It sounds so simple.  Just do what you want on your wedding day.  Yet so many people struggle with trying to find out how.  I love it when a couple has created their perfect day by including special touches or events that will be memorable for the rest of their lives.  Krista Shiwarski and Ryan Campbell made it seem effortless at the Chartiers Country Club in Pittsburgh, PA.

The Country Club had been gorgeously decorated in purple.  Uplighting provided by Modern Era Weddings really added the perfect touch.

The newlyweds wanted their guests to be comfortable and relaxed at the wedding.  To help be certain, small, customized bottles of wine were their wedding favors.   Also, there were baskets of sandals that emptied quickly once the dancing started.

It’s always a good time to work with people and discover their musical tastes.  Krista and Ryan were sure to include a great variety of music that really appealed to everyone.

After dinner the newlyweds had their first dance.  Krista and Ryan are a genuinely sweet and adorable couple.

One of the many things that made the night special was a performance by Ryan’s father’s Polka band.  They were amazing.

The newlyweds will soon be off to Hawaii to celebrate their new life together, so they provided leis for all the guests to wear for the remainder of the evening.  Simple touches like this could be found everywhere throughout the reception and really created a vibe that was as unique as this wonderful couple.  I was so glad to be a part of helping Krista and Ryan make their wedding day perfect.

Videoographer: Moods Image
Uplighting: Modern Era Weddings
Venue: Chartiers Country Club, Pittsburgh, PA

So what’s a bride and groom to do when they have incredibly diverse tastes in music?  The smartest couples can find ways to include all the music they love throughout the wedding day and still have everything flow smoothly and naturally.  I had a great time combining some amazing music for the elegant reception of Samantha Irvin and Justin Meyers, held at the Doubletree by Hilton in Washingon, PA.

Samantha and Justin mixed jazz, swing, country , rock, oldies and new hits into a song list that truly had something for everyone.  Their first dance was to Brad Paisley’s “Then”, and was amazingly sweet.  Samantha’s dress was made for twirling.

The evening moved along perfectly with plenty of time for visiting and dancing.  As a DJ, what I enjoyed most was having the time to play music from so many different genres.  This meant everyone got to hear something that would make them come and dance.

Nothing fills a dance floor more than a bride who loves to dance!  Samantha helped create a lot of energy for her guests by spending so much of her time keeping the party going strong.

Samantha asked me to put together a special medley of some specific songs.  It included Rascal Flatts, Taylor Swift, LFO, New Kids on The Block, and more.  It was great to see everyone young and old crowd the floor for such a unique mix of country and pop music.

Every wedding playlist I create starts with a blank slate. Samantha and Justin certainly worked hard to make sure they covered all of their favorite music, and did it in a way that made all of their guests feel included in the celebration.  At the end of the evening there were tons of guests who gathered around to wish the newlyweds well as they head off to their honeymoon in the Bahamas.

Photography: picSure Photography
Venue: Doubletree by Hilton, Meadowlands

There’s a delicate balance when trying to hold a reception that appeals to everyone while making sure that everything still reflects the bride and groom.  Laura Cox and Sean Ruzicka figured out the perfect blend at their Washington, PA celebration the Doubletree by Hilton Hotel.

The DoubleTree is a wonderful venue with friendly and efficient staff, which helped keep the day moving along perfectly.  The Grand Ballroom looked elegant and romantic.

I love seeing the creative elements couples include to make the day fun for everyone.  This was the first time I’ve ever seen fingerprint artwork for the guests to sign.  What a great heirloom this will become!

Laura and Sean provided a great list of music to get their guests dancing.  There was something for everyone, from the Isley Brothers to Pitbull, from Europe to Big & Rich.  Their guests crowded the dance floor to every genre – it was fantastic!

Once dinner was completed, Laura and Sean did their formal dance, parent dances, and money dance.

With all of the formalities out of the way, it was time to unleash the guests to dance, and wow, they sure did dance!

My night was made even better by having the chance to work with some wonderful vendors.  I have to thank photographer Aaron Varga and videograher Michelle Hammerbacher of Post Script Productions for being so fun and friendly all night long.  Before I knew it, the evening was almost over, and all of the guests gathered around while Laura and Sean danced their last dance.

Even after over 2 hours of energetic dancing, it was clear this group was ready for more!  Fortunately, Laura and Sean had already planned to continue their party at the local casino.  The newlyweds had given their guests a day that allowed everyone to join in the fun, and a night they won’t soon forget.  Laura and Sean are now off to Jamaica for a much deserved honeymoon.

Photography: Aaron Varga Photography
Videography: Post Script Productions
Venue: DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel, Meadowlands

Every wedding is a celebration, but it really becomes something extraordinary when friends and family are willing to do all they can to make the day one to remember.  Jennifer Bearer and David Yurkovac were surrounded by an amazing group of excited and supportive friends for their Doubletree Hotel reception held in Moon Township, PA.

A Pittsburgh tradition, there was a very impressive cookie table and coffee station that all of the guests were quick to enjoy.

Jen and Dave provided me with an amazing list of music that included everything from traditional line dances to modern hits.  Even as I was lining up the bridal party, it was clear they were ready to dance!

During the newlyweds’ first dance they were joined by their son, Jackson.  They are such a beautiful family!

After the formalities it was time to dance! I loved how excited everyone was to celebrate.

All wedding receptions go quickly, but Jen and Dave’s reception was filled with so much excitement and joy, that even I was surprised how quickly the evening went by.  All of the guests were so friendly and made so many requests, I’m sure it could have lasted long into the next day.  Congratulation to Jen, Dave, Jackson and every one of their friends and family who helped make this special day truly amazing.

Photography: Hughes Photographics
Venue: Doubletree Hotel, Moon Twp

One of the coolest parts of my job is that I get to meet with each couple a few weeks before the wedding.  I love this time when plans are coming together and the soon-to-be newlyweds are full of the anticipation of seeing their big day finally happen.  While these meetings are always a good time, I had an especially great time working with Chrissy Goldbach and Josh Hughes to prepare for their celebration at the Circuit Center & Ballroom in Pittsburgh, Pa.

Chrissy and Josh were relaxed, yet so excited about their big day at the Circuit Center.  It was great to see the Center so perfectly decorated for the big celebration.

My favorite part of working with Chrissy and Josh was talking through all their fun music ideas for their special day.  The results were unique and fun.  We had the best time compiling a wide variety of song ideas for cocktails, dinner, and dancing.

During the wedding everything went exactly as we had planned. I love seeing people so happy.

The Circuit Center provided tons of room for people to dance and get wild.

Chrissy and Josh were a joy to work with.  It was a great day that had gone exactly as we had discussed during our meeting.  You could feel their satisfaction as their guests gathered on the dance floor.   The newlyweds enjoyed one last dance before heading off on their Jamaican honeymoon.

Photography: Pamela Marie Photography
Venue: Circuit Center and Ballroom

Winter can be a hard for a wedding DJ in Pittsburgh.  While it’s a great time to work on upgrading equipment and music, I miss the thrill of getting out and being part of a giant celebration.  Now that we’ve reached the official wedding season, I can’t imagine a better beginning than the ceremony and reception of Margaret Kennedy and Eamon Chory held this weekend at Armstrong Farms in Saxonburg, PA.

Margaret and Eamon were married in front of the pond at Armstrong Farms, and while it has been a rainy April, the newlyweds were blessed with the most beautiful weather for their nuptials.  (I provided microphones for the ceremony.  The speaker I placed to the far left is barely noticeable.)

Talking about music with Meg and Eamon was such fun.  They both had a great sense of what their guests would enjoy without relying on overplayed tracks.  While dinner music featured great classic and contemporary songs, dancing featured many modern hits mixed with 80′s classics.

After dinner, the guests made their way to the main floor of the barn to watch the newlyweds’ first dance.  Margaret was a stunning bride.

When it was time to dance, the guests clearly couldn’t get enough.  The level of excitement for this celebration was amazing.

The end of the evening came too fast for everyone, especially me!  It was wonderful to get to play for such a fun and energetic group.  Even better was seeing Margaret and Eamon surrounded (and lifted up) by their friends and family.  The new bride and groom now get to look back on their perfect day as they celebrate on their honeymoon in Greece.

UPDATE: Visit the photographer’s website at Caitlin Thomas Photography to see amazing images of Meg and Eamon.

Venue: Armstrong Farms, Saxonburg, PA
Photography: Caitlin Thomas Photography

The music was a great mix of classical, swing, oldies and dance songs. Laura and Greg also allowed their guests to make requests to keep everything fun and exciting.

I can’t say enough about how the spectacular museum makes for a beautiful and elegant evening.

Laura always has the most amazing smile. Simply fabulous.

All of the guests were very fun and friendly. Everyone had a wonderful evening visiting and dancing.

Laura and Greg are off on a well deserved trip to the Bahamas. It was great to get the chance to get to know them and their wonderful families. This is the type of people that makes me love what I do.

Venue: Carnegie Museum Music Hall, Pittsburgh, PA
Photography: MD Photography
Videography: Micahgrace Photography and Video

If you’re having problems playing this video, try turning off the HD option.

If you jump to the videos page, you can see the photo montages I prepare after every reception.

As you can tell from the images, Bella Sera is a beautiful location that transports everyone to Italy with it’s strong Tuscan influence.

Ann and Narium were fun to work with and had guests come from all over to celebrate their special day.  The wedding lasted long into the night and everyone had an amazing time enjoying this beautiful and unique venue.

Venue: Bella Sera by Grecco

Ashley & Zach spend their time living in various parts of the country, but chose to hold their reception at the beautiful and elegant Concordia Club.  This was the last wedding to be held at the club, since it was recently sold to the University of Pittsburgh.  It was a fabulous celebration to serve as the final event for this venue.  Ashley’s family and friends all pitched in to help with all of the amazing decorations throughout the club.  There were a lot of special touches everywhere that really personalized the venue.

Ashley and Zach gave me the most fun and upbeat song list I’ve ever seen.  Songs from every genre were included so that all the guests had the opportunity to dance to their favorites.  Zach even came out and did N’Sync’s “Bye Bye Bye” dance routine!  It was awesome.

There were Terrible Towels everywhere!  The bridal party were each given towels that were embroidered with their initials.

One of my favorite moments of the evening was before Zach removed Ashley’s garter.  They had the best time dancing around the chair to Usher’s “My Way”.  It was so clear to see how connected these two are and how much fun they have being together.

Ashley is a fantastic singer.  Everyone was thrilled when she took the mic and sang with Zach!

Although I hadn’t met Ashley or Zach before the wedding, it was great working both of them online and on the telephone.  They are so friendly and fun that I knew from the first time I talked with Ashley this was going to be an amazing evening.  Even though they did most of the planning from outside of Pittsburgh, they had no problems creating a wonderful celebration that their friends and family will never forget.

Venue: Concordia Club, Pittsburgh, PA
Photography: Elliot Crammer Photography