free infographic of Top Wedding DJ Mistakes of Brides when hiring a Wedding DJ
I created this Infographic on easel.ly today and wanted to share it with you. Let me know what you think. It is my first attempt at an Infographic; not my best work but not awful either. This continues the conversation from yesterday visually about common Bride mistakes when hiring your Wedding DJ. I invite you to avoid all these Wedding DJ mistakes, so you have the Wedding you imagine in your head, or even better!
Top Ten Wedding DJ Mistakes | Local Motion CT DJ.
The Top Ten Mistakes Brides & Grooms Make When Choosing a Wedding DJ |
I read this excellent blog post by a group of Connecticut DJs and wanted to share it with you. The author makes several excellent points and clearly has the same concept of what makes an exceptional Wedding DJ as I share. It is always a treat when I see other Wedding DJs that carry strong professional values and integrity in their work. The real wedding DJ images are mine and wanted to identify to clear any copyright concerns.I look forward to reading your comments and ideas!
Top Ten Wedding DJ Mistakes |
Searching for the perfect DJ for your wedding can be a daunting process. We’re providing you with a list of common mistakes made by Brides & Grooms when choosing wedding entertainment:
10) Not Taking First Impressions into consideration.
The first interaction with your potential DJ is usually made over the phone when arranging a consultation. How well do they speak? How is their enunciation? Do they have a pleasing voice? This person will be the MC of your reception, announcing your introductions and entertaining your guests for the entire evening, so ensure they come across professionally.
9) Hiring A DJ That Gives The Same Performance At Every Party.
Does your DJ give the same performance at every function for every couple that hires him or does he reflect each couples’ personality and desires? Be sure your DJ can play to your unique set of guests.
8) Basing Your Decision On Equipment.
Anyone can go out and purchase top of the line equipment. It is very important that your DJ does carry the best of equipment but if that is the focal point of their marketing, find out why it isn’t their reputation or skill set.
7) Not Going Over Their Back-up Plan
Is his back-up plan organized and does it supply an equally qualified professional? What about his equipment? A catastrophic equipment failure the day of your wedding will not only affect the DJ but your entire reception as well.
6) Not Guaranteeing Who Your Actual DJ Will Be
Ensure the DJ you want to work with and are meeting is the actual one that shows up to do your wedding. Some companies book your business then send a “fill in” DJ to perform at your wedding that may or may not be qualified to do so.
5) Choosing A DJ With A Lack Of Versatility
Does your DJ only do weddings? Ask if they have performed at corporate events, school functions, or other cultural parties such as Quinceaneras and Bar Mitzvahs. Versatility is only acquired through experience and this will reflect the depth of your DJ.
4) Hiring A DJ That Doesn’t Interact With Your Guests
Does your DJ have the experience and ability to interact with your guests and ensure they keep the energy going throughout the entire reception. Your DJ should have an arsenal of tricks up his sleeve to keep the party going even when there is a lull in the party.
3) Waiting Too Long To Hire The Professional Entertainer You Want
It’s difficult enough finding a DJ you like. Don’t go through all the trouble of finding the right person and procrastinate on booking them for your wedding. Most good DJs with a great reputation are booked at least a year in advance. As soon as you make that connection act on it and secure your date.
2) Not Checking Your DJ’s References
Are they recommended by facilities in your surrounding area? If not, ask why.
1) Hiring An Amateur Or Part Time DJ
Don’t put the most important day of your life in the hands of an amateur offering “amazing deals”, or worse, your “friend that has been DJing as a hobby for 10 years”. Don’t have your reception ruined by someone that is not qualified or equipped to entertain your guests or provide a variety of great music. Leave this to a reputable professional that can back up their work with solid recommendations.
Which statements do think are true and which do not share your experience with exceptional Wedding DJs?
DJ Mystical Michael Rhode Island DJ & Boston DJ
DJMysticalMichael@gmail.com
973.908.8147
I was updating my listing on Gigmasters tonight, and noticed this helpful piece of information on hiring your Wedding DJ:
“Booking the right wedding DJ can make a huge difference in your wedding reception. The right wedding DJ service can make the difference between a boring wedding reception and one that your wedding guests talk about for years.
Not all wedding DJs are created equal. Just because a DJ has a great collection of wedding DJ music does not mean the he or she is the perfect fit for your wedding entertainment. Talk to potential wedding DJs about what you need and want for your wedding reception and make sure to find a wedding DJ with a style you enjoy.
Your wedding DJ is a big part of the mood and feel of your wedding reception. You’ll want to make sure you research your options and find a wedding DJ that will work well with you and your party.”Gigmasters
This is the essential fact I wanted to draw attention to. Your Wedding DJ is who sets the mood and ‘vibe’ of your Wedding. It appears from the outside that the Wedding DJ that scratched and make cool sounds is the one that will give you the best value and entertainment for your Wedding. This is not always so, in fact, I would say that a Wedding DJ that focuses on ‘WOWing’ you and your guests has forgotten that you are the spotlight and should be, not the Wedding DJ
An exceptional Wedding DJ has mastered the art of providing the music and entertainer but still not take the shine from The Bride or Groom. It is your Wedding and you are the what and why everybody is gathered. An exceptional Wedding DJ knows how to stay out of the way while keeping the pulse on what music, genre and vibe is next for the unique and fun Wedding you are expecting. A good Wedding DJs are not cheap like we were years ago. Many top notch Rhode Island Wedding DJs, and even more so for New York Wedding DJs, cost anywhere from $850-$2700 today. Even more if you are into all the bells and whistles that can at times take the focus off you and your Wedding.
Find a Wedding DJ that is excited about working with you to co-create an exceptional Wedding together. If you are looking for a simple and elegant Wedding that expresses you and your fiancé, talk with your Wedding DJ and make sure they are right for you. I invite you to follow your gut and not let price differences one way or the other of 10-15% distort your decision. You will know when you have the right Wedding DJ for you. Trust yourself.
DJ Mystical Michael Rhode Island DJ & Boston DJ
Your Party, Your Music, Your DJ
973.908.8147
DJMysticalMichael@gmail.com
I came across this article about Wedding Brides yesterday and found it fascinating. I do not know if I agree with all that is written by I thought it would be interesting conversation. I have copied the bulk of the text below with some commments. i have also added links to content that is referred to by the original author.
“I’ve been in the wedding business a while…over 12 years, in fact…and in the process I’ve crossed paths with more than a few brides. There are a few misconceptions about them that I simply must expose. *deep breath*
WARNING: Prepare yourself for a healthy dose of sarcasm. All those lacking a sense of humor, turn back now.
Of course, they do! They know what their Knottie friends have told them. They know what the media says about wedding rip offs. They know exactly what to expect from watching wedding reality TV.
Shame on you for thinking they don’t know anything! For shame.
Speaking as a tomboy who absolutely refused to wear a dress until the age of 10, and who only grew her hair long because she got tired of the question, “Are you a boy or a girl?” I can assure you that all brides do NOT want to be a princess.
In fact, I bet if we took a survey at least 75% of brides get nauseous at the thought of a Cinderella ball gown and a tiara. You might remember that the next time you want to sprinkle fairy dust all over her day.
Maybe I’m handing in all my chick cards here, but that was definitely NOT the case for me. Sure, I played house and restaurant and doctor (woah! don’t go there) like other little girls, but playing at my dream wedding was never part of the picture.
When little girls grow up and get engaged, they are just as likely to be shell shocked at the mere thought of having to plan a wedding as they are to be sticker shocked by the price tag attached to their fantasy.
This is definitely not true. The groom can also be, “the bride,” and this isn’t exclusive to same sex weddings, either.
You know who I’m talking about. He emails you 15 times a day about the most minute details of the wedding, shows up with his own wedding planning binder, and on the wedding day, he wears makeup.
Be sensitive to the fact that the bride you’re working with might not be who you think.
While it may be true that many brides adore the browsing, shopping and dreaming that comes with planning a wedding, they are just as overwhelmed and stalled by CHOICE as the rest of us humans. When it’s too difficult to decide, they opt not to decide.
How many brides have exclaimed to me six months before the wedding, “Why can’t I just show up?”
Brides love the idea of choice, but give them too many pretty things to choose between, and they will choose nothing.
Ask a bride what her dream wedding will be like and 9 times out of 10 she’ll say, “Simple, elegant and unique. Something that’s really US.”
And yet…well, you’ve been to a wedding or two. They wear a white dress (strapless, no doubt!), walk down an aisle, share a first dance to a (corny, predictable) love song and dab cute dollops of icing on the groom’s nose. When they want to do something “different” they imitate last year’s trend-setting weddings on Style Me Pretty.
Yep, they’re original, all right.
Every bride wants to FEEL unique and special on her wedding day, but her choices are more likely to follow the herd.
The first thing she asks, whether in an email or on the phone, “How much do you cost?”
Ah, ha! With so many more important factors to consider, that’s what she asks. Therefore all she must care about is price.
Not so, weedhopper. Not so.
In surveys conducted by the Wedding Report, when asked if price was the deciding factor when hiring a wedding vendor, 80% of brides said NO.
Shock and dismay! If price isn’t the most important, what is?
She wants to make sure she’s getting quality first. Then price becomes a factor.”
Interesting stuff yes?
Numbers six and seven are the two that stand-out to me to offer perspective.
I think most Brides do want their wedding to be unique and different and are realistic enough to recognize that maybe just a few select items may be unique. Brides today are very savvy, at least min sour. You know more information about Weddings than brides have ever due to your time on the internet and forums. Of course,not all the information you get is true but it is still part of the knowledge base you accumulate to make your decisions on when, who, what and where. My experience is that Brides that do not know a lot about Weddings, ask professionals like myself to become more informed. I do my best to offer them honest and real advise and they appreciate the insights and experience I can share with them.
I am enough of a realist to know that what I do as a Rhode Island Wedding DJ is very similar to what many of the best Wedding DJs int eh area do as well. What I can offer that is unique is a guarantee and my experienced, fu and passionate personality. I also created The StoryBook for those who want to make their Wedding actually unique and personal.
However, I totally agree that most of my Brides want a simple and elegant Wedding that has their style and personality all over it. It should be that way, it’s your Wedding! I think too many Wedding vendors try to force themselves into the center of your Wedding as if they are the main attraction of the day. It infuriates me!
This is only half true and half BS. I have worked with enough of you to know that you want a fair price, excellent quality and to make sure your voice is of the highest importance. In short, you want value. I have not yet met a Bride that did not want me and all the other Wedding vendors to get paid what we are worth, as long as they can afford it. I think there is a mjor difference between being cheap and being smart. I am no different than of you; I don’t not want overpay for anything, but genuinely want to make sure those who are talented, work hard and offer excellent service get what they deserve.
I find excellent service, professionalism and creativity seem to be what most Brides want, then price becomes the factor. I think you ask about price first because you don’t know where else to begin our conversation. And let’s be honest, who does not care abut price besides the Jimmy Fallon TV commercials! Please let me know if I a wrong on this one.
Which of the myths about Brides do you think is most accurate and most erroneous?
With all the attention and focus on Brides, many Grooms these days feel left out and a desire to be more involved in the wedding process. Several Grooms have expressed their interest in participating further in their wedding than they are given credit for. It us iot that they wantto take any of the attention fromthe Brides, they just feel left out sometimes in their own wedding and would like to contribute.
Grooms have alway had the unique experience of being one half of the wedding equation but typically end-up just showing-up at their wedding without really knowing what or how it all was put together. This was partially based on the fact that Bride’s mothers were the primary wedding planners until recent years. Now that Brides have taken control of their wedding planing and coordination, Grooms also want to experience the whole event from, beginning to end. Other factors int he shift of whom is planning weddings has been the increase in weddings happening at a later age and Brides and Grooms paying for their wedding themselves. Women’s rights also plays a part int he shift as well. Women today are not as willing to just be ‘the good little daughter’ and let their mothers plan the whole process. Today,women want a voice in the wedding process and often plan the whole event from their computers at work! As a professional Wedding DJ, I am aware that most of my contact through email and even phone with Brides is experienced while they are at work. As we move even further forward in our technological advances, this trend can only increase. Many Grooms want this too!
It is fairly common for the Groom to be the one who is responsible for finding, hiring and working with the Wedding DJ. I find they are very willing and excited to co-create the music and entertainment for their wedding. Of course, many Brides and grooms have very contrasting tastes in music. This may even be more on display when Brides and Grooms share their individual vision of what the post-diner partying and dancing music will sound like and what songs they want for the First Dance, Father-Daughter Dance, Mother-Son Dance, Cake-Cutting, Bouquet Toss and Garter Toss. We are always able to find a nice mix of both their tastes and styles to create a fun and unique wedding experience for them and their friends and family together. This is one of m favorite aspects of being a professional Wedding DJ, the planning and coordination along with the Bride and Groom.
Grooms, I encourage you to let your Bride know that you want to contribute more in your wedding.
Brides, I invite you to let them and take some of the responsibility off your shoulders. Remember, it is their wedding too.
I was first turned-on to Vitamin String Quartet when the older sister of a Bride was helping me prepare for her sister’s wedding and requested that four of the Vitamin String Quartet’s songs were to be played during the ceremony, “God Only Knows”, “Don’t Stop Believin'”, Sweet Child O’ Mine” and “Clocks”.
I did some research on Vitamin String Quartet and began to explore Vitamin String Quartet library. It turns out they have over fifty albums with the majority of them as tributes to an artist or band exclusively. Vitamin String Quartet music has been featured on Dancing With The Stars several times and an episode of The Vampire Diaries included three of their tunes.
Vitamin String Quartet is a group of musicians in the Los Angeles area that record string arranged covers of Rock and Pop music to offer listeners, “Vitamin String Quartet is about applying rock n’ roll attitude to classical technique,” says Tom Tally, a violist and arranger who has performed on and produced over fifty Vitamin String Quartet albums. They do use non-string instruments occasionally.
I find Vitamin String Quartet covers often very original and unique with passion and clarity. I enjoy Vitamin String Quartet Music while driving on road trips as well as dancing. As a professional DJ, Vitamin String Quartet are an excellent resource for music for ceremonies, cocktails hours and special circumstances that a Rock audience will appreciate in a setting that harder music is not properly suited.
“Remember the scene in This Is Spinal Tap where singer David St. Hubbins mulls his prospects after the breakup of his heavy metal band? ”I’ve always wanted to do a collection of my acoustic numbers with the London Philharmonic,” he sighs. For nearly six years, Vitamin Records has tapped that same symphonic spine with its String Quartet Tribute series, which takes rock music and puts it through an orchestral filter. Aimed at collectors, completists, and fans open to reworkings of their favorite songs, the Vitamin catalog includes 140 classically gassed homages to every three-chord wonder from Metallica to the Darkness. ”I like the tribute to us,” says Nickelback guitarist Chad Kroeger. ”When your music is taken to a different place, it’s an honor.” EW.com
The Bride for the Wedding this Saturday at The Old Mill Inn in Basking Ridge, New Jersey asked me if I had Tired Old Souls by Marc Carroll. She wanted it to be her Wedding Processional Song. I thought it would be a great song and fit her perfectly. Not all Brides are the same and I appreciate when a Bride choses a Processional Song that expresses who she is and what it means to her.
If it seems familiar to you, it was the Processional Song used in Ross and Emily’s Wedding on Friends. It was played live by the band that Marc Carroll was in The Hormones.
It got me reflecting on what makes a good Processional Song. I figured I would take a look at what I could find on The Knot for possible alternatives. The list of Processional Songs does not stray too far from the traditional but still may be helpful to you.
1. “Air” (from Water Music Suite), (George F. Handel)
2. “Bridal Chorus” (from Lohengrin), (Richard Wagner)
3. “Canon in D” (Johann Pachelbel)
4. “Procession of Joy” (Hal Hopson)
5. “Rigaudon” (Andre Campra)
6. “Spring” (from The Four Seasons), (Antonio Vivaldi)
7. “Te Deum” (Marc-Antoine Charpentier)
8. “The Prince of Denmark’s March” (Jeremiah Clarke)
9. “Trumpet Tune” (Henry Purcell)
10. “Trumpet Voluntary” (Jeremiah Clarke)
11. “Trumpet Voluntary” (John Stanley)
12. “Wedding March” (from The Marriage of Figaro), (Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart)
Great Wedding Processional Songs – Traditional Alternatives
13. “Canzon V” (Giovanni Gabrieli)
14. “Coronation March for Czar Alexander III” (Peter I. Tchaikovsky)
15. “Overture” (from Royal Fireworks Music), (George Frederic Handel)
16. “Promenade” (from Pictures at an Exhibition), (Modest Mussorgsky)
17. “Romeo and Juliet Love Theme” (Tchaikovsky)
18. “Sinfonia” (from Cantata No. 156), (Johann S. Bach)
19. “Toccata” (from L’Orfeo), (Claudio Monteverdi)
20. “Trumpet Tune in A-Major” (David N. Johnson)
21. “Sonatas for Organ, Op. 65, No. 3 (con moto maestoso),” (Felix Mendelssohn)
22. “Winter,” Largo, (from The Four Seasons), (Antonio Vivaldi)
Great Wedding Processional Songs – Contemporary
23. “Appalachia Waltz” (Yo-Yo Ma, Edgar Meyer, Mark O’Connor)
24. “Sunrise, Sunset” (from Fiddler on the Roof), (Sheldon Harnick & Jerry Bock)
25. “The Look of Love” (Dionne Warwick/Burt Bacharach)
26. “The Vow” (Jeremy Lubbock)
27. “To A Wild Rose” (Edward MacDowell)
28. “Flatbush Waltz” (Andy Statman)
29. “Wedding Processional” (from The Sound of Music), (Richard Rodgers & Oscar Hammerstein)
Great Wedding Processional Songs – Religious/Sacred
30. “All People That On Earth Do Dwell” (“Old 100th” hymn)
31. “Dona Nobis Pacem” (16th century hymn)
32. “Hanava Babanot” (A Love Song), (Neeman)
33. “St. Anthony’s Chorale” (Franz Joseph Haydn)
34. “Hymn Fanfare from The Triumphant” (Francois Couperin)
35. “Scalero de Oro” (traditional Sephardic)
DJ Mystical Michael Rhode Island DJ & Boston DJ
It was 40 years ago this week that Johnny Nash I Can See Clearly Now was a number 1 hit on the Billboard Hot 100 charts for the fourth week!
Johnny Nash I Can See Clearly Now is one of the most beautiful and optimistic hit songs in Billboard history with Nash’s smooth, clear voice and a pseudo-Reggae beat. Nash recorded this song in England along with the rest of the album of the same name. Many people do not know that Nash had visited Jamaica and was introduced to the members of the Wailers. They became friends and Nash produced four unsuccessful songs with them that were recorded at the same time and location of this album. He was clearly influenced by the genre and The Wailers. He recorded several Bob Marley written songs on this album and future recordings.
Johnny Nash I Can See Clearly Now is a great song for a professional DJ to play as a transition from slow to uptempo dance music without losing the soft feel of slow dance songs and allowing dancers smooth segue. Every Wedding DJ has played this song numerous times for a diverse audience and Brides and Grooms.
Johnny Nash I Can See Clearly Now is a Billboard Hot 100 Chart #1 hit song, written and recorded by Johnny Nash. It was a single from the album of the same name and achieved success in the United States and the United Kingdom when it was released in 1972. It was covered by many artists throughout the years, including a 1993 hit version by Jimmy Cliff, who re-recorded it for the motion picture soundtrack of Cool Runnings, where it reached the top 20 at #18 on the Billboard Hot 100.
Recently, I was the professional Wedding DJ for a multicultural couple; the Bride’s family is from Korea and she has embraced her Korean and American roots and heritage. During the reception, I thought it would be fun to play a K-Pop song that was popular in Korea while I was there by a group called Jewel named, “Baby One More Time”. Of course, everyone got up to dance and a guy who is not Korean from Brooklyn ran over and asked if I had “That new song from Korea that is a hit in the clubs?”. It took a minute for us to figure out what song he was talking about and it was Psy Gangnam Style! I played it immediately following and it was a total hit! Everybody was having so much fun.
I used to live in South Korea and love the people and the culture. I was an English Teacher at a local elementary school filled with adorable, eager children. Since I have returned to The States, I have kept my eyes open for anything that reminds me of my time in Korea, especially the food and people. Great dance music is very common and part of Korean Culture.
For those who don’t know what Psy Gangnam Style is about, Gangnam is a section of Seoul known for hipsters and folks who think classy is defined by what you show, your clothes and your car. Psy had created Psy Gangnam Style as a satire to make fun of them and the lifestyle they exhibit. It is really funny if you know anything about Korean culture and the video is a total hoot. Enjoy!
