Mike and Eric DJ’ed for the new Mr. and Mrs. Bill and Christine McMahon on Friday September 12, 2014 at the DuPortail House in Chesterbrook, PA. The weather was wonderful, the location was gorgeous, the bride was beautiful, the food was delicious, the beer was flowing, and the party was amazing – oh, and the groom looked good too!
 

Here’s Eric’s recap of the McMahon Wedding!!

Bill and I graduated from Warwick High School and went to Millersville University together, too. Bill and I stayed in touch throughout the years and it was such an honor when Bill asked me to DJ his wedding. I knew right off the bat that his wedding would be different than most weddings – Bill has a great personality and was always someone who tended to do his own thing, so I knew it’d be a fun wedding.

Making things even more interesting was the fact that Bill and Christine wanted to meet at my favorite bar in Lancaster County, Bull’s Head in Lititz, on a Saturday morning this past February. It was so great to meet with them over a couple of beers. Most couples tend to meet me at coffee shops, but the future Mr. and Mrs. McMahon insisted we meet at Bull’s Head.

It turns out, Bill is an expert home brewer and takes beer (whether he makes it or not) very seriously and Christine, being the fiancée of a beer lover, also shares Bill’s love for the brew. 

During our meeting, it became clear that Bill and Christine would be a laid back couple looking for a fun and relaxed atmosphere for their wedding. They stressed that they were not interested in the stuffiness and pomp and circumstance of typical weddings. They wanted to do things on their terms and that included breaking from tradition with their music.

The Location
Bill and Christine chose the DuPortail House as their venue for the ceremony and reception.


According to the DuPortail House’s Website:

“In 1740, a Welsh Quaker named John Havard, Jr. built a stone farmhouse on a large William Penn land grant, amid the fertile fields of Chester County’s Great Valley. During the Continental Army’s encampment at Valley Forge in 1777-78, the Havard family played host to a guest from France, General Louis Lebègue Duportail. Recruited by Benjamin Franklin, Duportail served as the army’s Chief Engineer, designing fortifications at Valley Forge that could enable Washington’s troops to hold off a potential attack by the British army, which was encamped in nearby Philadelphia.”

It’s a historic property and the house is beautiful – although it was an outside ceremony and reception, it was still a wonderful location all around.
 

The Music
Bill and Christine are both classic rock fans and we played plenty of that throughout the evening. Of special note, we played “Whole Lotta Love” by Led Zeppelin as the Recessional song after the ceremony and the McMahon’s danced to “Thank You” by Led Zeppelin as their first dance!

There was no difference between Cocktail Hour and Dinner, as they didn’t want to have a formal sit-down dinner. So we played lots of upbeat classic rock such as the Rolling Stones, Tom Petty, and Queen (to name a few).

Christine and her Father

Bill and his Mother

See below for the playlists! 

The Beer and Other Things…
We noticed Nugget Nectar and Victory Summer Lovin’ on tap!

And one final item to note, since I went to high school with Bill, his wedding was a bit of a high school reunion. It was great catching up with several friends I haven’t seen in at least 10 years!!

The Cocktail Hour/Dinner/Start of Party Times!

Bruce Springsteen – Born to Run
Jackson Browne – Running On Empty
Queen – Fat Bottomed Girls
Crosby, Stills & Nash – Suite: Judy Blue Eyes
Led Zeppelin – Bron-Yr-Aur
Pink Floyd – Wish You Were Here – 2011 – Remaster
Tom Petty – Free Fallin’
Pearl Jam – Just Breathe
The Rolling Stones – Wild Horses – 2009 Digital Remaster
Queen – You’re My Best Friend
John Mellencamp – Jack & Diane
Grateful Dead – Casey Jones (Remastered Album Version)
Pure Prairie League – Amie
Michael McDonald – I Keep Forgettin’ [Every Time You’re Near]
Don Henley – The Boys Of Summer
Edward Sharpe & The Magnetic Zeros – Home
The Rolling Stones – Start Me Up – 2009 Re-Mastered Digital Version
Tom Petty And The Heartbreakers – American Girl
Led Zeppelin – Trampled Under Foot
Steve Miller Band – The Joker
Elvis Costello & The Attractions – Pump It Up
The Proclaimers – I’m Gonna Be (500 Miles)
Michael Jackson – P.Y.T. (Pretty Young Thing)
The B-52’s – Love Shack [Edit]
Prince & The Revolution – Kiss