December was a busy month for Jellyroll with six wedding performances, as well as some corporate events and holiday parties. They started the month full swing with a wedding each night of the first weekend and kept on playing throughout the month.
December 4th - Jellyroll performed at the wedding of Ashley Sanginiti and Andrew Wright. The reception was held at the stunning Down Town Club where photographer Charles Conrad, of Conrad Louis, capture the night by photo and videographer, Tim Sudall of Video One, provided the couple with a video diary of the evening. Special dances for the evening included “Endless Love”, “I Loved Her First”, and “My Wish”.
December 5th - Jellyroll preformed at the wedding of Julie Myers and Mark Gutierrez. Jellyroll became very friendly with Julie’s parents, Bob and Sherrie, through the planning process. It was a pleasure to play their daughter’s beautiful Jewish wedding. The event was held at Radnor Valley Country Club where Chuck Miller did an outstanding job with catering. Photography and videography were both provided by The Pros. The bride and groom’s first dance was to “At Last”, and Julie and her father shared a dance to “Sunrise, Sunset”.
December 6th - Jellyroll performed at the wedding of Lisa Ramunno and Stan Charney at the Hotel du Pont. The wedding was a remarkable event planned with the help of Karen, of Queen of Hearts. Other professionals that contributed to making this event special were photographer, Ralph Alswang, and videographer, Tim Sudall, of Video One. The bride and groom performed a waltz to “You Are So Beautiful” for their first dance. The parent dances for the evening were “Summertime” and “Wonderful World”.
December 7th - The weekend festivities did not stop on Sunday for Jellyroll, they performed for a fourth day in a row at the retirement party for David St. Claire on Monday, December 7th. David is former CEO of MEDecision and a big Jellyroll fan. Such a fan in fact, his co-workers decided to hire Jellyroll as a big surprise at his retirement party. Jellyroll was honored by this sentiment.
December 11th – It had been a couple of years since Jellyroll had last played at Deerfield Golf and Tennis Club, and when they returned for the wedding of Erica Hayman and Kevin Meme the establishment was just as picturesque as the band members remembered. Erica and Kevin incorporated some holiday cheer into their reception by having the band play holiday-themed jazz music during the cocktail hour. The couple’s first dance was to the always classic, “At Last”. The couple shared dances with their couples to “I Loved Her First” and “The Way You Look Tonight”.
December 12th – Jellyroll performed at Harry’s Savoy Ballroom for the PSCI holiday party. This is the 8th consecutive year Jellyroll has been asked to perform at this event. It is always great for them to see and reconnect with CEO, Chris O’Neil and the rest of the PSCI staff.
December 18th – Jellyroll performed at Knowlton Mansion for the wedding of Jennifer Wolk and Jeff Ruspantine. Photography was provided by Andrew Graham Todes. The bride and groom’s first dance was to one of Jellyroll’s favorite songs, “You Are The Best Thing” by Ray Lamontagne. The parent dances were done to the songs “My Little Girl” and “Through the Years”. This was a fun wedding Jellyroll enjoyed being a part of. Read some kind words of appreciation offered by Jennifer and Jeff:
Dear Kurt & Jellyroll, Jeff and I wanted to say thank you again for playing at our wedding on 12/18/09 at the Knowlton Mansion. Your professionalism and enthusiasm added to the best night of our lives. People are still talking about how awesome you guys were and I’m sure they will for a very long time. I will be sure to recommend you guys to anyone that asks about a band. Again, thank you for making our special day even better! Sincerely, Jeff and Jen Ruspantine
December 20th – Jellyroll braved the elements and made their way through the snow to perform at a holiday party for the staff of the Cescaphe Ballroom and the Curtis Center. These are two venues BVT bands, and Jellyroll in particular, play at frequently and their presence at the event was requested by owner, Joe Volpe. Jellyroll was happy to oblige and it was great to see the staff enjoying themselves rather than catering to others for an evening. The event was held at The Mask & Wig Club at the University of Pennsylvania. This is a really unique venue with a lot of history, which made performing this event even more of a treat.
December 26th – Jellyroll’s final wedding of 2009 was that of Hilary Werner and Don Zajac. This wedding was particularly special because Hilary is past president of NACE (National Association of Catering Executives), to which Kurt, Jellyroll’s bandleader, is a proud member. The reception took place at the Drexelbrook in Drexel Hill PA. Special dances for the evening included “How Can I Tell You?” by Cat Stevens, “You’re Gonna Miss This” by Trace Adkins, and “I Hope You Dance”.
December 31st – Jellyroll was able to end the decade with their great friends at the Concordville Inn. The dance floor was packed throughout the night, as Jellyroll kept the crowd dancing into the New Year! Jellyroll performed many hit songs, as well as their rendition of the traditional New Year’s favorite, “Auld Lang Syne”. A special thanks to Kim Pagliaro and Steve Angeline for inviting Jellyroll to perform at this event.
It may have been Friday the 13th, but there was nothing unlucky about the wedding of Reney Coburn and Dave Lamont on November 13, 2009. Reney is the sister of a long time friend of Kurt, and Jellyroll was thrilled to perform at her wedding reception, which took place at the Doubletree Hotel Mt. Laurel, NJ.
Since the event took place in New Jersey, and the Bride was a huge Bruce Springsteen fan, Jellyroll decided to bring back an old favorite, paying tribute to The Boss by playing Springsteen’s “10th Avenue Freeze Out“. This song was a great hit, encouraging guests to fill the dance floor, which was jam packed with guests dancing and having a ball for the entire remainder of the night. Jellyroll, also, performed “Can’t Take My Eyes Off of You” by Frankie Valli as a special first dance for the Bride and Groom.
On Saturday, November 14th, Jellyroll performed at the wedding of Zara Rosenberg and Zachary Shapiro at the Ritz-Carlton Philadelphia. Maitre d’, Aric, did a wonderful job of pulling together all the detials of the evening and making sure everything was perfect for the bride and groom. Lauren Lerner was the planning contact for Jellyroll at the Ritz-Carlton. She worked with the band to make sure the evening was well coordinated.
Kosher catering was provided by Berel Fischler at Prestige. Prestige Caterers are known for their creativity, and in admiring the delicious spread of food offered at the Rosenberg-Shapiro wedding, it is obvious why.
Shea Roggio, of Wonderful Machine, was the photographer for the evening, and Jeff Ashe, of Ashe Productions, provided the videography.
The bride and groom’s first dance song was a Jellyroll favorite, “Feels Like Home to Me” by Chantal Kreviazuk. The couple decided on a joint parent dance to Lee Ann Womack’s “I Hope You Dance“.
This traditional Jewish wedding included an exciting 20-minute Hora.
Here are some pictures from the Rosenberg-Shapiro wedding taking by members of Jellyroll:
The Bride and Groom joining the band on stage.
Jellyroll’s horn section
Joe Blues on the Sax
Guests dancing to Michael Jackson’s “Thriller”
Jellyroll performed on Saturday, November 21, 2009, for Erica Sorensen and Fran Wurster Jr.’s family and friends during the couple’s wedding reception. Fran and Erica worked very closely with Jellyroll during the wedding planning process, growing to know each other well, which made performing at the wedding a true pleasure for Jellyroll. The reception was hosted at the Ballroom at the Ben, where Ott did a wonderful job of executing the event, as he always does.
Catering was provided by Kathleen Kelly of Finley Catering, and the spread of food looked absolutely delicious. Foschi Photography provided both photography and videography for the evening, and floral arrangements were assembled by Ten Pennies.
The reception was extremely high energy. Guests were on their feet and dancing the whole night through. Everyone was so smitten with the evening of great music and company, that Jellyroll performed an extra forty minutes–plus an encore!
Special dances for the evening included “Thank You for Loving Me”by Bon Jovi for the bride and groom’s first dance, and “Wind Beneath My Wings” and “Simple Man” as the parent dances.
Here are some photos from the reception!
Jellyroll had a busy weekend October 23rd through 25th with an event each day. On Friday evening, Jellyroll performed at the wedding reception of Doreen Donnelly and Mike Korba. This was a particularly special wedding, as Doreen is a good friend to members of Jellyroll and BVT. Doreen is an event planner for MEDecision and Jellyroll has played at many of the corporate events she has planned.
The reception was held at the Ballroom at the Ben where Ott Ricci, the maitre d’, put together a wonderful event. Photos were taken by Faith West Photography and the beautiful floral displays were put together by Jim at Ring of Roses. Doreen and Mike shared there first dance together as a married couple to Shania Twain’s “From This Moment On”. Parent dances included “My Wish” by Rascal Flatts and “I Hope You Dance” by Leanne Womack. The bride also requested the band play “Single Ladies” by Beyonce. This is a fun song that everyone really enjoyed, especially the women in attendance.
On Saturday, Jellyroll performed at Sarah Lustgarten’s Bat Mitzvah at the Four Seasons Hotel Philadelphia. Jellyroll is proud of their long association as a preferred entertainment partner with Four Seasons Hotel Philadelphia. The beautiful decor was provided by Party Productions. Daniel Briones, and maitre d’, Rick, also worked to ensure success at the Four Seasons.
Jellyroll worked together with Emcee Paul from EJ the DJ at this event. A highlight of the evening was when Paul and an array of dancers carried Sarah into the room on their shoulders for her grand entrance. At this point, Sarah performed a song which she wrote, “Candy Store”, as Jellyroll accompanied her. Band members and guests were both in awe of the talent of this young girl. Dancing ensued throughout the night as adults and kids, alike, filled the dance floor!
The weekend ended on Sunday when Jellyroll performed at the wedding of Randi Sosnow and Brad Brack. This lovely couple had their wedding reception at Spring Mill Country Club. Barnet Paul of Hy Paul Studio provided the videography and photography for the event. Floral arrangements were provided by Dominic Graziano Flowers and Gifts.
Randi and Brad had a beautiful outside ceremony, which Jellyroll provided the music for. Following the ceremony, guests moved inside for cocktails, dinner, and of course, dancing. The couple’s first dance together was “I’m Yours” by Jason Mraz. Jellyroll learned this special song just for them. Other special songs of the evening were “In My Life” by The Beatles which was dedicated to Randi’s father, grandmother and grandfather. “In My Daughter’s Eyes” by Martina McBride was a special request from Randi’s mom. There was also a traditional Jewish Horah and Crowning at this wedding.
On Saturday, October 17th, Jellyroll performed at the wedding reception of Judy Wang and Andrew Mayer. This beautiful wedding was held at the Hyatt Regency at Penn’s Landing. The Hyatt is a wonderful venue with a talented and professional staff working to ensure perfection at each and every wedding. Some staff members who did a truly phenomenal job in putting together a successful night were Gian Carlo and Michael.
Jonathan Rubin, of Studio Nine Photography, took beautiful photos and was able to capture many special moments between the bride and groom and their guests. And this wedding certainly had some special and memorable moments! One of the highlights of the evening for Jellyroll occurred when Tesa, one of the groups female vocalists, sang “The Moon Represents My Heart” in Mandarin Chinese at the Bride’s request. Tesa nailed it and received a standing ovation from guests from across the world. The multicultural customs continued throughout the night and included a traditional Jewish Hora followed by a Chinese Lion Dance performed by the CACC Dragon and Lion Dance Club.
The Bride and Groom shared their first dance together to “Everything” by Michael Buble, sung by Jellyroll’s male vocalist, Dondi. The parent dances were “Somewhere Over the Rainbow” and “Song for My Son”.
Jellyroll performed at two exciting weddings this weekend for two wonderful couples. The first wedding was that of Lynn Ravert and Tom Curran, and it was held at the beautiful Crystal Tea Room. Maitre d’ Miguel, ensured the evening was a flawless success, as he always does. The rest of the Crystal Tea Room staff was fantastic as well, especially Nicole Festa.
The professionals working to make this wedding reception a great one were all very high level and some of the best in the business. Tim Sudall, of Video One Productions, was the videographer for the evening, along with his assistant, Nick. Tony Baiada was the photographer, and he had his son, Sal, helping him out. Gina Sole was the wedding planner coordinating the event. Flowers were brought in by Ring of Roses, and the room was beautifully lit by the lighting specialists at Eventions.
Special dances for the night included the bride and groom’s first dance to “Someone Like You” by Van Morrison, and the parent dances to “Forever Young” and “Find Your Wings”. “Find Your Wings”, by Mark Harris, was a new song for Jellyroll which they learned special for the groom and his mother. The groom had another special request and asked Jellyroll to perform “High Hopes” to start the dancing for the night. He had noticed on Facebook that Jellyroll had performed this song the weekend before at a gala honoring Harry Kalas. Of course, Jellyroll was happy to oblige and all the Phillies fans at the reception loved it.
Jellyroll also performed at the wedding of Erika Beasley and Thomas Allen this weekend. The reception was held at the Cescaphe Ballroom, which is a beautiful, new event location that is both a popular and unique venue. It is located in the trendy Northern Liberty section of Philadelphia. The Maitre d’ at Cescaphe, Mike, is a talented man with great attention to detail. He never fails to put together a less than phenomenal wedding reception.
Andy Todes was the photographer for the event, and he took lots of great shots of the bride and groom. Check back in a couple of weeks to view some of the pictures he took. The videographer was Scott Randolph of Arrival Video Production, and floral arrangements were done by Alicia Martino of Il Fiore Bianco.
The bride and groom shared their first dance together to a Jellyroll favorite, “Into the Mystic” by Van Morrison. They also shared meaningful dances with their parents to Jellyroll’s renditions of “You are So Beautiful”, and Rascal Flatts’ “My Wish”.
Tom and Erika are not only a beautiful couple, but giving too. In lieu of traditional wedding gifts they made donations to The Philadelphia Breast Cancer 3-Day benefitting Susan G. Komen for the Cure and The Long Island/Queens Lupus Alliance of America. These are two great causes that Jellyroll was happy to see donations go to.
If you want to talk about unusual events, than you should hear about the fundraising event Jellyroll performed at on Friday, October 2nd, to benefit the Friends of Laurel Hill Cemetery. It is not every day you hear about a gala for a cemetery, but Laurel Hill is a truly unique and special place. Laurel Hill is one of the only cemeteries in the country that is a National Historic Landmark, and the Friends of Laurel Hill work to preserve and promote the establishment. This was the 5th annual Gravediggers’ Ball held to benefit the landmark, and this year’s event was held in memory of Harry Kalas whose final resting place is at Laurel Hill. It was inspiring for Jellyroll to be a part of this event, honoring the beloved Philadelphia broadcaster.
The evening started with a moving tribute to Harry, followed by Jellyroll playing “High Hopes,” a known favorite of Mr. Kalas. Guests, many of whom were dressed in costume, really enjoyed this. Everyone sang along, and then stayed on the dance floor to dance the night away. Here is an excerpt from the Kalas family testimonial to the Friends of Laurel Hill: “I loved how the band asked everyone to sing along to High Hopes. Sometimes it can seem kind of cheesy when people do High Hopes in honor of Harry, but because it was such a great band, and what they said before they started singing, it really felt like a loving tribute and I have to commend the band for that because that’s not easy to do. So it was really an incredible night and we were so pleased to be a part of it.”
The following evening, on October 3rd, Jellyroll performed at the wedding of Kristen Bowers and Keith Griesbaum at the Hotel du Pont. The evening was entirely enjoyable as the bride and groom were a pleasure to work with, and Jillian, a member of the Hotel du Pont staff, ran a great show. Linda Simunov, the couple’s wedding planner, ensured that all the details came together to create a flawless and memorable evening for the bride and groom. Michael Kehr was the photographer for the evening, and he took some great shots of the happy couple with their friends and family. Below are a few of his photos from the wedding!
The special dances of the night included the bride and groom’s first dance to “Can’t Help Falling in Love with You” by Elvis. The bride and her father danced to “The Way You Look Tonight”, and the groom and his mother danced to “Wonderful Tonight”. The rest of the night Jellyroll performed high-energy dance songs that really got the crowd moving. Jellyroll experienced one of their most exciting endings to a reception when the bride and groom joined them on stage in front of a packed crowd of guests for the last song of the night, Journey’s “Don’t Stop Believing”.
On Friday evening, September 19th, Jellyroll performed at the wedding of the beautiful Chrissy Haldis (an accomplished New York model), and her groom, Cory DeForrest. The reception was held at Cairnwood Mansion in Bryn Athyn, PA which is a unique wedding location where Jellyroll is always excited to perform.
The night started as the bride and groom performed their first dance to “Harvest Moon” by Pearl Jam. After which, Jellyroll immediately got the crowd up and dancing to the new hit by the Black Eyed Peas, “I Gotta Feeling”. It really is the perfect song to set the mood for a fun and memorable night. After a few high energy dances, the guests enjotyed a delicious dinner, prepared by Jimmy Duffy Catering in the outside tented area.
Following dinner, Jellyroll was quick to restart the party by playing the parent dances. Chrissy and her father danced to Jellyroll’s rendition of “Do I Make You Proud” by Taylor Hicks. Cory and his mother danced to “What a Wonderful World” by Louis Armstrong. After these sentimental dances, Jellyroll kicked it up a notch for the rest of the evening and kept the dance floor crowded until the end of the night.
The following night, Saturday, September 19th, Jellyroll played at the wedding of Jill Galbally and Lieutenant Peter Murphy. Jellyroll always appreciates the opportunity to perform at the wedding of military personnel. Peter was truly a gentleman, as his bride was lovely. The reception was held at the Union League of Philadelphia, and as always the staff did a wonderful job of ensuring a flawless evening for the bride and groom.
Others who helped to make the evening unforgettable for all in attendance were wedding planner, Lynda Barness, from I Do Weddings, and photographer Marie Labbancz. Jellyroll’s great friend Tim Sudall, of Video One, was the videographer for the evening.
Jill and Peter performed their first dance to “Nothing at All” by Ronan Keating. The bride danced with her father to “Landslide” by Fleetwood Mac. Jellyroll especially enjoyed learning “Bright Side of the Moon” by Van Morrison for Lt. Murphy to dance to with his mother.
The evening was a great success and guests were dancing all night long! In fact, everyone was having such a good time that the bride and groom asked Jellyroll to perform an extra 30 minutes longer than originally planned!
Jellyroll had the honor of returning to the Manor House at Commonwealth on Friday evening to play at the wedding of Marisa Ammendola and Greg McLaughlin. As always Amy, Cristy, Jennifer, and the rest of the Manor House staff ensured success in putting together a fantastic evening.
The bride and groom’s first wedding dance together was to “Into the Mystic” by Van Morrison. Later in the evening Mr. Ammendola danced with his beautiful daughter to “My Girl” and the groom and his mother danced to “Song for My Son,” sung by Jellyroll’s Tesa Williams.
The bride and groom requested the band play “Stuck on You” by Lionel Richie. Jellyroll was happy to oblige and used the song to kick off the dancing which continued well into the night.
On Saturday, Jellyroll played at the Lewes Yacht Club in Lewes, DE. The club is a very unique wedding location where Jellyroll always enjoys performing. The bride and groom, Becky Rogers and Clayton Serman, made a lovely couple and were a pleasure to perform for. Becky is a member of the Fox 29 Philly team, and it was exciting to see Fox Philly personalities dancing to the sounds of Jellyroll.
Below is a picture taken by Humbled Eyes Photography of the bride and groom sharing their first dance to “Wonderful Tonight” sung by Jellyroll guitarist Steve Sheppard:
Other important dances of the night included the bride and her father’s dance to “Lullaby,” and the groom’s dance with his mother to Lynyrd Skynyrd’s “Simple Man.” This song was a first time performance for Jellyroll!
Here are some more pictures taken by Humbled Eyes Photography at the Rogers-Serman wedding:
Both of the weekend’s weddings were great successes. Jellyroll and everyone else at BVT wish the best of luck to both couples!
August was another great month for the Brandywine Valley Talent dance band, Jellyroll. Here is a quick recap of some amazing weddings that we performed:
August 1: Jellyroll performed at The Merion for the wedding of Anne Curtis to Brian Himmer. A highlight of the evening may have been Jellyroll’s rendition “I Just Can’t Take My Eyes Off Of You” (Lady Antebellum). This was the couple’s first dance, a song that we learned specifically for Anne and Brian. Here is a link to a short video, compliments of Mark Louis Photography.
August 8: Jellyroll returned to the Crystal Tea Room. The Crystal Tea Room, operated by Finley Catering, is a Favorite venue of Jellyroll!
August 14: It is always a pleasure to perform at a friend’s wedding, and this was no exception. We had the honor of performing for a very close friend and a great vocalist, Jackie Lamparelli, for her wedding as she married a great guy, Ben Neville. The wedding took place at Atlantic City Country Club.
August 15: We always enjoy the opportunity to perform at a unique venue, and this was the first time Jellyroll performed at The Mill At Spring Lake. Jim Costeira married Kristin McCullock at this Jersey shore venue. Here is a testimonial from Kristin’s mom, Karen: “Thank you for an amazing job at my daughter’s wedding on 8/15. We received so many compliments on you, and everyone said this was the best wedding they had ever attended. “Evergreen” is a memory my husband and I will cherish forever”.
August 21: Jellyroll returned to North Hills Country Club, where general Manager, Jason Equi, tends to every detail. Mary Holden married Go Ozeni with Jellyroll providing a high energy soundtrack. A highlight of the evening was the Bride and Groom’s entrance with Jellyroll performing “Rapper’s Delight” while the Bridal party performed a choreographed dance. It was totally cool to participate in something this unusual. The guests were immediately engaged and danced throughout the evening.
August 22: Once again, Jellyroll had the honor of performing for people that they got to know very well at the Thacher wedding held at the Mendenhall Inn. The dance floor was jammed and the Mendenhall staff, as always, made our job a true pleasure!
August 28: Jellyroll had the honor of performing at The Union League’s Patricia Tobin’s wedding, which was held at The Union League. Jellyroll performed a great version of “Night and Day” for the couple’s first dance and kept the crowd dancing in a cocktail recetion formatted wedding. As always, the Union League did an incredible job. Our friend, Mike Leslie was their phographer, so please keep an eye out for some great new photos.
August 29: The Rittenhouse Hotel is absolutely one of the most impeccable venues at which we perform, and the wedding of Beth Levitsky to Mark Friedel was just another great example. Jellyroll provided the ceremony, cocktail hour and dance music at the wonderful wedding. Cliff Mautner was photographer and Tim Sudall from Video One was on video. Party Productions provided the beautiful decor. As always, Jellyroll worked closely with Allison and Bruce from the Rittenhouse and the wedding was an incredible, exciting success.
Here is what Beth’s mom, Ina had to say afterward:
“Thank you for making Beth and Mark’s wedding absolutely spectacular. Your band exceeding all of my expectations. Jellyroll is truly the BEST band anywhere! There was not one guest (from mid 20’s to mid 80’s) who didn’t stop me to tell me what and incredible band you are. Your music during the meal was beautiful, your vocalists unbelievably talented, and your dance music was awesome. There was no one at that party that wasn’t dancing all night. Your music made the party the memorable success that it was.
Thank you again.”