Before you sign your DJ contract and pay your deposit, be sure to know who exactly your wedding DJ & MC will be.
I know that sounds like a no brainer, but several companies sell you their DJ & MC packages without ever disclosing who your exact DJ & MC will be. You may not find out until 5 days before your Florida Keys wedding which puts pressure on you to make sure they understand what you’re looking for and for the DJ to make sure he’s got everything correct and understands your musical tastes, not to mention the details of your grand introductions, spotlight dances, the timeline of your evening, and more important than anything, if your personalities click.
I am writing this blog today because within the last several weeks I’ve gotten questions from brides and grooms asking me if I myself would be their DJ & MC for their destination beach wedding. I questioned why they asked and they told me that several other companies they called couldn’t tell them right now who would be performing, and they would find out closer to their actual wedding date. Wha wha what? Are you serious?
To me, the DJ & MC are one of the most important parts of your wedding. Not taking anything away from any other vendor because they are all important, but the DJ & MC are the face of your wedding. That’s the person they will hear throughout the evening, the person who announces different events of the evening, and the person who many people will be interacting with throughout the evening.
It’s also the person who will be working side by side with your wedding planner, caterer, photographer, and you want to know that you are hiring a team player and not someone who thinks the whole night is about them.
Now don’t get me wrong, there are some great DJs and MCs that are sub contracted out by these larger companies but many of them are not. I hear from wedding planners all the time, The XYZ company is great if you get DJ So & So, but if it’s not them it’s hit or miss. Do you want to play hit or miss on your wedding day?
The first question you should ask when hiring your DJ & MC is, “who will be the actual DJ & MC”? Great, I’d like to speak with him or her, see their reviews, and see some pictures from “THEIR” events BEFORE I commit. Make sure they put in the contract that DJ So & So will be the DJ & MC performing at your wedding. (barring anything catastrophic happening to the DJ)
I like the personal touch…….the warm and fuzzy. When you hire me, you get me. If I’m booked I will suggest some other great DJs & MCs but I will never book you and send someone else. If I’m booked I tell you I’m booked and suggest you contact A B or C and see if they will be a good fit for you.
When you book me, like many other DJs here in the Florida Keys, you get my full attention between the time you book me, right through your wedding day. I like to establish a relationship with my bride and groom, and even parents if they are part of the planning process. I make myself available for any questions or concerns you may have while filling out the planners, and I have made myself available to your other vendors so everyone is on the same page.
By the time your wedding date has arrived, we have spoken several times, emailed back and forth a number of times, and have some sort of relationship built during the planning process so when your big day arrives, we are familiar with each other and maybe are even friends.
You don’t invite strangers to your wedding, you shouldn’t hire strangers either.
Like many of the awesome vendors who service your beach and destination weddings here in the Florida Keys, we may be strangers the first time you contact us, but many times we are friends before that first meeting is over.
You may save a few dollars by hiring a company that brokers DJs & MCs for weddings, but is saving a few dollars’ worth risking the most important day of your life other than the birth of your children?
Hire a professional, deal with a professional, and as I always say, “Don’t just hire a vendor, Hire a team”.
