Pittsburgh Wedding DJ for Weddings and Receptions. Disc Jockey in Allegheny County

Sunday, August 14, 2011

Jill and John (Power Center Ballroom DJ)

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.

Hocker Lieb Wedding

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.

by EricTags: Dancing, Daylight, Dirty Dancing

Sunday, August 14, 2011

Ann and Joe (Pittsburgh Zoo DJ)

Nobody would want their wedding ever to be considered ‘normal’ or ‘typical’, yet it’s so easy to stick with standard wedding traditions, even if those traditions don’t really feel natural to the bride and groom. I always encourage my clients to make new traditions and forget the ones that don’t work for them. Ann Donovan and Joe Carretta igrnored almost every standard wedding tradition and created something truly unique for their reception at the Pittsburgh Zoo.

The tent area at the Pittsburgh Zoo is a wonderful, large space for a reception. The weather was perfect so guests could enjoy themselves both inside and out on a beautiful August day.

Instead of a cake, Joe and Ann had a table filled with amazing cupcakes!

The music for the reception was a fun mix of every genre. Cocktail hour and dinner was filled with great singer/songwriter songs from the likes of Jack Johnson. When dancing began, the guests crowded the floor to everything from Motown to disco to modern hits.

Joe and Ann had a sweet first dance after dinner, and then it was on to the celebration!

One of the things I loved about Joe & Ann’s reception was how everything was set up to be very family friendly while still including ways for the adults to party.

Joe and Ann now share their anniversary with the birthday of their sweet daughter Stella. At the end of the night she was still going stronger than most of the guests. Look at those beautiful eyes!

It was great to work with Ann, Joe & Stella to make a day that suited their new family perfectly. They created an amazingly unique day for their friends and family that was truly special for everyone.

by EricTags: Family, Simple Elegance, Zoo

Sunday, August 7, 2011

Nicole and Matthew (Southpointe Golf Club DJ)

Just last week I wrote about what a great luxury it is to have a wonderfully long reception. But what can you do if you have a standard amount of time to celebrate on your big day? Well this weekend I was DJ for the wonderful reception of Nicole Kreyling and Matthew Junker, and these newlyweds made sure to make the most of every moment at the elegant Southpointe Golf Club in Cannonsburgh, PA.

The golf club looked tremendous as always. I do my best to make sure my equipment doesn’t take away from the beauty of the venue.

Nicole and Matthew are a sweet and fun couple, and their musical style was exactly the same. They picked a great mix of their favorite tunes for dinner, that created a modern and relaxed atmosphere. I was thrilled at the end of the night when Nicole told me that the music was perfect.

Not only did the newlyweds and bridal party arrive promptly for the reception, but Nicole and Matthew used the time between courses to visit with their guests. This meant that right after the cake was served we were able to jump into their special dances.

With the formalities out of the way, there was TONS of time for everyone to really celebrate and party!

It’s so easy to let the wedding day slip by without having the chance to do everything you’d like. Nicole and Matthew were able to pull off their big day with tons of time for visiting, photographs, dancing, singing and loving every moment. This smart couple is headed off to Hawaii where I’m sure they’ll be able to find the time to enjoy the perfect honeymoon.

by EricTags: Dancing, Time, Visiting

Sunday, July 31, 2011

Vanessa and Mark (Candlelight Room DJ)

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.

by EricTags: Purple, Time, Washington

Sunday, July 24, 2011

Heather and Jesse (J Verno Studios DJ)

While I love all types of music, every once in a while I get to DJ for a couple who’s musical style is exactly what I would choose if I were planning my wedding reception in 2011. I had a great time preparing the music for Heather Mullen and Jesse Evans’ elegant celebration held at J Verno Studio in the Southside of Pittsburgh, PA.

I could go on and on about J Verno Studio’s. Such an amazing venue for a wedding. As Heather put it, it’s a little “funky”, just like her and Jesse. I loved their setup for the ceremony.

I can’t thank Heather and Jesse enough for turning me on to the Vitamin String Quartet’s music, which we used for most of the ceremony. Cocktail hour featured a great selection of 90’s rock which really helped create a fun vibe that lasted throughout the night. The whole mix of music really worked out perfectly.

Heather and Jesse had a wonderfully choreographed first dance, easily one of the best I’ve seen. They looked like they were having so much fun, I can’t even believe they only had 2 dance lessons!

Things got a little wild on the dance floor when it was really time to celebrate!

Best flower girl robot dance ever!

Not only did I absolutely love the music choices including classical, 90’s rock, Rat Pack, oldies, and modern dance hits, but guests kept commenting to me throughout the night about how much they were enjoying the musical selections. Heather and Jesse nailed a playlist that appealed not only to their tastes but to all of their friends and family’s as well. Perhaps they’ll add some new Jamaican hits to their favorite music as they head off to relax on their honeymoon.

by EricTags: Choreography, J Verno, Playlist

Sunday, July 17, 2011

Laura and Sean (Doubletree Hotel DJ)

There’s a delicate balance when trying to hold a reception that appeals to everyone while making sure that everything still reflects the bride and groom. Laura Cox and Sean Ruzicka figured out the perfect blend at their Washington, PA celebration the Doubletree by Hilton Hotel.

The DoubleTree is a wonderful venue with friendly and efficient staff, which helped keep the day moving along perfectly. The Grand Ballroom looked elegant and romantic.

I love seeing the creative elements couples include to make the day fun for everyone. This was the first time I’ve ever seen fingerprint artwork for the guests to sign. What a great heirloom this will become!

Laura and Sean provided a great list of music to get their guests dancing. There was something for everyone, from the Isley Brothers to Pitbull, from Europe to Big & Rich. Their guests crowded the dance floor to every genre – it was fantastic!

Once dinner was completed, Laura and Sean did their formal dance, parent dances, and money dance.

With all of the formalities out of the way, it was time to unleash the guests to dance, and wow, they sure did dance!

Even after over 2 hours of energetic dancing, it was clear this group was ready for more! Fortunately, Laura and Sean had already planned to continue their party at the local casino. The newlyweds had given their guests a day that allowed everyone to join in the fun, and a night they won’t soon forget. Laura and Sean are now off to Jamaica for a much deserved honeymoon.

by EricTags: DoubleTree, Fingerprints, Washington

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