7/18/10 wedding in Cape May

First off, I would like to give a shout out to Susan Salmon, mandolin (www.myspace.com/susansalmon) and Kahlil Gunther, piano (www.gunthermusic.com), without whom I could not have pulled off such an amazing musical event. This is the blog post I've promised you for so long!

Our bride, Laura, chose the Peter Shields Inn in Cape May. First of all, sometimes Kahlil plays there for the dinner hour (and his music is on their website), so please contact them: www.petershieldsinn.com. I digress, though.

Laura was the most fun bride in the WORLD. Because the Peter Shields has a 1920s vibe, she asked for a 1920s jazz cocktail hour. Also, since the front porch has a gorgeous balcony over some steps, Susan and I played the ceremony on the balcony and she got married on the steps! It was stunning. She selected "Is This Love" and "In My Life" for processional music, and "Once in a Lifetime" by the Talking Heads for the recessional. Way too much fun. Beforehand, she came to the screen door behind us to chat and requested "Freebird". We laughed and played it for her. I was worried a little about what the guests would think (runaway bride), but they LOVED it! What a fun bride.

The 1920s music is not in most musicians' repertoire. It took me 20-30 hours to organize 4 hours' worth of this music. Kahlil joined us at the piano inside and we rolled through songs like the Charleston, Sheik of Araby, 5 foot 2, and Blue Skies. It was some of the most fun I've ever had on a gig, and it was rollicking and sweet music. Thank you, Laura! As a side benefit, I have all this 1920s jazz music compiled now, which not many people outside of a Dixieland band would have ready to go. Fun and productive, just the way I like it! If you really love what you do, you will put extra time and love into it. I wish Laura all the best and am so grateful she hired us!

September 11 wedding in Cape May

I wanted to share this wedding with you for several reasons. First of all, I'm proud of Melissa for getting married on September 11 and bringing new joy to the day for everyone. Secondly, she had the wedding at the Peter Shields Inn, which is the most gorgeous Great Gatsby place EVER. Third, she gave the guests a gift they will NEVER forget!

Picture this: you walk on the beach in your formal clothes. Peter Shields has some drinks chilled on ice for you (nice touch, by the way, Peter Shields)! Your vioinist is playing Vivaldi, Mozart, Beethoven, and Bach. The whole ceremony is classical: Pachelbel Canon, Wedding March, Ave Maria.

Then, BOOM! Tailored to the musical loves of the guests, the violin starts the bridesmaids' favorite MICHAEL JACKSON MEDLEY (Thriller, PYT, Beat It, Dirty Diana, and Wanna Be Starting Something). The father of the groom loves Jethro Tull, so Aqualung is next. Then you've got Kiss "Rock and Roll All Night," AC/DC "You Shook Me All Night Long," Taylor Swift "Love Story," Bryan Adams "Everything I Do, I Do For You," Van Morrison's "Moondance," Lady Gaga "Bad Romance," Bon Jovi's "Living on a Prayer," finishing off with "Devil Went Down to Georgia"!

I walked down to the water's edge with the wedding party for the pictures. The love in my heart for the day is that everyone had a special song. EVERYONE was smiling and felt the bride really loved them and had thought of them.

If you are on a serious budget and cannot afford a DJ (you know, the ipod is a reasonable alternative), you can toss your fearless violinist a small extra fee and let the good times roll!

Love to you all,
Catherine