Category Archives: Pittsburgh Wedding DJ

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:

Monday, June 29, 2009

Jenna and Aaron (Pittsburgh Field Club Reception)

There’s a lot of talk about how special the wedding day is to the Bride & Groom, but some people miss the fact that your wedding will have great impact to the families of the newlyweds. This past Saturday I was fortunate to play at the reception of Jenna Fox & Aaron Heffley at the Pittsburgh Field Club in Fox Chapel. From our first meeting it became clear to me how important family would be in every element of their day.

Jenna and Aaron had the most beautiful sunny day for their wedding, which was perfect since their cocktail hour was held in an outdoor area of the Pittsburgh Field Club. Cocktail hour featured two wonderfully talented live musicians, a pianist and flautist from Pittsburgh Music Live.

Jenna worked very closely with her mother, Patti, in the planning of the special and unique elements of the big day. I met a couple of times with Jenna & Patti to talk music and to create a few special key events that made the day extraordinary. They both had terrific ideas for the perfect music to play throughout the entire evening.

The Fox’s found an old VHS tape with a very young Jenna dressed up in her mother’s wedding dress talking about her future wedding plans. In the video young Jenna talked about dancing with her father at her wedding someday. It was a big crowd pleaser as we played this video immediately before Jenna danced with her Dad.

It was wonderful to get to know so many members of both families. It was great to see them work so hard to make everything perfect for Jenna and Aaron. Jenna’s brother Dorian even made a special dedication to the couple that added a great touch to the end of the evening.

A very unique part of the evening was shortly after dinner when Jenna had a special dance honoring the men who mean a lot to her. During the song she was able to dance with her father, brother, a bunch of uncles and her grandfather. It was quite touching and a great way to include even more of the family in the reception.

It was great to see how much fun Jenna’s parents had dancing all night long! I loved seeing how happy they were for their daughter and new son-in-law.

My evening was made even better by the opportunity to work with some of the best vendors in the world. Julie & Gene from the Field Club were the model of perfection, stepping in to help fix any and everything that needed done.

Then, the icing on the cake, was the pleasure of working with some amazing photographer: the one and only Joanne Bartone and her partner Karen. If you visit Joanne’s website, it’s clear to see how she uses her talent and personality to create magical memories. While many photographers aren’t anxious to capture photos at the reception, Joanne and Karen worked their tails off all night long to capture every detail and moment. Oh, and they’re great dancers too!

Jenna and Aaron included their families into many of the details of planning their wedding and reception. In return their families showed their love and respect by doing everything they could to make their day completely fantastic. I think some people are worried to get their families too involved with their special day, but the Fox’s & Heffley’s proved that the day can be even more special when you share all of it with the ones that are closest to you. Congratulations to the NEW Mr. & Mrs. Heffley!

by EricTags: Pittsburgh

Monday, June 22, 2009

Kamela and Casey (Franzee’s Banquet Facility)

Every once in a while my personal life collides with my life as a professional DJ. It’s a great honor when someone who has known me for years asks me to perform as a part of their reception. This past Friday I had the extreme pleasure of playing the reception of Kamela Ferguson & Casey Johnston at Franzee’s Banquet Hall in Ambridge, PA.

During college I acted as a youth leader for a small church in Beaver Falls. Kamela had been a very active member of the group and I was SO excited when she contacted me about her wedding. Having known Kamela for so long I knew that she’d be planning a wedding that would be fun and unique. Kamela & Casey came up with some great music suggestions, including the idea that I play music from the Motown era during cocktail hour and dinner. I could see people singing along from their tables!

Kamela & Casey also had me create a photo montage to play after dinner. All the guests enjoyed seeing the cute images of them as babies and the silly images of them as they grew to become adults. I really enjoyed making this for them, it was great seeing images of Kam during the years since she was just a teenager.

It was also great to see so many familiar faces at the reception from the youth group and church and I was so happy to be there and reunite with everyone. I was able to take this photo of Kamela and her cousin Cheri during the money dance.

Kamela and Casey were the life of the party all night long. They were clearly excited to be with their guests, but you could also see when they looked at each other that they were able to communicate their thoughts to each other with just a glance. I was pleased to see Kamela’s reaction to the music as everyone was dancing. Everyone should get to be this happy at their wedding.

Kamela and Casey were so easy to work with, they gave me a great list of music for their friends and family to enjoy. They even let a few guests sing a song. Wayne and Taylor were both BIG hits!

I can’t say enough how excited I was to be a part of this wedding. Kamela & Casey were surrounded by so many wonderful guests, and everyone really helped step in to make it a fantastic party. While I’d like to deny that I’m old enough to see any of the ‘kids’ from the youth group get married, I’m extremely proud to have seen her grow to become such a wonderful adult and thrilled that she found a terrific guy. The best part of my job is when you can see how much in love two people can truly be.

I wanted to mention that Kamela does a great blog about pretty much everything (as she says – A steaming bowl of entertainment) at My Hatertots, make sure you check it out.

by EricTags: Friends

Friday, June 19, 2009

Emily and Michael (Pittsburgh Doubletree)

As many of you know, planning for a wedding and reception can be extremely difficult. The biggest piece of advice I can offer my clients is to do what comes naturally and to be true to yourself. When you plan a day that is truly a reflection of who you are, planning becomes much easier. I recently had the great pleasure of performing at the reception of Emily & Michael at the Doubletree Hotel in downtown Pittsburgh. Emily & Mike knew exactly what they wanted for their big day and made the choices that best represented their tastes, the results were amazing.

Emily & Mike created an elegant and relaxed reception for around 45 of their closest family and friends. The intimacy of the room and the amount of guests really allowed everyone to have more personal time with the bride and groom. When planning for the wedding we had met at a local Starbucks, the music there became our inspiration for the cocktail hour and dinner.

Once everyone had time to visit, it was time to open the dance floor. Emily & Mike created such a vibe of happiness and joy that everyone in the room could feel their excitement.

Emily’s mother even came up and danced the twist with everyone.

Emily & Mike asked me to make a special announcement and dedication to their good friends, Emily & Nick who were recently engaged.

Emily & Mike’s first dance song was “The Way I Am” by Ingrid Michaelson. I can’t imagine a more appropriate song for them. They are so comfortable in their own skin and were completely genuine about their excitement for their wedding and reception. They chose not to spend time doing a lot of traditional parts of the reception, and instead focused on having fun with their guests.

Watching Emily & Mike’s reaction to their guests, the music and everything else at the reception, it was clear that everything had turned out exactly as they had planned. To me they serve as the perfect example of how to approach the decisions for a wedding. I’m thrilled that I had the chance to get to know them, and that I was able to play a part of making their day so special.

by EricTags: Pittsburgh

Category Archives: Pittsburgh Wedding DJ

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