Shannon & Ryan’s Reno Wedding

It's hard to get more special than Shannon and Ryan. If you've lived in Reno for any amount of time, chances are you've eaten at Miguel's Fine Mexican Food on South Virginia Street. I've lived in Reno for over 30 years, born and raised, so I grew up eating at Miguel's. And I would always get the #14: the chicken chimichanga!

When I realized that I would be DJing for the family who owns and operates Miguel's, I was very excited. I got the chance to meet Shannon and Ryan before their big day, in order to get a better understanding of the music that they wanted at their event. They told me that they had just seen a concert at The Gorge in Washington, that it was a great venue, and that I should go there. In 2024, my friend Josh Butler DJ'd there, and it is indeed a fantastic venue!

This was one of my first big Latin weddings, and I had no idea how much fun they were!

The ceremony was beautiful, and I'll never forget the song they wanted for the bridal entrance: Ripple by The Grateful Dead. Classic, very eclectic choice! Everyone was very emotional, especially the groom, who couldn't stop crying. Soon, the sky started crying too, and we all enjoyed one of the most beautiful rainy weddings that I have ever seen. If it's good luck when it rains at your wedding, they got quite a bit of good luck!

The sunset photos by Jeramie Lu were absolutely stunning, as the rain dramatically changed the colors of the sunset against the dark mountains and treetops.

When it came time for dancing, I have never seen a more packed dance floor! They wanted lots and lots of cumbia, merengue, salsa, and bachata. And let's not forget the classic Latin garter toss song: La Chona!

They also had a fair amount of classic 2000s hip hop mixed in, and their guests absolutely slayed the line dances, especially the Cha Cha Slide and Cupid Shuffle. And everybody drank quite a bit too!

This was also the first wedding where I learned how to dance the Payaso De Rodeo, also known as the Mexican line dance. Now, when I play it at weddings, I'm teaching it instead of learning.

All in all, it was a beautiful Latin celebration that expanded my musical horizons and introduced me to fantastic songs that I still play to this day!