I absolutely love being a wedding DJ.  I love it even more when my clients get me involved in ways to make their day special.  Sometimes I hear from people who feel they need “just a DJ”, and typically I’m not a great match for them.  Instead, my clients are those who recognize ways I can help make their day run smoothly.  Just yesterday I was able to play several different roles at the ceremony and reception of Amanda Reistadtler and Jonathan Newcomer at Greystone Fields in Gibsonia, PA.

I was able to provide music for the Ceremony on what I think might have been the most beautiful day of the year.

Amanda and Jonathan provided me with a great song list to use throughout the day.  They were so kind to their guests to allow a few of the “do no play” selections to be heard. Then they even danced to them!  Awesome!

Amanda provided me with a CD of her singing a song as a surprise to Jonathan.  They danced to it right after their first dance, what a romantic gift.

A special thanks to the amazing team at Weddings By Heather who referred Jonathan’s mother to me.  Heather’s work, attitude, and passion for weddings inspires me every time we work together.

Once the sun went down, the dance floor went wild!

Amanda and Jonathan spent the entire evening dancing, laughing and having a great time.  I had the best time getting to know them.

The Newcomers also hired me to create a photo montage of their childhood photos to display throughout the reception.  It’s always a treat to see photos of my clients’ lives leading up to this special day.  I’m so thankful that Amanda and Jonathan took full advantage of my services, and that everything they had planned worked so incredibly well.  The happy couple is now ready for some relaxation on a wonderful honeymoon in Mexico.

Venue: Greystone Fields
Photography: WeddingsbyHeather

It’s so easy to get caught up in making everything perfect for you wedding day, that it’s difficult to stay focused on what’s most important.  Sometimes the fact that you’re celebrating your vows to the person you’ll be with for the rest of your life can get lost amongst all the many details.  Yesterday I was the DJ for a wonderful couple who were able to stay focused on the real reason for their celebration and it was a fantastic day.  The wedding and reception of Emily Gold and James Scheidemantle was held at Lingrow Farms in Leechburg, PA.

While the weather wasn’t perfect, there is no mistaking how perfectly matched these two are for each other.

Emily and James gave me great direction for the music they wanted for their special day.  The music for their ceremony was extremely special and unique.  Emily’s mother walked her down the aisle to The Monkee’s “Daydream Believer”!

Lingrow Farm is a beautiful venue for an intimate reception.  Guests were able to enjoy the balcony as well as a bonfire once the sun went down.

Emily & Jim had WILD friends that stayed on the dance floor all night long.  They were such a great group of friendly party people.

All of the guests received a Terrible Towel as a wedding favor.  During the introduction everyone spun them around as the newlyweds entered to “Renegade”.  A true Pittsburgher’s entrance!

I had a blast working with Emily & Jim and I love their passion and sense of humor.  At the end of the night it was clear that while everything might not have gone as planned, they wouldn’t have changed a thing.  It was a PERFECT day.

UPDATE: Check out the amazing photos from Pamela Marie Photography on her blog

Venue: Lingrow Farm, Leechburg, PA
Photography: Pamela Marie Photography
Photo Booth: Shutter Booth

I make a big deal about the importance of including your own tastes into your wedding and reception. Everyone deserves to have a day that is truly unique. I’m just amazed at originality of the wedding I just performed for Dawn Ruby & John Lonzenski. The ceremony and reception were both held at Olde Stonewall Golf Club in Ellwood City. Since the castle is also referred to as Shakespeare’s, Dawn & John decided it would be fun to have a theme wedding and go for broke. Although they aren’t typically “into” the whole renaissance scene, they made their day special by making it fun and stylish.

This chocolate cake was truly amazing!

This was an intimate celebration with about 40 of the newlyweds friends and family, Dawn’s mother did a great job making choices for cocktail hour and dinner that were able to be enjoyed by everyone.
Dawn & John picked a great selection of oldies and 80′s music for the dancing portion that really got people up and having fun.

Click here to see the playlist from the reception

Dawn’s grandparents, Norman & Cleora, were celebrating their 70th wedding anniversary, Norman spent a lot of time dancing!

Since Dawn & John were married about 1:30, this was an early reception with dinner served around 3:30. They really planned things out well so that their guests were not left with hours and hours with nothing to do. When I had met with John I had made a comment about the fact that sometimes people aren’t up for dancing while it’s still light outside, but clearly I had nothing to worry about. Around 5:00 I “opened the dance floor” and everyone was up and celebrating!

I always hope that people can learn from people like Dawn & John. Not that everyone should have a renaissance theme wedding, but that it’s important to find the fun on your wedding day. Most people find that their wedding day passes by very quickly, and it seems silly to me to waste any moment of it. Dawn & John found so many special ways to make their day memorable, fun and beautiful. They were so genuinely sweet and wonderful to work with, I’m glad they chose to let me be a part of it!

Venue: Olde Stonewall Golf Club in Ellwood City
Photographer: Stanley Studios

I talk a lot about customization and what a special part that can play in each wedding and reception. I’ll have to say, this past Saturday I was lucky enough to be involved with one of the most unique and customized weddings ever. Tina Palivoda & Gideon Geer were married at Willow Pond Farm in West Alexander, PA and the day was completely filled with special details that made the day one of a kind.

Gideon is a hockey player so his team mates provided the archway for the newlyweds to process down the aisle.

Tina & Gideon’s dogs are a big part of their lives and had to be included in the wedding party…they were so behaved!

Tina & Gideon chose a variety of great music for their ceremony, dinner and dancing. Once again, they were able to use music as another way to share part of their special tastes with their friends and family.

Click here to see the playlist from the reception

There were so many special details everywhere that were so unique, my favorite would be the fact that they actually MADE all the beer and wine that was served to the guests. The labels featured some great images of their dogs too!

Willow Pond Farm was a completely different type of venue for me (if you can’t tell by the photos!). This Bed & Breakfast provided three different locations for the guests to move between. The ceremony was held next to the pond, dinner was then served up in a large white tent. Finally the guests moved over to a large barn for dancing. The weather turned out to be a perfect Fall day and the guests really seem to enjoy the outdoor activities that were provided as entertainment between the ceremony and dinner.

I’ve known Tina for quite a while and was thrilled that she asked me to play a part in her big day. Getting to meet Gideon and the both of their families was so great. It was clear that everyone really enjoyed how much effort they had put into creating an event that would truly be different. Tina & Gideon shattered the mold of the standard wedding and created awesome memories that their friends and families can cherish.

Venue: Willow Pond Farm in West Alexander, PA

The Mayernick Center is a beautiful venue and an excellent staff. The center’s coordinator, Meghan, did an amazing job keeping everything running smooth all day, made it so pleasant for everyone.

April and John were completely relaxed and it was clear that they were out to have a great time with their guests. Everyone had an awesome time celebrating with the newlyweds, it was a pleasure for me to be there and be a part of their wonderful day.

Venue: Mayernik Center, Avonworth Community Park
Photographer: Jean Frye of Spittin’ Images Photography

This past Sunday was a beautiful day for the wedding and reception of Allison Templin and Justin Lamperski. Their family and friends all gathered at Phipps Conservatory to celebrate with the happy couple.

Allison and Justin were a lot of fun to work with, they put a lot of work in to create a very special day. The weather could not have been more perfect, while the wind was a bit strong, it really help cool everyone off.

The Garden at Phipps was such a wonderful venue, having the wedding and reception so close together really made it a great time for everyone. The food was provided by Rania Catering (from KDKA’s Cooking with Rania) and was completely top notch.

Allison and Justin came up with a great list of music for the entire day… I especially loved their choice of “I Love The Flower Girl” to end the ceremony.

Allison and Justin also ordered my photo montage service, they’ve been together since High School so it was GREAT to see photos of them together while they were SO young! They were so happy and just couldn’t stop looking at each other and smiling. It was truly the perfect outdoor wedding.

Venue: Phipps Conservatory, PA
Photographer: Goldstein Photography (Lynn & Kevin)
Catering: Rania Catering