April & Brian at the Lost Marbles Ranch

This summer I have been blessed to be a part of so many super fun and memorable weddings. I get to meet some amazing couples and their friends and family and share in a day that they will remember for the rest of their lives. One of these exceptional couples are Brian & April and I was honored to have been a small part of their fabulous day this past July.

Everything about April & Brian is special. They are unique, down-to-earth, well-rounded and fun individuals that fell in love and now make that perfect couple. I felt so at ease meeting with them, discussing their day and what they envisioned and I loved all the unique and special touches they had planned for their day.

The venue was the first of these. It was my first time at the Lost Marbles Ranch, a working ranch in the valley between Loyalton and Portola which has started to allow events on their property. The day was gorgeous, and the country chic feel that April & Brian were shooting for was perfectly realized there. The ceremony was held in a garden near the pump house, with rows of hay bales covered in burlap as seating for their guests. The dining tables were set up outside the barn in a grassy spot, and the inside of the barn was decorated and became the dancehall and bar later that evening. The barn was built over 90 years ago and has a lot of character and a resident owl family. So unique!

I don't usually pay a lot of attention to the decor, but April & Brian really went all out to make the venue pop and their guests feel at home. Wildflowers were placed everywhere and fun signage really brought the experience up a notch with their guests, giving them information as well as plenty of things to do and smile about. They had fun games like word searches and I Spy, a wedding app, and mason jars for everyone. It gave the event a flow that didn't interfere with the informal fun they wanted to encourage.

Music-wise, they put a lot of thought into the playlists for the ceremony, cocktails, dinner, and the dancing. They listed what they liked to dance to, but also what their guests liked as well, and really dug deep for their family & friends special songs. They had listed songs that they knew meant a lot to a friend or an aunt & uncle- maybe their wedding song, and that unselfishness really touched many of their guests. When guests come to a wedding, they expect it to be all about the bride & groom, and much of the day was, but for Brian & April to think about their guests and to make sure their special songs were played goes above and beyond and helps make a reception be that one that everyone compares all other receptions to.

Owlet :)

The ceremony was officiated by Pastor Joel, and he knew Brian & April well and spoke of their relationship and commitment eloquently. I played "I Can't Wait" by Ben Rue when Joel and Brian entered, then a Baroque version of Canon in D for the rest of the bridal party, and when April and her dad appeared, Adele's "Make You Feel My Love" accompanied their walk down the aisle. They had this very neat cross (I should have taken a picture) which was assembled in a cross ceremony and was again, very unique and fit their aesthetic and personalities perfectly. The coolest thing about their ceremony though was a pair of songs specifically written and performed for them by a musician friend of theirs, Travis Atkinson. I played his "Grow Old With Me" during the cross ceremony and communion, while his amazing "Meant to Be" was their recessional. Fantastic, and the lyrics were written with Arpirl & Brian's story in mind. Very special!

We all moved to the inside and outside of the barn while all the VIPs posed for pictures. The baby owl was in evidence all afternoon and evening (we probably kept him up past his bedtime) but the parents didn't appear until late that night. Very neat to have a working barn with built-in rodent control. Everyone explored the barn, had a drink, and had fun with the various activities on the tables.

When it was time for the Grand Entrance, the flower girls & ring bearers entered to "Kiss the Girl" from the Little Mermaid, while parents and the older bridal party members came in to "Fallin for You" by Colbie Caillet. As a crescendo of cheers peaked, the newlyweds entered to the classic "Ring of Fire" by Johnny Cash. What a way to start of the reception! A delicious BBQ (with an amazing sauce crafted by Brian) then followed, and as plates were slowly pushed away the toasting began. MoH KB and BM Justin gave very heartfelt toasts to lead off and soon everyone moved inside the barn and up to the bar for a special moonshine toast given by the bride & groom (accompanied by "Get Your Shine On" by FL-GA Line). Tiny mason jars, very ingeniously camouflaged were given out and some pretty raucous moonshine was imbibed and enjoyed by many. I judiciously just took a whiff from the bottle instead of a proffered shot, and it reminded me of very high octane stuff I tried in Georgia once- just a sniff probably raised up my blood alcohol level perceptively... lol!

First Dance!

Dancing started with Brian & April taking the floor to Blake Shelton's "God Gave Me You" and then Bob danced with April and Susan danced with Brian for the Father-Daughter/Mother-Son Dance, for which I played "Thanks Again" by Ricky Skaggs. Dancing then ensued in earnest, with a Money Dance and an Anniversary Dance mixed in. I loved the selections April & Brian chose- everything from Tanya Tucker to Jimmy Buffett to Sir Mix-a-Lot to OAR to Marty Robbins. So eclectic and fun! I had plenty of great requests from the guests as well- everything from disco to Bocephus to ACDC. The dance floor never emptied and only became more full as the night progressed.

A father, a daughter, a mother a son...

I have to say that the atmosphere, the people, the music... everything just fit together perfectly. It will be, for me, the reception that all barn and country weddings are now measured by. So, so happy to have been a part of your day Brian & April. All the best you two!