I met Tara and Carlos (and their best man Derrick) over a year ago at a Starbucks in Burbank. I knew back then that their wedding was going to be an epic night. Fast-forward to April of 2016…Tara and Carlos finally tied the knot at the picturesque Robinson Ranch Golf Course in Canyon Country. Overlooking the Santa Clarita Valley, the guests were taken on a spiritual journey by the wonderfully funny Pastor Richard in both Spanish and English. (Pastor Richard kept Johanna and I entertained before the ceremony with some of the worst jokes imaginable!)
After the “I Dos”, some photos, and a cocktail hour, the bridal party took their places for one of the most unique Grand Entrances I have ever had the pleasure to help put together. Inspired by last seasons Super Bowl Halftime Show, the groomsmen came in from one side of the room dancing to “Uptown Funk” until they strategically lined up on the dance floor. As “Girls, They Run The World” played, the bridesmaids sashayed out from the opposite side of the dance floor and lined up parallel to the guys. Then, Tara and Carlos were introduced and entered from the center, through the makeshift “Soul Train”, and all the way up to the top of the dance floor.
After some very heartfelt and philosophical toasts, Tara and Carlos thanked their guests, some traveled as far as Japan, for coming. Carlos concluded the speech by asking his bride to dance. The song “I Won’t Give Up” by Jason Mraz played, and you could feel chills travel up your spine as the lights dimmed perfectly in time with the beginning of the song. Afterwards, Carlos escorted his mom out to the floor and danced with her. Tara and Carlos quickly visited their tables while the crew of wonderful coordinators, Johanna, and I set-up a projector and screen. You see…the odd schedule was a ruse so we could pull off the ultimate double surprise. Unbeknownst to Tara, her mom was in contact with me months ago to inquire about adding a special Father/Daughter montage to the schedule, which Tara’s brother was kindly making for them. Little did they know, Tara had concocted her own surprise dance to be played AFTER the father/daughter dance. We sat Tara down and asked the guests to gather around the dance floor. Photos of Tara and her dad Roger appeared on the screen, all set to “I Loved Her First” by Heartland. Tara was moved to tears as she watched herself grow up, sharing all sorts of special moments with her dad. My amazing crew broke down the slideshow within seconds of the conclusion so that we could keep that emotion in the air as Roger met his daughter on the dance floor to dance with his little girl. However, at the end of that song, I told Roger that Tara, along with some of the groomsmen, had a surprise for him. I put on “That’s Alright” by JJ Jackson, and all of the groomsmen, along with Carlos and a few others, started doing Roger’s favorite dance…”The Alligator Dance”. Tara grabbed more and more people to come up and learn the simple but fun routine, and without even trying, our dance floor was packed.
The emotion, the fun, and even the feels, continued all night as the guests took to the floor and danced to a wide variety of English and Spanish music. The guests had no idea what time it was when we brought all of them out to do the grand finale dance. After the group hug and more dancing, Tara and Carlos found out that we could keep the party going until midnight. So everyone stayed and danced for another hour and a half. As the final party bus pulled up to the door at Robinson Ranch, the guests were driven back to their hotel safely and exhausted.
Dave’s recommended vendors for this wedding are:
- Tiffany Loren Special Events (Tiffany & Kendyl) – tiffanylorenspecialevents@gmail.com
- Shed Light Videography – shedlightphotography.com