Real wedding: Jaclyn & Trent’s inner city celebration at Hotel Railway

When you bring 130 friends and family together for a relaxed cocktail-style celebration, you need a soundtrack that effortlessly bridges eras. For Jaclyn and Trent’s wedding at Hotel Railway Brunswick, the goal was simple: keep the drinks flowing, honour some family favourites, and deliver a dance floor packed with nostalgic 90s and 2000s bangers.

With DJ Eddy Mac taking the helm in the reception space, the evening struck the sweet spot between vintage cool and high-energy pub-rock revelry.

Setting the scene: relaxed pub sophistication

Ditching the formality of a seated dinner, Jaclyn and Trent opted for a lively cocktail format. The guest list featured close friends – many of them parents ready for a well-earned night out -alongside family spanning several generations. The venue set-up gave guests plenty of room to roam between rooms and the private beer garden while keeping everyone connected to the tunes.

The ceremony soundtrack

Before the ceremony kicked off, Eddy warmed up the courtyard with a cool, loungey mix infused with timeless classics. When it was time for the processional, the music took center stage:

• Wedding party entrance: Somebody to Love – Queen

• Jaclyn’s walk down the aisle: Can’t Help Falling In Love – Elvis Presley

• Certificate signing: A sentimental nod to both fathers, featuring Make It With You by Bread (Jaclyn’s dad’s pick) followed by Trent’s late father’s favourite, Everybody Loves Somebody by Dean Martin.

• Ceremony finish song: Here Comes the Sun – The Beatles, cueing directly on the final blessing to kick off celebration mode.

Post-Ceremony: 70s Disco & Yacht Rock

Following the “I dos,” the afternoon transitioned into sun-drenched cocktail vibes. The brief called for a smooth blend of 70s disco and quintessential Yacht Rock (Trent’s favourite musical genre). Tracks from the Bee Gees, Donna Summer, Hall & Oates, and Icehouse drifted through the courtyard while guests mingled and snapped photos.

The key reception moments

Jaclyn and Trent knew how to pace the party with memorable moments:

• Reception entrance: Instead of a traditional entrance, the couple made a high-voltage impact bursting into the room to Highway to Hell by AC/DC before heading straight into photos in front of their streamer backdrop.

• Cake cutting: Kept sweet and soulful with Close to You by The Carpenters.

• First dance: Starting with the dreamy pop perfection of Olivia Newton-John’s Magic, the couple shared an intimate dance until the 1:37 mark, where a quick lean signalled  Eddy to invite all of their guests to hit the dance floor.

• The party starter: As the final notes of Magic faded, Tina Turner’s The Best dropped, instantly filling every square inch of the floor.

The track list

The couple provided an impressive list of requests that kept the energy up all night. Eddy did the rest by reading the crowd and playing the right tune at the right time.

You can listen to his full set list on Spotify at this link or below.

The secret sax surprise

Behind the scenes, Jaclyn had worked directly with Eddy to organise the a little surprise for Trent: a live saxophone player to enter later in the night! Trent is a massive sax fan, but Jaclyn kept the entire plan tightly under wraps so he had absolutely no idea what was in store. Not too long into the dance floor set,  saxophonist Kenny stepped out from the wings unannounced, ripping into live hooks right beside the couple.

Trent’s jaw hit the floor, and his reaction was completely priceless. Kenny injected a massive surge of fun energy that blew the roof off. Check out the video below for the moment that Trent saw Kenny arrive…

 

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A post shared by Eddy Mac • Celebrant DJ MC (@eddymacdj)

One for the books

Jaclyn and Trent’s celebration at The Railway Hotel was the perfect blueprint for a modern, music-led wedding: sentimental family moments early on, throwback vibes for cocktail hour, and a dance floor that didn’t let up. It was an absolute privilege to help bring their party vision to life alongside such a stellar vendor team.

The vendor dream team

• Venue: The Railway Hotel

• DJ: DJ Eddy (One More Song)

• Celebrant: Di Schmidtke

• Photographer: Kyra Boyer

• MC: Ant Perrett

Planning a Melbourne wedding and want a music-focused, cheese-free celebration? Let’s chat!