Congratulations Chuck & Maya

Last Saturday I had the pleasure of working at the picturesque Mt. Airy Mansion in Upper Marlboro, MD. It was a lovely crisp day, the kind you only see in early fall.

Chuck and Maya chose a beautiful, modern color scheme of aubergine & chartreuse with sleek silver and white accents. Everywhere I turned, there were fragrant flowers displayed in clever ways.  The guest table featured manzanita branches dripping with purple orchids, and crystals. The wall of the bar was lined with glass pillar vases with orchids submerged in water and topped with a floating candle. However, nothing was as striking as their ceremony space in the lower garden. The dramatic white staircase lead to a brick pathway which served as the aisle. Lining that aisle were tall, pomander style floral arrangements that would double as the centerpieces during dinner. At the end of the aisle, stood a striking double arch made of twisted branches, vines, and flowers.  It looked  so natural, as if God had reached down and bent it into shape to bless this day for Chuck and Maya.

The officiant came to me and asked for a microphone. Though I wasn't aware of this need beforehand, I quickly made it work by running 70' of cable and a microphone to the garden below where I had discreetly set-up 2 self powered speakers.

Maya wore a sleeveless v-neck gown with a full satin skirt. The gown's bodice was hand beaded with thousands of crystals. She wore glamorous makeup, simple earrings, and a clean, classic, updo which she finished off with a delicate crystal headband. She was stunning! Chuck, dressed in a sharp black tuxedo, proudly waited at the alter for his bride.

The ceremony was brief, beautiful and sprinkled with laughter. And as the guests entered the mansion to enjoy cocktails, I began their chosen playlist of Brazilan bossa's and jazz. As the hour came to a close, the catering staff and I invited the guests to take their seats. The wedding party met me in the bar when they finished their photos. We went over pronunciation and a few instructions for the first sequence of events to take place.

Karin, the mother of the bride, wore a spectacular black gown with a portrait neckline, it's skirt covered in black rosettes. Sho-yeen, the mother of the groom, is sweet & soft spoken and wore a purple gown. The bridal party entered to the sounds of Daft Punk's "Digital Love". What a fun and different choice! We segued into Chuck & Maya's first dance, Louis Armstrong's "La Vie en Rose." They warned me that they were not very good slow dancers so they had me trim the first 80 seconds off the tune. I think they looked darling during their dance. :-)

The dance was followed by a welcome speech by Maya's dad, a few toasts by their friends, and a blessing by officiant, Rev. Starlene Burns. The guests dined happily on delicious fare from Pineapple Alley Catering, unaware of the surprise which Chuck and Maya had for them. As dinner drew to an end, we were all treated to a traditional Chinese Lion Dance performed by dance troupe "The Wong People." That's a clever, kitschy name, isn't it? The roar of live drums and cymbals filled the room with such a fiery, celebratory energy! What a treat! People were certainly ready to dance after that!

I opened the dance floor with some classic R&B, funk, and motown. Chuck and Maya's friends and family formed big Soul Train style lines and took turns dancing down the center. Throughout the night, guests hit the floor for everything from classic rock to hip hop. Chuck and a friend of his even commandeered my mic to sing along with Rusted Root's "Send me on my way." They were hilarious and so exuberant that they pulled the mic cord right out of the microphone! It took them a few seconds to realize I hadn't turned them off for being too loud. :-D

The party was so much fun that I hated to end it with that dreaded last song. However, pesky noise ordinances have a way of putting the kibosh on merry making. Before heading out on the chartered bus with their friends and family, Chuck asked if he could give me a hug, which made his surrounding family laugh. Before I could answer, he gave me a quick hug and said "Thanks for being awesome! We had the best time!" I said "No, thank you guys for being so easy to work with and so much fun! It makes my life so much easier."

Congratulations Chuck and Maya! I so enjoyed sharing in your most special day! Have a fantastic honeymoon!