Craig and Maria’s wedding at The Parlour at Mann’s Chapel in Chapel Hill was the perfect way to spend a Sunday afternoon. With around 50 to 60 guests, the entire day felt personal, relaxed, and full of great energy from start to finish.
Ceremony in the Garden
The ceremony took place in the garden area, and it could not have been more beautiful. The Parlour at Mann’s Chapel is a restored historic church, which gives the entire property a unique and intimate feel. Surrounded by greenery and natural light, the garden was a beautiful setting for Craig and Maria to say their vows.
After the ceremony, guests moved to the covered veranda for cocktail hour. Being just steps from the ceremony space made for a smooth transition and gave everyone a chance to relax, grab a drink, and enjoy the setting before heading inside.
Reception Inside the Chapel
Dinner and dancing took place inside the chapel. After their grand entrance, Craig and Maria went straight into their first dance as husband and wife. They followed that with a quick welcome and thank you to everyone before moving right into a plated dinner.
A Packed Dance Floor
After dinner, it was time to get everyone dancing. We opened the dance floor with “Boogie Wonderland” by Earth, Wind & Fire, which was on Craig and Maria’s must-play list and got things started immediately.
From there, I mixed in plenty of early 2000s and 2010s pop along with Latin favorites. Cumbia was important to Maria and her family, so I spread several cumbia songs throughout the reception rather than playing them all together. I also worked in music from J Balvin and Bad Bunny alongside artists like Usher, Chris Brown, and Katy Perry.
Craig and Maria didn’t want a lot of Taylor Swift during the dancing portion of the reception, but that didn’t mean she had to disappear completely. Working some Taylor Swift into cocktail hour gave a few guests what they wanted without changing the direction Craig and Maria had planned for their dance floor.
It ended up being a little bit of everything, and the crowd stayed with it all afternoon.
A Private Last Dance
Before Craig and Maria’s grand exit with fiber optic wands, everyone cleared the chapel so they could have one final dance together.
After an afternoon surrounded by family and friends, it gave them a few quiet minutes alone in the same room where everyone had just been celebrating with them. It was a beautiful way to bring the reception to an end before they headed outside for their exit.
Kind Words from Craig & Maria
“We had Joey for our wedding and he was wonderful to work with and a fantastic DJ. We worked with him the months leading up to the wedding planning out all the songs as well as letting us share playlists to give a general vibe. The day of he was extremely communicative, helpful, and coordinated well with the planner and other vendors. The music was great, well timed, and his energy was loads of fun. We would definitely recommend Joey.”
Thank you, Craig and Maria, for choosing me to be your DJ. I had a great time celebrating with you and your friends and family.
Vendor Team
Venue: The Parlour at Mann’s Chapel
Wedding Planner: Aya Cuenca
Catering: Beau Catering — Ali Nikolic
Photography: Chic Visual by Lily — Lily Nguyen
DJ & MC: Joey’s DJ Service
