Email subject lines like this – “In the market for a rad Wedding DJ” – will always grab my attention. Messages that include “Friday Evening. Sodo Park. 200 people who love to DANCE” get immediate replies from me; especially since every wedding I have done at Sodo Park has been an unforgettable night. And thus began my relationship with Jen and Patrick, affectionately known as “The Shintars”.
In terms of presentation, I would describe it as minimal. And for some weddings – like this one – it was perfectly fitting. We omitted the Grand Entrance and introduced the Family and Wedding Party before the toasts. Jen and Patrick combined the Father/Bride dance with the Mother/Son dance. The objective was simple: eat great food, mingle with good friends, throw back a few adult beverages, and dance all night to a rad DJ.
The thing I love about The Shintars is their personality and style: it’s one of a kind. From incorporating Pearl Jam into the reception – because how often does that happen? – to playing an abbreviated ten-minute version of Power Hour called “The Big Ten” – a drinking game that Jenn played at Penn State and which she made Patrick play on their second date – one could easily understand how much fun these two have together.
And of course, the “RAINN ‘EM IN” horses made an appearance for photo ops; this is an event Jen started in 2012 to raise awareness of sexual assault and I highly recommend you learn more about it on their Facebook page.
Oh, and about that 200 people who love to DANCE… Jen wasn’t kidding. I’ve never seen a group of people dance and sing on a dance floor so passionately before. 80s hits were huge – they even nailed the high note during A-ha’s “Take On Me”. Simply incredible!
We rocked Sodo Park for just under three hours. It was one of those nights where we could have gone six. Easily.
Patrick & Jennifer’s Five-Star Review
When we started to plan our wedding a colleague told me, “you need to hire Tony. He had our wedding party rocking till the final call”. So I did. And we were not disappointed. We booked Tony and were immediately whipped into the reality that the DJ is more than the master mixer of awesome tunes. He’s the master of ceremonies. He sent us a binder that could make the most organized bride salivate, prompting us to think about the flow, the stuff you don’t consider but need to. In our planning meeting, we were struggling with songs, so he asked my husband who his favorite band was and immediately pulled up an instrumental version of “Alive” that still has people commenting about how awesome it was. He has a great reputation with venues and their staff. And when the gang at Sodo Park found out we were using him they assured us he had it down. And he was also great with our officiant who has one of the best reputations in the biz (Mary Calhoun).
And then there’s the music. He had a great way of mixing it up perfectly. Never letting a song get old and reading the room like a champ.
Super satisfied with Tony!
Musical Selections
Prelude:Â Live Bossa Nova Band
Ceremony Selections
- Family, Wedding Party:Â Vitamin String Quartet – “Alive (Pearl Jam Cover)”
- Bridal Procesion:Â Pachelbel – “Canon In D”
- Recessional: Vienna Orchestra – “All You Need is Love”
Cocktail Hour:Â Live Bossa Nova Band
Dinner:Â Soulful Jazz Standards
Formal Selections
- Cake Cutting:Â Michael Buble – “How Sweet It Is”
- First Dance: Pearl Jam – “Future Days”
- Parent Dance: Otis Redding – “That’s How Strong My Love Is”
- Longest Married Couple Dance: Alan Jackson – “Remember When” & Al Green – “Let’s Stay Together”
- Last Dance:Â The Spaniels – “Goodnight, Sweetheart, Goodnight”
Dancing:Â Motown, Big Band & Swing, Oldies, Disco, Rock & Roll, 80s, 90s, 00s, Top 40
Photos Courtesy:Â One Love Photo
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