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Traditionally, the official “Wedding Season” begins each year in April. This year, my first wedding of the season was an event that was so much fun, that it will be the standard to which all other weddings this year will be measured. Alyssa and Richard were married at The Hyatt Regency Valencia, which is a place my wife Johanna and I hold very sacred. (We had our wedding there almost fifteen years ago in the same Rose Garden and Valencia Ballroom as Alyssa and Richard!) The ceremony was simply stunning. For a “Spring Day” in April, it was so hot that the guests hung out in the adjacent air conditioned hallway until five minutes before go time. Then, they all took their seats to witness a heartfelt and personalized ceremony. They quickly forgot about the heat and enjoyed the perfect Southern California sunshine while Alyssa and Richard said their “I Do’s.”

 

After an hour of cocktails and lots of photos, the guests moved over to the Valencia Ballroom, which was decked out in Silver and Gold accents. Spirits were high as we kicked off the Grand Entrance with “2 Of Amerikaz Most Wanted (aka Gangsta Party)” for the bridal party, followed by “Come and Get Your Love” for Alyssa and Richard. Definitely not your typical entrance songs, but these unique touches perfectly fit Alyssa and Richard’s personalities and taste in music.

 

After dinner, the dance floor was absolutely packed and stayed that way throughout the evening. So much so, in fact, that we added a whole new level to crazy dance parties…we BROKE THE DANCE FLOOR!!! That’s right…the maintenance staff from the Hyatt was called in to fix the floor but couldn’t get the job done because there was no way this party was stopping!

 

The grand finale was one of the most amazing last dances I have ever seen. Richard sings and plays guitar in a hard rock band. For their last slow song, they chose the power ballad “Fall To Pieces” by Velvet Revolver. Richard, Alyssa, and the entire crowd (which, BTW, was almost everyone who attended) sang the song at the top of their lungs. The group hug that followed and the expression on Richard’s face was the epitome of the love and satisfaction of an absolutely outstanding wedding.

 

Oh…and after the lights came back on, a small but mighty group of party goers serenaded Alyssa and Richard with Bohemian Rhapsody.

 

Dave’s recommended vendors for this wedding are:

• The Hyatt Regency Valencia – valencia.hyatt.com – Event Sales Manager Cristina Klasky – Cristina.Klasky@hyatt.com
• Customized Weddings by Pastor Steven Jeffrey Stweart – singandpray@aol.com
• Jenna Clark Photography – jennaclarkphoto.com