In this day and age, celebrating a 50th wedding anniversary is a rare and very special celebration. For this happy couple, the family wanted to make sure it was a day they’d never forget… and what better way to do that than with dueling pianos at the Boulder Ridge Country Club in Lake in the Hills!
We got to the Boulder Ridge Country Club a few hours before the event was to begin, and I was glad we got there early because it gave me a moment to pick my jaw up off the ground after we saw the view from the room of the party. Felix and Fingers is local to northern Illinois, but I didn’t think any place like this existed nearby, let alone so close in Lake in the Hills!
After we got all set up for the party, we knew this was going to be different from a normal bar show or wedding because the age range was so wide. We were asked to play jazz during the lunch hour (which I’m always thrilled about personally) and start taking requests after a bit for people to dance to. This was the part I was a bit nervous about because with people of all generations, it’s a little harder to get everyone on the dance floor.
The Surprise
But the family had something special planned for the happy couple, and that reminded me of something very important about this crowd- they’re all family. Before we kicked off the dueling, they’d asked us to play “12 Days of Christmas” on the piano while several family members sang. This seemed unusual for the middle of August until the song started… they’d rewritten the whole song to be about the family! It was hilarious even to Mike and I who’d just met them that day, and it was obvious they’d put a lot of thought into it to make the couple’s day very special.
By the time we started dueling we had a feel for the family’s sense of humor, and it came just in time as we got an interesting mix of requests. Everything from “Have I Told You Lately?” to Iggy Azalea’s “Fancy” was requested, and for a Sunday afternoon it was an impressive mix of romantic slow dancers and hip-hop dance circles.
On the way out of the facility, we passed the wife’s bridal gown from 50 years ago, and it really brought everything full circle. We play weddings all the time and they’re always a blast, so it was really special to see a marriage that had stood the test of time celebrated in this way. I’m sure this won’t be the last anniversary party we’ll have played, but between the beautiful setting at Boulder Ridge and the bond of that family, it’ll certainly be one we won’t soon forget!
For more information on Boulder Ridge Country Club, visit www.boulderridge.com. To book Felix and Fingers for your next event, visit www.felixandfingers.com.
