Photo courtesy of Grace Notes Classical Trio.
When Sean and I talked about our wedding, we knew that music was one of our top priorities. We were willing to trim the budget in other areas if it meant that we could have live, classical music for our ceremony and a DJ who kept the energy going throughout the night.
First we looked for a DJ. I started with some online research, but I was overwhelmed by all the choices in the Twin Cities. I turned to my friends to help me narrow my search. My mom recommended a DJ that one of her co-workers hired for her daughter’s wedding. She said he kept the dance floor packed the entire night. His name sounded familiar: Matt Kotefka of First Choice DJ Service. I realized he was the same DJ that former Real Bride Carly had at her wedding, and she gave him a rave review. After exchanging a couple of e-mails with Matt, we agreed to meet in person at Spyhouse Coffee in Minneapolis. To say that Matt surpassed our expectations would be an understatement. He spent two hours chatting with us. We learned that Matt has 20 years of experience. He had great answers to all of our questions including, “What would you do if the dance floor is empty?” His personality is the perfect combination of outgoing without being cheesy. We didn’t need to interview any other DJs; we hired Matt immediately.
Once we had the DJ taken care of, we moved onto ceremony music. I’ve always loved the idea of a classical trio. This search turned out to be easy, because I already had a connection. I’m a board member of Tempo, the young professionals group for the Minnesota Opera. That’s how I met Kärsten Jensen, who happens to be a member of Grace Notes Classical Trio. The trio includes Kärsten, her mom, and her sister, and they play flute, violin, and the cello. Perfect. Since Kärsten is someone I know and trust, I didn’t hesitate to hire her right away.
I feel lucky that we nailed it on the first try with both of these vendors. We know that their music will set the right tone for our wedding.
