Liz & Drew had some fun ideas about how they wanted to make their wedding reception at Still Water Hollow in Nampa, Idaho unique to them. They’re both volleyball coaches and highly competitive.
One of their ideas was to have a good ol’ fashioned head-to-head battle of “Flip Cup” – Drew and his boys vs. Liz and her girls. It sounded fun and I was ready to help!
The problem was they weren’t really sure when or where to play it.
Should it happen after dinner? How about at some point during dancing?
Would it happen on the dance floor or some other part of the room?
Doing it at the right time was key to making it a highlight of their wedding.
They also wanted a big Grand Entrance to show off their friends, and to give a quick speech to thank all of their guests for coming. After some brainstorming, I suggested we combine all three of these things into one section of the night.
Here’s what we came up with:
The Plan
First, Drew was adamant about playing AC/DC “Thunderstruck” at some point – even joking about playing it while walking down the aisle.
Well, we decided that they and their entire wedding party would walk into “Thunderstruck” for their Grand Entrance right after the cocktail hour. The Flip Cup table would be placed on the dance floor ready to go.
After I introduced each couple, they would line up at their positions at the table. After Liz and Drew were announced, I’d explain the rules of the game then at the sound of the bell they would start.
Then the winner, either Liz or Drew, would get the mic, which would be resting on their head table and ready to go. That person could take a moment to talk a little trash, then move onto their thank you speech and into one of the Dad’s welcome toast.
I even attended the rehearsal to talk through all of the details with the wedding party, in order to prevent any confusion or awkward moments.
I have to say it went off flawlessly! The Grand Entrance was hype. The Flip Cup game was a blast.
And Liz and her girls won, so she got to talk a little trash to her new hubby (poor Drew).
It was a great time and so rewarding to help make their fun and quirky vision come to life. 🙂
Added Benefit
The added benefit of making something like this come together earlier in the night is it set the tone for the entire reception. Everyone was loosened up and the entire party felt like one. We were in this thing together.
That translated to a more upbeat vibe and a rocking dance party.
You couldn’t ask for anything better!
Also, I’d like to give a big shout out to Blythe Weddings for providing all of these beautiful photos from Liz and Drew’s wedding at Still Water Hollow and to Thousand Words Videography for producing the video of that Grand Entrance and Flip Cup moment below.
Eric Rhodes is the owner and lead DJ at 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 event DJ Company.
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.