Every wedding I DJ becomes more than just another date on my calendar—it becomes a memory, a connection, and often the beginning of a friendship. Over the years, I’ve been humbled by the couples who have trusted me with one of the most meaningful days of their lives, and those experiences have shaped not only my business, but who I am. As today is Thanksgiving, it is only appropriate that this post be a heartfelt thank-you to every bride, groom, and family who allowed me to stand beside them on their once-in-a-lifetime moments.
November 27, 2025
Last weekend, I finally had a Sunday off from DJing. Gail and I took advantage of the free time and drove to Hudson, Ohio, to have lunch with Rachel and Jon Shantery. Rachel and Jon are the most amazing couple; their youth, optimism, and cheerfulness are unparalleled, and their love for one another is positively inspiring. They have the most beautiful little girl, and they are exceptional parents. Spending time with them is a gift and a blessing. They make my heart happy, and the joy lasts for days after. Gail and I haven't known Rachel and Jon for very long. They booked us to DJ their September 2025 wedding a little over a year ago. But over the months of planning—through meetings, phone calls, texts, and emails—we soon became good friends. This happens to me a lot, and I am so grateful and appreciative when it does. Their wedding day was phenomenal, and at the end of the night before driving home to Canton, we vowed to stay in touch. So when the opportunity presented itself to meet them for lunch, I was absolutely thrilled. Since then, I have spent a lot of time this week reflecting on all of the couples I have DJed for in the past twenty-eight years. I reached out (as I often do) to check in with several of them, and I am happy to report that all are happy, healthy and still married.
The truth is, I don’t think I ever could have predicted where this journey as a DJ would take me. When I started, it wasn’t a grand plan or a carefully constructed career move—it was a side hustle, supplemental income to my teacher's salary. Granted, at the start, DJing was born from a passion for music and the way it changes people, but never did I intend to make it my full-time work. It's funny where life will lead you because now I can not imagine doing anything else with my time. Weirdly enough, it is not the music that I love most about this job. It is the couples and the relationships I have with them. So, in the spirit of Thanksgiving, it is only right that I dedicate today's post to my couples. I am a better person because of each of you.
Over the years, I’ve had the privilege of stepping into moments that most only get to witness once in a lifetime. And while I’ve been part of hundreds of weddings, each one has been uniquely meaningful because it was your wedding — your love story, your family, your memories in the making. I’ve watched fathers grip their daughter’s hand like she was still five years old, and mothers beam with pride that shined brighter than the chandelier above them. I’ve watched nervous grooms suddenly soften when they saw their bride walk into the room. And every single time, I have thought to myself: What a gift it is to be here.
To all of the couples who trusted me with your wedding days—thank you. Thank you for choosing me out of a sea of options, especially when so many other DJs are talented, capable, and experienced. Thank you for the meetings, the conversations, the emails, and the vulnerable honesty when picking music that meant something to you. I know that asking someone to soundtrack the most emotional moments of your life requires faith. You trusted me to get it right — the timing, the feel, the tone, the energy. You trusted me to read the room, to guide your guests, to set the pace of your celebration. You allowed me to be part of the heartbeat of your day. And that is something I will never take for granted.
Working weddings has taught me more than I ever could have imagined. It has taught me patience—not just the scheduling kind, but emotional patience. Weddings are full of nerves, logistics, and expectations, and I’ve learned that sometimes the greatest gift I can give is calm. I’ve learned compassion: that every family dynamic, every emotional moment, every quiet pause before a first dance carries weight I might never know or understand. I’ve learned that my job isn’t just about music, but about understanding people—who they are, what they value, and what they hope this day will feel like years from now. I’ve learned that joy looks different for everyone—sometimes it’s loud and wild, other times it’s quiet and steady. And I’ve learned that love —real love— does not always look like a fairy tale, but it always feels like one.
I have been humbled by this work—deeply and repeatedly. There have been moments during a first dance where I’ve stood behind the booth, quietly blinking away tears. There have been times during toasts where I’ve laughed with guests like I was family, and moments during the anniversary dance where I stood in awe of two people who built a lifetime together. I’ve watched couples weather storms—figuratively and literally—and still walk onto the dance floor like everything was exactly as it should be. And I’ve realized along the way that while I may be hired as a vendor, I am witnessing some of the most intimate, sacred chapters of the human experience. There is no level of experience that makes that ordinary. It is always extraordinary.
But the greatest surprise of this career is how many of you have become friends. As noted, some of you I check in with regularly—birthdays, anniversaries, new babies, new homes. Some of you I run into at stores or restaurants, and we exchange hugs like we’ve known each other forever. Some of you call on me again—not for a wedding this time, but for milestone celebrations: baby showers, graduations, vow renewals, retirements. It still amazes me how often a couple I meet as strangers slowly becomes part of the fabric of my life. The weddings I DJ don’t simply end—they ripple outward. And those connections are one of the greatest privileges of my work.
I feel grateful—more than I could ever fully express —that so many of you allowed me to stand beside you during your once-in-a-lifetime moments. You invited me into celebration, into vulnerability, into memory. You gave me purpose on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday nights when the rest of the world was out living life—and there I was, helping you create it. Your weddings have filled my life with stories, laughter, travel, late nights, early mornings, and more joy than I could measure. They have shaped who I am as a DJ, but also who I am as a person. And I am better because of it.
So to every bride, groom, partner, parent, and family member I’ve worked with—thank you. Thank you for trusting me, for welcoming me, for dancing, for believing in what I do, and for allowing me to help soundtrack the beginning of your forever. My work is meaningful because you made it meaningful. You gave me a career built on love—literally—and I will never forget that. And if fate is kind, our paths will cross again, somewhere down the line—at another celebration, another milestone, another dance floor waiting to come alive. Until then, know this: I am rooting for you, always.