I talk a lot about customization and what a special part that can play in each wedding and reception. I’ll have to say, this past Saturday I was lucky enough to be involved with one of the most unique and customized weddings ever. Tina Palivoda & Gideon Geer were married at Willow Pond Farm in West Alexander, PA and the day was completely filled with special details that made the day one of a kind.

Gideon is a hockey player so his team mates provided the archway for the newlyweds to process down the aisle.

Tina & Gideon’s dogs are a big part of their lives and had to be included in the wedding party…they were so behaved!

Tina & Gideon chose a variety of great music for their ceremony, dinner and dancing. Once again, they were able to use music as another way to share part of their special tastes with their friends and family.

Click here to see the playlist from the reception

There were so many special details everywhere that were so unique, my favorite would be the fact that they actually MADE all the beer and wine that was served to the guests. The labels featured some great images of their dogs too!

Willow Pond Farm was a completely different type of venue for me (if you can’t tell by the photos!). This Bed & Breakfast provided three different locations for the guests to move between. The ceremony was held next to the pond, dinner was then served up in a large white tent. Finally the guests moved over to a large barn for dancing. The weather turned out to be a perfect Fall day and the guests really seem to enjoy the outdoor activities that were provided as entertainment between the ceremony and dinner.

I’ve known Tina for quite a while and was thrilled that she asked me to play a part in her big day. Getting to meet Gideon and the both of their families was so great. It was clear that everyone really enjoyed how much effort they had put into creating an event that would truly be different. Tina & Gideon shattered the mold of the standard wedding and created awesome memories that their friends and families can cherish.

I’m having the best time playing some amazing receptions this year! Lately I’ve been so lucky to play for such warm and friendly couples. This past Saturday I played at the Chartiers Room in Bridgeville, PA for Colleen Fink & Jason Veneski.

Colleen and Jason had such a great relaxed attitude about their reception. Their main goal was to make sure their guests had a good time. Things ran so smoothly for them that they ended up with a TON of time for dancing which really allowed me to play a great variety of music.

Colleen & Jason chose a few songs for dinner and let me build a playlist for them based on their choices. The result was a nice mix of new and classic soul & R&B which helped set a fun and romantic atmosphere. Colleen had chosen a very unique and beautiful cake. Love that blue!

They danced and danced and danced…

And even a little limbo…

Colleen and Jason were lucky enough to have a great reception with tons of extra time to allow for lots of dancing and socializing. It was great to see their friends and family enjoy themselves while celebrating. Colleen and Jason were so great to work with, I was so glad I could play a part in making their day so wonderful.

Having an outdoor wedding and/or reception is always a risk, but when it’s great and it’s really great. This past Saturday I played for Amanda McLean & James Kelly at the Buhl Mansion in Sharon, PA. The weather was SO perfect, sunny and cool.

Amanda & James spent a lot of time adding special elements to their celebration. Their wedding cake includes words from their first dance song. Their “place cards” were rocks with people’s names and table numbers on them. Very cool stuff. They gave me a great list of music to choose from for dinner and dancing. Totally mixed it right so that the evening started with music for everyone then once the sun went down I was able to play a TON of great modern dance music for their friends to really enjoy.

The Buhl Mansion is a unique and beautiful location. Not only did the newlyweds use the mansion for the ceremony & reception, but they were also able to rent out all 10 rooms of this fantastic bed & breakfast for their families and bridal party to spend the night!

What’s this? Yes, It’s Mitch & Nicole Paterline again! Nicole was Amanda’s Matron of Honor… they really helped keep the party going! Thanks guys!

Amanda & James could write a book on wedding planning, they found the right mix of making their day unique but not excluding their guests from having fun too. The worst part of the whole day was having to play the last song! Congratulations to Mr & Mrs Kelly, you guys ROCK!