Wedding Secrets

  Secrets That Will Effect Your Wedding Exposed

Hidden Secrets of the Wedding Industry

Here I expose hidden truths so you will know exactly what you're dealing with when putting together your wedding.  Maybe someday the information on this page may end up in wedding books, on wedding websites, and known by wedding consultants, but these are things that you should know that no one talks about and that you wont find anywhere else.  

It's necessary to have to explain the negative side of things to make clear of the reality of what you will be dealing with and so that you will be aware of what to look for.  It's important to state too that I'm going to cover the problems of the business, meaning the people in it aren't necessarily  the problem or bad, and as a matter of fact if you speak with them you would agree that most are actually very nice people.  The real problem for brides and grooms  ends up being the way they have to operate their business in order to remain in business.  

The Two Way Disc Jockeys Have to Run Their Service

This most basic hidden fact that all brides and grooms should be aware of is the fact that disc jockeys have to book as many weddings and events as possible and work off volume, literally making it impossible for them to offer reliability, punctuality, and quality. 

The main way most djs do this is by offering low fees and then paying a  portion of the fee to armature or low quality disc jockeys to dj the weddings they’ve booked, sometimes without the bride’s and groom prior knowledge.  Surprise!   It's not unusual for disc jockeys to tell brides and grooms  they will be the one at their wedding when knowing all along they may end up sending someone else out to disc jockey their wedding since they tell everyone the same thing.  It literally ends up being a case of Russian Roulette whether brides and grooms end up getting the disc jockey they thought they would have. These "sent out" disc jockeys some times called "business partners" or "their best DJ" are usually very inexperienced, unprofessional, not suitable for most wedding, and often not motivated to do a good job since they are getting paid a very small amount by the disc jockey who owns and runs the business. 

A few select disc jockeys, maybe one in twenty, truly operate as a "single operator."  These are the disc jockeys that actually follow through with their word and work all the weddings and events themselves.  Single operator disc jockeys have to charge much less than what they really should charge in order to compete with all the other disc jockeys who send out low quality and armature DJs. This creates serious problems that brides and grooms are completely unaware of, one being the fact that these disc jockeys are forced to have to work off volume too, by working two weddings in one day.  They have no choice, this is the only way they can make up for their fees that are reduced to compete with these multi DJ companies.

There are many other problems this conflict presents; such as disc jockeys not spending the energy and time on necessary pre-event work since they feel they haven't been paid for it, cutting corners on spending money on important things such as back-up equipment and replacing worn out equipment, and some even having to work a full time weekday job where by the time they get to a wedding they're already spent. 

Bluntly put, disc jockeys charge reduced fees in order to get more events and weddings booked, but they end up putting out low quality, poor dependability and  poor punctuality; the things that will damage a wedding.  More than anything else having to do with your wedding you really get what you pay for when it comes time to  hire a disc jockey.  The disc jockey is what makes or breaks the wedding and where more focus on getting true  quality will make a dramatic difference in the outcome of your reception.   It's your choice which way you want to go with this, but just remember you get what you pay for with this just like most everything else; it's no different. 

I wont let these influences in  my industry overtake my ethics and affect what I consider is an ethical obligation to offer only expertise quality and 100% dependability.  For instance, you will be pleased to know that unlike other disc jockeys I actually do all my own work.   I would never send out another disc jockey to your wedding in order to make more money that day.  I will not DJ switch, so it will be me showing up to your wedding.  You also will be pleased to know that I never would book two weddings in one day like all other disc jockeys, so I am punctual and reliable!  You and your wedding will not be just a number to me.  I treat all brides and grooms with the same fairness and level of respect and ethics that I treat my best friends.  I make sure things are done right even behind the scene in places you won't see, but where it will makes the diffenrce between your wedding being a great success or just okay, or worse yet even a disaster.   

The Most Calculated Hidden Secret By DJs That You Need To Know

Because of it's importance here I explain in more detail the secret that is the most calculatedly hidden from all brides and grooms today; the fact that DJs attempt to squeeze two wedding into one day.  How is this possible?  Today there are more people getting married than locations for receptions.  Because of this overflow most reception locations now have both morning-noon and evening-night receptions, with the first weddings going anywhere from 10:00 am- to 5:00 pm and the second anywhere from 4:00 pm to12:00 pm.  Yes, it's not unusual for wedding ceremonies today to start as early as 10:00 a.m. 

By DJing two weddings per day, disc jockeys risk ruining the first wedding by having to rush through the reception’s steps as fast as possible in order to shut down early so they can start packing up to head off to the next wedding.  Believe it or not, I've had what appear to be professional and ethical disc jockeys tell me that they have to  intentionally play the wrong music at the noon reception in order to get guests to leave early, so they can "force end" the first wedding, break down their equipment, load up  and rush off in an attempt to make it to the second wedding in time.  With very little time between the two weddings DJs can end up arriving late to the second wedding from delays like running into traffic and a multitude of other possible delays.  DJs are also pretty well spent by the time they get to the second wedding and are not able to perform well.   It's a very stressful and exhausting business to be in and these poor guys having to do two weddings per day to keep their rate within the average range is crazy, but like I mentioned this practice is industry standard so they have no choice; it's the only way they can get bookings and stay in the business. 

I’m aware it may be hard to believe someone would actually do this and that this could be standard and practiced by all in this industry, but unfortunately it is.  These DJs aren't necessarily bad people, but their just following the industry standard they must follow. Literally every DJ I've met does two weddings a day and the only reason they talk about it to me is because they assume I also must do the same since everyone else does. This is a very serious problem because very few DJs will admit to brides and grooms that they do this even when they're confronted with the question.  They know that no one in their right mind would hire them if they knew that they would take such a risk.  I often hear brides and grooms talk about how extremely upset they were since their disc jockey showed up late to their wedding and also those whose disc jockey stopped playing the music, packed up and left  before they wanted him to.  

Most brides and grooms unknowingly end up using the "two wedding per day" rate disc jockeys charge, which is the average fee,  to make their final decision on what they will pay for their disc jockey.   

From being in my unique position in this industry, it's become evident to me that I'm the only disc jockey who truthfully only does one wedding per day.   Remember though that I really only disc jockey weddings, 100%,  so my idea of what's ethical tends to be quite a bit different.  I will not risk ruining your wedding  day by booking a second wedding on your wedding day.  If you decide to have me help you  with your wedding you will be treated as if your my best friend, so you will have the comfort of knowing you're going to be taken care of.

How Can A Disc Jockey 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 wedding:

(1)  Arriving late, sometimes up to hours late.   (2) Entirely missing the wedding by being a no show - more common than what you would think    (3)  Forcing weddings to end early by playing the wrong music intentionally to get guests to leave  (4)  Stopping the music and packing up when the bride and groom wont the reception to continue   (5)  Canceling just days before a wedding.  (6) Sending out an inexperienced DJ  to a wedding at the last minute.   (7)  Showing up with a hangover since nearly all djs became djs since they are party people.   (8) Announcing the brides and grooms name incorrectly on entrance.   (9) Announcing too much pointless information.   (10) Not announcing enough to the point where guests have no idea of what's going on.   (11) Announcing like the traditional DJ by using the exaggerated, over-hyped animated style of announcing.   (12) Dressing inappropriately or looking like a slob.   (13) Forgetting to bring the bride and grooms first dance song or just not bothering to get it.  (14) Not playing the brides and grooms music selections   (15) Playing the wrong songs and type of music.   (16)  Playing music the bride and groom hate.   (17) Not picking up on what songs to play and when to play them.    (18) Being rude to guests and family members.   (19) Getting drunk and rude at the wedding.  (20) DJ Equipment burning out in the middle of the reception and not having that particular piece of equipment as backup to save the wedding.    (21)  Crude or tacky jokes over the microphone.   (22) Lacking the ability to accurately coordinate stages and unable to keep things on track and together.  (23)  Plugging in high powered lighting and blowing the electrical circuit in the room out.  (24) Suddenly being inflexible and belligerent with brides and grooms at their wedding.   (25) Unable to manage the multiple tasks and variables that a  DJ MC must manage in  order to keep the reception from being ruined.  

If your music and how smooth your reception runs is important to you, then take heed since these problems listed above are normal and expected occurrences with other DJs.  Of course it's  always possible to be one of the lucky ones where the DJ does "okay" at their wedding, but gambling with your wedding like this is crazy.  Plus the DJ just being "okay" for most people is not good enough at a once and a lifetime event like your wedding.

With me as your disc jockey you get a 100% money back guarantee that these common problems will not happen to you.  I have such a high regard for punctuality, reliability and my client brides and grooms that in all my 18 years of disc jockeying weddings I have always started the music on time and have never missed a wedding for any reason.  I am into my craft as a true specialist, so the coordination and style of announcing is the best in the industry.  When someone hires me for their wedding I know they are counting on me to pull through for them.  A few of the attributes I posses that allow me to provide such a high quality and dependable service are; I'm extremely punctual, organized, detail oriented, and a true professional with an education in business - an accredited MBA from a major university.

Is Music Important to You?

I'm aware this sounds as though it's an extreme exaggeration, but just stay with me on this since this little secret unknown by brides and grooms is very common and will ruin your wedding faster than anything else. 

The most common and consistent complaint I hear from brides and grooms who hire other disc jockeys is that their disc jockey played music at their wedding they told him not to play, music they absolutely hated.  On top of that, he refused to play from their list they gave him.  No exaggeration, I hear this all the time from someone who this either has happened to or by brides or grooms who call me that say this very thing happened to all their friends or siblings who had a disc jockey for their wedding. 

Brides and grooms are completely shocked, disappointed and caught off guard that this could happen to them.  The reason their caught off guard about this is because the disc jockey they hired portrayed himself to be sincere and professional and clearly told them that he would definitely play only their music selections and from the styles they selected.   

I hear this so often from brides and grooms who hired other disc jockeys that it can really get frustrating when I tell other future brides and grooms this reality when they call me and they act as though I'm exaggerating this point.  I have to say that this must happen at over 95% of weddings, and yes all the brides and grooms this happens to would have never believed it possible before their wedding except that it ended up happening  to them.  They even think that somehow they're unique by thinking it only happened to them and somehow they were just unlucky when if fact it was bound to happen to them no matter who they ended up hiring.   Point is, the odds are very high this very thing will happen to you with any other disc jockey. 

I believe the number one reason why this is so common is because other disc jockeys play other types of events like company parties, birthdays, and kids parties where they basically play whatever the feel like playing since they aren't  tailoring the music to a couple's taste at these other types of events.  Unfortunately they show up to weddings and continue play whatever they feel like.  

The secret here that you should know is that it's not wise to hire a disc jockey that plays other types of events, especially if you’re someone who’s musical taste is important to you.  As hard as this may be to believe, your odds are not good that you will get the music you want with other disc jockeys; of course disc jockeys will try to convince you different to get you to book them for your wedding.   A few other reasons I believe this is so common is disc jockeys accepting to play  requests from guests that are counter to what the bride and groom asked them to play.  Another few possible reason this is common are disc jockeys drinking or doing drugs at the reception, disc jockeys just not caring anymore since they have already been paid, or disc jockeys feeling they aren't getting paid enough after the tremendous workload and overhead, and feeling at the wedding: "Why should I care what the bride and groom thinks or wants?"  

With me as your disc jockey you will actually get your music perfectly tailored to your taste.  Unlike other disc jockeys, this is what I do for a living 100% of the time since I only disc jockey weddings, and you getting the music you want is one of my priorities. 

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 songs 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 guidelines on where to take the music.

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 procedures 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.

• Any many more areas that will let your reception flow without any problems.

• Many more areas that other djs miss, some of which I will cover when we speak.

All disc jockeys say they help coordinate; they coordinate to a minor degree, but definitely not on this level.  I will make sure the two of you are aware and ready of the forthcoming stages to be announced, 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.

The One Traditional Thing That Will Ruin Your Wedding

It's common for brides and grooms 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 using the over-hyped animated voice, clichés, constantly advertising their name and company name, and hamming it up. 

Brides and grooms are embarrassed when their disc jockey starts to blast guests with crude or trivial jokes, annoy and distract guests by announcing useless information non-stop, use tasteless cliché's such as calling the bride and groom "The Happy Couple." 

Just understand that this type of announcing is considered traditional among disc jockeys, so disc jockeys consider it to be acceptable and assume it's what everyone wants.. This style comes from disc jockeys working all types of events such as kids coming of age parties, company parties, birthdays and other types of parties.  Disc jockeys can not separate their style and end up acting, sounding, and treating everything the same.  The secret; disc jockeys keep this same style when they work weddings too. 

Disc jockeys sometimes try to scale back this traditional style even though it often starts slipping out at least half way though the reception, so don't be fooled into believing that another disc jockeys that looks and seems somewhat wedding-ish wont actually really end up starting to sound like this at some point in the reception; they will.  

It goes without saying that this is definitely not 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 it will be perceived as your sense of style by your guests; thus the embarrassment I mentioned earlier. 

There is absolutely no other decision about your wedding such as decisions about flowers, food, open bar, cake, location, or a photo package that can match the negative or positive effect a disc jockey will have on your wedding.   So if it's necessary to cut back on a couple of these in order to have the funds to literally keep your wedding from being a disaster, then so be it. 

There is only one way that I'm aware of on how to avoid these problems mentioned and that is having me help you with your wedding. I'm an accomplished wedding professional, not the traditional disc jockey; the difference will be unmistakable. You will be amazed at how dramatically different I am compared to other disc jockeys and the positive effect that I can make on your wedding that other disc jockeys are unable to. 

I have a resonant yet natural voice that's appropriate and will actually enhance the class 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.

Big, Small, Multi Cultural, Casual, Formal, Elegant, Expensive, and Tight Budget

Sometimes people ask me what types of weddings I disc jockey. Well I disc jockey all types of weddings; big weddings, small weddings, multi cultural, very casual and non traditional, very formal, very elegant, very expensive, and those with very tight budgets. It should come as a no surprise that no mater what type of wedding someone is having there is no barrier to the fact that people do not want their most emotionally charged and important day of their life ruined by their disc jockey. 

No one will bother telling the hard cold truth that a low budget dj will kill off your wedding faster than anything else.  Putting it bluntly for anyone who might feel that they just don't have the funds, do what ever it takes to make it happen to keep your wedding from being ruined. 

The secret here is that all other wedding vendors will try to make you feel that what they offer or do is the most important thing having to do with your wedding and where you should spend most of your wedding budget. 

Put your funds where they count the most.  Whether it is cutting back on the florist, cutting back on how much you spend on cocktail hour food, cutting back on how many pictures you have printed, asking other family members to contribute, using a credit card, not having a professional video shot or not having an open bar, or even reducing the number of guests attending.

Just think about it, what will any of these things matter if your wedding is literally ruined by your disc jockey.  What you pay for your dj will be the main determinate.  It’s said that the three most important things for weddings are the music, the food, and the pictures.  But the fact is the photographer does not make or create the wedding like the music and announcing, the food will be easily and quickly forgotten and is only something guests experience for at the most 45 minutes. 

Open bar?  What kind of fun will having a few drinks be for your guests if the music sucks and the coordination and announcing is a mess, or the dj shows up late or closes down early or is a no-show?  

The music and announcing from your disc jockey covers more time than anything else, literally hours.  What your disc jockey does will be experienced by your guests more than anything else having to do with your wedding.  With this fact, you can see why your disc jockey will unquestionably be the most important decision you'll make for your wedding and where you should put the most consideration, so that you get the best results where it counts the most.

I can’t help but feel sorry for all the 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 disc jockey. They tell me they just didn’t realize how important it was to get someone that is at the top of their game and since they didn't realize the average disc jockey happens to be such very low quality.     

Now that you know this reality it’s important to use what you now know, so you don't go around saying the same thing after your wedding like so many married couples do.  The next section below, Fate of Most Weddings, is a true story of a bride whose experience will allow you to see first hand of the importance of what were discussing. 

The Typical Story of How It Went After Hiring A Disc Jockey  

Many brides and grooms think that hiring a disc jockey is no big deal.  Here is a true story that explains just how wrong this way of thinking is:

I was having dinner recently with a group of friends and a girl who was invited and who I had never met before asked what I did for a living. After telling her she went on to tell me her nightmare experience she had with her disc jockey. She started telling me how her and her sister had seen so many of their friends wedding ruined and had heard so many horror 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 web sites as possible, narrow it down to call 20 disc jockeys and then narrowed it down once again to the top ten. We then talked on the phone again to those ten and then narrowed it down to five disc jockeys. After going through the work of re-interviewing all five disc jockeys on the phone and going back through their websites, we then picked the one that was obviously without a doubt the best out of all  we started with." The next thing she did was to start shaking hear head and kind of rolling her eyes back in discuss, she said, "the disc jockey was an absolute 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 can’t believe they’re all that bad!" 

Well it's time to realize that this is the reality that people just can't seem believe until they experience it for themselves; it really is that bad. No bride and groom goes into their wedding thinking their disc jockey is going to ruin their wedding; they always think they did fine at picking out their disc jockey until they learn the truth once their wedding begins.

I guess what amazes me the most is how somewhere around 95% of the people that are calling around to find a DJ make it very clear that they're, "looking for a deal."  Absolutely insane when considering the damage a disc jockeys can do to their wedding..  Nothing else can hurt your wedding like a disc jockey.  

Getting "a good deal" on something having to do with your wedding might be fine, but doing so on the one and only thing that has the potential to absolutely destroy your wedding or greatly enhance is foolish. The only thing I can do is feel sorry for these bride’s and groom’s that either don’t get informed or are unable to use their intuition to conclude that this is the one area to not skimp in order to keep their wedding from being less than it could have been or completely ruined.  Of course with the story above you can see that it's possible that many brides and grooms might have the unfortunate situation of just not being able to find that one good disc jockey just because maybe one out of, I don't know, 5000? are worth having for your wedding.  

What Really Is The Average Fee For A Disc Jockey? 
 

Wedding books, magazines and websites neglect to tell brides and groom that the budget they recommend for DJs is based on the national average and on your average  disc jockeys that also does high school dances.  This average is based using states such as Texas where everything costs significantly less including, as we know, houses - 5 bedroom homes on 2 acres go  for $150,000.   Big diffenrce in living cost and costs for running a business from Southern California where many things cost considerably more.  

Shockingly even most wedding consultants go by the book and create bride's and groom's budget for their disc jockey from this national average and are completely unaware of the risks disc jockeys  in Southern California take to keep their fees near this national average.  One being as mentioned above, DJs working two weddings in one day many miles apart. 

And guess what else no one will bother mentioning, the fees shown to be average on wedding websites and wedding publications, and espoused by wedding consultants are based mostly on disc jockeys that also play for High School dances and teen parties.   Can you imagine basing your budget in this important area primarily on what high school DJs charge? 

Also unknown by brides and grooms is that one of the horrible side effects from all this is that anyone wanting to provide a quality DJ service for weddings in Southern California are unable to since the market rates won’t support it, so what would be considered the average DJ is really not average, but instead extremely low quality.  A real problem since this involves poor dependability, inappropriate style and low standards of services; things that without question will hurt your wedding.  

Still the majority of brides and grooms use this misguided information to create a budget for their DJ. It's crazy I know.   Many brides and grooms plant their feet and insist on sticking to this unrealistic budget for their DJ since they have been clearly misinformed and believe they know better, that is until their wedding day is over. 

The secret here is that if you pay what is considered to be the average rate for a DJ you're going to have problems.  Providing low quality has becomes standard in this industry.  Unfortunately this has become what DJs must do to stay in business since this is the only option they have in order to keep their rates at the recommended budget and thus completive.  I however just couldn’t possibly bring myself to offering a low quality and poor dependability wedding service.  I just can’t take that kind of risk with someone’s wedding.

One of the best things you’re going to like about my wedding service is the fact that I offer so many valuable features other DJs don't.  Informed and intelligent brides and grooms are willing to pay a little more than the national average for these added value features while at the same time getting the security of knowing I always only book one wedding maximum per day, that I have a 100% perfect track record with punctuality and dependability, that I don't cut corners, and that I only DJs weddings. This is the only way your wedding will be safe. 

Why Do So Many DJs Seem So Incompetent?   

Being the disc jockey and master of ceremonies at a wedding is a huge responsibility to take on; having the direction, the pace, the style, and the overall ambiance of the reception on your shoulders, not just to mention what's involved in the preparation, equipment set-up, and technical issues before a wedding even begins.  Even if the work didn't involve all this the pressure is there no matter what; this is a once and a lifetime event.  

Not only is it a huge responsibility to take on and a great deal of pressure, but also a tremendous sacrifice since a disc jockey must sacrifice many years of their lives working weekends often late into the night in order to develop the skills necessary to become accomplished at this work; a sacrifice very few people would take.

Between the great deal of pressure, the extreme responsibility, and the tremendous sacrifice to get to the point where you're an expert at doing this work, the very type of person who would be best at this type of work realizes that it’s not worth it, it's too much to take on, and that they would be better off doing something else.  They quit in short order.  After this filtering out, the  people left in this line of work are often those who have limited or no other alternative options; commonly people that aren't the most capable. This isn't the type of person any intelligent bride and groom would knowingly trust this level of responsibility to.

In this crazy world of disc jockeys I am a true rarity. The reason I've sacrificed so much and continue to sacrifice so much is because I’ve found that I can provide brides and grooms something that is necessary for their wedding, yet impossible to find anywhere else.  I truly take great enjoyment in providing such a unique service and in turn being a key contributor in helping make bride's and grooms first day together as husband and wife the best it possibly can be.

Wow, Disc Jockeys Make a Lot of Money Per Hour!  

Many brides and grooms are absolutely shocked at just how much some disc jockeys charge per hour hour of work.   Looks can be deceiving and this is definitely the case here. The secret here is that djs really don't make very much money per hour because of the sizable overhead and huge amount of unseen non-event and pre-event work hours involved.  

Of course working at a weddings involves working weekends, time that otherwise would be spent with family and friends, intense heavy labor from lifting, moving, setting-up and breaking-down heavy sound equipment (when multiplying the weight of my main equipment and back-up by the amount of times it's lifted per wedding the total lifted comes out to 3500 lbs. per average wedding for just the main sound system), complications loading in and out of venues and setting up, , technical issues that would make anyone have a coronary, paying for and maintaining a dependable vehicle for transporting all the equipment including back up equipment to weddings, the high cost of maintaining and replacing professional sound equipment, time spent maintaining and testing equipment, buying new music, phone call time, putting together and sending out contracts, record keeping, office equipment costs, marketing expense and time, the cost of working for yourself that involves all types of expenses such as medical insurance, dental, and the list goes on with an astonishing amount of other unseen work and expenses.  

As you can see, disc jockeys aren't getting paid for what may appear to be a high hourly wage for the 4-7 hours played at a wedding..

This explanation of how much a DJ really makes after expenses and how much work a DJ must put in if things are to be done right, should be a wake up call on why not to cut corners when hiring your disc jockey.   It just is not possible to somehow get lucky by getting quality and dependability when paying a DJ what would end up being minimum wage after all his expenses and necessary pre-event and non-event hours..   

Realize too that there are only so many weekends in a year and the work is seasonal.  That doesn’t leave many days to actually book events for a disc jockey's yearly income. 

It would be very nice, but there is just no way around not paying for this unseen work, time, and expenses. Brides and grooms have to pay what it should cost for a DJ that does things the right way or they will end up paying a much worse cost; with their wedding literally being ruined. Cutting back on things such as flowers, food, photo package, cake, an open bar, number of guest and literally anything else will not severely damage a wedding the way a low cost disc jockey has the potential to.   

A Disaster of a Wedding Day

It's an unavoidable fact that you're going to put a lot of time, work and expense into putting together your wedding.  Additionally, even your guests go to a great extent by often buying new clothes for the wedding, making special arrangements, and flying and driving from great distances.   If your disc jockeys equipment went out and he had no way to remedy the problem the result would be disastrous; no microphone for toasting or guiding guests attention to the reception's stages, no customized  dinner music for your guests, no first dance, no other special dances such as father and daughter, and no dancing period; just dead boring silence.

The secret being kept from you here is nearly  all disc jockeys today claim to bring backup sound equipment, but practically none acutely do.   Every month I see DJs loading their equipment in and out of wedding venues such as hotels and guess what?   Yes you're right!  NO BACK UP EQUIPMENT!   I've seen that even the DJs that advertise they bring back up equipment typically don't actually bring any with them and when they do it's incomplete.  You better really trust you disc jockey big time.  

Rarely do disc jockeys bring much more than an old amplifier and maybe an old beat up mixing board that they leave out in their van in the parking lot. The reasons most disc jockeys don't bring a complete set of backup equipment is because of the high cost of professional sound equipment, the heavy work involved in transporting it and lifting it, and it's something brides and grooms don't see.

A disc jockey's sound equipment gets a major workout; it's unlike your home audio system.  Djs equipment is being moved in and out of a vehicle, up and down stairs, on and off a dolly, and set-up and broken-down nearly every weekend.  Even though I use the best possible pro sound equipment and replace it every 12-14 months to ensure dependability and aesthetics, I take no chances.  With me as your disc jockey you can be 100% confident in knowing that I will have a complete set of backup sound equipment hidden underneath my six-foot skirted table ready to swap out in a flash.  I know that if I were to do what other DJs do my client bride's and groom's wedding would be at great risk. This is the way I operate behind the scene in many other ways, doing things that I consider an ethical obligation that other djs don't; things you will never see and never know about in order to ensure your wedding day is a success and doesn't somehow end in disaster. 

What Should You Get, A Disc Jockey or A Band?  The Differences No One Talks About! 

First of all let me say I love live music and I really respect what musicians must do to become an accomplished musician.  However, things have changed when it comes to weddings.  The brides and grooms who in the past may have hired a band for their wedding are now getting more informed on the differences and opting to hire a wedding specialist disc jockey instead. While I occasionally work in conjunction with bands at weddings, here are some reoccurring reasons that brides and grooms have told me why they wanted to have a disc jockey for their wedding rather than a band:

Here is why: 

Do you have a favorite song or artist? Maybe a special song you would like as your first dance together as husband and wife? Most brides and grooms want to dance to their favorite song by their favorite artist; you won't be able to do this with a band. Bands commonly say they can play any song, but it often can end up sounding like a poor imitation of the original. With me providing your music, you and your guests will hear and dance to your favorite songs performed by the original artists.

Bands have musical limitations. You will not get the broad spectrum of all your favorite types of music with a band. No matter what songs or type of music a band plays, often their music ends up sounding all too similar. Music with this similar sound can start to seem very plain and boring for you and your guests after just one hour.

I can't tell you how many times I've worked at receptions where both a band and I played , where too often, the band would start playing and everyone would sit down, then every time I would start playing everyone would get up and start dancing again.

 A quality professional band can cost $5000 to $25,000, since with a band you're paying for multiple performers, equipment, and unseen practice time. Not only will you have better results with me as you disc jockey, but also if needed this can be a savings you could spend on other things such as your honeymoon.

Bands require four to eight times more room than I do for setup. I've seen many bands tell brides and grooms that there will be plenty of room for dancing once their set up, but at some venues there ends up being too little room left for dancing and by that time it's too late and the reception is ruined.

Commonly bandleaders are poor at announcing and helping coordinate, and are somewhat a little showy and lounge like. My ability to help coordinate is a major asset along with the fact that my voice and style of announcing is effective, yet unobtrusive and understated.  My unique ability of using my voice in a natural way and the words I use are  perfectly suitable and tasteful and will creates a seamless feel while blending in perfectly with the style of a wedding.  

Bands belong to unions and by law it's mandatory that they take breaks. This greatly interrupts the flow of the reception. The bandleader announces that they are going to take a break; they put their instruments down and walk off stage.

A band's sound quality can be unpredictable and inconsistent. This is because bands are dealing with multiple amplifiers, musicians, instruments, and even the change in acoustics from location to location which can be a problem when mixing multiple instruments. Don't expect a band to sound the same as on a demo or from venue to venue.  It’s true that with a band you really can’t count on the sound you’re going to get, but with me as your disc jockey you will be assured that  the sound will be consistent every time. 

It’s expected and considered polite to pay attention to a live band and to applaud when they end a song primarily during dinner. Many brides and grooms don’t want to obligate their guests and family to have to do this at their wedding while trying to eat. With a disc jockey guests feel no need or obligation to applaud after a song, which your guests will appreciate since they can feel more relaxed and able to socialize without interruption during dinner.  

A 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 would have negatively affect your wedding.

The secrets I've revealed to you should help you conclusion that who you hire for your disc jockey is extremely important and has a direct connection to making your wedding day a success and what you want it to be.    Amazingly sometimes people think they will take the information here and find another disc jockey that will fit the bill with all  that I covered; it's not going to happen.  I have to reiterate that the things I covered here other disc jockeys don't do. 

I know your going to be extremely happy how your wedding went if you decide to have me help you.    I'm willing and ready to help you with this part of your wedding and look forward to hearing from you to get things rolling.  

Something important to take into consideration too, is that if you wait and don't secure your wedding date as soon as possible, I may end being already booked for your wedding date.  Additionally, you run the risk of forgetting the secrets I revealed and why it’s so important to have me help you with your wedding as opposed to some other DJ.

The things I've detailed out 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  for them to realize what they are dealing with and how significant these things are and  how they will effect your wedding.   Encourage them and even pester them a little if you have to, whatever it takes since their lack of understanding on this subject can end up being at the detriment of your wedding.  I look forward to speaking with you and helping you two on your wedding day.  - Thanks Russ

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The Truth About Your Wedding No One Will Tell You.

Wedding websites, magazines and books neglect to tell people the truth about what to look for in a disc jockey when it comes to weddings in many areas.  One area is not telling people the fact that weddings really do require a very different type of disc jockey, so don’t be fooled into believing a disc jockey that also does basic parties such as teen dances or company parties will bring the right style to your wedding; because they won’t. 

Take note that the reason why wedding websites and magazines can't tell you this is because other disc jockeys who advertise with them are not real wedding specialists and these websites and magazines would lose too much money from these disc jockeys not being able to advertise with them if they were to tell you this fact. 

Brides and grooms are upset after their wedding when they realize that what they really needed more than anything else was a disc jockey that was a true wedding specialist; one with an appropriate style that is more tasteful and understated, and one who would have given more care to how they handled everything including such critical things such as being punctual. 

The only way to avoid taking a huge risk is to have a specialist like myself handle your wedding. In other words, a disc jockey  that focuses on one thing 100% of the time and because of this focus are the best at that one thing.  If you were to have surgery would you want a surgeon that is a specialist?  One that specializes in that part of the body or one that has no focus and does anything and everything?  Of course you would demand a specialist.   Fact is most surgeries can be redone if things don’t go right, but with your wedding you only get one chance since it cannot be redone.  Why would anyone want to take that level of risk by not having a true specialist?  Hopefully not to just save a few dollars.   

You must deal with some realities when it comes to your wedding.  One of the most important realties that you must never forget is that with your wedding you only have one shot at it.  That's it!  Only one chance for things to be done right; there are no redoes.

Be very cautious and discriminating of disc jockeys that do other types of events. If they claim that they’re a wedding specialist, which they always do, they’re not being 100% honest with you.  They are not specialists if they do these other types of events and they will end up treating your wedding like the average party.  Plus no one should ever consider hiring someone for their wedding that isn’t being honest and upfront with them in the first place.

These other disc jockeys are not going to provide the “understated wedding style”, care, and expertise that I do, which are all vital for a wedding that you will have fond memories of rather than upsetting memories of your disc jockey hamming it up, playing the wrong music and making major mistakes throughout your wedding day.  

More and more I see disc jockeys trying to make their websites appear to look as though they are wedding specialist when in fact they really aren't.  Do yourself a favor and look very thoroughly through these disc jockeys websites and look for where they give away the truth that they really aren’t specialists since they do other types of parties.  If you can’t find that information on their site then just tell them you’re calling for a disc jockey for your wedding and may possibly need them at some point for a child's coming of age party or dance and see what they have to say.   I can confidently predict their story will change and they will tell you that they also are specialist at those types of events too.