Wedding #2 for the 2021 wedding season is in the books! I'm so glad Katie and Brett finally had their chance to say the vows and celebrate the next big chapter in their lives, even if world events delayed the plans by nearly a year. But the wait was well worth it, as guests enjoyed partying the night away at Traditions at the Links in East Syracuse.
Katie and Brett faced plenty of curveballs as they prepared for their big day. First, the pandemic forced them to postpone their wedding by nearly a year. Second, the weather on their new wedding day wouldn't cooperate enough to allow for the ceremony to take place on the beautiful pergola overlooking the lush greenery of The Links at Erie Village.
Thankfully, the rain did stop long enough for Ty from LoveWell Photography to get formal photos of the wedding party on the pergola prior to the ceremony. And the Traditions staff were able to quickly enact their backup plan, rearranging part of the spacious ballroom to set-up chapel-style seating for an indoor ceremony.
I was taking a few shots of my own during a free moment here and there -- first, a sampling of shots from earlier in the evening - the uplights that graced both the ceremony site and the sweetheart table, as well as some decor, for anyone seeking inspiration. Katie and Brett chose blue and white for their uplighting colors.
Katie and Brett's Key Song Choices
Ceremony
- Processional: James Vincent Morrow / Higher Love
- Grand Entrance: Rachel Pierce / A Thousand Years (piano/string cover of the Christina Perri song)
- Recessional: Hall & Oates / You Make My Dreams Come True
Reception
- Wedding party intros: Whitney Houston & Kygo / Higher Love
- First Dance: Tyler Ward & Lisa Comorelli / Africa (acoustic)
- Father / Bride Dance: Louis Armstrong / What a Wonderful World
- Groom / Mother Dance: Ben E. King / Stand By Me
- Last Dance of the Night: Eddie Money / Take Me Home Tonight
From a DJ's "technical" standpoint, I need to say I really like the changes since my last wedding at Traditions at the Links. Cocktail hour used to be held in an entirely separate space at the other end of the building from the ballroom; that is no longer the case. It's now hosted in the "9th Green Room," which adjoins the main ballroom. This makes "crowd control" much easier -- when it's time to have guests take their seats for the wedding party intros, they're already in the ballroom. We no longer need to wait for guests to migrate from one space to another.
I've always loved the ballroom's size and layout -- you'd think the vaulted ceilings and large dance floor would make the crowds seem smaller, but the space always invites more people to get down and boogie. And I love how the uplighting looks in this ballroom. Katie and Brett's choice of alternating blue and white uplights looked sharp!
One last quick thing I like about Traditions at the Links: they require DJs to provide proof of current business liability insurance coverage before they're allowed on the property. Not a problem for me! I'm fully-insured and pleased to share proof of coverage upon request. Frankly, I wish more venues would do this -- if you found this post because you're planning a wedding, be sure to check out why you should never hire an uninsured DJ.
Photo Album Highlights
Check out the limbo line, the uplighting, the "basketball court" memory board, and... the ice cream truck that stopped and offered sweet treats throughout most of the reception! As always, this is just a sampling -- there's even more photos on my Facebook page! Scroll down for a direct link to the album.
Click any photo to see larger version
My thanks to Katie and Brett for choosing me to be your MC and DJ... it was a blast! Such a fun crowd, and I would hope everyone agreed the long wait was well worth it. It's been so nice to finally resume having large gatherings and to be able to see the smiles on everyone's faces. All the best to Katie and Brett for a long and happy marriage.
