With the holiday season in full swing, I thought a “funny” clip would be an appropriate post for people to view and share. The Vicki Doe and Christopher Mello wedding this past summer in Newport, Rhode Island was an awesome event. There is nothing like a ceremony on the dock by the water on a picture perfect day. Everything was going Vicki and Chris’ way until the ring exchange. Was their biggest fear about to come true? Watch and find out…

It was well-played by the best man, but Chris’ reaction is what makes this clip so great! More clips from Vicki and Chris’ wedding will be coming up in the coming weeks. Happy Holidays from the staff at JPod Productions.

December’s vendor of the month makes me think of a holiday gift. Geezees Custom Canvas is a company run by Stephanie Morris who started making these canvas photos for family and friends. Now she is sharing her talents with others.

The ideas are endless where these creatively designed canvases can end up. As a bride, you can use them in your reception, at your ceremony, or at your shower. As a gift, the possibilities continue to grow. The canvases can be given as a shower, wedding or anniversary gift. The creatively designed pictures do not have to be wedding related either. They can be used for family, bridesmaids, friends, maternity, children and artwork.

The canvas designs are a cooperative effort. The backgrounds, colors and key words are supplied by you and then Stephanie takes that and works her magic to create an awesome looking canvas. There is a back and forth process with a proof sent to the buyer for review. Gift cards can be sent with the canvas and they are sent in a bubble-padded package. I just think this is another cool way to put your mark on your big day. Click HERE to see more samples.

I like to throw funny, different clips from weddings in here and there on the blog. This is Tricia at the Palozie-Smith wedding at the Log Cabin tearing it up on the dance floor. She was a hit all night long! Stayed tuned for a great best man prank coming soon!

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!

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.