Matt & Karleigh at The Grove at Southcreek with Reno Photobooth

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.

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!

The happy couple!

Jessie & Colin at Montreux Golf Club with Tiers of Joy Cakes

Montreux's Ceremony Site

Wow.  A ceremony and reception at the Montreux Golf Club is a special thing and I was privileged to be a part of Jessie & Colin's big day there this past weekend.  When you combine the beauty of the property, the professionalism of the staff, and add in an amazing couple with their incredible families and friends, you know a fun evening is ahead!

Colin & Jessie are one of those couples that you know when you meet and talk with them that their day will be a memorable and a fun one.  The miles traveled for their friends and family to attend must be right up there with any weddings I've ever done.  Practically everyone came in from somewhere else with New York & Montana claiming the most but with many other states close behind.  What a great bunch of folks on a gorgeous day!

It was my first time at Montreux and it was all I've heard it would be- a great place to celebrate your wedding day.  As I had never been there before professionally, I arranged a meeting with Billie Doyle, the events manager at the Club and she graciously zipped me around in a golf cart, showing me the ceremony site and where everything would be set up and then taking me over to the reception tent.  She is a true professional, always hovering around to make sure everything goes very smoothly before and during the event.  Her staff are some of the friendliest people in the industry, going above and beyond all evening with ever-present smiles on their faces.  It is obvious they enjoy people and what they do, and they provided happy and efficient service throughout the event.

The DJ's view

The ceremony site is unique in that it overlooks the golf course's practice hole which is immaculately groomed- birds singing in the pines; bees buzzing amongst the flowers- the whole shebang.  Wonderful setting- it reminds me of some of my favorite places in Montana.  Hard to believe you are just minutes from Reno but you truly are immersed in the natural beauty here.

For a DJ, it requires a bit more preparation as the site requires a generator, but it is so worth the extra effort.  Make sure you get a quiet generator, as the site is serene and you wouldn't want something marring the whole magical effect.  My new Honda ran perfectly and noiselessly, providing power for microphones and music for seating & the ceremony.  The bridal party walked down to "Canon in D" by Jurassic 5, a fun modern twist on the Pachbel's original, while Jessie entered to Vitamin String Quartet's cover of "Only Time".  I played "Me & You" by Kenny Chesney during their sand ceremony, and when they kissed and were pronounced husband & wife, they and their party exited to "Signed Sealed Delivered I'm Yours" by Stevie Wonder.   As I was packing up to move to the reception site I heard several guests singing along with Stevie  :)

The Reception Site

The reception was held back at the Clubhouse.  The guests arrived and enjoyed drinks on the deck while down in the tent everything was being made ready for the arrival of the bride & groom.  The guests moved to the expansive and beautifully decorated tent, and to the strands of "Eye of the Tiger" the bridal party made their Grand Entrance.  Jessie & Colin headed to the dance floor and danced their first dance to Blake Shelton's "God Gave Me You" and then made their way over to the double-sided buffet line where Montreux had a delicious BBQ-themed dinner spread out for everyone complete with chicken, ribs and even prime rib.  Another thing about Billie & her crew: they are super-efficient.  Many places say dinner will be at so-and-so but it actually arrives a bit later.  Everything was anticipated and ready- you won't mess up the timeline because of this venue. Well before the toasts, they were popping bottles and pouring glasses just to be ready to pass them out when called for.  A real pleasure to work with this group!

Yummy Cake from Tiers of Joy 

After some great toasts by the best man, maid of honor and Jessie's dad, the B&G cut into an always extraordinary cake from Tiers of Joy.  Many cakes look beautiful but taste like sheet cake.  Leigh Anne & Tesla from Tiers of Joy make beautiful cakes from scratch that are also delicious.  What a concept!  Cakes that look and taste amazing- why is that so difficult for some bakers?  The Montreux staff quickly had the rest cut up and distributed while Jessie and her dad Craig danced their Father-Daughter dance.  They started with Tim McGraw's "My Little Girl", a great Father-Daughter song, but about a minute in I faded into LMFAO's "Sexy and I Know It" and Jessie & her dad surprised the guests with some amazing moves.  I will never think of "Wiggle, wiggle, wiggle" the same again!  After 30-40 seconds I faded back into "My Little Girl" and Colin and his mom Maryanne joined Jessie & her dad, and then after a few more moments invited everyone up to join the dancing.

The Bridal Party does some Shuffling...

After some dancing, a Money Dance and then an Anniversary Dance followed, with a lot of couples in the 30-40 year range.  The last couple up had been married 46 years... wow.  Dancing went on all night long, with quite a large and diverse bunch of requests making up the vast majority of songs I played.  Great crowd!  Good dancers and just nice people who were extremely happy to be sharing Colin & Jessie's special moments.  I was so pleased to be able to be a part of their day, from the beautiful ceremony all the way through the last dance.  I love my job!  Congrats to Colin & Jessie: may your all your days be filled with music and love.  :)