Finding the Right Wedding DJ

Wedding Gal — Mon, 13 Jul 2009 23:30:50 +0000

You’ve already auditioned your brother’s rock band, and you know that Metallica covers are not what you had in mind for your wedding reception. You’ve decided to hire a DJ, but don’t know where to start. Just remember these simple rules and you’ll have a DJ that spins gold.

Interview before you book him or her

Don’t take it from your cousin’s boyfriend’s sister’s fiancé that Joe DJ is the best DJ around. Interview Joe DJ first to make sure it’s a good fit. Remember that this day is all about you, so if Joe DJ has his “wedding formula’ and refuses to deviate from that, he’s probably not the DJ for you. Not only will you want to get a feel for the DJ’s commitment to your reception, but you’ll also want to check out their operation. Here are a few things to remember:

A DJ is only as good as their rig (their actual DJ equipment). You can hire the nicest guy or gal in the world. He/she can have the best music selection in the world. But if the rig is old or if it’s not up-to-date none of that will matter. The best music selection is worthless if it won’t play out of the speakers. Take some time to ask potential DJs what kind of setup they have, and whether or not they bring a backup system. Also, do they spin vinyl? CDs? MP3s? If it’s the latter then you can bank on your DJ being able to get his or her hands on any song you want. Because…

A wide range of song selections is crucial to a good party. You’ll want to give your DJ a “do play” and “do not play” list. The former are those all-important songs like your first dance and your father/daughter, mother/son dances, and the latter are things that will absolutely ruin your world if you hear them. Hate “The Macerena?” Better put it on your “do not play list”. But even if your “do play” list is very robust, you can’t think of every song that your guests may request. That’s why it’s important for your DJ to have a wide selection of choices. You don’t want to hear “We Are Family” more than once, do you?

Remember that it’s all about you. You’ll want to choose the DJ who understands the importance of this day for you. And, of course, that you want to be the center of attention. You don’t want a DJ in a shock-orange wig running a smoke machine and doing sound effects on his or her rig. Or maybe you do. Just make sure you set your expectations early in the game. If your potential DJ has video footage of a previous wedding, more the better.

Plan ahead

Now that you’ve chosen your DJ, you want to make sure you’re completely aware of the mechanics of the process. You won’t want to worry about where your DJ needs to set up while you’re fixing your veil and trying to think about not tripping over your train. It’s best to get all the particulars sorted out well in advance. Here are some things to remember:

Make your DJ familiar with the venue. Odds are he or she is familiar. If not, plan a trip to the venue ahead of time and make sure you introduce your DJ to your contact at the venue, if they don’t already know each other. They’ll need to work together for things like announcing the cake-cutting, announcing dinner if you’re having one, and more.
Give your DJ a detailed itinerary for the reception. It’s hard for him or her to know what to do next if he or she doesn’t know what’s coming next.
Make sure your DJ knows how to pronounce the names of the people in your wedding party. It is pretty embarrassing for the DJ and for the person whose name gets mispronounced when that happens.
Ask your DJ if they will need to eat at the reception. Plan that ahead of time. If you’re serving a $50 per plate dinner, you might want to plan for the caterer to make your DJ a sandwich. Some DJs will choose not to eat.
Make your expectations clear regarding the open bar. Some people don’t mind in their DJ has a couple of drinks. The most professional DJs will assure you that they won’t be drinking during your reception. And they really won’t.

Finally, read every word of the contract. Make sure there are no hidden fees, that the DJ you’ve spoken to will actually be your DJ at your reception, and that your DJ is insured.

A wedding DJ can make or break a wedding reception. Choose the wrong one and you’ll never forgive yourself (or your DJ). Choose the right one and your reception will be an event to remember.

Keep Your Wedding Costs Under A Thosand Dollars

Wedding Gal — Mon, 29 Jun 2009 21:40:11 +0000

People frequently complain about being engaged forever because they don’t have the money to get married. Not only is this misleading, it is far from the truth because it is really easy to get married very cheaply. In fact, you can get married at the courthouse and not pay very much money at all! On the other hand if a reception is important to you and you would like to celebrate your wedding with family and friends it will take a few more dollars to have one. For as little as a thousand dollars you can have the wedding you have always dreamed of. Sure, you might not have the bridal jewelry made of diamonds and platinum. You can have a wonderful wedding that you will always remember and you won’t need expensive limousines to do it.

Let’s start off saving money by getting a bargain on a dress and pay less than $100. There are many bridal shops that sell off the rack wedding gowns for as little as $99. Shop around and find a dress you love. Remember, too, that your bridal jewelry will make your dress even more beautiful and special. If possible, shop for dresses with your bridal jewelry so you can get the full effect.

The next way to save money is to buy plain, gold bands for the bride and groom. Bridal jewelry that is simple can be affordable. You can buy both bridal jewelry bands for as little as $250 and sometimes less if you shop around. You can add more extravagant bands later on when you have more money. You can always give bridal jewelry as a gift for a special occasion like an anniversary.

Find a photography student willing to shoot your wedding for $100. Many will be delighted at the opportunity to make a little money and practice their craft. The priest or pastor will also cost around $100. You will need to serve refreshments of some sort and the easiest way to save money here is to have family members and friends each bring something. You can ask for menu items to get what you want and many people will be willing to help you find ways to save money. You may want to buy a wedding cake and if you choose a simple one from a bakery it will cost around $100.

If you get married on your own property, that will be free. A church can be very low cost-sometimes as little as one hundred dollars and if you are a member sometimes nothing for members. So, if you are a member of a church get married there!

Flowers add a tremendous value to the wedding. Believe it or not but you can buy some beautiful flowers at your local super center and then arrange them yourself. Less than one hundred dollars will be enough to buy the flowers for a lovely wedding. Have family or friends contribute green leaves or other green plant cuttings.

Even after buying everything so far you will have only spent about 75 percent of your budget. Take the rest and brainstorm on choosing something else to add to make the day even more special-perhaps ballons or butterflies. Choose real invitations or take the free route and invite by email. Now that you can see how easy to have a nice wedding for a very low cost spend some time coming up with some more fun ways to spend the money.

My Wedding Ideas - Unique Wedding Ideas & Creative Wedding Tips » dj

Finding the Right Wedding DJ

Interview before you book him or her

Plan ahead

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Keep Your Wedding Costs Under A Thosand Dollars

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