:05 PM First Dance
"Sway" by Michael Bublé

8:10 PM Bride & Father Dance
"The Way You Look Tonight" by Frank Sinatra

8:15 PM Groom & Mother Dance
"My Wish" by Rascal Flatts

8:15 PM Prayer & Toasts

8:20 PM-9:45 PM Dinner

9:50 PM Flambé Presentation
"Battle Without Honor Or Humanity

9:55 PM Cake Cutting
"Happy Together" by The Turtles

10:00 PM-12:00 AM Open Dancing

---

Candace & Ralph's comments about their wedding entertainment:

"Thank you Steve for everything! You were wonderful! We could not have asked for more!!!!"

Permalink

A Dream Come True at the Hotel du Pont

Brooke & Jamer
May 12, 2007
The Hotel du Pont
Wilmington, DE
Web Site

The giant Gold Ballroom at the Hotel du Pont is truly spectacular, capable of hosting weddings with up to 400 guests! With a very high ceiling hung with enormous chandaliers, the sound quality in this colossal ballroom is something that requires a little special attention to acoustics and sound placement.

You'll see, by clicking one of the photos, that the best way to combat echo and a dull, hollow sound to the music is with surround sound.

Brooke and Jamer's ballroom was treated to four-corner, wireless sound that kept the volume of the music low, but kept the room saturated with music.

One of the most moving moments of the evening was when Jamer stepped forward, donned an acoustic Seagull guitar and sang "All I Want Is You" by U2 to his new bride.

If you're wondering about the plasma monitor on the stage, Jamer's brother Jeremy is in the Navy and thought he would be unable to return home from Iraq in time for the wedding, so he recorded his toast on a DVD.

The morning of the wedding, Jeremy strolled in and surprised everyone.

Brooke and Jamer's wedding day was very family-oriented with guests old and young filling the dance floor. I think I even saw the father of the bride dancing to "Sexyback"!

Click here to see some photos from their event!

Congratulations Brooke and Jamer!

Agenda

7:00-8:00 PM Cocktail Hour

8:15 PM Grand Introductions
"Soul Man" by The Blues Brothers

8:20 PM First Dance
"Maybe I'm Amazed" by Paul McCartney

8:25 PM Blessing & Toasts

8:30-10:00 PM Dinner

9:00 PM Bride & Father Dance
"Through The Years" by Kenny Rogers

9:05 PM Groom & Mother Dance
"You Raise Me Up" by Josh Groban

9:55-11:00 PM Open Dancing

Permalink

A Wilmington Wedding

Jennifer & Michael
April 27, 2007
Hotel du Pont
Wilmington, DE
Web Site

For almost a year now, Hotel du Pont has opened their luxurious Green Room to the public for the hosting of private events, giving guests an option to weigh against the lavish Gold Ballroom.

When guests began to arrive, they were first treated to a cocktail hour in the lounge with a pianist providing the music.

Jennifer and Michael's gourmet dinner was not only prepared by the widely-respected epicureans of the Hotel du Pont, but was also served on genuine Versace china.

The delivery of a Hotel du Pont dinner is radically distinctive and without equal. The chefs carry the main course out on silver platters and present them to the guests before bringing them to carving stations in the center of the room. Topped off with a flambéd dessert and complete demitasse table, the experience is not only delicious, but visually tantalizing as well.

As a favor, every guest was presented with light and dark chocolate covered langues de chat cookies, with the bride and groom names and wedding date engraved in the surface.

Click here to see some photos from the wedding!

Congratulations Jennifer and Michael!

Agenda

7:00-8:00 Cocktail Hour

8:15 Grand Introductions
"Battle Without Honor Or Humanity" by Tomoyasu Hotei

8:20 First Dance
"More Than Love" by Los Lonely Boys

8:25 Blessing & Toasts

8:30-10:00 Dinner

9:15 Bride & Father Dance
"There You'll Be" by Faith Hill

9:20 Groom & Mother Dance
"When You Come Back Down" by Nickel Creek

10:00-12:00 Open Dancing

Permalink