Randi and Steve at Talamore

Randi and Steve were married on June 18 at Talamore Country Club. Jason and Ed kept them dancing and added to the beauty of the room with some lighting.

Talamore is a great place work. The ballroom has a huge dance floor and a setup that is perfect for lighting. With the upper balcony area, we can really get the lighting design to look its best.
This was a great wedding too! It was an intimate crowd, so we were able to play the exact music they guests wanted to hear and not worry about trying to please various groups of people. The room really looked awesome. We did up lighting in purple on both floors and a very ambient dance floor wash in amber that gave it just enough light. We try very hard not to "over do" the lighting and from the pictures, I think you can see that this was just perfect.

And where do I begin about the staff and food at Talamore? Jim, Mark and Jennifer do an outstanding job. Every time I eat there (which is every single time because they love to take care of the professionals) I am never disappointed! Incredible food! We also had the pleasure of working with Bart of Barton Paul Photography - thanks so much for the beautiful images!

-Jason

The perfect best man speech

I was recently asked to be the Best Man in a friend’s wedding. After the initial responsibilities of being a best man sank in, I started to think about the speech I would give at the reception. You would think it would be simple for someone like me, who is exposed to Best Man speeches every weekend, to write the perfect speech. Yet, it is quite the difficult task.

In some speeches I’ve heard, the Best Man will tell an awkward joke or share a funny story about the friendship he and the groom share. There have been others where the speech lasted all of 20 seconds, and before you knew it, the salad was being served. This past weekend I got to hear (and see) one of the best speeches to date. Jimmy Yen was the Best Man at Elena & Mitch Baylarian’s wedding, held at the beautiful Manor House at Commonwealth. He approached me during the cocktail hour and informed me of this routine he and the other groomsmen had prepared for his speech. Unsure at first, I listened to the CD. The song was “Total Eclipse of the Heart” by Bonnie Tyler. All in all it took about 5 minutes, but it was one of the most entertaining speeches I have ever witnessed.

After the wedding I went home and reflected on what makes the perfect speech. Granted, Jimmy’s speech was entertaining, but that wasn’t what made it special. His speech was heartfelt and genuine. I personally believe the perfect best man speech should be mildly funny, quick and from the heart. Needless to say Jimmy’s speech helped shed new light on what a best man’s speech should really be and it took some of the pressure off. As a best man, the perfect speech is communicating how much you care about the new Mr. And Mrs.

Here are a few images from the speech, courtesy of Barton Paul Photography.

-Matt