They had a picture-perfect October evening, allowing all of the guests to enjoy cocktails outside on the patio overlooking the Hudson River.

One of the highlights of the evening was their candlelit, first dance as husband and wife. During the Grand Entrance, the staff from the Charthouse lit individual candles for each guest.

By the time I introduced Mr. & Mrs. Jeff and Jeanne Albanese, the ballroom lights came down, our spotlight focused on the center of the dancefloor and all of the guests stood in a romantic tribute.

They chose You and Me by Kenny Chesney for their wedding song. That moment looked like something you’d see in a movie.

Another highlight was seeing 200 people dancing and singing along to our remix of Don’t Stop Believin by Journey. You gotta love The Sopranos for bringing back a classic to mainstream pop culture.

Fun- Jill and Adam brought in the 10-piece band, Encore, to collaborate with us.  This took the entertainment value of the dance sets to the next level.  Encore pumped up the crowd with their interactive Motown, disco and 80′s medleys while we focused on providing the Master of Ceremonies services, playing the original version of the wedding song and parents’ dances, directing the on-site, event coordination with the staff of the Atrium and designing the lighting to enhance the evening’s ambiance.  Thanks to the professionalism of Tony, the band leader, and Maryann,  Shawn and Siroos from the Atrium, the evening’s flow was seamless.

Unique- Many brides have danced with their brothers before, but Jill had the  brilliant idea of dedicating a song and dancing with not only her brothers, John & Scott, but her two new brothers-in-law,  Jason and Steven, as well.   She asked me to make a custom mix of four songs, one minute for each brother that represented their personality and relationship.  Jill chose Coldplay’s Brothers and Sisters, Josh Groban’s You Raise Me Up, Randy Newman’s You Got A Friend In Me, and Frank Sinatra’s Come Fly With Me.   It was  a very sweet moment that showed Jill’s thoughtfulness and originality.

Memorable- Just when you thought that grooms don’t show any heart or give people the warm fuzzies anymore, Adam delivered in fine fashion.  After the cake cutting, Adam asked for the mic and offered up a poignant toast to Jill.  Without getting too sappy, he let everyone know that there was no other place he’d rather be in the world than right there in the moment with his beautiful wife. As planned, we played I Believe In You and Me by the Four Tops for Jill and Adam right after… Contrary to popular belief, romance is still alive and well.

Another nice touch was provided by Linda Stark, of Stark Studios in Wayne, who shared her magnificent photos for this blog entry.  Linda set up her laptop outside the ballroom to display some her favorite shots of the wedding day leading up to the reception.   Throughout the reception, collective ooh’s and awe’s could be heard from the little nook where the photos were being displayed. According to the mother-of-the-bride, Angela, “Linda was a pleasure to work with and didn’t miss a significant moment.“ 

When choosing your professional vendors, it’s really important that you have a personality match with them.   This is crucial for reducing your stress level and increasing your peace of mind on a day which you only get one shot at. Especially with your photographer who you spend the most time with the day of and after the event.

The evening wrapped up with an impressive Viennese  display for dessert which took place outside on the Atrium’s terrace and Encore’s  final dance set when guests re-entered the ballroom.   As the band had the whole room jamming to We Are Family, we recognized the Rubinetti’s and Hodge’s one more time  and ended with the crowd cheering for the newlyweds.  

If the hug that I got seconds later from Mrs. Rubinetti was any indication, a beautiful day was had by all.

Married 80 Years! Percy and Florence Arrowsmith

***Associated Press Writer, Jaime Holguin, shared this story with the world a few years back.  My friend, and MMP contributing blogger, Kelly O’Neil, brought his article to my attention yesterday.  I thought my future bride & grooms and returning couples would appreciate the advice.   ~m

Percy Arrowsmith, 105, and his 100-year-old wife were married on June 1, 1925. They met at their church in Hereford in western England, where he sang in the choir and she was a Sunday school teacher.

Queen Elizabeth II sent her congratulations to the Arrowsmiths, who celebrated their anniversary at home with coffee and snacks and with family and friends.

“What a splendid achievement. I send you my warm congratulations and best wishes for your 80th wedding anniversary,” the Queen’s card said.

The Arrowsmiths, who have three children, six grandchildren and nine great grandchildren, claim the key to their long marriage is not to go to sleep on an argument. They say they always kiss each other and hold hands each night before going to bed.

“He can’t settle down if I’m not holding his hand,” Florence Arrowsmith was quoted as saying last month.

The couple’s daughter Jane Woolley said her parents were both “very perky.”

“She says she can’t dance any longer but it feels good to have been married for 80 years,” Woolley said. “She says she can still have a drink.”

Guinness World Records said the pair held records for the longest marriage for a living couple and the oldest aggregate age of a married couple.

***In case you need a refresher course on the fine art of kissing, watch this clip..  I bet Percy and Flo had most of these Dvd’s in their collection. ~m

p.s  I know people will be asking for the song that was used in the montage…  It’s a great track by Ronan Keating, When You Say Nothing At All.

What Ron and the staff of the Farrington did have was the perfect back-up plan, a ballroom adorned with floor to ceiling windows providing a gorgeous view of the scenery.  Ron orchestrated a smooth ceremony to cocktails to reception transition utilizing the vast interior locations of his venue.  All of the guests stayed dry, comfortable and enjoyed the entire celebration as if it was sunny and 80 degrees. Wherever you decide to book your wedding reception, it’s a good idea to inquire about your venue’s plan b.

Perhaps it was because he knew it meant good luck if it rains on your wedding day, but Derek was one of the calmest grooms I’d ever seen… or maybe it was because he knew he found his soulmate in Sara and that the absence of sunshine could never take that away. I did his brother Craig’s wedding five years ago and he was the same way with his wife, Jenny.  Calm, cool and collected.  After catching up with their parents, Paula and Bill,  during the reception, I remembered where they get it from.

Sara and Derek are good friends with Keith Kenny, an uber-talented song writer and musician who just won Asbury Park’s Male Acoustical Act of the Year Award. Keith did a set after dinner that included a mix of Classic Rock and Blues covers with a few originals sprinkled in.  The guests, especially Derek and Sara, loved it.  From his first guitar riffs of Stevie Ray Vaughn’s, Pride & Joy, I knew Keith was going to take this wedding to the next level.

On a personal note, whoever  said that “the  pen is mightier than the sword” wasn’t kidding.  The officient’s pen ran out of ink after the ceremony when they were about to sign the marriage documents so he came to me and asked if he could borrow mine.  I knew what his intentions were so I was embarrassed that my good pen, the one I use for appointments and signing contracts,  was at home.  All I had was an old school black and white Bic to offer him.  He laughed and said “that’ll do just fine.” So now this pen has been carefully placed in my “career memoirs” storage unit for safe keeping.  Who knew that this unassuming pen would someday be used to officially seal the deal for two very special people… pretty cool, huh?   I love my job.

It was only a year ago that Marco’s brother Gerry had his Communion at the Venetian, an event that was called a “Grand Slam” by all that attended.  Their parents, Gerlando and Nellie Siracusa, had a tough act to follow.  How do you create another unforgettable experience at the same venue for your other son?

Simple.  First, you start with a budget that would impress George Steinbrenner... then, the Venetian has the grand opening of their jaw-dropping new ballroom just in time for your reception, you add in special guest performances by DJ of the Year 2007, Sean “Big Daddy” Mckee, and professional percussionist, Howie Bongo, you set up Dance Heads, Rock Band Extreme, the Interactive Game Show, Wii Sports and a Yankee- themed Pitch Speed Cage, you make arrangements for a huge candy cart to roll out after the flaming dessert presentation, and you call us back to produce the event again. Like a 6-4-3 double play with Jeter at short stop, the team effort made it look easy.

The highlights included Marco, Gerry, Uncle Joe and the Godfather, Joey D. doing a percussive jam session on the drums, Marco & Gerry performing a family favorite, the Burger Dance, and the custom photo montage that Gerlando put together. Setting up the projection screen in addition to the plasmas and utilizing the dance platforms as chairs for the kids made for an enjoyable theater-like experience.

Marco’ s family is a lot like mine and many others who we have the honor to celebrate with,  they could have a great time with an old boom-box in the living room. However, when you combine an awesome crowd, with a first-class venue and exceptional entertainment, it’s like getting the call to move up from a t-ball  league to the majors.

Special thanks to Jeff & Jason for their collaborative-interactive efforts and as always to Dave, Jimmy, Adriatik and Carlos from the Veneitian for their hospitality and professionalism.

Encore Gallery:

Table For Two

The New Jersey North Chapter of the International Special Events Society held their 6th annual Tabletop Design Competition last night at the Olde Mill Inn, in Basking Ridge.  Members, judges and guests strolled through the Inn which was filled with dazzling table scenes and delicious hors d’oeuvres.

Some of the tabletop highlights included a gorgeous Tuscany setting from Amarayllis, a romantic table for two from Details of I Do, an opulent-chic design from C. Brower & Co., a groovy blast-from-the-past courtesy of  Conroy’s & Something Different, and a spring masterpiece by Touch of Elegance that was a sister-creation to their “M” table from the Meadow Wood Manor’s open house last month.

Tuscany Bistro

A few of the cuisine notables that had people talking were the scallops with bacon from Main Street, the organic prosciutto-chicken and spinach pizza from Bolu,  and the mango with custard-creme yellow cake from Roxanna’s.

A personal highlight was pretending to be James Bond in Goldfinger with Michelle D’Anna from Signature Events who I worked with a few weeks back at the Fiddler’s Elbow Country Club.  She brought in the stand-out furniture pieces of the night.  Everyone who passed by stopped and posed for a glam-photo shoot.  Some people thought I was part of the presentation because I happened to wear a gold-colored Zegna and pocket square.

Asian Elegance

Kudos to everyone that participated and congratulations to all of the winners. The following is a partial list of awards presented.

The Apprentice- Kristin Rockhill and Erin Poles, The Rising Star- Christine Brower & Eileen Daniels, The Connoisseur- Erik Olsson and Mitchell Kolby, Creativity & The People’s Choice- Michael & Lisa Plociniak, & Bang For Your Buck- Conroy’s & Something Different.

Special thanks to my good friend Marien Barker, Social Sales Manager at the Olde Mill Inn, for her hospitality and a guided tour of the festivities.

Encore Gallery: (Click on thumbnail to enlarge photo)

Mitchell Kolby and Erik Olsson from Amaryllis Decorators

Michelle D'anna from Signature Events

Dan Cordasco, (middle) & the Touch of Elegance team

Catherine Conroy, Conroy's Florist & Patricia Tumminello, Something Different

Christine Brower from C. Brower and Co. with Eileen Daniels

Dennis Telischak (middle) with his wife Diana (left) and Maryann Santucci

John Bocina representing Trattoria Bolu

Teri Lands and Joy Allen from Main Street

Roxana Trujillo from Roxana's Cakes

Since I provided the entertainment for Kelly’s father’s 50th birthday party 15 years ago in Oakland, New Jersey, the Harper family was very special to me.

Kelly and Andy met online at E-Harmony. This must be one of the better match-making sites because this is the 4th client of mine this year who signed up and was able to meet their soul mate.

The highlight of the night came after the cake cutting. The families wanted to celebrate the fact that Andy was a cancer survivor and somehow incorporate the symbolic Live Strong bracelets.

During the final consultation at their home, I found out that Andy was a big Bon Jovi fan, so we invited all of the guests onto the dancefloor after the cake to put on a bracelet and take a group photo. We immediately cranked up Livin’ On A Prayer and watched the room erupt as the guests pumped their fists and sang along for a memorable tribute.

It was one of those moments that I had to pinch myself and be grateful once again that I’ve got one of the best jobs in the world.

The mix of high glass ceilings, natural moonlight shining through and a plethora of holiday red poinsettias that were delivered earlier that day made for a dramatic ambiance.

We worked with our good friend, Dave, from Visionmasters Photography. He snapped this paparazzi shot as I was coming down the hotel hallway to make the Grand Entrance announcements.

The highlight of the night was the Anniversary Dance. After playing At Last by Etta James, we found out that Lacie’s aunt and uncle were the longest married couple on the guest list (almost 50 years). When I asked her uncle if he had any advice for Joe on what it takes to have a long-lasting marriage he said, “Just remember, she’s always right!” The women cheered and the men just nodded their heads in agreement. It was classic.

As the first guests arrived into the grand foyer and family photos were being taken, our piano player (Mitch) helped create a classy ambiance as champagne and strawberries were being served.

After the cocktail hour, the ballroom doors opened and the guests went right to the dance floor. Our saxophone player (Franco) and percussionist (Rueben) played along to an up-beat set of Michael Buble and classic Motown music. That set the tone for a fun, elegant and memorable evening.

The highlight of the night was seeing Matt’s brother and friends lift him up for some crowd-surfing when we cranked up Bon Jovi’s Living On A Prayer from their request list.

Special thanks to Tom, the Catering Manager. Just like when he worked at The Rockleigh Country Club, he was a total professional when it came to creating a smooth timeline for the cuisine and planning for all of the event logistics.

Encore Gallery:

We had the pleasure of working with The Flying Mueller Brothers, who are known for adding an Island flavor and infectious drumbeats to a packed dance floor.

Jay & Mark from Seasons ran a tight show as always just like Dave, Jimmy and Carlos do at their sister property, The Venetian.

The highlight of the evening was Emely and Steven’s choreographed first dance. It was a custom mix of a Keith Urban’s  Memories Of Us and a spicy merengue that had all of the guests cheering when they finished.

Dave Kotinsky, one of the best photographers in the business, shared some of his professional photos for this entry.

Encore Gallery: