After The Vows! • 72% of all brides say they would have spent more time choosing their reception entertainment. • Almost 100% say they would have spent more of their budget on the entertainment. • During wedding planning, brides say their highest priority is their attire, followed by the reception site and caterer – reception entertainment is among the least of their priorities. Within one week after their reception, 78% of brides say they would have made the entertainment their highest priority! • When asked 81% of guests say the thing they remember most about a wedding is the entertainment. *These statistics were published in St. Louis Bride & Groom Magazine. Sources include: Simmons; USA Today; National Bridal Service; The Knot; Brides Magazine.
What You Should Know About DJ Pricing!
Over the last several years, the biggest change in the wedding industry has been that today’s couples want more personalized, individualized, fun weddings. With more involvement in the planning and expressing your style in the reception, your guests become connected and part of the celebration. By giving them the opportunity to be an active part of the festivity, your friends and family will be more interested and involved, stay longer, have more fun, and take home many more priceless memories.
Would you say Amazing, Fun, Lively, Elegant, Classy, Stress-Free, Well-Organized, Romantic, Sentimental, Personalized, and Pleasantly Memorable? How do you want your guests to remember your reception, Interested, Involved, Entertained, Remarkable, and The Best Time Ever? Would you ever think of your description to be Average, Ordinary, Fair, Run-of-the-Mill, Uneventful, Boring, or McWedding? It doesn’t seem like it should be much of a choice, but the right or wrong DJ at your reception can produce these different results. Think of the last wedding you attended, and how the DJ contributed to how you remember the event. It is important to clarify your budget and prioritize your wants & needs, prior to interviewing your entertainment. You need to understand what you’re looking for, the differences between DJ pricing, the right questions to ask, and the realities of hiring DJ wedding entertainment.
Reality #1 – Lack of resources telling you “How To Have a Great Time”. Pick-up any bridal magazine, any one of hundreds of wedding web sites, ask people you know, and you can get expert information on dresses, food, flowers, decorations, and so on. You will rehearse your ceremony with professionals so it will be perfect. But no one can tell you how to have a “great time”, or how to personalize a reception throughout the entire evening. If you don’t have a professional in this area, you are on your own, and there are no do-overs. So ask your prospective DJ, “We and our guests want to have fun and a great time…How will you make this happen?” Listen to the answer, you will know very fast what you are dealing with, and if it meets your expectation.
Reality #2 – Wedding receptions will be exactly what you plan them to be. Personalized, original, memorable, incredible, amazing, and fun won’t happen by accident nor do they just magically fall from the sky. On the other hand, ordinary, average, and boring will happen by itself if you don’t plan otherwise.
Reality #3 – Make sure your DJ’s talent level, professionalism, appearance and planning assistance can fulfill your wants and needs. Could you expect something that is cheap or average to create something truly remarkable? Ask your prospective DJ, “How is your service and performance different & better…what sets you apart from the others?”
Reality #4 – Bigger is not always better. With the large multi-system DJ company their time, resources, attention, and importance of your event is divided between all the events they perform that night. Your planning could be as little as a 15 minute phone call a few days before your wedding, and a different person you don’t even know showing up the night of the reception. What would make your reception stand out? Perhaps the best choice is a single-system DJ where 100% of their focus is on your event. In-person planning sessions with the actual DJ that will be performing at your reception, getting to know you, helping you plan & organize the entire event with the intent to personalize, individualize, involve your guests, and to make your reception incredible and memorable and to be “The Perfect Host!”. Just ask you prospective DJ “How much time do you spend planning with us? How will you personalize our reception throughout the night? How will you involve our guests, and how will you make us the Stars-of-the Night?”
Reality #5 – The best wedding DJ talent is in high demand. It gets booked first and early, because there is a difference. It’s true for DJ entertainment as well as wedding sites, reception venues, photographers, and many other vendors. For any given date, there are many more couples in need of top DJ entertainment than there is top DJ entertainment available. So, many couples will end up settling for an average or below average DJ. If having a fun, original, memorable, stress-free reception involving your guests is important to you, put a top priority on booking your entertainment early. Ask your prospective DJ, “When can we get together in person to get to know each other a little better, and find out if you are the right DJ entertainment for my wedding?”
Reality #6 - There are only few times in our lives that provide the opportunity to be surrounded by those who mean the most to us…friends, family and loved ones. Your wedding is one of them. Choose an entertainer that recognizes this special day for what it is – a celebration of life! I believe… that your wedding day will be one of the most cherished days you will ever share with those who are most important to you. I also believe… that your DJ has an enormous responsibility not only to you but your family, friends and guests. This responsibility is to ensure your every wish and desire is not only met, but exceeded. As you plan your special day, remember that the entertainment is the most important element to a successful reception. No other single element will effect more how you and your guests remember your wedding day, than a fun and magical reception.
Reality #7 – The lowest price is NOT the best deal. The top DJ entertainers/hosts will cost more than the other companies in the region (sometimes 3 to 5 times more), but they are the most busy and in high demand. The average cost of a cheese and vegetable buffet is about per person and if you have just 150 guests, you could be spending over 00 just for finger food for your guests. Is the entertainment at your reception worth more to you than broccoli?
Reality #8 – Is your prospective DJ Entertainment company a professional? How can you define professional? Is it a “real company” with a business license, liability insurance, toll free phone number and a LEGAL music library with professional audio equipment (with a 100% complete backup system)? Is this business their full time job or do they have a “real job” and only DJ to make extra spending money? Do they belong to a National Association with a code of ethics and standards of performance?
Reality #9 – One Wedding, One Chance To Do It Right! Talk to recent clients of the entertainer you are considering! They should be thrilled to provide the last 3 or 4 events that they have done! Any performer is only as good as their last performance!
Reality #10 – You will likely get what you pay for! Most truly professional Mobile DJ’s will charge from 00 to 00 for their services depending on your specific needs and the services provided. If the DJ you are considering is not in this price range, it is likely that they are unqualified, unlicensed, or otherwise unfit to perform for you and your guests on the most important, and most expensive day of your life!
Best of luck with planning your perfect wedding, and may you have a long, happy, and prosperous life together. If you have already chosen your entertainment for your reception, please pass this on to a friend.
Alan Dodson,
Entertainment Director
An Unforgettable Event, Inc.
www.topdiscjockey.com
Tags: brides magazine, groom magazine, last several years, magazine sources, national bridal service, priceless memories, reception entertainment, usa today, wedding entertainment, wedding industry