Maureen & Jason’s Wedding at Elizabeth’s On L

The father of the bride toasts the happy coupleThis Saturday we had a great time providing entertainment for Maureen and Jason’s wedding reception at Elizabeth’s On L. Elizabeth’s is a fantastic venue for a small reception in downtown DC. It is a renovated Federal style townhouse, with all the modern conveniences (including a great sound system) and plenty of historic charm. It is also the headquarters of The Catering Company, who took care of the wonderful food and drinks for the reception. Their staff was very helpful and a joy to work with. On Friday nights, the space turns into Elizabeth’s Gone Raw, the first raw food restaurant in DC, which sounds well worth checking out! While the guests mingled and enjoyed refreshments, they heard an eclectic mix of beautiful music, new and vintage, including “VCR” by The XX, “Concrete and Clay” by Unit 4 + 2, and “I Wish I Was the Moon” by Neko Case.

Cocktail hour covered Van Morrison, Adele, Band of Horses and points between

Cocktail hour continued with songs by Van Morrison (“Warm Love”), Adele (“Chasing Pavements”), and Band of Horses (“I Go to the Barn Because I Like the”). Coordinating the evening’s events were Chrishaun Jones and Keya Beale of Elegance & Simplicity. They were very responsive and kept the schedule humming along nicely. Once everyone had settled in and had a drink in hand, the fathers of both the bride and groom took the mic to make toasts. Both toasts were brief and to the point, touching, and funny – very well done! There were a few tears and plenty of laughs.

Maureen and Jason dance with their parents to Louis ArmstrongNext up, Maureen and Jason took the floor to dance to “That’s How Strong My Love Is” by Otis Redding. They enjoyed themselves immensely, and it was clear to see how happy they are together. They were then joined on the dance floor by their parents for the father/daughter and mother/son dance, to “What a Wonderful World” by Louis Armstrong.

As the guests applauded the couple and their parents, the party got started with “Groove Me” by King Floyd, “I Need a Dollar” by Aloe Blacc, and “Dance Hall Days” by Wang Chung. We heard “Just the Way You Are” by Bruno Mars and Neighbour and U Tern’s remix of “Superstition” by Stevie Wonder. The small dance floor was crowded all night, and it was entertaining to watch photographer Sam Hurd try to maneuver his way around the room to get all the best shots! The crowd was loving “American Boy” by Estelle (featuring Kanye West) and “Moves Like Jagger” by Maroon 5. They got down to classics by Rick James (“Give It To Me Baby”) and Duran Duran (“Hungry Like The Wolf”).

An extended slow dance set included classics from Elvis, Buddy Holly, Santo & Johnny, and Patsy Cline

Toasts were given by the Maid of Honor and the Best Man. Maureen’s sister Jeanine talked about playing weddings with their Barbies as girls, and how much Maureen has been looking forward to this day. Jason’s brother Brian agreed that though they did not play with Barbie dolls, this is a much anticipated day in Jason’s life. A request for some slower songs (“for the old folks”) was met with a great set of tunes, including “Sleep Walk” by Santo and Johnny, “Crazy” by Patsy Cline, and “True Love Ways” by Buddy Holly. The couples, young and old, slow danced blissfully to Elvis Presley’s“Are You Lonesome Tonight” and Otis Redding’s “These Arms of Mine” before Daryle brought the tempo back up by request with “Old Time Rock and Roll” by Bob Seger and the Silver Bullet Band.

One of the biggest hits of the night was “Groove is in the Heart” by Deee-Lite. The dancers showed their 80s love for “Raspberry Beret” by Prince and the new wedding favorite “Forever” by Chris Brown. The night was closed out with the crowd belting out the words to “Livin’ on a Prayer” courtesy of DJ Payroll’s mashup of Bon Jovi and Daft Punk. Congratulations to Maureen and Jason!

Dance floor action at Maureen and Jason's wedding

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