Nitekrawler: Nick & Leslie’s Wedding on Kent Island

On a warm October night, the dance floor at Nick & Leslie’s Kent Island wedding worked itself into a gear-shaking frenzy!

On one of the last truly warm Saturdays in October, I had the honor of DJing the Wedding of Nick & Leslie on Kent Island. The ceremony and reception were set-up at waters edge, and as the sun began it’s decent to the horizon, guests began to arrive.

The couple had opted for a String Quartet to serenade the arrivals as they awaited the ceremony in and around the tent. Chairs were set up perpendicular to the beach-line, so guests could enjoy the view as the ceremony began. The Quartet played for the entrance of the Bridal party, the Groom, and finally the Bride. It was a particularly beautiful moment when, as the Bride and Groom kissed, the sky changed colors to signal the sun’s passing.

The quartet packed up as soon as the ceremony ended, and I began with tracks selected by the couple for cocktails including Al Green “Let’s stay together”, and Sia “Breathe Me”. I found it to be a particularly nice touch that Ebb Tide Tent and Party Rentals had showcased a full sized canoe, packed with ice, to hold bottled drinks beside the bar. Guests could choose to have a mixed drink prepared by the bartender, or get any bottled beverage from the boat themselves. Sweet.

The bride and groom entered the tent to the sound of Janet Jackson “Love Would Never Do Without You”, and went right into their first dance, Sam Cooke “Bring It On Home To Me”. Joe Cocker’s “You Are So Beautiful” signaled the start of Leslie’s dance with her father, followed by Louie Armstrong singing his classic, “What A Wonderful World”, for Nick & his mother. The evening then moved into toasts, which concluded with a hilarious toast by the Groom’s brother, Chris, who mixed the heartfelt with the truly embarrassing as only a brother can. Dinner was served buffet style, and included chicken, rice, salad, and crab wraps. Dinner music consisted of classics like The Beatles “Norwegian Wood”, as well as newer favorites like Jill Scott “A Long Walk”. Everyone dined while candles took advantage of the darkness settling in outside the tent. As the tables were cleared, I began working in some Motown and Stax era dance classics. The songs had the desired effect, and the crowd moved to the dance floor.

My DJ set-up shook violently as the crowd worked the dancefloor

From there, the night built momentum with the help of tracks like Chuck Brown & the Soul Searchers “Bustin’ Loose”, and later, Chris Brown “Forever”. My entire DJ set-up was shaking violently as the crowd really worked the dancefloor. No joke. I could’ve sworn I was in college again, and at a really good houseparty.

The final half hour of the night slowed in speed, but not in intensity. Both the Bride and Groom had requested a large dose of 90s hip hop classics; material in the vein of Notorious BIG – “Hypnotize”, and I mixed in some 90s R&B like Soul 4 Real – “Every Little Thing I Do” to keep that feeling going.

We closed with the full version of the same song which introduced our Bride and Groom, Janet Jackson’s – “Love Would Never Do Without You”, as the Bride had requested. Almost everyone but the DJ was able to take a shuttle to the hotel (and afterparties), but the positive vibe stayed with me all the way home! It was a fantastic night for sure.

One thought on “Nitekrawler: Nick & Leslie’s Wedding on Kent Island

  1. Dear Mr. Dj Nitekrawler Sir,

    You did a fantastic job at the event, I loved all of the great jams you set us up with. You were definitely a big part of making the evening so awesome, and I knew you were working hard all night. Thanks for everything, keep doin’ what you’re amazing at!

Leave a Reply