Jason & Christine at Arrowcreek with Take the Cake Events, Zinser Photobooth, Tiers of Joy Cakes, Steve Dutcher Photography, the Stylish Scribe, I Thee Wed, Reno Tux Shop and Allies Flowers

Being a wedding DJ means that I get to be a part of a something that is bigger than myself- the love, commitment, laughter, tears and fun of a special couple's most important day.  To be able to share and contribute to that couple's achieving their perfect wedding and reception is an honor and I take it very seriously, and to be able to work with other wedding professionals who feel the exact same way as I do is both refreshing and inspiring.  Such was the case at the wedding and reception of Christine & Jason.

I met Jason at an Open House at the Victorian House early in 2012.  Open Houses at the VH are fun, casual affairs where prospective brides and grooms can speak to various event professionals in the house without feeling pressured and while learning all about venues, services and ways to make their events pop and stand out amongst other weddings.  I had the pleasure of talking with Jason for quite some time and learned that he and his fiance were studying at UNR and were on a definite budget.  He also told me all about his future as a United States Army Officer after school and impressed me not only as a bright young man but also as a deeply patriotic one as well.  After talking with him for a while I thought to myself that I'd really like to be a part of his & Christine's day, and I hoped that their budget would allow for a DJ, even with the military discount I'd extend to them.  Then fate, karma or a higher power intervened.  Jason, along with dozens of others, had signed up for our Grand Prize Drawing where all of the VH vendors gave free or deeply discounted services for a couple's wedding day and literally seconds after we finished our conversation, his name was drawn, winning the Grand Prize!  Not only would I be deejaying their wedding, I'd also get to work with a lot of great people in doing so!

My view of the ceremony through the fireplace

Months later, everything came together on a snowy late-December evening at Arrowcreek Country Club.  An outside wedding was ruled out but Blake and his crew at Arrowcreek put together a beautiful space inside next to the fireplace for the ceremony, and Pastor Kris Dahir presided over an eloquent and personal ceremony.  The wedding party was composed completely of guys except for the flower girl and Christine- there were groomsmen on Jason's side and Bridesmen on Christines. Very cool! The tuxes were provided by Tesla at Reno Tux Shop and all the guys looked very sharp. The flower girl had some adorable, last-minute jitters, walked partway down the aisle, panicked, and then sought the refuge of Pattye from Take the Cake Events.  People chuckled and went "awww" and then Christine walked down the aisle to a baroque version of "Canon in D" in one of my favorite dresses of 2012, an off-white gown that really set her hair and eyes off (I don't usually comment on dresses, as I don't have any fashion sense and all my brides are gorgeous, but this dress really hit a nerve with me...).

Christine's bouquet was from Allie's Flowers in Carson City and it and the other flowers were beautiful.

After the heartfelt ceremony by Pastor Kris, the newly-married couple left to Iz's "Over the Rainbow" and we all moved to the dining room.

Pattye and Cassie from Take the Cake Events are fantastic.  They provided day-of coordination and were involved continually behind the scenes making sure everything went more than smoothly.  To have the peace of mind that they provide is priceless on your big day.  They were there before I arrived and still there after I left, and I arrive early!  As guests moved to the dining area, Trevor from Zinser Photobooth went into action, welcoming them and making their evening even more fun and special.  In the dining room, each place setting included a special program/menu provided by the amazing Jessica at Stylish Scribe and I heard many compliments about them.  I had the pleasure of working with Steve Dutcher of Steve Dutcher Photography for the first time and he and his second shooter were very professional, pleasant and extremely innovative in the shots they took.  Blake from Arrowcreek was there all day as well, very accommodating and helpful, and his staff was very friendly and efficient.

Dinner was served to strains of "Be Our Guest" and afterwards champagne and cider was poured for some very personal and heartfelt toasts.  An amazing toast was given by Jason's brother and Best Man Scott who had everyone rolling with laughter with his witty observations.  One of the top two toasts of 2012, in my opinion, and there were dozens of extraordinary ones this past year.  Then the newlyweds moved over to the gorgeous and delicious Tiers of Joy Cake and proceeded to smash a some of it into each others' faces to "Can't Help Falling in Love"...

Their first dance as husband & wife!

The action then moved to the adjoining room with the dance floor.  The dancing began with the B&G's first dance, Jason Mraz's "Lucky' and then into an Anniversary Dance where the married couples kicked it up to Sinatra's "The Way You Look Tonight". Lots of great songs and dancing followed, with the nearby Zinser Photobooth in constant use.  I was happy to play Billy Joel's "Just the Way You Are"  for Jason's folks and to see them transformed back to newlyweds and taken back to their wedding day, if only for a few minutes.  Again, what a great job I have!  To work with other amazing vendors, to help people relive magical moments, and most importantly to help make the bride & groom's day exceed their expectations.  Who knows?  Maybe 30 years from now I'll be playing "Lucky" for Christine and Jason at their son or daughter's wedding.  You never know...

Leah & Will at Montreux Golf Club with Tiers of Joy Celebration Cakes

I had an awesome time last night at Will & Leah's reception at the gorgeous Montreux Golf Club.  Absolutely great people all around: the bride & groom, their families & friends, and the super staff at Montreux.  

Leah & Will are a great match.  When you meet them, you can tell immediately that they are a couple.  They look great separate- both are tall and good-looking, but they walk into a room and a glow of warmth & confidence & ease just fills the space.  There is no doubt that they are together and are each other's soulmates.  They provided me with an inspired songlist of slow, romantic ballads during cocktails, a great selection of jazz during dinner and some fun dancing selections for later.  That they appreciate music was immediately apparent as the guests' tables were all named for love songs.  

The bridal party entered to "The Final Countdown" by Europe and the newlyweds to "All You Need is Love" by the Fab Four.  Indeed, the Beatles were quite apparent throughout the evening as their first dance was "Till There Was You" and right before that... well I'm getting ahead of myself.

The Father-Daughter Dance

After their Grand Entrance, the servers started bringing out the salads and then the main courses.  The waiters do this incredible ballet when they serve: four or five of them, each with two of three plates.  They wind their way through the tables and simultaneously serve everyone seated at a table.  When I saw their coordination, I was impressed, as the guests had three choices from the menu for their main course!  Not an easy task, but they made it look seamless and were very efficient as everyone had their meal in no time at all.  They were very kind to feed a hungry DJ as well, and I had swordfish on mushroom risotto with delicious sauteed veggies.  One of the best meals I have had the pleasure of trying this year!  Billie, Montreux's coordinator is always hovering around, making sure everything is going smoothly and that everyone is happy- bride and groom, guests, and even the help (me).  It is such a pleasure to work with her and all of the staff there- true professionals!

Will serenading Leah!

The toasts were great, but one line from Gary's toast (Leah's dad) really stuck with me.  He said that 35 years ago, on his wedding day, he looked down the aisle, saw his bride-to-be, and he had never seen anything so lovely.  Until today...  Wow.  Just a proud, happy father.  After the toasts, Will had a surprise for Leah. I helped him with a pair of microphones and with the same guitar that his dad had serenaded his mom on their wedding day years ago, he sang and played a Beatles tune just for his new bride.  What a perfect moment.  Then they danced their first dance, and the evening was off and running.  Gary & Leah then danced to "Unforgettable" by Nat & Natalie, and then all the married couples came up onto the dance floor for the Anniversary Dance, one of my all-time favorites, "At Last" by Etta James.  There were so many couples, the dance floor overflowed into the tables.  There were at least a dozen couples over 20 years, and half that over 40 years!  The longest married couple (54 years!) had also travelled the farthest (Hawaii) and I found out their wedding song, "April Love" by Pat Boone and played it for them later that night.

Cake by Tiers of Joy

The cake was from Tiers of Joy here in Reno at the Victorian House, and it was delicious- red velvet.  Tesla & Leigh Anne do such an amazing job with not only the look of their cakes, but its taste as well.  I don't usually have cake at an event, but with cake from Tiers of Joy I always make an exception.

Leah & Will and everyone at the end of the evening

Dancing was a blast with music from all genres keeping the floor hopping.  The Motown set was especially busy, and I was introduced to a couple of new (to me) songs that rocked the house: "Gangnam Style" by Psy and one that I recently heard in Spain, "Ai Se Eu Tu Pego".  They are now in my library.  Thanks to Leah's folks for making me feel so at home.  Thanks to Billie for her hard work making everything run perfectly.  And thanks to Will and Leah for allowing me to be a part of their night.  It is getting old, me saying this, but I love my job!

Kyle & Courtney at Northstar Overlook Pavilion with Reverend Kris Dahir & Tiers of Joy Cakes

Had a blast at Courtney & Kyle's wedding reception up at the gorgeous Overlook Pavilion at Northstar.  Northstar is a special venue which I have had the pleasure of working several times now.  The Overlook Pavilion is a big deck above the skating rink complete with a large open tent, an enclosed bar building, a firepit for later in the evening, and plenty of space for guest tables and comfortable alcoves to sit in.  The meadow next to the party area is a beautiful spot for a wedding ceremony and that is where Kris Dahir presided over a thoughtful & fun exchanging of vows.  I had the pleasure of working with Kris again the following evening and I like how he tailors the ceremony to the individual couples.

Their ceremony

I spent a couple of hours a few weeks back with Courtney planning the music and events.  She is super fun and her music choices set a uniquely upbeat and joyous vibe throughout the ceremony and into the reception.  One of her favorite artists is Jimmy Buffet and we were able to find a Vitamin String Quartet album of Buffet songs for seating.  Imagine 'Margaritaville' done in strings- classy but fun!  Her bridal party members entered the ceremony to a guitar rendition of Canon in D, and then she came in to an instrumental snippet from 'Weather With You', another Buffet song.  She and Kyle then left to the entire song, and began posing for pix as the guests enjoyed hors deurves and drinks.

Toasts

The staff at Northstar are exceptional.  Joey the wait captain was very involved and efficient all evening and Nancy the coordinator made sure everything ran very smoothly and is a true professional.  Tiers of Joy made Kyle & Courtney's cake, and like I have said in the past, their cakes are as good tasting as they are looking, which is a rarity amongst bakers these days.  I usually like to have a piece whereas I don't any other bakers, but it was cut & passed out efficiently by Joey & staff and the extra pieces were eaten up quickly thereafter.  A couple of things that were really neat: Courtney & Kyle had a Time Capsule and also had s'more favors.  The Time Capsule was a wooden box that they will open on their first anniversary and everyone wrote little notes and left surprises in the box for them.   What a great idea!  The s'mores were a plastic box with all the ingredients that you could take home or break open and use at Northstar's firepit that was lit after dark.

Tiers of Joy Cake

Courtney & Kyle had different songs played for each of their bridal party pairs, from Social Distortion to the Specials to the Beach Boys and Baha Men.  When the newlyweds were announced, they came in to Darth Vader's theme from Star Wars.  Very cool.  Dinner was family style, which is a nice change from the countless buffets I see.  After some great toasts they cut the cake and then danced their first dance to "Are You Gonna Kiss Me or Not?" by Thompson Square.

First Dance

Lots of dancing followed, with everything from Clapton to Katy Perry, from MJ to Buffet, and lots in between.  Just a super couple, with a lot of great friends and family who celebrated the night away under the tent and stars up at Northstar.  Congrats to the newlyweds!

Courts & Kyle

Winding around the Pavilion

Scott & Allison at Camp Richardson with Zinser Photography, Tiers of Joy Cakes, & Alexander's Catering

Maid of Honor Becca, beautiful bride Allison, and dad Don before "I Do"

What a fantastic time I had up at Camp Richardson this past Saturday at Ally & Scott's reception!  They are a super couple and I was really looking forward to their day and it did not disappoint. 

The weather was beautiful and they had rented out the entire lodge for their family and friends so when I arrived everyone was getting ready for the ceremony down at the boathouse.  Scott and all the guests headed to the ceremony site and only Ally, her dad, and Becca remained, waiting for their ride to the wedding.  I took maybe the last pic of the unmarried Allison!

Dancing starts!

It is great to work with professionals who know what they are doing, take pride in their work, and put the Bride & Groom's desires above everything else.  Adam from Zinser Photography, Leigh Anne from Tiers of Joy Cakes, and Alex from Alexander's Catering are all such amazing professionals.  Adam was everywhere that evening getting great shots and never missing a moment.  Leigh Anne brought delicious pies that had everyone swooning with joy (towards the end of the night one family member was digging into a whole pie without utensils, they were that good!), and Alex and his crew went above and beyond all night in very tight quarters and still delivered delicious food, drink & exceptional service throughout.

"Put your hands in the air...hands in the air..."

The reception was an absolute blast!  The bridal party arrived and were announced and went into dinner followed by some very memorable toasts, especially by Becca and by Scott toasting his bride at the end.  Then Scott & Allison danced to "Si Tu Quieres" by Elefante followed by the Father/Daughter & Mother/Son dance and then by Sinatra's "The Way You Look Tonight" for the Anniversary Dance.  After that, the dancing only stopped for the Pie Cutting and for the tosses.  The rest of the night the floor was packed with enthusiastic dancers.  We started at 4pm and I was scheduled to play until nine.  Nine became ten.  Ten became 10:30, and when I finally said good night it was past 11:30.  What a crowd, what a crowd, what a crowd!  

Scott in the middle of a Reggaeton circle

Scott & Allison left the party around 10ish and usually when the bride and groom take their leave, the party begins to fizzle.  Not so for this group!  Another hour and a half after the bride & groom exit?  What a party!  Thanks to Scott & Allison for including me in their day. Thanks to Don & Nancy and Rocky & Laurie and all the bridal party and guests for making me feel so welcome and for dancing the night away!  Thanks to Leigh Anne for introducing me to her fabulous family. What a way to start 2012!

One last dance for Ally & Scott (complete with bubbles!)

Alisha & Josh at the Grove with Tiers of Joy

Beautiful Bride Alisha and her Tiers of Joy cake

Alisha & Josh were married at the Grove yesterday and I was privileged to be a part of their day.  Leigh Anne & Tesla from Tiers of Joy delivered the beautiful and super-delicious cake and it was really a hit with the guests (and the DJ) but I'm getting ahead of myself...

Josh & Alisha say "I do"

The Grove is a special venue.  Shaka and his staff are very attentive, the food is delicious, and the venue is modern and stunning- you feel like you are in the Rockies yet you are in the middle of Reno.  The patio is perfect for an outdoor ceremony, and Josh & Alisha made the most of an early Fall afternoon and said their vows under the arch.

After their Grand Entrance, Jake played keyboard through my DJ system and sang to the bride & groom.   Jake is an amazing singer, and Josh & Alisha danced their first dance as he sang their song.  After a delicious dinner and toasts, the happy couple cut their cake (mmmmm- peanut-butter & chocolate) and we danced into the night.  I was so pleased to be a part of their day- just a super couple!  Congrats Josh & Alisha!