In general, DJs win out over Bands in this area, so it is easier to refer DJs when you see them several times. Most often I only see a band once, maybe twice, but that is usually a few years apart. This week’s Vendor of the Month was a band I only needed to see once to appreciate their talent, personality and professionalism. That band is SOHO out of Boston.

The band boasts two lead singers. One is female and the other is male, which allows for a great variety of songs that they can perform. Some bands are limited in their play list, but SOHO was all over the map with styles of music and more importantly, they all sounded good (this is so often not the case). Their website boasts that “SOHO is the ultimate combination exceptional vocalists, electrifying horns, and a rhythm section that is second to none.” I concur. They have received accolades in People Magazine and are part of larger group of entertainers that are also very talented including Night Shift and Kahootz.

Lastly, many bands have an attitude or a front to them, but SOHO is so far from that. As a vendor, we sit together at some point in the evening and eat our meal. That is where true personalities come out. We enjoyed and our meal talking about great venues and weddings that we had done over the year and you could here the passion in their voices. The part was rocking so much this past October that SOHO, without hesitation, played for an extra hour for their Bride and Groom.

I may add a quick clip at a later point from the wedding, but my audio will not match the in-studio audio that is displayed on their website, so click on the band and listen to their tracks there.

Tina & Chris’ musical recap became one of my instant favorites.  They trusted my judgement on the music choice and I picked a fast, quick-paced song that I have wanted to use for a long time. Tina’s family is from Long Island and they knew how to throw a party, so the song fit perfectly. The whole day just had great energy! Enjoy!

I am very excited to take part in the first Amazing Wedding Reception Mixer and Wedding Show. The concept of this event is to help brides and grooms plan their wedding day, not prey on them for business. The Mixer and Wedding show takes place at the Castle of Knights in Chicopee on Sunday October 25th from 10am until 3pm.

The concept of Amazing Wedding Receptions came about as a few vendors talked about how brides could be better informed about their wedding day. A small group of vendors started with small, free seminars that taught soon to be newlyweds about the specific details of their wedding day. Vendors have been through hundreds, if not thousands of weddings in their career. The idea was to share their experience to help brides and grooms have an Amazing Reception.

Next Sunday’s event includes a shorter version of the original seminar with lots of top notch vendors contributing in their a field of expertise. The seminar kicks off the event at 10am, as seven of the biggest mistakes that brides make on their wedding day are revealed. Also, a new website will be made public that will allow brides and grooms to ask anonymous questions to some of the area’s top vendors. A meet and greet with vendors will follow the seminar until noon. At noon, their will be a fashion show by Bridal Corner to share ideas and styles for the upcoming wedding season. The meet and greet will resume following the fashion show until 3pm.

What else makes this event different from other wedding shows? Their is no hard selling! The vendors for this event were  invited to take part in this wedding mixer, because they are Amazing Wedding Reception Certified. They live up to a code of ethics that includes being honest with their sales approach and not taking advantage of clients, being available for clients and returning calls and emails in a timely manner, and always demonstrating professionalism, courtesy and respect around all other vendors. This is why the vendors at Amazing Wedding Receptions will not be cutting you off to hand out their pamphlet. This is why the vendors at Amazing Wedding Receptions are many of the most sought out professionals in the industry.

For more information, visit www.amazingweddingreceptions.com.

This month’s vendor of the month appears more and more on my calendar each year. The Carriage House at the Barney Estate at Forest Park in Springfield is a venue that is establishing itself as one of the best in the area. The Carriage House was built in 1890 by Everett Hosmer Barney who is the founder of Forest Park, which began with a 65-acre plot of land.

The Carriage House was restored in its original Historian style and it delivers a unique style not found in many venues. The Barney Estate offers an on-site bridal suite, a gazebo for ceremonies and pictures, an area for inside or outside (tented) receptions, and a perfect west-facing patio for sunset pictures. The Carriage House is a facility that allows you to pick the caterer. That allows brides and grooms to design a wedding to their tastes and not to a list of options provided by the facility.

The one other wonderful feature that enhances The Barney Estate is location, location, location. The facility is located directly off the highway for easy access for all your guests. In addition to a great spot for sunsets, the grounds of the estate have plenty of landscaped areas with flowers, benches and great texture to enhance your formal pictures. Add to that, it is located inside of Forest Park itself. Down the hill from the Estate are bridges, streams, ponds and more great picture locations.

I met Tina and Chris through one of my 2008 couples, Kristen and Mike Hutchison. Both weddings had a basketball twist, as Tina and Kristen played hoops together at American International College. Kristen used a basketball-themed introduction for her reception, and then Tina followed that up by having her whole reception on a basketball court. Center Court at the Basketball Hall of Fame, that is. And what an Amazing Reception it was!

Tina and Chris started their day at Holy Name Church in Springfield. They traveled in style in a vintage black Cadillac from the ceremony to Forest Park for pictures, and then on to the Hall of Fame. Much of my early 2009 weddings were spent with two of my favorite vendors of the month and the Teixeira-McDonald Wedding was no different. Dan Cavanaugh from And the Beat Goes on DJ was awesome all night and Dave and Eileen Breveglerei are just a joy to work with always.

The musical recap became one of my instant favorites and it’s destined to go on my website soon. I may post it on the blog until my website gets its next update. In the meantime, I have posted two other clips from the wedding. The first is the title/opening sequence which features the ceremony and reception sites before the wedding. The goal of the opening is to feature many of the details of the day. So often, the bride and groom are so busy they don’t get to see the ceremony and reception sites before their guests fill them. The second clip is Best Man Brendan McDonald’s toast, which was one of the highlights of the evening. Brendan, who Tina and Chris call somewhat shy, mixed some sentimental and funny stories into an unwritten speech that brought out great reactions from the bride and groom. Enjoy!

This month’s vendor spotlight is from a group who performs their music so eloquently, while perched in an unseen location, that they rarely get recognized for their work. That all changes in September, as the Rosamund Trio is my vendor of the month.

The trio, which I have seen as a quartet on occasion, offers a wide variety of classical and Broadway style music that adds a wonderful touch to weddings in a variety of locations. The trio consists of Miriam Rose Shapiro, Cynthia Ogulnick and Rebecca Green. Miriam and Cynthia play the violin, while Rebecca plays the cello. I most often see their work at venues in the Berkshires, but they travel all around Massachusetts, Connecticut, New York and Vermont. The trio can be utilized to perform your ceremony music or to liven up your cocktail hour. The trio is always prompt, professional, and their sound is fabulous.

Below is a quick sample of music from a recent wedding as the bride came down the aisle. The two slight pops you here were the establishment’s speakers, not the the Rosamund Trio. It is also important to note that this was recorded when the group was a quartet, as a flutist was added to the group. The trio can be contacted through email at Hogulnick@aol.com, or by calling Cindy at (413) 442-7303.

You have seen the pictures, now it is time for the video. The Palozie-Smith wedding was one of those weddings that makes me want to come back weekend after weekend. Stacy was such a fun bride who had the most infectious smile that a videographer could ever wish for, while Chris played the simple role of calm, cool and collective groom.

The ceremony took place at St. Andrew’s Episcopal Church in Longmeadow, Massachusetts, while the reception and incredible sunset was at The Log Cabin in Holyoke. I worked along side the unbelievably talented Bob and April from Robert Charles Photography, while Dan Cavanaugh from And the Beat Goes on DJ had the dance floor packed before dinner was even served. I must send out a thank you to Michelle at Gasoline Alley for being so cool and accommodating during the final stages of Stacy’s salon time.

I have been dying to post this video, but I wanted Chris and Stacy to enjoy their video first before showing it off to the world. Stacy picked the song for the recap, and it was actually a free download that she fell in love with called “You Picked Me“. The song has a little edge to it, which made the video fun to edit. I hit the lottery with the opening clip, as not only did the bride and groom talk on the day of the wedding, but Chris called at the perfect time. Enjoy!

My April weddings got the 2009 wedding season off to a great start! Michelle and Matthew Turner blew away their guests with a surprise first dance, as they brought a relaxed and fun approach to their whole day. The result was an awesome wedding with a great video to show for it. I met Michelle through one of my first brides, Darcy Andre, and I told her back then that when she got married, I wanted to shoot her wedding. I knew back then that it was going to be a fun affair and I was right! What I didn’t know is that it was going to be 90 degrees in April.

Michelle and Matt got married at Holy Trinity Church in Westfield and then traveled up to the Log Cabin in Holyoke for their reception and another classic sunset. They picked some great vendors as Dan Cavanaugh of And the Beat Goes On DJ kept the party rocking all night, as usual, and Dave and Eileen Breveglerei put together a nice photo shoot at the Log Cabin. Floral Concepts by Tom in Agawam did a great job with the flowers and even made a cameo in the Bridal prep.

I’ve posted two clips from this one. The recap was a chance for me to finally use one of my all-time favorite songs “Yellow”. I had an idea that I might use this song, so that helped when shooting throughout the day. The rest was just Michelle and Matt being genuinely in love, and their friends and family enjoying in the day. Clip number two, as promised, is the entire first dance that NOBODY saw coming. It was no surprise for Michelle to go in this direction, but Matt shocked many at the reception with his dancing feet.

Wedding Recap

First Dance