Hidden Gems: Meet James DiNanno of Meritage Entertainment

Today we’d like to introduce you to James DiNanno. 

Alright, so thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us a bit about how you got started?
I grew up in both the wedding and music industry. My dad was a guitar player in a band and also a DJ. Seeing my obsession with music, he bought me a DJ system when I was 5 years old and let me have his album collection. I would spend hours recording my own mixes onto tape. I did my first gig at the age of 8 and from there, I worked school events/town events pretty consistently. At 14, I started assisting at as many weddings with as many DJs as I could. I was also gigging as a drummer in original bands around that time. I think that dichotomy shaped the brand we have today. I became especially in tune with what I felt was a “cheesy” or cookie-cutter vibe throughout the entire wedding DJ industry. It was nearly impossible to see a DJ that had the music knowledge to expand beyond musical cliches, or not speak in an over-the-top emcee style. I wanted to offer the solution to that. 

So, at age 18, I started consistently performing at weddings. The Meritage brand began development around that time. My (now) wife Liz and I fully realized what the company could be around 2014. Thousands of weddings in with multiple branches and like-minded DJs, we never looked back. This leads to how Meritage Nashville came to be. 

I met Ryan Key through a music project and saw that he was frequently DJing Emo Nites. We became friends and talked about what it was that my wedding company offered. Being the lead singer in Yellowcard, having some DJ knowledge, and having attended many weddings with out-of-touch DJs, the mission made perfect sense to him. He quickly pulled a team of modern Nashville DJs together and we expanded to Nashville. The demand has been pretty consistent and we now have his wife Laura Gillway also managing the quickly expanding company. 

We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
It’s never a smooth road to anything great. But at the same time, there really haven’t been many major story-worthy struggles. I think building a consistent company the correct way is usually fairly boring. I mean that in the sense that it isn’t what you would likely see conveyed in a movie. 

There are daily struggles. But they are little things. We are always focused on becoming better, more efficient. 

I am a creative and an entrepreneur at heart. So, I am always balancing a few different things, and they all sort of fuel each other. I still play in music projects whenever I can. We make our own uplights as well. The more entertaining struggles usually come from that side of my professional life, but they often inspire things within Meritage. 

I can’t speak for Ryan, but I bet he would share a similar sentiment. 

Appreciate you sharing that. What should we know about Meritage Entertainment?
Meritage Entertainment offers “a new approach for the modern couple.” 

Music mixology is where it’s at for us! Our modern approach is a little bit different. The goal is to personalize your wedding with music that represents you, and keep the dance floor…PACKED! 

Any Meritage DJ also acts as a polished emcee, coordinating and introducing formalities. We will embellish all the special moments but avoid any cheesy or excessive banter. 

We actually build our own uplights. 

Any color or any combination of colors can be accomplished. The lights also offer a series of unique, dramatic effects. These can be incorporated during special moments. We guarantee full coverage of the space and will work with you to bring your vision to light! 

As a music lover (some might say “music snob”) I am so proud to offer like-minded couples an experience that expands beyond wedding cliches. We work with lots of couples that love indie-rock, soul, house, and a variety of other styles that don’t directly fit the common wedding music narrative. 

We confidently incorporate these unique flares into the wedding, while balancing them with classics that reach everyone. 

In terms of your work and the industry, what are some of the changes you are expecting to see over the next five to ten years?
The “wedding boom” is very real. 2022 has more weddings than we’ve seen since 1984. I think that trend is going to continue for a while. Every day we talk to couples that are so relieved to have found us. They can’t believe we exist because they are so used to DJs that either come strictly from the club world or the “game show host” world of DJing. 

It’s exciting to consistently bring that modern balance of elegance and energy to these weddings. I believe we are a part of the shift where couples realize they can have a personalized wedding experience. 

Contact Info:

• Email: [email protected]
• Website: meritagedj.com
• Instagram: instagram.com/Meritage_Entertainment
• Facebook: facebook.com/meritagedj
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCIy2eaUEVemgAZPEGig3RHA

Image Credits
Acacia Evans
Brit Perkins
Lindsay Campbell