During his 35 years as owner and DJ/ MC of Festive Events, David Long recalls some memorable guest performances. “My cousin played the harp for a ceremony; I watched bridesmaids sing a duet; I even arranged for a guest to play ‘Hava Nagila’ on the bagpipes!” Noting that “even a C-level performance will receive an A reception from friends and family,” Long advises couples to channel their inner Simon Cowell before agreeing to showcase someone. “Make sure they can pull it off, keep it short, and coordinate with your DJ or bandleader to make things run smoothly.” “Feel flattered that the bride and groom asked you to perform on their personalbest day,” says T. Sean Maher, a professional singer-actor-dancer and operations director for the Yale Glee Club. Maher has sung “Mack the Knife” at three different weddings. The first time, by special request of the couple, he also sang, “I Don’t Believe in Heroes Anymore.” For that discerning crowd, since, “many guests were the entertainment and there was no dancing, I felt great about singing two of my favorites.” Dr. Lawrence Lepler has made a specialty of performing at his cousins’ weddings. He did such a phenomenal job playing acoustic guitar for Kristen Lurie and Behram Mistree’s September 2014 barn wedding, he was asked to play an encore for Andrea DiPerna and Seth Gerber’s Gardens at Elm Bank wedding in Wellesley, MA, this past September. “I prepared quite a bit,” shares Dr. Lepler. “I took my participation very seriously, was honored to play a role, and wanted to ensure that the music was of professional quality.” First, Dr. Lepler discussed with the couples what they wanted him to play (standards such as “Dream Lover” and “The Way You Look Tonight”), how long to play and when (before, during, or after the ceremony). On the day, his soulful strumming created the perfect ambience.
Dr. Larry Lepler performing for Andrea DiPerna and Seth Gerber’s Gardens at Elm Bank wedding.
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“I took my participation very seriously, was honored to play a role, and wanted to ensure that the music was of professional quality.”
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