Category Archives: The Priory

There’s something electric about weddings in late fall here in Western PA—the crisp air, the early sunsets, and the way venues seem to glow just a little more warmly. Jacqueline and Alek couldn’t have chosen a better place to celebrate than The Grand Hall at the Priory, one of Pittsburgh’s most breathtaking reception spaces. With its soaring ceilings, historic architecture, and room for a couple hundred guests to spread out, it’s the kind of place that instantly sets the tone for a classic, joy-filled celebration.

From the moment guests arrived, it was clear that everyone came ready to party. Cocktail hour was buzzing, helped along by a playlist filled with smooth jazz, crooner classics, and timeless oldies that drifted through the space. It was the perfect setup for what was ahead. And once the grand entrance kicked off the reception, the energy only kept building. Jacqueline and Alek then dazzled everyone with an epic first dance featuring lots of twirls and dips! This was clearly going to be a night to remember!

Dinner flowed with a beautiful mix of string arrangements and acoustic love songs that kept the mood warm and romantic. But the moment the last plates were cleared, three full hours of dancing began—and the dance floor never emptied. That’s one of my favorite parts of DJing at The Priory: the room is big enough to hold a huge crowd, but intimate enough that everyone feels like part of the action. With a playlist pulling from every genre imaginable—Motown, disco, 80s pop, early-2000s throwbacks, hip-hop, club hits, rock favorites, and all the feel-good staples—it was the kind of night where no matter your age or your taste, you had a song to go wild for.

By the time we hit the final stretch of the night, the crowd was even louder and more energized than when we started. They packed in shoulder-to-shoulder for slow classics, screamed every word to pop anthems, and fully committed to the last-chance dance moments. And then, in perfect fashion, everyone gathered around Jacqueline and Alek for their final songs—ending the night on a high before they headed off to start their next adventure together in Costa Rica.

It’s nights like this that remind me why I love what I do. When a couple trusts me with their soundtrack—and brings a crowd that’s ready to celebrate—it doesn’t just make for a great party. It makes for a night nobody forgets.

Types of Music Played Throughout the Wedding

Cocktails
– Jazz and swing
– Crooner classics
– Light oldies and feel-good timeless favorites

Dinner
– String quartet covers of pop and indie songs

Dancing
– Motown and soul classics
– Disco and 70s favorites
– 80s and 90s pop/rock
– Early-2000s pop and hip-hop
– Modern club and dance hits
– Latin and international dance tracks
– High-energy pop anthems
– Slow classics for crowd-gathering moments