Reception, Windsor Stables, October 2011

John was a Marine and because of that they got a sizable military discount. However they had trusted us with a very large package for their day. We had not had the pleasure of meeting John until the last month or two before their event because he was stationed in southern California and had a tour in Iraq. After we got to meet with John and Austyn together we noticed right away how totally in love these two were. They asked me to write their love story for the love story presentation, however their story pretty much wrote itself. It was full of romance, humor and even tragedy. During the grand entrance a couple of their guys entered while doing flips and holding a drink in there hand even while they were flipping! Sarah, their Maid of Honor, was one of the sweetest women we have ever met. She kept checking with us to see how we were doing and even brought us a couple of beverages throughout the night.

The caterers at the Lied Lodge provided traditional grilled favorites with all the ingredients being fresh and grilled right before your eyes. In fact all the staff at the Lied Center were very proficient at everything they did. Their photographer was one of the hardest working photographers we have ever seen. He was there until the last dance of the night and we often saw him setting up creative shots throughout the night as well. His name was Terry Cue from “Images by TLC”

Our team included Josh Haws as lead videographer and editor for the wedding, and Josh also produced John and Austyn’s slide shows, and their last word. Justin Shoen was the lead reception videographer, and lighting tech, Dustin Kaiser was the DJ, back up video grapher, and sound tech for the wedding. Mike Kaiser was the “last word” videographer, Assistant wedding videographer, Love story author and presenter, and Entertainment Director. Our entire crew ended up falling in love with both Austyn and John and their families that night. They were two of the most down to earth and friendly people you will every meet. A+ Media, and A+ Nightlife Entertainment thanks Austyn, John, and their families for allowing us to be a part of this unforgettable night.

The Eagles Club in Columbus was the setting for their June 4th reception of 300 people. Sun Valley Caterers had an amazing spread of tender roast beef and all the fixings. So many fun, new memories were created that night including the recognition of Jeremy’s grandparents celebrating 58 years of marriage and Grandpa’s words of advice to Jeremy being “Just say yes dear”. Jeremy’s aunt Patty “survived” the Survivor Game (barely) and took home the LED glasses that grandma was modeling and won bragging rights for Jeremy to spend all the Honeymoon dance money. The dance really kicked off with dad playing his air guitar to Shook Me All Night Long with everyone else snapping pictures. Good times were had by all. It is such an amazing experience to see past clients and their children knowing we were such an intimate part of their wedding day. Nicole and Travis Musselman were the photographers and we made a great team working together to make sure they knew what was coming up. The A+ staff included Jordan as Disc Jockey and Brenda as the Entertainment Director.

After the Shoe Game, Luke and Sara started their married life together with a song entitled “That’s Beautiful to Me” by Jaron and the Long Road to Love. We showed pictures of the two of them together through a projector onto a giant screen while they were dancing that really created such a romantic setting and experience for all. The music videos shown throughout their dance were a definite hit! Their soloist, also named Sara, was the party animal of the night, leading everyone out in the train and encouraging all guests to have some fun. Their photographer, Dani Attanasic, did an amazing job capturing the romance that night. Congratulations again to Luke and Sara and we wish them all the best!

We knew just showing up and playing music would cause the party to fail before it really started and so we developed a plan including several games and passing the mic to allow people to say something to Larry. We started tearing down at midnight and most everybody was still at the party. After we loaded our equipment into the van I went in to say goodbye, and the goodbyes were hearty handshakes and hugs from several people there. They expressed they gratitude for what we did over and over. A+ Nightlife Entertainment would like to thank Larry Robertson and his family and friends. And we would like to thank the staff at the holiday Inn express for a fantastic night of memories.

Because of the size of this package we had to work with Jessica, Zack, and Jessica’s parents on several occasions. During all the meetings we never saw Tim (Jessica’s dad) not smiling. The Father/Daughter Dance was something to see, because Jessica and her Dad were very close. The first dance was to “When You’ve Got a Good Thing” by Lady Antebellum. The Father/Daughter dance was to “I loved Her First” by Heartland. And the Mother/Son dance was to “All To You” by DJ Keo.

Lead videographer for Jessica and Zack’s wedding and reception was Justin Shoen, Editor, DJ, and producer was Josh Haws, DJ was Jordon Shoen, and Mike Kaiser was the Entertainment Director, videographer and Decorator. Brenda Kaiser was head decorator. The Bar tenders at Zack and Jessica’s reception were awesome and because of their patience we packed up all the decorating and all the Audio and video equipment in just over an hour. We wanted to thank Zack, Jessica, Tim and Marilu for letting us be a part of their special day. We also wanted to thank the staff at The Lincoln Firefighters Reception Hall.

Chris and Ashley had people travel from all over the United States to their wedding reception. The formal dances were especially emotional because of the slide show that was produced to play during the formals. I don’t think I have ever worked with more professional bartenders than were present at Lauritzen Botanical Gardens. During load out, we heard hundreds of frogs from the ponds and the gardens singing as loud as they could. Chris and Ashley’s photographer James Bitz was laid back and friendly and worked hard all evening.

A+ Nightlife Entertainment would like to thank Chris and Ashley and the staff at the Lauritzen Botanical Gardens for an unforgettable night.

What a treat for all guests there to get to experience a taste of their actual wedding as we edited their vows directly into their video photo slide show, which was shown during their first dance. Absolutely breathtaking! Dustin, the Disc Jockey and Brenda, the Entertainment Director really made a great team choosing music and lighting that kept everyone on the dance floor. We actually had several comments about the lighting package that night being the most dynamic anyone has ever seen. We were also able to capture the feel of Hawaii by setting up several lit palm trees around their buffet room.

The highlight of the night would be when we started to do a dance off with a father and his son from Hawaii and they actually treated us to a Hawaiian chanting tradition! The crowd erupted with applause and we led right in to a dance competition with this father/son duo giving us quite the show. The 14 year old son won the dance off hands down taking home the much sought after bling necklace. I know with the wonderful hospitality of the staff at Country Inn & Suites and the A+ Nightlife Entertainment staff that these guests will be talking about Matt and Melissa’s reception for years to come.

A hush falls over the dance floor where, for the past few hours, scores of guests have danced, mingled, cavorted and laughed in the lofty, ornate Rococo Theatre. The groom watches as his own image, like a 20-foot-tall digital doppelganger, is projected in the front of the room. He is surrounded by his bride, his parents, his best man. Every guest hushes in anticipation. All eyes are on the screen.

The prerecorded Scott addresses his bride: “We did it! We are married; it’s official. Man, we spent so much time for this day and, I’m sure it’s everything we wanted it to be.”

This is when the groom, on screen, begins to break down. Moments pass as he regains his composure. Guests reach for hankies.

“You really do mean the world to me,” he continues. “The first time I saw you, I was like ‘I’ve got to meet that girl; I’ve got to get to know her.’ I just can’t believe that we’re here and I get to call you my wife now.”

More heartfelt sentiments are expressed, and the groom’s face on screen gives way to the bride’s: “I can’t tell you how excited I am to spend the next days and the next years with you,” she begins, “just continuing to get to know you and to grow with you.”

Two speeches. Two short minutes and the reception hall is transformed from boisterous dance floor to one romantic, intimate moment, and the soaring surroundings of the aptly-named Rococo Theatre suddenly shrink down to the small space surrounding two people.

In an unscripted scene worthy of Hollywood, the first few notes of Ben Folds’ “The Luckiest” begin playing over the speakers and the bride and groom begin to share the last dance as all other party-goers clear off the dance floor and stand off to the side, watching and wiping away tears.

“I know that I am the luckiest”, sings Ben Folds.

Just for this moment, everything is still, and the Rococo has never felt more intimate.

After the fun, competitive Survivor game; after the dance-offs; after all the toasts and the wine, the NFL garter toss and the hilarious Love Story video; after all the fun and memory-making entertainment and moments of the night, everything comes down to this one moment. Romance.

Scott and Teagan knew, being at the Rococo Theatre, that they wanted to be able to utilize the beautiful, spacious screen and projector to its fullest capacity. We took their vision and ran with it. Working with their parents and bridal party, we used the screen in a variety of ways: to entertain, to amuse and, most importantly, to create romance and memories. We didn’t create the feelings Scott and Teagan have to each other. Working with them and the audio-visual staff at the Rococo, however, we were able to help create moments that everyone else could share.

With a couple dozen more ultimate packages lined up in the next few months, 2011 is looking to be a banner year for the twin companies of A+ Nightlife Entertainment and A+ Media. In the grandeur of the lighting, the venue, the videos, and the events, we know we will always use our technology and expertise to create one thing:

Memories.