Some weddings follow familiar traditions. Others quietly make those traditions their own.
Laura and Daniel’s wedding on their family farm in Sanford was filled with personal touches from beginning to end. From the ceremony music to the final moments of the reception, every part of the day reflected the two of them without ever feeling overplanned. It was a celebration built around family, friends, and the people who know them best.
An Outdoor Ceremony Filled with Personal Touches
Laura and Daniel exchanged vows on a beautiful spring afternoon surrounded by family and friends.
Music played an important role throughout the ceremony, with every entrance carefully chosen. The parents were seated to Somewhere Over the Rainbow. The guys entered to Blackbird by The Beatles*,* while the ladies walked in to a violin arrangement of Pink Pony Club. Laura made her entrance to Nuvole Bianche by Ludovico Einaudi before meeting Daniel at the altar.
A close friend officiated the ceremony, giving it a relaxed and personal feel from beginning to end.
When they were announced as husband and wife, Laura and Daniel walked back up the aisle to Bohemian Rhapsody by Queen. It was an unexpected choice that fit the celebration waiting just beyond the ceremony.
Cocktail Hour Before the Celebration Began
Following the ceremony, guests gathered beneath the reception tent for cocktail hour while the wedding party spent time together taking photographs.
As everyone visited and enjoyed the afternoon, the clouds slowly began to move in overhead.
No one knew it at the time, but the weather would end up arriving at just the right moment.
A Grand Entrance and Their First Dance
As cocktail hour came to a close, everyone found their seats beneath the tent and the reception officially began.
Laura and Daniel made their grand entrance before stepping directly into their first dance together.
They had learned a waltz for the occasion, and after a brief restart at the beginning of the song, they simply picked up where they left off and finished the dance exactly as they had planned.
Dinner followed, and just as everyone was settling in, the rain arrived.
With the sides of the tent zipped closed, everyone stayed dry while the cooler temperatures made the evening even more comfortable. The sound of the rain became part of dinner as family and friends enjoyed the meal together.
Family Dances and a Well-Planned Surprise
Daniel stepped onto the dance floor with his mom, but before Wonderful Tonight by Eric Clapton began, Laura had one surprise planned.
For a few seconds, Cocaine by Eric Clapton played instead.
Because of the brief restart during the first dance, everyone thought another mistake had happened. Confused looks quickly gave way to laughter before the music stopped and Wonderful Tonight began.
When the dance ended, Laura made sure everyone knew the joke had been her idea.
Laura then shared a dance with her mom to Dear Mama by Tupac Shakur. Partway through the song, her brothers joined them one at a time, turning the dance into another memorable family moment before the evening shifted into open dancing.
A Dance Floor That Brought Everyone Together
Open dancing began with Just Dance by Lady Gaga, and it didn’t take long for the dance floor to fill.
Laura and Daniel had family and friends who had traveled from different parts of the country, and the music reflected that throughout the evening.
When All Cities Remix by Petey Pablo came on, the North Carolina crowd answered immediately.
Later in the evening, the Boston guests had their turn with I’m Shipping Up to Boston by Dropkick Murphys.
Watching each group respond to their hometown anthem became another fun part of the celebration, and the dance floor stayed busy the rest of the night.
A Saturday Night Live Finish
Before the reception came to a close, Laura and Daniel took a few moments to thank everyone for celebrating with them.
They’ve always enjoyed Saturday Night Live, so one final surprise was planned to end the evening.
As Daniel finished speaking, I quietly brought in the familiar closing waltz from the show underneath Laura’s remarks.
Then, just before the music came to an end, one final announcement filled the tent.
“Live from Sanford… it’s Saturday night!”
Everyone immediately recognized it, and the laughter and applause that followed were a fitting end to a wedding that had reflected Laura and Daniel from beginning to end.
Thank you, Laura and Daniel, for trusting Joey’s DJ Service to be part of your wedding day. It was a pleasure helping celebrate such a personal day with your family and friends. I wish you both a lifetime of happiness together.
Kind Words
“I liked Joey as soon as we talked as he seemed to understand our vision. There were a few misshaps that day (forgot to play our song after the ceremony, played a song overlaying ours at our first dance, and then songs at the end of the night I did not request). But he’s a really good guy and definitely cares about his job. We were dancing all night!”
