Lighting Up The Brandywine Valley

Stefanie & James
August 28, 2009
Mendenhall Inn
Chadds Ford, PA
Web Site

There are very few ballrooms in this area that you could truly consider as "palatial". The Grand Ballroom at Mendenhall Inn is one of those rooms that has a distinct "WOW" factor. When your friends and family walk into this gigantic ballroom, with it's distinct architecture and very courteous and efficient staff, even the "hardest to impress people" can't help but stand in awe for a moment.

I had the opportunity to work alongside two of the most talented photographers around: Pete Malone and Jennifer Childress, two of the six founding members of the Philadelphia Wedding Project.

Stefanie and James' wedding was "off the hook"! I cannot believe how quickly people sprinted to the dance floor to get the party rocking! Want to see what the dance floor looked like all night? Check this out.

Because I am having an OVERWHELMING August and September, the blog posts are falling behind, I know... COMING SOON: Sara and Mark's wedding at La Massaria at Bella Vista Golf Course.

Congratulations, Stefanie & James!



Click here to see some photos from their reception!

Agenda

5:30-6:00 PM Ceremony

6:00-6:55 PM Cocktail Hour

6:55 PM Grand Entrance
Bridal Party: "I Gotta Feeling" by Black Eyed Peas
Bride and Groom: "It Takes Two" by Rob Base & DJ EZ-Rock

7:00 PM First Dance
"Lost In This Moment" by Big & Rich

7:05 PM Blessing & Toasts

7:10 PM-8:20 PM Dinner

7:35 PM Bride & Father Dance
"My Wish" by Rascal Flatts

7:40 PM Groom & Mother Dance
"A Song For My Son" by Mikki Viereck

8:20 PM Cake Cutting
"(How Sweet It Is) To Be Loved By You" by Michael Buble

8:25 PM-10:55 PM Open Dancing

10:55 PM Final song of the night

Delaware County DJs - Steve CrocePermalink

A Beautiful Evening In A Palatial Ballroom

Caitlin & John
April 18, 2008
Mendenhall Inn
Chadds Ford, PA
Web Site

You might think that with the number of times I have provided wedding entertainment direction in the Mendenhall Inn's Grand Ballroom that it would have "lost the magic" by now. To be completely honest, it really has not.

The staff at the Mendenhall Inn continues to evolve and deliver exactly the kind of wedding reception that a bride and groom deserve. Rigo and his staff continuously keep a close watch on every nuance of the evening, making it very important to stay in constant communication with the other professionals in the room to make certain the night goes off without a hitch.

Caitlin and John's event was yet another entry in a long list of successes they have had.

After a nice hour of cocktails and conversation in the well-manicured Garden Terrace, Caitlin and John shard their dance in the center of a gigantic dance floor, surrounded by onlooking friends and family.

In case you are wondering what that photo is on the left, that would be a completely exhausted ring bearer, sleeping on his Grandpa's lap. He stayed up until nearly 10 minutes before the last song before he totally ran out of steam and collapsed in his Grandpa's arms. I grabbed a quick photo because it really showed how everyone, both young and old had a great time.

It was one of those nights where I didn't have to do much cajoling to encourage people to dance. The guests must have been eagerly anticipating the opening of the dance floor, since it only took one song before the whole room excitedly made their way to the dance floor and stayed there all night! They even extended the party for an additional hour to make sure they heard all their favorite music!

Congratulations, Caitlin & John!

Click here to see some photos from their event!

Agenda

6:00 PM-6:55 PM Cocktail Hour

7:00 PM Grand Entrance
"Clocks" by Coldplay

7:05 PM First Dance
"Someone Like You" by Van Morrison

7:10 PM-8:15 PM Dinner

7:10 PM Blessing & Toast

7:35 PM Bride & Father Dance
"The Way You Look Tonight" performed by Steve Tyrell

7:50 PM Groom & Mother Dance
"In My Life" by The Beatles

8:15 PM Cake Cutting
"Cut The Cake" by Average White Band

8:20 PM-12:00 AM Open Dancing

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Caitlin & John's comments about their wedding entertainment: "Steve was a wonderful addition to our wedding! He was very helpful in the planning process and available to answer any questions and make suggestions on music. The reception went off without a hitch, thanks to his help. Our guests had a blast! Both young and old guests enjoyed the music selection, and nobody wanted to leave the dance floor - even after we extended the reception an extra hour. That's the sign of a good party and a great DJ! "Permalink

Joining Hands And Hearts In Chadds Ford

Susan & Jeffrey
March 15, 2008
Mendenhall Inn
Chadds Ford, PA
Web Site

What an incredibly nice couple. It's not often that I encounter a bride and groom who not only enjoy their own event, but also take a moment to come visit me at some time in the evening to ask if they can get me anything.

Susan and Jeffrey began their event by exchanging their vows in the Garden Terrace. Surrounded by their family and friends, they pledged their lives to one another, then shared their first kiss as husband and wife.

After sharing their first dance and enjoying a blessing and one of the better best man speeches I have personally heard in awhile, dinner began.

At every event, I take a moment to visit each table (as dinner begins) to introduce myself, encourage guests to make requests, and ask them to let me know if the volume gets too loud or isn't quite loud enough.

About halfway through my tour of the ballroom, I happened to run into the mother of a bride whose wedding I will be entertaining in June!

For the final song of the evening, we played Susan and Jeffrey's first dance song. It really brought the evening to a great close.

Again, I have to say that Susan and Jeffrey were two of the most genuine and accommodating clients I have ever met. It was truly a complete pleasure to be a part of their special day!

Congratulations, Susan & Jeffrey!

Click here to see some photos from their event!

Agenda

6:30 PM-6:55 PM Ceremony

7:00-7:55 PM Cocktail Hour

8:00 PM Grand Entrance
"Battle Without Honor Or Humanity" by Tomoyasu Hotei

8:05 PM First Dance
"When The Stars Go Blue" by Ryan Adams

8:10 PM Blessing & Toast

8:15 PM-8:55 PM Dinner

9:00 PM Cake Cutting
"How Sweet It Is" by Michael Buble

9:05 PM Groom & Mother Dance
"What A Wonderful World" by Louis Armstrong

9:10 PM-12:00 AM Open Dancing

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Susan & Jeffrey's comments about their wedding entertainment: "Having Steve as entertainment director for our wedding was such a pleasure. He made the whole experience extremely easy for us. Steve was the consummate professional and was always accommodating. We would definitely recommend him to everyone. It just really made us feel at ease having Steve there taking care of things for us."Permalink

Celebrating In Colonial Chadds Ford

Valerie & Scott
October 7, 2007
Mendenhall Inn
Chadds Ford, PA
Web Site

If you've never been in the Grand Ballroom at The Mendenhall Inn, the moment you enter the room can be a little overwhelming. Stepping into the vast, multi-leveled ballroom is like stepping back in time to spend an evening with Colonial aristocracy. In other words, it's like having dinner in General Washington's mansion.

Valerie and Scott began their day with a ceremony in the Garden Terrace. A string duo provided their music as they walked down the aisle.

After the ceremony, cocktail began in the Garden Terrace, while the classical music continued to play.

Upon entering the room, the guests found their seats and enjoyed watching Valerie and Scott share in their first dance as husband and wife. Immediately after their first dance, the floor was flooded with friends and family alike, as they danced to The Hora!

Valerie and Scott were hoisted high into the air and carried around the floor throughout the song. I can't be certain, but I think Scott may have gotten a little "out-of-the-chair-air-time" from being bounced up and down.

While the ha-motzi was performed over the challah, I learned that any woman who would eat the "end-cuts" of the bread would bear a son. I never knew that... :)

I really enjoyed working with Valerie and Scott, not just because they were so fun-loving, but their friends and family were great! They all had REALLY GOOD song requests and wanted to dance as much as possible.

For a Sunday afternoon, they were pretty awesome!

Congratulations, Valerie and Scott!

Click here to see some photos from their event!

UPDATE: I just received an email from Valerie. It seems that eating an "end cut" didn't work... They are expecting a BABY GIRL in August!

Agenda

2:00 PM-2:25 PM Ceremony

2:30 PM-3:25 PM Cocktail Hour

3:30 PM Grand Entrance
Bridal Party: "Sexyback" by Justin Timberlake
Bride & Groom: "The Office Theme" by The Scrantones

3:35 PM First Dance
"It's Your Love" by Tim McGraw & Faith Hill

3:40 PM Ha-motzi & Toasts

3:45 PM-4:55 PM Dinner

5:00 PM Cake Cutting
"It Had To Be You" by Harry Connick, Jr.

5:05 PM Bride & Father Dance
"I Hope You Dance" by Lee Ann Womack

5:10 PM Groom & Mother Dance
"I Am Your Child" by Barry Manilow

5:15 PM-7:30 PM Open Dancing

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Valerie & Scott's comments about their wedding entertainment:

"Scott and I just wanted to say thank you for everything! Our wedding day was perfect and to have you as our "wedding entertainment director" made everything so much better! We are so thankful that you were around when we signed the Ketubah - having forgotten that we should have the photographer around for that! When you get a chance can you send me those pictures? Being a Sunday afternoon wedding, I have to admit that I was a little nervous that people wouldn't dance. BOY was I wrong - I think the dance floor was packed the entire time! Everyone enjoyed themselves and I had many people tell me how awesome you were. Thanks again for everything and being a part of our Wedding Day! Oh, one last thing - on your website about us you wrote about the ha-motzi over the challah... It should be the end cuts...not the in cuts. I'll let you know if its true... Again thank you for everything!"

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Swoop!

Laura & Adam
May 25, 2007
The Inn at Mendenhall
Chadds Ford, PA
Web Site

Laura and Adam started their day by hosting their ceremony in the Garden Terrace in the Grand Ballroom, a giant room with an equally giant dance floor.

After the ceremony finished and the bridal party had photos taken by the water outside, a black van pulled up and out jumped the Philadelphia Eagles' very own official mascot, Swoop!

Entering the cocktail area with "Fly Eagles Fly" booming from the speakers, Swoop made his way from one end of the room to the other, giving high-fives as he went.

Laura and Adam's friends and family were a lot of fun. They really enjoyed and appreciated all the special touches that went into make the bride and groom's day complete.

When dinner finished, the dance floor filled with the guests partying until 1:00 AM!

Click here to see some photos from their event!

Congratulations Laura and Adam!

Agenda

7:00-8:00 PM Cocktail Hour

8:05 PM Grand Introductions
"Battle Without Honor Or Humanity" by Tomoyasu Hotei

8:10 PM First Dance
"At Last" by Etta James

8:15 PM Blessing & Toasts

8:30-9:30 PM Dinner

9:35 PM Bride & Father Dance
"What A Wonderful World" by Louis Armstrong

9:40 PM Groom & Mother Dance
"Never Alone" by Jim Brickman

9:30-1:00 AM Open Dancing

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A Historic Chadds Ford Reception

Kristy & Frank
May 5, 2007
The Inn at Mendenhall
Chadds Ford, PA
Web Site

Situated in the heart of the Brandywine Valley, Kristy and Frank's celebration was hosted at the quietly elegant Inn at Mendenhall.

Surrounded by historical Revolutionary War battlegrounds, Kristy and Frank's venue takes great care in presenting a comfortable atmosphere with a very accommodating staff.

The mostly younger crowd of guests kept the dance floor packed all night with songs that varied from Stevie Wonder's "I Wish" to Bell Biv Devoe's "Poison".

By the time dinner arrived, I discovered there were two couples in the crowd of guests whose weddings I had provided entertainment for in the past and two MORE couples whose weddings I would be performing at later this year!

It was very cool to learn that one of my previous clients now had a two month old baby girl and another had a son on the way!

That's what makes this job so special... Making those personal connections and knowing I affect people's lives in a positive way is not only validating, but it gives me incentive to be a part of so many more future events...

Congratulations Kristy and Frank!

Agenda

6:00-7:00 PM Cocktail Hour

7:15 PM Grand Introductions
"Get This Party Started" by P!nk

7:20 PM First Dance
"The Blower's Daughter" by Damien Rice

7:25 PM Blessing & Toasts

7:30-9:00 PM Dinner

9:00 PM Bride & Father Dance
"(You'll Alwyas Be) My Little Girl" by Steve Kirwan

9:05 PM Bride & Stepfather Dance
"When I Needed You Most" by Kimaya Seward

9:10 PM Groom & Mother Dance
"My Boy" by Neil Young

9:15 PM Bridal Party Dance
"My Friends" by Red Hot Chili Peppers

9:20-11:00 PM Open Dancing

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