Wedding Songs

OK - it's 1:40AM and I'm supposed to be finishing up a paper due today. I'm taking a 'break' :)
I'm also listening to a Michel Buble CD and got to thinking that some of you might find a list of wedding songs I've heard to be useful. Here is the start (check back for updates):

Introductions
Let's Get this Party Started, Pink
Crazy in Love, Beyonce (for bride and groom)
The Best is Yet to Come, Sinatra
Let's Get it Started in Here, Black Eye Peas
Another One Bites the Dust, Queen (for bride and groom)
Can't Get Enough of Your Love Baby, Barry white
This Will Be,

First Dance
Sway, Michael Buble (a great cha-cha)
The Way you Look Tonight, Michael Buble (a Rumba or Fox Trot)
Bless the Broken Road, Rascal Flatts (slow - not a big country music fan but this song I like)
Someone to Watch Over Me, Sting (slow - one of my all time favorites)
Come Away with Me, Norah Jones
Just the Way You Are, Billy Joel
You Mean the World to Me, Toni Braxton
When Somebody Loves You, Frank Sinatra
By Your Side, Sade
At Last, Etta James or Celine Dion
Me & You, Kenny Chesney
All We Ever Find, Tim McGraw
You and Me, Lighthouse
Stay with You, John Legend
The Best is Yet to Come, Sinatra
Unforgettable
So Happy Together, Turtles

Parents Dance
Fernando, ABBA (no joke - it was a song the bride and her Dad used to sing along to during family road trips. All the guests, and your truly, sang along as they danced. It was awesome!)
You Raise Me Up, Josh Groban (This is the new "Wind Beneath my Wings")
Buttefly Kisses, Bob Carlisle
Wind Beneath my Wings, Bette Midler
Unforgettable, Natalie and Nat King Cole
Sunrise, Sunset, Soundtrack to Fiddler on the Roof
Can't Smile without You, Barry Manilow
Daddy's Little Girl, Al Martino
What a Wonderful World, Louis Armstrong
I Love Her First, Heartland
A Song for Mama, BoyzIIMen
You Are the Sunshine of My Life,

Cake Cutting Song
It's Your Love, Faith Hill & Tim McGraw
LOVE, Nat King Cole
How Sweet it Is, James Taylor
This Magic Moment

Bouquet Toss
Let's Get Ready to Rumble
Girls Just Want to Have Fun, Cyndi Lauper

Getting the Garter
You can Leave Your Hat On, Joe Cocker

Garter Toss
Who Let the Dogs Out, Baha Men
You Sexy Thing
Sugar Pie Honey Bunch

Bouquet & Garter Winners
Let's Get it On, Marvin Gaye

Anniversary
It Had to Be You, Harry Connick, Jr
Can You Feel the Love Tonight, Elton John
Through the Year, Kenny Rogers

Last Dance
Never Say Goodbye, Bon Jovi (great for an 80s music theme)
Last Dance, Donna Summer (appropriately titled)
At Last, Etta James
Save the Best for Last, Vanessa Williams
Wonderful Tonight, Eric Clapton
Just in Time, Dean Martin
Sweet Caroline, Neil Diamond
Stand by Me, Ben E. King

Congratulations Tracy & David!

2nd wedding of the season and I'm back into the swing of things again! It was nice to have the Easter weekend break.

Tracy was probably the most crafty bride I've worked with so far. She made the card holder box, the cake topper, the centerpieces, the table numbers, the menu cards, the escort cards, the place cards, the programs, and much, much more! I was really nervous about being able to set up the decor to meet Tracy's expectations - especially since she put so much hard work into customizing her wedding.

Anyway! I prayed and did my no-rain dance. Asked everyone I knew to do the no-rain dance. And finally, somebody heard our prayers - at least for about an hour! The skies cleared and the rain stopped long enough for Tracy to walk down the aisle. No sooner we closed the church doors, it poured again and didn't stop all night.

The wedding moment. There is one at every wedding for me. Here is Tracy and David's.

It was in the middle of the reception and the ballroom is now dimly lit. A slow song comes on and Tracy and David are dancing. Tracy rests her head on David's shoulders and closes her eyes. The light from the videocamera shone on them as if it was a spotlight. They both looked so content and really let the moment sink in. Even with people surrounding them on the dance floor, it seemed like they were all by themselves. You can't help but feel love.

We had a few wedding crashers, who were promptly escorted out by the buffed groomsmen and the groom. Guests from another wedding attempted to steal our favors until I brought out my nightstick -- just kidding :) But overall, everyone had a great time!

I had so much fun with the dynamic husbands and wives teams of Rick and Susan Martin of Rick Martin Photography (I can't wait to see the photos!) and Jeff and Lori Carpenter of Red Feather Video. Marc from Kirkabee DJs kept the dance floor packed the whole night. The chocolate fountain provided by Chocolate Falls was a big hit and we had enough leftovers for Tracy and David to nibble on after the reception. You could smell the chocolate all the way to the hotel lobby! The rest of the team included: beautiful Tiffany blue cake by Fancy Cakes by Leslie, wonderful flowers by Heaven on Earth Wedding Flowers, limo by Majestic Limo, and hair by O'Hair Salon in the Kentlands of Gaithersburg.

The catering staff at the Gaithersburg Hilton gets major kudos for setting up all the decor. Since the ceremony ran 20 minutes late, I got to the Hilton much later than scheduled. Without the help of the catering staff, we could not have setup the reception in time.

Kicking off the 2006 Wedding Season

The April showers welcomed us into the first wedding of 2006. Even the rain couldn't put a damper on what turned out to be a beautiful celebration.

Rebecca and Kyle have become one of my favorite couples and I will totally miss their sense of humor and their cute kitties.

I experienced one of the most emotional moments I've ever had at a wedding (as a coordinator). The moment when Kyle saw Rebecca for the first time was the most genuine and heartfelt moment! It made me cry! Let me set the scene for you:

We're at the Old Town Hilton (which has a pretty lobby, BTW). It's raining, winding, gloomy and cold outside but inside, there was a warm and loving story beginnign to unfold. Rebecca, with her entourage in tow (4 bridesmaids and Moms), has just come out of the elevator to the lobby. Meanwhile, Kyle is hiding around the corner underneath a 20-foot tall mural, a quiet little nook area with nobody else in sight. You can see the anticipation on Kyle's face. Other family and friends have gathered in the lobby as well, along with Stacey and Jason, the creative photographers from Labor of Love Photography. The bridesmaids, trailing with Rebecca's train in hands, escorted her about half way towards Kyle. You can feel everyone holding their breath as Rebecca took the final few steps before turning the corner. Being a classically trained dancer, she carried herself with such grace and the way her dress flowed made her look so regal. As Rebecca turned the corner, you saw the biggest smile on Kyle's face. They hugged and kissed and it felt like they were the only two in that lobby, even as we all gleamed from ear to ear and broke out in applause.

That, was clearly my favorite part of the day.

What made the day so much fun for me was getting to know the bridal party and the families. I especially loved the bridesmaids. Alana, the most animated matron of honor I've ever met was exactly the kind of gal I would want as the MOH. And a message to Kerry -- don't be so pessimistic!! Dana and I spent a lot of time sitting on the floor repinning Rebecca's bustle :)

The day would not have been as wonderful if not for the fun music provided by Steve at GoodNote DJs. He kept everyone dancing all night long, including Kyle's grandparents who will be celebrating their 57th wedding anniversary next week. The most vibrant bouquets of tulips I had ever seen came from the veteran skills of Wendy at Heather and Honey, a 5th generation florist who brought her 90 year old Dad along. Dad was the youngest 90 year old I had ever met and clearly loved his craft too. And you can tell that he passed his passion onto his daughter. Kelley Epps of Face Mode and Kara Breissinger worked their magic with the ladies' makeup and hair.

Finally, a major THANK YOU to my newly recruited assistant, Sydney Williams. Sydney and I met while volunteering at a conference type event. She is completing the certificate program in event management from George Washington University. With a day like that, I could not have done it without her and I hope she enjoyed herself as well.

After a hiatus since October, it's great to get the adrenaline rush from coordinating an event again. I'm really looking forward to this season and hope to learn more about what I can do better. I'm doing events at locations I had never been to before and working with other professionals I haven't worked with yet. I'm working on several projects to provide my clients with improved service and hope to have those ready to go soon. And as always, if you have any suggestions, please email me!

4 More Weeks!!

As many of you know, I will be receiving my MBA from George Washington University next month. 4 more weeks until my last assignment is due!! I cannot wait! I don't want to write another paper, take another quiz or give another b-school presentation for the rest of my life!

What does this mean for all my clients? You will be getting more of me than you bargained for!! I will be able to make more weeknight meetings. Bear with me in these last few weeks. Wish me luck!

A Little Pow Wow

Kudos to Laura from Soiree Special Events for setting up the first pow-wow of DC area wedding coordinators this past Sunday. What a great way to network and exchange ideas, tips, and information. I wasn't sure what to expect, as you never know what can happen with a room full of women :) But what a pleasant surprise! We had a dynamic and smart group of women! I can say now with certainty that DC area couples have nothing to worry about with us coordinating your weddings!

We are all small business owners and we all go through similar challenges with balancing work and personal lives. I'm always fascinated by the creativity of small business owners and entrepreneurs.

Bottom Row: Priscilla (The Finer Points), Deb (The Raspberry Carousel), AJ (Soiree Special Events), Lynn (The Finer Points), Laura (Soiree Special Events), me. Top Row: Kim (A Timeless Affair), Shana (Designs by Epiphany), Angel and Kim (Serendipity Special Events), Lauren (Breathe Events)! Missing from the photo: Meredith (Elegant Engagements), Linda (Sparkle Event Planning), and makeup artist Kim Finnegan.