Had an absolute blast last night at The Grove at Southcreek being a part of Karleigh & Matt's fantastic ceremony and reception. What was not to like? A great, fun, amazing couple. Welcoming, happy, tremendous family & friends. And one of the best venues & staffs in the Reno-Tahoe area- it all added up to a very memorable night.
The wedding was performed by Rich, the bride's uncle, who had never officiated at a wedding before! He was a natural, however, and gave the ceremony insight, emotion and a reality that could only come from a close member of the family. He should do more weddings! Karleigh's vows were sweet and I especially liked the part when she added "frustrate" to the list of love, cherish, care for etc. Very funny & heartfelt! Then Matt spoke his vows which were carefully made up of lyrics from Journey tunes (his favorite band). Super unique and fun, and the sentiment from those words he made his own. Some of the best vows I've ever had the privilege of witnessing! Oh, the music!
Karleigh came in to Vitamin String Quartet's version of 'Faithfully' and had their recessional accompanied by the theme from the Big Bang Theory followed by VSQ's 'Don't Stop Believing'. I told you they were Journey fans! I liked how they picked Friday the 13th for their wedding date. For them it is special. Their first date was a Friday the 13th forty nine months prior (and Matt is a HUGE 49'er fan) so in this case the 13th was extremely lucky for the two of them.
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| Pinwheel centerpiece |
While the BP and families had pictures taken, the guests went inside and were treated to a slideshow of pics from Matt & Karleigh's life together along with some of Shaka's amazing hors'deurves. Karleigh is a school teacher and she had some very innovative ideas for decorations and favors. I really liked the pinwheel centerpieces, and even more than that they had keepsake programs made into those 'cootie catchers' that the girls used to make in school when I was young. You open one flap and it has the parent's names, the next the bridal party etc. Very unique! The always fun Jo from Reno Photobooth Company was there with one of her booths for the guestbook. The guests would pile in, get some fun shots that they could take home, and sign a small card. Later, the B&G will marry up their copy of the pics with the card for a unique keepsake guestbook. What a great idea! Finally, they had some brochure-like cards made up inviting their guests to brunch the following morning and softball later that day, complete with maps to the aforementioned places. What a great idea to keep the weekend going!
The rest of the evening was magical. The BP entered the reception to 'Stone in Love' and were soon enjoying a delicious dinner from The Grove's master chef Shaka. I have spoken of his talents before, but he makes a simple buffet dinner memorable. The chicken picatta and the almond vegetables were amazing as was everything else. With Julie overseeing everything and efficient staff members like Roberto keeping everyone happy, The Grove is a real class-act. Karleigh & Matt had a great first dance with 'Faithfully' by Journey and soon the place was rocking! Later Karleigh danced with her father to the 'Theme from Summer Place' and Matt with his mom to 'Simple Man' by Skynyrd. The cake was just a small one to cut, as they had hundreds of cupcakes in four different, delicious flavors. The Anniversary dance had lots of couples over 20 years up, with the last couple having been married 44 years! I was happy to be able to play lots of songs from the 60's, 70's and 80's as well as some current favorites, and the dancing never paused, keeping the DJ busy & happy all night long. Karleigh & Matt ended the night with more Journey, as they were whisked off in their limo as everyone cheered and clapped. What a job I have! Great people, great music, great food, and a couple celebrating their love. Thanks to Matt & Karleigh- I wish you many, many happy years filled with love & music!
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| The happy couple! |
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