This wedding wasn't only a special evening for our couple, but it also was a reunion for some of our past couples! It all happened in Shelbyville at Blue Ribbon Circle. The initial connection in started with Brian Snyder nearly two years ago. Now, we have had the pleasure of providing our entertainment services to this great group of friends! Snyder Entertainment has had the privilege of being a special part of some many important and memorable moments with this group. Blair and Drew's wedding night was definitely one to remember!
Drew & Blair had a large guest turnout of just over 300 and they wanted two things that we discussed most often. They really wanted to make sure that their guests did not have to sit around and wait. As we went through the planning process with our exclusive online tools, we discussed anticipated timelines and how to keep the forward momentum of the event strong! As guests arrived to the venue, our team was at the door welcoming people in and letting them know about seating arrangements, helping them with carrying gifts to the gift table and preparing them that dinner was just about to be served. We had reached out to the officiant, Dr. Gordon Turnbull, so that he knew upon his arrival we would immediately do a blessing for the meal and release the guests to dinner. As the wedding party arrived, we alerted the photographers and videographers to get ready for the introductions and formal dances. All of that is important because instead of 300 guests waiting around, they were all engaging in conversation, eating dinner and being occupied. The wedding party entrance always kicks a little excitement into the event and helped to keep the crowd interested in the evening. We continued this forward pace to allow for plenty of time for all 300 guests to experience each event, but we also wanted to be very mindful to not have “lulls” of time that would give people the thought process of leaving.
There were several unique moments of the night. Drew and Blair attended a wedding at the same venue with Bradley Ford just one year in advance. That night, they were guests of Jacob and Brittany Baum. Our team provided DJ services and Photo Booth services…catch up on that event from last year here!
Blair said they were looking for the same classy feel as that wedding and we knew we could match her expectations. Brittany was also a bridesmaid for Blair, so I was able to reconnect with Brittany and Jacob and here all of the goodness over the last year. On the same day, Brittany actually was clogging at the RC Cola Moon Pie Festival in Bell Buckle, Tennessee…needless to say she was busy! Another awesome moment was when I came out to meet to the wedding party and I was going through our final check of getting everyone lined up for introductions, I looked at one of the grooms and said, you look so familiar. Well, he was incredibly familiar because we were also the DJ for his wedding nearly two years ago at Legacy Farms. Ryan & Nikki Turner got married and I will never forget at her wedding when she asked for a microphone because she was ready to sing Dixieland Delight…and I have the video to prove it! Ryan & Nikki are expecting their first baby in December and it was exciting to see both couples at the wedding.
They had some deep tastes in a lot of different genres of music. The wedding party introductions were to Seether and for the formal dances we had country along with singer/songwriter. What was really funny was for the reception. We started off with a Motown set and then into a 70’s set which was heavily requested. We did not get a ton of dancers at the time as many of them were still mingling, finishing dinner and cake, but the photo booth exploded at the beginning! Young and old could not get enough of the pictures and we had a blast taking these shots with our guests! As we moved into the meat of the playlist, we moved into a Top 40 set which gained several more dancers and then we hit the masses with an incredible country set. I am talking old school country, from Hank Jr, to David Allan Coe, Alabama and even Mel McDaniel. Now the struggle was to find space on the dance floor. A soul line, the tunnel, and all sorts of line dances got kicked off. We rolled through Cupid Shuffle, Copperhead Road, Soulja Boy and even Whip It (Nae Nae) all to a huge response. It’s often we play Closing Time by Semi-Sonic as a final song…it is just not often that everyone gathers hands, forms a circle and sings that song with this much passion. This was a tight knit group of friends and family…no doubt it showed!
A simple dance floor highlight of the evening was during the anniversary dance. We had one couple celebrating their 29th wedding anniversary that same evening. They were smiling ear to ear and both of them said, the best way to spend an anniversary night was at a wedding. As the anniversary dance wrapped up and we got to our final couple, they had been married 55 years. They hugged and kissed each other and gave this thoughtful advice. "Love hard, forgive harder, be excited for the next day..it only gets better!”
A little about Blue Ribbon Circle: The Blue Ribbon Circle actually sits inside the historic fairgrounds in Shelbyville, Tennessee. If you know anything at all about Shelbyville, it’s all about horses. It's home to The Celebration walking horse show. Some of the finest walking horses come from this part of the country. The Blue Ribbon Circle is a place where the winners would gather after competitions and it is also available for a venue space. Due to the size, it can hold a large guest list just like Drew and Blair’s wedding. It is a blank canvas so you will need to do some decorating, however, it is an easy place to get creative with. With fantastic spacing and ceilings, the venue is begging for décor lighitng such as uplights. Plenty of room on the far side for bar(s) and catering without restricting the flow of people gathering. Plenty of spaces on the opposite sides for gift tables, family tables and our photo booth. If you are looking at this space, I would say lighting is a must and some mild draping to help set off the dance floor could really be great enhancements. Plenty of parking for your guests and tons of space inside to meet all of your needs.
