Bizzy Slavens & Tyler Burslie

When: Saturday, January 23rd, 2010

Where: Valley Clubhouse, EGF, MN
1st Dance Song: "The Nearness of You" by Norah Jones

The life threatening cold temperatures are gone, and replaced with rain that will surely freeze and create streets of ice tonight, when I'm trying to drive the 30 miles home. More importantly, this limited guests who were largely from MacIntosh and so that an already relatively small reception (125) shrank down to almost half size. Fortunately, weather isn't enough to stop a good time.


The ceremony was earlier, 1pm, to allow pictures and a field trip afterwards. Bizzy and Tyler met when they both worked at Sam's Club so long ago and made a stop there today. The first song Bizzy and Tyler ever danced to was Taylor Swift's "Love Story," which is unfortunate (it references Romeo & Juliet, which, I'd point out, is a tragedy, not a love song). Bizzy chose Norah Jones because, well, it wasn't Ella Fitzgerald. See, she was at a wedding a year ago with that song by Ella. She loved the song but didn't want to copy the other couple. Subtle.
The guest book was a custom book of photos from Shutterfly.com. Favors were cute little buttons with their name and date on them. Cake was a single top tier with cupcakes for the rest. Wine and champagne was made available for everyone.

Tera Bahl & Greg Paulson

When: Thursday, December 31st, 2009
Where: Alerus Center, Grand Forks, ND
1st Dance Song: "Then" by Brad Paisley

Happy New Years! Whoot!

Tonight was noticeably different from normal, at least for me. I was roommates with the groom back in college. Or, rather, back when I was supposed to be in college (sorry, mom). I knew all kinds of fun info on Tonka (Greg's nickname). More fun was what I learned. Like their first date was at Sam's Club. Hmm. I couldn't resist (see the video). I also got to be at the ceremony and brought my gal with.

Scored some Bavarian Almonds from concessions. They were open because First Night had events down the hall. Sweet.

To the left, our best man had his Halloween costume along (from the movie Dumb & Dumber). Sadly (or wisely) he did not wear it over to the church. Greg, meanwhile, is on his second tuxedo here. His first, from the rental company, was completely the wrong size... way too big in the coat and the pants were three inches too short.

Most importantly, we got to do the new year countdown before we wrapped it up. Always nice with 200 friends and family (nice for them, though I was with my gal).

Greta Carlson & Tom Beard

When: Saturday, November 21st, 2009
Where: Ramada Inn, Grand Forks, ND
1st Dance Song: "Me and You" by Kenny Chesney

The decorations tonight were above and beyond. Below left, see the chandelier they put in over the cake table. Yes. That morning they put it up. Along with callo lilly centerpieces and a backdrop for the head table.



Tom and Greta asked me to repeat a game (they read about it on an earlier blog post). Its basically a elimination version of scavenger hunt. When I got to my last three and asked for an out of state driver's license, one contestant stole the father-of-the groom's wallet. Touche. Then I asked for something there was only two of. I meant the bride and groom. He thought I meant their rings and stole them too. He won.

Tom had preselected six volunteers for the game. Two were missing. Turns out they were absent but showed up for the dance. Their mistake. Originally I was supposed to get Greta's brother, Matt, to sing "You Are My Sunshine." He had to do it for Junior hockey. Instead, we tricked our missing men onto the floor and made them sing it, with Matt (6'5", 225lbs) standing behind them. They were good sports and learned the importance of punctuality.

My last memorable moment was a groomsman carrying Tom's mom, Carol, out onto the dance floor for.... "the Humpty Dance."

Courtney Arens & Tim Boyle

When: Friday, November 20th, 2009
Where: Ramada Inn, Grand Forks, ND
1st Dance Song: "Wonderful Tonight" by Eric Clapton

"Thank you so much for all you did to make Courtney & Tim's wedding a truly memorable event. You went above and beyond."
- from Nate & Renee Arens (parents)

This evening was both a ceremony and reception. They didn't actually hire me for the ceremony, but when I heard what was planned (a CD player), I volunteered. It was simply playing the music, but my speakers instead of a little CD player can make a big difference.

For the reception, champagne for all the guests for toasts. To the left, their cake. Jokes aside, it really didn't seem to fit Tim (he was an enthusiastic participant). When the guests clinked their glasses, I called out a year. Any couple married that year had to stand and offer an example kiss for Courtney and Tim to emulate. Watching Tim's retired Marine dad try the Cha Cha Slide made my evening. No bouquet toss, no garter, just the dollar dance. Only one song, their first, to start, and we added the wedding party halfway through. The only song request was "Free Bird" in memory of Tim's best friend.

Tim loves heavy metal ("...the heavier, the better.") and Courtney loves country. We compromised by playing what Courtney liked. Sorry, guys, that's the way it works. Especially when your choice of music is more angry, less fun.

Kathryn Schleisman & Jesse Bergstedt

When: Saturday, August 29th, 2009
Where: A Touch of Magic, EGF, MN
1st Dance Song: "Me and You" by Kenny Chesney
Special Song: "A Bride's Prayer" by Kathryn Schleisman

Yes, that last song above is a live recording by Katie (right click and 'save target as' to download). For her speech, she wrote and sang a song for Jesse. It was a complete suprise. My role was to rent and setup a full keyboard and mic out on the dancefloor without Jesse noticing. That was shockingly easy. The song along with all the speeches and two videos (two!) brought quite a few people to tears. One video was the picture slide show you'd expect, the other was from her dad, and was comprised of home videos as he'd let you know what was happening.

Well, something new with the garter. We did a raffle, brought up four contestants competing by fetching items in the room. When I asked them to bring back a person wearing a boutinierre, Gary, our winner, wheeled over grandma in her wheelchair. She did not see the humor in it. He did, however, win.

I'm legally required to play "Jesse's Girl" at this wedding, aren't I?

Some random compliments from the evening: "You make it so personal." and "I have never seen a DJ put so much into it." Those are two of my favorite to hear because that is exactly what I strive for.

Coolest part of the entire day was being able to play Kathryn's song as our last slow song of the night.

Samantha Bopp & Chris McEntee

When: Saturday, August 8th, 2009
Where: Grand Forks Guesthouse Townhouse
1st Dance Song: "Your Song" by Elton John

Never let it be said I won't do almost anything for my clients. Tonight I gave the blessing, dismissed tables for the buffet, and tracked down some cornstarch in the kitchen (for the dance floor, to slicken things up just a little).

Chris and Sam kept things simple, made their own programs and guest book. Some floral centerpieces alternating with candles. No decorative cake, just sheets. Their Catholic ceremony meant an early start to the reception - the dance was seven to 11. Trust me, when you're day starts at 8 am (hair and makeup), 11pm isn't early. Again, tonight, we added the wedding party half way through their first dance song to kick things off quickly.


The groom-to-be for September 5th, Mr. Josh Windsor, is in this wedding party. Their wedding will be at the same location. With the same DJ. Umm.... here's hoping to impress. I did talk to his fiance during and we made some notes (likes and dislikes) for their night.

During the dance, I got a request for the Chicken Train by Ozark Mountain Daredevils. There isn't much to the song, but everyone gets in a circle, stomps the feet or hands, and a single dancer partners with a broom in the middle, passing the broom every so often. Not sure which part is best, the dancing with an inanimate object, or the people terrified of said dancing (if you come near them, they will flip out, like you just asked them to diffuse a bomb).

Rebecca Starr & Rich McFarlane

When: Friday, August 7th, 2009
Where: EGF Touch of Magic
1st Dance Song: "Wonderful Tonight" by Eric Clapton

Rebecca and Rich are both teachers which meant tonight was an unusual combination of family, friends, and students from their respective schools. Rich teaches theater (and SPA) at Red River and the kids in attendance were pretty enthusiastic. Along for the ride were some faculty I knew when I attended, Doc Brown (the mayor, not the guy from Back to the Future), and some past clients' parents: the Wakefields (the DJ's earplugs courtesy Wakefield Hearing Center, conveniently located in Grand Forks) and Wingers (grandparents to the cutest fist-bumping baby you'd ever see).

Since the reception was at A Touch of Magic, I wasn't allowed there during the social and dinner to help (the facility places a lot of restrictions). I arrived in time to assist with the slide show and speeches, though, which led us directly into their first dance song. One problem was the video setup (provided by Touch of Magic). Turns out Magic runs your DVD player (yes, its provide your own) into a VCR (which causes the volume to be very quiet). Then the video kept going dim (either a bulb or cord on the fritz). It definetely put a damper on things.

Getting things going and keeping it that way was very big with Rich and Rebecca, so only their first dance song (with the wedding party, too) before inviting guests to join them. The only break to the dance was the bouquet toss. No garter, no dollar dance, no problem. My job was to shut up and play good music.

The most unusual item for the night was a pair of dance instructors. Friends of the couple, they came in from Minneapolis. We announced a few times they were available to help guests learn some dances. Very cool. I've always wished we had that available locally.

Katie Pankonin & Jeremy Curran

When: Saturday, July 25, 2009
Where: Grand Forks Masonic Center
1st Dance Song: "Then" by Brad Paisley

"Robert-we can't thank you enough for a wonderful time at our wedding reception and dance. The first time we met with you we knew we would have a full dance floor! Our slide show was perfect and the night flowed so smoothly. We will recommend you to anyone! Thanks again!"

As much as I love the Masonic Center once its decorated, I will warn you that it is surrounded on all sides by, respectively: Police Department, county jail, the mission, and the back of a brick building. Once inside its beautiful, with a double grand staircase leading down to the reception area.


I was responsible for creating and playing the video slide show. Original photos came to almost 15 minutes. An extra day with me and we were almost down to ten and it flowed noticeably better.

I've never seen anyone turn "Thriller" into a line dance before, but sure, why not?

Pretty typical evening, events-wise: Dollar dance; bouquet; garter raffle. Unusual items: the party bus they hired provided a certain.... energy (see video) which I used in their entrance/introductions; the toasts were excellent; I played Ricky Martin (had to? Got to? Can't decide)




I also got to work with Brian of Brian's Photography. The man was the gold standard when I started DJ'ing in 1998 and is still great to work with. I'm DJ'ing his assistant's wedding Ocotober 2010. Shockingly, I had very few usable photos from my camera (somehow my picture taking was worse than usual) so I'll have to wait and hope to snag from photos from Brian.

Kathryn Stephan & Grant Korsmo

When: Friday, July 24, 2009
Where: Grand Forks Celebrity Ballroom
1st Dance Song: "Heaven" by Bryan Adams
Special Performance: "Folsom Prison Blues" by Grant Korsmo & Chambers

Tonight's entire attitude was a bit different because the couple was actually married months ago in Hawaii, so no ceremony today. That won't stop us from kickin' up our feet, though. That special performance above is the direct audio recording of Grant's karaoke song, and quite a crowd pleaser. Enjoy part of it in the video, click to listen, or right click and 'save link as' to download for posterity.

No dollar dance, no bouquet toss, no garter. We did a few special dances, including Kathryn with her grandfather. Some requests that were interesting: a friend, Jackie, who could not attend, actually texted her request in (yes, Jackie, we did play Bel Biv Devoe). Also in the playlist were Rolling Stones' "Beast of Burden," Marc Cohn's "Walking in Memphis," and Boyz II Men's "MoTownPhilly."

While the catering job by Bob Kincaid and his crew from 'Quality Catering' was impressive, I'll guess the taco grinders served at midnight actually appreciated most. Sorry, Bob. Cool centerpiece, though (photo left).

Most of Kathryn's bridsemaids are from Kodiak, Alaska, where she grew up. One even brought a paper fan, explaining, "it's cold in Kodiak, it's hot here (North Dakota)." First time I ever heard North Dakota described as hot, but I guess it's all relative (Friday's temp in Kodiak: ).

Last item is pretty unusual for our area (though its common in some parts of the country). We gave away the centerpieces at the end of the night. Anyone who wanted one, could have one.

Jenny Newcomb & Tim Curry

When: Friday, June 26th, 2009
Where: Grand Forks Alerus Center
1st Dance Song: "Stay With You" by John Legend

I worked Jenny's sister's wedding a couple of years ago. The same wedding where Jenny met Tim. Heavens, that is one good looking couple.


Hmmm, where to start, where to start.... how about, the second the wedding party arrived we were all ushered into the space below the main arena's bleachers just in case the tornado bearing down on Grand Forks decided crush us like bugs. Yes, that seems like a good thing to bring up.

We had our and another wedding's guests under the bleachers for protection (the Alerus is the city's emergency shelter, if you didn't know) for about 90 minutes until we finally got the all clear. Apparently the Alerus' emergency plan didn't dictate for anyone to update us, so, yeah! I got to do it. Trust me, you don't want to have to give continously bad news to large groups of hungry and cranky people. Its like training them to dislike you.


Once we got the all clear we retuned everyone to the ballroom and headed straight into: Grand March; prayer; dinner service; video; toasts; and the dance. All on a slightly truncated timeline. We skipped the dollar dance. I did get a really good stroll in. Plus, I got to play "Poison" by Bel Biv Devoe. I don't know if any request has ever made me so happy (maybe "Now that We Found Love" by Heavy D and the Boyz last December). OK, yes, I love bad 90's music, but that's exactly why you don't ever tell a DJ "just play whatever you like".

To the right, a photo of Jenny during the dance. I couldn't not share this. The look is priceless.

Fred & Sarah Steffen

this took place leading up to September 23, 2006
The idea that something will go wrong or that a poor choice was made after all those decisions and all that money makes a wedding understandably stressful. So what happens when you do put your faith in the wrong people?

Either out of necessity or because they wanted something different, their reception was to be held at the college basketball arena. Backdrops would be brought in to shield the bleachers from view, but in the end, its still center court. Interesting, but as a DJ, it doesn't pose any problems.

Six months before the wedding, the bride calls the arena coordinator to ask some questions. Two things are discovered: 1) the arena coordinator she was working with no longer works there, and 2) the she never filed the (signed) contract that booked the reception. Instead, our bride learns from the new girl that center court will be occupied by the women's volleyball team that night.

The bride did accept the counter-offer to move her reception to center ice at the $100 million hockey arena. They'll drop a black floor over the ice, backdrops around the boards, and lower the scoreboard to show their video slide show. Kind of a cool idea. Plans change but this will work.

Three months before the wedding the arena coordinator calls. Sorry, the ice won't be in place so no black floor - just bare concrete. And the chairs we promised? They'll be metal folding chairs now.

Six weeks before the wedding yet another call. Sorry, the ice will be in place but now it will be used so you can't have your reception there. How about our lobby at the main arena entrance?

To top things off, the wedding photographer was missing. Calls and emails went unreturned for six weeks leading up to the wedding day.

With so much going wrong for this couple, by the time the reception started I was noticeably nervous. I imagined something going wrong and the bride snapping, diving at me with her salad fork (an unfair characterization considered how nice a couple they'd been, but hey, no one said fear is rational).

Fortunately, the arena lobby worked great, the new photographer seemed perfect (they'll even own their pictures), and there were only two small issues that had to be dealt with. The 160 guests had a great time, the bride and groom were the perfect couple (right down to him singing "When I'm 64" to her in front of everyone).

Don't feel too bad for them - they spent two weeks in Hawaii getting over it and now have their first baby.