Governor Thomas Bennett House Wedding | Maria + Charlie

During the engagement season of early 2016, I received an inquiry to my website from a talent agency in the Saint Louis, Missouri area. This agency was seeking a professional wedding DJ for a wedding to be held in Charleston in September of 2016.  That wedding would be Maria + Charlie's most special day here in the Holy City. Maria + Charlie came to me by way of my website during the post Christmas rush usually seen right after the New Year. They were coming to Charleston from the Midwest around the St Louis area. During the weekend of February 13, 2016, I had the pleasure of meeting Maria + Charlie, as well as Maria's mother and Klimmy Klipsch of the award-winning luxury wedding design company, Kate + Co out of the St Louis area. We met for coffee down at the East Bay Meeting House. Maria + Charlie wanted to use the lovely and historical Governor Thomas Bennett House as the backdrop for their wedding ceremony and reception. Located at 69 Barre St, the Governor Thomas Bennett House is actually owned by Roper St Francis Hospital and is home to many weddings and events throughout the year.  

 During the summer of 2016, the grounds of the Governor Thomas Bennett House were getting renovated and landscaped, thus making them even more desirable for couples wanting a true Charleston wedding in the heart of downtown.  September in Charleston, SC can be a nail biter of a month as hurricane season kicks into high gear. Maria + Charlie actually picked the day that is the historical height of the Atlantic hurricane season.  Fortunately, there were no hurricanes threatening their wedding weekend in Charleston, but a few tropical showers would have been nice to cool us off. The summer of 2016 had become one of the hottest summers ever in Charleston with close to 100 days hitting 90 degrees or higher. While September is certainly cooler than July in terms of temperatures, this September day was an exception that rule as the high temperature peaked at 92 degrees. 

Maria + Charlie: Their Wedding Ceremony At The Governor Thomas Bennett House 

Their ceremony was held at approximately 2pm out back under the oak trees and brand new sod at the Governor Thomas Bennett House .  Maria would walk out of the beautiful house and down the steps and down the aisle with her proud father. After the ceremony, the guests left and the bridal party and families went on a brief photo shoot of the sights around Charleston.  Yours truly would do take a break and get ready for cocktail hour / dinner and decompress in what would become a wonderful place to cool off: "The Man Cave".  Yes, the men do have their own place to get ready and it's on the floor level at the Governor Thomas Bennett House. After a mid-afternoon wedding ceremony with high temperatures and humidity, I needed a place to cool off (and dry off) from the sweat. One requirement for a summer wedding in Charleston is sweat.

Photo Credit: Clay Austin

BRIDAL PARTY RECESSIONAL SONG:  Canon In D Major (Celtic Version)

BRIDE PROCESSIONAL SONG:  Thinking Out Loud Instrumental Violin & Piano | Daniel Jang

TRANSITIONAL MUSIC BETWEEN READINGS: Evergreen Instrumental

RECESSIONAL SONG: "Signed Sealed Delivered I'm Yours" | Stevie Wonder

 
Photo Credit: Mike Bills 

Maria & Charlie's Cocktail Hour & Dinner Music Selections
"Can't Get Enough" | Bad Company
"Only Wanna Be With You" | Hootie & The Blowfish
"Ain't No Mountain High Enough" | Marvin Gaye & Tammi Terrell
"Run Around" | Blues Traveler
"Free Fallin" | Tom Petty
"Mary Jane's Last Dance" | Tom Petty
"Everything" | Michael Buble
"The Best Is Yet To Come" | Tony Bennett
"Piano Man" | Billy Joel
"Summer Wind" | Frank Sinatra
"The Way I Am" | Ingrid Michaelson
"How Sweet It Is (To Be Loved By You)" | Michael Buble
"Maybe I'm Amazed LIVE" | Wings Over America | Paul McCartney & Wings
"Fly Me To The Moon (In Other Words)" | Tony Bennett
"Scenes From An Italian Restaurant" | Billy Joel
"The Joker" | Steve Miller Band
"Moondance" | Van Morrison

Photo Credit: Clay Austin

Photo Credit: Clay Austin

Maria & Charlie's Dance Music Selections
"Footloose" | Kenny Loggins
"The Twist" | Chubby Checker
"The Way You Make Me Feel" | Michael Jackson
"Dancing Queen" | ABBA
"Shut Up And Dance" | Walk The Moon
"September" | Earth-Wind & Fire
"Come On Eileen" | Dexy's Midnight Runners
"Electric Love" | Borns
"Uptown Funk" | Mark Ronson - Bruno Marrs
"Happy" | Pharrell Williams
"Shout" | The Isley Brothers
"I Wanna Dance With Somebody (Who Loves Me)" | Whitney Houston
"Can't Stop The Feeling" | Justin Timberlake
"Ain't Too Proud To Beg" | The Temptations
"Twist And Shout" | The Beatles
"Save The Last Dance For Me" | Michael Buble
"Right Round" | Flo Rida
'Shake Ya Tailfeather" | Diddy
"Forever" | Chris Brown
"Cheerleader | OMI (Felix Jaehn Extended)
"My House" | Flo Rida
"Push It" | Salt & Pepa
"Hey Ya" | Outkast
"Ice Ice Baby" | Vanilla Ice
"Fireball" | Pitbull / John Ryan
"It's Gonna Be Me" | NSync
"Unchained Melody" | Righteous Brothers

Photo Credit: Mike Bills

For an even more beautiful look back at this amazing day at the Governor Thomas Bennett House through the eyes of professional photographer, Clay Austin, be sure to click the link down below. You'll be transported over to the Charleston Wedding Blog, The Wedding Row. Be sure to review the list of great wedding vendors used for Maria & Charlie's wonderful wedding, like one of the top wedding caterer, Salthouse Catering.  For more information on some of the most popular local wedding blogs, click this preceding link.
Maria & Charlie's Destination Wedding At The Governor Thomas Bennett House

Care To Speak With Mike Bills About Being Your Wedding DJ?
Marie + Charlie instantly became one of my favorite couples in all of 2016. I am still so very tickled that a high end wedding planner like Kate & Company out of the St Louis, Missouri area picked me out of all the other outstanding wedding DJs in the Holy City.   It means a lot because the competition has always been very tight here.  But, like many other modern brides and grooms who have hired me over the years, my viewpoint on being a wedding DJ is simple. "Provide a classy and fun experience without all the cheesiness that is still displayed by other "over the top" wedding DJs, and to have a true professional voice for all the announcements you need. If you are just hitting my blog and finding this playlist of Maria & Charlie's special day in Charleston, be sure to save this page when you go and begin to brainstorm how you'd like your wedding playlist to be. As one of the top wedding DJs in Charleston, I can assure you that NO two weddings are EVER alike and are composed of music that each bride and groom know and love.  Creating your playlist is one of the most important things you'll do in planning for your wedding day. If you are interested in talking to me about being your wedding DJ, be sure to click the link up above and let's set up a time to talk.   Thank you so very much for finding my blog too.