Adam Quinn and Bonnie Silberbogen Wedding

Travelling is always an interesting facet of the job.  You never know what to expect, what the venues are going to be like, if the people’s music tastes are going to be different… there’s a lot to consider.  In 2014, Salt City Sound Machine took the show on the road to North Carolina and on the weekend of July 26, 2014, a few hours after rocking the Garback wedding, we were once again on the road.  This time, the destination was Holyoke, Massachusetts for the wedding of Adam Quinn and Bonnie Silberbogen… a wedding that proved that leaving the nest once in a while can be a great time.

Adam and Bonnie were already getting married outside as the set up began for the reception and once the cheers and the excitement was heard, it was time to entertain for the cocktail hour that took place on the outdoor patio, not far from where the vows were said.  Cocktails were both indoors and outdoors while the wedding party took advantage of the scenic backdrops the Log Cabin provided.  One of the top features at the wedding was a large ice sculpture in the shape of a Q.  The cocktail hour was extended for a little whole so that our couple could be 100% ready before they made their eventual entrance.

Adam and Bonnie and their wedding party and parents lined up in the back of the ballroom, set to make their grand entrances.  The parents had their own theme (Say Hey (I Love You) – Michael Franti and Spearhead) and they were followed by the wedding party, each also with their own individual themes.  All of the themes are listed above, but what they all had in common were that they were all upbeat and really got the crowd’s energy levels up.  Finally, after all of the Lady Gagas, Pitbulls, and Pinks of the world were done accompanying the wedding party in, it was then time for Adam and Bonnie to make their walk into their wedding reception to the chorus of their song of choice (On Top of the World – Imagine Dragons)

With everyone inside, it was time to officially start the reception and Adam and Bonnie did not wait to get anything out of the way.   Most of the specific moments and dances were taken care of right in this block of time between the introductions and dinner.  This was actually a brilliant strategy as it allowed for more time for dancing after dinner.  Starting off the festivities was the first dance between Adam and Bonnie.  They chose for their first dance a vocal mash-up of two popular songs, performed by a popular acapella group (Somewhere Over the Rainbow/I’m Yours – Straight No Chaser).

They followed that up with a tandem Parent’s Dance in which Adam danced with his mother and Bonnie danced with her father simultaneously (What a Wonderful World – Louis Armstrong).  After which, everyone sat down for some sometimes heartfelt, sometimes hilarious toasts by the Best Man and Maid of Honor.  Finally, the pre-dinner sequence concluded with the Cake Cutting (Sugar, Sugar – The Archies) which usually happens after dinner, but with the 4-course meal planned, the cake would serve as the dessert and 4^th course.

With all of that official stuff out of the way, it opened up the flood gates for close to 4 hours of dance time.  The crowd was easy to please with several familiar faces, including a couple former and future Salt City Sound Machine clients, despite the Massachusetts location, so the dance floor was full throughout the night.  Indeed, the Syracuse mixing with the Massachusetts crowd led to one inevitable conclusion: These people wanted to party, and they absolutely did.  There were several requests throughout the night but for the most part, it was kept pretty modern.  I can remember that as the night that taught me how effective Don Omar’s Danza Kuduro can be with the right crowd.

Overall it was a good mix that people tended to enjoy throughout the night and into the next day!  The night was slated to end at 12 am, but was extended to 1am, so the wedding itself was a two day affair, reminiscent of the 2009 Syracuse vs. Connecticut 6 overtime game, something that this crowd could appreciate.  As 1am approached, the final song of the night (Bohemian Rhapsody – Queen) was played as Adam and Bonnie were surrounded by a kick line and a huge dance to end the night.

Congratulations to Adam and Bonnie.  Thank you for choosing Salt City Sound Machine and we wish you the best of luck in the future!

Notable Songs

• Say Hey (I Love You) – Michael Franti & Spearhead (Grand Entrance – Parents)
• Bust a Move – Young MC (Grand Entrance – Wedding Party 1)
• I Gotta Feeling – Black Eyed Peas (Grand Entrance – Wedding Party 2)
• Don’t Stop the Party – Pitbull (Grand Entrance – Wedding Party 3)
• Walk This Way – Aerosmith (Grand Entrance – Wedding Party 4)
• Applause – Lady Gaga (Grand Entrance – Wedding Party 5)
• Raise Your Glass – Pink (Grand Entrance – Wedding Party 6)
• On Top of the World – Imagine Dragons (Grand Entrance – Bride & Groom)
• I’m Yours/Somewhere Over the Rainbow – Straight No Chaser (First Dance)
• What a Wonderful World – Louis Armstrong (Parents Dance)
• Sugar, Sugar – The Archies (Cake Cutting)
•  Bohemian Rhapsody – Queen (Last Dance)