Music can make or break any celebration. When planning your wedding, choosing the right entertainer is one of the most important and memorable decisions you’ll make!
Finding the right DJ-MC entertainer for your wedding may seem like a daunting task, but it really can be simplified if you ask the right questions. Many couples begin with a perceived budget, and sometimes that’s based on their experience hiring a DJ for a birthday or graduation party in the past. Using that as a point of comparison often leads to sticker shock. Most couples don’t initially understand the amount of time, planning and logistics that go into a successful wedding.
Hopefully, I can shed some light and help navigate this process. More importantly, if I can help educate just one couple who avoids making a mistake or help turn one ordinary wedding into one that’s extraordinary, my mission will be complete.
The misconception that a DJ charges more “just because it’s a wedding” is not true. A less experienced DJ may get by doing an occasional wedding for less, but without wedding experience, the client will never know what they missed in terms of touching moments and lifetime memories that could have been created.
The stakes are high. A wedding requires far more in terms of expertise and logistics. The time of year, level of talent, style and options requested will ultimately dictate price. These are important factors to understand before asking any DJ “what do you charge for weddings?” I make this point because it’s common on The Knot and other wedding sites for couples to randomly message multiple DJs inquiring about price with very few details and without the experience to know what else to ask to get a fair comparison.
If a DJ is in demand, chances are they’re doing something right. It takes hard work to develop and maintain the relationships that keep preferred vendors busy and that familiarity comes with a higher price tag than someone starting out and offering much less. Plus, which would you want for your wedding day?
No two weddings are exactly alike. Planning and preparation can vary greatly. One may be a simple three-hour cocktail reception requiring minimal prep, bringing a small sound system into a climate-controlled room with easy access. Another may be a prime Saturday in the height of wedding season, including multiple locations and a beach ceremony. This may require long trips carrying equipment through difficult soft sand in the heat of summer. That seemingly quick “20-30 minute” beach ceremony can be exhausting in some locations. It adds two hours to the day for a DJ and assistant between setup, providing battery power, testing specialized wireless equipment in the wind and sun, preparing prelude music as guests arrive and then coordinating the processional and recessional selections flawlessly from a distance, relying on hand signals from afar. Then a second sound system is setup for cocktails, typically on a patio, and a third, larger sound system is needed in a ballroom for dinner and dancing with 200 guests. Add decorative up-lighting, dance floor lighting, a personalized LED monogram with your initials in lights, photo booth and other effects and this becomes a full production and a 14-hour day, start to finish, for two people. Guests flow smoothly throughout the day, but behind the scenes, someone is working feverishly to ensure that the execution flows perfectly.
Without the benefit of this knowledge, prices can be confusing. One professionally handled wedding could be $1,200 and another could be four times that rate, closer to $5,000, offering many additional services. Sometimes there’s sticker shock and that’s understandable, but a professional who has dedicated a lifetime to their craft is worth the investment. They’re fully insured as required by most venues and available to plan with you for months leading into your celebration. Most travel with $50,000 in equipment, a substantial, well-rounded music library that took years to curate, elaborate lighting and two cloned laptops to ensure backup. This cannot be compared to a hobbyist with minimal experience who shows up, ill-prepared, rushing from room to room on your wedding day.
I often ask potential clients two simple questions: How important is music and entertainment to you as a couple, and what vibe are you trying to achieve? Most feel that it’s very important and most want some, if not all the options available. That’s where the value of an experienced pro shines.
Entertainment is not a commodity, it’s a specialized service. Have you ever attended a wedding where the DJ was a dud? He or she sat most of the night, played all the wrong music, didn’t interact with the crowd, and many guests left early. That’s often a direct result of a client shopping solely by price, or one who didn’t understand what to ask when hiring an entertainer. From your very first consultation to countless calls, eMail messages and multiple planning meetings, a professional will invest up to 20 hours on YOUR wedding. Then it’s time to create a detailed timeline and soundtrack that reflects your vision. When a “GREAT” wedding seamlessly flows from one special moment to the next, rest assured, it didn’t just “happen”! (DJ Rachel, CT). It was planned and executed with precision by a passionate professional who has perfected his or her craft and THAT is what you are investing in.
In the business world, both price and value are considered when making a major investment. The same principles apply to planning a wedding. You’re planning one of the most important celebrations of your life and you owe it to yourself to choose wisely! Extreme quotes, both high and low are analogous to retail shopping. Walmart and Macy’s have coexisted for decades. Walmart is known as a budget option and there’s a place for them. The quality and service offered by Macy’s will cost more, but those customers understand value and have higher expectations.
Always remember, your entertainer will be front and center, as an extension of you as a couple. They’ll articulate every aspect of your celebration from formal introductions to your first dance and any traditions you choose. He or she will make recommendations from experience and communicate well with other key vendors, forming a team for the day. If you must cut corners to stay within a defined budget, it would be a mistake to skimp on something as important and memorable as your entertainment. We all hear horror stories being in the industry, but by then it’s too late. Here’s why… In today’s digital age, entry into the industry is EASY. There’s no certification to use the title “DJ”. DJs are abundant, but not all are the same. Everyone has access to music, but not everyone has a polished presentation. Some don’t subscribe to legal industry sources for music and rely on poor quality you tube “rips”. They hope for good WIFI and intermittent, awkward moments of silence are common. Inexpensive gear is readily available, but it won’t stand up to the demands of professional use. Now you’re hearing poor quality files on subpar equipment, struggling beyond its capacity in a large room. Everyone deserves a start, but on a day when it really matters, inexperience and low-grade equipment could place YOUR wedding at risk, subject to total failure.
It’s truly an art to successfully entertain a diverse group of guests from 8 to 80, and often with multi-cultural backgrounds. This meme, found on Pinterest, truly says it all…
One additional piece of important advice. There are many digital marketers who run online DJ and one-stop wedding sites from all over the globe. This is not to be confused with the many great multi-op companies. Digital marketers offer deeply discounted DJ services and “bundles” with DJ-Photography and Video for ONE low price. Beware! They offer enticing prices, generic photos and fake numbers that appear local. They’re web marketers with SEO skills, but they’ve NEVER set foot in your state and never worked a wedding in their life. Many collect leads, prey on consumers by offering low prices and then assign jobs to the lowest bidder behind the scenes for a fraction of what they’re charging. The low bid goes to anyone who will take the job on through online ads and sometimes there’s an “emergency” and reassignment just days before your wedding. Sadly, you get what you pay for, and less in some cases. Don’t fall prey to marketing ploys like this and always remember that if something seems too good to be true, it likely is.
Find someone local who comes with recommendations. Someone you’re comfortable with after a conversation or two. Finding the right entertainer with the right credentials will make your wedding a stress-free, enjoyable experience. Approaching this decision with an education, you’ll feel the connection when you find the right DJ for you. Another great source is your venue’s banquet manager. They work with MANY DJs on a weekly basis and they’ll know who is best for you. Finally, read ALL online reviews for anyone you are considering. Dig deep as they speak volumes.
According to a recent Wedding Wire study, over 60% of couples interviewed after their wedding said they would place more emphasis on the quality of their wedding entertainment if they had to do it all over again.
20 years from now, your guests may not remember the small details, but they WILL remember what a great time they had if you choose your entertainment wisely! As a dedicated, lifelong professional, one of the greatest compliments I often hear is “You did our wedding years ago and everyone still says OUR wedding was the BEST they ever attended!”. To me, that’s the ultimate compliment and at the end of the day, that’s how every wedding client should feel!
Ken Schaffer is a life-long, dedicated wedding professional. He can also be heard on Wibbage FM 94.3 throughout South Jersey as host of “Totally 80s”, Monday through Thursday at 7pm. Ken’s DJ career began in Delaware County, PA as a teen who loved music and radio. From his humble beginnings hosting school dances, he went on to build one of the largest DJ entertainment companies in PA which still exists today. Ken now resides at the South Jersey Shore, and he’s returned to his roots as a hands-on DJ-MC, personally entertaining most weekends at weddings and corporate events. Ken has been awarded the prestigious “Best of The Knot” designation in the Wedding DJ category for 6 consecutive years and he was recently voted “Best DJ” in the Atlantic City Weekly Reader’s Choice Nightlife Awards. If you’d like to learn more, visit KenSchafferEntertainment.com or find him on most social media platforms.
