Celebrate!
Pittsburgh has a wealth of talented musicians, disc jockeys,
and entertainers. We bring you the most professional entertainment companies to book from.
By Leslie Hoffman
Entertainment is not only an enjoyable aspect of any wedding — the leader of the band or the disc jockey performs a valuable function as he keeps the reception moving along, letting guests know what is happening. These entertainment vendors stress the utmost in professionalism; they have decades of combined experience in booking event entertainment, and each one emphasizes quality and professionalism in their bands, musicians, DJs, and other services.
A wedding with lighting by Entertainment Unlimited.
Entertainment Unlimited,
Bands, DJs, lighting
With more than 40 years in the events industry, Entertainment Unlimited sets a level of professionalism with the bands and DJs that it books. The company books about eight different bands on a regular basis. Among them is Jeff Jimerson and Airborne; Jimerson sings the national anthem before Pittsburgh Penguins games, and was booked for Mayor Luke Ravenstahl’s inauguration. Other popular bands include No Bad JuJu, The Groove Doctors, and local icon Sputzy and the Soul Providers. “There are a lot of things that people don’t think of when they book bands,” says sales manager Marty Mundy. “They might see a band out in a bar somewhere and like that band, but how professional will that band be the day of the event?” Entertainment Unlimited keeps close tabs on the performance and professionalism of all of its bands and DJs through surveys to each client post-event. Mundy is seeing a trend toward more couples choosing a band over a DJ, although Entertainment Unlimited does book 27 DJs. “The most important thing a bride should think about when hiring a DJ, is, ‘Is this person going to keep things moving along?’” Mundy says. He touts the professionalism of the DJs they book, and always has a contingency plan in the case of a DJ emergency on the big day. Entertainment Unlimited books one of the most popular DJs in town, PJ the DJ, who, Mundy says, “is booked six out of seven nights a week.”
Entertainment Unlimited helps
set the stage for the wedding.
TREND: One of the skills that makes PJ the DJ so in-demand is that he also does lighting and can create a lighting monogram for the couple to have projected onto the dance floor during their reception. Mundy is seeing lighting as one of the biggest trends at weddings today. “Our technicians can go in and transform a room with lighting, as opposed to just material. Years ago, you would have a decorator in a room hanging material all day, now you can do the same transformation with lighting.” Entertainment Unlimited, 1707 Banksville Road, South Hills. 412.343.7700.
John Parker Bands, Bands
Singer and bandleader John Parker has performed at more than 1,000 occasions, in front of U.S. Senators and other dignitaries, and brings professional quality and demeanor to the weddings where he and his band are hired to perform. Parker is the picture of style and class as both an entertainer and an emcee. “A band that acts as a student of weddings really does their clients much more of a service than what they could dream, because that person, or that band, is considering every aspect of the music that they’re playing, and the flow of the event. There’s a lot more to it than meets the eye,” Parker says. John Parker Bands also books acts from all over the country, from Philadelphia, Washington D.C., and New York City. “You want someone who’s going to dig in and get involved in making your wedding great,” Parker says. “Not someone who’s just going to show up and ask you what’s going on when they get there.”
John Parker brings the experience of more than 1,000 performances with him to the weddings he emcees.
TREND: “New music comes along all the time, but the key to making a successful wedding is incorporating music that is tasteful.” Parker says that sometimes couples are surprised by the songs that their peers actually want to hear at the wedding. “In the context of a wedding, the songs that people like are different. They might date to a time when they were in college, or when they were a kid. It’s performing the right kind of music that brings a lot of people together for a fun reception.” John Parker Bands, 888.4JP.BAND.
Kelli Burns considers herself not just a disc jockey,
but “a wedding entertainment director.”
DJ Kelli Burns, DJ
While “DJ” might be in her moniker, Kelli Burns does not even refer to herself as a disc jockey. “I am a wedding entertainment director. I don’t even call myself a DJ at wedding receptions. I’m part wedding planner, music programmer, and emcee,” she says. With more than 20 years of experience, she advises couples planning their wedding to find a creative DJ or entertainer that can make the wedding day “stand out, be fun and memorable, and allow every to stay and create long-lasting memories.”
TREND: Some couples are adding surprising dance routines to walking down the aisle or their first dance together. “I did this for Nicole and Justin Lovich last November. As the dance floor opened, they put on sneakers and started a dance routine to Usher’s “Yeah!” The guests loved it and it totally set the tone that the rest of the evening was going to be fun. They kept their sneakers on the whole night, very cute.” Kelli Burns, 412.276.5665.
Book your lighting and your DJ in the same place, with Party-Time’s offerings.
Party-Time Productions, DJs and lighting
For wedding packages, Party-Time Productions offers DJ services that will help to keep the reception moving. The company has been entertaining Pittsburgh for 15 years, and offers seven DJs. “A lot of brides want a very distinctly elegant and festive feel to their wedding, and if they want that, they need to hire a professional DJ,” says owner Steve Lebo. “Unfortunately, there are a lot of amateurs who call themselves DJs.” Party-Time Productions DJs work closely with a bride to incorporate songs that she wants to have played, as well as implementing a detailed schedule for the reception. The company offers a completely interactive online event planner for the bride on the go, and also sets up a contingency plan in case of an emergency with the DJ and has backup equipment on-site. Party-Time Productions is also “fully licensed and insured with the State of Pennsylvania, and is fully accredited with the Better Business Bureau,” Lebo adds.
TREND: The newest innovation that the company offers is decor, or “up,” lighting with LED lights. Party-Time Productions has started to offer lighting over the last two years, as it has become increasingly popular with brides. The lighting is combined with the company’s DJ services. Although, Lebo cautions, the lights don’t flash or strobe to the beats of the music. They remain tastefully solid, and come in more than 1,600 colors. Plus, Party-Time Productions offers wireless technologies, so no messy cords! Party-Time Productions, 412.401.5320.
FlashBox is a new media to capture wedding day memories.
FlashBox Media Pittsburgh
Event planner Natalie Berger says that a hot trend in weddings is giving guests something to do throughout the reception. In her case, nearly every wedding she’s planning for 2010 has opted for a FlashBox video kiosk, which gets guests involved by allowing them to record their personal toasts and messages both heartfelt and fun. The Flashbox Media company also offers the option of recording highlights such as the ceremony, first dance, toasts, cake cutting, and bouquet/garter toss. Post-wedding, the company assembles an edited video with broadcast network quality, animated graphics, and soundtrack. The bride and groom receive two copies of the DVD and can post it online to share. “FlashBox is an awesome alternative to videography,” says Michael Mandel, one of the developers of FlashBox. “Whether a couple wants videography or not, they should check out FlashBox. It’s a magnificent fusion of your wedding day’s video highlights, your guests’ amazing personal recordings and your still photos.” Couples can choose any combination of or all three options.
TREND: Mandel says that fewer couples have been choosing videography over the past several years, but that FlashBox is reversing the trend by providing much better memories “that won’t gather dust in a closet.” The messages from the guests provide much more personal and engaging memories that enable couples to truly “relive” their wedding day in a way that has never before been available. “And, including just the video highlights of the day combined with guest messages provides for the truly best moments in the finished video,” says Mandel. FlashBox, 866.996.7700.
Three Rivers Entertainment can supply both the band, and the lighting.
Three Rivers Entertainment,
Bands, lighting
Consider Three Rivers Entertainment a boutique entertainment agency, “the Saks Fifth Avenue” of band booking companies. Three Rivers Entertainment books bands for weddings in Pittsburgh, nationally, and internationally. The company offers three bands that it exclusively produces and represents: Cityscape, In the Mood, and After Dark, which have performed at Miss America Nicole Johnson’s wedding, as well as that of Clarks frontman Scott Blasey, and also at actor Matt Servitto’s (Agent Dwight Harris of The Sopranos) wedding reception. “All of my bands offer the exact same repertoire, which is several thousand songs. I think that makes us unique in Pittsburgh,” says CEO Nick Dialoiso. “We’re performing everything from 1890s waltzes to Lady Gaga.” Each band can expand into a full orchestra version, up to 23 pieces, a trend that Dialoiso is seeing at wedding receptions on the West Coast. “It’s very pricey, but it’s definitely a trend among upscale clients.” And for more star power, one of Dialoiso’s singers, Peter Hewlett, has performed with Paul McCartney, Billy Joel, and Steven Tyler. For weddings, Three Rivers Entertainment also offers uplighting by Wade Shaner, a trend that is becoming more and more popular at weddings.
TREND: Guitar solos. “It’s not just about the singing and the dancing, but about showcasing some of these talented guitar players,” Dialoiso says. “The younger clients want to hear “Smooth” by Santana or something by Maroon Five; they just want to see someone open up a little bit.” Another performer with Three Rivers Entertainment, Dave Brown, was a guitarist with Rusted Root. “What I’ve noticed in the past year in turning him loose and opening things up, is that it just takes the excitement to a whole other level, at the right moment,” Dialoiso says. Three Rivers Entertainment, 412.429.4000. youtube.com/3riversentertainment.
Big Day Entertainment’s band Finesse.
Big Day Entertainment,
Bands, DJs, video, photography
Big Day Entertainment is located in The Big Day One Stop Wedding and Event Center, in the Strip District, and you really can do it all for the big day in just one stop. For entertainment alone, Big Day offers more than 20 different bands and musicians, including special event favorites Finesse and Redline, along with iconic Pittsburgh musicians saxophonist Kenny Blake, as well as Sputzy and the Soul Providers. Owner Sal Richetti also mentions bands Modern Times and Sweet Diamonds. Need a harpist or a guitarist for the ceremony? Find them here, as well as more specialized performers such as a bagpiper for a Scottish ceremony or a steel drum performer for an island-themed reception. Big Day also offers more than 30 different DJs to choose from. The company also offers more than 15 photographers and more than 20 videographers.
TREND: Richetti urges brides to take into account the venue where they’re booking their reception and to select their musical entertainment accordingly. At an upscale hotel ballroom or country club, he says that a good band creates a better atmosphere for their reception. He suggests saving a DJ for an afterparty. “Have a band for cocktails, dinner, and dancing, and then have an afterparty with a DJ, just for your friends.” Big Day Entertainment, 2549 Penn Ave., Strip District. 412.566.2900.
The studio e band.
studio e entertainment
The highly rousing Gary Racan & studio e band is the fulcrum of the studio e entertainment company. Owned by Bonnie Walker and Kim Racan, the band is fronted and produced by Kim’s husband Gary Racan. The studio e band famously gets the party moving wherever they’re booked. “Our vocalists are phenomenal and all have great bios, the musicians are rehearsed and polished, the band is sophisticated yet kicky, and as a team, there is none better,” Racan says. “We are a true New York variety band. We do songs like the actual music; we don’t do our own interpretation of a song.” The company also books Pittsburgh-based band Protege, as well as a variety of musicians such as violinists and pianists, to bands from Washington, D.C., and New York City, and national acts. “We’re called on quite often for that,” says Walker. “Sometimes a couple will want a performer, like Michael Bublé, for just one song, for their first dance.” The company has booked talent such as Whoopi Goldberg, Brian Stokes Mitchell, and Las Vegas ventriloquist Terry Fator.
TREND: “We create our own trends,” Racan says. “Everyone who leaves a wedding or an event that we have produced has been part of a party that is like no other. We are traveling the country representing Pittsburgh and people are talking!” studio e entertainment, 320 Fort Duquesne Blvd., Suite 190, Downtown. 412.572.5090. Park Avenue, New York City. 212.829.5659.