Kelly & Eric
“...those years friendship gave us an easy foundation to work from, and our relationship came easy...””
Photo courtesy of Thompson Photography Group
This month’s couple are real music lovers. For best friends and partners in life Kelly & Eric, it’s all about good timing. Read about their gorgeous wedding soundtrack at The Stonewall Estate below.
Tell us your story
Photo courtesy of Thompson Photography Group
So, our 'story' goes back a bit further than that first butterfly.
We met in college, at Syracuse University, in the fall of 2007. I was a seasoned sophomore, keeping busy with my classes, intramural sports, and socializing... enter Kelly. Kelly was a freshman; wide-eyed and excited at the wide ranging opportunities she had in front of her. We met at a party, and quickly became friends. We were two like-minded individuals who liked to make other people smile.
Fast-forward a few years later (both having had failed relationships not involving each other), and the 'right' moment arose. I had made my way back as a recent graduate to see friends and enjoy the campus with less academic responsibility. There, I found myself yet again in the company of Kelly. However the vibe and the atmosphere was a little different. We quickly found that those years friendship gave us an easy foundation to work from, and our relationship came easy from that point on.
Photo courtesy of Thompson Photography Group
Photo courtesy of Thompson Photography Group
I went home from that weekend of fun, and all I could think about was Kelly. Nearly 10 years later, a beautiful wedding and countless memories in the books, and we love each other more than ever as we look towards the next chapter of our lives.
What was your biggest challenge when planning your wedding?
As one does, we had a list of challenges to solve... they looked something like this:
- Location: New York, California, or Massachusetts? So much to choose from.
- Money: No one likes to talk about it, but it was a consideration at every turn
- Family: We wanted to make sure sure we chose a place [everyone] could easily access.
First, we found Stonewall Estate in Catskills, New York. Our first impression was that is was inviting, multi-faceted, had outdoor and indoor accommodations, and would allow us to make it a weekend event not just a day-of. We stayed there and had multiple events over the weekend including brunch.
Photo courtesy of Thompson Photography Group
Photo courtesy of Thompson Photography Group
Photo courtesy of Thompson Photography Group
We would encourage couples to think about their weekend, as the wedding is just one of a few days for many couples (an important one I know). It was helpful for us to take a wider view of what we wanted the weekend to offer.
Photo courtesy of Thompson Photography Group
Photo courtesy of Thompson Photography Group
Photo courtesy of Thompson Photography Group
Photo courtesy of Thompson Photography Group
Shortly after picking our venue, we realized we'd have to source a vendor at every turn, which as you can imagine presented its own challenges. Rewarding once conquered, but challenging nonetheless.
At first, we were uncertain whether we would use a band or DJ, and honestly, that uncertainty manifested itself in us choosing both! [We got] a band for the ceremony and cocktail hour, and a DJ for reception. We scanned YouTube (scoured is probably a better description actually), until we stumbled upon SpeechLess. Honestly, the way SpeechLess was represented online, and their attention to detail and precision made them our clear cut choice from early on. After an early email exchange, we were also blown away by the responsiveness, and friendly nature of the booking support. It felt like a partnership, and to our delight, was pervasive throughout the entire process.
Photo courtesy of Thompson Photography Group
Photo courtesy of Thompson Photography Group
Photo courtesy of Thompson Photography Group
Has music always been a part of your life? Do you have a musical background?
Photo courtesy of Thompson Photography Group
Music has played a massive role in both of our lives. I grew up around music as my dad was a music publisher. My childhood was filled with a wide range of music, consisting of but not limited to... Bob Dylan, Al Green, The Chi-lites, Rolling Stones, Carole King, Boston, Eminem, Tupac... the list of mish mash artists goes on.
Kelly also had a strong connection with music. Many of her finest family memories are colored by music. From car rides, to family trips, to dinner prep and celebrations, there was never a quiet moment. From Folk, to Pop, Old standards to Religious hymns... Kelly's family always bonded over music.
Our first few years were filled with late night dancing with friends, and likely a questionable soundtrack in the background. It's more than likely we were dancing to Lil Wayne, Sean Kingston or Petey Pablo and having a mighty good time as we did it. In our later years, we find ourselves dancing to Frank Sinatra while we cook, Leon Bridges or country standards as the sun sets wherever we find ourselves... we love a good dance opportunity.
Photo courtesy of Thompson Photography Group
How did the Big Day go?
Our day of wedding music was in three parts:
1. Ceremony. This consisted of tunes people would know, but also appropriate for a processional. Some Beatles, Elton John, Temptations, etc.
2. Cocktail Hour. We turned it up a bit here, with more pop, and some hip-hop tunes that sounded incredible with a live interpretation. SpeechLess was supportive of our musical selection, and the band seemed stoked to play it.
3. Reception. We did the DJ thing here. We scheduled it out to build from pre-dinner, dinner, post dinner, and after hours. From pop, to country, to hip hop and R&B, we loved every moment of it, and partied until about 2AM!
Kelly and I chose all the songs. We felt really strongly about the music, and really wanted our nose in there as much as possible. That said, as a way to engage and create some excitement with our guests, the back of our RSVP card contained a tape-
Photo courtesy of Thompson Photography Group
Photo courtesy of Thompson Photography Group
Photo courtesy of Thompson Photography Group
deck graphic, with a prompt to include a song or artist they would like to hear. Wherever there was overlap on requests, we tried to accommodate, and it created a fun vibe when guests would come up and say 'this is my song!!'.
We would encourage couples to take into account the following: Does this fit your vibe? Does the YouTube and Social Media representation get you excited? Are these people you want to work with? Contracts, email exchanges, etc… Honestly, the money does play a role, but SpeechLess did a nice job of giving us options, and seemed to be dedicated to finding ways to make us comfortable. There was no ego with SpeechLess (which seems big in the industry), this can't be overlooked.
Photo courtesy of Thompson Photography Group
Photo courtesy of Thompson Photography Group
Photo courtesy of Thompson Photography Group
Photo courtesy of Thompson Photography Group
Photo courtesy of Thompson Photography Group
THE SOUNDTRACK
Walked down the aisle to… Blackbird / Beatles & A Thousand Years / Christina Perri
First dance song… Coming Home / Leon Bridges
Father/daughter song… My Wish / Rascal Flats
Mother/son song… Into the Mystic / Van Morrison
What were your special request songs and why did you choose them?
Good Life / Kanye West is an overall great tune and sounded awesome live and Redbone / Childish Gambino is catchy, and was a crowd favorite
THE VENDORS
Venue / Stonewall Estate
Venue Contact / Rachelle Thompson
Coordinator / The Union Studio
Catering / Grounded NY
Photographer / Thompson Photography Group
Music / SpeechLess
Photo courtesy of Thompson Photography Group
THANK YOU Kelly & Eric! We seriously love working with people who are excited about music and know their stuff. We’re always happy to take the reins or step back, but collaboration is what we do best - and honestly it’s the most fun. We plan on seeing you real soon.
If you have worked with us and would like to be featured, please email booking@speechlessmusic.com
With a culinary background and an eye on etiquette, Peral Farquharson brings every part of her unique identity to her business, Designed by Delsie. Pearl talks to us about the mistakes she sees couples make when planning their wedding, and her take on navigating tricky family dynamics.