Last week I did the reception for Jaime & Andy Lapham at Stonebridge Golf Course in Ann Arbor. Stonebridge is on the higher end of the scale, though from the poor layout of the dance floor, you'd never know it. The banquet room is laid out in an angled design, with a small dance floor shoe horned into one end (though not quite at the very end), putting guest tables in an awkward location and leaving almost no room for a DJ to setup.
The 4 foot wall extension serves no purpose other than to break up the continuity of the room and force the DJ to setup in a VERY limited position. The banquet manager suggested that I setup on the other side of the useless wall and face a guest table, which was not only inappropriate due to speaker placement, but would have kept me from seeing the dance floor and reading the crowd. You'll also notice that the power cables are plugged in on the dance floor. That's because there are no power outlets anywhere behind me, another major layout boo-boo.
Regardless of indoor layout issues, the venue was very nice looking and in pristine condition. The outdoor ceremony was perfect and power was easily accessible there. Both temperature and sunshine were made-to-order for this moment.
This was the third time I had been referred from a couple in this group. I did the best man's wedding last year and also a friend of theirs. It was nice to see some familiar faces and this group loves to have fun! I should also mention that they are all among the nicest people I've worked with over the years.
A side note... the food was good, but one of the items served (pork tenderloin with apples), was not cooked. Both the photographers and I agreed that it was undercooked (very pink in the middle) and chose not to eat it. This should not have been the case as dinner was about 15 minutes behind schedule. I would expect better from a venue of this scale, but the rest of the food was good. Sorry no picture of the food this time as it blurred to the point that it could not be used.
The photo booth got a lot of use and guests signed their best wishes to the new couple in a photo strip scrapbook. Guests danced the whole night right to the very end and finished with a big circle to "Don't Stop Believin'"
Just a few days later, I received this very nice thank you card from the bride's parents.
This reception took place on 9/21/13
