We (‘Felix and Fingers’) made our first visit to Templeton, IA recently. I traveled there with Jim, for a dueling piano wedding reception. Neither one of us had heard of Templeton before. It wasn’t until we passed a Templeton Rye facility that Jim’s eyes lit up and Templeton suddenly made a connection with him.
Needless to say, there was no time to stop for a tour, which is fine, because we had a much better time at the wedding.
Great Reception Area Right Next To Sacred Heart Church
At this particular wedding, we provided music for the ceremony, as well as the cocktail & dinner, and reception. As for the ceremony music, it was DJ’d. It was a great selection made up of popular songs, but played in a string orchestra style. Sacred Heart Catholic Church was amazing. It’s the kind or architecture to marvel at. And the way the music resonates throughout the chamber intensifies that feeling of awe. But you know what’s great to have right next door to a church? No, absolutely not a Templeton Rye facility (sorry, Jim.) Right next door is Templeton Center, which is serving as one of Templeton’s newest wedding reception venues, among other uses. How convenient for everyone! After the ceremony, it was just a short walk next door for all the guests. Nobody had to move their cars, and it created a seamless transition. For us, it was incredibly convenient, because we could simply carry our sound equipment from one location to the next with no trouble at all.
Renovations To Templeton Center Provide Great Reception Area For Weddings
As I’m not a local, I did not know that the building had been renovated. Apparently there is quite a history behind the building (read about the Templeton Center renovation.) All I heard was that it was a fairly new location for wedding receptions. I work weddings every month, and this place performed great! There was a fully stocked bar, and the size of the room hosted many tables for all the guests. There were film screens around the entire room for a special short film they had prepared. And with all of that there was still plenty of room on the dance floor. It was perfect. The entire building appeared brand new. The bathrooms were immaculate (At least I think so. Rightfully so, I only ventured into the men’s room.)
We helped kick off the cocktail/dinner time by providing a mix of DJ’d jazz music and live jazz/easy listening music. Jim and I both enjoy many of the same 70’s, 80’s easy listening and love songs. So we always appreciate the opportunity to play selections that are generally not requested. And the crowd seemed to be enjoying it, as several songs during our “background” time, were met with applause. Thank you Peter Gabriel, Jackson Browne and many others for writing such great love songs.
There was a surprise during the speeches when Cy made a guest presentation to the delight of the guests and wedding party. Now for those of you reading this who aren’t familiar with Cy, I am not speaking of the Korean Hip/Hop artist (which is spelled Psy.) No… I am talking about Iowa State University’s mascot, Cy! The crowd and wedding party eagerly greeted him, as he danced around a bit, pumping fists and stirring up some excitement. He even joined us at the dueling pianos later in the night. After things wound down a bit, and first dances concluded, we jumped into the all-request dueling piano portion of the show. During the show, we had the bride and groom select their “victims” for the Felix & Fingers cowbell competition, as well as a letter-game competition that only allows you to use two bodies to form letters!
Between the dancing and the games, the stage was in a perfect location that allowed a view for all, and plenty of room for dancing.
But even after are last song, the dancing was not over. In fact it only intensified as we wrapped up the night by DJ’ing dance requests.
The day/night had several events, and several highlights. You may be wondering how we gauge if it was a success or not at the end of a night. Complements aside, I’d like to introduce my very own new method. I’ll call it “The Stickiness Factor.” As we cleaned up, it was apparent that the dance floor was sticky! It’s good to know that there were plenty of people dancing and celebrating. Since the dance floor was portable, any drinks that spilled a bit were perfectly contained, allowing a complete clean-up. I know despite all the action, Templeton Center is well-maintained, looking just as pristine as the day that it was completed.
If you are getting married or planning another event, certainly contact Templeton Center. It’s a great location for any kind of event.
Need entertainment for your event? We’d love for you to consider Felix & Fingers Dueling Pianos to entertain you and your guests!
Be the first to leave a review.
