Matt & Breanne at Hidden Valley Country Club

What an amazing day and evening at Hidden Valley with Breanne and Matt!  Here Breanne is walking towards her groom and all the guests with her dad Ed.  I had a great view of the ceremony officiated by Mark Frady as I played the processional songs: "You & Me" by Dave Mathews Band for her bridesmaids and "First Day of My Life" by Bright Eyes for her and her dad.  Their recessional was "Signed, Sealed, Delivered- I'm Yours" by Stevie Wonder which got everyone up and singing.  Great song choice!

After the ceremony, the guests headed to the terrace for cool drinks, appetizers and fun pictures with Jo from Reno Photo Booth.  When Breanne and Matt came in from pix, Kathy and her incredible staff at Hidden Valley had a delicious dinner ready and served 210 people in about 20 minutes.  Amazing!  I have worked at Hidden Valley numerous times, and am always grateful for Kathy and her many talents. She will cue me on when the bridal party is ready to march, then be setting up tables inside, then directing her excellent staff, and later that night she was on her hands & knees cleaning up a drink spilled on the dance floor.  She and her staff strive to make everyone feel at home and exceed their client's expectations (as well as those of this grateful DJ).

Matt & Breanne really made the whole day their own.  They paid attention to the smallest details, from decor to innovative cards instead of a guestbook, to a Candy Bar ( a table with dozens of kinds of candies with bags and scoops), to a room where there were all kinds of fun activities for kids.  Their cake was a bundt cake (see above) with hundreds of mini-bundt cakes for their guests.  Being right beside the cake table (notice a speaker) I tasted a couple- delicious!  Later, a huge beer-bong was brought out which the bridal party indulged in, and later Matt was "Iced" during the garter toss...

The dancing went on and on, touching everything from the latest hits to disco, motown and a lot of 90's hip hop.  The Dougie and all the slides and shuffles were huge and the party didn't stop until midnight.  What a great bunch of folks celebrating with a special couple.  Congrats Bree & Matt and thanks for letting me be a part of your tremendous wedding day and night!

Gemini & Reid at D'Andrea

Reid & Gemini had a late-afternoon wedding overlooking Reno at D'Andrea Country Club.  The wind was minimal and the temperature was balmy as the bride walked out to "Storybook Love" by Mark Knopfler.  After a beautiful ceremony, the bridal couple exited to "Always Something" by I Hate Kate. 

D'Andrea is a special venue.  It is close to town but the view is spectacular.  The wildlife is plentiful as well.  A hawk screeched over the ceremony, and I saw lots of rabbits, quail, and marmots.  The rooms are intimate yet accommodating.  The staff, lead by Stefanie and Shelby are all top-notch and really go the extra mile for their guests.  I was privileged to have some of their cheese raviolis- delicious!  The music for dinner was special in that the family loves Big Band and Sinatra and that they are related to legendary band leader Louis Prima, so I was able to play many of the great swing hits that I don't get to play as often.

For a smaller group, there were always people on the dance floor, which makes my job a pleasure.  Gemini & Reid danced to "It's You" by I Hate Kate for their first dance, and Dana (Gemini's dad) cut a mean rug with his daughter to the Tarantella.  The Anniversary Dance was special with most of the couples married over 30 years- Gemini's grandparents were the last couple on the floor with I believe 53 years of marriage.  What great examples the two families have set for the bride and groom...

Congratulations Reid & Gemini!

Phil & Bevan at the Lakeview Lodge at Heavenly

What an amazing venue!  What an amazing couple!  Phil & Bevan light up the room when you meet them with an almost tangible aura of love for each other.  To have been a part of their wedding day reminds me of what a cool job I have- what an absolute pleasure it is to do what I do.  Their ceremony was simple yet beautiful with tears, laughs and heartfelt vows that came from the very core of their love for one another, all punctuated by the beauty of the Sierras and Lake Tahoe 2000' below.

One of the coolest things about a wedding at Heavenly is how you get up to the Lakeview Lodge.  You don't just have a ballroom somewhere amongst other parties or hotel guests- you have a Lodge all to yourselves, and the only way up is via the gondola.  The bridal party, guests, and the DJ (and his equipment) all come up on the tram during the day and descend back down to earth with the lights encircling Lake Tahoe.  No wonder they call it Heavenly.  Here the bridal party rides the tram for a picture opportunity after the ceremony.

Libby and her staff at Heavenly really make everyone feel at home and well taken care of.  From the gondola pilot, to the bartenders, to the servers, everyone does their utmost to keep the event running smoothly and their guests happy.  The buffet was delicious as well.  My favorites were the fresh steamed and grilled vegetables and the tri-tip with whiskey reduction sauce.  Yum!  Once the dancing started, it never stopped and I really liked Bevan & Phil's music list- very eclectic and very fun songs.  Here they are Cha Cha sliding but some other memorable songs packing the dancefloor included "The Safety Dance" by Men Without Hats, "Apache" by the Sugarhill Gang, "Friends in Low Places" by Garth Brooks, and "I'm on a Boat" by Lonely Island.  Their first dance was "Like Red on a Rose" by Alan Jackson and for a couple who said that they didn't dance very well, they were in perfect "First Dance Bliss", where the world revolves around them for the length of a song.

Here we are at the end of the night.  Bevan had changed from her gown into an equally spectacular party dress- what a beautiful bride!  Phil's not too shabby himself, especially after just having conducted a best-dressed dance-off.  Me, well I'm not much to look at but I'm a damn good DJ- and a lucky one at that to be able to be a part of their day.  Thanks for your service to our country and congratulations Bevan & Phil!

Amanda & Joe at the Orchard House in Genoa with Emily Clark Photography

  Had a fantastic time at the Orchard House in Genoa playing Joe & Amanda's wedding.  The weather was perfect and the grounds are gorgeous.  What an amazing venue!  Betsy & Randy treat their guests like family as they share their little piece of paradise with everyone.  Joe and Amanda had a 20's-30's  theme, complete with his grandfather's Model A and lots of Big Band music during cocktails and dinner.   Joe and his best man Brandon brewed 5 different types of beer which were enjoyed by all.  Amanda & Joe danced to Adele's "Make you Feel My Love" and Amanda and her dad Virgil danced to "be Ever Wonderful" by Earth Wind & Fire.

  Emily Clark photographed the wedding and is quickly turning into one of my favorite photographers.  She is easy to work with, unobtrusive, and gets all the right shots.  Check out her website and blog for pix of this wedding and more.  This is my favorite shot as it features not only Amanda & Joe but Patti & Robby for whom I had the pleasure of deejaying their wedding last year.  Great crowd and lots of dancing!

 Anniversary Dance!

 Money dance!

Joe and his mom Noreen dancing to "Moondance" by Van Morrison.