Jake & Olivia's Raleigh Museum Wedding

Some wedding venues have a special connection to the couple getting married, and that was certainly true for Jake and Olivia.

The two met during their freshman year at the University of Florida, and one of their first outings together included visits to an art museum and a science museum. Years later, they chose the North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences in downtown Raleigh for their wedding.

It was great to be back at the museum for another celebration, and I loved seeing how Jake and Olivia made the space their own.

Their ceremony took place on the ground floor, followed by cocktail hour, dinner, and dancing on the third floor alongside Acrocanthosaurus, better known as Acro.

A Ceremony Surrounded by Exhibits

Jake and Olivia’s guests entered through the museum’s main entrance, where the ceremony was held right in front of the exhibits on the ground floor.

It’s a setting you don’t find at a traditional wedding venue. Instead of a ballroom or garden, they exchanged vows surrounded by the museum exhibits in a place that connected naturally with their shared love of museums.

After the ceremony, everyone headed upstairs to continue the celebration.

Cocktail Hour and Dinner with Acro

The third floor of the museum offers a reception space unlike most wedding venues. With Acro as the centerpiece and guest tables spread throughout the surrounding areas, there’s plenty of room to celebrate, but the layout also requires some thought when it comes to sound.

I positioned speakers throughout the floor so guests could comfortably enjoy the music whether they were near the dinosaur room or seated farther away.

During cocktail hour, Jake and Olivia both mentioned how good everything sounded throughout the space. That’s always great to hear, especially in a venue where guests are spread across several areas.

Dinner was a chance for everyone to relax, catch up with friends and family, and enjoy the surroundings before dancing began.

There were also plenty of personal touches throughout the reception, including a wedding cake made by a friend and gummy candies as wedding favors. Little details like those helped make the celebration feel like Jake and Olivia.

Sharing Memories with Instant Spotlight

Jake and Olivia’s wedding was also the first time I introduced a new addition called Instant Spotlight at a live event.

Instant Spotlight allows guests to scan a QR code and upload pictures from their phones to a slideshow that updates throughout the reception.

During planning, Jake and Olivia had mentioned that several guest tables wouldn’t have a direct view of their sweetheart table. We decided to place the screen near those tables so guests on that side of the reception could enjoy pictures of the couple and moments being shared throughout the evening.

I placed QR codes with instructions on the tables and stopped by during dinner to explain how everything worked.

It was fun watching the pictures start coming in. Some guests uploaded photos taken during the wedding, while others shared favorite memories of Jake and Olivia from their camera rolls. Guests of all ages joined in, and by the end of the evening, we had collected a wonderful assortment of pictures for the newlyweds to keep.

For the first time using Instant Spotlight at a wedding, I couldn’t have asked for a better response!

One of the photos shared by guests through Instant Spotlight during Jake and Olivia's reception.

Dancing Under the Dinosaurs

Jake and Olivia chose to keep their reception relaxed when it came to traditional wedding formalities. There was no grand entrance or formal first dance, and their cake cutting was a quiet moment rather than a big announcement.

After dinner, we moved into dancing.

At first, most guests were still enjoying themselves near Jake and Olivia rather than making their way into the dinosaur room. But once the newlyweds headed toward the dance floor, their friends and family followed.

And that’s when the party really took off!

For the final stretch of the reception, the dance floor was packed with guests dancing and singing beneath the dinosaurs.

I worked in Olivia’s request, “Fireflies” by Owl City, along with Jake’s choice, “Block Party” by DJ Laz. Both were part of a night filled with music that kept the crowd moving.

As the evening came to a close, we went from “Dancing Queen” into “Mr. Brightside” before finishing with “Closing Time.”

With everyone singing along and Jake and Olivia making their exit, I had one final announcement:

“Give it up one more time for the brand-new Dr. and Mr. Gillespie!”

The guests kept singing through the end of the song, giving Jake and Olivia a great sendoff and bringing another fun wedding at the museum to a close.

Kind Words from Olivia

After the wedding, Olivia shared this wonderful review:

“Choosing Joey’s DJ Service was one of the best decisions we made for our wedding. From our first conversation, Joey was clear about what he could do and got back to us fast whenever we had questions. On the day of, he showed why he’s worth every penny—when unexpected delays threw off our timeline, he adjusted announcements on the fly and kept everything running smooth. His sound system was excellent and his song choices really set the right tone for each part of the night. He had a gift for knowing exactly when to play guest requests and when to stick with his own picks, which kept the energy up the whole time and the dance floor lively. We can’t thank Joey enough for making our reception feel so put together and fun.”

Olivia G.

Jake and Olivia, thank you for letting me be part of your wedding and for trusting me to try something brand new during your reception. I had such a great time celebrating with you and your guests, and I truly appreciate the kind words you shared afterward.

Wishing you both all the best!