2023 Wedding Trends

2023 WEDDING TRENDS

WHAT'S IN?

Midday Ceremonies

The most spontaneous—and memorable—part of the whole wedding weekend is often the after-party. But if the idea of an eight-hour relay race from ceremony to cocktails to dinner to dancing to the after-party gives you pause, you can make sure your guests are ready to go all out by having a midday ceremony. With the afternoon to rest up, everyone comes together that evening with a full tank of gas. And then, who knows where the night can go? —Bronson van Wyck, Van Wyck & Van Wyck

In the early 20th century, it was common to have your wedding ceremony in the morning and reception in the evening—Jackie and John Kennedy, Princess Diana and Prince Charles, Prince William and Kate, they all did this. We are seeing our clients wanting to take this classic route. Choosing a morning ceremony followed by a thoughtfully curated lunch and inviting guests back for an evening reception with dancing and dessert lets couples truly have a unique celebration all day long. —Bryan Rafanelli, Rafanelli Events

Wild Welcome Parties

The majority of brides are hosting destination weddings which require entertaining guests on Friday and Saturday. A raucous, kicked-back welcome party is en vogue. Embrace the locale: How about a bacchanalia at a Tuscan castle-cum-vineyard in Napa? —Rebecca Gardener, Houses and Parties

From a classic field day, to ranch Olympics, to a beach soccer match followed by a DJed BBQ lunch, to an epic beach day, gathering guests for a daytime event has been a welcomed addition to our destination wedding weekends. It’s a great icebreaker for all ages while also offering your traveling guests entertainment at every turn. —Augusta Cole

We’ve been doing daytime competitive game days for our clients. They are hilarious and so much fun. A natural icebreaker and a way for guests to bond via healthy competition. —Lisa Vorce, Lisa Vorce Co.

Dramatic Ceilings

More and more couples are opting for design impact by incorporating dramatic ceiling installations through florals, lighting, draping, and more. —Beth Helmstetter, Beth Helmstetter Events

Statement Aisles

The “S-shaped” or serpentine designs were ideas our clients embraced. I especially loved planning a Palm Beach wedding this spring at the Four Seasons with a gently curved aisle. The effect was elegant and fresh. —Jennifer Zabinski, JZ Events

The grandeur of a long aisle sets the tone for an elegant and memorable ceremony. Our brides are also opting to walk down the aisle solo before being greeted halfway by their mother or father or both, adding a heartfelt and personal touch to the ceremony. —Bryan Rafanelli

Color

While this is not a new idea, what is fun to report is that it’s lasting! Couples are not shying away from color, but instead, we are seeing our couples embrace thoughtful color references through patterned textiles, illustrations, floral concepts, custom décor moments, and their bridal fashion. —Augusta Cole

My clients want unabashed color, wild patterns, luscious flowers, and moments of unexpected delight. A playful palette encourages fun. —Rebecca Gardener

Intimate Ceremonies

Our clients are opting to keep the ceremony itself uber private and reserve the big display of affection for the reception. This mitigates some of that pent-up anxiety that can be felt before professing your love in front of hundreds of people, and helps protect the intimacy of a ceremony. —Lisa Vorce

Grace Kelly-Inspired Bridal Style

Our clients are choosing more clean and timeless wedding styles, and brides’ inspirations are driven towards Grace Kelly’s wedding dress, the epitome of classic bridal style. They’re also loving a longer veil. —Bryan Rafanelli

Tableside Charcuterie

Grazing boards and charcuterie are not going anywhere. We see both oversized displays at cocktail hour as well as more manageable boards incorporated into the tablescapes of our wedding celebrations. —Beth Helmstetter

Speakeasy-Inspired After-Parties

We’ve been adding this to our after-parties as a way to surprise and delight guests and create yet another food and beverage experience. We’ve designed secret doors to a hidden lounge scene with a specialty bar station (i.e. espresso martinis). This is a fantastic way to break up the evening and allow for some spontaneous, authentic post-party photos. —Lisa Vorce

WHAT'S OUT?

Wedding Hashtags

Wedding hashtags are yesterday’s news. It’s all about stories instead of posts now, and story hashtags disappear after 24 hours. Dropping the self-promotional hashtag says influential rather than influencer. Which would you rather be? —Bronson van Wyck

Uniform Bridesmaid Dresses

Big wedding parties standing up at the ceremony. Let your loved ones sit comfortably and be totally present in the ceremony, but honor them beforehand by spending the morning getting ready and taking some special photos, exchanging notes, and reflecting on memories made in life together. So much more special! —Lisa Vorce

Standing Wedding Parties

More and more couples are opting for design impact by incorporating dramatic ceiling installations through florals, lighting, draping, and more. —Beth Helmstetter, Beth Helmstetter Events

Welcome Bags

Forgo extravagant welcome baskets and write each guest or couple a handwritten note exuding thoughtful elegance. Hotels always have bottled water and no one needs another branded canvas tote bag. —Rebecca Gardener

Extravagant Escort Card Walls

No more over-the-top escort card walls. Instead, opt for a more classic display organized beautifully on a table which encourages guest interaction and mingling. White-glove service from the waitstaff is always a favorite, but we also love sophisticated envelopes nestled in a floral bed. —Lisa Vorce

Signature Cocktails

Rather than passing one special cocktail, couples are leaning into the drink experience. Think Bemelmans-inspired tableside martinis, a roaming gin cart with an exotic array of fixings, dinner courses paired with sipping tequila, or a full-on tequila bar. Dare I say the martini ice luge will make an afterparty comeback! —Augusta Cole

Fireworks

Ditch the fireworks. Save money and save the planet! —Lisa Vorce

BY ELISE TAYLOR

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DJ Tyler Ross

Founder & President | Ross Productions

(717) 799-7529

tyler@rossproductionspa.com

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Destination Weddings, We Do!

Say “I Do” Anywhere: Ross Productions Now Offers Destination Wedding Entertainment by Tyler Ross May 14, 2025 Uncategorized Planning a destination wedding? Whether you’re exchanging

Why a wedding DJ IS perfect for all types of weddings

After determining the most important aspects of your big day, like where the wedding will be held, who will be in attendance, and how big or small a celebration you want to have, there aren’t many aspects more important to consider than the entertainment. Whether you have a wedding party of 15 or 150, hiring a wedding DJ can set the tone for celebrating your new life together with those most important to you.

A wedding DJ can provide much more than just the music for your ceremony, like controlling the schedule and facilitating some of the most iconic moments in the reception ceremony, such as the newlyweds’ first dance. 

Ross Productions is Central Pennsylvania’s #1 choice for wedding and event DJs in the area. With our team of experienced event Hosts, Ross Productions has been making couples’ dreams come true for more than 10 years. Our diverse lineup of DJs has a proven track record of taking hundreds of weddings to the next level with our unique and top-of-the-line services. From a small local barn wedding to organizing a company’s massive corporate event, trust Ross Productions to boost your special day into something unforgettable.

In this article, we’re going to break down why hiring a wedding DJ is the perfect move for all types of weddings—no matter how big or small. At Ross Productions, we marry professionalism with fun to help bring your dream wedding to life. Keep reading to see how we can make a difference for your special day or event.

What Types of Weddings Are There?

There are several different types of weddings, from traditional church settings to small, remote ceremonies in a forest in Pennsylvania. There’s no shortage of versatility when it comes to where people want to hold their weddings. 

According to The Knot, one of the most popular wedding websites, some wedding venue types are more popular than others. But the important thing is couples have options, and our DJs can accommodate them. Below is a breakdown of which wedding venues are the most popular, on average, for wedding reception choices:

  1. Ballrooms and Banquet Halls – 20%
  2. Religious Institutions – 19%
  3. Farms, Barns, and Ranches – 18%
  4. Historic Homes and Buildings – 12%
  5. Country Clubs – 8%
  6. Hotels – 8%
  7. Gardens, Wineries, and Vineyards – 8%
  8. Resorts – 40% of destination weddings
  9. Restaurants – 6%
  10. Private Homes – 6%
  11. Beaches – 5%

What Does A Wedding DJ Do?

A wedding DJ conducts all forms of entertainment for the night. The entertainment comes in many forms, including the perfect playlist, being the MC of the night to make sure everything runs smoothly and on schedule, and taking requests from the many drunken wedding guests (14 requests per reception on average). They have to be able to read the room and adjust the music accordingly. 

The dance floor has to be jumping during the peak of the reception, and the mood has to be touching during the couples’ first dance. The wedding DJ also makes announcements about cutting the wedding cake, cueing up guests to give their toasts, and monitoring the equipment so the night unfolds without any interruptions. 

Wedding DJs at Ross Productions also provide dance floor lighting, uplighting, and photo booth services, so guests leave with special mementos and unforgettable memories. No matter the size, shape, or nature of your wedding, our premier wedding DJ services are here to help.

Outdoor Vs. Indoor Weddings

Whether you hold your wedding in a beautiful Pennsylvania meadow or inside a grand ballroom, a wedding DJ can provide the perfect atmosphere for your specific needs. Our equipment is durable, versatile, and scalable, meaning we can tailor the experience to your specific venue and requests. 

Using our state-of-the-art lighting systems, we can turn a ballroom into a concert hall or disco-level dance floor. We can also scale it back to a quaint, humble, golden-lit garden of lights for a smaller outdoor ceremony. When you hire Ross Productions, we adjust to satisfy your every need. It’s your big day, and we can bring it to life. 

Big Vs. Small Weddings

Even if your ceremony involves less than 10 people—or even just you, your partner, and a minister or wedding officiant—our DJs can decorate your small wedding with your favorite songs, the prettiest lights, and other memorable features. 

On the other hand, if you have a massive wedding of 100, 200, or even 300 people, our roster of amazing wedding DJs can be the life of the party, and provide a dream celebration for you and everyone you love to celebrate the most important day of your life. Our professionals are equipped with decades of making people’s dreams come true. No matter your wedding dreams or demands, we can help make them a reality. 

Traditional Vs. Nontraditional Weddings

If you want the classic church ceremony followed by a fun celebration at a nearby location, no problem. Or if you have a destination or elopement wedding, our DJs can make the trip (most of the time) to provide the perfect entertainment service there as well. Sometimes all you need is your soon-to-be husband or wife and the perfect song.

Our wedding DJs can be as involved as you’d like them to be. If you want them to be mostly background figures providing some nice music, they can handle that easily. Or if you want them to lead the entire party throughout the night, they can bring the energy as well. With Ross Productions, we can handle all of your wedding needs.

Conclusion - Why A Wedding DJ Is Perfect For All Types of Weddings

A wedding DJ is a perfect addition to any wedding, no matter the nature of the ceremony. They make sure every one of your wedding dreams comes to life for you and your guests. Through music, MC services, or extras like dance floor lighting and photo booths, a wedding DJ turns your wedding ceremony into an unforgettable experience. 

Whether it’s in a church, in a farm field, or in an extravagant ballroom setting, our professional wedding DJs can take your big day to the next level. Not only do we provide a tailored experience based on your music tastes and demands, but we can also set the tone and schedule for your wedding with our MC services. 

Are you more of a traditional type? We also have live music options at your disposal to create a more classic atmosphere for your wedding, no matter the genre. We have a slate of professional live country, acoustic, contemporary, and jazz musicians to compliment your big day with your preferred taste. Our professionals also offer their services for other special occasions, like corporate events, holiday parties, charity events, fundraisers, and several others.

‍Contact us today to see how we can accommodate your wedding needs, or give us a call at 717-799-7529. With Ross Productions roster of professional wedding DJs, you don’t have to settle when it comes to having the wedding you’ve always wanted.

DJ Tyler Ross

Founder & President | Ross Productions

(717) 799-7529

tyler@rossproductionspa.com

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Hunter’s Kids Helping Kids – Children’s Miracle Network

Supporting a great cause!

Ross Productions had the honor of being a part of Hunter’s Kids Helping Kids, a branch of 105.7 The X‘s Pay For Play which supports Children’s Miracle Network here at Penn State Hershey Children’s Hospital.  DJ Tyler Ross, founder, and president of Ross Productions, and popular Lancaster PA Wedding DJ, donated his time to boost spirits and ensure everybody in attendance had a blast.  

Audio Clip from 105.7 The X - Jen Shade, Nipsey, and Vince

DJ Tyler Ross and Ross Productions have always set time aside each year to help several non-profits that they enjoy supporting.

Over $6,000.00 was raised by this single event and over $300,000.00 overall in support of CMN.  We have the honor of being a part of this special event again next September.

With Ross Productions being one of the most popular Harrisburg PA Wedding DJs and Lancaster PA Wedding DJs, we have the ability to donate our time and support our local community. Personally, I'm very thankful that my team shares the same passion that I do for supporting our local community and great causes.

Tyler Ross - Founder & President | Ross Productions Tweet

DJ Tyler Ross

Founder & President | Ross Productions

(717) 799-7529

tyler@rossproductionspa.com

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What does a wedding DJ cost?

If you’re in the stages of planning your wedding and hiring your vendors, you’ve probably noticed that prices are all over the place.  You don’t want to go way over your budget, but you also don’t want to ruin your wedding by hiring the wrong vendor, or an unprofessional one.  If you think about everything that goes into a wedding, there are two things that you and your guests will always remember.

  1. The entertainment and how much fun everyone had.
  2. Photos/Videos

Let’s face it, the cost of a wedding varies based on what you want to make of it.  It’s just like when you’re out shopping or buying a new car.

Like many other Wedding DJs, you may see similar offerings, options, add-ons, and guarantees.  Like any service business, comparing company to company, professional to professional, DJ to DJ, they may all look alike, but if you do some research, you will truly see that there is a huge difference.

We like to break down DJs to three categories so you understand what your investment will go towards.

Budget Wedding DJ: $200 – $850

Setup and presentation are not clean, guest engagement is not present, mispronouncing names occurs frequently, throws corny jokes around, can’t read crowd, not sure what to play next, proper song mixing is not present, can’t keep people on the dance floor, not licensed nor insured, lighting is insufficient and bland.

Your Average Professional Wedding DJ: $1200 – $1700

Setup and presentation are clean, guest engagement is strong, mispronouncing names rarely happens, reads the crowd and knows what to play next, proper song mixing, keeps the timeline on point, keeping most people on the dance floor for most of the night, lighting is sufficient, sometimes licensed and insured.

Boutique Wedding DJ: $2000 – $5000

Setup & presentation are spotless, guest engagement is strong, mispronouncing names never happens, keeps the timeline on point, reads the crowd and mixes song after song to make it sound like one long song, keeps everyone on the dance floor the entire night, lighting and design are perfectly placed accenting walls, ceilings, etc., emergency backup plans in place, pre-planning with the couple starting at booking, usually their full-time job, always licensed and insured.

This guide is to help you understand the difference in cost between DJs.  It’s not just a “they’re $100 less” kind of thing, this is a once-in-a-lifetime event that you want to guarantee you’ll have the best night of your life.

DJ Tyler Ross

Founder & President | Ross Productions

(717) 799-7529

tyler@rossproductionspa.com

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Venues! Please Read This…

In-House Sound Systems 🤮

You might’ve heard that your wedding venue has or is getting an in-house sound system.

At Ross Productions, we’ve worked hundreds and hundreds of weddings and events since 2012, and we know the do’s, the don’ts, what works, and what doesn’t.  We’ve had elevators break down right before set up, flooding at an outdoor venue, but now we’re seeing couples upset at venues because of their in-house sound systems.

Venues are installing these systems as both conveniences as well as a way to control the decibel rating to prevent neighbors from calling the police.  Although this might seem like a great idea, it’s not.

So what’s the real problem?

A big part of a couple hiring a DJ or a Band for their wedding is the fun, exciting, and loud entertainment that gets everyone motivated, packing the dance floor, and singing along to the music.  These in-house systems are cheap, quiet, no bass at all, and quite frankly just crap.  We understand that noise ordinances are in place for the local residents who live nearby, but limiting the volume of a DJ or a Band takes all of the fun away from the couple and the entertainer as well as leaving the couple and guests with vibes that are not as high as they could be, which doesn’t create the desired life-lasting memories.  In many cases, this can ruin a couple’s special day.

You might have heard this story about a couple suing a New York hotel for $5 Million after the in-house sound system ruined their wedding.  In this case, the couple couldn’t hear the announcements nor could they hear the music over people at their tables, 30-40 feet away, talking at a normal dinner talking volume.

Another issue is that most of these in-house sound systems are sub-par for a wedding or similar event.  A lot of venues we’ve worked at that have these systems have either purchased something on their own without any knowledge of a quality sound system, or they’ve gotten a recommendation from someone with a home theater system.  Out of every venue we’ve worked at with an in-house system, there has only been ONE (1) venue that has a system that is actually very decent,  but we were the ones who recommended, sold, and installed said system, so it doesn’t really count.

Here is one example of a venue that had a sub-par system that we had performed at.  To start, the speakers were not loud at all, there was no bass to these speakers, and the highs would crackle and the lows would pop.  We had several complaints from guests and the couple that they could not hear or understand the announcements or the music.  When open dancing started and people started to pack the dancefloor, it honestly sounded like someone held an old iPhone in the air.  People left after roughly 30 minutes of the dancefloor being opened which was 2 hours into the reception.  Thankfully the couple understood that it was not our fault, and we still got a raving review, but we felt horrible because all this couple wanted to do was to celebrate and have a blast with their loved ones, but it ended up ruining their wedding.  We noticed several days later that the venue received a 1-star review which is not what anyone wants to ever receive.

So as a venue owner, your question is… what would you suggest?

There is a simple solution that will keep us entertainers happy, but most importantly will keep couples happy who are spending thousands of dollars to celebrate a once-in-a-lifetime event.  No matter what time your local noise ordinance starts,  make your end time and music cut-off time the time that the ordinance begins.  Don’t buy an in-house system that’s not loud enough, and consult with a real AV company that does this stuff for a living.  Allow DJs and bands to provide their own system as well.

One venue we suggested this too sent letters to their close neighbors informing them of the noise ordinance, how they have a new cut-off time that they strictly enforce, as well as a short paragraph expressing their deepest appreciation for their small sacrifice of allowing newlyweds to celebrate their special day.  We followed back up with the venue three months later and they said that everyone had been happy, all DJs and bands followed the venue’s guidelines, all of the couples had a blast, and better yet, the neighbors did not call the police, they did not complain.

DJ Tyler Ross

Founder & President | Ross Productions

(717) 799-7529

tyler@rossproductionspa.com

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