LeMont

Loren and Eric’s wedding at The LeMont was everything you’d want from a Pittsburgh celebration — stunning views, great people, and a dance floor packed from start to finish. Perched high above the city on Mount Washington, The LeMont offered a front-row seat to one of the best skylines in the country. And for me, this venue always feels extra special since it’s where I proposed to my wife years ago. Getting to DJ a wedding there always hits a little differently.

The night kicked off with an amazing cocktail hour full of classic hits and feel-good favorites that had everyone in the best mood right from the start. Once dinner wrapped up, things only got better. Loren and Eric had built a playlist that truly had something for everyone — from Motown and disco to modern pop, country, and even a few hip-hop throwbacks. Every generation found a reason to hit the dance floor, and that’s exactly how a great reception should be.

They took the fun up another level with glow sticks, tambourines, sunglasses, and light-up Hawaiian leis for all their guests. I’ve seen a lot of wedding dance floors, but this one looked like a full-on party — everyone from kids to grandparents to college friends were out there having the best time. Loren and Eric trusted me to keep the flow just right, reading the room and mixing in requests while keeping the energy high all night long.

As the evening came to a close, guests surrounded the couple for a few last songs that had everyone singing along, before clearing the floor so Loren and Eric could share a private last dance together. It was a perfect ending to an incredible night.

Loren and Eric are heading to St. Lucia for their honeymoon, and I can’t imagine a better way to unwind after such a fantastic celebration. This one was pure happiness from start to finish, and I was so honored to be part of it.

Wedding planning is a ton of work. There are 1001 little details to consider and it would be easy to let it become overwhelming. Moriah and Jon handled all the pressure of the big day gracefully and were able to enjoy the process of choosing music that would make their wedding day like no other. It was such a thrill for me to see all their plans play out perfectly!

Their ceremony and reception were held at the LeMont. The ballroom looked amazing and included the most amazing view of Pittsburgh anyone could ever ask for.

Among Moriah and Jon’s great choices for their day was a fun father/daughter dance which led right into an amazing dance party! Guests danced and sang to a great variety of music from every genre imaginable.

Despite Moriah’s claims of feeling “internally chaotic”, I found working with her and Jon to be one of the best experiences ever. They had fabulous and fun ideas for their wedding, but also made sure that all of their friends and family would have the best night ever. The happy couple is soon off for a well-earned honeymoon in Jamaica!!!

A perfectly planned wedding is one that not only matches the style and preferences of the bride and groom, but also includes special details that all of their guests will enjoy.  Angela and Bill could write a book about putting together a celebration that truly includes something for everyone.  Their wonderful reception was held at the elegant LeMont Restaurant on top of Mount Washington, overlooking the city of Pittsburgh.

The view from the LeMont ballroom is one that absolutely can’t be matched.  While guests enjoyed the view, they were treated to an amazing variety of food throughout cocktails and dinner, which included a traditional Pittsburgh cookie table that allowed everyone to take home lots of great treats to enjoy all weekend long.

The music for the night was perfect for the wide age ranges of guests who attended the reception.  I was able to play songs from traditional Italian music, to Rat Pack styled standards, all the way to today’s biggest hits.

Angela and Bill put together an evening that would be unforgettable for all their closest family and friends.  Their careful attention to details made it so everyone could relax and enjoy a special evening celebrating with the them.  At the end of the night, the newlyweds were surrounded by loved ones as the final song finished and their perfect day came to a close.  A perfect ending to a perfect day.

Whether you’re getting married right out of college, or a little later in life, your parents will always have an impact on your wedding day.  I’ve seen many couples find ways to honor their moms and dads in some wonderful and memorable ways.  Lindsie and Doug did something extra special for their parents on their perfect day at the Le Mont Restaurant in Pittsburgh, PA.

A quick note about the view at the Le Mont – WOW!

For the parent dances, Lindsie allowed her dad to put together a custom medley of song snippets, each with a special meaning for the big day.  It was awesome to see Lindsie’s expressions as each song started.  Doug and his mom also danced to a unique group of song snippets, but theirs included songs like The Chicken Dance, Jump On It, and When Irish Eyes Are Smiling!  This was not only hilarious, but extremely touching to see Doug and his mom have so much fun during their special moment.

After the parent dances, the “Bridal Party Dance” really got the evening going with “Watch Me” by Silento!

After setting such a great tone, all of the wedding guests were ready to get the celebration started.  The newlyweds, along with their parents, danced, sang, and partied with friends and family from beginning to end.  Lindsie and Doug are now headed off to Jamaica for their honeymoon.

Planning a wedding is challenging.  It’s even more so when you’re preparing everything from out of town.  I tend to work with many people who used to call Pittsburgh home, and want to celebrate their big day back in the ‘Burgh.  This weekend I was the DJ for Jennifer Prentice and Steven Derr at the LeMont.  Jen and Steve moved away from Pittsburgh but wanted to have their wedding reception overlooking the 3 rivers of our great city.

One of the reasons Jennifer and Steven chose the LeMont was because of the amazing view.  What a great way to show out of town guests the beauty of the Pittsburgh skyline.

The music was fun and upbeat.  Jen and Steve chose songs from all genres to be sure everyone could enjoy themselves throughout the night.

When it was time to cut the cake, Jennifer and Steve both let each other have it!

Their first dance, to Brad Paisley’s “Then”, was sweet and adorable.

The LeMont is the perfect place for guests to relax, visit, dance, and enjoy the view.

The night ended with all of the newlyweds’ friends and family crowding the dance floor and singing.  It was so much fun to know that so many people came from near and far to join in the celebration of this wonderful couple.  These newlyweds came home to Pittsburgh and gave their guests a day to remember.  Jennifer and Steve are about to travel even further for their honeymoon in Hawaii.

I encourage all of my clients to find clever ways to utilize my presence on their big day.  I love being a wedding DJ, and thoroughly enjoy helping to create special moments for the newlyweds and their guests.  This past weekend I was asked to provide some unique and fun contributions for the wedding of Gwen Zajdel and Steve Majewski, held at the LeMont overlooking Pittsburgh, PA.

I  have to mention how Gwen and Steve used striking fall colors throughout the LeMont, everything looked amazing!  Candy apples as favors was complete genius.

After their grand entrance, Gwen and Steve danced to a special medley of Michael Buble, The Black Eyed Peas AND Frank Sinatra!

During cocktail hour and dinner, guests were entertained by the Hilil String Quartet.  These brothers and sisters have been playing together for over 9 years and performed flawlessly.  (They were also a joy to work with.)  I was blessed to work with 2 other amazingly talented vendors, Dawn from DMB Videography and Dana from Scheller Image and Design.  I can’t say enough about how important it is to hire talented and accommodating vendors like these two.  Their attitude and professionalism kept everything running smoothly while they captured tons of memories for Gwen and Steve to cherish.

Steve, Gwen and I had a great time talking through the music for the reception.  They had a ton of fun ideas including their special first dance medley and a unique take on the Anniversary dance.

After dinner, guests JAMMED the dance floor.  Clearly everyone was there to celebrate!

Sometimes I am asked, “How many songs do you play for dancing?”  The answer depends on how the day is planned and how well everything is executed during the reception.  This couple scheduled an evening with LOTS of time for dancing, and because everything went flawlessly, there was plenty of time for everyone to dance to almost every style of music.  I’m so grateful that Gwen and Steve included me in so many of their plans.  I love getting to work for such fun, creative and detail oriented people.  These love birds are now off for a well earned two week honeymoon in Figi.

There are so many great Pittsburgh wedding venues to choose from.  Your wedding may be the first time your guests are visiting our city.  The LeMont is a great way to showcase how beautiful the city is both day and night.  I stumbled across these photos from a wedding I performed at in 2007 and had to share them.  Kelly Bennett and John Valesek had their reception in the lower ballroom at the LeMont.

The view of the city is spectacular.  The entire wall is made of windows that showcase Pittsburgh perfectly.  (In honor of breast cancer awareness month the water in the fountain was dyed pink!)

I always love coming here since it was in the LeMont’s restaurant that I proposed to my wife.  When I play here it always brings back great memories.

Kelly and John were so much fun to work with, they had a such a wonderful passion for music and dancing.  They even led a giant train that wound all through the LeMont.

Kelly and her friends took over my microphone to sing!  Everyone was having a blast!

The thing I remember most about Kelly and John will always be how obvious it was that they loved each other.  When they looked at each other it was as if there was no one else around, it was beautiful.