Kyle & Doug - An Indie Wedding At Old Wide Awake Park

Their ceremony and reception were located at Old Wide Awake Park, which is in Hollywood, SC, just down from Old Wide Awake Plantation and owned by the city of Hollywood. The weather was perfect and typical for a November 2 in Charleston.

Kyle & Doug were huge Avett Brothers fans, having seen them numerous times. They decided to use one of their songs for their first dance.  I also knew there wasn't going to be a lot of the typical requests at this reception because "Brown Eyed Girl" by Van Morrison appeared on their DO NOT PLAY LIST. They were big fans of Van Morrison, but had grown tired of that song being played at wedding receptions.

After a lovely ceremony under the oak, the guests moved over to the venue, and at which time I began to play a cocktail and dinner music mix of Indie, Bluegrass & Classic Rock.  I could tell Doug had a big thirst for music because he requested "Can't You Hear Me Knocking" by the Rolling Stones off their 1971 release "Sticky Fingers"

FIRST DANCE: "Offering" - Avett Brothers

BRIDE / GROOM DANCE: "If There Was No You" - Brandi Carlile

GROOM / MOTHER DANCE: "Days Like This" - Van Morrison

LAST SONG: "Home" - Edward Sharpe & The Magnetic Zeros.

Because Kyle & Doug were a destination couple, I booked a few Skype sessions with them to discuss music and timelines. If you are planning a destination wedding in Charleston, this is something you can expect when you book with Mike Bills Entertainment.  These sessions are part of my promise to you of unlimited consultations when you book. It also develops some comfort between me and the couple as well, and sets them at ease as planning a destination wedding can be a daunting task. Also, the couple can also begin to feel comfortable about who it is will be entertaining them on their special day.

I drove down to the park a few days before and met with Kyle to discuss some of the logistics and details. I believe it is imperative to meet a destination couple, at least once before their big day. This provides even more peace of mind for me and the couple.

"Kyle & Doug's" day will go down as one of my favorites of 2013. It's one of my favorites of 2013 because in preparing for their wedding, you could tell that "music" was one of the biggest parts of their day. It gives me great satisfaction to give a bride and groom exactly what they want.  Every single song chosen has a meaning and serves as a catalyst for creating lasting memories of the day. From the "Night Moves" song  by Bob Seger for one of Doug's close friends to Gillian Welch's "Wrecking Ball" for Kyle and several of her closest friends, these songs are important and are very meaningful.

One of the highlights of the evening was the "premature" lighting of the sparklers BEFORE the actual send-off.  I hope to get a little video uploaded showing this innocent act (the sparklers were laying out) :)