Sierra Army Depot Holiday Ball at Grand Sierra Resort

I usually blog about weddings I am privileged to emcee but I do entertain at other functions like birthday parties, corporate events, non-profit functions and I especially love to give back to our military men & women, who sacrifice so much for us.

McQueen JROTC Color Guard opening the evening's festivities

One such organization which does a critical but sometimes unheralded task for the armed forces is the Sierra Army Depot, up north of Reno on the 395.  I have been honored to be their entertainment for their annual Holiday Party for the past two years and they are an amazing group of people- dedicated yet not afraid to kick up their heels a bit.  I love the traditions they hold dear, like the color guard above.  Last year my own son participated in the opening Colors, as he was a member of the Washoe County JROTC Color Guard.  This year it was even more special for Col. Dexter, the Depot's commander, as his own son was a part of the Color Guard from McQueen High (the younger Dexter is on the right and that is his dad just over his left shoulder).  After the Colors were posted, the Col. Dexter called the JROTC members back up and recognized their dedication and that of their advisor.  Then various toasts are made by certain attendees starting with a toast to the United States, then the President, then the Army, then the other services, then to the soldiers, then to the Depot, then very poignantly to the Fallen Comrades, and finally the ladies are invited to have a seat and the men toast them.  Very cool.  But the most touching moment is when a small table is singled out and the contents of the table are explained to the attendees.  The table represents MIA/POWs and those who haven't returned and that there is an empty place for them as they are always in our thoughts and prayers.  Following some remarks by the Colonel, a great dinner was set out by Maria and her able staff in the Tahoe room of the Grand Sierra Resort.

iPhone catching some dancing

The rest of the night was filled with music and dancing and some fun raffle gifts.  I love this crowd and the variety of music I play.  Everything from Garth Brooks to the Gap Band.  New stuff like Psy and Ludacris and oldies like Bill Haley and the Isley Brothers.  Just a fun crowd with the vast majority of songs played being requests.  Thanks to Lori at the Depot for making everything so easy and fun for me.  It was a pleasure to play for this crowd once more and I hope it becomes a long tradition.  

Happy Holidays everyone!

Jenn & Dennis at the Grove at Southcreek with The Decorated Bride

Before the "I do's"

Is it possible to plan a fantastic wedding in two weeks?  Yes!  Especially if you have great family support and vendors willing to go the extra mile, and Jenn & Dennis had both.  It was the last beautiful day before the cold weather hit the Truckee Meadows and they decked The Grove out in fall colors, both outside and in.  I had received a call from Jenn's mom just two weeks prior telling me that the couple had just booked The Grove and was I available?  I met Jenn, Dennis and Jenn's Grandma Patricia between a dental appointment and tux fittings down in Carson City and knew immediately that I wanted to be a part of their day.  We hammered out the ceremony music, the order of events and the music for the reception in an hour or so and nine days later I was playing "Signed, Sealed, Delivered I'm Yours" by Stevie Wonder as their recessional.  Jenn looked ethereal in her beautiful dress and with make up by my favorite artist, Corey from The Decorated Bride.  The ceremony was beautiful- warm and only a bit breezy and with a heartfelt and loving ceremony officiated by "Pop", Jenn's grandfather.  As the guests filed into The Grove for cocktails, the bridal party posed for pictures as the wind steadily increased.  It was the edge of the cold front rushing in, and the timing for the ceremony was perfect, as was the rest of the evening.

The 1st Dance, Van Morrison's 'Into the Mystic'

Teresa and her whole crew at The Grove are absolute professionals.  They give impeccable service and make everyone feel special.  Teresa is always in the background, helping guests, lining up the bridal party, and just making sure everything runs perfectly. The bartenders Jay & Amanda are fun and always have a smile on their faces.  Waiters Roberto and Marco are efficient, happy, and by far my favorite waitstaff in the area.  And Shaka's food is always outstanding- a real treat compared to the cookie-cutter food that some places offer.  I had to complement him on his shallot mashed potatoes- absolutely sublime!  Even the presentation is outstanding.  I normally don't take pictures of food, but the chicken was so delicious, and when I went back for seconds I realized that it isn't just thrown in a pan for the guests to fish out.  It was arranged artfully.  It just illustrates the time and quality they put in to everything they do there.

Not perfectly symmetrical  because the DJ has already removed a slice or two...

Jenn & Dennis finished their pictures and I announced them for their Grand Entrance to the chords of "Home" by E. Sharp and then faded into their first dance surrounded by bubbles the guests were blowing.  Jenn is a huge Van Morrison fan, so I played several songs by him throughout the reception.  After the delicious dinner, their Best Man and Maid of Honor toasted them and then the newlyweds toasted all their guests.  Both the BM and MoH are in the Navy serving our country, and both took leave and flew thousands of miles to be there, despite the short notice- one from New York and one from Japan.  Very cool.  Dancing started up again, with a great Father/Daughter & Mother/Son dance in which the B&G invited all the moms and dads and their kids up.  That is always a classy gesture.  The Anniversary Dance was fun as well, with Patricia and Pop (the grandparents) being the last couple on the floor, having celebrated 50 years of marriage!  What outstanding role models for the B&G!  Indeed, I was amazed they'd been married so long as when I met Patricia at the consultation I thought she was Jenn's mom, not her grandma. 

They had cupcakes instead of a traditional cake, and while that isn't all that unusual, the number of flavors was.  They had eight or nine flavors- each looking absolutely mouth-watering.  Normally I see 2-4 flavors... Just another example of the thought and planning they achieved in two short weeks.  They cut their cupcake to "Better Together" and then tossed the bouquet & garter to "Girls Just Wanna Have Fun" and "Legs" respectively.  After that it was solid dancing for the rest of the night.  For a smaller crowd, they were fun on the dancefloor, especially during the group dances.  I even snuck a Metallica song in for Dennis, as they are one of his favorite bands.  All in all, I was sorry to see the night end, but again they did it up.  Teresa had sparklers ready for the guests and Jenn & Dennis left through a sparkling archway.  What a special evening!  Thanks for letting me be a part of it Dennis & Jenn!  Your family & friends were amazing and of course The Grove crew was outstanding, as usual.

Congrats!

Jason & Nicole's Wedding at Sunnyside Resort on Lake Tahoe

Sunnyside Resort up at Lake Tahoe was the spectacular setting for Nicole & Jason's ceremony and reception late this summer.  It was a bright and sunny Saturday without a cloud in the sky, and the deck was filled with loved ones and friends sharing their special day.  Nicole had handkerchiefs placed on every chair embroidered with "Cry Happy Tears" and her aunt Kelly performed a uplifting and personal ceremony that had everyone using their handkerchiefs one moment and laughing the next.  Nicole entered to Vitamin String Quartet's version of Clapton's 'Wonderful Tonight' while her bridal party preceded her with VSQ's 'Bittersweet Symphony'.  When the newly married couple exited the ceremony, their recessional was Iz's 'Over the Rainbow', which always is a crowd favorite.

View from the dock.

The DJ's view!

As the bridal party and family took pictures around the resort, the guests were treated to appetizers and mimosas and I played classic rock as per the bride and groom's choice.  It was fun entertaining not only their guests but the people coming for lunch at Sunnyside's terrace.  It was a fun and happy crowd all around.  A lot of that has to do with the great staff at Sunnyside.  Everyone is attentive, efficient and and very amicable, led by the competent duo of Mel & Erin coordinating the event.  They were outstanding- always making sure every small detail was correct and that every guest was happy and taken care of.  Same with the wait staff and even management- they couldn't do enough for everyone, even keeping the DJ hydrated and fed.  And the meal was outstanding!  I was lucky enough to have lived in Guatemala for a year, and the fishing down there is amazing.  We would catch mahi-mahi (dorado) all the time and eat it fresh, so I am not eager to try mahi at local places here, as it always tastes a bit old.  Not so at Sunnyside!  The mahi was flown in the night before and tasted like it had just been caught- boy was I impressed!  Apparently they are affiliated with resorts in Hawaii, and they have it shipped directly to them.  The rest of the food was delicious as well, even if it wasn't shipped quite as far to get there.  Bravo to the chefs and management.  First class!

Jason & Nicole's first dance as husband & wife!

After the tremendous meal and some heartfelt toasts, the newlyweds cut their baseball-themed cake and then came back out onto the deck and danced their first dance to "Amazed'" by Lonestar.  The Father/Daughter & Mother/Son Dance then followed (Aerosmith's "Don't Want to Miss a Thing") and then open dancing.  Nicole & Jason are big fans of modern pop and club music and that was the soundtrack of the rest of the afternoon, with some slow songs interspersed here and there to bring in the romance factor.  The bride & groom had some great moments taking pix near and in the lake, and when they left the reception, they rode off on a jet ski!  Very cool and unique!

Dancing on the deck

It was great to play for such a fun crowd and I got some neat requests from bridal party members and guests for their first dance songs, allowing them to re-live their wedding days as well.  "Blue Hawaii" by Elvis was one such request from a pair of grandparents, and they immediately were on the floor beaming like newlyweds.  I love being able to recreate special moments, as well as help create new ones.  Thanks to Nicole and Jason for inviting me to be a part of their day.  Thanks to their great crowd of family & friends who were so great to talk with, and thanks to Mel & Erin and everyone at Sunnyside for their hard work and dedication.  What a spectacular afternoon!

Ken & Melissa at the Chism House in Reno

I had the pleasure to be a part of Melissa & Ken's beautiful day at the Chism House in Reno recently.  If you haven't considered the Chism House for your outdoor, garden wedding and reception, it is well worth a look.  It is just west of downtown Reno- a tranquil oasis in the midst of suburbia.  The house dates from the 1800's and has quaint dressing rooms and plenty of great picture opportunities.  But the garden is the main attraction.  They have a lawn and pond where most ceremonies take place, and a permanent tent set up on the other side of the property complete with a dancefloor and tables and chairs.   A huge plus is that you can bring whichever vendors you'd like to go with the venue, which is not always the case at other venues.  Another plus is that it is just a couple of minutes away from all the downtown hotels, and many brides & grooms arrange for shuttles and rooms, keeping the party going all weekend.  Jerrine is one of the Chism House coordinators and she worked hard all evening making sure every little thing went smoothly.  I was so appreciative of all her help.

It was a warm Friday, but the ceremony by Russell was fun, very personal and quick.  Melissa and her bridal party all entered to Josh Radin's "Today" and the newlyweds exited to "Hey Soul Sister" by Train, with everyone singing along!  It was a fun group.  As the bridal party and families posed for pictures, the guests headed back to the tent and tree-shaded western end of the property where they enjoyed cold drinks and some big band and crooners that Melissa & Ken had selected for cocktail hour.

When pictures were through, Melissa & Ken had their Grand Entrance through the archway with "Damn it Feels Good to be a Gangster" playing them in.  Very fun couple!  Everyone was soon enjoying a BBQ dinner in the gorgeous evening air.

Cutting the cake!

Cake and Toasts soon followed, and then the dancing began.  I love that this young couple really knew their music and picked "Our Love Is Here To Stay" by Louis Armstrong as their first dance.  Never will I hear that song again and not think of them.  And that is the idea- pick a song and make it yours, and they certainly did.

Dancing to Satchmo...

The rest of the night was filled with laughter, dancing and music.  Melissa & her dad danced to Seal's "Kiss from a Rose" and Ken & his mom danced to "Simple Man" by Skynyrd.  "Unchained Melody" was the Anniversary Dance, and I loved their playlist had things like Kool & the Gang (there was a special dancer for "Hollywood Swingin"), Elvis, the Doors and Wiz Khalifa.  Really a wide variety which kept everyone happy.  When the limo arrived and it was time for the last song, Melissa & Ken exited the party with Josh Turner's "Time is Love" playing them out.  Just a fantastic evening under the stars.  Thanks to Jerrine at the Chism House and most of all thanks to Ken & Melissa for having me play their big day.  Congrats you two!

The Happy Couple!

Virginia & Mike at Silver Legacy's Silver Baron Ballroom with Philmclips Video & Zinser Photobooth

I had the pleasure of being a part of Mike & Virginia's reception at the Silver Legacy Casino's Silver Baron Ballroom along with Zinser Photobooth and Philmclips Video.  Mike & Virginia did a lot of planning for their big evening and it helped make a great reception a phenomenal one!  The 300 or so guests came to the Silver Legacy from an offsite ceremony and immediately felt right at home with appetizers and drinks.  They had the always fun Zinser Photobooth ready for their guests, and it was busy all night.  Phil from Philmclips was everywhere, capturing the sights and sounds, and the bride & groom, aware that there were several new mothers and some toddlers amongst the guests had arranged for a "Mom's Room" adjacent to the ballroom for changing and nursing.  What a nice idea!  Virginia & Mike had all kinds of touches that personalized the night and made it very special for not only them but their friends and family.  For example, for the Grand Entrance they had a song for each of their eight of their bridal party couples: everything from Dobey Grey's "Drift Away" to Black-Eyed Peas to "Lean Like a Cholo"... Very cool choices that the BP loved and responded to coming in.

The buffet was delicious and the Silver Legacy had two lines going on either side, getting the hundreds through quickly.  And while they had a cake to cut, they had for the main dessert a strawberry shortcake bar.  Their innovation did not stop there.  They had a great idea for their first dance... 

Michael and Virginia First Dance from craig musni on Vimeo.

They started with a nice slow song and then it evolved into an epic dance that they choreographed themselves.  My two favorite moments were when they revealed to everybody that they were expecting and when Virginia showed her "boots with the fur".  Awesome!  It took us a few meetings and me many tweaks to the mix but it was so worth it!  I forgot my camera that night, but Phil from Philmclips came to the rescue with this snippet.  A great guy to work with and just a great guy!

Following the epic first dance was a Father-Daughter Dance with "My Wish" by Rascal Flatts and a Mother-Son Dance with Skynyrd's "Simple Man."  A night-full of fun dancing ensued with occasional neat special touches by the bride & groom.  For the Anniversary Dance, I played "At Last" by Etta James and Virginia & Mike had me especially honor 2 couples who had their anniversary on the very same day.  Classy gesture.  They also had me acknowledge several birthdays.  It was a great crowd and I played all kinds of music to a packed dance floor late into the night.  What a great party!  Congrats to Mike and Virginia and thanks for including me in your fantastic night!

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