Jeremy & Stacey at Gar Woods Grill & Pier on Lake Tahoe with the String Beings, Petal to the Metal, and Kelly Gesick Photography

There could not have been a more glorious Spring day for Stacey & Jeremy's big day this past weekend up beside beautiful Lake Tahoe. They said their "I do's" at a church in what Van from the String Beings said was a very lovely ceremony. In case you are unfamiliar with the String Beings, they are a string group that has provided ceremony and cocktail music at many of my functions, and they do a first-class job. Their repertoire is immense and I had the pleasure of being set up behind them at the reception and watched them work their musical magic. It is neat to see two violinists and a cellist playing completely different melodies and notes but interweaving together into something that is more than the sum of the parts. They played classical pieces, Beatles songs, and beautiful standards that illuminated the ceremony and cocktail hour with musical light. I have tens of thousands of songs and plenty of great choices for cocktail hour but there is nothing quite like a competent string group to really set a sophisticated tone.

The String Beings

Jeremy and Stacey chose Gar Woods Grill & Pier on Lake Tahoe's North Shore as their reception site. It has the vibe of a barefoot bar in the Caribbean but with food, drinks, and service to match the loftiest restaurant in the state. Throw in the spectacular Lake views, and you really have a top-notch venue. When out-of-towners come in, we like to take them on a drive around the Lake and invariably we end up at Gar Woods for lunch and are never disappointed. Weddings there are special. The entire upstairs is reserved for the event, so you really feel as if you are in private club. I am always amazed at the friendliness and efficiency of the people working there. Monica was the banquet captain, and she was always in motion, making sure every guest was treated superbly. The wait staff are exceptional as well. I would rank them up there with the best in the area- neck in neck with such other stellar venues such as Edgewood and The Grove at Southcreek. All three venues deliver extraordinary service, and I think it is the high standards they set coupled with the longevity of their staff. Russell, one of the super friendly and helpful waiters that night is a great example. He took care of countless requests with friendly expediency. He told me that it is like a big family there at Gar Woods that he himself has been a part of for better than 16 years. And then there is the food and drinks. Stacey and Jeremy really took care of their guests. Not only were appetizers awaiting their arrival, as well as wine, beer and Wet Woodies, the guests each got to select their entree from a special menu Stacey and Jeremy had chosen, which were then cooked to order. Very impressive (and delicious!).

The guests arrived, enjoyed the appetizers and cocktails along with the String Beings' music, found their appointed tables and drank in the views. Some walked out to the dock, others out onto the balcony and a better setting that afternoon could not be imagined. Geese shared the almost windless Lake with paddle boarders and the occasional pleasure cruising boat. Soon I announced the arrival of the newly married couple accompanied by appropriate string music from the Beings and the reception  really began.

Two other hardworking professionals really contributed to Stacey & Jeremy's special day: Sandy from Petal to the Metal and Kelly from Kelly Gesick Photography. 

Sandy is a true floral artist whom I am always happy to work with. Her designs are gorgeous and her attention to detail is phenomenal. I have blogged about her work in the past and she is a wedding professional whom I wholeheartedly recommend. Her flowers for this occasion were various shades of white and simply but elegantly presented, and they really set the mood that Stacey wanted to establish. I think they complemented her dress and those of her bridesmaids perfectly. Sandy was at the venue even before I arrived, and that is saying something as I always arrive earlier than anyone. She worked hard to make sure that everything was perfect and, while I am no floral expert, I think it was. Petal to the Metal rocks.

So as a wedding DJ who also is the coordinator for the reception I am always on the lookout for the photographer. Their arrival is a sign the the bride & groom are not far behind and I like to work closely with him/her to make sure we are in unison for the events and that the pictures will turn out perfectly. I soon noticed a woman in a lovely red dress with a couple of cameras in her hands coming up the stairs- it was Kelly Gesick. Her husband Jeff was the Best Man, and instead of the usual photographer attire (nice but functional) she was decked out as beautifully as any other guest or bridal party member (excluding Stacey of course) and was furiously shooting away. Throughout the evening she was everywhere taking the usual shots but also taking candid photos of guests and family reacting to the wonderful evening around them. She really went above and beyond, was easy to coordinate everything with, and still was able to enjoy herself as a guest here and there. Just super to work with!

Getting back to the reason why we were all gathered there: Jeremy & Stacey...

They were able to mingle a bit before the waiters took orders for the entrees and then delivered the salads, but soon everyone was enjoying the fabulous Gar Woods deliciousness.  I have to say, the guests were really dinging their glasses all night, probably the most insistent crowd I can remember.

Stacey & Jeremy didn't seem to mind the command performances though :)

Soon the Best Man Jeff opened up the toasting with an articulate soliloquy that I thought one of the finest toasts I'd heard in a while. He was followed by the Maid of Honor and sister of the bride Stefanie who also hit it out of the park with her toast. Dads and other family and guests followed, ending with a heartfelt thank you from the newlyweds. Just as the last glass was tipped and drained, the sunset began to set and Kelly took Jeremy & Stacey out to the pier for some spectacular pictures. People began to congregate on the balcony to watch the newly married pair so I opened the door near me and pointed a speaker out so they could have a soundtrack while they posed. A little Bruno Mars and Dixie Cups punctuated Kelly's great picture taking :)

Sunset pix with Kelly Gesick

Soon they were back inside and cutting their cake accompanied by Norah Jones' "Come Away With Me", but Jeremy had a surprise for the onlookers. When they had sliced their first piece and were ready to feed it to one another, I mixed in the theme from Mortal Kombat- very fun! There were a lot of surprised but joyously vocal guests pumping their fists and urging them to mash each other. A very playful moment magnified by a little inspiration. Very fun!

Groovin slowly...

The First Dance was next, and the song they picked for it was exceptional: "Groovin Slowly" by the John Butler Trio. It captured their uniquely fun personalities, their love for one another, and the admiration of their guests like no other song in recent memory. Friends were holding on to one another singing it, swaying to the music just as Jeremy & Stacey were doing the same on the dance floor. I love it when couples choose songs that they identify with, that have special meanings to them and their loved ones, and are just different from the average choice. Whenever I play that song from now on, I will remember fondly that moment in time when the world revolved around them, and so will everyone else there that shared in that moment.

Stacey then danced with her father Steve to "Butterfly Kisses" and I passed on their gracious invitation for all of the other fathers & daughters to join them halfway through. Then Jackie danced with her son Jeremy to "In My Life" by the Beatles and more special moments were created. Some OAR led off the open dancing and the dance floor rocked all night long, with everything from Zeppelin to Garth Brooks and Journey to the No Doubt and everything in between. Lots of great requests and dedications all throughout the evening. My two favorites were a grandmother's dedication of Taylor Swift's "Never Grow Up" for her granddaughter and another guests Fountains of Wayne dedication for Stacey's mom :)  All the guys sang it to the mother of the bride and people were singing it to her late that night in the parking lot as I loaded up. So awesome!  That's the kind of crowd that a DJ like me loves- fun, involved, and ready to dance! Fortunately most of my crowds are like that. It is a direct reflection of the bride & groom, and as you can tell I get to play for the best brides and grooms :)

Last dance

As the night at Gar Woods ended, I played Semisonic's "Closing Time" and the friends and family of Jeremy & Stacey encircled them as they had one last dance. Such an amazing venue, crowd and couple!  Thanks to everyone at Gar Woods for going above and beyond. Thanks to Van and his String Beings for their artistry. Thanks to Sandy at Petal to the Metal for her beautiful handiwork. Thanks to Kelly Gesick for being both a great guest and a fantastic photographer. But thanks most of all to Stacey & Jeremy. I really enjoyed being a part of your fabulous evening and I wish you all the best in your new adventure as husband and wife. Congrats you two!

Mark & Georgia at Longboards at Plumas Pines with the String Beings

I am a spiritual person. I believe that love conquers all, cutting through time and space.

Weddings are a perfect example of this as they not only celebrate the bride and groom's love for one another, but also celebrate the love that is shared by family and friends, the love shared by other committed couples sharing in that day, and finally for the love we have for those people who are dear to us but have passed on.  It is so fulfilling to be a part of a wedding celebration that accommodates all of these facets.  I sometimes think that I can almost see that emotion permeate and snowball through the course of the evening into an almost visible aura of pure joy. Okay maybe I am going off a little hippyish here (no I don't own any Birkenstocks or have any medicinal prescriptions to visit any dispensaries) but it is true. That's why to me, weddings are the most fun a DJ can have. To be able to participate in one of these weddings that hits all these parameters is such a pleasure, and a perfect example of this was Mark & Georgia's reception last month.

The String Beings!

Mark & Georgia don't live in the area- they had planned on a destination wedding to the gorgeous Plumas Pines area in the California Sierras with the reception at Longboards Bar & Grill. Mark found me on the internet and we spoke on the phone once or twice, and we were off and running. They hired the always phenomenal String Beings trio for their ceremony and for cocktail and dinner music, and while they got married across the way on a beautiful golf green, I set up inside Longboards. Longboards Bar & Grill is a beautiful venue overlooking the Plumas Pines golf course and the surrounding forests and mountains. Up on a rise, the views are quite dramatic. The interior is very lodge-like but with a modern flair that goes perfectly with the surroundings. I had not worked there prior to Georgia & Mark's evening but as the staff were so helpful and friendly I immediately felt at home.

First Dance

Georgia & Mark had planned a very simple yet elegant timeline, and it couldn't have gone any better. I introduced them when they arrived at Longboards after taking pictures and that was basically it for me for a while. The String Beings really are special. They entertained everyone with classical pieces and arrangements of popular songs and really did an excellent job. I have a lot of string trio or quartet songs that I use for seating or dinner music, but those songs don't match up to a well-practiced, talented live trio like the Beings. I had the pleasure of being set up close to them so I really could hear the intricacies and nuances in their playing.  They were very gracious too, playing a request or two from the guests and conversing with them between songs when the guests wanted to know a song title or what have you. They are highly recommended if you need a strings group.

Mother-Son Dance

As dinner wound down, toasts were made and everyone moved to the dance floor as the String Beings played their last song of the evening, "Could I Have This Dance" for Mark & Georgia's first dance. It was a great moment which just continued as we went into "Celebration" and invited everyone up to join them. The special dancing continued with a Mother-Son dance, "You'll Be in my Heart" by Phil Collins where Georgia got to dance with her sons Matt & Anthony. Multiplying an already special moment, Mark brought his new Mother-in-law Dolly onto the floor a few moments later and then they had me invite all the mothers & sons and fathers & daughters to come up and join them.  This is what I am talking about when the love in the room just builds and builds. Guests come to a wedding prepared to see special moments for the bride & groom, and the next thing they know they are dancing with their parent or child and having a special moment of their own they will remember forever. An Anniversary Dance accomplishes much the same thing, honoring those guests and family members for their commitments to one another whether it was 3 hours ago, 3 years ago, or 73 years ago. These are the moments that take a wedding to the next level- one that will be remembered for as long as the participants live.

Then we were in for a special treat arranged by the family, specifically all of the cousins. About a dozen of these cousins began singing a special song with custom lyrics to the bride and groom using the music of "Living on a Prayer" which cousin Dean strummed on his guitar. It really brought the house down and was just many of those moments that night that pulled everyone that much closer together.

Flash mob starts to gain momentum!

They didn't stop though! As more general, open dancing began, I played "Happy" by Pharrell Williams to start everyone off. Unbeknownst to the newlyweds, many of the guests had planned a flash mob for that moment and they did such a great job that it was infectious and soon almost everyone was on the dance floor with them.

"Jump on it!"

Dancing then ruled for the rest of the evening, punctuated a bit later by Georgia & Mark cutting their cake. I was able to play such a fun variety of music to such an enthusiastic dancing crowd all night long. Everyone knew the moves from "Thriller" and "Apache" and did Cha Chas and Shuffled. When the last song played, "We are Family" everyone was on the dance floor singing along at the top of their lungs. Such a fun crowd!

Back to my starting point: the love that Mark & Georgia had for each other was glowing brightly all night. You could see it when they danced, when Mark watched Georgia from across the room, when she grabbed at his hand when talking with friends and family.

The love of family and friends was apparent as well, with the cousin's song, with the toasts, the flash mob, and hundreds of little moments that added up to something bigger in its entirety as people just enjoyed each other and the moment.

Finally the love for and from those who have passed or cannot be with the couple was also apparent. Usually it manifests in small ways, sometimes perceptible, sometimes not. Many times it is felt during a slow song, as the dancers relive another dance in the past when those loved ones were present. It was definitely there that night but if you had asked me that night I wouldn't have been able to put my finger on it exactly.

A week or so later I received a nice email from Mark and he asked if I had had a specific request for a certain slow song. I had several for other songs- one I remember well was one for "Georgia on my Mind" by Ray Charles that was just perfect for Mark & Georgia, and as a last slow song I played Anne Murray's "Could I Have This Dance" so they could relive once again their first dance that the String Beings had played so perfectly, but this was "Over the Rainbow" by Iz and though I had played it, no one had requested it.

I have perhaps 10-15k slow songs. Of those there are probably several hundred I play with any regularity. "Over the Rainbow" is in that 300 song category. With the requests from the group and Mark's playlist, I probably played 2-3 slow songs that I chose, so it was basically a 1% chance I'd play that song. But I did. And here is where love can reach across the world and even across life at a reception. "Over the Rainbow", Mark related, was his dad's favorite, and when his dad passed, Mark's son (who lives in Hong Kong and couldn't make this wedding) had fashioned a beautiful rendition and played it in his honor at the funeral. Mark said that when he heard the song he immediately felt that his son and dad were with him. Could it have been a coincidence? Yes, unlikely, but yes. However in 26+ years of doing weddings I see and hear about these things all the time. If you are wondering if you are connected with that loved one halfway across the world or with someone who has left this life, the answer is yes. Love has no boundaries.

Thanks to Longboards for such an elegant setting, meal and service. Thanks to the String Beings- I am in awe of your talents. Finally thanks to Mark & Georgia. You couldn't have been more fun or gracious and the same for your family and guests. I so enjoyed being a part of such a joyful celebration. Congrats!