It is an open invitation for a great time out to meet many new people from all over Alberta.

There are two ways to take lessons, you can join a class of 6-10 people or pay for some one on one time with the club pro.

If you join a class you will pay a much smaller fee, say $50 for a days course. Your teacher may or may not be the club pro and you will learn a lot of the basics which will improve your game. The teacher will be showing you some general basics that will help everyone and offer some pointers you can use to work on later on your own time.

You can hire the club pro and pay $120 an hour and get specific pointers and lessons that will improve your posture, grip, swing and other specifics that could really accelerate your game and improve your score at the end of each round. You have their undivided attention and everything will be specific to you and your personal game.

If you are new to the game of golf the group lessons would be a great way to get the basics and learn the rules of the game. To learn why you should use what driver where. If you have been playing golf for a while the group lessons will feel redundant and you wont feel like you have gotten your moneys worth at all.

You can look online or find a guy on the course that would be happy to show you the ropes for a small fee. You might trust this guy, after all, he has a full set of clubs, a membership and even the little hat with the knit ball on top. Would you trust this guy to really know what it takes to be good at the game of golf?

A DJ is very similar. You can hire a DJ company that has a lot of DJs, you will pay a cheaper price but you won’t get more than an average performance. You won’t get the kind of individual performance you will get from the professional.

You can look in the paper and find someone who says they are a DJ. They have the equipment and they say the right things, but you have no idea if they are a professional or not.

What about the Golf Club Pro? The guy who will charge the most for individual lessons? You know he is a professional because he has proven himself and shown he is a pro to the club, he has the documentation that he has taken the time to learn and improve his own skills and he will teach you what he knows to improve your game.

A professional DJ will also have these things. They will have all their licenses and insurance to show they are committed to their trade, spent the money and made the investment to learn their trade. They will work with you from start to finish to make your event a complete success with years of experience, ideas and suggestions to make your ideas work and share some of their own to help you avoid any of the potential pit falls. You will feel comfortable with a contract and have met them in person, seen some reviews.

Anyone with a golf bag can claim to be a pro, just like anyone with some sound equipment can claim to be a DJ. There art many charlatans. How many home improvement T.V. shows are about a professional coming in to fix the work of someone who was less than professional? How many shows are about people being ripped off by people claiming to be something they are not?

Unlike the T.V. shows on home improvements or even taking golf lessons, there is no do over on your wedding or special event. These are a one shot event, it needs to be done right the first time with the best people and professionals assisting you to make it happen or you might be left with a very memorable event, the one no one else wants to ever see repeated and you will forever wish you spent the time and money on the professionals rather than the goofy guy you met on the course with little hat with the cotton ball on top.

My August was short only two shows, and not for a lack of trying. I think I only had 2 calls for the last two weeks of the month all year. I have had more calls about late August next year than for this one. I hear fall colors are a hit so maybe that is why I had a couple dates in October booked up, which is typically a slow month. Unfortunately one had to cancel, which is always a shame to hear a loving relationship ended too soon.

I am eagerly waiting for the corporate season to begin booking up. Trouble is I have found too many low priced (and quality to follow) djs advertising. More than usual which tells me these are not serious professionals, just guys out to make a few bucks while they camp on E.I. or something. Bitter? Me? Yes…

I am not one to usually stroke my own ego or be prideful about what I do. I am not the best, I say this with honesty because I am always learning new things from the many DJs and entertainers I speak with from all over North America. I like to learn and I think it makes me a better DJ all the time. What I can crow about is this.

I am one of only 8 other DJ Companies in Red Deer who has taken the time to get a Business License also means registering a business name. It is easy to see there are far more than 8 DJ companies in Red Deer and I doubt the people who go to hire their DJ really care.

I have also taken it upon my self to obtain 2,000,000 liability insurance. This is to protect my clients and myself in cases of injury or damage to them selves or my equipment. Most DJs won’t carry this which means if someone gets hurt it becomes the responsibility of the hosts (bride and groom) to pay for any damages. No one has yet to ask me if I have insurance because people either do not know or care.

All my music is licensed and legal; I carry an A.V.L.A. license as part of my business. This is to show my clients that I care about the quality and sources of my music. My clients do not need to worry about songs sounding low quality or being obtained from free download sites and being mislabelled or corrupted part way though. Most people don’t care because they download songs them selves for free which is only legal for personal use and not for public performance.

I have a legal contract which is very comprehensive in outlining each parties obligations and rights, as well as clearly outlining the billing, contact info and other details. Most people have no idea what a contract should have in it, it is very much like a service contract you would find with a contractor who might do work on your house. Most people don’t think they need to worry about a contract.

I am a member of two DJ associations and looking to join a third to better network with other DJs all over Canada and the U.S.A. to learn how I can expand and improve on my services to my clients in an effort to always increase the quality and value of my work. Other benefits are if I for what ever reason am unable to make it to a booked event I have a pool of DJs who can back me up so my clients are not left like so many others every year with out a DJ. Most people do not ask if a DJ is part of a network or association leaving them vulnerable.

I could go on, with back up equipment and more, but the point is, people who care don’t often get less than they expect and feel disappointed that their money was “wasted” thankful they didn’t spend the extra money on someone. They could have been left feeling like they got more than they expected and happy their extra investment had such a positive out look on their event.

It is hard to educate people on what they need to look for when there are so many poor quality entertainers spreading misinformation in their attempts to gain more bookings. Which also seems to lead to even more unsatisfied clients who then tell their friends that DJ’s are low quality so go cheap anyway?

People seem to do a great job of looking into the legitimacy of mechanics, plumbers, roofers and other professionals who would work on or in their houses, cars or other personal positions yet fail completely when looking at the people they hire for one of the most important days of their life.

Would you let just anyone who claims to be a doctor deliver a baby or would you want to be sure they were trained and experienced and had the proof?

I will leave this open to your comments. I look forward to reading them.

Tie the Knot
In ancient Rome, the bride wore a girdle fastened with many tiny knots. The groom had the pleasure of untying all those knots before he could bed his new wife.

Engagement Rings
The giving of an “engagement” ring was first practiced when the groom “purchased” his bride. By giving a token, such as a ring, he pledged to marry her in return for her dowry and social status, among other things. The tradition of giving a diamond began with the Italians. It was believed that diamonds were created from the “flames of love” and represented everlasting love.

Wedding Bands
The ancient Egyptians began the practice of wearing a wedding band. It was a symbol of unending love, since the ring has no beginning and no end. Giving a wedding band of gold represented purity. In medieval England, the practice of wearing the ring on the third finger of the left hand was because of the belief that the veins in the left hand led directly to the heart. By wearing the ring on this finger, the couple were “joined at the heart.”

What Kind of Bride?
A January bride will be a prudent housekeeper, and very good tempered.
A February bride will be an affectionate wife, And a tender mother.
A March bride will be a frivolous catterbox, Somewhat given to quarreling.
An April bride will be inconsistent, or forceful, But well-meaning.
A May bride will be handsome, agreeable, And practical.
A June bride will be impetuous, And generous.
A July bride will be handsome, But a trifle quick-tempered.
An August bride will be agreeable, And practical as well.
A September bride will be discreet, affable, And much liked.
An October bride will be pretty, coquettish, Loving but jealous.
A November bride will be liberal and kind, But sometimes cold.
A December bride will be fond of novelty, Entertaining but extravagant.

White Wedding Dress
Selecting a white wedding dress is one of the more recent wedding customs. It was Queen Victoria (1840) who began the present day fashion of wearing white as the wedding dress – up until then, the bride usually wore her best dress, regardless of the color. It is also considered unlucky for the bride to make her own wedding dress.

Married in White, you have chosen right,
Married in Blue, your love will always be true,
Married in Pearl, you will live in a whirl,
Married in Brown, you will live in town,
Married in Red, you will wish yourself dead,
Married in Yellow, ashamed of your fellow,
Married in Green, ashamed to be seen,
Married in Pink, your spirit will sink,
Married in Grey, you will go far away,
Married in Black, you will wish yourself back.

Something Old, Something New…
Some wedding customs haven’t changed much over the years. Everyone has heard the following rhyme:

Something old, something new
Something borrowed, something blue
And a silver sixpence in your shoe.

Something old signifies the life you had with friends and family previous to the marriage.
Something new signifies your future life with your new mate.

Something borrowed was usually something borrowed from a happy former bride to ensure the current bride’s happiness, and which is later returned.

Something blue represents the bride’s purity and faithfulness (this comes from the Jewish tradition where the bride wear’s blue to represent fidelity).

The silver sixpence in the shoe is to ensure wealth to the couple in their married life (most people now opt to put a penny in their shoe).

Cans Tied To The Bumper
Back in the Middle Ages, it was traditional for people to bang pots, ring cow bells and generally make a lot of discordant noise after the ceremony to ward off evil spirits. In modern history, it became traditional to tie tin cans to the bumper in reflection of this old practice.

Tossing The Garter
It used to be customary for the bride to remove her stocking garter and toss it to the men. However, as the men at that time tended to get rather drunk and rowdy, they would often grow impatient and proceed to remove the garter themselves. As you can imagine, this was not fun for the bride at all and could get quite nasty. Eventually, one bride got the brilliant idea to toss her bridal bouquet to the women instead…and much safer.

Stag or Bachelor Parties
As wedding customs go, these rowdy parties were the invention of the Spartan Soldiers. It became traditional for the groom to feast with his friends the night before the marriage, often celebrating his last night of freedom by getting severely drunk (not much has changed it seems). In modern times, women have decided they also want their night of fun, so now many women have Stagette or Bachelorette parties as well.

Bridal Shower
The bride’s friends would gather together to help prepare the bride for her wedding. Often, they would bring a small gift. It became popular in the 1800′s to place these gifts in a parasol and then open the parasol over the bride’s head, “showering” her with these gifts. Wedding customs such as this have changed somewhat over the years, thank goodness.
Another story on this tradition states that a Dutch maiden wished to marry a poor miller’s son. Her father did not approve of the match, as it was beneath her station and he refused to provide a dowry. In turn, the bride’s friends felt sorry for her, so they gathered together and “showered” her with many gifts so she would have a dowry to start her new home. This idea sounds much safer.

The Wedding Veil
In addition to the groom not being allowed to see the bride before the ceremony, the veil was also used to protect the bride from being seen by evil spirits and jealous suitors (the one and the same perhaps?). To this day, it is considered bad luck for the groom to see the bride on their wedding day before the ceremony.

Tying Shoes To The Bumper of a Car
There are several different wedding customs that are referenced to shoes. In ancient Egypt, the bride’s father would hand her sandals to the groom, indicating that she now belonged to him.
In medieval England, it became popular for the people to throw their shoes at the bridal couple (why people would think to do this, for whatever the reason, is beyond me). It was considered lucky if the shoes hit the couple or their carriage.
In our modern day society, we just elect to tie the shoes to the bumper, which is a safer & wiser choice!

Cloudy or Sunny Day
There are several superstitions about how the weather will affect the couple’s life on the day of the marriage. Keep in mind, these are just superstitions.

Should the day be cloudy and rainy, it signifies that the marriage will be stormy. Should the day be sunny, the couple will have a bright future. Should it rain in the morning and be sunny in the afternoon, it will bring luck to the couple.

The Day and Month To Wed
Believe it or not, there were also superstitions on the day and month that a couple wed on, as the following 2 rhymes show:

Monday for wealth
Tuesday for health
Wednesday the best day of all
Thursday for losses
Friday for crosses
Saturday for no luck at all

Needless to say, marrying on Friday the 13th was the worst of luck. As for the months:

Married when the year is new, he’ll be loving, kind and true.
When February birds do mate, You wed nor dread your fate.
If you wed when March winds blow, joy and sorrow both you’ll know.
Marry in April when you can, Joy for Maiden and for Man.
Marry in the month of May, and you’ll surely rue the day.
Marry when June roses grow, over land and sea you’ll go.
Those who in July do wed, must labour for their daily bred.
Whoever wed in August be, many a change is sure to see
Marry in September’s shrine, your living will be rich and fine.
If in October you do marry, love will come but riches tarry.
If you wed in bleak November, only joys will come, remember.
When December snows fall fast, marry and true love will last.

The Wedding Kiss
Some wedding customs date back to Roman times. The kiss was to seal the marriage legally between the couple and must be witnessed by another person.

The Wedding Banns
The Catholic Church implemented their own wedding customs. The announcement of the upcoming marriage was given for 3 consecutive Sundays before the wedding, so that if anyone had any objections, they could voice them. In today’s society, the Officiate at the wedding simply asks if anyone has any objections “or forever hold thy peace”.

Handfasting
This is a common practice for the bride and groom to hold hands and proclaim their unity to witnesses. The couple could then live for a year and a day as a married couple. After this time period had passed, should the couple wish to part ways, they could with no hard feelings. Should they wish to stay together, a priest was usually called in to perform the marriage rites to make the union legally binding.

The Bridal Party
The friends of the bride and those of the groom, would gather together to offer moral support and help prepare for the wedding. Additional wedding customs of that period also had the bridal party dressing in similar clothes as the couple, so evil spirits would be confused as to whom the bride and groom were.

Bridal Bouquet
A bridal bouquet signified the bride’s feelings toward the marriage, by the type of flowers she carried (see Wedding Flower Meaning). It became traditional for the bride to throw the bridal bouquet to the unmarried female guests (see Tossing the Garter above). The superstition is that whoever catches the bouquet will be the next to marry.

Throwing Rice
Rice grows abundantly and quickly, therefore it is a symbol for fertility. Guests would throw rice at the couple to ensure prosperity and fertility. Wedding customs such as this are still used today, often in the form of birdseed or confetti.

Wedding Bells
People would bring bells, pots, pans and any other thing that they could bang and make a loud discordant noise with. This was said to drive away the evil spirits who might be lingering near the couple.

Carrying The Bride Over The Threshold
It is said that if the bride stumbles while crossing the threshold to her new home, she will have a bumpy and unhappy marriage. To avoid this, the groom picks her up and carries her over the threshold, thereby ensuring a happy and prosperous marriage.

The Honeymoon
This relates back to when the groom kidnapped the bride and kept her hidden away from her family. They often drank honeyed mead while in hiding for more than a month (one moon cycle)… hence the origins of the word honeymoon.

Honking of Car Horns
Again, this relates back to when the people of the village banged pots and pans after the ceremony to ward off evil spirits. In modern times, our wedding customs dictate that we blow car horns while following the bridal procession to the reception to announce the marriage.

Bride Stands To The Groom’s Left
In the past, sometimes a jealous suitor would try to take the bride away from the groom. The groom would hold the bride off to the side with his left hand, leaving his right hand free to grip his sword and fight. To this day, the bride stands to the groom’s left while marrying.

As a vendor I am given little space for an ever increasing cost to attempt to market my services to a potential client. As a DJ there is not much I can truly display. Equipment is really a pointless exhibit as any Professional Entertainer is going to have professional equipment, and any bride that is more impressed by the equipment than the talents and professionalism of the entertainer is selling them selves short. Which is the main issue of this blog.

The hall is filled with chatting people, if there are a number of DJ’s who feel they can impress people more with an elaborate set up will have music playing to draw people in and the noise can make having a conversation very difficult. In addition to that you have people constantly coming to my booth and often leaving never having spoke to them because I am already talking to one or two people. For each person I talk with I could lose a potential of 4 other clients.

For the bride to be she is wandering around the room and getting only token information and a bag of brochures, fliers, stickers, magnets and what ever else when really they want their questions answered. How many vendors do they miss speaking with because they are busy and in a a larger hall it is easy to get lost and never make it back to someone who might have caught your interest.

The only people that really seem to benefit are the promoters. They make thousands off the Brides admissions and ten thousands off the vendors. The system simply does not benefit the bride as much as it could, nor the vendor.

Now I am not one to just complain with out a solution. I believe it would be much better to put on a series of workshops though out a day in a couple different rooms where brides can sit and listen to presentations from various vendors. From a Q&A forum where brides can learn the importance of their entertainment, to presentations from florists and photographers. Brides would be welcome to ask their questions and learn about the industries.With a room full of brides to be there will be clear sound and communication. One answer could answer the questions of many people and save everyone a lot of time.

There is the dis-advantage that not as many vendors would be present and that there would be multiple seminars going on at the same time. I do think the over all benefit would far exceed that of the current Bridal Fares. It would also be much cheaper for vendors and brides to be to participate and attend.

I will be sharing this idea with some vendors. So far the reactions are promising and you could be sure only those who are legal, licensed and professional would be represented at the workshops. Who decides? Firstly all vendors will need to produce a Business license, copy of their contracts or other similar documents and other certificates that relate to their business from education to Alliances and business associations.

What do you think? Looking for your comments, what do you think about the Bridal Shows? Do they work for you? Do you think you would attend a workshop/seminar type event? Which would have the most benefit?

When you think of a DJ and maybe have even seen one or two, what do you think it takes to do what they do?

I would like to see your perception of a DJ. Your honest opinion.

Please post your comments.

The first reply back immediately impressed her. “Thanks for getting back to me so quickly!” was the first line of her reply e-mail. We agreed to meet and I sent her a reminder e-mail about a week before and the following was the reply. The point i want to make should be obvious, however I will explain it after the quoted e-mail.

**Hi Teah-Jay!

I got a few other quotes and they were quite a bit lower then your first one. One of them was $595.00 w/ any additional hours at $75.00 and travel was 125.00. And one of the others that got back to me was $575.00 plus 0.13/km for travel.

I would really rather spend that much for a DJ but I really liked how you presented yourself and you seem really organized and dedicated which is why I would much rather go with you…is there any way you could match these prices?? I could send the other quotes to you if you would like but I will need a response from you soon because I don’t want to tie anyone up for that weekend.

Thanks,

**

It is not unexpected to have people gather other quotes, I encourage it, you will also see the similarity in prices from the other two companies with the main differences being in the travel charge to their event. They are multi-op businesses; one company employing several DJs.

The Point I would like to make is, she points out all the ways that she feels what I can provide are superior to the other companies, based on my web site and a couple of e-mails in correspondence, yet would like me to lower my price to match the lower quotes. What is the point in offering the best service possible and investing the amount of time that I do if I am going to  charge like the rest?

To explain why there is such a difference in price will take some faith on the part of the reader. I have worked for and managed a Multi-op DJ company in the past that employed 17 DJs so I speak from direct experience. Some of the DJs would work for more than one company, so I have an idea how they operate which was very similar.

Firstly, when you hire from a Multi-op you will likely never know or meet your DJ. Most DJ’s are chosen for each event about a week before they happen and are given only the basic details of what is going on. You will be served with a pre-packaged product that is engineered to work in most situations; in short you are buying a product in bulk and in no way truly customized to your event, beyond a few basic details. Most Multi-ops will have limited contact with their clients, often no more than one or two meetings and a couple of phone calls to confirm the basic details. The DJ will show up 1 hour before they start, do 20-45 min of set up  and you will see your DJ for the first time when you enter the hall, or they do, depending on when you would like them to start.

For this lady, this may be a better option than booking my services, because the planning time is so short I would only increase her stress load trying to customize her reception. A pre-packaged DJ might only provide an average, common experience, but at least she will not feel the weight of making even more decisions in a short amount of time. I was simply shocked however that even after noting it in an e-mail that I was making the effort to provide a superior product, use my talents and skills, she remained only focused on price and not the real overall benefit of what being organized and dedicated will do to benefit her. Especially being organized on one of the most important days of someones life.

In the end it is up to the client to choose what best suits their needs and budget. I wished Anne the best and offered to still meet her if she would like so I can better explain the differences in what I do and  I understand if her choice is based primarily on meeting the constraints of a budget.  I understand full well that people don’t often have faith in finding true entertainment in a DJ or feeling they have received value. I understand what I offer is completely alien and unheard of here; but trust me what I am offering is not new and I can point out numerous DJs in the US who provide the same or even improved services. I am still learning and educating myself in new trends, but they also have costs which I hope turn into new values for all my clients and those that do book me end up thanking me for helping them create a memorable event.

I encourage you to always ask not how your entertainer is like everyone else, but how they are different. Don’t look at hiring a DJ like you would shoes or napkins. Think of the talents that each has, how comfortable and reassured do they make you feel? How confident are you in their presentation that it is the right fit for you and your event, and certainly make sure you have the time necessary to properly communicate with them.

Do have an unforgettable wedding or event.

TJ the DJ

As part of my commitment to provide superior service I do my best to join those associations that are committed to excellence, professionalism and integrity. Such as the Canadian Disc Jockey Association (CDJA) and others I am looking to be part of so that I my expand on the network of professionals I consult and network with to better myself and the industry as a whole. Some of the other associations are the American Disc Jockey Association (ADJA), Canadian Professional Disc Jockey Association (CPDJA) and Alberta Association of Mobile Entertainers.

All of these have costs, costs that I see as an investment, because I will have the backing and support of many multiples of other professional entertainers to learn from and share my knowledge with. I would also like to join the Better Business Bureau and the Local Chamber of Commerce. To better network with other professional business minds, learn new talents and form partnerships that I can learn from as well to provide better over all services and maybe at better prices in the long run.

Now that I am officially in business I have on my to do list this week/month. Buy a Business license. The City of Red Deer only has on record 7 companies listed as DJ’s. You only need to look in the phone book to see there are far more that that. I have counted 23 different people advertising as DJ’s. Most are people do it as a hobby, they have no serious investment in what they do. I also re-new my liability insurance this month and my equipment insurance.

Next month I renew my CD subscriptions so that my music is also legal and licensed which is one of my biggest costs of all. Downloading may be legal, but not playing in a public performance.

I can’t say if any of this makes a difference to anyone. I would like to think it shows that I care about my business and what I do, that I am looking out for my clients, I am continually educating myself in the industry with other professionals to provide the best possible service I can to all my clients. It is an evolving process. One that I think is very important when it comes to being invited to share one of the most important events in a persons life.

You are not someone who doesn’t care that their entertainment is backed by so many great organizations, is constantly evolving to provide a unique service, is a legitimate business or not. Because if you did not care, you would not be on reddeerdj.com reading this blog post.  You want a professional, someone who is experienced and capable of providing you with great suggestions, will work with you to create an event you can feel is your own and have a lot of fun feeling stress free.

Thank you for visiting my site.

TJ the DJ.

I have been asked why do I keep posting these “top 10″ lists. I do it because I think people need to see that what I do is not a fad, providing professional quality service is becoming an expected requirement, only as usual, here in Canada we are slow on the take. I have more from Alan’s site I would like to share, but feel free to read what he has, and if you have any questions post a comment or e-mail and I will answer what I can that relates to what I do.

Even by the standard set out in this Top 10 i don’t quite measure up, mostly because I am learning and continuing my education and some of the U.S. concepts don’t apply, such as emcee duties as most people would rather use a family member or friend.

Don’t Hire a DJ….that you did not have an opportunity to meet with first. It is important to know the appearance, personality and talent of the entertainer that you select for your wedding!

Don’t Hire a DJ….that can’t meet with you on YOUR schedule because they are working at another job and “DJ on the side”. You deserve a professional DJ/Entertainer for your wedding day. Choose a FULL TIME Wedding Professional not an AVERAGE DJ or some unskilled amateur, hobbiest or beginner! “Do you want fries with that?” or “What kind of car are you looking for today?” should not be questions that they are used to asking their customers!

Don’t Hire a DJ….that is not guaranteed to be the exact DJ/Entertainer for your wedding day!. Many Multi-Operator DJ Services will not assign a DJ to your event until the week before. How well prepared do you think they might be? Will they even know your name or the names of your family and wedding party? When you hire me exclusively for your wedding day, you get me, exclusively!

Don’t Hire a DJ….that does not use a contract. It is very important to know what to expect from your DJ/Entertainer and a contract spells out many of the details, duties and expectations. My contract has a 100% Satisfaction – Money Back Guarantee! Accept nothing less!

Don’t Hire a DJ….that does not have a business license and liability insurance. No business license means that they do not care about complying with the law. How will they treat your wedding? No insurance means you are liable if something happens! Don’t take that chance!

Don’t Hire a DJ….that does not have extensive experience with weddings. A wedding is a complex event with many variables. It is like producing a movie, hire someone with directing experience, not just someone with “music”. There are no “do-overs”.

Don’t Hire a DJ….based on price! Talent and experience are the cornerstones of an outstanding event. Cheap DJ’s are never outstanding, and outstanding DJ’s are never cheap! Your DJ/Entertainer/MC, your wedding planner, your photograper, your videographer and your florist are all talent based vendors, the basis of hiring these vendors should never be based on price! After all….what will you do if that cheap DJ ruins your wedding or the cheap photographer screws up your photographs or the cheap flowers turn out ugly or wilted?

Don’t Hire a DJ….that does not use a licensed music library and professional grade equipment with 100% backup gear. We purchase much of our music from the same music providers that the radio stations use, we also obtain music from Itunes and other authorized legal sources. I have been collecting music for over 25 years and have a full digital performance system. I bring complete backup equipment to every wedding. There are no do-overs!

Don’t Hire a DJ….that is not a great Master of Ceremonies and comfortable on the microphone. There will be lots of important announcements and events during your wedding, you want them to sound professional, with everyone’s names pronounced correctly. There is nothing sweeter than the sound of your own name especially a brand new one! I take extensive care to learn the correct way to pronounce all of the names of your wedding party. In fact, I guarantee I will always call you by your correct name during your reception, not “the bride and groom”!

Don’t Hire a DJ….that is not a member of a National Association with standards and a code of ethics. I am a Member of the American Disc Jockey Association and Secretary of the East Tennessee Chapter.

Don’t Hire a DJ….that is not willing to give you a list of the last 4 weddings that he or she performed at. Any entertainer is only as good as their last performance. 100% of my prior clients will recommend me. Call any of them!

Don’t Hire a DJ….that does not participate in continuing education and perfection of their craft. I attend national conventions, seminars, individual training and self education to constantly improve my services.

Don’t Hire a DJ….that is not well groomed, and professionally dressed appropriate for your event. I always wear one of my many Tuxedos, with color coordinated accessories ,to your wedding!. Unless you request otherwise or are having a “themed” reception. I will always dress the way YOU want!

Don’t Hire a DJ….that does not offer a FLAT RATE for the day pricing structure. Do you want to worry about what time the DJ is going to stop even if the party is rocking? It can take up to 30 hours of preparation for an outstanding wedding reception plus the time of the actual performance.

Don’t Hire a DJ….that does not guarantee to arrive at and be FULLY set up a minimum of 2 hours prior to your first guest arriving. Do you want someone dragging in equipment doing sound checks in front of your wedding guests?

Don’t Hire a DJ….that does not have the ability to “read a crowd” and keep the party going! A wedding party is made up of a diversified group of people from young children to great-grandparents with different musical and entertainment tastes. An a great entertainer can cater to all age groups and the constantly changing dynamics of the evening as the party progresses.

Don’t Hire a DJ….that does not work well with other vendors. The interaction between your Entertainer and your photographer and videographer is what determines the quality of your finished photographs and videos from the party. Working well with the venue managers, the caterer, bartenders, and other staff is highly important to the success of your event! Call your venue to discuss how they work with vendors you are considering!

Don’t Hire a DJ….that does not sincerely care about you and your wedding. This is my profession and passion and I love weddings!