Mad River Barn Wedding in Waitsfield, VT

East Coast Soul was grateful to be asked to join Ally & Ellis for their stunning Mad River Barn Wedding in Waitsfield, VT.

Preprations for Ally & Ellis's Big Day

Our planning for the big day began many weeks prior, with Ally & Ellis expressing a variety of musical and logistical preferences with us for the big day (we always leave an excess of time for preparation). Ally & Ellis were happy to be a key part of this advanced planning and super helpful throughout.

Once the big day arrived, East Coast Soul traveled to Waitsfield, VT and carried out our normal load-in, set up, and sound check process for Mad River Barn weddings. Being prepared for load-in and set-up at any given venue is a critical part of our workflow. This is a part of the day that we take seriously, spending extra time to avoid rushing, and ensuring our gear is properly tuned for the room.

Ceremony

In this case, East Coast Soul was not involved with couple's ceremony, with those arrangements having already been taken care of.

Cocktail Hour

As is common, East Coast Soul was asked to provide cocktail hour music. Cocktail hour is a wonderful chance for the bride and groom to unwind after the intense emotions of the ceremony. We contribute by providing a blend of relaxed music for guests to listend to. In this case, cocktail hour took place Outdoor patio adjacent to main pavilion. We provided a Playback and and featured music by artists such as Frank Sinatra, Ella Fitzgerald, and more.

Reception

In a lion's share of celebrations, the band is asked to take care of MC services for the formal portions of the weddings. This Mad River Barn Wedding was no different.

The bride and groom’s First Dance

The bride and groom's first dance is traditionally one of the most emotional parts of the big day. It's a chance for the bride and groom to take a moment for themselves. Ally & Ellis danced to Real Love Baby by Father John Misty, which everyone thoroughly enjoyed. With this part of the evening complete, the guests and vendors took a break for dinner. After a super brief break, East Coast Soul's Stax ensemble returned to the stage.

Dance Party

As part of our preparation process, we like to get a sense of what the bride and groom are excited to hear. Ally & Ellis Were a huge help here, giving us a ton of great input. Soul/Funk Ariana Grande Lizzo - Juice Proud Mary Prince Earth Wind & Fire Queen Michael Jackson Whitney Houston

Guests danced non-stop from beginning to end, and we limited our breaks to ensure people had as much time to dance as possible.

Thanks so much to Ally & Ellis for having us at their beautiful July wedding at Mad River Barn! And thank you to Leslie Swan for sharing these beautiful photos with us!