Natasha and Michael chose the Yale Club in NYC for their amazing wedding and I was lucky enough to be chosen as their DJ. They had their ceremony offsite, so I ran the cocktail hour, dinner and dancing for the night. It was a super fun night full of music, dancing and two families coming together.
Yale Club Wedding
in NYC for Natasha and Michael
by DJ Ben Boylan
The Yale Club
The Yale club is located on 44th Street, right next to Grand Central Station in the middle of midtown Manhattan. On the 20th floor is a beautiful, traditional ballroom and on the 22nd floor is a more modern dining room that is often used for cocktail hour.
The ballroom is wrapped with windows, so once it gets dark you get gorgeous city views. I have DJed there several times and often suggest it to couples looking for a traditional venue in Manhattan.
Cocktail Hour
Since Natasha and Mike's ceremony was offsite, I started this Yale Club wedding with cocktail hour on the 22nd floor. I provided a second setup (included in my music package) which this time consisted of two smaller speakers. They asked for soft acoustic music as well as some Brazilian and Latin songs for this part of the night so I curated a great playlist that had guests moving to the music.
Intros, First Dance and Dance Set #1
Once guests were lead into the ballroom, I started introductions. Both sets of parents and four pairs from the wedding party walked in to "Let's Get Loud" by Jennifer Lopez. Then I introduced Natasha and Mike to the sound of Heavy D's "Now That We Found Love." I practiced so I would finish their announcement right as the chorus of the song started. Their guests were going crazy when they came in.
Once they made it to the dance floor, they did their first dance. Everyone could tell that they either practiced beforehand, or they dance a lot, because they did a great job. They had chosen "Can’t Help Falling in Love" by Haley Reinhart.
When they were done, I invited their guests to join them and we began the first of three dance sets at this Yale Club wedding. The couple had asked me to plan the music so it went from older tunes to newer ones. We started off with music from the 60's and 70's and their guests were ready to dance! They packed the floor and didn't want to stop when I announced the first course.
Dance Set #2 and Toasts
When everyone sat for the first course, both dads gave a welcome speech while guests ate their appetizer. Next we had the salad course and another dance set planned for the same time. Guests had the option of eating their salad or dancing. I put on some 80's music and invited everyone back to the dance floor.
Well, they chose to dance through the salad course! I split this dance set between 80's and 90's tracks before it was time to sit down for the entree. When all the entrees were brought out there were two more toasts. First the best man and then the maid of honor. All toasts were done with a great wireless mic I brought.
Main Dance Set
After the toasts were finished, we did the parents dances. First, Natasha danced with her dad to "Wonderful Tonight" by Eric Clapton and then Mike danced with his mom to Bette Midler's "Wind Beneath My Wings." The main dance set began as guests were applauding the parents dances. They danced to a mix of pop, EDM and hip-hop and all the tables were empty until dessert.
Next we did the bouquet toss and danced some more. As the end got closer I switched back to some classic songs and I don't think one person was off the dance floor until we played "New York, New York" by Frank Sinatra, the couple's choice for their last song.
Ben was everything we asked for and more. The dance floor was PACKED from start to finish. Thank you so much, Ben, for being an integral part of our day. People are still raving about the music and how much fun the night was! - Natasha
Thank you Mike and Natasha for letting me be a part of your amazing Yale Club wedding!
All photos by Kelly of Kelly Kollar Photography
