Planning a wedding from out of town adds some extra challenges to creating the perfect day.  Many of my clients choose to hold their wedding in Pittsburgh, since this is where they grew up and many of their friends and family are still in the area.  This past Saturday I was honored to perform at the reception of Ashley Kingsbery and Zachary Jackson at the Concordia Club in Pittsburgh, PA.

Ashley & Zach spend their time living in various parts of the country, but chose to hold their reception at the beautiful and elegant Concordia Club.  This was the last wedding to be held at the club, since it was recently sold to the University of Pittsburgh.  It was a fabulous celebration to serve as the final event for this venue.  Ashley’s family and friends all pitched in to help with all of the amazing decorations throughout the club.  There were a lot of special touches everywhere that really personalized the venue.

Ashley and Zach gave me the most fun and upbeat song list I’ve ever seen.  Songs from every genre were included so that all the guests had the opportunity to dance to their favorites.  Zach even came out and did N’Sync’s “Bye Bye Bye” dance routine!  It was awesome.

There were Terrible Towels everywhere!  The bridal party were each given towels that were embroidered with their initials.

One of my favorite moments of the evening was before Zach removed Ashley’s garter.  They had the best time dancing around the chair to Usher’s “My Way”.  It was so clear to see how connected these two are and how much fun they have being together.

Ashley is a fantastic singer.  Everyone was thrilled when she took the mic and sang with Zach!

Although I hadn’t met Ashley or Zach before the wedding, it was great working both of them online and on the telephone.  They are so friendly and fun that I knew from the first time I talked with Ashley this was going to be an amazing evening.  Even though they did most of the planning from outside of Pittsburgh, they had no problems creating a wonderful celebration that their friends and family will never forget.

Venue: Concordia Club, Pittsburgh, PA
Photography: Elliot Crammer Photography

Download a copy of the video montage here

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!

Venue: West View Banquet Facility
Photography: L.A. Photos (Paul Kulwik)

Download a copy of the video montage here

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.

Venue: Brady’s Run Lodge, Falston PA
Photography: Patsy McDonald
Videography: Ambiance Video Productions

Download a copy of the video montage here

I had met Meghan and David last year, at the reception Amanda & James Kelly.  Before that, I met Amanda & James at the reception of Mitch & Nicole Patterline.  I was so excited to get to see BOTH of these two of wonderful couples again!  Not only are they incredibly awesome people, but they also LOVE to dance and party.  I need them to come to all of my weddings!

Meghan & David decided it would be fun for cocktail hour and dinner music to have a mix of oldies from the 50’s & 60’s as well as some contemporary hits from artists like Dave Matthews and Jack Johnson.  For their introduction and special dances they requested certain songs would be tweaked to start or end at certain points.  Meghan had a special dance with her mother where I was able to remove a verse that didn’t apply.  None of these requests were unreasonable or difficult, but it made the music feel completely customized to this special day.

Meghan assured me that everything was perfect, especially since I had made her mother cry with tears of joy.  I get the feeling that was going to happen no matter what I played.  It was so obvious how proud all the parents were to see their children so happy.

At one point in the night a group of guys tossed the newlyweds high in the air…

Meghan’s look in this picture says it all…”Hey, be careful with that!!!”

I will honestly miss working with Meghan and David on creating such a wonderful and unique celebration.  They’re off now for their honeymoon in Mexico but perhaps when they return they can start planning a HUGE first anniversary party!  I’ll be ready!!!

Venue: Circuit Center & Ballroom, Pittsburgh, PA
Photography: SkySight Photography
Videography: DMB Videography

Download a copy of the video montage here

Music database updated
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I’ve been making a ton of other “changes under the hood” on the website as well, please let me know what you think!

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.

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!

Venue: Pittsburgh Zoo & PPG Aquarium
Photography: Weddings By Heather
Do you like the video montage above? Download a full resolution copy here.

People will always tell you that time on your wedding day will come and go too quickly. It is truly something you can’t understand until you experience it for yourself. Because there is only so many hours at the reception, I encourage all of my clients to make the most of the time they’ll have. It’s so important include the things that are special to you and to be certain not to waste precious moments or to let others rush you away from enjoying yourself throughout the day. I recently had the pleasure of DJing at the reception of Brooke Warren & Greg Baker. Greg & Brooke used their time EXTREMELY well all day and were able to include everything they wanted in their perfect celebration.

The wedding and reception were held at the beautiful Oglebay Resort & Conference Center. Both the outdoor ceremony and cocktail hour featured music from an amazing string ensemble provided by Pittsburgh Music Live. Brooke & Greg requested special songs for the trio to play during cocktail hour that were familiar and lovely.

Brooke & Greg were tons of fun to work with. They wanted to make sure their reception matched their style and I think they did a remarkable job. It was a great mix of fun and elegance that really led to an awesome party. We ended up staying at the resort for much longer then we originally had planned, which left a lot of room for some terrific requests.

One of the hardest parts of the event is knowing when to switch from quiet socialization to the dancing portion of the evening. Greg & Brooke handled this great and knew when it was time to get the party started. Once the dance floor opened, guests of all ages went wild. Brooke’s grandfather made a tribute and even sang for everyone. (See the George Foreman post below).

This may be one of my all time favorite pictures. Every bride should get to be so happy!

I feel that the reception is an opportunity for newlyweds to show their friends and family a bit about who they are as a couple. I love the fact that Brooke & Greg were so true to themselves in the planning of the reception. The entire day was full of special, unique and touching moments that clearly reflected the love they share.

Venue: Oglebay Resort & Conference Center
String Ensemble Pittsburgh Music Live
Photography: Studio Bash
Do you like the video montage above? Download a full resolution copy here.

George did an amazing job and everyone cheered after his performance. He asked if I could record it for him since he sings at various events in Florida, I was so happy to help out in helping create this special memory.

Next year I will celebrate the 25th anniversary of my first DJing performance. (Ok, I was 15 so I’m not sure how much of a performance it was, but my mother did pay me $25). The biggest lesson I’ve learned over the many receptions I’ve played since then is this: Always listen to the client. While my experiences have helped me help people make music choices that create an amazing reception, there is nothing more valuable then the input of a Bride and Groom. I was reminded of this lesson again this past Saturday at the reception of Eunie Suh and Frank Popp held at the Carnegie Museum Music Hall in Oakland, PA.

Eunie and Frank held a traditional and stunning ceremony at the museum’s Hall of Architecture before the guests made their way down the hallway to the Music Hall.

I can’t say enough about how fantastic the Carnegie Museum works as a wedding and reception venue. The surroundings are truly breathtaking. The entire staff, led by Andrea Verosko, makes sure that every detail is absolutely perfect.

During cocktail hour, Frank & Eunie held a small Korean ceremony which honored the members of both their families. While the guests watched from the Music Hall’s balcony, Eunie’s brother, Yulgene explained the details of the unique and sweet service.

Frank and Eunie planned most of the details of their wedding from their home in New York City. They had very specific ideas for the dancing portion of the evening and we were able to coordinate their ideas through phone calls and online. While the music list they submitted to me did not contain most of the ‘typical’ Pittsburgh wedding songs, I could tell that they had taken the time to create a list of songs that their guests would enjoy. The results were spectacular. The dance floor was completely full throughout the evening, during many songs that I have never had the opportunity to play for a wedding crowd before. Their playlist contained a wide variety of fun upbeat music that really made the evening feel extraordinarily customized just for this group of friends and family.

After dinner, while Eunie danced with her father, Frank joined them with Eunie’s mother.

Once the music started the guests grew more excited with every song that came on. I had the best time using the songs from Frank & Eunie’s list… they knew their guests’ tastes so well!

Eunie and Frank truly knew the songs that would make their wedding day perfect. They had people fly to Pittsburgh from all over the world to celebrate their marriage, and they knew songs that would be fun and familiar to everyone. While it’s easy as a DJ to fall back on reliable dance song ’standards’, I always remember to listen to my clients who personally know the people who are going to be running to the dance floor for a particular song. Having such a unique dance playlist made a spectacular ending to a wonderful day.

After all the excitement of pulling off the perfect wedding & reception, the newlyweds are now headed off to Africa for a two week honeymoon safari in Tanzania!

Venue: Carnegie Museum, Music Hall Foyer
Photography: Annie O’Neill
Florist: Gidas Flowers
Do you like the video montage above? Download a full resolution copy here.