Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Sydney Petro. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Sydney, appreciate you joining us today. What’s the backstory behind how you came up with the idea for your business?

Wedding Melodies started back in 2018. I have been singing at weddings since I was 13 years old, but the scale of the business started after I started getting booked for multiple weddings in one year. 2018 was our biggest year we ever had we have a total of 18 weddings from the month of June to November. I knew from this rising year, that singing at weddings could turn in to something big. With just graduating with a Marketing Degree from Saint Francis University that spring, I knew I could use my knowledge to make this business sore. My music teacher and pianist/organist, Evonne Yazetich-Homway, had played a big role of who I am as a singer today. She has taught me more skills with my voice than I can imagine. She is the reason why I got involved with wedding singing and I thank her for being the core of my dream. Her talent is so inspiring and I wouldn’t want anyone else to be her role on my team. My dear friend Lisa Pierce has also played a huge part in this as well. She is our violinist on our team. Lisa and I have worked together for many years and I could not be more grateful for and her talent. When it came time to name our team, I wanted something meaningful. When I chose the name Wedding Melodies, it reminded me of a guest at a wedding that complimented me on our performance. She described my singing and our instrumentalist as soothly. So, with being in my head, I chose Wedding Melodies with having the phrase, “We will make your day run smooth like a melody” I take this phrase to heart because I know weddings can be stressful and every bride wants their special day to run smoothly. In addition to wedding ceremony music, we also have day of coordination services which is managed by me. This service is newer to the business and has grown over the past year. I am excited to see where this takes Wedding Melodies, and hope to even expand further than PA one day.

As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?

My name is Sydney Petro and I was born and raised in Johnstown PA. I am a graduate of Bishop McCort Catholic High School, Class of 2014 and then pursued my college education at Saint Francis University. I graduated from Saint Francis University in May of 2018 earning a degree in Marketing with a minor in Accounting. I currently work full time at the University of Pittsburgh at Johnstown in the Admissions Office.

Ever since I was a little girl, I love to sing. Any chance I got to sing, I did it. I was very involved in the theatre and choral programs both in high school and in college. I knew that my voice was the greatest gift I have ever received and I knew that this God given talent needed to be shared with the world. I was lead in my first ever musical when I was 13 years old and was also the first year I sang my very first wedding. People could say it all started when I was just 13 years old.

You could probably describe me in more words then one, but to give you a few, I would say reliable, outgoing, organized and caring. With the job that I have, both full time at Pitt and part time with Wedding Melodies, you have to learn to balance life. Balancing my life and work has been a challenge, but I do my very best work and perform to the best of my ability when I am busy. Ironically, it keeps me sane, and focused.

I come from a decent size typical Italian family which I absolutely adore and wouldn’t have it any other way. I am the middle cousin of 9 and I have a younger sister that is my built in best friend and could not survive in the world without. Along with my sister, my parents have been my number one supporters all my life and continue to do so every day.

A little bit about the business. Wedding Melodies is a wedding ceremony music and day of coordination business. Our main music team consists of a vocalist, pianist/organist and violinist. We do have additional musicians that join our team if are requested. I am the one who mainly works with the couple from start to finish when consulting about their ceremony music. Wedding ceremony music is something, in my opinion, I very important part of your ceremony. You, your family and your guests will never forget it. You want it to be special, you want it to be memorable, so hire the professionals that know what they are doing to perform the best of the best. Having the LIVE music and vocals for your wedding ceremony is truly a game changer and would recommend to every couple.

With the Day of Coordination services, I offer a variety of different packages a couple can choose from. No matter package a couple selects, I am their “go to person” for the day. Anything last minute details that you could possibly imagine that would need done, I probably have done it. The list could go on forever, but having the mindset of “go to person” for the little details and even some big details for a wedding day, I am their girl. Adding this service to our business was one of the best decisions I have made. Every couple needs that one person dedicated as a go too person. There are so many little details that need to be managed that needs to have someone dedicated to those jobs. It takes a lot of stress of the couple and their families knowing that those “little tasks” are being taken care of and they can enjoy the special day that a wedding is.

Let’s talk about resilience next – do you have a story you can share with us?

Having had 18 weddings in one year, was a challenge that I was worried to face. 2018 was a big year for me. Not only was it the year I was graduating college but it was the year that I needed to figure out my career. I thought that I had everything in line with an internship I was offered in Pittsburgh, but it did not work out. I am a true believer that”things happen for a reason”. I know that this saying may not be ideal to others, but to me a strong belief. I have experienced many things and wondered why it happened, but it wasn’t until a few weeks, months, even years until I finally got the answer on why.

I do my very best work when I am busy. It keeps me on my toes, but yet very organized and focused on my end goals. Looking at my 2018 wedding season, I knew that it was going to be successful but still challenging. This year is the year I label our “golden” year because after this year, we were getting booked for weddings left and right.

What’s worked well for you in terms of a source for new clients?

This past year, I finally was able to create a website. This has been a huge resource to reach more clients not only in Johnstown, but out of town as well. Referrals of course is one of the number one sources of getting new clients, but ever since we have grown our social media presence and launched our website, it has taken our name to a new level.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://skep1096.wixsite.com/my-site-2?fbclid=IwY2xjawFpdA1leHRuA2FlbQIxMAABHeTioabBeNNQQ7GPBxoGgFF_nsAM28g98HMv5_n2RT6EOUMvA7LBXEixnw_aem_yNKrc0Phg0GCkskvbsG2RQ
• Instagram: weddingmelodies
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/sydpetroweddingsinger/

Image Credits

BridgePerspective