Category Archives: Pittsburgh Wedding DJ

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

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

Sunday, July 19, 2009

Robin and Jason (20th Century Club Reception)

I chose the tag line for my business as “Entertainment for Extraordinary Events” about a year ago. Now while many people have their own idea of what makes an event extraordinary, I clearly had something in mind as well. I recently had the opportunity to play at the wedding of the wonderful Robin Flaus and Jason Scibek at the Twentieth Century Club in Pittsburgh. Every part of the day added up perfectly into something that was truly special.

Robin & Jason combined many custom elements to their day that made it elegant and romantic, while also feeling very modern and fun. The cocktail hour was held in the ballroom and featured wine tasting as well as a wide variety of appetizers. The Twentieth Century Club has a very sophisticated atmosphere and the staff works diligently to tend to the needs of every guest.

I worked with Robin & Jason to make sure that the music would be varied enough to satisfy the needs of their friends and family. Cocktail & dinner music consisted largely of Rat Pack style standards, with a few contemporary artists added in for some variety. Once the dancing started, I was sure to include some modern songs to really get the party going.

After cocktail hour, the guests moved upstairs to the dining room, located on the 3rd Floor of the club. I loved that the bridal table was a large ‘family style’ table where the Bridal party could all sit and have face to face conversations with one another.

While the guests were having their dinner, the ballroom was prepared for the remainder of the evening. The most amazing cookie table I’ve ever seen was set up for the guests to enjoy. There were custom boxes available for the guests to take cookies home with them and they were certainly a HUGE hit with everyone.

Once dinner was completed the guests returned to the ballroom for the cake cutting and dancing. I have to take a moment to mention how terrific it was to work with the talented Tony Urban. It’s so important to hire a photographer who understands how their attitude and commitment will effect the day, and Tony’s work certainly speaks for itself.

When I first met with Robin & Jason they told me how much they loved to go dancing and how excited they were to enjoy themselves on the dance floor. They had lots of other things to do during the reception, but I was pleased to see that they always made time to come back to get some dancing in.

So, what made this event so extraordinary? Was it simply because it was classy and contemporary, elegant and exciting, both serious and yet seriously fun? Well yes, all of those things certainly helped, but mostly it was because of the simple fact they are a reflection of Robin & Jason. Two extraordinary people shared pieces of themselves and put time and effort into creating the day of the their dreams, and it was truly extraordinary.

by EricTags: Cookies, Pittsburgh, Second Sound System, Unique

Wednesday, July 8, 2009

Erica and Anthony (Ligonier Country Club Reception)

It never ceases to amaze me that no matter how different every wedding reception is, there is no mistaking the feeling when friends and family pull together to help their loved ones achieve their dream wedding day. This past weekend I performed at the reception of Erica Lynn and Anthony Cebzanov at the Ligonier Country Club in Ligonier, PA. I loved the fact that Erica, Tony, and their families had worked extremely hard to give their guests a special day as well.

Erica’s Mom, Mary, took it upon herself to do all the flowers for the reception hall. The flowers really made the room look beautiful, and the fact that the mother of the bride had taken the time to make each arrangement made the every table look extra special.

Erica and Tony spent a great deal of time choosing the music they wanted played at the reception. They provided me with a wonderful list of music to use during each moment of the evening. It was obvious to me how much consideration they put into their choices and I think they made a wonderful mix that all of their guests enjoyed.

I love it when people find unique and creative ways to make their reception even more fun. Erica and Tony had these wonderful gift bags made up for each of their guests. Inside of each bag was 4 of their favorite treats that represented their hometowns. Better Made Chips from Detroit, Tastykake from Philadelphia, Smiley Cookie from Pittsburgh and a Grilled Stickey from State College. What a delicious idea!

As the night continued, I realized how many of the guests were close friends of Erica and Tony. There were quite a few of Tony’s college friends, and they all joined in a big sing along to the Penn State fight song!

The new Cebzanov’s were referred to me by the wonderful Leah & Joe Fiddler. I had played their wedding way back in September 2005! Leah & Joe helped keep the dance floor moving all night long. It’s great to see how much fun they’re still having being with each other after all this time.

The weather could not have been nicer for the reception, and the Country Club was the perfect venue for everyone to be able to enjoy socializing and dancing. Because the wedding was on July 4th, all the guests gathered outside for a sparkler farewell at the end of the evening. Watching Erica and Tony interact with their guests was my favorite part of the evening. I was amazed by how the newlyweds were able to keep up with everyone who wanted to spend time with them.

Erica and Tony seemed to recognize how rare it would be to have this group of special friends and family members together at one time. Their big day was made even better by seeing all their guests enjoying themselves singing, dancing and reminiscing. They focused their planning efforts on creating wonderfully special moments that they, and their guests, would remember for a lifetime.

by EricTags:

Category Archives: Pittsburgh Wedding DJ

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