Kim and Anthonie’s wedding at Still Water Hollow took place on Labor Day 2021. This amazing couple wanted a fun and laid back vibe and decided to take advantage of the beautiful outdoor scenery and charm that Still Water Hollow has to offer. Now, weather in Idaho can be so unpredictable, but they absolutely scored on this day with temperatures being just a little bit warm in the afternoon and absolutely perfect as the sun began to set – perfect temperatures for busting a move out on the dance floor and not feeling like you’re going to get heat exhaustion.
What I truly enjoyed about working with Kim and Anthonie is that they obvious love for each other and had already built a strong foundation for their lives. Plus, they love their friends and family, and made it top priority to ensure they had a wonderful experience. Many of them were traveling from out-of-state, so it was important to Anthonie and Kim that the trip was worth it. With the help of Wild Bliss Event Planning, Baylee Marie Photo, Raising Our Bar and more talented vendors, I’d have to say they definitely accomplished that!
I’m going to break down a few of the highlights from Kim and Anthonie’s night and explain how I did my part to help them reach their goal.
(*All Photos credited to the skilled and talented Baylee Marie Photo!)
Ceremony
First, Anthonie and Kim’s ceremony was especially important to them. They have an amazing and unique story that is a little non-traditional. Without going into the details of their personal lives, it’s important to note that they had already built a strong foundation by having children and owning a home. This ceremony was sort of the final bow on the package.
I understood this, and knowing they chose to read their own vows, I had to be sure that when Anthonie poured his heart out to Kim for example, everyone in attendance could hear every heartfelt word spoken. I chose to provide two lapel mics – one for their officiant (who did an excellent job!) and one for Anthonie which would also pick up Kim’s voice. It worked flawlessly!
Cocktail Hour & Dinner
After the ceremony, their guests moved over to the reception area for drinks and lively music. Kim and Anthonie wanted to enjoy as much of the party as they could, so they kept their after-ceremony photos to a minimum (shout out to Baylee for helping them accomplish that!) and then joined their guests after 30 minutes or so.
Once it was time for the Grand Entrance, I invited everyone to take their seats in preparation for the big announcement. This particular layout at Still Water Hollow was tricky, because dinner was on the lawn next to the old barn and dancing was on the concrete in front of the barn where I was set up. So, we had them tuck away inside the barn next me where nobody could see them, and when I announced their names they stepped out onto the dance floor and walked their way towards the lawn where their sweetheart table was. They entered in to Walker Hayes “Fancy Like,” and after the thunderous round of applause from their guests, we then transitioned into some fun, heartfelt speeches followed by a buffet taco bar provided by El Gallo Giro.
Love Story & First Dance
After everyone enjoyed their meals and good conversations, it was time to transition to the next portion of the night and one of my favorite moments – Kim and Anthonie’s Love Story followed by their First Dance.
I invited everyone over to the dance floor area and had them gather around the dance floor. Directly in front of the Still Water Hollow barn were two bistro-style chairs for Anthonie and Kim to sit on. I gathered everyone’s attention and began sharing their love story.
In the week’s leading up to the wedding, I had Anthonie and Kim individually share their versions of their love story with me. They gave me details about how they met, what their first date was like, how the proposal happened and more. Then, I took those two individual stories and combined them into one, then shared it for the first time with Anthonie, Kim and their guests.
Everyone loved it! There were laughs, ooh’s and ahh’s and even some tears were shed. It was a unique and special moment that led right into their choreographed First Dance.
Dance Party & Send Off
After that, it was time to dance and party, and I have to say that this was a fun crowd! They danced for two and a half hours and could have kept going if it weren’t for the time restrictions. I mixed newer hits with country, old school hip-hop, classic wedding favorites and more. They were receptive to all of it, which helped create some pretty magical and entertaining moments on the dance floor.
Once it was time to wrap up, we had one last thing to do, which was say goodbye to Kim and Anthonie with a classic sparkler send-off. It was the perfect way to end a perfect night.
Eric Rhodes is the owner of Rhodes Entertainment in Boise, ID. Eric has always had a passion for entertaining people through music. He officially started mixing records at the University of Idaho in 1999. After college Eric moved to Boise where he started making a name for himself in the local music/club scene with his unique sets of House, Indie and Hip-Hop tracks. He started his business in 2011 after realizing that his career in TV news just wasn’t for him. Since then, Eric has been following his dream by building his wedding and event DJ brand.
Aside from music, Eric has a passion for fitness, personal development and, most importantly, raising his young family. He is a member of the North American Collective of MCs and Entertainment Designers (NAC), the former President of his local Toastmasters Club and former President of Idaho Event Professionals.