The
Top Ten mistakes that Brides make
when hiring entertainment...
1.
Thinking that a DJ is someone that just plays music
So
many people realize after their wedding just how much a
DJ does behind the scenes... even with a wedding
coordinator, the DJ is the Ringmaster for the entire
event and is always prepared. For example, there's
nothing worse than having a photographer changing
batteries right when the toasts are announced. A
professional wedding DJ brings the organizational skills
and the experience of knowing how to bring a
cohesiveness and a smooth flow to your Big Day so you
don't' have to think about anything but enjoying
yourself.
2.
Hiring a friend or relative with little experience in doing
weddings
Would
you hire a friend to fix your car, or hire a
professional mechanic? The reason you'd hire the
mechanic is that not only do they guarantee their work,
but they also bring years of repair experience with them
to do the job right. How often have you heard
about receptions where the music drove people away, and
later heard that it was the groom's college roommate or
cousin who's still in high school? Not that they
couldn't play good music, but do you trust them for your
once-in-a-lifetime event? Think about Grandma...
remember that weddings have a WIDE variety of attendees.
3.
Skimping on entertainment budget just to save money
A
wedding cake lasts about ten minutes once it's cut...
the food lasts maybe half an hour at best.. the
champagne is gone in seconds... and yet, many brides
spend more money on each of these than they do on the
entertainment that lasts all evening and is the
one thing that people remember longer than any other
part of your wedding reception. You really do get
what you pay for... you will quickly forget the pleasure
of low cost while enduring the pain of poor quality
entertainment! A good rule of thumb is about 1-3%
(no kidding!) of your total wedding budget on a
professional DJ, or 8-15% on a live band.
4.
Picking a DJ that has no entertainment skills and can't work
the crowd
Have
you ever been to an event where people weren't dancing
or enjoying themselves because the DJ was playing the
wrong music, the right music at the wrong time, saying
inappropriate things, or just didn't get it? With
a real wedding professional, that never happens.
An inexperienced DJ can bring the fun to a screeching
halt if they don't know how to handle even simple things
that can go wrong... a professional DJ knows how to take
these in stride and use them to their advantage, or even
to build on the excitement!
5.
Picking an entertainment service that has no professional or
backup gear or backup personnel
The
champagne has been poured, the salad has been served,
the Best Man has loosened his tie... but where is the
DJ? He hasn't shown up yet... he's in a car crash.
OR... what if a piece of sound equipment breaks during
the first dance? What happens then?
Fortunately, these things don't happen that often, but
they can. When they do, you want to be able
to rely on a professional DJ service that is prepared to
swap out gear or personnel to make sure that your event
still goes smoothly... and your guests barely notice.
6.
Not communicating your vision to the DJ
Even
the top wedding DJs that have years of experience don't
know what your dream wedding looks like until you tell
them what it is! A professional DJ service will
meet with you well ahead of time to customize their
entertainment package to make your dream come true.
They will present the different options/possibilities
that are available to brides, including specialty
dances, wedding party introductions, and special musical
or theme requests. A professional DJ has great
experiences to share, but is always willing to listen to
new ideas and help you integrate them smoothly.
7.
Hiring a Club or Radio DJ to do your wedding
This
seems like a great idea at first, but only too late
would you realize that these are radically different job
descriptions! A good Club DJ is hired to play
nonstop dance music for a club environment where the
bottom line is to make money at the bar. A Radio
DJ is used to playing music from a set playlist to an
invisible audience, with little or no interaction.
They are both good at what they do, but a wedding is a
completely different environment that requires a
different set of skills. Your wedding is a
once-in-a-lifetime event that involves a varied
audience, and a professional wedding DJ is going to know
exactly how to engage and entertain them.
8.
Forgetting to ask if the DJ has liability insurance
The
last thing you want to do is spend your Honeymoon budget
on Attorney's fees, just because a friend tripped and
fell on the dance floor... a professional DJ service
will have liability insurance to cover the event, and
it's ALWAYS OK to ask for a printed copy of their
coverage. Go ahead and ask, we don't mind!
9.
Not meeting the DJ face-to-face ahead of time to plan the
reception
OK,
so planning your wedding is a whirlwind of activity,
especially in the last couple of months. We know.
Meeting with your chosen DJ is a VERY good use of your
time, since the meeting will not only give you a chance
to communicate your vision to the DJ, but also give the
DJ a chance to get to know you so everybody feels
comfortable, knowing that things will go smoothly.
10.
Assuming the DJ has a mix of music for all ages
Does
Aunt Mathilda really "get jiggy with it?" Is
Metallica the right choice for dinner music? Is
"Girl from Ipanema" a good way to "Get the Party
Started?" Remember, there will be a wide variety
of people from both sides of the family at the wedding,
with a wide variety of musical tastes. A
professional wedding DJ is prepared to play music that
not only fits in with your vision of the perfect
reception, but is also sensitive to the wide spectrum of
tastes of the crowd, and will expertly match the right
music to the right moment. He/she will have a
collection of music with them that is time-tested to
fill the dance floor.
11. Oops, we almost forgot... one last
mistake... not hiring a Songman Professional DJ for your
wedding!
Please take a moment to
check out our Entertainment Services...
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