Soundworks DJ MC Making your wedding come alive in a fun and tasteful way!
Wedding Secrets
"secrets that will effect your wedding!"
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Hidden Secrets
Every weekend that goes by couples unknowingly take serious risks with their wedding. Some unfortunately experience the negative effect from this. Throughout this page I expose these hidden secrets, a very unique look behind the scene of this industry, so you will know for a fact what you're really dealing with when having a wedding.
Why You Won't Get the Music You Want
The #1 most common complaint from couples that approach me when I'm working at a wedding to tell me about their wedding DJ horror story, is that their DJ ruined their wedding by playing music they did not like. I'm still amazed after all these years at how often I hear couples having this problem and what common place it is. Couples are completely shocked and caught off guard that this could happen to them. They almost always say something similar to this; "our DJ seemed sincere, professional, and promised he would only play the music we wanted but didn't do what he said he would do"! Couples also always say they gave their DJ a playlist to stick to and even a no playlist; didn't help. Then they tell me that no matter how much they pleaded with their DJ and demanded him to play the right music that day, he just kept going back to playing music they didn't want. This is why even a year or so later after their wedding the couples that tell me this still seem so frustrated and upset.
Everyone this happens to never thought in a million years they would have this problem. The people this happens to are not stupid and not normally uniformed, so they end up thinking that somehow, some way, they're the only ones this has ever has happened to and something just went terribly wrong with their DJ. What they don’t know is that this was bound to happen with any one of many DJs they were looking at hiring. Yes, it’s really this common. Like I mentioned, this is the #1 most common complaint. I can assume there are a variety of reasons DJs may do this, but one reason I know why this is common is because of DJs playing other types of events like clubs, business or corporate parties, and teen dances where they get to play whatever the feel like playing, since at those events they aren't tailoring the music to a couple's taste. Then they show up to a wedding and continue this way of playing music even when they swear to couples they will stick to their music selections only. A few other reasons I think this is so common are DJs drinking heavily and or doing drugs before or at the wedding. And I know some DJs don't keep their word since they just don't care since they've already been paid or feel they aren't getting paid enough and think, "Why should I care what they want? I’ll play what I want!"
With me as your DJ you will get your music perfectly tailored to your taste. Unlike other DJs, this is what I do for a living 100% of the time since I do weddings 100% of the time. I dont' perform the other type of events that other DJs do, never have and never will. How you want the music to go is priority number one with me. I’ll play your personal selections and work the crowd by picking up on their energy and response to the music in order to play the right music at the right time, for the best results. I will play your selections and stay within the styles and genres of music you've selected and accurately follow your ideas.
Everyone this happens to never thought in a million years they would have this problem. The people this happens to are not stupid and not normally uniformed, so they end up thinking that somehow, some way, they're the only ones this has ever has happened to and something just went terribly wrong with their DJ. What they don’t know is that this was bound to happen with any one of many DJs they were looking at hiring. Yes, it’s really this common. Like I mentioned, this is the #1 most common complaint. I can assume there are a variety of reasons DJs may do this, but one reason I know why this is common is because of DJs playing other types of events like clubs, business or corporate parties, and teen dances where they get to play whatever the feel like playing, since at those events they aren't tailoring the music to a couple's taste. Then they show up to a wedding and continue this way of playing music even when they swear to couples they will stick to their music selections only. A few other reasons I think this is so common are DJs drinking heavily and or doing drugs before or at the wedding. And I know some DJs don't keep their word since they just don't care since they've already been paid or feel they aren't getting paid enough and think, "Why should I care what they want? I’ll play what I want!"
With me as your DJ you will get your music perfectly tailored to your taste. Unlike other DJs, this is what I do for a living 100% of the time since I do weddings 100% of the time. I dont' perform the other type of events that other DJs do, never have and never will. How you want the music to go is priority number one with me. I’ll play your personal selections and work the crowd by picking up on their energy and response to the music in order to play the right music at the right time, for the best results. I will play your selections and stay within the styles and genres of music you've selected and accurately follow your ideas.
How To Tell a Good DJ from a Bad DJ
Even the DJ services with the poorest quality and lowest reliability can give you a few phone numbers of people that will give them a great reference. How is this done?. They use friends, family members, hand picked brides and grooms, and other wedding vendors to vouch for them and give them top recommendations.
Some DJs provide highly edited demo videos of themselves showing only a few minutes of their "edited" work, which cannot show any level of consistency, punctuality, or customizability. It doesn't in any way provide you with information of the actual level of quality service that you will end up with.
It's important to use all your senses and intuition when hiring a Dj, since it's crucial in protecting your wedding because it only takes one time of a serious mistake or poor reliability to destroy a once in a lifetime event that weddings are. A few names and numbers of people to vouch for them, a short edited demo video, or offering a competitive rate in no way can show you what you really need to know. These things will actually cause couples to make a calculated misjudgment of hiring a DJ that ends up being nothing like they were assuming he was going to be.
The information I provided here is done in a way that allows couples with good intuition to reach the conclusion that I'm unique in that I have true consistency at providing total quality and total dependability. With me you get rock solid 100% consistency, so your wedding will be safe with me helping you.
Some DJs provide highly edited demo videos of themselves showing only a few minutes of their "edited" work, which cannot show any level of consistency, punctuality, or customizability. It doesn't in any way provide you with information of the actual level of quality service that you will end up with.
It's important to use all your senses and intuition when hiring a Dj, since it's crucial in protecting your wedding because it only takes one time of a serious mistake or poor reliability to destroy a once in a lifetime event that weddings are. A few names and numbers of people to vouch for them, a short edited demo video, or offering a competitive rate in no way can show you what you really need to know. These things will actually cause couples to make a calculated misjudgment of hiring a DJ that ends up being nothing like they were assuming he was going to be.
The information I provided here is done in a way that allows couples with good intuition to reach the conclusion that I'm unique in that I have true consistency at providing total quality and total dependability. With me you get rock solid 100% consistency, so your wedding will be safe with me helping you.
This Secret Can Ruin Your Wedding
This first secret few realize is that it's a standard practice for all DJs to squeeze two weddings into one day. Yes, that's two weddings in one day! How is this possible? Most reception venues have both noon receptions and then an evening receptions.
Literally every single DJ I've ever met works two weddings per day, but won't admit it to couples. This is a very serious problem because with little time between, DJs risk arriving late to the second wedding from delays like traffic, their vehicle breaking down, or numerous other possible delays. I've personally had many people tell me how upset they were on their wedding day because their DJ showed up late to their wedding. These couples, even years later, didn’t have the slightest idea that their DJ likely had another wedding going on that day before their wedding which caused them to be late.
Even if you’re planning a noon wedding this is still a serious problem, because DJs are known to stop the music early before the planed ending time and start packing up. DJs do this in order to try to make to the next wedding in time. I've had numerous people tell me how extremely angry they were since their DJ stopped their music and left before the planed ending time. Quite a few people have told me they even begged their DJ to say longer by offering extra pay if they would and still their DJ left early.
The one and only reason DJs work two weddings per day is to be able to offer someone like yourself a lower fee. Because nearly all people will turn to the fee more than anything else when it really comes down to the final decision of who to hire. DJs would rather charge less and have two weddings per day in order to have solid bookings every weekend, which translates to more money per week for themselves.
This is like the saying goes, "you get what you pay for," or "you pay less, you get less." This is why I call this a calculatedly hidden secret being kept from brides and grooms. You're not getting what you think your paying for.
It's become very apparent to me that I'm likely the only DJ that will not work two weddings in one day. I really care about the people that hire me and care about how their wedding turns out. It's just the way I am or the way my conscience operates. If you decide to have me help you with your wedding you will be treated honestly and fairly and as if you’re a good friend or family member. Your wedding is my one and only priority on your wedding day and that whole day is dedicated to just your wedding.
Literally every single DJ I've ever met works two weddings per day, but won't admit it to couples. This is a very serious problem because with little time between, DJs risk arriving late to the second wedding from delays like traffic, their vehicle breaking down, or numerous other possible delays. I've personally had many people tell me how upset they were on their wedding day because their DJ showed up late to their wedding. These couples, even years later, didn’t have the slightest idea that their DJ likely had another wedding going on that day before their wedding which caused them to be late.
Even if you’re planning a noon wedding this is still a serious problem, because DJs are known to stop the music early before the planed ending time and start packing up. DJs do this in order to try to make to the next wedding in time. I've had numerous people tell me how extremely angry they were since their DJ stopped their music and left before the planed ending time. Quite a few people have told me they even begged their DJ to say longer by offering extra pay if they would and still their DJ left early.
The one and only reason DJs work two weddings per day is to be able to offer someone like yourself a lower fee. Because nearly all people will turn to the fee more than anything else when it really comes down to the final decision of who to hire. DJs would rather charge less and have two weddings per day in order to have solid bookings every weekend, which translates to more money per week for themselves.
This is like the saying goes, "you get what you pay for," or "you pay less, you get less." This is why I call this a calculatedly hidden secret being kept from brides and grooms. You're not getting what you think your paying for.
It's become very apparent to me that I'm likely the only DJ that will not work two weddings in one day. I really care about the people that hire me and care about how their wedding turns out. It's just the way I am or the way my conscience operates. If you decide to have me help you with your wedding you will be treated honestly and fairly and as if you’re a good friend or family member. Your wedding is my one and only priority on your wedding day and that whole day is dedicated to just your wedding.
Your Wedding? Not just another number!
Here's are a few more secrets that are critical for you to know about.
To make the most money in this business DJs must be heavily competitive on price in order to book up every single weekend. DJs tempt brides and grooms to book with them by offering an attractive rate, so this way they will get the most bookings and fill up every weekend and in turn make the most money. But what you don't know is what they plan on doing with all these bookings. This is the part they like to keep secret.
DJ's That Send Out Other People to DJ Weddings
With many DJs, you run a very big risk at not getting who you talk to about your wedding. Most DJs tell couples that either they or a business partner who's a seasoned DJ and who's been with them for years will be the one that will DJ their wedding. The problem is, a week or so before the wedding they call some of the couples and say an emergency came up and that they will be sending someone else to take over, often saying it will be their business partner or their best DJ to make it sound good, but it ends up just being some guy that wants to do a little DJ work for some extra cash. The guys they send out are almost always inexperienced, unprofessional, and normally don’t feel obligated to you and often don’t really care what happens, since he is getting paid a small part of the total fee you pay.
People unknowingly play Russian roulette with who they actually end up getting. Some couples may get the main DJ, but then again clearly this doesn't happen to everyone that books. This is a smart way to make more money, since this is the only way for a DJ to have many events going on the same day and make money from each one of them. The only good thing about the way they operate is that they can offer a lower rate since they can charge less per event by working this way, but the draw back is that their quality and dependability is in question leaving you gambling with your wedding.
Single Operator DJs
It's not always possible to tell who the DJs are that do all their own work, but there are very few like myself who actually do, approximately around 2 to 3%. These DJs should cost more, this is one of the way to tell if they do their own work. Unfortunately some of these DJs do things that can damage your wedding too, in order to compete with the lowered rates and degraded services being offered by the DJs that send other people out to DJ events.
These DJs have to work off sheer volume of events just like the multi DJ companies, because they have to compete by compensating for the reduced rates that the multi DJ companies can offer. Just as with the multi DJ companies, once again your wedding becomes nothing more than a number since these DJs have to do things such as DJ two weddings in one day. Other ways they make up for lowered fees are cutting corners on things such as not spending the time and energy on necessary pre-wedding work, not spending the money on dependable back-up equipment, not replacing worn out equipment, and having to work a full time weekday job where by the time the weekend rolls around they are already spent.
It's important to remember that in order to compete on price, single operator DJs have to charge fees that conform to what's considered the average fee, which is set by the multi DJ companies. Because of this they end up providing inconsistent quality, impersonal non-customized service, and very poor reliability because of the reasons mentioned above.
What I do Different
I won't let the way other DJs run their business affect what I consider to be an ethical obligation to offer only the best quality and 100% reliability, even if I have to charge a little more. You’ll be pleased to know that I actually do all my own work, so if you hire me you get me! Period! You won't get that last minute call saying some emergency came up and I'm sending someone else. I don't do anything that could jeopardize ruining your wedding just to make more money.
You also will be pleased to know that I never in a million years would book two weddings in one day the way all other DJs do. I put in the extra time where other DJs wont, such as arriving at the closest possible Starbucks or something similar an obsessive 4 to 5 hours before I’m to start playing music and then move on to the venue 2.5 to 3.5 hours before music start time. A two-stage system consistently conducted to ensure punctuality for every wedding. I’m also obsessive about doing pre-event work thoroughly, testing and replacing worn equipment, and all the many other big and small things that must be done behind the scene to keep your wedding from being ruined.
These are just a few of the many reasons why I’m so fail proof and consistent and other DJs are not! A couples wedding is never just another number with me. I treat all couples that hire me with the same fairness and level of respect that I treat my best friends. I make sure things are done right even in places behind the scene where brides and grooms can't see, but where it will make all the difference in their wedding being either a total success or a total disaster.
To make the most money in this business DJs must be heavily competitive on price in order to book up every single weekend. DJs tempt brides and grooms to book with them by offering an attractive rate, so this way they will get the most bookings and fill up every weekend and in turn make the most money. But what you don't know is what they plan on doing with all these bookings. This is the part they like to keep secret.
DJ's That Send Out Other People to DJ Weddings
With many DJs, you run a very big risk at not getting who you talk to about your wedding. Most DJs tell couples that either they or a business partner who's a seasoned DJ and who's been with them for years will be the one that will DJ their wedding. The problem is, a week or so before the wedding they call some of the couples and say an emergency came up and that they will be sending someone else to take over, often saying it will be their business partner or their best DJ to make it sound good, but it ends up just being some guy that wants to do a little DJ work for some extra cash. The guys they send out are almost always inexperienced, unprofessional, and normally don’t feel obligated to you and often don’t really care what happens, since he is getting paid a small part of the total fee you pay.
People unknowingly play Russian roulette with who they actually end up getting. Some couples may get the main DJ, but then again clearly this doesn't happen to everyone that books. This is a smart way to make more money, since this is the only way for a DJ to have many events going on the same day and make money from each one of them. The only good thing about the way they operate is that they can offer a lower rate since they can charge less per event by working this way, but the draw back is that their quality and dependability is in question leaving you gambling with your wedding.
Single Operator DJs
It's not always possible to tell who the DJs are that do all their own work, but there are very few like myself who actually do, approximately around 2 to 3%. These DJs should cost more, this is one of the way to tell if they do their own work. Unfortunately some of these DJs do things that can damage your wedding too, in order to compete with the lowered rates and degraded services being offered by the DJs that send other people out to DJ events.
These DJs have to work off sheer volume of events just like the multi DJ companies, because they have to compete by compensating for the reduced rates that the multi DJ companies can offer. Just as with the multi DJ companies, once again your wedding becomes nothing more than a number since these DJs have to do things such as DJ two weddings in one day. Other ways they make up for lowered fees are cutting corners on things such as not spending the time and energy on necessary pre-wedding work, not spending the money on dependable back-up equipment, not replacing worn out equipment, and having to work a full time weekday job where by the time the weekend rolls around they are already spent.
It's important to remember that in order to compete on price, single operator DJs have to charge fees that conform to what's considered the average fee, which is set by the multi DJ companies. Because of this they end up providing inconsistent quality, impersonal non-customized service, and very poor reliability because of the reasons mentioned above.
What I do Different
I won't let the way other DJs run their business affect what I consider to be an ethical obligation to offer only the best quality and 100% reliability, even if I have to charge a little more. You’ll be pleased to know that I actually do all my own work, so if you hire me you get me! Period! You won't get that last minute call saying some emergency came up and I'm sending someone else. I don't do anything that could jeopardize ruining your wedding just to make more money.
You also will be pleased to know that I never in a million years would book two weddings in one day the way all other DJs do. I put in the extra time where other DJs wont, such as arriving at the closest possible Starbucks or something similar an obsessive 4 to 5 hours before I’m to start playing music and then move on to the venue 2.5 to 3.5 hours before music start time. A two-stage system consistently conducted to ensure punctuality for every wedding. I’m also obsessive about doing pre-event work thoroughly, testing and replacing worn equipment, and all the many other big and small things that must be done behind the scene to keep your wedding from being ruined.
These are just a few of the many reasons why I’m so fail proof and consistent and other DJs are not! A couples wedding is never just another number with me. I treat all couples that hire me with the same fairness and level of respect that I treat my best friends. I make sure things are done right even in places behind the scene where brides and grooms can't see, but where it will make all the difference in their wedding being either a total success or a total disaster.
The "Wedding Story"
Wedding Story One
I was having dinner out with a group of friends one night and a girl who was invited asked what I did for a living. After telling her, she went on to tell me her nightmare experience she had with her wedding. She started telling me how her and her sister had heard so many stories about disc jockeys ruining weddings, that they decided to do what ever it took to make sure it didn't happen to her.
She went on to say, "Me and my sister did everything we could to make sure we found a good disc jockey for my wedding, so we literally made it a point to look at as many DJ’s web sites as possible, narrow it down to call five DJs and then narrowed it down once again to the top two. We then talked on the phone again to those two and went with what clearly was the best out of the bunch. He seemed the most professional and nice too." The next thing she did was to start shaking hear head and kind of rolling her eyes back in discuss, she said, "he ended up being a complete disaster."
She then went on to say, "I don't get it he was terrible, he did so many things wrong and just ruined my wedding. He was even on my reception location's recommended list and he even gave us several referrals to call that said he was great. I just don't get it? We went through so many disc jockeys and knew without a doubt we had the best out of all of them and it was still a disaster! I couldn't believe it. Are they all that bad?"
Wedding Story Two
Here's another more recent wedding story. I met up with some friends to watch a game out at a sports bar one day and one of the guys named Jerry, that's a friend of my best friend's brother, told me he just started DJing and wanted to make it a profession. He told me how he went out with two different DJs to do some weddings to learn the ropes. He then started telling me about some of extremely unethical things both DJs did and a few other things that were a strong indicator of really horrible service for these poor couples. He said, "I can't believe these guys; the way they work and run their business. Is that normal"? I told him, "oh ya, I'm afraid so. This industry is rife with guys like that for some reason." He then shook his head in disgust.
Conclusion
The answer to both of them was Yes! Well it's time to realize that this is the reality that people just can't seem to believe until they experience it for themselves; it really is that bad. Not one bride and groom hires their DJ thinking that he could ruin their wedding. Understandably they think they did fine at picking out their disc jockey until they learn the hard way by dealing with the stress of having problems.
I consider ethics and providing real quality service critical. But this will be obvious when you work with me. With me couples know they've made the right decision not only before their wedding, but also after when they see first hand the level of input I had in making their wedding come together.
I was having dinner out with a group of friends one night and a girl who was invited asked what I did for a living. After telling her, she went on to tell me her nightmare experience she had with her wedding. She started telling me how her and her sister had heard so many stories about disc jockeys ruining weddings, that they decided to do what ever it took to make sure it didn't happen to her.
She went on to say, "Me and my sister did everything we could to make sure we found a good disc jockey for my wedding, so we literally made it a point to look at as many DJ’s web sites as possible, narrow it down to call five DJs and then narrowed it down once again to the top two. We then talked on the phone again to those two and went with what clearly was the best out of the bunch. He seemed the most professional and nice too." The next thing she did was to start shaking hear head and kind of rolling her eyes back in discuss, she said, "he ended up being a complete disaster."
She then went on to say, "I don't get it he was terrible, he did so many things wrong and just ruined my wedding. He was even on my reception location's recommended list and he even gave us several referrals to call that said he was great. I just don't get it? We went through so many disc jockeys and knew without a doubt we had the best out of all of them and it was still a disaster! I couldn't believe it. Are they all that bad?"
Wedding Story Two
Here's another more recent wedding story. I met up with some friends to watch a game out at a sports bar one day and one of the guys named Jerry, that's a friend of my best friend's brother, told me he just started DJing and wanted to make it a profession. He told me how he went out with two different DJs to do some weddings to learn the ropes. He then started telling me about some of extremely unethical things both DJs did and a few other things that were a strong indicator of really horrible service for these poor couples. He said, "I can't believe these guys; the way they work and run their business. Is that normal"? I told him, "oh ya, I'm afraid so. This industry is rife with guys like that for some reason." He then shook his head in disgust.
Conclusion
The answer to both of them was Yes! Well it's time to realize that this is the reality that people just can't seem to believe until they experience it for themselves; it really is that bad. Not one bride and groom hires their DJ thinking that he could ruin their wedding. Understandably they think they did fine at picking out their disc jockey until they learn the hard way by dealing with the stress of having problems.
I consider ethics and providing real quality service critical. But this will be obvious when you work with me. With me couples know they've made the right decision not only before their wedding, but also after when they see first hand the level of input I had in making their wedding come together.
How Many Ways Can a DJ Ruin Your Wedding? Let's count the ways....
You won’t find a list like this anywhere showing you what most brides and grooms experience from their disc jockey. Here are a few of the ways disc jockeys commonly ruin weddings:
(1) Your DJ sending someone else out to DJ your wedding at the last minute. Other DJs normally send someone with little experience or some other problematic attribute to cover for the weddings they've booked.
(2) Your DJ entirely missing your wedding day by being a no show because they forgot your wedding was that day. Scary and more common than what you dare to think.
(3) Your DJ announcing by using the typical DJ style which sounds unnatural, over-hyped, and animated. Very goofy and embarrassing to have at your wedding.
(4) Your DJ suddenly stopping the music and packing up to leave for home or another obligation and refusing to stay longer even when you want the reception to continue. They say, "I put in the four hour base that you contracted for and the additional time after that is optional on my part too, not just yours"
(5) Your DJ emailing you just days before your wedding to tell you that something came up and that they have to cancel. I get a lot of these brides and grooms calling me at the last minute frantic to see if I'm available.
(6) Your DJ not being reliable by arriving late to your wedding. Sometimes I hear of DJs showing up literally hours late to weddings.
(7) Your DJ showing up with a really bad hangover and not being able to perform his work correctly. Many DJs became DJs since they are extreme partyers and tend to over do it.
(8) Your DJ butchering your name by announcing it incorrectly when you two enter your reception. I don't know why, but this sadly is very common.
(9) Your DJ announcing too much pointless information and annoying guests since your guests keep having to stop visiting over and over again to try to hear if it's something important he's announcing.
(10) Your DJ acting shy and not announcing important steps to the point where guests have no idea of what's going on, leaving the guests confused or board and the reception in disarray. Believe it or not, some DJs have a real fear of public speaking.
(11) Your DJ forcing your wedding to end early by intentionally playing music the guests are turned off by in order to get guests to leave, just because your DJ just want to go home or wants to meet friends out that night. Basically killing your reception off so they can leave. I've actually had a lot DJs ask me if I do this, since they seem to think it's a good idea.
(12) Your DJ saying he dresses one way, but then on your wedding day he shows up dressed inappropriately or looking like a slob.
(13) Your DJ forgetting to bring your First Dance song or just not bothering to get it. (I have couples all the time tell me this happened to them on their wedding day).
(14) Your DJ not playing your music selections. For more on this read Wedding Secrets section, "Is Music Really That Important to You"?
(15) Your DJ playing music that you hate and asked him not to play or playing songs from a no play list you gave him. Strangely this is very common. For more on this read on Wedding Secrets, "Is Music Really That Important to You"?
(16) Your DJ not being a real wedding pro since he can't pick up on what time to play what particular songs. This is actually a real skill that not everyone develops, and if a person can develop this skill it only develops with many years of only focusing on and DJing weddings.
(17) Your DJ getting drunk and rude with guests at your wedding. Yes this really happens!
(18) Your DJs equipment going out in the middle of your reception and him not having back up equipment. What happens then? Your wedding is over! Some DJs say they bring back up equipment, but then don't always do it.
(19) Your DJ embarrassing you by announcing at your wedding using crude, crass, or tacky jokes with the announcements.
(20) Your DJ lacking the ability to accurately coordinate the stages of your reception and unable to keep things on track and together. This is actually a real skill that not everyone develops, and if a person can develop this skill it only develops with many years of only focusing on and DJing weddings.
(21) Your DJ plugging in high wattage dance or room lighting and blowing the electrical circuits in the room out. No sound, no room lighting, no nothing. A terrible way to end your wedding! And yes I occasionally hear of this happening.
(22) Your DJ suddenly misbehaving by being inflexible, difficult, and belligerent with you at your own wedding, when prior to your wedding he acted friendly and professional. This is high on the list of the most common things couples tell me happened to them during their wedding.
(23) Your DJ unable to manage all the multiple tasks and variables that a DJ MC must manage in order to keep the reception from being ruined.
(24) Your DJ not bothering to do the necessary pre-wedding work and showing up unprepared and wrecking your wedding.
(25) Your DJ not being reachable before your wedding and leaving you stressed out and worried leading up to your wedding day.
(26) Your DJ having to leave your wedding early or arriving late to your wedding because they've booked another wedding besides yours on your wedding day. Yes, shockingly all other DJs I have ever met really will book two weddings per day. But it's more money for them so they do it anyway.
If your music and how well your wedding runs is important to you, then take heed since these problems listed above are real and you can expect these problems with DJs. Odds are you can count on having at least two of these happening to you with other DJs. Of course it's always possible to be one of the lucky ones where the DJ does ok job at your wedding, but gambling with your wedding like this is crazy.
With me these problems wont happen to you. I have such a high regard for punctuality, reliability and brides and grooms that in all my 20 years of disc jockeying I have started the music on time every time. I’m into my craft as a true specialist, so the coordination and style of announcing is truly professional. When someone hires me for their wedding I know they are counting on me to pull through for them. A few attributes I poses that allow me to provide such a high quality and dependable service are; I'm extremely punctual, organized, detail oriented, caring, and a true professional. It may sound funny, but I'm even a DJ with a higher education; a Masters in Business Administration (MBA) from a top highly rated university.
(1) Your DJ sending someone else out to DJ your wedding at the last minute. Other DJs normally send someone with little experience or some other problematic attribute to cover for the weddings they've booked.
(2) Your DJ entirely missing your wedding day by being a no show because they forgot your wedding was that day. Scary and more common than what you dare to think.
(3) Your DJ announcing by using the typical DJ style which sounds unnatural, over-hyped, and animated. Very goofy and embarrassing to have at your wedding.
(4) Your DJ suddenly stopping the music and packing up to leave for home or another obligation and refusing to stay longer even when you want the reception to continue. They say, "I put in the four hour base that you contracted for and the additional time after that is optional on my part too, not just yours"
(5) Your DJ emailing you just days before your wedding to tell you that something came up and that they have to cancel. I get a lot of these brides and grooms calling me at the last minute frantic to see if I'm available.
(6) Your DJ not being reliable by arriving late to your wedding. Sometimes I hear of DJs showing up literally hours late to weddings.
(7) Your DJ showing up with a really bad hangover and not being able to perform his work correctly. Many DJs became DJs since they are extreme partyers and tend to over do it.
(8) Your DJ butchering your name by announcing it incorrectly when you two enter your reception. I don't know why, but this sadly is very common.
(9) Your DJ announcing too much pointless information and annoying guests since your guests keep having to stop visiting over and over again to try to hear if it's something important he's announcing.
(10) Your DJ acting shy and not announcing important steps to the point where guests have no idea of what's going on, leaving the guests confused or board and the reception in disarray. Believe it or not, some DJs have a real fear of public speaking.
(11) Your DJ forcing your wedding to end early by intentionally playing music the guests are turned off by in order to get guests to leave, just because your DJ just want to go home or wants to meet friends out that night. Basically killing your reception off so they can leave. I've actually had a lot DJs ask me if I do this, since they seem to think it's a good idea.
(12) Your DJ saying he dresses one way, but then on your wedding day he shows up dressed inappropriately or looking like a slob.
(13) Your DJ forgetting to bring your First Dance song or just not bothering to get it. (I have couples all the time tell me this happened to them on their wedding day).
(14) Your DJ not playing your music selections. For more on this read Wedding Secrets section, "Is Music Really That Important to You"?
(15) Your DJ playing music that you hate and asked him not to play or playing songs from a no play list you gave him. Strangely this is very common. For more on this read on Wedding Secrets, "Is Music Really That Important to You"?
(16) Your DJ not being a real wedding pro since he can't pick up on what time to play what particular songs. This is actually a real skill that not everyone develops, and if a person can develop this skill it only develops with many years of only focusing on and DJing weddings.
(17) Your DJ getting drunk and rude with guests at your wedding. Yes this really happens!
(18) Your DJs equipment going out in the middle of your reception and him not having back up equipment. What happens then? Your wedding is over! Some DJs say they bring back up equipment, but then don't always do it.
(19) Your DJ embarrassing you by announcing at your wedding using crude, crass, or tacky jokes with the announcements.
(20) Your DJ lacking the ability to accurately coordinate the stages of your reception and unable to keep things on track and together. This is actually a real skill that not everyone develops, and if a person can develop this skill it only develops with many years of only focusing on and DJing weddings.
(21) Your DJ plugging in high wattage dance or room lighting and blowing the electrical circuits in the room out. No sound, no room lighting, no nothing. A terrible way to end your wedding! And yes I occasionally hear of this happening.
(22) Your DJ suddenly misbehaving by being inflexible, difficult, and belligerent with you at your own wedding, when prior to your wedding he acted friendly and professional. This is high on the list of the most common things couples tell me happened to them during their wedding.
(23) Your DJ unable to manage all the multiple tasks and variables that a DJ MC must manage in order to keep the reception from being ruined.
(24) Your DJ not bothering to do the necessary pre-wedding work and showing up unprepared and wrecking your wedding.
(25) Your DJ not being reachable before your wedding and leaving you stressed out and worried leading up to your wedding day.
(26) Your DJ having to leave your wedding early or arriving late to your wedding because they've booked another wedding besides yours on your wedding day. Yes, shockingly all other DJs I have ever met really will book two weddings per day. But it's more money for them so they do it anyway.
If your music and how well your wedding runs is important to you, then take heed since these problems listed above are real and you can expect these problems with DJs. Odds are you can count on having at least two of these happening to you with other DJs. Of course it's always possible to be one of the lucky ones where the DJ does ok job at your wedding, but gambling with your wedding like this is crazy.
With me these problems wont happen to you. I have such a high regard for punctuality, reliability and brides and grooms that in all my 20 years of disc jockeying I have started the music on time every time. I’m into my craft as a true specialist, so the coordination and style of announcing is truly professional. When someone hires me for their wedding I know they are counting on me to pull through for them. A few attributes I poses that allow me to provide such a high quality and dependable service are; I'm extremely punctual, organized, detail oriented, caring, and a true professional. It may sound funny, but I'm even a DJ with a higher education; a Masters in Business Administration (MBA) from a top highly rated university.
All Cultures, Ethnicities, Religions, and Tastes
People ask me what types of weddings I DJ. I tell them I DJ all types of weddings; small, big, multicultural, casual, nontraditional, lounge or cocktail hour style, formal, elegant, and many with small budgets. It should come as no surprise that no matter what type of wedding someone is having there is no barrier to the fact that people don’t want their most emotionally charged and important day of their life ruined by their DJ.
I know money doesn’t grow on trees and the last thing anyone wants to do is blow money on something that’s not worth it, but in this case there is a reason to pay for quality to keep your wedding from having the potential of literally being ruined. A budget should be created where you put funds where they matter the most and make the biggest difference, but many couples forget this important fact when it comes to their DJ. It’s always possible to cut back on flowers, cocktail hour food, number of pictures, cake, video, open bar, or number of guests without compromising your wedding. What will any of these things matter if your wedding is ruined by what your DJ does or doesn’t do? It’s said that the three most important things are the music, food, and pictures. I'm a fan of good food and photographic art, but the fact is the photographer does not make or create the wedding like the music, coordination, and announcing does, and the food will soon be forgotten since it’s only something guests experience less than an hour.
Open bar? What kind of fun will having a few paid drinks for your guests be if the music sucks and the coordination and announcing is a mess, or the DJ either shows up hours late or not at all, or shuts down and leaves early?
The music and announcing from your DJ covers more time than anything else; literally the entire reception, so what your DJ does will be experienced by your guests more than anything else having to do with your wedding. With this fact, you can see just one of the reasons why your DJ will be the most important decision you'll make and where you should put the most consideration. I can’t help but feel sorry for all the many people I meet that tell me of all things having to do with their wedding, the biggest mistake they made was to not put a big enough importance on their DJ. They tell me they just didn’t realize how important it was to get someone that is at the top of their game and specializes in only weddings until it was too late.
I know money doesn’t grow on trees and the last thing anyone wants to do is blow money on something that’s not worth it, but in this case there is a reason to pay for quality to keep your wedding from having the potential of literally being ruined. A budget should be created where you put funds where they matter the most and make the biggest difference, but many couples forget this important fact when it comes to their DJ. It’s always possible to cut back on flowers, cocktail hour food, number of pictures, cake, video, open bar, or number of guests without compromising your wedding. What will any of these things matter if your wedding is ruined by what your DJ does or doesn’t do? It’s said that the three most important things are the music, food, and pictures. I'm a fan of good food and photographic art, but the fact is the photographer does not make or create the wedding like the music, coordination, and announcing does, and the food will soon be forgotten since it’s only something guests experience less than an hour.
Open bar? What kind of fun will having a few paid drinks for your guests be if the music sucks and the coordination and announcing is a mess, or the DJ either shows up hours late or not at all, or shuts down and leaves early?
The music and announcing from your DJ covers more time than anything else; literally the entire reception, so what your DJ does will be experienced by your guests more than anything else having to do with your wedding. With this fact, you can see just one of the reasons why your DJ will be the most important decision you'll make and where you should put the most consideration. I can’t help but feel sorry for all the many people I meet that tell me of all things having to do with their wedding, the biggest mistake they made was to not put a big enough importance on their DJ. They tell me they just didn’t realize how important it was to get someone that is at the top of their game and specializes in only weddings until it was too late.
The One Traditional Wedding Thing .....that shouldn't be!
It's common for couples to be stunned and embarrassed at their own wedding when they realize too late that the wedding professional they thought they hired sounds ridiculous on the microphone by using an over-hyped animated voice, clichés, constantly advertising their name and company name, and hamming it up.
Couples aren't happy when their DJ starts to blast guests with crude or trivial jokes, annoy and distract guests by announcing useless information non-stop, or use tasteless cliché's such as calling the bride and groom "the happy couple" over the microphone.
Just understand that this type of announcing is considered normal among DJs, so disc jockeys tend to consider it to be acceptable and assume it's what everyone wants. This style comes from DJs working all types of events such as teen parties, company parties, birthdays, etc. DJs don't separate their styles of announcing and end up acting, sounding, and treating weddings like these other types of events.
It goes without saying that this isn’t appropriate for most weddings today. Don't forget that your disc jockey's entire presentation including every word he says on the microphone, how his voice sounds, his appearance, how his equipment looks, and the music he plays will be permanently branded in the minds of your guests forever. This directly reflects on you, your spouse and your entire wedding because your guests will perceive it as your sense of style; thus the embarrassment I mentioned earlier.
I'm an accomplished wedding professional, not the typical DJ; the difference will be unmistakable. You will be extremely happy at how different I am compared to other DJs and the positive effect that I can make on your wedding that other DJs are unable to.
I have a resonant yet natural voice that's appropriate and will actually enhance the taste and overall feel of your reception without sounding forced, fake, animated, or obtrusive. In addition, I will help the two of you on your wedding day by moving your reception forward at the right pace, helping coordinate, and when needed guiding your guests' attention in a tasteful and appropriate way.
Couples aren't happy when their DJ starts to blast guests with crude or trivial jokes, annoy and distract guests by announcing useless information non-stop, or use tasteless cliché's such as calling the bride and groom "the happy couple" over the microphone.
Just understand that this type of announcing is considered normal among DJs, so disc jockeys tend to consider it to be acceptable and assume it's what everyone wants. This style comes from DJs working all types of events such as teen parties, company parties, birthdays, etc. DJs don't separate their styles of announcing and end up acting, sounding, and treating weddings like these other types of events.
It goes without saying that this isn’t appropriate for most weddings today. Don't forget that your disc jockey's entire presentation including every word he says on the microphone, how his voice sounds, his appearance, how his equipment looks, and the music he plays will be permanently branded in the minds of your guests forever. This directly reflects on you, your spouse and your entire wedding because your guests will perceive it as your sense of style; thus the embarrassment I mentioned earlier.
I'm an accomplished wedding professional, not the typical DJ; the difference will be unmistakable. You will be extremely happy at how different I am compared to other DJs and the positive effect that I can make on your wedding that other DJs are unable to.
I have a resonant yet natural voice that's appropriate and will actually enhance the taste and overall feel of your reception without sounding forced, fake, animated, or obtrusive. In addition, I will help the two of you on your wedding day by moving your reception forward at the right pace, helping coordinate, and when needed guiding your guests' attention in a tasteful and appropriate way.
What Happend With My Wedding Specialist?
Sadly, recently I've started seeing other DJs now claiming to be wedding specialists, when in fact they're not being honest when saying they're specialists. No other DJ has done purely weddings as I have done throughout the years. These other DJs have played for many other types of events such as night clubs, company parties, teen dances, and all other non-wedding events and just now are saying their wedding specialists. This other type of DJing they've been doing is completely different than the type of DJing that's required for a wedding. Their experience is not years of purely wedding experience like mine is. You can't be a specialist when in the past you've done everything and we all know how important it is to have a specialist when something as important as a wedding is at stake.
The negative affects of a DJ that's not really a wedding specialist can be seen in things such as inaccurate coordination skills, an inappropriate or unprofessional look, showy or extreme style of announcing, mismanagement of your music selections, punctuality and dependability problems, and a myriad of other wedding damaging problems. How well your DJ does with each and every one of these things is crucial, since the DJ is the number one factor that will make or break your wedding.
Unlike other DJs I've exclusively performed weddings and nothing but weddings now for over 20 years. It doesn't matter what other DJs say or what length they will go to in order to get you to book them, but going with a non-specialist on your wedding day is not making the intelligent choice. You're going to be very happy having me help you, since having someone with a solid 20 year track recored of exclusively DJing only weddings to help create your wedding will make all the difference in making your wedding a real success.
The negative affects of a DJ that's not really a wedding specialist can be seen in things such as inaccurate coordination skills, an inappropriate or unprofessional look, showy or extreme style of announcing, mismanagement of your music selections, punctuality and dependability problems, and a myriad of other wedding damaging problems. How well your DJ does with each and every one of these things is crucial, since the DJ is the number one factor that will make or break your wedding.
Unlike other DJs I've exclusively performed weddings and nothing but weddings now for over 20 years. It doesn't matter what other DJs say or what length they will go to in order to get you to book them, but going with a non-specialist on your wedding day is not making the intelligent choice. You're going to be very happy having me help you, since having someone with a solid 20 year track recored of exclusively DJing only weddings to help create your wedding will make all the difference in making your wedding a real success.
Your Disc Jockey MIA
It’s a common occurrence for brides and grooms to call me in a complete and total panic, franticly calling me to see if I’m available to DJ their wedding that’s in just a day or two. They are frantic and stressed out since they haven’t heard back from the DJ they hired and their wedding is in just a day or two.
Brides say, “I saw your website and can tell I can trust you and want to see if you’re still available for my wedding tomorrow?” They then say, “The DJ I hired some time back won’t return my calls or emails and I don’t know what to do other than hire someone else.”
It’s a very common thing for DJs to go MIA on brides and grooms. I can only assume it’s the type of person that commonly goes into this line of work, since a DJ going MIA is more common than any other wedding professional or service that brides and grooms can hire for their wedding.
You have to be more careful when hiring your DJ more than any other service or thing concerning your wedding. If you don’t have total and complete dependability and trust with your DJ you have a potential wedding disaster scenario on your hands.
Some DJs that have gone MIA on couples are some that brides and grooms tell me came highly recommended to them by other couples, location managers and other wedding vendors. So just because someone comes highly recommended appears to not make much of a difference.
I’m friendly, helpful, flexible, always accessible, and most importantly stress free for brides and grooms. A very large number of DJs end up being difficult to work with, not helpful, difficult to get hold of, and actually will increased your stress. Not me, I’m always accessible even on your wedding day. Sounds funny to say, but I don’t disappear or go MIA. If you hire me for your wedding you will be comforted to find that I’m 100% accessible to you at all times and an extremist in being responsive.
Brides say, “I saw your website and can tell I can trust you and want to see if you’re still available for my wedding tomorrow?” They then say, “The DJ I hired some time back won’t return my calls or emails and I don’t know what to do other than hire someone else.”
It’s a very common thing for DJs to go MIA on brides and grooms. I can only assume it’s the type of person that commonly goes into this line of work, since a DJ going MIA is more common than any other wedding professional or service that brides and grooms can hire for their wedding.
You have to be more careful when hiring your DJ more than any other service or thing concerning your wedding. If you don’t have total and complete dependability and trust with your DJ you have a potential wedding disaster scenario on your hands.
Some DJs that have gone MIA on couples are some that brides and grooms tell me came highly recommended to them by other couples, location managers and other wedding vendors. So just because someone comes highly recommended appears to not make much of a difference.
I’m friendly, helpful, flexible, always accessible, and most importantly stress free for brides and grooms. A very large number of DJs end up being difficult to work with, not helpful, difficult to get hold of, and actually will increased your stress. Not me, I’m always accessible even on your wedding day. Sounds funny to say, but I don’t disappear or go MIA. If you hire me for your wedding you will be comforted to find that I’m 100% accessible to you at all times and an extremist in being responsive.
Reducing Stress (#*!@*#) on Your Wedding Day
Relaxation and fun are truly possible with me as your disc jockey. This is because with my many years of exclusively disc jockeying weddings I have developed my craft and skill to facilitate all the fine and important steps and formalities with ease. My objective for you as the bride and groom is to enjoy your reception without stress and have fun throughout the progression of your reception.
Here are just a few examples of the many ways I can make a difference:
· I consult with the catering staff and/or your coordinator about beverage and dining announcements and see that the staff pours for the toast when they should.
· I will see that your photographer is present “in the room” and that their camera is ready to shoot prior to me announcing any stage of your reception. This way you get pictures of all the special events of your reception such as the first dance.
· Should you elect to have a Father and Daughter dance, a Mother and Son dance, or any other special dance(s); I will see that the necessary family members are present in the room, prior to the start of your first dance so that the transitions are seamless.
· There are many more things that other DJs miss and even many wedding coordinators during the wedding where one is used; things that make a big difference on how smooth your reception will runs. Some of which I will cover when we speak.
Just remember though that all disc jockeys say they help coordinate. They coordinate to a minor degree, but definitely not on the level that I do. I will make sure the two of you are aware and ready of each upcoming stage before announcing and without rushing the two of you, so everything will come together with ease. I am there to help facilitate your reception so you can relax and have fun, yet not feel rushed.
Here are just a few examples of the many ways I can make a difference:
· I consult with the catering staff and/or your coordinator about beverage and dining announcements and see that the staff pours for the toast when they should.
· I will see that your photographer is present “in the room” and that their camera is ready to shoot prior to me announcing any stage of your reception. This way you get pictures of all the special events of your reception such as the first dance.
· Should you elect to have a Father and Daughter dance, a Mother and Son dance, or any other special dance(s); I will see that the necessary family members are present in the room, prior to the start of your first dance so that the transitions are seamless.
· There are many more things that other DJs miss and even many wedding coordinators during the wedding where one is used; things that make a big difference on how smooth your reception will runs. Some of which I will cover when we speak.
Just remember though that all disc jockeys say they help coordinate. They coordinate to a minor degree, but definitely not on the level that I do. I will make sure the two of you are aware and ready of each upcoming stage before announcing and without rushing the two of you, so everything will come together with ease. I am there to help facilitate your reception so you can relax and have fun, yet not feel rushed.
What Really Goes On Behind The Scene
There are DJs that charge the standard average DJ rate for events like high school dances, BBQs, company parties, etc., but also charge this same rate for weddings too. On the other side of the coin there are somewhere around one in fifteen DJs that charge a fee that is higher than this average rate. These DJs that charge more than the standard average are the DJs that are true pros at doing weddings. Still it’s understandable why some brides and grooms can’t understand why these wedding pros charge more, thinking, “I can’t believe they charge that much than the average DJ for just four hours of DJ work. Are they ripping people off or are they crazy to think that they should be able to charge more?”
Like the old saying goes, looks can be deceiving, and that’s definitely the case here. To an outside observer it’s impossible to see what’s really going on here, but here it is.
To be an accomplished skilled wedding disc jockey it takes many years of working weekends, often late into the night to become a true pro at weddings. Talk about a great sacrifice when considering that’s when friends and family get together, so to get to this level a DJ must unfortunately give up all those special social times with family and friends. So there is a great deal of sacrifice that goes into becoming accomplished and skilled at this profession. Include this along with the high stress level of having the responsibility of running a wedding, which is someone’s once in a lifetime and most important event in their life. Talk about stress.
Also there is a lot of overhead costs and a large number of hours worked behind the scene that is included in just running the basics of a business and all the necessary pre wedding hours of work that must be put in.
I have had a lot of friends and a girlfriend tell me after getting to know me say, “wow, when you told me you were a DJ for weddings I had no idea how much work you put in to it and how much it costs to run your business. I just can't believe how much money you have to spend on your business! I never would have guessed.” People are truly shocked when they get to know what it takes to run the service I offer and the money and time I have to put into it so that there are no problems.
Cost of maintaining and replacing quality professional sound equipment, purchasing music, office equipment, overhead such as advertising costs, paying for your own health care and dental care, and of course taxes. Work hours put in with things such as dealing with calls from new brides and grooms looking for a DJ, working with couple before their wedding with planning and music, putting together playlists and managing and updating the music library, putting together contracts and sending them out, maintaining and testing sound equipment, bookkeeping and accounting. Managing marketing and promoting. Moving, hauling, and setting up heavy sound equipment, running power and speaker lines, and breaking down heavy sound equipment. For just one set-up of sound equipment per wedding requires 3750 lbs. of equipment and cable bags to be lifted, and this is not including other set-ups for things such as ceremony and cocktail hour. This is each piece of equipment in lbs. times (x) how many times it has to be lifted per wedding in and out of vehicle, on and off dolly, etc.
Remember too, that there are only so many days per year that weddings happen when considering this work is seasonal and almost always weekends and almost always Saturdays. That doesn't leave too many days to make a living and that’s why there are so many DJs that secretly plan on sending out other people to DJ the events they book and also attempt to DJ two weddings in one single day.
In reality, the most money a DJ can make per event when charging the average rate, after all the overhead and all the time required when calculating the amount of hours, works out to be very close to minimum wage. Would you really trust your wedding to someone making minimum wage when it is such a high skill type of work where major mistakes are not acceptable? It just isn’t possible to pay what would equate to be close to minimum wage for your DJ and end up with anything good. Luck just doesn’t play out that way.
The average DJ takes many dangerous short cuts in order to charge this lower rate, so that they end up making more than minimum wage; short cuts that can prove damaging to your wedding. Things like not replacing equipment when it should be replaced, not paying for other necessities to increase dependability, not putting in all the pre wedding work time that’s required to make sure there are no problems. So if they take all sorts of short cuts and in turn end up not providing a solid dependable service, they then can charge a much lower rate and feel it was worth taking big risks since they are getting more work and making more of a profit. Like the saying goes, ‘you get what you pay for,” and this is definitely a good example of that old saying.
It just isn’t possible to somehow get “lucky” and pay the average standard rate the average DJ charges for something that takes years of developed skill, many hours of hard work including pre wedding work, and includes such a high level of stress. Fact is, wages like that are geared to low or no skill laborers for people just entering the work force or undocumented workers. You can’t expect any more than low or no skill, and no quality when paying that rate. Taking a chance like that is not only just risky, but also makes no since whatsoever when your wedding is a once in a lifetime thing that can never be redone.
Like the old saying goes, looks can be deceiving, and that’s definitely the case here. To an outside observer it’s impossible to see what’s really going on here, but here it is.
To be an accomplished skilled wedding disc jockey it takes many years of working weekends, often late into the night to become a true pro at weddings. Talk about a great sacrifice when considering that’s when friends and family get together, so to get to this level a DJ must unfortunately give up all those special social times with family and friends. So there is a great deal of sacrifice that goes into becoming accomplished and skilled at this profession. Include this along with the high stress level of having the responsibility of running a wedding, which is someone’s once in a lifetime and most important event in their life. Talk about stress.
Also there is a lot of overhead costs and a large number of hours worked behind the scene that is included in just running the basics of a business and all the necessary pre wedding hours of work that must be put in.
I have had a lot of friends and a girlfriend tell me after getting to know me say, “wow, when you told me you were a DJ for weddings I had no idea how much work you put in to it and how much it costs to run your business. I just can't believe how much money you have to spend on your business! I never would have guessed.” People are truly shocked when they get to know what it takes to run the service I offer and the money and time I have to put into it so that there are no problems.
Cost of maintaining and replacing quality professional sound equipment, purchasing music, office equipment, overhead such as advertising costs, paying for your own health care and dental care, and of course taxes. Work hours put in with things such as dealing with calls from new brides and grooms looking for a DJ, working with couple before their wedding with planning and music, putting together playlists and managing and updating the music library, putting together contracts and sending them out, maintaining and testing sound equipment, bookkeeping and accounting. Managing marketing and promoting. Moving, hauling, and setting up heavy sound equipment, running power and speaker lines, and breaking down heavy sound equipment. For just one set-up of sound equipment per wedding requires 3750 lbs. of equipment and cable bags to be lifted, and this is not including other set-ups for things such as ceremony and cocktail hour. This is each piece of equipment in lbs. times (x) how many times it has to be lifted per wedding in and out of vehicle, on and off dolly, etc.
Remember too, that there are only so many days per year that weddings happen when considering this work is seasonal and almost always weekends and almost always Saturdays. That doesn't leave too many days to make a living and that’s why there are so many DJs that secretly plan on sending out other people to DJ the events they book and also attempt to DJ two weddings in one single day.
In reality, the most money a DJ can make per event when charging the average rate, after all the overhead and all the time required when calculating the amount of hours, works out to be very close to minimum wage. Would you really trust your wedding to someone making minimum wage when it is such a high skill type of work where major mistakes are not acceptable? It just isn’t possible to pay what would equate to be close to minimum wage for your DJ and end up with anything good. Luck just doesn’t play out that way.
The average DJ takes many dangerous short cuts in order to charge this lower rate, so that they end up making more than minimum wage; short cuts that can prove damaging to your wedding. Things like not replacing equipment when it should be replaced, not paying for other necessities to increase dependability, not putting in all the pre wedding work time that’s required to make sure there are no problems. So if they take all sorts of short cuts and in turn end up not providing a solid dependable service, they then can charge a much lower rate and feel it was worth taking big risks since they are getting more work and making more of a profit. Like the saying goes, ‘you get what you pay for,” and this is definitely a good example of that old saying.
It just isn’t possible to somehow get “lucky” and pay the average standard rate the average DJ charges for something that takes years of developed skill, many hours of hard work including pre wedding work, and includes such a high level of stress. Fact is, wages like that are geared to low or no skill laborers for people just entering the work force or undocumented workers. You can’t expect any more than low or no skill, and no quality when paying that rate. Taking a chance like that is not only just risky, but also makes no since whatsoever when your wedding is a once in a lifetime thing that can never be redone.
Last Few Last Important Words
It's great you took the time to get informed about what you’re dealing with when hiring a disc jockey. I showed you many important facts and reveled many secretes that without a doubt could negatively affect your wedding and that you should avoid at all cost. .
The things I've detailed out on this page are not something that brides and grooms can easily and clearly explain to their fiancé, so if your fiancé or anyone else is involved in this decision it's extremely important that they read through some of this page. This is the only way they’ll know what they’re really dealing with and how significant these things are and how they’ll affect your wedding. Encourage them to read this and even pester them a little if you have to.
I know you two are going to be more than happy how your wedding turns out if you decide to have me help you with it.
Thanks Russ
The things I've detailed out on this page are not something that brides and grooms can easily and clearly explain to their fiancé, so if your fiancé or anyone else is involved in this decision it's extremely important that they read through some of this page. This is the only way they’ll know what they’re really dealing with and how significant these things are and how they’ll affect your wedding. Encourage them to read this and even pester them a little if you have to.
I know you two are going to be more than happy how your wedding turns out if you decide to have me help you with it.
Thanks Russ