One of the most fun things about being a wedding DJ is that every weekend tends to be completely different than the next.  Sometimes these differences are subtle, and other times they differ in every way possible.  For the wedding of Kate Schuster and Peter Nicholas I had to start  from scratch to help them create a reception that was completely unique.

The reception was held at the beautiful Twelve Oaks Mansion in Mars, PA.  The weather was perfect for this Fall wedding.

Kate and Pete have a great love of music and provided guidance to me to help make sure everything fit their style.  So many of their guests were big Bruce Springsteen fans that everytime anything by the Boss came on, the dance floor instantly filled with their friends and family singing and dancing.

Kate and Pete chose not to do a lot of the typical wedding reception events, giving them more time to relax and enjoy their evening.  They did have a sweet first dance, though, after their introductions.

Pete completely nailed it when he chose the song to start off the dancing (Rosalita by Bruce).

One thing I’ll always remember about these two is how they were willing to allow their guests to make requests for almost anything, even if it was different than their own musical preferences.  By the end of the night everyone got to hear plenty of oldies, rock, Top 40 and even a little rap.  Kate and Pete were able include tons of their favorite songs, too (including 8 by Bruce!).  It was a day made specifically for them and it was absolutely one of a kind.

One great way to share a part of yourself with your wedding guests is to choose a fun theme to help make the day feel extra customized.  This past weekend I DJ’ed a very unique and elegant reception for Emily Knopfel and Scott Gibbons at the Twelve Oaks Mansion in Mars, PA.

Emily and Scott both share a love of literature and came up with great ways to use that throughout the mansion.  Scott even built this custom card catalog for guests to find their seat assignments.

At the center of each table were books by the couple’s favorite authors.  Since Scott works as a teacher, it certainly made sense as well to shuttle their guests in a school bus!

Scott and Emily clearly have a passion for music as well.  Their song choices blended well into a mix that was upbeat and fun.

Scott and Emily worked hard to create an environment that their guests would always remember.  Their cocktail hour featured a slideshow of great photos of the couple, and afterwards the bridal party decended the grand staircase at the mansion.  The couple’s first dance to David Gray’s “This First Love” followed dinner and was sweet and romantic.

With the formalities out of the way it was time to relax and party!

Scott and Emily pulled all of this together from out of state with help from their friends and family.  Their literary wedding theme was a huge hit and was a perfect example of simple elegance.  The couple is taking a little time to enjoy the success of their big day before their honeymoon in Ireland.  I sure hope they remember to take along something to read!

Photography: Shell Bailey
Venue: The beautiful Twelve Oaks Mansion, Mars, PA

How can you have the right attitude for your wedding?  So much emotion, so much planning, so much of everything – is there any possible way to keep focus on what really matters?  Those who are able to find the peace of mind to remember this on their big day are the ones who seem to enjoy the celebration the most.  Yesterday I was the DJ for a couple with the most amazing attitudes.  Jessica Randazza and Rob Schreck had their relaxed and fun-filled wedding reception at the wonderful Twelve Oaks Mansion in Mars, PA.

Cocktail hour kicked off with jazz music from the fantastic Southern Comfort Band.  What a great way to start the evening.

Outside of the photo booth was a box of fun trinkets.  I loved the fact that the Schreck family enjoys their Shrek connection!

Twelve Oaks Mansion was decorated beautifully with a fall theme.  Bethany, the coordinator for the mansion, described the day perfectly as “simply elegant”.

With Jessica and Rob’s easy going nature, they allowed plenty of room for me to “do my DJ thing”.  They provided some great direction for song choices, but also let the evening flow through every genre.  The music was a BIG success.

Everything went exactly according to schedule, so there was plenty of time for visiting before the dancing began.  When the moment was right, the dance floor went WILD!

Coolest Groom in town!

Bouquet Toss!!!

Because of Jessica and Rob’s attitude, they were able to relax and be a part of everything that was happening around them.  They weren’t stressed about what was coming next or worried if anything was wrong.  They’re the perfect example of how to have the dream wedding day.  Their friends and family joined in their energy and the party was so spectacular that no one wanted to leave.  Now the newlyweds are off to relax some more on their honeymoon in beautiful Punta Cana.

Venue: Twelve Oaks Mansion
Live Music: The Southern Comfort Band
Photography: Creative Imagez
Photo Booth: DGM Photography
Florist: Dee’s Floral

The wedding reception was held at the Twelve Oaks Mansion in Mars, PA. This is a relatively new wedding venue in Western Pennsylvania, but the event staff and coordinator, Bethany Santa, did an amazing job making a perfect evening for everyone. Beth & Mike took advantage of the photo montage service I offer, and the video was able to play beautifully on the 3 large LCD monitors that the venue offered in the cocktail area.

Beth and Michael have a great passion for music and seemed to really enjoy customizing the music for every aspect of the reception. This makes it fun for everyone, including me. Their cocktail hour contained a unique mix of French styled music and dinner music included requests that guests were able to suggest when completing their RSVP cards (such a clever idea!)

A big trend lately is for people to come up with special names for the guests tables. Beth & Mike’s take on this trend was to have each table feature a unique name that was part of a special story about the themselves. One side featured the “title” of the place or event. The reverse side told the story. This really gave each table a unique tale about the couple that they may have never heard before (yet another clever idea!).

One of the biggest challenges for newlyweds is making time at the reception to visit with friends and family, but to also have time to get the dance floor to enjoy themselves and celebrate. Beth & Mike might have danced more than any couple I’ve seen in a long time. It was great to see how much they enjoyed dancing to the songs they had chosen. They clearly knew what their friends would enjoy hearing… the night ended much too soon!

The New Mr & Mrs Van Gelder are off to celebrate their union in France… after so much dancing and celebration I’m sure their going need the R&R. I was thrilled to play a part of such a extraordinary reception.

Robin & Brenda from Bellissima Photography posted some great images from the entire wedding on their site. Be sure to check them out! http://www.bellissimaphoto.com/movingpics09/090425bethmike.htm

Venue: Twelve Oaks Mansion, Mars, PA
Photography: Bellissima Photography
Flowers: Reed & Petals Florist