Schiemer Entertainment Services - Wedding Disc Jockey, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

Jenna & Aaron

noreply@blogger.com (Eric Schiemer) — Mon, 29 Jun 2009 17:02:00 +0000

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.

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!

Venue: The Pittsburgh Field Club, Fox Chapel, PA
Photography: Joanne Bartone

Do you like the video montage above? Download a full resolution copy here.

Jenn & Paul

noreply@blogger.com (Eric Schiemer) — Wed, 24 Jun 2009 17:55:00 +0000

Planning a wedding can be a balancing act. I think one of the hardest part of preparing for the reception is finding the balance between what you want and what you think your guests will enjoy. Since I do think that the wedding day should be customized to the wishes of the Bride and Groom, I leave it up to the couple to determine what they believe their guests will enjoy most along with their requests. I was lucky enough to work with a couple who was able to achieve the perfect balance this past Saturday. I performed at the reception of Jenn Lee & Paul McCaffrey at the Pittsburgh Golf Club in Pittsburgh, PA.

Jenn & Paul put forth a great deal of effort to be certain their guests had a great time throughout the entire day. Even though there were close to 200 guests, the newlyweds let their meals wait while they spent time at every table during dinner. It was clear how important it was for them to visit with everyone who was there to share in the celebration. Jenn & Paul had selected a wide variety of music, and I was able to make a playlist that was both elegant and fun for everyone. I can tell when the mix is perfect when I get compliments on the music before we reach the first dance!

If you've read some of my other posts, you'll know how much I love when people come up with special ideas to make their day unique. Everyone made over these cute M&M's that were available during cocktail hour...

Also, there was a Polaroid camera available with the guestbook so guests could take a snapshot of themselves for Jenn & Paul. What a great idea!

There were quiet a bit of younger people at the reception, so Jenn had requested that we play some music for the kids such as Taylor Swift & The Jonas Brothers. Once again, they had found a way to include everyone in on the fun.

Paul and Jenn knew their guest's musical tastes extremely well, once the music got going everyone came out and got a little crazy!

Jenn & Paul were so sweet to work with, and their desire to make sure everyone had a great time at the reception was fantastic. They were able to have all the special requests and events that were important to them, but also allowed enough flexibility to ensure that by the end of the day, all of their guests had the most amazing time.

Venue: The Pittsburgh Golf Club, Pittsburgh, PA
Photography: Melody Farrin

Do you like the video montage above? Download a full resolution copy here.

Kamela & Casey

noreply@blogger.com (Eric Schiemer) — Tue, 23 Jun 2009 00:56:00 +0000

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.

Venue: Franzee's Banquet Center, Ambridge, PA
Photography: Autumn DeLellis, Skysight Photography

Do you like the video montage above? Download a full resolution copy here.

Emily & Michael

noreply@blogger.com (Eric Schiemer) — Fri, 19 Jun 2009 15:13:00 +0000

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 Venesky & Michael DeDad at the Doubletree Hotel in downtown Pittburgh. 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.

Venue: Doubletree Hotel & Suites Pittsburgh City Center
Photography: Don Wright, Bella Pictures
Flowers: Alex Flowers

Do you like the video montage above? Download a full resolution copy here.

Amber & Josh

noreply@blogger.com (Eric Schiemer) — Wed, 10 Jun 2009 22:29:00 +0000

It might sound obvious to say that weddings are the ultimate celebration for the families of the bride and groom. What's not always obvious is HOW different families choose to celebrate. For some people the joy of the wedding focuses on the opportunity to visit and talk with family members and friends. Other families have a more active definition of what it means to celebrate. I say all this to preface my description of the wedding reception of Amber Rafferty and Josh Cooper. The reception was held at the Bessemer Croatian Club in Bessemer, PA - and was the HUGE PARTY type of a CELEBRATION.

I have know Amber & Josh for many years and I was very excited when they asked me to play a part in their special day. They came up with a great selection of artists for me to play during cocktail hour and dinner. They left a lot of freedom for their guests to make requests and for me to keep the dance floor full all night long.

Once the formal festivities were completed it became clear that this group of people were ready to celebrate like crazy and weren't going to hold back.

Josh had mentioned to me a couple of times when planning the wedding that he wasn't sure how much he'd be dancing, but he certainly came through and spent most of the evening on the dance floor!

My good friends Andy & Ashley were both in the bridal party and really helped keep the party going. (yes, that's Ashley upside down!)

Amber and Josh were terrific to work with and I'm thrilled that they had the ultimate party for their reception. I'm sure everyone who attended their reception had an amazing time and had sore feet in the morning.

I always tell clients that their mood will set the tone of their reception and this was clearly the case with Amber and Josh. They were so excited to get to dance and party with their friends and family that everyone in attendance fed off their energy and created a spectacular evening!

Venue: Bessemer Croatian Club
Photography: Milestone Images

Do you like the video montage above? Download a full resolution copy here.

Lindsey & Brett

noreply@blogger.com (Eric Schiemer) — Mon, 25 May 2009 17:55:00 +0000

I believe I'm honestly having more fun performing at weddings this year than ever before. I am so fortunate to meet such wonderfully warm and inviting people and get to play an important part of the biggest day of their lives. I recently had the pleasure to perform at the reception of Lindsey Stuetelberg & Brett Kelly at the Edgeworth Club in Sewickley. The amount of wonderful people I met this day is completely overwhelming to me. Everyone from the families of the Bride & Groom to the other vendors were completely top notch and came together to make this a spectacular occasion.

The reception began with music from the Pittsburgh String Quartet. I love the sound of a great quartet and having them play as the guests arrived really added a great sense of elegance.

After the quartet finished playing Lindsey & Brett had also hired Mark Pipas to play and sing music during both the remainder of cocktail hour and dinner. Mark is an fantastic vocalist/keyboard player who performs standards from Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin and many more. It was fun watching the guests sing along while he played, he helped transition the mood to a fun filled celebration.

Since there was a lot of live entertainment featured at the reception, I wasn't required to play as much music during cocktail hour and dinner, just enough to fill in at the right moments. Lindsey & Brett were most concerned with making their guests happy and let the music playlist develop as the night went on. Guests were able to come and make requests from a variety of genres and everyone enjoyed making special requests.

I had the honor of dealing a lot with Lindsey's mother, Belinda, for a bit of the wedding planning since the Bride & Groom don't live in the Pittsburgh area. She did an amazing job pulling everything together and I was thrilled to get to meet her on the big day. Since they were pulling things together from across the country they hired a truly amazing wedding planner. I've worked with many planners in the past and no one has every impressed me as much as Katherine Shaw from Trends to Traditions. There were so many special elements to the reception and she helped pull everything together and help make my job very easy! Katherine's desire to keep things on track is clear from the first moment you meet her, she kept a cool head no matter what needed done, it was a joy to have her be a part of the day.

I have to also mention that the Edgeworth Club in Sewickly is a great location with a wonderful staff. I was told the while it is a private club, it is available for anyone to reserve for a wedding reception and I can definitely recommend it. The attention to detail that Jason Ciccone and his staff provided was spot on.

Lindsey & Brett are an adorable couple and were wonderful to work with for every detail of their special day. At the end of the reception it was so cute to see how pleased they were after spending the day with so many of their friends and family. They were also very excited to be on their way to Jamaica for their honeymoon!

Both the Stuetelberg & Kelly families were so friendly and complimentary to me throughout the reception that I wanted to a moment here to thank them again for everything! I'm extremely pleased to have helped to provide such sweet and giving people an fantastic reception.

Venue: Edgeworth Club, Sewickley, PA
String Quartet: Three Rivers String Quartet
Live Music: Mark Pipas
Wedding Planner: Katherine Shaw, Trends to Traditions
Photography: Andrew Rush Documentary Wedding Photography

Do you like the video montage above? Download a full resolution copy here.

Beth & Michael

noreply@blogger.com (Eric Schiemer) — Sun, 26 Apr 2009 23:33:00 +0000

Best Wedding of the YEAR! Ok, first wedding of the year... but really, playing the wedding of Beth Makarevich & Michael Van Gelder is going to be a tough act to follow. Beth & Mike live in Washington DC, and have spent a great deal of time traveling the world, but chose to have their wedding here to be close to family and friends.

The wedding reception was held at the Twelve Oaks Mansion in Mars, PA. This is a relatively new wedding venue in Western Pennsylvania, but the event staff and coordinator, Bethany Santa, did an amazing job making a perfect evening for everyone. Beth & Mike took advantage of the photo montage service I offer, and the video was able to play beautifully on the 3 large LCD monitors that the venue offered in the cocktail area.

Beth and Michael have a great passion for music and seemed to really enjoy customizing the music for every aspect of the reception. This makes it fun for everyone, including me. Their cocktail hour contained a unique mix of French styled music and dinner music included requests that guests were able to suggest when completing their RSVP cards (such a clever idea!)

A big trend lately is for people to come up with special names for the guests tables. Beth & Mike's take on this trend was to have each table feature a unique name that was part of a special story about the themselves. One side featured the "title" of the place or event. The reverse side told the story. This really gave each table a unique tale about the couple that they may have never heard before (yet another clever idea!).

One of the biggest challenges for newlyweds is making time at the reception to visit with friends and family, but to also have time to get the dance floor to enjoy themselves and celebrate. Beth & Mike might have danced more than any couple I've seen in a long time. It was great to see how much they enjoyed dancing to the songs they had chosen. They clearly knew what their friends would enjoy hearing... the night ended much too soon!

The New Mr & Mrs Van Gelder are off to celebrate their union in France... after so much dancing and celebration I'm sure their going need the R&R. I was thrilled to play a part of such a extraordinary reception.

Robin & Brenda from Bellissima Photography posted some great images from the entire wedding on their site. Be sure to check them out! http://www.bellissimaphoto.com/movingpics09/090425bethmike.htm

Venue: Twelve Oaks Mansion, Mars, PA
Photography: Bellissima Photography
Flowers: Reed & Petals Florist

Do you like the video montage above? Download a full resolution copy here.

New Music Features

noreply@blogger.com (Eric Schiemer) — Thu, 02 Apr 2009 23:41:00 +0000

I receive a lot of feedback from my clients about how great it is to be so involved in choosing the music for key moments in the reception. While it's not required, many people find it fun to get to choose their favorite music for dinner & cocktail hour as well as events like the cutting the cake and bouquet toss.

Sometimes these choices are obvious, sometimes it's a little harder to know what songs will make the day perfect. I'm pleased to announce that now integrated into the music selection area of the client area there are now extensive lists of helpful song ideas to help point you in the right direction when making music selections for your reception.

These lists are created from online requests from thousands of events from thousands of entertainers throughout the world so the choices are quite varied. You can simply click on a song on the list and add it to your request list for your big day. It's simply perfect.

The lists featured include The Top 200 Requested Songs and five Top 100 lists from the 60's, 70's, 80's, 90's and 2000's. These lists are great for choosing music based on your favorite decade to please every age of guest.

The best part (in my opinion) are Top 50 lists of song ideas for all the special events during the reception. You won't need to choose a song from these lists but it helps having such great lists included right inside where you'll be doing your planning. These Top 50 lists are:

Bride & Groom Dance
Bride & Father Dance
Groom & Mother Dance
Bridal Party Dance
Bouquet Toss
Garter Toss
Cake Cutting

Once your logged into Music Selection section of the the client area, just click the button in the upper right hand corner that says MOST REQUESTED. Double click on the song you want and it'll perform a song search that you can add straight to your song list. This might also be a good place to find songs that you don't want played at the reception... some times songs can be OVER requested.

I'm hoping this will help people take advantage of how much music is in my collection without having to search through every song in my database. (Which no one would ever want to do!) I hope this makes planning your music even easier, try it out and let me know what you think.

DID YOU KNOW? If your not a current client you can preview the entire client area (including the music selection lists) by going to the client login area through this link.

Heeeey, Can I make a request?

noreply@blogger.com (Eric Schiemer) — Sun, 18 Jan 2009 05:42:00 +0000

I don't get a lot of oppourtunity to observe other entertainers since mostly I'm busy playing at events. It's always interesting to hear observations about disc jockeys from the guest's point of view. One of the common complaints I hear is that people feel that they can't get a DJ to play their reqeuests. I thought I'd offer some advice from the DJ point of view of how to mostly likely hear your songs when you go out dancing. Most of this applies to if you're at a wedding, company party or out dancing at a club.

1. Be nice.

2. Don't act like you know what's going to "get the party started". Assuming you know how to read a crowd of people better than the DJ is insulting (even if you do). Just politely ask for your song.

3. Asking for a song by the same artist that is playing is most likely going to result in not hearing your song for a long time, if at all. Try asking for a similar artist to one that's playing and likely you will get your song played very quickly.

4. If you want to hear a song completely differently than what's playing (say you wanna hear some country music during a big set of rap music), be patient and tell the DJ you understand that you're asking a lot. (especially if there is a large group of people dancing - it may be a bit of a wait)

5. If there are people dancing, ask only for songs that you can and will dance to. Don't think a DJ is going to clear a dance floor so that people can sit down and listen to your favorite medium tempo song.

6. If you're at a wedding, the bride rules everything. Getting her to ask for your request should make it happen immediately. Only use this in extreme cases, no bride should have to run to the DJ all evening for YOUR songs.

7. Guys, ask a girl to come ask for your song. This makes it sounds as if DJs are sleezy guys, but actually it's not for the reasons you may think. Girls are mostly likely to actually dance to the songs they request, and it's the DJs just job to keep the dance floor full.

Just remember, that when you see a DJ somewhere, he's doing a job and not being paid to simply act as a jukebox. It's their job to filter through all the requests and play only those that will fit the mood and astmosphere they were hired to create. If you approach the disc jockey with a fun and friend attitude, you'll mostly likely be able to negotiate with him to get on some selections quickly and get back to dancing.

Mandy & David

noreply@blogger.com (Eric Schiemer) — Sat, 03 Jan 2009 17:59:00 +0000

I honestly hate it when the wedding season ends. I'm so lucky to spend week after week going to great parties and being part of people's most special day. I think it's why it's taken me so long to wrap up this last post from my last wedding of 2008. The Saturday before Christmas I had the wonderful opportunity to play for the reception of Mandy Muntean & David Kondik at the Holiday Inn in Moon Township. It was a fantastic way to end the year, Mandy and David were really easy going and planned a day that was a great time for everyone.

There's always a question when you have a wedding so close to the holidays of whether to acknowledge the season or to incorporate it into your big day. I was thrilled that Mandy and David found ways to include some beautiful elements of the Christmas Season while still keeping things very elegant. They also decided to use Christmas music for cocktail hour and dinner which kept the atmosphere festive and fun.

The snowflake ice sculpture on the cookie table was huge!

I had been the disc jockey at Mandy's sister Amy's wedding a little over 2 years ago. It was GREAT to be able to see the Muntean family again. They love to party and celebrate!

I always tell people that if the bride and groom dance, EVERYONE will dance. Mandy and David spent LOTS of time on the dance floor and really helped to keep their guests in the party spirit through the night.

David and Mandy were amazingly attentive all evening. It was clear all night how important it was for them to spend time with all their guests and made sure that everyone had a great time. I'm sad to see the wedding season close but I was glad to end the year at such a fantastic reception.

Venue: Holiday Inn, Moon Township
Photographer: Jim McCullough Photography

Do you like the video montage above? If you double click the video above you can download a copy or get the code to embed it to your facebook or myspace page!

Darla & Matthew

noreply@blogger.com (Eric Schiemer) — Sun, 30 Nov 2008 21:15:00 +0000

The wedding season is starting to wind down for 2008, which makes me kind of sad. I feel so blessed to be a part of so many wonderful celebrations. Last Saturday I played what turned out to be an extra special day for me when I played at the reception of Darla Lewandowski and Matthew Abel at the Circuit Center & Ballroom in Pittsburgh.

Darla and Matthew chose some great songs for their special evening, but also gave me some room to include a variety of songs throughout the night for all the guests to enjoy. You know it's a nice mix of music when people compliment the dinner music!

The Circuit Center is a beautiful and large venue that was divided in half for the cocktail hour. This created a nice lounge type area for the guests to enjoy themselves before the entire room became opened for dinner. The high ceilings in the room make it feel extra spacious.

During dinner, Darla and Matthew asked their guests to sing them a love song instead of clinking glasses to make them kiss. I thought the poem they put on each table was a cute way to let the guests know!

I discovered the day of the wedding that many years ago, I worked with Matthew's mother at Pittburgh's public access TV station. They had even been at MY wedding, and it was so great to see Carol and her husband Peter again. It goes to show that sometimes things happen for a reason, it made the day extra special that I was able to be a part of their big celebration.

I met another, much newer couple that night too. (that's all I can say about that)

Darla had been referred to me from another DJ who was unavailable to play at her reception, so I have to say thanks Jodi of Accents Unlimited. I can't say enough how glad I was to perform at Darla and Matthew's wedding. It was wonderful getting to know them and their families. At the end of the night it was clear to everyone that they been part of an absolutely perfect day!

Venue: The Circuit Center & Ballroom, Pittsburgh
Photographer: Lost In This Moment Photography
Videographer: Dinosaur Video Production

Kelly & James

noreply@blogger.com (Eric Schiemer) — Fri, 21 Nov 2008 06:01:00 +0000

This past Saturday was the wedding of Kelly Smith & James Faddis at the Airport Marriott Hotel. Kelly and James came up from Maryland to have their Wedding here in Pittsburgh, and they worked extra hard to make sure every detail of their big day was absolutely perfect.

Kelly & James had some wonderful ideas for the music of the evening and even made lots of music choices for the cocktail hour and the dinner music. As you can see by their song list, it made for an awesome mix mostly from the 80's & 90's. It was fun watching Kelly sing along all during dinner.

The Marriott displays custom lighting on the dance floor, such a great touch!

Kelly & James had three wonderful toasts by members of the bridal party, but I'll have to say that one of the best men, Ricky, gave a really funny toast really help set a relaxed and fun tone for the rest of the evening.

I was instructed to play YMCA for James's father, and man did it pay off... that man sure can dance!

I had met Kelly a little over a year ago while I was setting up for another wedding at the Marriott. She was there finalizing the arrangements and came to check out the room I was setup in. I can't say how happy I am that our meeting then led to such a great time at her and James's reception. Thank you for letting me part of your extraordinary day!

Venue: Marriott Airport Pittsburgh
Photographer: Jenni S Photography
Photographer: Nicholas Critelli Photography
Videographer: Steve Thompson

Julia & Daniel

noreply@blogger.com (Eric Schiemer) — Tue, 18 Nov 2008 03:49:00 +0000

Last week I had the honor to play at the wedding reception of Julia Wenzelburger & Daniel Danka. The reception was held at Balas Eventz in Ellwood City. Julia and Daniel were a fun, modern couple who were ready to party and dance from the moment we first met.

All of my clients are granted access to a special client area where they can choose the songs for their reception. Julia and Daniel gave me an amazing song list that gave me lots of room to play their most important songs, but also lots of choices to play what kept their guests dancing.

I was also hired to make a photo montage that we played at the reception on the big screen. I love getting to know a couple even better by seeing photos of them growing up. Julia and Dan were adorable even as kids!

After everyone had a good cry over the cute baby photos it was time get the dancing started. The bridal party spent most of the evening on the dance floor!

This was the first serious debut of my new light show. More on that in a later post.

I got a little special surprise when I was setting up, turns out the bartender at Balas was my old friend Sy. I played Sy's wedding over 8 years ago, it was great to catch up with him before the big event!

It was a whole night of working with old friends, I had the pleasure once again to work once again with photographer, Tony Urban... check out his photos of the entire wedding day here

Julia and Daniel were all over the dance floor all night long, it really helped energize all of their guests. They were so wonderful throughout the entire planning process and during the reception that I was thrilled to help make their day such a wonderful success.

Venue: Balas Eventz in Ellwood City
Photographer: Tony Urban Studios

The Right Stuff, Part 1

noreply@blogger.com (Eric Schiemer) — Thu, 30 Oct 2008 08:49:00 +0000

2008 has been quite an amazing year, I'm excited that I've been able to replace practically every piece of equipment I can make available. I thought I should do some posts talking about what's new and why I think it's something that even people who aren't overly interested in electronic gizmos will get excited about having this gear available at their special event.

I thought I should start with what is the most obvious and significant addition. My new sound system is a Bose L1 Model I Dual System/Quad Bass Package. Most people seem to be familiar with Bose from either home audio and car audio systems not knowing that Bose also makes similar quality systems for professional entertainers.

The most obvious advantage to this system is the small footprint it requires. What I love most about the system is that I'm able to deliver a full, rich sound system without destroying the beauty and elegance of the venue.

This system looks and sounds amazing. I've been using it for a little over 2 months now and have been receiving the nicest compliments on how great the music sounds. The unique design helps fill the room with clear sound like no ordinary speaker can. In comparison to a conventional audio speaker, volume and tone diminish very slowly over distance.

Depending on the size of the room and the amount of guests, some events will only require one of the speakers to fill entire room with amazing sound, taking up even less room at the venue. I've also been able to use the system already for a couple of wedding ceremonies and it's so nice to know I'm not putting large ugly speakers in the same place where people are exchanging vows.

I'm very excited to be able to offer this amazing high quality sound system that delivers everything and skimps on nothing. It really is something that needs to be heard to be truly appreciated, I get excited to go set them up every week!

Dawn & John

noreply@blogger.com (Eric Schiemer) — Tue, 21 Oct 2008 11:11:00 +0000

I make a big deal about the importance of including your own tastes into your wedding and reception. Everyone deserves to have a day that is truly unique. I'm just amazed at originality of the wedding I just performed for Dawn Ruby & John Lonzenski. The ceremony and reception were both held at Olde Stonewall Golf Club in Ellwood City. Since the castle is also referred to as Shakespeare's, Dawn & John decided it would be fun to have a theme wedding and go for broke. Although they aren't typically "into" the whole renaissance scene, they made their day special by making it fun and stylish.

This chocolate cake was truly amazing!

This was an intimate celebration with about 40 of the newlyweds friends and family, Dawn's mother did a great job making choices for cocktail hour and dinner that were able to be enjoyed by everyone.
Dawn & John picked a great selection of oldies and 80's music for the dancing portion that really got people up and having fun.

Dawn's grandparents, Norman & Cleora, were celebrating their 70th wedding anniversary, Norman spent a lot of time dancing!

Since Dawn & John were married about 1:30, this was an early reception with dinner served around 3:30. They really planned things out well so that their guests were not left with hours and hours with nothing to do. When I had met with John I had made a comment about the fact that sometimes people aren't up for dancing while it's still light outside, but clearly I had nothing to worry about. Around 5:00 I "opened the dance floor" and everyone was up and celebrating!

I always hope that people can learn from people like Dawn & John. Not that everyone should have a renaissance theme wedding, but that it's important to find the fun on your wedding day. Most people find that their wedding day passes by very quickly, and it seems silly to me to waste any moment of it. Dawn & John found so many special ways to make their day memorable, fun and beautiful. They were so genuinely sweet and wonderful to work with, I'm glad they chose to let me be a part of it!

Venue: Olde Stonewall Golf Club in Ellwood City
Photographer: Stanley Studios

Jessica & Sean

noreply@blogger.com (Eric Schiemer) — Sun, 12 Oct 2008 05:27:00 +0000

Yesterday I performed at the reception of Jessica Gibbons & Sean Belowich at the Hilton Garden Inn in Southpointe, PA. Jessica and Sean are the most relaxed and easy going couple and they have some of the most funny and outgoing group of friends and family. It was great fun helping them celebrate their special day.

All the tables were labeled with various areas of Pittsburgh and they included this cool seating chart to help people find their tables...love this idea!

Musically I had the chance to do a few special things for the reception. I was able to trim down their first dance (Tupelo Honey by Van Morrison) from 7 min to around 4 which worked great. (It's the version featured in the video above, see if you can find the edits!) Sean also gave me a few contemporary jazz artists to use for dinner and I had some fun making a special list just for the occasion.

The Hilton Garden is a great venue. Not only a beautiful place, but the staff helped keep things on time and running smoothly. Every once in awhile I get to work with some of the best vendors around... it's always great to work with Nick and Bethani of Photos By Nick.

Jessica & Sean were just great to work with. They did most of the planning from Arizona so much of our planning was done via email and phone calls, but thanks to Jessica's great organizational skils everything worked out wonderfully.

The guests had a great time dancing to a variety of music including terrific songs from the 80's and 90's as well as some newer Top 40 songs. After everything was over there were many many guests hanging around the ballroom chatting and having fun. Sean's father put it best when he told me that you know it was a great party when you can't get anyone to leave. Congratulations to the new Dr & Mrs Sean and Jessica Belowich!

Venue: Hilton Garden Inn, Southpointe, PA
Photographer: Photos By Nick - Nick & Bethani

Tina & Gideon

noreply@blogger.com (Eric Schiemer) — Fri, 10 Oct 2008 07:04:00 +0000

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.

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.

Venue: Willow Pond Farm in West Alexander, PA

Colleen & Jason

noreply@blogger.com (Eric Schiemer) — Tue, 30 Sep 2008 09:45:00 +0000

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.

Venue: Chartiers Room - Bridgeville, PA
Photographer: Chris Janovich

Amanda & James

noreply@blogger.com (Eric Schiemer) — Mon, 22 Sep 2008 06:33:00 +0000

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!

Venue: Buhl Mansion in Sharon, PA
Photographer: Cal Landau

Kate & Kevin

noreply@blogger.com (Eric Schiemer) — Tue, 16 Sep 2008 10:01:00 +0000

I'm so fortunate to get to entertain every week at some fantastic celebrations. This past Saturday my luck continued as I played the reception of Kate Aiello & Kevin Hershock at the Pittsburgh Golf Club in Squirrel Hill.

Kate & Kevin are a great young and fun couple who really love music and love to dance. They chose some great song choices that really got people dancing even while it was still light outside! Kate is a big David Archuleta fan (from American Idol), so we kicked off the dancing with his version of Chris Brown's "With You", the dance floor never emptied from that moment on.

The Pittsburgh Golf Club is a great venue for elegant reception. Everything ran smoothly all evening thanks to their great staff and Kate & Kevin's photographer, Fiona Scerri. It's great to get to work with experienced and professional vendors.

I knew it was going to be a great evening when Kate busted out her 80's dance moves!

Kate & Kevin were so easy to work with and even spent time making sure I had everything I needed. It was easy to be sure they never got stuck in a "pickle". They created a perfect mix of class and fun. I was so excited to be a part of their special day and was glad I could help with the amazing celebration.

Venue: Pittsburgh Golf Club
Photographer: Fiona Scerri Photography
Videographer: Peter Wolff

Jennifer & Perry

noreply@blogger.com (Eric Schiemer) — Sun, 07 Sep 2008 05:51:00 +0000

Earlier tonight I was out at the Southpointe Golf Club for the wedding reception of Jennifer Minter & Perry Patterson. It was a bit overcast today, but it turned out to be a perfect day for a wedding. Jennifer & Perry were such a blast to work with in preparing for the big day.

Jennifer & Perry knew exactly the music that their friends and family would enjoy all night long. They even turned me on to some very cool instrument Beastie Boys songs that we used during dinner. I love it when people add a few special touches like that to make the music show their own style.

Mitch & Nicole Patterline referred me to Jenn & Perry. I played their wedding back in September 2006 and it was SO great to see them again! Happy 2nd Anniversary!

All weddings are joyous occasions, but as I was looking through my photos I love how much everyone is laughing, smiling and hugging. It was a fantastic night and I'm glad to have been a part of it. Thanks Jenn & Perry, have a GREAT time in Italy!

Venue: Southpointe Golf Club
Photographer: Sharon Koscielniak Photography
Florist: Alex's Flowers

Catalog Update

noreply@blogger.com (Eric Schiemer) — Fri, 05 Sep 2008 21:59:00 +0000

Finally got around to updating the online music database with all the current music I've been buying for the past few months, now it'll be easier to add the newest hits to your MUST PLAY category!

Ellen & Ron

noreply@blogger.com (Eric Schiemer) — Tue, 02 Sep 2008 23:52:00 +0000

This labor day weekend I had the chance to perform at Soldiers and Sailors Museum in Oakland for the wedding of Ellen Bobrow and Ronald Nestico. Working with Ellen & Ron was so much fun, they had a lot of great ideas to make their day so unique. They had the room setup with different food stations that featured a variety of ethnic foods... the food was amazing.

Ellen & Ron chose a nice variety of music for the reception, including some great Italian favorites for dinner. They are big 80's fans, they chose some amazingly great party songs for their guests to dance to.

You have to sing along to "Living On A Prayer" - you just HAVE to!

I can't say enough how great it was to work with Ellen & Ron, they were so much fun and it was clear that they were having a great time all night long!

Venue: Soldiers and Sailors Museum
Photographer: Tony Urban Studios
Videographer: Pittsburgh Wedding DVD
Florist: Cuttings Flowers, Sewickley, PA

Amy & Perry

noreply@blogger.com (Eric Schiemer) — Tue, 19 Aug 2008 00:51:00 +0000

Last Saturday I played at the reception of Amy Romano and Perry Dubois at St John's in New Castle, PA. I've known Amy & her family for many years and was honored that they asked me to perform for their more than 300 guests.

Amy & Perry left the entire dancing portion of the evening open for their guests to make requests and night ended up being a giant mix of every style of music imaginable!

There were quite a few younger people at the wedding, and one of the flower girls, Alyssa, hung out with me behind the DJ booth for most of the evening. She was only 10 but helped me take requests and handout the trinkets that the brides mom brought for all the guests. Someday she'll make a great DJ.

The dance floor was jammed pack all night long and everyone had an amazing time. The Romano's put a lot of effort into creating a beautiful day for Amy & Perry. Thanks for letting me be a part of it!

Venue: St. John's, New Castle, PA
Photographer: Sandra Lee Weddings

Give Credit Where Credit Is Due

noreply@blogger.com (Eric Schiemer) — Thu, 07 Aug 2008 23:14:00 +0000

It's been about a week since I've launched my new website and the transition has gone suprisingly smooth. I've been doing little fixes here and there to make things appear properly on most people's machines but fortunately things have been working great, and everyone seems to really being enjoying the new look and functionally of the site.

One of the most appealing aspects of the new site is the stunning imagery provided by Heather Lahtinen of Weddings By Heather. I've known Heather for many years, in fact, before she was even a professional photographer. I was the entertainer at the first wedding she shot and I've been amazed to watch her grow into one of (if not THE) leading photographers in the Pittsburgh Area. Heather is a great friend and deserves credit not only for the fantastic imagery on my website, but for pushing me in an entire new direction for my company. I really can't thank her enough, but I'm going to try.

Obviously Heather's photography speaks for itself. Sit with Heather for 10 minutes and you'll understand how her passion for photography will become your biggest asset on your wedding day. She delivers 110% every time, and is so detail oriented that she'll deliver images from your big day that you could never imagine. Heather also uses her people skills to interact with the other vendors that you've hired for you wedding. People may not realize how important this can be, but Heather uses her fun and easy going personality to coordinate with your DJ, Coordinator, Videographer, Caterer and other wedding professionals to make sure your event goes exactly how you have planned it. You only get one opportunity to hire the right photographer. Heather is well worth the investment.

If you love the images on my site you owe it to yourself to jump over to Heather's site RIGHT NOW and enjoy some more of her breath taking photos.