Most people have an idea what they want for their wedding, but it can be difficult to have every detail work according to plan.  I encourage all of my guests to have the confidence to have things their way, and I love when people are able to create a reception that celebrates the uniqueness of the bride and groom.  Yesterday I was thrilled to be the DJ for such an event at the wedding reception of Colleen Daley and Nicholas Elliott held at the Edgewood Country Club in Pittsburgh, PA.

The Country Club was decorated splendidly.  The customized up-lighting really tied everything together, and the room was the perfect size for the approximately 240 guests.

Each table was designated with a word from “Pittsburgh-ese”.  What a fun way for guests to find their seats!

Colleen and Nick had an entrance like none I’ve ever seen.  When I announced the couple, they entered with members of the Pitt Drum line followed by the Pitt Panther himself!  All the guests stayed on their feet dancing and singing along to Neil Diamond’s “Sweet Caroline”.  It was AWESOME!

Among the other things that Colleen and Nick developed for their big day, they also worked closely with me on a wonderful selection of music to be played throughout the evening.  Their choices were spot on, and their friends and family crowded the dance floor all night long.

The evening was so well organized that we were even able to do a few festivities between courses.  The newlyweds’ first dance was sweet and elegant.  I still can’t get over Colleen’s lovely wedding dress.

Then things got pretty wild when the dancing started!

Later in the evening Colleen changed into a fun reception dress.  Perfect for dancing all the way until 1AM!

For the very last song (after a few other last songs), Colleen took the mic to lead every one in singing Journey’s “Don’t Stop Believin’”

I love helping people achieve the wedding of their dreams.  Colleen and Nick had an amazing day and didn’t compromise anything to make it a perfect reflection of who they are.  (They actually did so many cool things, I can’t even begin to list them all here!)  I’m thrilled they chose me to be a part of such a fabulous celebration.  The newlyweds are now off for a 2 week honeymoon in St. Lucia.

Venue: Edgewood Country Club
Photography: Photos By Nick

Yesterday I performed at the reception of Jessica Gibbons & Sean Belowich at the Hilton Garden Inn in Southpointe, PA. Jessica and Sean are the most relaxed and easy going couple and they have some of the most funny and outgoing group of friends and family. It was great fun helping them celebrate their special day.

All the tables were labeled with various areas of Pittsburgh and they included this cool seating chart to help people find their tables…love this idea!

Musically I had the chance to do a few special things for the reception. I was able to trim down their first dance (Tupelo Honey by Van Morrison) from 7 min to around 4 which worked great. (It’s the version featured in the video above, see if you can find the edits!) Sean also gave me a few contemporary jazz artists to use for dinner and I had some fun making a special list just for the occasion.

Click here to see the playlist from the reception

The Hilton Garden is a great venue. Not only a beautiful place, but the staff helped keep things on time and running smoothly. Every once in awhile I get to work with some of the best vendors around… it’s always great to work with Nick and Bethani of Photos By Nick.

Jessica & Sean were just great to work with. They did most of the planning from Arizona so much of our planning was done via email and phone calls, but thanks to Jessica’s great organizational skils everything worked out wonderfully.

The guests had a great time dancing to a variety of music including terrific songs from the 80′s and 90′s as well as some newer Top 40 songs. After everything was over there were many many guests hanging around the ballroom chatting and having fun. Sean’s father put it best when he told me that you know it was a great party when you can’t get anyone to leave. Congratulations to the new Dr & Mrs Sean and Jessica Belowich!

Venue: Hilton Garden Inn, Southpointe, PA
Photographer: Photos By Nick – Nick & Bethani