Saturday night I had the pleasure of DJing another beautiful wedding at one of my favorite venues — The Candlewood Inn in Brookfield, Connecticut. As the house DJ, I’ve performed there often, and it’s always a fantastic experience. The weather and view were absolutely perfect for Christina and Jack’s wedding.
Christina and Jack gathered their family and friends for a beautiful ceremony on-site at the venue. Many guests made the trip in from Ohio, and a large portion of the bride’s family, including her parents and several relatives, were Ukrainian. In the weeks leading up to the big day, I worked closely with Christina and her mom to incorporate Ukrainian traditions into the evening, and it was so cool to see those moments come to life.
We provided music for the ceremony, cocktail hour, and reception, along with lighting in the dining room and a photo booth that stayed busy all night long. Christina and Jack curated great ceremony and cocktail hour playlists, and after guests moved into the dining room, we kicked things off with a high-energy entrance (Jump Around)! I knew this was going to be a fun one.
Following the couple’s entrance and first dance, I read a prepared statement from Christina’s mom explaining the traditional Ukrainian blessing of bread, salt, and wine.
Christina shared a nice dance with her father to a Ukrainian song, and lyric translations were printed on cards at each table. Jack danced with his mom, and then we moved into speeches from both of Christina’s parents, the maid of honor, and the best man.
Once the formalities were done, the dance floor took off and never slowed down. We mixed in just the right amount of Ukrainian music with American favorites, and everyone, no matter where they were from, had a blast.
The real show-stopper came later in the evening, when we did one last traditional Ukrainian dance: the Kolomeyka. For those unfamiliar, the Kolomeyka is a traditional Ukrainian folk dance performed in a circle. Guests take turns entering the middle for improvised and often acrobatic or choreographed solo performances. It’s fast, festive, and full of energy. And last night, the Ukrainian side of the guest list was clearly ready. One after another, relatives took the floor and delivered some of the most incredible spontaneous choreography I’ve ever seen at a wedding.
It was such a joy to be a part of Christina and Jack’s special day. This was a night filled with love, culture, laughter, and nonstop dancing, the kind of celebration I’ll remember for a long time.
Until next time,
Richie Gagliardi
Founder, DJ Live
