An exquisite March wedding at the Willowdale Estate in Ipswich, MA where East Coast Soul's Stax ensemble had an incredibly time that will *not* soon be forgotten!
East Coast Soul was grateful to be invited to join Jennifer & Mike for their stunning Willowdale Estate Wedding in Ipswich, MA.
Preprations for Jennifer & Mike's Big Day
Our preparations for the big day began months in advance, with Jennifer & Mike expressing a variety of musical and logistical preferences with us for the big day (preparation is a key part of our process). Jennifer & Mike 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 Ipswich, MA and moved swiftly through our standard load-in, set up, and sound check process for Willowdale Estate weddings. Our process for loading in and setting up at any given venue is a big part of our preparation process. 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 relax after the heightened emotions of the ceremony. We do our part by providing a variety of relaxed music for guests to listend to. In this case, and featured music by artists such as Duke Ellington, Glenn Miller, and more.
Reception
In a majority of receptions, East Coast Soul is asked to handle MC services for the formal portions of the receptions. This Willowdale Estate Wedding was no different.
The groom and bride’s First Dance
The newly married couple's first dance is traditionally one of the most meaningful parts of the big day. It's a chance for the bride and groom to take a moment for themselves. With this part of the evening complete, the guests and vendors took a break for dinner. After as short a break as possible, East Coast Soul's Stax ensemble circled back to the stage.
Dance Party
East Coast Soul performances often start with older material. We've discovered this is an excellent approach to get folks relaxed and dancing with songs they're familiar with. Artists like Marvin Gaye, Sam and Dave, The Temptations, and more dominated the beginning of our set list. We then moved into performing music by artists like Whitney Houston, Prince, Michael Jackson and more. Finally, we ended the night performing contemporary material that everyone could sing along with.
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 Jennifer & Mike for having us at their beautiful March wedding at Willowdale Estate! And thank you to Leona Campbell Photo for sharing these beautiful photos with us!
Ready to Learn More?
Planning a Wedding? Maybe at Willowdale Estate, perhaps in Ipswich, MA? Either way, feel free to learn more, and let's connect!