For our latest blog, we’ve caught up with Night Shift newlyweds, Erica and Arthur, to get the inside scoop on their elegant Boston Seaport wedding last November. From Arthur’s Roman proposal to a reception that rocked out all night long, learn how they planned the ultimate celebration that guests are still raving about a year later.
How did you and your husband first meet?
Arthur and I met in the fall of 2010 at Northeastern University while we were both studying for our undergraduate degrees. Over several years, we developed a friendship and traveled in similar friend circles. We dispute when our first date actually took place but finally made it official just before graduation!
Your proposal story was beautiful (and a favorite on our socials)! Can you tell us more about that day?
Our proposal was truly a dream and I still cannot believe Arthur pulled it off in secret! We visited Rome for our fourth dating anniversary and were heading out for an anniversary dinner. I started to become a little suspicious when Arthur said a car was coming for us at 6pm… we never eat that early! It turns out he had something else in mind. We arrived at a grassy knoll overlooking the Colosseum where Arthur got down on one knee. He hired a local photographer to capture the moment and do a shoot with us at the Piazza del Colosseo. After, he took me to dinner at a rooftop Michelin star restaurant overlooking the Colosseum and the city of Rome. Arthur had been planning the whole evening via WhatsApp for months prior with the hotel’s concierge. It was beyond anything I could have ever imagined.
Photos by St. Peter Photo. https://www.stpeterphoto.com/
How did you decide on a venue? Did it have special meaning to you?
I always dreamed of being married in the city of Boston. I had a few top choice venues that I had also fantasized about, but after visiting a few of them, nothing seemed “just right.” My husband and dad suggested we look at the Boston Harbor Hotel, which had not even been on my radar, because of its beautiful waterfront views. We were sold on the Boston Harbor Hotel as soon as we toured the venue and met Michael Boivin. The level of service and attention to detail that is delivered at the BHH is second to none. Michael is truly the best in the business, and he leaves no stone unturned. Michael and his staff thought of absolutely everything so we did not have to (including many details we would have otherwise overlooked), provided sound advice on all aspects of panning (allowing us to always feel at ease), and added countless thoughtful, personalized touches throughout the process and weekend which really made us feel special. The food was also incredible and complimented to this day by all of our guests. Additionally, the BHH was well versed in designing a menu for a traditional Jewish wedding. Chef Daniel Bruce could not have been more accommodating in designing a phenomenal evening to ensure everyone’s needs were met. They were truly beyond compare.
How was the planning process for you?
Working with Michael Boivin and the Boston Harbor Hotel team made planning a breeze. We were living out-of-state and I was balancing the needs of my MBA program. Michael and team were always one step ahead of us, thinking of small details so we did not have to. Luckily, all of our vendors had worked with our venue before, which made the process more seamless. When we did not know where to turn for a particular vendor, the BHH recommended best-in-class options to us. The most important part of selecting vendors is identifying those who you trust, work well with your venue, and know what is important to you on your big day. This makes all the difference during planning.
How did you decide on Night Shift Entertainment?
It was so important to me that our wedding be one big party – with an energized dance floor into the early hours of the morning. No long speeches, no boring entrances… just 100% dancing all night. Night Shift was the first vendor we booked. We loved that Night Shift’s set was a true performance, engaging and interacting with the crowd in a way that entertained and drew every guest up on to the dance floor. We also loved that Night Shift’s song list allowed us to play the perfect mix of classics and modern songs that would engage all guests (aged 23 to 85)!
Night Shift has the largest selection and most impressive list of Jewish songs in the Boston market. One of the most impressive parts of the evening was when the band sang Hava Nagila live in Hebrew and everyone danced the Hora for 15 minutes!
We had so much faith in the band that we entrusted Karen and team to 100% select and design our set list. After a one-on-one consultation, they knew what we were looking for thematically and delivered above and beyond expectations. All evening, the ballroom was electrified, energizing a celebration that went late into the evening and had our guests raving. To this day, friends and family from all over call Night Shift the best band they have ever seen.
What was your first dance song, and how did you choose it?
Our first dance was set to the song Landslide by Fleetwood Mac. We adore Fleetwood Mac and both grew up listening to our moms singing along with Stevie Nicks and crew in the car. We knew this wouldn’t be your typical wedding song and weren’t quite sure how it would land, but it ended up being a true fan favorite with all of our guests singing along. My husband convinced me to take dance lessons which ended up being a very smart move and we pulled it off without a hitch!
What was one thing you absolutely needed on your wedding day and why?
Late night snacks! We had sliders and truffle fries roll out around midnight and it was a huge hit.
Now that you’re happily married, if you could do your wedding day all over again, what would you do differently?
In terms of planning and designing my wedding, not a thing! I would redo everything exactly as we did it! It was beyond everything we dreamed of and was absolutely perfect. In hindsight, we now realize how lucky we were that we were able to have our dream wedding and celebrate with our family and friends at the end of last year. Little did we know at the time the whole world was about to change. So many of our close friends and family have had to postpone their weddings or alter their plans. Looking back, I would have savored it even more had I known what was to come.
Any advice for future brides? Anything that you wish you knew that you would have known before your big day?
1) Do not sweat the small stuff! No one will notice the table number signs, napkins or charger plates (bonus tip: pick a venue like BHH that handles all of these details for you in house, it is one less expense and headache!)
2) Hire a band! You will not regret it. It will make all the difference to you and you guests and will keep your party engaged, entertained, high-energy, fun and memorable. Your guests will not remember the type of chairs, but they will remember how much fun they had dancing the night away.
3) Maximize party time on the dance floor. Long speeches, cake cutting and bouquet tosses are stale…jump right into the good stuff! Enjoy your evening and most importantly, have fun!
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See the video highlights of Arthur and Erica’s big day here on our Instagram.
Wedding photos courtesy of Cheryl Richards.