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

Sunday, October 25, 2009

Leah and Jason (West View Wedding Reception)

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!

by EricTags: Fall, Party, Pittsburgh

Monday, October 19, 2009

Jessica and Aaron (Brady’s Run Reception)

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.

by EricTags: Fall, Kidney Dance

Sunday, October 11, 2009

Meghan & David (Circuit Center & Ballroom)

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!!!

by EricTags: Fall, Pittsburgh

Saturday, September 26, 2009

Megan and Brent (Alpine Room Wedding Reception)

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.

by EricTags: Fall, Friends, Season, Sunday, Weather

Tuesday, September 15, 2009

Erin and Matt (PPG Aquarium Reception)

Reception planning usually starts with choosing the right venue. Throughout Western Pennsylvania there are literally thousands of places where you can choose to celebrate, socialize and party the night away. As with most wedding details, it’s SO important to choose a place that represents who you are as a couple. Recently I performed at the reception of Erin McTeague and Matt Hungerman at the PPG Aquarium, located at the Pittsburgh Zoo.

The aquarium creates a unique atmosphere for the reception that is far from typical. During cocktail hour guests were able to enjoy their appetizers while having full access to the exhibits. The guests were then seated on the lower level for dinner and dancing. The staff at the Aquarium is top notch and really helped keeping everything on track throughout the evening.

Erin & Matt put great care in selecting the music for the entire reception. The music was varied, but perfectly reflected their taste and style.

Once again I had the pleasure of working with one and only Weddings By Heather. Immediately after the formal introductions, All the guests posed for a picture on the dance floor while Heather was up on the second floor balcony. What a tremendous keepsake!

The aquarium offers a very special setting for an intimate reception. There was a surprisingly nice amount of room for dancing once it was time to open the dance floor. Erin & Matt’s guests were extremely friendly and warm. Everyone had a great time dancing, singing and being a bit silly!

Matt’s friend even took the mic to sing The Jackson 5’s “ABC”!

Finding the right location for your reception can be crucial to the success of your wedding. Erin & Matt chose the venue that worked perfectly for them on every level. The guests had a rare opportunity to spend so much time in a different and fun environment while getting to celebrate with the newlyweds. Erin & Matt spent a lot of time on the dance floor and enjoying every moment of their big day, I was certainly thrilled to work with them to create a reception that was so special!

by EricTags: Heather, Location, Pittsburgh, Singing

Tuesday, September 1, 2009

Brooke and Greg (Oglebay Resort Reception)

People will always tell you that time on your wedding day will come and go too quickly. It is truly something you can’t understand until you experience it for yourself. Because there is only so many hours at the reception, I encourage all of my clients to make the most of the time they’ll have. It’s so important include the things that are special to you and to be certain not to waste precious moments or to let others rush you away from enjoying yourself throughout the day. I recently had the pleasure of DJing at the reception of Brooke Warren & Greg Baker. Greg & Brooke used their time EXTREMELY well all day and were able to include everything they wanted in their perfect celebration.

The wedding and reception were held at the beautiful Oglebay Resort & Conference Center. Both the outdoor ceremony and cocktail hour featured music from an amazing string ensemble provided by Pittsburgh Music Live. Brooke & Greg requested special songs for the trio to play during cocktail hour that were familiar and lovely.

Brooke & Greg were tons of fun to work with. They wanted to make sure their reception matched their style and I think they did a remarkable job. It was a great mix of fun and elegance that really led to an awesome party. We ended up staying at the resort for much longer then we originally had planned, which left a lot of room for some terrific requests.

One of the hardest parts of the event is knowing when to switch from quiet socialization to the dancing portion of the evening. Greg & Brooke handled this great and knew when it was time to get the party started. Once the dance floor opened, guests of all ages went wild. Brooke’s grandfather made a tribute and even sang for everyone. (See the George Foreman post below).

This may be one of my all time favorite pictures. Every bride should get to be so happy!

I feel that the reception is an opportunity for newlyweds to show their friends and family a bit about who they are as a couple. I love the fact that Brooke & Greg were so true to themselves in the planning of the reception. The entire day was full of special, unique and touching moments that clearly reflected the love they share.

by EricTags: String Quartet, Time

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