Kristi & Stephen at Sugar Bowl Resort

Want to hear about a perfect day and evening? That pretty much sums up Kristi & Stephen's big day up at Sugar Bowl. 

There are so many things to gush about...

First there is Stephen and Kristi. What a couple! I absolutely, thoroughly enjoyed working with them both prior to and during their wedding and reception. Whether it was an email or a FaceTime session, their enthusiasm for their day and their love for one another always shone through even during the more menial details. I felt excited and honored to be a part of the planning, and then the execution of their vision. They had some fantastic ideas for special moments and songs that just helped take their evening to the next level. I truly love what I do, and to get to do it for couples like Stephen and Kristi really exemplifies that feeling.

The DJ gets his own parking spot?!? Just a first taste of how well the day went :)

Secondly, there is Sugar Bowl. I have had the privilege to work at many ski resorts in the Sierras but for some reason there is a magic about Sugar Bowl that is unique and lends itself so well to weddings and receptions. From the phenomenal staff to the fantastic food to the surroundings that steal your breath away, Sugar Bowl is in a class by itself. The resort is usually quiet in the summer and the guests feel that they have the place all to themselves. 

Kristi!

The ceremony site is lush with grass and flowers, framed by a babbling brook just below and with the mountain rising up a short distance further. The lodge becomes a perfect backdrop for the bride's walk to her husband-to-be as well as a convenient place to get ready and enjoy the mountain beauty. Then, when the ceremony concludes, guests can travel up the chairlift to a small mountaintop chalet where 360 degree views and fields of wildflowers and mule's ear help make a cocktail hour like no other.  

The newlyweds arrive for cocktails!

Photos at 8,000 feet!

Stephen & Kristi return for their Grand Entrance!

When it is time to head back down the chairlift, the large deck of the lodge, framed with flowering hop vines and topped with umbrellas makes for a reception site unlike any other. As day turns to night, the last glows on the mountain switch to a glorious star-scape to dance under. If there is a slight chill in the thinner air, dancing and space heaters warm you up, and since most of the guests end up staying at the lodge or nearby, no one leaves until they absolutely have to. Such was the case with Kristi & Stephan's crowd.

My view of their First Dance!

I loved the little touches the two of them came up with! Their first dance was "Georgia" by Vance Joy but they wanted the song changed a bit- a chorus removed here and the bridge extended there and I was able to tweak it to their satisfaction and they had a first dance to it that was choreographed, elegant, and truly their own.

Irish Wedding Song by special request :)

They had picked songs for their special dances with Dad etc. but also thought about their grandparents, for whom I played the "Irish Wedding Song". I loved that they danced the night away, to songs slow and fast, and songs of their era and songs of today. No wonder Kristi and Stephen are so fun- it runs in their genes :)

I played "Footloose" for Kristi and her family as it holds special meaning and fun for them and a short time later I played Bruce Springsteen's version of "Jersey Girl" as many of Kristi's friends and family are from there. Well, the dance floor was filled with Jersey girls (and guys) singing along for all six and a half minutes with the Boss. Such a fun group! They never left the dance floor. I played a wide variety of music and the intensity level just kept going up! As the evening came on and the sky darkened, I brought out some glow sticks and lights that Kristi & Stephen provided and that just sent them into another level of dancing! Again, there is something about Sugar Bowl that lends itself to fun and dancing, and this night was no exception.

I was so pleased to have been a part of such an amazing celebration in Stephen & Kristi's life together. I love what I do and for whom I do it for! Thanks to Kristi & Stephen and everyone at Sugar Bowl for all the hard work and thought that was put into this day and evening. Congrats you two!

Last song of the night... What a group!