If you asked me to sum up Zak & Brittany’s wedding in three words, I would say: fun, creative, and personal. This is one of those weddings I will be telling stories about at future consultations; it was THAT memorable.
Returning to Chambers Bay in Tacoma, Washington, for their third time this summer, I don’t think the tent has ever looked better with floral decor by Jen’s Blossoms and finishing design touched by Weddings with Wendy (she’s awesome – highly recommend her!), as well as uplighting by yours truly. It really makes a difference after that big orange ball sinks into the water, as plain old white tents often look drab, and sometimes even dirty, in photos.
So, let’s tell a story about Zak & Brittany’s wedding, based on the old football adage: it’s not how you start, it’s how you finish. We won’t go into details on the start, but Brittany and her father, by no fault of their own, arrived an hour late to the ceremony. As someone that is very timely, I can understand the frustration of the situation. But we rolled with it, as it is what it is – and I knew that we had planned an AMAZING entertainment experience still to come. At the end of the day, Zak & Brittany were finally married, just one hour later than expected.
With the ceremony behind us, it was time to celebrate. We kicked off the night with one of my favorite Grand Entrance presentations, customized song selections, and short bios for each Wedding Party pairing (see below). Shortly after Zak & Brittany entered to a well-deserved standing ovation, guests remained standing as the newlyweds shared their First Dance together, followed by Zak’s Welcome & Thank You Speech, which is always a nice touch and something I strongly encourage my grooms to do.
After the post-dinner formalities, it finally came time for our WOW! moment of the night. Brittany’s father, Patrick, who is one of the nicest men I have ever met, is known amongst family and friends to be a bit long-winded when he speaks. During his toaster introduction, I made sure to hammer this home, because after the cake cutting, he once again “stole” the mic for a few more words to say. However, Patrick was in on the entire thing as Brittany, Zak, their bridesmaids and groomsmen – and even the family! – were all a part of a surprise flash mob performance! This kicked off the dancing and definitely set the tone for the rest of the night!
And dance they did, all the way until we HAD to shut it down, not because we WANTED to. And that’s how you finish an AMAZING wedding reception.
Zak & Brittany, it was a sincere pleasure to be a part of your wedding day celebration. Thank you for the memories.
Zak & Brittany’s Five-Star Review
I have been to quite a few weddings prior to my own and took notes at each. From each wedding, I found that the key to making or breaking the wedding is the DJ. The bride always looks beautiful, the love is always in the air, and the alcohol is always served. But the DJ is not always a guaranteed show stopper. With DJ Tony Schwartz our wedding was AMAZING!! It was non-stop fun and dancing. When we need soft music for the romantic dinner vibe he provided. When we need to get the party started he delivered! We received so many compliments about our DJ and be truly made our day memorable! From the beginning of the planning stage to the last dance, Tony is there for you. He becomes not just another vendor, but a friend as he takes the time to personally get to know each of his clients. I would hands DOWN recommend EVERY bride and groom hire Tony as their DJ (but then of course he would be too busy lol) so for anyone looking to have an amazing, fun, and awesome wedding- DJ Tony Schwartz is your man!
Musical Selections
Cocktail Hour:Â Soft Classic Crooners, Soft Contemporary
Grand Entrance (Wedding Party Song Selections):
- Chainsmokers – “#Selfie”
- Cash Out – “Cashin’ Out”
- Carly Rae Jepsen – “Call Me Maybe”
- Sam Adams – “Driving Me Crazy”
- Hanson – “MMMBop”
- Psy – “Gangnam Style”
Grand Entrance (Zak & Brittany):Â Rihanna – “We Found Love”
Dinner:Â Classic Crooners, Contemporary Hits
Formal Selections
- First Dance:Â John Legend & Lindsey Sterling – “All of Me”
- Father/Daughter Dance: Heartland – “I Loved Her First”
- Mother/Son Dance:Â Rascal Flatts – “My Wish”
- Cake Cutting:Â Blake Shelton – “Honey Bee”
- Flash Mob:Â NoNoNo – “Pumping Blood (Remix)”
- Longest Married Couple Dance:Â Alan Jackson – “Remember When” &Â Kenny Rogers – “Through The Years”
- Bouquet Toss (Invite):Â Beyonce – “Flawless”
- Bouquet Toss (Toss):Â Ludacris – “Move B&*#H”
- Garter Toss (Invite):Â Mission Impossible Theme
- Garter Toss (Removal):Â Marvin Gaye – “Let’s Get It On”
- Garter Toss (Toss):Â Inner Circle – “Bad Boys”
- Last Dance:Â Aerosmith – “I Don’t Want To Miss A Thing”
Dancing:Â Disco, 90s, 00s, Top 40, Hip-Hop, R&B, Country, Oldies
Photo Courtesy: Wallflower Photography