Gena and Henry on their big day. All photos on this page courtesy of Phil Cantor Photography, Montclair, NJ
Gena and Henry had clear fall weather for their wedding day. After arriving from the church, the bride & groom and their guests had a chance to enjoy the first class Stony Hill Inn cocktail hour cuisine while our pianist serenaded them. Shortly after the actual reception started, Gena and Henry danced their first dance to our version of the Beach Boys’ classic “God Only Knows” sung by our vocalist Rhonda Bennett.
“God Only Knows” (video clip shot by Heller Productions)
Gena and her father then danced to “Butterfly Kisses”, while after that Henry and his mother countered with Josh Groban’s “You Raise Me Up” (both sung by our guitarist Mikey).
Dancers getting down at Henry and Gena's reception
The whole crowd got involved right away, with a special request the band learned for the party, Lee Greenwood’s “God Bless the USA”. It was dedicated to the groom’s brother in law John, who had just started a tour of duty in Iraq. Even though he couldn’t be there at the wedding and reception, the crowd made it known that they were definitely with John in spirit.
“Proud Mary” (video clip)
Gena and Henry’s guests loved everything from swing to ballads to Motown to funk to current club material.
Salsa and merengue were also a big hit that night (especially with Gena’s aunt), including the special Smokin’ Section “hot” version of the classic merengue bump ‘n grinder “Cana Brava”.
Gena’s brother Dan got up and sat in with the band, singing and playing a spirited version of “Stray Cat Strut”. Towards the end, a high energy medley of “September”, “Sex Machine” and “Living On A Prayer” was just what the crowd was looking for.
“What I Like About You” (video clip)
It was a distinct pleasure (as it always is) for the Smokin’ Section to work with the noted NJ photographer Phil Cantor.
“You Send Me” (video clip)
We ended with a reprise of “God Only Knows” and this time all the guests joined Henry and Gena on the dance floor
“Rescue Me” (video clip)
Location: Stony Hill Inn, Hackensack, NJ www.stonyhillinn.com (201) 342-1046
Photographer: Phil Cantor Photography www.philcantor.com (800) 487-1065
Videographer: Heller Productions www.hellerproductions.com 201-567-8070
The bride and groom requested hip attire for the band (instead of our usual tuxes) and we were more than happy to comply with their wishes!