I believe that the success of wedding day depends completely on the happiness and love of the newlyweds.  We’ve all seen the downside of this on countless episodes of Bridezillas.  I find it magical when a couple radiates so much positive energy that their guests have no choice but to be caught up in the excitement and romance of the day.  I can’t think of a better example of this than the reception of Christy Steidel and Matthew Crummy, held at The Rivers Club in downtown Pittsburgh, PA.

While I know every bride anticipates her wedding since childhood, Christy had an excitement that came through every time we talked, emailed, and met.  It was so infectious! It was clear throughout the night that both Christy and Matt were enjoying every second.

The first dance was sweet and elegant, such a beautiful bride!

The music flowed perfectly with the energy of the evening.  Cocktail and Dinner featured a great mix of Rat Pack and modern crooners.  When the dancing picked up there was a great variety of music for all ages.

I had the pleasure of meeting some of Christy’s family before the wedding.  Her father, Michael Steidel, was a big help with the details. I loved getting to see him dance with his “little girl”.

Not to be outdone, Matthew and his mother Martha danced next, and even included a few spins!

All of the guests were so caught up in everything that the dance floor flooded with people right away.

Christy and Matthew were so wonderful to refer me to their friends Joe & Sarah.  I’m excited to get to DJ at THEIR wedding this May!

I see a lot of beautiful wedding dresses, but Christy’s is one of my all time favorites.  Clearly it was made for the dancing bride, since later in the evening she was able to remove the bottom!

People like Christy and Matthew are why I devote my time to being the best wedding DJ I can be.  Their energy, love and excitement was so incredible every time we met, I knew their wedding would be the party of a lifetime!  The newlyweds are currently off on a Mediterranean cruise where I’m sure they’re loving every moment.

Venue: The Rivers Club, One Oxford Center, Pittsburgh, PA
Photography: Kendralla Photography

They certainly created an evening that showcased their personalities.  Most people didn’t even notice these two hidden on the cake.

I can’t say enough about how terrific the Pittsburgh Athletic Association works as a reception venue.  It’s beautiful, elegant and their staff works to make sure every need of the guests is met perfectly.

Suzie and Aaron’s friends were ready to dance from the first song til the end of the evening.  What a great party!

Venue: Pittsburgh Athletic Association

Tara Zurowski and Jason Hoover held their reception at the Grand Concourse located at Station Square in Pittsburgh.   I had worked with Tara and Jason with what ended up being an entire day long celebration of their wedding vows at various locations.  The Grand Concourse was a wonderful location for the first half of their wedding reception.

Tara and Jason entered the reception down the beautiful staircase and immediately launched into their bridal and parent dances.

The Grand Concourse created the prefect as atmosphere for their elegant and relaxed afternoon reception.  It truly created wonderful spots for the photographer to grab some stunning images.

After the meal, the guests all headed over to Tara’s family’s house for a more casual celebration that lasted long into the night with lots of dancing and fun.  Special thanks to Heather of Weddings By Heather for providing these fantastic photos from the reception.

Venue: Grand Concourse at Station Square
Photography: Weddings By Heather

The end of the wedding season always makes me a little sad, because I feel blessed to play such an important part of my clients’ most special day.  I am so glad that my final wedding of 2009 was a large and wild celebration!  This past Saturday I was the DJ at the reception of Amanda Mackin and Dennis Schwartzmiller at the SNPJ in Imperial, PA.

During the planning stage, Amanda and Dennis were most concerned about making sure that everything was fun and easy for their guests to enjoy.  Their cake topper was super cute!

Amanda and Dennis gave me some amazing song choices for cocktails and dinner.  Cocktail hour featured a great variety of fun songs from the 50′s and 60′s that set the tone for the rest of the evening.  Once the dinner started, they left the music choices open to whatever kept the dance floor going.  You can see on their list that I was able to play a wide variety including oldies, disco and lots of new songs, too!

Every one of the guests was ready to celebrate when the dance music started.  The floor was packed all evening long!

Amanda’s mother, Grace, danced all night to everything from the Temptations to Pitbull!  She was so much fun!

Amanda and Dennis surrounded themselves with their favorite people and took the time to consider what would make everyone have a great time.  The over 250 guests had a total blast.  At the end of the evening everyone was still going strong, and probably would have continued dancing til dawn.  The newlyweds are now off to a well deserved, and probably well needed honeymoon!

Venue: SNPJ Banquet Hall
Photography: Paul Meyer Photography