Andrea Dreschel & John Sherlock

When: Saturday, May 23rd, 2009
Where: Grand Forks Townhouse
1st Dance Song: "Keeper of the Stars" by Tracy Byrd

Too....tired....to.....type. Egads, the original contract had signed me up for a three hour dance. Reality set in about 10:15pm when the groomsmen let me know they were adding two hours of time. Great for them, but have you ever stood in dress shoes for... (does the math)... seven hours? I don't take breaks at these things, you know. Enough whining, on to the details.

Guests started rolling in just before 6pm so I caught the host couples up to speed, found a high chair for a guest, and helped fill vases at the head table for the bouquets. At 6:40 we got Andrea's dad, Paul, up for the welcoming toast, then I started dismissing tables for the buffet. Oh, and it turns out one of the bridesmaids was one of the nurses when our baby was born. Hi, Haley!

Helped the photographer get all her shots since she was only there about two hours: cake, toasts, family, and trivia. Wait, I forgot to explain that last one. To get Andrea and John to kiss you had to ask a question. So if you knew John was the little drummer boy in the kindergardner Christmas program, you asked Andrea what part he played. She gets it right, you kiss your neighbor. She gets it wrong, she kisses John.

Speeches, then straight to the dance. Nothing too unusual (except that it was FIVE HOURS!) but we did a dance off to give the garter away. I had to sweep the dance floor after a glass was broken. Oh, and the Townhouse staff didn't know how late I was allowed to play until (it took five people to figure that one out). And... I can't believe I almost forgot... Andrea's dad's favorite song was: Tootsie Roll! Sweet! I got footage of that one.

Paige Nielsen & Bryan Sims

When: Friday, May 22nd, 2009
Where: Grand Forks Holiday Inn
1st Dance Song: "Love of My Life" by Sammy Kershaw

Wow. My first wedding of the new season (11th year!) and I was actually a bit nervous. Fortunately, there was no cause. Things went very smoothly... or at least the things I could help with. There was the matter of the leaning cake (the photo doesn't do it justice). We took care of the photos quickly and started disassembling the cake before dinner, so no harm done.

This reception was a great reminder for me. Spend a little time chatting up guests, like Uncle Al, and you'll learn all kinds of things. Who can sing (or can't sing, rather), the bride's first hunting trip, and who is newly single so maybe you can get a hold of your photographer friend and try and introduce him to her (didn't work out). Important things that help make the evening a bit more individualized. That's how I got four different guests asking me how I knew the couple. They all assume we were friends, that I knew them personally. Good. That's what I'm going for.


Bryan and Paige did their first dance right when they arrived. I think they liked the idea of changing things up a bit.

The sign in the pic (to the right) is for the Twins game on Sunday. Paige bought them tickets for part of their honeymoon. We played a game of Hot & Cold for Bryan to find it (he needed help. Apparently its a game you need to practice).

By 12:30 am there were only about five or ten guests NOT on the dance floor. Everyone else was still eager to keep going, but sadly the Holiday Inn sets the rules and we had to call it a night.

Amanda Johnson & Tanner Altendorf

When: Saturday, March 28, 2009
Where: Grand Forks Ramada Inn
1st Dance Song: "Your Everything" by Keith Urban
Father/Daughter Dance: "I Loved Her First" by Heartland

Well, tonight was a welcome night since I haven't had a wedding dance in five weeks. Obviously plans changed because of all the flooding in the region and these two were from the Warren-Alvarado area.


The ceremony was in Alvarado at 4pm. Dinner was served at 6:30pm. At 6:10 there was only 40 people in the room (so I was a bit worried), but within 15 minutes about 250 more had arrived (what, did they bus in together?) and we were off.

Cupcakes for dessert and to the left is the evidence of what happened there. I'll say it to all the grooms: its NEVER a good idea to go for the smash. Trust me. Maybe a dab of frosting on the nose. That can be cute. Smash and we're talking about fixing makeup and its still early with lots of pictures to come. So let it go.



A quick buffet (the Ramada always does it right) and some speeches (the best man's was written in crayon during dinner). The first dance had a photo slide show behind them rather than done separately and I think it worked well for them. They were both introverted and liked the idea of pulling attention away from themselves.




The beginning of the dance was a bit slow, but they warmed up after a bit and ended up adding time to the end until we had to stop because of hotel rules. In attendance were Tanner & Jess Tanke whose wedding I DJ'ed last November. They were (tonight and in November) rather... energetic (photo to the left is during a slow song). They're a lot of fun and not afraid to show it.

Add in a quick fix of the bride's broken bodice (its fun to say!) with a safety pin before sending them on their merry way and a good night to all.

Tiffany Harbott & Kyle Page

When: Saturday, January 17, 2009
Where: Grand Forks Ralph Englestad Arena
1st Dance Song: "At Last" by Etta James
Father/Daughter Dance: "Stealing Cinderella" by Chuck Wicks

This evening was noticeably different because both the ceremony and reception were in the Ralph lobby. In fact, I was more nervous for the ceremony than the bride and groom (I get worked up because I know there is no margin for error). As usual there were no issues and everything went smoothly.



The bride requested that I trim the first two songs to about two minutes each. This allowed us to move things along and get the guests involved relatively quickly.

There was one major request. The best man was married just last September. During that reception he made his best man, this evening's groom, Kyle, dress in a giant chicken costume. Revenge was nigh. That's the best man Tyler in the suit (that actually belongs to his wife).

Tera Field & Josh Langlei

When: Saturday, January 10, 2009
Where: Fargo Radisson
1st Dance Song: "Bless the Broken Road" by Rascal Flatts
Father/Daughter Dance: "Butterfly Kisses" by Bob Carlisle
Mother/Son Dance: "My Wish" by Rascal Flatts
Wedding Party song: "Amazed" by Lonestar

I'm posting this a bit later than usual, in part because I slept for what feels like 15 minutes after getting back from this wedding, but also today we moved a whole mess of furniture in our home. That before heading out for family pictures with photographer Shawna Noel (oh, boy was I ever tired by that time).
I hadn't met or even talked with Josh prior to the day because they live in Georgia. It doesn't take long to learn a lot about someone at a wedding. Tera's dad started us off with a welcoming toast before dinner ("I've taken Josh hunting twice and he's still here so you know I think he's a keeper."). During the meal we learn of Josh and best man Casey's passion for green beans (left) and his favorite color is camouflage and favorite holiday is deer hunting opener (is that a holiday now?)

Tera sent me enough pictures for a video clocking in under 5 minutes. No music preferences from her so I picked 3 ("Ain't No Mountain High Enough"; "Days Like This"; "Eight Days Week"). Unfortunately there was an issue so I couldn't use the DVD quality version of the video and had to use the (lower quality) backup though no one seemed to notice.

Rather than have all four of the songs listed above string out the beginning of our dance, I shortened both Butterfly Kisses and My Wish so that guests were joining after a total of 8 minutes - had the songs been left in their original length it would have been about 17 minutes.

Erin Austin & Jordan Grasser

When: Saturday, August 9, 2008 Where: Grand Forks Alerus Center father/bride dance: "I Loved Her First" by Heartland couples 1st dance: "Faraway" by Nickelback "I told you I was going to write you a Thank You when we were at Brianna & Garrett's dance. I apologize for writing it 2.5 years later but things got hectic shortly after we were married. As you may remember, my Dad was battling Lung Cancer and four months after we were married, he passed away. One of my most treasured memories with my Daddy EVER is our dance together at my wedding--and you were part of it so seeing you at another dance made me emotional!  Anyways, you did an AMAZING job at our wedding. Jordan and I did not have one worry. Meeting with you before the wedding reassured us that we picked the right person. The selections you choose are great for a wedding-you really kept our dance going. There was never a dull moment. You kindly suggested shortening the song I danced with my Dad because he got winded out so quickly and yet, it was still perfect. You were prepared when I stepped on a glass and had a band-aid which I so desperately needed :) You are much more than a DJ--you were our go-to person for the evening. You took great pictures which are some of my favorites...especially the cake-cutting pictures.No one else seemed to bother to take a picture! The recording of the speeches was another thing that was not expected, but greatly appreciated. You are a professional and I believe, the best at what you do. Again, better late than never--thank you, thank you, thank you!"  ~Erin Grasser First up, the couple was married at St. Michael's church which meant a 2:30 service in an unairconditioned church (poor kids).  Erin was the smart one and had a handheld battery operated fan with water in the base to help keep cool and I'm very jealous I didn't have it back when I was in a wedding party at the same church.   The favors were small candles made by Jordan's mom.  Guests enjoyed appetizers while the wedding party took pictures in University park.  We drew RSVPs and asked for example kisses each time we heard the klinking of the glasses, which is how we got the photo of Erin's mom and dad to the left. Erin and her dad started the dance because his cancer has left him exhausted.  They danced to a shortened version of "I Loved Her First" before she was joined by Jordan for their first song.  The wedding party stepped up halfway through that and away we went. Unfortunately two different people broke a glass on the dance floor.  We swept but there were still casualties.  I'm pretty sure it still felt better than wearing heals the entire night (but that's just a guess) and I had band-aids in my first aid kit anyway. We took the banner down from behind the head table and had guests sign it with markers provided. To end the evening, I played the first song Erin & Jordan ever danced to ("Crash Into Me" by Dave Matthews), then "We Are Family" while guests danced down the middle of the floor (a stroll); their second time through the gauntlet Erin & Jordan just kept going and headed for the door while I announced their goodbyes before playing one last song for the remaining guests. Below Left: Jordan's sister & dad dancing; Below Right: Erin & her dad after she presented him with the garter.

Welcome

New posts can be seen on Robert's website at http://www.robertbenda.com/blog.html, and will be updated every Sunday.

Anika Olson

the following took place June 2004

Early in June I was sent two hours north to an outdoor ceremony and reception on a farm. They had rented a massive tent for the reception to fit all 300 guests. 100 yards away were 300 white wooden folding chairs facing a shade awning for the ceremony backdropped by a row of trees.

The day was a beautiful partly cloudy, 75 degrees and no wind. Everything was setup and sound checked with three hours until the ceremony when the black clouds appeared.

Within minutes the temperature had dropped 10 degrees, the wind picked up, and rain fell from a narrow strip of thunderstorm clouds. Before panic could set in, just as quickly as in blew in, it was over and the sky cleared and it was perfect.

Until, twenty minutes later, it happened again.

And again.

Now, as guests arrived, another strip of clouds could be seen heading our way. We put everyone under the reception tent in time for the start of the final storm with 45 minutes to go when it really came down.

Hail.

And lots of it.

I ran from the ceremony spot to reception tent to the farm house making sure everything was okay. 300 people were trapped under the tenting, cars were getting pelted, and there was the bride, on the porch, sipping a Coors light as calm as anyone I can remember on their wedding day.

Fortunately, the hail cleared, we wiped the water from the chairs and even began the ceremony (almost) on time. There was no more weather and the ceremony was perfect until the couple went to light the unity candle and the soloist came to the microphone to sing Etta James' "At last."

The song is notable because as the solist approached her microphone, a faint buzzing sound started and slowly becamse louder. As the prerecorded music introduced the song and the soloist opened her mouth the bi-plane buzzed the field 20 yards from the ceremony. It was a cropduster.

Zooom...."At Last...." Zoooom... "My love has come along...." Zooom.... "my lonely days are over...." The plane passed by three times before noticing the crowd and allowing the soloist to continue unopposed.

So a hail storm and a crop duster. What else could go wrong? Well, the rain softened the ground so that the entrance to the tent became pure mud beneath the feet of 300 guests coming and going. Women left high heels stuck in the lawn like so many lawn ornaments. Then, after the night was over I got my cargo van stuck on the lawn (there was an embankment..) so without my knowledge, a groomsman woke up the groom to borrow his pickup and pull me out of the mud. But no one in that town will ever forget that wedding. (actually, the next year, one mile away we abandoned the reception because of a tornado, but thats another story).

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.