The Philadelphia Wish Upon a Wedding Launch

Sometime in December of 2010 I got a call from Philadelphia wedding and event planner Randi Martin from Always Fabulous Events. We have worked events with Randi before, so naturally I thought she was calling about some event that we were working together in the near future (she is very thorough like that). To my surprise, it wasn’t just any event, but the Wish Upon a Wedding Philadelphia launch party, and she was asking me to handle the music for the event personally. Yup, lil ole’ me.

What is Wish Upon a Wedding you ask? Well, I grabbed this blurb from their website to give you an idea of what the organization is all about.

Wish Upon a Wedding is a nonprofit organization that provides weddings and vow renewals to couples facing terminal illness or other serious life-altering circumstances, regardless of sexual orientation. Often, couples facing such situations do not have the energy, time, money, or resources needed to plan their wedding. Our organization takes care of all the details, offering couples a chance to relax and enjoy a very special day while surrounded by the love of their closest family and friends.

Now, I’d love to spin this and say something like “Oh what an honor it was to be chosen to be a part of this” or perhaps suggest I was chosen because I’m somehow the best at what I do, but truth be told, all of the credit goes to the event planners involved, and their infinite wisdom. Randi Martin wanted me specifically not because I am the best, but instead because I was the best suited for this specific event. Good event planners are very clever like that… choosing what’s the right fit for a specific instance.

Randi also knew I’d be unlikely to turn it down, as I’d have a soft spot for it’s Beatles-esq theme, “All You Need Is Love”

It was a really cool event, with well over two hundred attendees and countless volunteers. Mark Kingsdorf, President of the Philadelphia chapter of the organization presided over the event – held at the Top of the Tower – with a heartfelt speech intended to formally introduce Wish Upon a Wedding’s objective and goals to the Philadelphia event industry (see video above).

Although I knew that Randi and the team were hoping to pull upon my knowledge of The Beatles, and the whole Beatles/Love connection, I knew I couldn’t just create a music program entirely of The Beatles, as it would get stale pretty quick to the eclectic, event industry-centric audience. Instead, in creating the music program, I focused on two ideas: ‘Love’ and ‘Fun’, or as I titled the folder that served to collect my selections, ‘Fun Love’. Naturally, love is a recurring theme in music, but to pick out the ones I felt conveyed the most up-beat and smiling side of love (as opposed to the mushy, fall asleep ballads) was a fun undertaking.

Again, thanks to Randi Martin, Mark Kingsdorf, and the rest of the Wish Upon A Wedding team for including us in such a noble and worthy cause. It’s okay to stop thanking us now Mark… It was truly our pleasure.

I’ve included a sample selection of the songs here, which I hope you’ll listen to and enjoy. Whether you listen at work, or while you’re doing your thing at home, I hope you find as much fun in the little play list I’ve compiled as I did. And naturally, there are a few Beatles tunes sprinkled in :). Just click below on the play button and remember… All You Need Is Love.

~Craig

Video courtesy of Branded Productions – www.brandedvideo.com

Wish Upon a Wedding Philadelphia

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