Rose City Mobile Music Wedblog

Katie & Jon in the OC

2010-09-12T08:46:00.000-07:00

It was a great night for friends and family in Oregon City at Jon & Katie's wedding reception. They were married on 8/9/10 out of town, so they decided to have their reception in town for those who could not make the wedding. One of the fun (of many) things for me was that Jon was on the Junior Baseball team that I coached a few years ago, so I got to see some of my old players and their parents, many who I have not seen since the baseball days. That was great! I saw Jay Resner and John & Brian Levesque, Mike & Lynn Gaffney, Dave & Natalie Levesque.

We also got to see a pretty good Jim Morrison impression (see photo, click on image for larger version)

Also in top form were Jon & Katie dancing their dance together (see video). They were very well rehearsed and pulled it off perfectly! Great job you two, it was a great night!

Average cost of a wedding drops 10.2% in 2009

2010-02-01T13:20:00.001-08:00

Wedding Stat of the Week

2009-09-21T07:21:00.000-07:00

Darek & Tawny

2009-08-07T12:42:00.000-07:00

A beautiful summer evening wedding. It was a Thursday wedding ceremony in the Veiled Garden and reception in the Ballroom, both at The Abernethy Center. We ran a ceremony PA system in the Veiled Garden and had our main system w/lighting set up in the ballroom. One very cool aspect was the music for the Unity Candle. Tawny wanted to sing a song for this interlude, but, being the bride made that a bit tough to sing AND be the Bride....not! Rose City Mobile Music turned Darek's living room into a recording studio and recorded Tawny singing her song and we played it back during the ceremony. She actually did the recording in 1 or 2 takes, so, needless to say, we were very impressed with her.

Here is Darek & Tawny's music selections:
Processional - Wedding Song by Kenny G
Bride's Entrance - Moment by Kenny G
Unity Candle - Because You Love Me by Jo Dee Messina (sung by the Tawny)
Recessional - Love Is A Beautiful Thing by Phil Vassar
Grand Entrance - Wedding Party did a custom Entrance to Sirius by APP; the Bride & Groom entered to Get Ready For This by 2 Unlimited.
Cake Cutting - How Sweet It Is To Be Loved By You by James Taylor
1st Dance - Stolen by Dashboard Confessional
Father/Daughter Dance - Thank Heaven For Little Girls by Maurice Chevalier
Mother/Son Dance - You're The Inspiration by Chicago
Wedding Party Dance - We Are Family by Sister Sledge
Bouquet Toss - It's Raining Men by The Weather Girls
Garter Toss - Legs - ZZ Top by ZZ Top
Last Dance - You & Me by Lifehouse

A Land-Locked Luau

2009-08-02T23:25:00.001-07:00

The only thing this Luau was missing was a sandy beach because we had a roasted pig, hula girls, palm trees and 90 degree weather! Thankfully there was a big tent we could all fit under to stay out of the sun. Our hosts (and bride & groom) thought of everything though as they set up two misting tents, so after dancing up a sweat you could go cool off under the cool mists (see shot below).

A great traditional Hawaiian Hula group was there as well showing us all their stuff. The group, Ul uwehi Hula Halau O Kapukui danced for over an hour and showed us many different dances and gave some history and meaning behind the movements.

Here is a shot of some folks cooling off after the conga line! This is really a great idea if you are having an outdoor event in July or August to keep people from over-heating. The groom said that it was a very easy set up and used very little water. I think everyone took advantage at some point during the day and at times both tents were packed with people!

All in all, this was one VERY fun, festive event and I think Burkhart and Peggy really did it up right. This will be an event that all in attendance will remember. I know I will as they held me over for two extra hours!!

Sandy River Blow Out

2009-07-22T00:20:00.000-07:00

WOW! This was one extremely fun event. I am not sure if I have ever seen a couple full of more life, love and togetherness than Chantae & Jon. It was obvious that they were both in the right place at the right time in their lives. This was a very special day and it meant a great deal that they chose Rose City Mobile Music to be there with them and their friends and family on this very momentous occasion. Chantae & Jon took advantage of some of my special audio moments and it made their grand introductions very special and fun for everybody. Jon & Chantae's family & friends are very warm, loving people and made me feel very at home at the rehearsal dinner earlier in the week.

The venue was the Riverview Restaurant in Troutdale set on the Sandy River. What a great setting. The have a really cool garden area and a nice outside deck area with plenty of room for large parties and the food there is excellent!

Here are their music selections:
Processional - Shine On by John Cruz & Songbird by Eva Cassidy
Bride Entrance - So You Are To Me by East Mountain South
Recessional - God Only Knows by The Beach Boys
Grand Entrance - Custom Intros by John & Chantae
Cake Cutting - Somebody Like You by Keith Urban
Bouquet Toss - Walking On Sunshine by Katrina & the Waves
Garter Toss - Sexual Healing by Marvin Gaye
First Dance - You Dance by East Mountain South
Father/Daughter & Mother/Son Dance - My Girl by The Temptations

Alisha & Josh

2009-06-23T22:48:00.000-07:00

What a great venue for an outdoor wedding and an indoor reception. Lewis River Golf Course has it going on. A great setting and a very cool building complete with huge timbers and lots of glass. The clubhouse is right on the river as is the outdoor site for wedding ceremonies. It was a bit tough to do a candle lighting with the stiff breezes we experienced but all was well when one of Alisha's bridesmaids sang "Love me Tender." She did an excellent job! Rain had been forecast pretty much the same time as the ceremony was to start. However, we lucked out and a torrential downpour started about an hour after the ceremony was over and we were all safely inside for the reception.

Here are Alisha & Josh's musical selections:
Wedding Processional - Trumpet Voluntary by Purcell & Canon in D by Pachelbel
Bride Entreance - Bridal Chorus by Wagner
Unity Candle - Love Me Tender sung by a Bridesmaid.
Wedding Recessional - Boy Like Me by Jessica Harp
Bride & Groom Grand Entrance - Let it Rock by Kevin Rudolf
Wedding Party Entrance - Good Time by Alan Jackson
Cake Cutting - Grow Old With You by Stephen Lynch
First Dance - You and Me by Lifehouse
Father/Daughter Dance - My little girl by Tim Mcgraw
Wedding Party Dance - What is Love by Haddaway
Bouquet Toss - Single Ladies by Beyonce
Garter Toss - Dont Trust Me by 3Oh!3

Katie & Luke

2009-06-08T21:46:00.000-07:00

Had a great time at this Vancouver wedding reception. Katie and Luke's family and friends were awesome. We even had some fairly spontaneous "live entertainment" featuring the "Flying Kraklownies" and a singing Banjo player named Roc.
(See pic) It's not often you see a banjo player at a wedding reception and Roc went over very well. The Flying Kraklownies performed an original composition sung to the tune of the Brady Bunch theme. It was about the bride & groom and their meeting and such. Very entertaining and fun. Luke (the groom) is quite the beer connoisseur and broke out a HUGE bottle of Samichlaus Bier. This huge bottle pretty much allowed the entire room to have a sample. The dancing went late into the night and everybody had a very good time.
Here are Katie & Luke's music selections:
Bride & Groom Grand Entrance - Raiders of The Lost Ark theme
Wedding Party Entrance - Sirius by Alan Parsons Project (Custom Audio by Katie & Luke)
Cake Cutting - How Sweet it is by James Taylor
First Dance Song - Inevitable by Anberlin
Father/Daughter Song - I Loved Her First by Heartland
Anniversary Dance - As Time goes by Frank Sinatra
Last Dance - You Get What You Give by New Radicals

2009-04-14T15:08:00.001-07:00

Wedding Stat of The Month

Postponement of wedding due to economic issues.

No, we are not postponing	76.16%
Yes, by at least 3 months	3.87%
Yes, by 3 to 6 months	4.95%
Yes, by 6 to 12 months	5.11%
Yes, more than 12 months	9.44%
Canceling the wedding	0.46%

Date: Feb 2009 Source: Proprietary Surveys

Kickin' It At The Guv

2009-02-09T01:24:00.000-08:00

It was one of the funnest wedding receptions I've been to. The Governor Hotel Billiard Room was the site, January 18th was the day and Karly & Michael were tying the knot! Everybody was involved in the fun, family, friends, even a dog! If you look at the picture to the left, the lighting fixture came close to being a casualty as one of the groomsmen was flipped up into the air, did a back flip and landed on his feet just inches from bringing the light down!! (Dang, where was my camera at THAT moment!) Thank goodness there was no impact and all was well. Really, Michael and Karly's friends and family were awesome and had a blast. There were many musical requests so everybody was involved in making the night a rousing success!

Here are Karly & Michael's musical selections:
Wedding Party intro: I'll Be There For You - Rembrants
Grand Entrance: Theme From Rocky - Bill Conti
Cake Cutting: How Sweet It Is (To Be Loved By You) - James Taylor
First Dance: I Do (Cherish You) - 98 Degrees
Father/Daughter Dance: Constellations - Jack Johnson
Mother/Son Dance: The Perfect Fan - Backstreet Boys
Bouquet Toss: Another Once Bites The Dust - Queen
Garter Toss: Cherry Pie - Warrant
Last Dance: Closing Time - Semisonic

Winter Wedding, Canby Style

2009-02-01T14:05:00.000-08:00

Things were looking good in Canby this Saturday in January. We got do provide the music at Emylie & Jon's wedding reception. The reception was held at The Antonia Ballroom and they really decked the place out nicely. It was a very classy day and everybody had a great time. One of the funny things was as soon as I played the Chicken Dance (yes, it was requested) it seemed that they wanted all of those types of group participation tunes and they had a blast with them.
Here are Emylie and Jon's music choices:

Grand Entrance: Wedding Recessional by Queen
Bride/Groom First Dance: I Could Not Ask For More by Sara Evans
Cake Cutting: How Sweet It Is To Be Loved By You by Michael McDonald
Father/Daughter Dance: Butterfly Kisses by Jeff Carson
Mother/Son Dance: Butterfly Kisses by Jeff Carson Bridal (Same time as Father/Daughter)
Bridal Party Dance: My Wish by Rascal Flatts
Bouquet Toss: Ladies Night by Kool & The Gang
Garter Toss: Mission Impossible Theme, Oh Yeah by Yello & Whatta Man by Salt N Peppa
Last Dance: When You Say Nothing At All by Alison Krauss

Karin & Ayo

2009-01-01T16:04:00.000-08:00

The scene was The Couv, the place was Faith Center Church, the event was Karin & Ayo's wedding & reception. This place of worship was transformed into a very cool wedding venue. With the tables and chairs decked out and the lighting set just right.

This was also a very multi-cultural wedding as the groom's family was from Nigeria, so when some of Ayo's relatives came up to us and asked us to play some music from Nigeria, I said "of course." She then gave me two CD's of music from their country and I played it. Needless to say, this was a HUGE hit as it packed the dance floor and more was requested as the night went on.

One funny, traditional wedding event that happened in a non-traditional way was the garter toss. At the end of the evening, the Groom had decided not to do the garter toss. Well, just before the evening ended, Karin decided she wanted her new husband to toss the garter, but alas, he was not available so, needless to say, this determined Bride took matters into her own hands and tossed the garter herself! She tossed it and a mad scramble ensued.
(see video below)

Here are their song selections:
Wedding Party Entrance: We Are Family - Sister Sledge
Bride & Groom Grand Entrance: How Sweet It Is - James Taylor
Cake Cutting: Forever and For Always - Shawnia Twain
Bouquet Toss: Ladies Night - Kool & The Gang
Garter Toss: Peter Gunn Theme - Blues Bros.
First Dance Song: You Are So Beautiful - Joe Cocker
Father/Daughter Dance: Daddy's Angel - Tony Carter

Top 10 Current Wedding Industry Trends

2008-11-19T17:57:00.000-08:00

1. Couples are paring down their guest lists in an attempt to cut costs.

2. Outdoor weddings are extremely popular. Natural decor lessens the need for pricey decorations.

3. Do-it-yourself wedding projects are on the rise among brides who want to save money. Brides are learning to letterpress their own invitations, arranging their own flowers, making their own bouquets, crafting their own placecards, using handmade ring pillows, and cooking edible favors. It is also becoming popular to enlist the help of friends and family with baking, cooking, and sewing.

4. Couples are including non-floral elements, such as feathers, berries, fruit, stones, and more into their decor. This saves money on more expensive floral options.

5. Couples are using the Internet to create personalized wedding blogs and websites to alert guests to the details of their weddings (and save paper!).

6. Cheesecakes, cupcakes, and specialty desserts are trendy alternatives to the traditional wedding cake.

7. Bolder and brighter colors are fashionable. Brides are also incorporating touches of vibrant color into their style, including brightly hued shoes, sashes, necklaces, headpieces, and more.

8. Couples are growing increasingly interested in discount, vintage, or secondhand options for wedding gowns, jewelry, decor, and more.

9. All-inclusive honeymoon packages and cruises are popular.

10. Wearing two dresses has become a hot trend for brides. Many brides still plan to shell out the extra cash to have both a wedding gown for the ceremony and a second, short party dress for dancing at the reception.

Source: www.weddingsolutions.com

There Were Kilts Everywhere!

2008-11-16T14:31:00.000-08:00

Yes there were! Even the little guys in the wedding wore them. It was pretty darn cute seeing a two foot tall little dude wearing a kilt.

Everyone was decked out at the Scottish Rite Center in downtown Portland this fine Saturday night to see Annie & Jason tie the knot. As mentioned, Jason was in a Kilt complete with black Converse Chuck Taylor's. The groom and Best Man wore hightops CT's while the rest of the Groomsmen wore Black CT lowriders. Annie was wearing a gorgeous beige (I hope, I'm colorblind) lacy wedding dress worn by her mother at her wedding.

The Ceremony was held in the theater and featured an Acoustic Guitar player and a Gospel Choir that sang before and after the ceremony. There were some great interludes including two different readings, a Unity Candle lighting and a comical Piano Duet!
The reception was held in the ballroom and was a very festive, fun party and most everybody stayed late and danced the night away. A great evening with a great group!! We had a blast too!

Annie and Jason's music:
Grand Entrance: Do Ya by Electric Light Orchestra
Bride/Groom First dance: Islands In The Stream by Dolly Parton and Kenny Rogers
Father/Daughter Dance: Father and Daughter by Paul Simon
Mother/Son Dance: Little ole' Wine Drinker Me by Dean Martin
Bridal Party Dance: I'm On My Way by The Proclaimers
Bouquet Giveaway: Forever In Blue Jeans by Neil Diamond
Cake Cutting: Banana Split For My Baby by Louis Prima
Last Dance: Two Sleepy People by Bob Hope and Shirley Ross

Katelynn & Martin

2008-11-11T13:46:00.000-08:00

I don't think I have ever seen a more stunning bride than I saw at Bell Tower Cathedral in Ridgefield WA. on Saturday night, and I've seen many stunning brides. Katelynn lit up the room every time she entered. Even Jason was held speechless when he tried to say a few words during the toasting portion of the evening. The evening started with the ceremony inside the Chapel in front of 50-60 guests, performed by Dee, who was also the coordinator for this event and is connected with Bell Tower Cathedral. Dinner followed. After dinner the toasts were in order and several in attendance had some very kind words, which is when Martin was held a bit speechless, trying to toast his bride and look at her at the same time. Stunning she was!

Photography was handled by Kelley with The Finer Image.

After the formalities were finished the party started! Katelynn & Martin picked most of their reception music and it was evident that they knew their friends and family's musical tastes because they rocked the house! We threw in a few gems to add to the mix and everyone seemed to have a blast.

Great couple, great family and great friends!!

Here are Katelynn & Martin's music selections:
Prelude Music: Instrumental Jazz
Wedding Processional: All you need is Love by The Beatles
Bride Entrance: All I Want is You by Brian Louis Polisar
Unity Candle Song: Forever Young by Joan Baez
Cake Cutting: How Sweet It Is To Be Loved By You by Marvin Gaye
Bride and Groom dance: Wonderful Tonight by Eric Clapton
Bride and Father dance: Tupelo Honey by Van Morrison
Groom and Mother dance: Unforgettable by Natalie & Nat King Cole
Money Dances: Young at Heart and Nice and Easy by Frank Sinatra
Bouquet Toss: You Can't Hurry Love by The Supremes
Garter Toss: Lady by Styx
Last Dance of Evening: Good Riddance (Time of Your Live) by Green Day

School's Out!

2008-10-26T01:12:00.001-07:00

Rose City Mobile Music had the honor of providing the music for Danny & Kristen's wedding ceremony and reception at McMenamin's Kennedy School. For anyone who hasn't been to one of the McMenamin's establishments, you really should go check them out. There are several in the area and they are all unique to one another and very interesting. The ceremony was in the courtyard outside the gym with the reception inside the gym. I was DJ/Master of Ceremonies and scorekeeper. Danny and his buddies are HUGE Ducks fans so I was asked to give score updates periodically throughout the evening. Also, unbeknown to Danny, Kristen asked me to play the Ducks Fight Song for their Grand Entrance. Thankfully, the Ducks won big so that added to the festive atmosphere.

Danny & Kristen's Music:
Guest Seating: Chasing Cars by Snow Patrol
Wedding Party Entrance: Somewhere Over the Rainbow by Isreal Kamakawiwo'ole
Bride Entrance: Canon in D by Pachelbel
Wedding Interlude
First Kiss: At Last! by Etta James
Recessional: Somewhere Over The Rainbow by Isreal Kamakawiwo'ole

Grand Introduction: Mighty O, U of O Fight Song
Cake Cutting: Collide by Howie Day
First Dance: So Far Away by Staind
Father/Daughter Dance: You've Got A Friend by James Taylor
Mother/Son Dance: My wish by Rascal Flatts
Bouquet Toss: Independant Woman by Destiny's Child
Garter Toss: Mission Impossible; U Can't Touch This by MC Hammer; Oh Yeah by Yello
Last Dance of Evening: You Shook Me All Night Long by AC/DC

Elegance in PDX

2008-10-25T16:44:00.000-07:00

This was definitely one of the classiest, most elegant weddings I have ever done. Lee & Michelle were decked out like they just stepped out of a hip wedding magazine. The rest of the wedding party was also looking great. Even the guests were dressed to kill. A very with it, hip group. The only thing that wasn't classy was the shoes worn by the guys in the wedding party. But man, they were SO cool it didn't matter. They all wore black low top Converse All-Stars. VERY hip.

The venue was also cool as they held the festivities at the World Trade Center in downtown Portland. The Plaza for the ceremony and the reception in the Bridge Level. It'd be tough to find a better spot in the summer to have a wedding and reception. The photography was handled by The Photographers. The guy from The Photographers was probably one of the best I've seen. He was VERY busy all night and got some very cool shots from even cooler perspectives. I've since seen shots from the evening on their web site (photo above is one of them). This is a first class company. Very professional and very good.

All in all, this was a highly successful evening for an obviously very successful couple with an awesome family and great, fun friends. I was very honored to be the entertainment chosen to do their wedding. What a great night!!

Here is their music:
Prelude Music:
1) Tell Him by Lauryn Hill
2) In Love With You by Erykah Badu
3) Is It The Way by Jill Scott
4) Lover's Rock by Sade

Parents Entrance: If I Ain't Got You by Alicia Keys
Bridal Party Entrance: No One by Alicia Keys
Bride Entrance: Nearness Of You by Norah Jones
Recessional: Lovely Day by Bill Withers & Friday I'm In Love by Dryden Mitchell
First Dance: Precious Love by Erykah Badu/D'angelo
Father/Daughter: Colour My World by Chicago
Mother/Son: Sentimental Journey by Frank Sinatra

A Party in the Country!

2008-10-17T00:58:00.001-07:00

A beautiful day, a beautiful setting, a beautiful bride. That's the way the day started...and ended. The day: the last Saturday of Summer, 2008. The weather could not have been more perfect for an outdoor wedding in a beautiful, rural setting complete with very cool old barn and a peep (yes, a peep!) of chickens. Carole and Theo (the bride & groom) were decked in very classy attire. Some friends and family were a bit more casual, but classy just the same.

I figured since this event was in the middle of the afternoon and was spread across a very wide area of the estate I would just be playing background music with no dancing. I was very wrong. Some of the guests caught the dancing bug as my selections, while eclectic (some requested by the Bride and Groom) they were all still great tunes to dance to.

One other very clever aspect of the day was the way in which the guests were asked to store their gifts (see picture). A very original, fittingly rustic way in which to feature the generous gifts brought by friends and family.