Pretty much everyone picks slow ballads for their bridal dance, father/daughter and mother son/dances. Not this bride and groom! They started off with a combined father/daughter and mother/son dance to John Fogerty’s “Rock and Roll Girls”, and then went into the bridal dance with Jackie Wilson’s “Higher and Higher,” both of which are really fast songs! We invited the guests to join the bride and groom on the dance floor half way through their bridal dance. The dance floor filled, the crowd went nuts, and the party rocked the night away until midnight! What a fun group of guests they were!

From the bride and groom:

“What a party! Our reception was the most fun I have had in my life! We danced all night, as did all of our guests. Your band truly made our reception a night to remember with your enthusiasm, great play list, and amazing energy! Not to mention the wonderful job you did learning our first dance and father-daughter songs! A month later and guests are still commenting on our “awesome band” and asking for your name to pass along to friends and family. Thanks for fabulous memories!” – Jamie and Dan Letizia

Highlights of the evening included our pianist Paul Mutzabaugh’s note perfect coordination of six Jewish songs with the cantor from across the ballroom during the ceremony, the band’s surprisingly rockin’ version of Savage Garden’s “Truly, Madly, Deeply” for the bridal dance, and our rendition of the Allman Brothers song “Sweet Melissa” as a special request from the groom for the bride (yes, her name was Melissa). This was a wedding with dancing between courses, and the Peter Hennes Orchestra had the dance floor packed from the moment the doors opened!

Here’s what the parents of the bride had to say:

“Oh What a Night!”
Dear Peter,
Thank you for helping to make Melissa and Jason’s wedding a dream come true. We can only tell you we had nothing but rave reviews on your band! Thanks for a job well done!” – Joy and Ron Mayer

The bride and groom chose Our Love is Here to Stay for their bridal dance, followed by The Way You Look Tonight for a combined father/daughter and mother/son dance. Completely switching gears, we invited the rest of the guests to the dance floor with Let’s Get it Started by the Black Eyed Peas, which kicked off three straight hours of continuous music and dancing. At the end of the party, the groom commented to me that not only did their guests have a blast, but we looked like we did too. We always do, and I never have more fun than I do playing with our band!

Here’s what the bride had to say:

“Both Paul and I were thrilled with the way our wedding turned out. Everything ran smoothly, and everyone had a great time – we thank the Peter Hennes Orchestra for a large part of that. We keep getting comments from guests such as “what a great band!” “I have never had so much fun at a wedding!” and “the night just went by too fast.” Thanks for all that you did to help plan and execute an absolutely wonderful event!” – Elizabeth Galanis

First, pick a song that means something to you and your fiance. Usually, this is a slow song, though it doesn’t have to be. If you really feel like you have two left feet, take some dance lessons. Ask your teacher to work out the simplest moves possible for your song, and then practice – a lot! It’s essential that your moves become second nature, so you can keep it together when all eyes are upon you. Our band usually does the same arrangement as the original song, so your choreography should work out fine. If you’re really concerned, and you want to dance to the exact music you’ve practiced with, we’re happy to play the cd for you.

Most bridal dances last between three and four minutes, but you don’t have to be alone for the whole song. You can dance by yourselves for a minute, then we can bring your guests onto the floor to join you for the rest of the song. You can add all the guests at once, or add the parents, bridal party, and the rest of the guests in groups. This is often preferred by wedding planners, and it’s a great way to get the party started!