The Chadwick was decorated elegantly with many signs of the wintery season.  A hot beverage buffet awaited guests with coffee, hot chocolate and apple cider.  Along with the cookie table, there was also a great candy buffet for kids of all ages.

Ashley and Jon gave me lots of flexibility when it came to the music for entertaining their guests.  This lead to an evening with music for everyone which really kept the dance floor jumping all night long.

Before the party got crazy, everyone watched the couple have their formal dances…

When the dancing started, everyone rushed to get glowsticks.  This is always a fun touch that helps get the party going!

Ashley and Jon created a reception that felt warm and cozy during a typically chilly time of year.  It was clear that everyone enjoyed the special touches that were provided to be sure everyone had a good time.  The newlyweds are now off on a well deserved trip to much hotter temperatures in Punta Cana.

Jenna, Chris, and I had a great time talking about everything, including their relationship, their families, and their priorities for the big day.  These two have such an amazing chemistry that makes them fun to be around.  I couldn’t help but laugh when I saw that their cake topper was a replica of themselves.  I loved how they even had it made to match Jenna’s gown and Chris’s tux!

True to their fun loving nature, Chris had to hold off Jenna when it was time to cut the cake.

Jenna and Chris provided me with some guidance as far as song selection, but their main priority was making sure their guests would stay and dance throughout the evening.  Their guests made tons of requests and I was able to include music from every genre imaginable.

After everyone had the time to eat and visit, the couple had their first dance.  It was great to see them a have a tender moment all to themselves.

Afterwards it was time to celebrate!

Chris’s Aunt helped organize a Polish Wedding tradition called the Oczepiny.  All the guests gathered around to sing to the newlyweds.

While I always enjoying meeting with couples to discuss their wedding, I will never forget the time I spent with these two.  After the first 10 minutes it was clear how much they are meant for each other.  I also wasn’t too surprised to discover that their guests were as fun and wild as they are.  The newlyweds are now heading off to Mexico for a honeymoon that is sure to be epic.

I’m thrilled, and extremely pleased that the editors of Mobile Beat Magazine have chosen my website as the best DJ blog in the country for 2011.  It’s such a thrill to be acknowledged for doing something that you just love doing.

Here’s what they had to say:

“Using a unique approach, the homepage for this company is a blog. There is content on the rest of the website, but the home page is almost entirely made up of a blog. Like most DJ blogs, it has pictures from recent events, along with some other little tidbits of information. What makes this stand out is a great overall design of the website, amazing pictures, and a short wrap-up at the end of each wedding blog. Not only does content like this really draw a prospective client in, but it also does wonders for helping your website in the search engines (if done right, which this one is).”

I love working on my website since it showcases how special and unique every wedding can be.  Even more than that I love being able to look back on some of the most amazing and fun times I’ve had been lucky enough in which to play a part.  My thanks to Mobile Beat for noticing!

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

I’ve talked a lot about timing the perfect wedding day lately.  It’s a challenge to coordinate everything between the church, vendors and venues.  It can be even more difficult to know what do when planning an early ceremony.  Many people fear their reception won’t be a big success if it starts early and doesn’t last until 11 or midnight.  Jill Hocker and John Lieb certainly didn’t have that problem at their elegant and sunlit reception at the Power Center Ballroom in Pittsburgh, PA.

The Power Center Ballroom at Duquesne is simply stunning.  The view, staff and food were all top notch.  Since Jill and John had been married at 1PM, the guests were able to have plenty of time to enjoy how beautiful this room is when filled with light.  The wonderful view of Pittsburgh was a real treat for the out of town guests.

The guests filled out wishes on a Jill & John’s Wishing Tree.  This particular “wish” caught my eye.

Jill and John gave me wonderful suggestions for their playlist, some I haven’t gotten to play for years.  I know it’s going to be a good night when I get compliments during dinner!

After dinner the newlyweds enjoyed their first dance to Kenny Chesney’s “You Had Me From Hello”.

When it was time for everyone to dance no one seemed to care if it was day or night.  They jumped on the dance floor for a chance to celebrate!

Eventually it did get dark outside, and the party continued!

Jill and John’s last song was “I Had The Time of My Life”.  Here they are attempting to create a scene from Dirty Dancing.  This might be my favorite photo I’ve ever taken!

Since everything wrapped up around 9PM, most of the guests stayed for the entire evening.  Jill and John had a perfect day where everyone was able to relax, visit, dance and have a wonderful time.  John summed it up perfectly when he told me it was the perfect mix of “classy and wild party”.  The newlyweds are headed off now for what I’m sure will be a classy/wild party honeymoon in Punta Cana.

Photography: Matthew Blassey Photography
Venue: Power Center Ballroom, Duquesne University, Pittsburgh, PA

People will tell you that your wedding day will go by too quickly.  You plan so many details of the big day just to watch it fly by and before you know it, the last song is about to play.  Every once in a while, I’m lucky enough to DJ a wedding that has plenty of time for everything a bride & groom could wish for.  Vanessa Kreuer and Mark McPherson planned for a day that would allow them time to enjoy every moment of their reception at the Candlelight Room in Washington, PA.

Vanessa and Mark had a beautiful purple color scheme that really looked great in the Candelight Room.

The entire day was very relaxed and evenly paced.  With the ceremony scheduled for 1PM there was plenty of time for everything since the reception didn’t end until 11 o’clock.  This meant plenty of time for socializing, eating, and then lots and lots of dancing.  The playlist included tons of great music for everyone!

The newlyweds’ first dance was romantic and sweet, just like this beautiful couple.

Once it was time to dance, everyone crowded the dance floor for over 2 1/2 hours!

A little over a year ago I DJ’ed the reception of Mark’s sister Erin.  I was so thrilled to see her and Adrian again.

Around 9:30 I found Mark and Vanessa while they were staring intently at Mark’s watch.  They couldn’t believe they had been dancing for so long, and the celebration was far from over.  It was great fun for me as a DJ to be able to play many requests and really watch everyone have an amazing time.  Mark and Vanessa planned the perfect day that they and their guests we able to relax and enjoy every moment.

Photography: Photos by Nick
Videography: Pittsburgh Wedding DVD
Venue: The Candlelight Room

The hardest part of wedding planning is figuring out what to focus on.  The key is to determine what is most important to you and put your time and energy into those details.  Josie Powell and John O’Shea did an excellent job putting together a day that met their style and tastes.  Their reception was held on a beautiful sunny day at Riverside Landing in Oakmont, PA.

Josie and John prepared a fun and stress-free reception which allowed them to relax and enjoy the special time with their guests.  After their grand entrance they had a sweet, romantic first dance.

When John and I discussed the music for the evening, he told me they wanted “just typical awesome wedding reception music”.  This left plenty of flexibility to find exactly what would get everyone to the dance floor.

Josie and John spent tons of time dancing with everyone.  John even got things started by leading a giant train.

It wasn’t long before everyone was dancing, singing, and celebrating.

After all the wild dancing, the evening ended perfectly as all of the guests surrounded the bride and groom for the last dance.  I loved working with Josie and John to create such a perfect evening.  I’m so glad they were able to focus on how special everything was, which truly is what matters the most.

Photography: Lindsay Brown
Venue: Riverside Landing, Oakmont, PA

It’s always a unique experience for me when I get to DJ for people I’ve known for years.  It’s completely different than playing for people who I only get to know during the planning of the wedding reception.  I had the amazing opportunity to play the reception of two wonderful people I’ve known for a long time.  In fact, I’ve known the groom since I was 17.  Janice Karenbauer and Nick Barthen allowed me to be an important part of their fun-filled reception, held at the Wendel Inn, in Balwin, PA.

Both Janice and Nick are music teachers, so their reception was filled with odes to their love of all things music.

A great Pittsburgh tradition, the cookie table was spectacular. (Buckeyes are always my weakness!)

Being music teachers, the choice of music was very important to Janice and Nick.  They provided some great options for me to use throughout the night, but also left plenty of room for the songs that would get their guests to the dance floor.

I loved getting to be part of this celebration and was thrilled to see these two newlyweds so happy.

Once it was time to dance, guests got up to party to some great traditional wedding tunes.

The reception was a big hit and at the end of the night everyone joined in a giant circle for the next to last song.  It was so much fun for me personally to see so many familiar faces, and watch Janice and Nick celebrate with all of their favorite people.  These two talented music teachers get to enjoy the summer off as they start their new lives together, beginning with a romantic honeymoon in St. Martin.

Photography: Amber Marie Photography
Venue: Wendel Inn

When I consider all of the changes I’ve seen at weddings since becoming a DJ, one of the biggest is people’s opinions regarding line dances.  It used to be that almost every reception began with a series of line dances to warm up the crowd, but now people tend to look for different ways to pack the dance floor and avoid using any type of group dances.  Imagine my surprise when Patricia Dichiera and Rick Galloway not only wanted to include lots of line dances, but found a great way to highlight them at their beautiful reception at the Embassy Suites in Moon Township, PA.

Each guest table was named after a traditional line dance such as the Locomotion, Electric Slide, and even the Chicken Dance.  Guests were instructed to hit the dance floor when their song was played.

Also, every place setting had a blank “wish” card for each guest to fill in a special message to the newlyweds.  The guests then hung the cards on the wish tree which made a great addition to the venue.

Along with the line dances and typical reception music, the dance floor also filled during many modern songs.  It made for a great mix that had selections for everyone of every age.

Patty and Rick were so much fun during the planning process, and it became obvious how much they enjoy being around each other.

One thing that makes a DJ’s job easy is having a couple who loves to dance.  Patty and Rick were on the dance floor, constantly singing and dancing with their guests.

The wedding was a complete success, and proved that a great mix of traditional and modern ideas can make a reception elegant and unique.  At the end of the night, Patty and Rick were excited and completely ready to begin their 2 week honeymoon in Hawaii.

Venue: Embassy Suites, Moon Township
Photography: Diane Adrian
Videography: Heartsong Video