Nearly a decade into the wedding DJ business... and I'm still discovering new venues across the region! Christina and Philipp's wedding reception took me down through Cortland and west to Groton, home of The Benn Conger Inn. And what an awesome crowd! The party went strong from 4:30 to midnight and lots of people stuck around for the afterparty. Check out this blog post for details, photos and song ideas!
The reception took place under a large party tent behind the inn. The weather was perfect -- sunny and warm, but not too hot or humid. And even after sunset, it didn't get too chilly, either.
Christina grew up locally, while Philipp calls Germany home. Prior to dinner, the couple offered a welcome message -- with Phillip reading it in English, and Christina offering the German translation for many guests who made the transatlantic flight to partake in the festivities. The couple's advance request list also included a handful of German songs which played very well on the dance floor for everyone.
I have to admit, when I first was told "4:30 to midnight," I was a teeny bit nervous! With most receptions topping out at 5 or 6 hours, I was worried that it could be a challenge to keep the dance floor going strong all night, especially after 10:30 or 11. But this was probably one of the most rousing, enduring crowds of the year -- upbeat, excited, full of energy... definitely a party crowd!
Christina and Philipp's Key Song Selections
- First Dance: Blue Swede / Hooked on a Feeling
- Father / Bride Dance: Led Zeppelin / Thank You
- Cake Cutting: Archies / Sugar, Sugar
- Last Dance of the Night: Semisonic / Closing Time
In addition to these key moments and the aforementioned German hits, the newlyweds' advance request also paved the way for 6-minutes of full-dance-floor-singalong-greatness to Queen's Bohemian Rhapsody. A perfect example of a song that probably wouldn't work at every wedding reception, but Christina and Philipp knew their crowd and slammed a home run right out of the park by including this on their list.
Photo Album Highlights
Here are just some of my photos from the night... scroll down for a link to the entire album on my Facebook Page!
Click any photo to see larger version
Here's the 5-star review Christina posted on WeddingWire:
My thanks again to Christina and Philipp for choosing me as your wedding DJ! I also want to thank Christina for being one of my best Instagram followers, I've noticed her liking a lot of my posts for other people's weddings ever since she booked me last July, and she has continued to like posts even after her wedding! It was an honor and a pleasure to help you put together a great reception, and I wish you both all the best!