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Everyone has heard the horror stories about their co-workers’ wedding DJ. He was tacky, talked too much and was dressed like an amateur magician. These people do exist and are sprinkled all over popular wedding vendor sites. We know that’s what you don’t want when planning your wedding, so let’s talk about what you do want, a DJ that is coordinating your entire wedding day. You want a DJ that acts as a liaison between all your vendors ensuring every detail flows into the itinerary and contributes to a well paced evening. You want a professional host that only talks on the microphone when it’s necessary to the task at hand, all while knowing the exact moment to hit the guests with an amazing light show and dance music.
The current trends have been driving weddings into remote and untraditional places and sometimes those places require more thought or execution because of layout, power restrictions, etc. We spoke to Rocko Dorsey of RD Entertainment Services inc. in the Finger Lakes in upstate New York. The Finger Lakes area sees a lot of destination weddings and offers a diverse spectrum of options. On any given weekend, there might be a casual barn wedding nestled in the country, a posh winery wedding or a semi-formal wedding at a million dollar cabin in the Adirondacks. Most couples in this area don’t hire wedding planners, making it the DJ’s job to fill that role along with bringing the party.
Dorsey says he is constantly factoring details leading up to opening a dance floor that may hinder the party. “Sometimes that means discouraging two-hour cocktail hours, followed by open mic toasts that turn into roasts” he says. Letting your friends have access to two hours of free alcohol and then handing them a microphone is a bad idea. A reception is meant to be a celebration of your commitment to each other but it is also a thank you dinner to the guests that attended. People don’t want to sit through that 9 minute story about the time you went camping or how crazy you were in college. Your guests will get bored and unmotivated. The party you anticipated will never get it’s wings. The outcome of the party is on your DJ’s shoulders so, take the time to listen to their advice.
Dorsey also says “Don’t expect the bare minimum out of your DJ, otherwise you will end up with the guy wearing black jeans and a tuxedo top playing that choreographed song you roller-skated to in middle school.” He also suggest that you don’t get stuck on needing to see videos of the DJ in action. Anyone can show you a packed dance floor with people jumping around but, the truth is, that may have only happened once. A video doesn’t tell you anything about the company or what they actually do. Read reviews from past clients, see what comes with the booking. True wedding professionals are there to take the stress off of you, not add to it.
Categorized in: Music / Entertainment