Not every bride wants to party until dawn, but chances
are you at least want your guests to enjoy themselves. You probably
want them to go home talking about what a spectacular celebration
you treated them to, whether your style is cool and classic or party
– till – you drop crazy. If you’re hiring a professional
Disc Jockey, it’s probably because you want a reception nobody’s
going to forget. You want an event that will have people mixing,
mingling, and boogying until the wee hours – or at least until
you make your grand exit.
Why do so many brides skimp on the entertainment?
The average bride spends less than 5% of her wedding budget on entertainment,
often hiring the cheapest disc jockey she can find or even letting
a friend do the music as a favor. And why not? To the untrained
eye, disc jockeys all look alike –a guy who sits in the corner
and plays music. Your friend’s cousin can do that just as
well as some hotshot professional, right? Just think, you can spend
the money you saved on more flowers! In reality, the disc jockey
is the single most important vendor you’ll work with. He or
She is the person who can single-handedly make or break your reception.
Todd Davis, owner of Sound Express Mobile Entertainment
in Modesto, knows a thing or two about disc jockeys since his company
has been in the business for over 25 years. Davis affirms that agood
disc jockey is a professional. He’s much much more than just
a guy playing music. A good disc jockey works closely with you to
plan every step of your reception from start to finish. “We
meet every bride and groom in our office and give them the time
and the tools to plan their event down to the last detail”
said Davis.
A professional disc jockey will act as a wedding
coordinator before the big day and as the master of ceremonies during
it. Furthermore, He or She will be comfortable, charismatic, and
competent throughout the entire process. Avoid disc jockeys that
simply do it for fun. All you'll get from these guys is no help
or planning and music you probably won't want to hear. Your DJ should
be professional in appearance and demeanor. He or she should have
references for you to look at. He or She should be using professional
equipment and have back up procedures in place in case of an emergency.
Davis goes on
to say the DJ should have legally owned music (This is important
and a growing problem these days – you don’t want some
kid showing up at your wedding with a backpack full of bootleg CD‘s.
Regardless of your stance on pirated music.) You should watch out
for the “I-POD DJ.” These
kind of disc jockey’s are in this business for a quick buck.
With no expenses, they will have no commitment to you or the profession.
You know the saying, here today and gone the next. when ipod DJs
amplify their music to a suitable volume for a party of 100 people
or more, they lose sound quality in the music.
Once you find a disc jockey you feel is professional,
you should make sure of one last requirement: You must like him
or her. Davis points out that the “The most important quality
of professional disc jockeys are their personalities.” After
all, the DJ you hire will be interacting with your family and friends.
He or she will become part of your family for a short yet important
period of time. It takes some savvy, some talent, and some experience
to be a good DJ. An armateur disc jockey is nothing more than a
jjukebox. Davis explains,“The last thing you need on your
wedding day is some teenage disc jockey who thinks he or she knows
what you want to hear.”
A professional disc jockey has experience behind
him or her: Experienced DJs know instinctively how to read a crowd
and play the perfect combination of music that’s going to
get everyone on the dance floor. A true professional will have a
wide variety of music, allowing him or her to create moods on the
fly, from dreamy and romantic to bump and grind sexy to chicken
dance goofy.
When your friend's cousin offers to DJ your wedding
for next to nothing, remember that entertainment makes up the bulk
of your reception. You’ve paid good money to have that hall
for several hours, so don’t let it go to waste with a room
clearing disc jockey. The entertainment is the last thing your friends
and family experience, and it’s what they will remember in
the morning – more than they remember the gown, the flowers,
or even the meal.
The DJ behind
the microphone subtly steers your entire reception; he or she sets
the mood, controls the pace, and keeps the party going. You wouldn’t
trust Joe Schmo with no experience or credentials to alter your
gown, arrange your flowers, or bake the wedding cake, so why would
you trust that guy with the biggest night of your life?
