I’ve known both bride and groom for years having worked together in a former life. A small Sheffield Island wedding at the lighthouse of 50 people between two friends perfectly fit the bill for Labor Day this year.
Navigating the logistics of working on an island that is only accessible by boat is a little different than having access to your vehicle. Extensive planning and organization would be key, visualizing precisely what I would need. I would also need to be efficient and selective, as I usually have enough backup gear in my car to stock half a Guitar Center! Not to mention the obvious, you absolutely cannot forget anything! Checklists would play a part in that.
Alas, all went to plan. But how did we smoothly pull off a Sheffield Island Wedding?
Shortly after booking, the couple worked on my Wedding Planner Form (link). The Planning Form is a repository of all of the details of the event, this way there is a single source of truth and we are all on the same page to what we’ve discussed. This goes well with my Wedding Planner Checklist which breaks down tasks to complete each month so you stay on track.
We reviewed the Planner Form one month before the wedding. By this point in the planning process, most details have begun to settle. This time affords us the ability to sort out any remaining questions. For this wedding, I worked on a special request to create a custom edit of a song that the groom’s mom had sung to him since before he was born for their Mother/Son Dance. The song they wanted was a little fast and long for a spotlight dance. She cried right on cue!
One week before the wedding I sent out the itinerary to all vendors, ensuring we’re all on the same page and we’d be ready to hit the ground running. Part of the logistics here would be coordinating boat transportation on and off the island with the Sono Seaport Association.
The couple provided me playlists of music from their Spotify and Amazon accounts. Based on their likes and dislikes, I built a mental picture of their ‘musical DNA’. Aspects like favorite radio stations, the years they grew up, were in college, and when they first met would go into this. I would then pull from a collection of carefully curated edits and blends built over tens years that enable me to connect with guests of multiple backgrounds, with the same track!
Song Selections
- Can’t Help Falling In Love – Brooklyn Duo
- Falling in Love – The O’Neill Brothers
- Here Comes the Sun – Sleepy Time Players
- Jesu, Joy of Man’s Desiring – The O’Neill Brothers
- Unconditionally – Katy Perry
- What a Man Gotta Do – The Jonas Brothers
- All of Me – John Legend
- I Hope You Dance – Lee Ann Womack
- Forever Young – Rod Stewart (Custom Slow Version)
- Cake by the Ocean – DNCE
For example: What if some guests like Hip-hop and others like Disco?
Cardi B ft Bad Bunny & J Balvin - I Like It (Kue Remix)
So your favorite artists are Missy Elliott & George Michael? Say no more:
Missy Elliott vs George Michael - Get Ur Faith On
We make sure that at some point during each hour of the event, every guest hears something they like – no one should be left out! Being that most of my library is clean, everything I play is family-friendly.
In addition to preparing music for the ceremony, cocktail hour, and reception, they wanted custom playlists for the Ferry ride onto/off the island as well as for their after-party at Sono 1420. The after-party playlist worked so well that the Sono 1420 marketing manager came up to inquire about hiring whoever put the playlist together for future events!
As far as pandemic precautions went, a few tactics would be put into place.
For one, masks would be worn by staff. This was a given. Each speaker would have their own microphones with clean replaceable covers. Backup DJs would also be on call in the event the DJ needed to quarantine for any reason during your wedding day.
Guests: 50
Age Groups: Group of 20s/30s & 50/60s
Wedding Party: Yes
Wedding Party Introduced: Yes
Dinner: Tables assigned, plated meal
Music Likes: Sam Hunt, Dan + Shay, Imagine Dragons, St PHX, Fitz and the Tantrums, Macklemore, Bon Jovi, Bruce Springsteen, Frank Sinatra, U2, AC/DC, T-Pain.
Today’s Vendors on Sheffield Island
Officiant: Pastor Kevin of Broad River Church (Norwalk)
Venue/Ferry: Seaport Association (Norwalk)
Catering: Clyde Ripka of Ripkas Beach Cafe (Norwalk)
Bouquets: Fani of Fani Flowers (Rye)
Photography: Maria of Maria Devito Photography (Norwalk)
Dresses/Suits: Sukran Bridal (Norwalk)
Choreographer: Mara Brasil (Shelton)
Hair: Deb Caputo (Stamford)
Makeup: Rosemarie of Photos and Faces (Norwalk)
Hotel: Residence Inn Marriott (South Norwalk)
Interested in a Sheffield Island Wedding?
Send me a message and I’ll get back to you within 24 hours to talk about the specifics of your event, my availability, and provide a clearer picture on pricing within 24 hours.
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