I knew I was in for a fun evening when I saw Carlee and Rob’s custom cake topper featuring a bride dragging her groom away from his videogames and Dr. Pepper cans!

Due to hectic schedules, Carlee and I did most of the planning online and through Skype.  It worked out great as she was able to let me know what special songs they wanted to use throughout the evening to make the day perfect.

Carlee and Rob had wonderful first dance after dinner.  I loved seeing this quiet moment between the two of them.

An extra bonus for me was getting to see Carlee’s father and stepmother.  Cy and Joni used to work with me at one of my earliest DJ gigs, and I even DJ’d their wedding, right at the same golf club over 11 years ago!

After all the visting and catching up, it was time to celebrate!

I’m grateful to Carlee and Rob for choosing me as their DJ.  They were so relaxed and fun to work with, and their day truly reflected all their hard work.  They had a wonderful celebration that they’ll never forget as they start a new chapter in their lives.

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.

There are some things you just can’t control on your wedding day.  Probably the biggest is the weather.   In Western PA, you never know if you’re going to get a heat wave or a downpour.  All you can do is accept what comes and pray for the best.  The weather didn’t seem like it was on our side while I was the DJ for Amy Stausbaugh and Josh Friday at their wedding ceremony and reception at the Alpine Room in Enon Valley, PA.

The rain was extremlely heavy while everyone was getting ready for the ceremony, but Amy’s attitude was upbeat and positive.  She told me “they say a little rain is good luck, so it looks like we’re having TONS of luck today!”  About an hour before the ceremony began, the clouds parted and even a little sun shown down.  Perfect for Amy’s entrance on horse drawn carriage!

Amy made it clear that they wanted their night to be fun and full of all types of music.  Throughout the day we covered everything from classical, country, rock, oldies, pop, and dance.

Their reception was prepared to be sure everyone could relax and have a great time.  A huge cookie table and photo booth awaited their guests as they arrived for cocktail hour.  After the grand entrance the newlyweds had a very touching and sweet first dance.

After dinner Amy danced with her father.  I just love this picture.

Finally it was time to open up the dance floor and celebrate!

I love that Amy and Josh didn’t let the potentially bad weather worry them, and instead made sure that their day would be fantastic no matter what.  They are now off to a well earned honeymoon in Hawaii where I’m sure they’ll find many ways to enjoy paradise, regardless of the forecast..

Photographers: BJC Photography
The pictures above are by DJ Eric Schiemer.  Please visit the photographer’s site to see professional photos from the entire day.

Venue: The Alpine Room, SNPJ in Enon Valley

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

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

Most of my clients are people who recognize how important it is to have the right music at their reception.  It’s always spectacular to work with a couple who puts time and effort into considering what songs THEY will be excited to hear when they’re DANCING.  This past weekend I performed at the reception of some awesome dancers, Leah Schacht and Jason Hunt.  The fantastic celebration was held at the West View Banquet Facility.

Leah and Jason contacted me after they had already reserved a different, national DJ service that doesn’t offer as much interaction between the couple and the entertainer.  They reconsidered that decision after realizing the importance music would play on their special day.  I’m so excited that they hired me to perform, since it was clear from the beginning that they and their families were people who REALLY wanted to celebrate and dance.

Their music choices were excellent.  We had plenty of time for dancing, so throughout the evening it was effortless to include most of guests’ requests as well as play the songs requested from Leah & Jason.  I was also able to switch between genres often so that everyone had the chance to hear their favorite music styles.

Leah & Jason were on the dance floor all night long, keeping their guests singing and dancing.  I always say that the Bride & Groom set the tone of the evening, and these two set a tone that kept everyone wound up and extremely happy.

Everyone even passed the microphone around for awhile to sing along with some great songs like “Living On A Prayer” and “Don’t Stop Believing”.

Leah and Jason had an incredible reception where everyone danced and partied all night long.  You can always tell the end of the perfect evening when the venue is telling people it’s time to leave!  I had a fantastic time working with these newlyweds to make an evening that was such a great party.  I think the lyrics of their bridal song are so appropriate to the evening they had… “I Could Not Ask For More”.  Congratulations to the new Mr & Mrs. Jason Hunt!

Venue: West View Banquet Facility
Photography: L.A. Photos (Paul Kulwik)

I believe part of the magic behind every wedding is how friends and family pull together to achieve the perfect day for the bride and groom.  Weddings are such a special time when everyone is called upon to do their best to pitch in and do what they can.  This past Saturday I was able to play a part in the wedding of Jessica Hughes and Aaron Kassner at the Brady’s Run Lodge.  What made the occasion even more special was how much others (and one woman in particular) were willing to give to make this day possible.

Jessica and Aaron met almost 2 years ago while Aaron was undergoing dialysis.  Jessica was his nurse.  During their time dating, Jessica mentioned Aaron’s kidney problems to a fellow church member while on a mission trip.  That church member, Peggy, selflessly offered to donate one of her kidneys to Aaron.  To show their gratitude to Peggy at the reception, they had a special “Kidney Dance” to allow Aaron to dance with his generous donor.  After the dance was finished all 250 guests gave her a standing ovation.  It was truly beautiful.

To read more about Aaron, Jessica, and Peggy’s remarkable story, read the Beaver County Times article here.

Jessica and Aaron were very relaxed about the music selections for their reception, leaving lots of room for requests.

Jessica told me that she and Aaron weren’t big dancers, but she did come out for a line dance to Shania Twain’s “Any Man Of Mine”

I just love the Jr Bridesmaid dancing to “Single Ladies (Put On Ring On It)”

Aaron and Jessica weren’t sure people were going to dance… but the dance floor was full all evening long.

At the end of the evening, everyone cleared the floor and allowed the newlyweds to have the last dance to the themselves.  It was a very touching evening full of special moments.  There were many people who gave of themselves to make sure this day would happen.  It was a wonderful day of love, faith and happiness.

Venue: Brady’s Run Lodge, Falston PA
Photography: Patsy McDonald
Videography: Ambiance Video Productions

I frequently have people ask me if my clients really take advantage of the level of customization that I make available.  Truth is that most of my clients enjoy the knowledge that any part of their reception music can be customized to their preferences or needs.  Occasionally I get to work with a couple that gets truly creative, not only with the playlist, but also with tweaking the individual songs.  For example, this past Saturday I had the extreme pleasure of playing at the reception of Meghan Ferris and David Tintera at the Circuit Center and Ballroom in Pittsburgh, PA.

I had met Meghan and David last year, at the reception Amanda & James Kelly.  Before that, I met Amanda & James at the reception of Mitch & Nicole Patterline.  I was so excited to get to see BOTH of these two of wonderful couples again!  Not only are they incredibly awesome people, but they also LOVE to dance and party.  I need them to come to all of my weddings!

Meghan & David decided it would be fun for cocktail hour and dinner music to have a mix of oldies from the 50′s & 60′s as well as some contemporary hits from artists like Dave Matthews and Jack Johnson.  For their introduction and special dances they requested certain songs would be tweaked to start or end at certain points.  Meghan had a special dance with her mother where I was able to remove a verse that didn’t apply.  None of these requests were unreasonable or difficult, but it made the music feel completely customized to this special day.

Meghan assured me that everything was perfect, especially since I had made her mother cry with tears of joy.  I get the feeling that was going to happen no matter what I played.  It was so obvious how proud all the parents were to see their children so happy.

At one point in the night a group of guys tossed the newlyweds high in the air…

Meghan’s look in this picture says it all…”Hey, be careful with that!!!”

I will honestly miss working with Meghan and David on creating such a wonderful and unique celebration.  They’re off now for their honeymoon in Mexico but perhaps when they return they can start planning a HUGE first anniversary party!  I’ll be ready!!!

Venue: Circuit Center & Ballroom, Pittsburgh, PA
Photography: SkySight Photography
Videography: DMB Videography

The first question after “will you marry me” is typically “when’s the wedding?”. Choosing the right day can be as hard as finding the right person to marry (well, for some). The day of your wedding can be an opportunity to express who you are as much as the music and location. This past Sunday I performed at the wedding of Megan Espenschied and Brent Tritt at the Alpine Room in Enon Valley, PA.

Clearly the time of year played a big a part in Megan & Brent’s decision of when to hold their special day. They were married outside at the Alpine Room’s outdoor facility and the weather was perfect. It had rained in spurts throughout the day, but the sky was perfectly clear while they held their nuptials. They included great elements of the season throughout the venue including the name cards, centerpieces, cake and an out of this world cookie table.

Megan & Brent made a request list for me that was fun and diverse.  The mix worked out perfectly, I was already getting compliments during cocktail hour and dinner.

Brent is the cousin of Andy Diehl, Matt Diehl & Holly Kuczynski.  I was the DJ for Holly’s wedding a couple of years ago.  Holly and her husband Brian now have a BEAUTIFUL little girl!  I was so happy to get to meet little Aubry at the wedding and see the Diehl family.

The staff at the Alpine room is always great to work with so the evening moved along smoothly with tons of time for visiting and dancing!

Megan’s sister was married this past February in Niagara Falls.  They didn’t have a DJ at their wedding so Megan had me play a song so Emily could dance with her father.  It was very sweet!

Megan and Brett had a perfect Fall wedding.  The weather was wonderful for their outdoor wedding and their guests enjoyed the convenience of having everything held in one location.  I was thrilled when the newlyweds told me they were having a Disney World honeymoon and then a cruise to the Bahamas!  A perfect end to a wonderful occasion.

Venue: Alpine Room, Enon Valley, PA
Photography: Isabell Photography