Martha Stewart’s DJ Blog Post?

I heard about this article from a friend and I seemed it immediately. I was quite surprised that I agreed with most of what she had to say. The only suggestion that I question is, “ The best way to find a disc jockey is…you can also ask your wedding coordinator, caterer, photographer, florist, or banquet manager for referrals.” I disagree with this because I’ve seen too many vendors receiving “kickbacks” for their referrals. For example, a vendor receives a 5-15% finders fee for the referral. Given the opportunity to gain a commission, what vendor wouldn’t recommend a fair or worse, a poor DJ for an extra few bucks? With this temptation, I would question the validity of vendor referrals. Don’t get me wrong, many vendors will recommend good DJ’s, but the temptation might be too great.

Here is Martha’s Post:

Martha Stewart Weddings, Volume 13 2000

Even the most versatile and talented band on earth could never provide the range of songs and performers that a disc jockey can. The best way to find a disc jockey is through referrals from friends who have had a good experience using one; you can also ask your wedding coordinator, caterer, photographer, florist, or banquet manager for referrals.

What to Look For

Since most disc jockeys' music libraries are huge, you will rarely find musical reasons to hire one deejay or service over another. Focus instead on credentials and references. Ask about rates; if they are considerably lower than the industry norm ($500 to $1,000 for a four-hour event), there may be a reason. If they are higher, ask for justification.

Meeting With the Deejay

Never hire a deejay you haven't met in person. This is your opportunity to assess his personality and style. Viewing a videotape of a disc jockey's work can be helpful, but you must bear in mind that what you are viewing has been edited to include only the most flattering material.

Equipment and Backup Plans

A professional disc jockey will bring professional digital equipment, not just an impressive home system. In addition to a dual-CD player to ensure continuous music and a good-quality amplifier and speakers, a disc jockey should be equipped with a wireless microphone for announcements and toasts. Make sure that the deejay has adequate backups because equipment failures, though rare, can occur.

Selecting the Music

When you meet with a disc jockey, he will generally give you a list of his most requested tracks -- often ranging from several hundred to a thousand titles -- from which you can select songs. You should also feel free to add any favorites that may not be included in his library. You can either supply them yourself or ask the deejay to purchase the CDs. At most weddings, requests from guests will be encouraged, unless you direct otherwise. But tell your disc jockey about any songs, or even genres of music, you don't want played (even if requested).

Booking the Deejay

Try to book a deejay at least six months ahead of your wedding day. You should both sign a detailed contract specifying all logistics of the reception: date, location, time (including setup time; one hour prior to the start of the event is the norm), and projected length. Other things the contract should do is stipulate price and overtime charges (with a guarantee that the disc jockey will not leave for another event if you need him to stay beyond the scheduled end of the reception); list the sound equipment the deejay will be using and specify that backup equipment and personnel are available; and indicate that the disc jockey is covered by liability insurance. It could even spell out what the disc jockey is expected to wear.

http://www.marthastewartweddings.com/226871/hiring-disc-jockey

Not So Loud!

Headroom is very important when planning your event. Some might ask, “What exactly is Headroom and why should I worry about it?” Head room is the space in the speaker needs with peaks in sounds to still be able to reproduce the sound without distortion. Most wedding planners, brides and grooms understand very little about headroom. You want to be sure your entertainer(s) understand this concept to ensure crisp clean sound for your event. Distorted sound is painful to hear; something you don’t need at your event!

Headroom can be overcome with quality and multiple speakers. First factor is quality! You’ll find inexpensive speakers available at most sound equipment distributors. These distributors always offer an inexpensive brand. These brands often appear to be high quality, but it’s the internals that really make the difference; the speakers, crossovers and amps. The quality (professional) gear will have significant head room and ability to absorb a full range of sound. in expensive speakers are fine, if the sound is kept very low. When the volume is increased, you’ll hear the difference.

The second factor is the number of speakers. How many speakers do you need? That depends on the size of a venue and the number of guest. Think of it like this; you have a small portable iPod speaker. That speaker in a small bedroom is fine. That same speaker in a gymnasium is not fine. I’d also add the number of guest. If you have 10 people in a room, that small iPod speaker would work just fine. If you have a couple dozen friends over, you’ll want to have more power like a home stereo. Move into a gymnasium with a couple hundred people and you won’t hear that sound. This is because sound is absorbed with bodies and furniture. Most weddings have linen on majority of the furniture pieces. This linen will absorb significant amounts of sound. Granted, you could use two large, (1000watt) speakers, but that would deafen the people near the speakers and your guest at the other end of the room would barely hear the music and announcements.

Working with your DJ and entertainers, you can plan for these factors, taking all the considerations into account. You might only need two speakers, but then again, you may need multiple sets. Our policy is to ensure a great event; headroom is one of many factors we have to account for to ensure your event success.

Here’s a video describing headroom.

<iframe width="1280" height="720" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/tOSJ2X6p4tM" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

Why can't I get a quote?

The most asked commonly asked question by brides to their DJ, band or entertainers. I believe this question is asked most because many brides do not know what questions to ask, prior to booking an entertainer. How many times have you booked a DJ for an event? Most young brides never have booked an entertainer.

We, entertainers, offer a variety of services to meet each clients unique needs. What are those needs? Some of the needs include the number of guest, location, length of event, size of venue, style of music, lighting, setup, design, microphones, table lighting, and much more. As you can see, depending on your needs, this is a difficult question to answer. It would be like calling a car dealer and saying, "I need a car, how much are yours?" Well the cost would depend on a lot of your preferences. If you want a used cheap car, it would not be expensive. If you wanted a high class car, it will cost you significantly more.

Image Source: http://wedding-day-bliss.com/2013/02/15/outdoor-wedding-5-ikea-lanters/

"So why can't you just tell me the cost?"

Again, it depends on what you are looking for with services. In Maine, the average cost starts at $800 for about 5-6 hours. The more hours you add to an event, the cheaper your cost. The less hours, the more you'll pay per hour. Then there are all the options and services you might be expecting when paying, let's say $800. Good DJ's will not give you a price over the phone or in an email without all the details because of this expectation. If you were to pay $800 and expect a full uplighting package and you found out on your wedding day that this only covers the music, you'd be very disappointed and frustarated with your DJ. Good DJ's have learned this lesson the hard way and will not just book on one flat fee.

How can I plan my budget if DJ's won't tell me the cost?

Good question. Below is a table of basic average cost for the State of Maine. These cost projections are only estimates. We will not honor prices posted online.

	Bronze Package	Silver Package	Gold Package	Diamond Package
Style & Look	Shabby Sheik Very Clean & Simple	Clean Look Some Dance Lighting	Adding Uplighting and Monograms	Maximum “WOW” factor
Hours Included:	4	5	6	6
Sound:	Minimal	Adds speakers and subs (125+ people)	4 Speakers up to 2 subs, very loud.	Maximum  Sound with remote speakers and sound processing
Lighting:	NONE	Dance Lights	Uplighting Dance Lighting Moving Heads Monogram Cake Table Pinspot	Uplighting Dance Lighting Moving Heads Monogram Cake Table Pinspot Individual Table Pin Spotting Gobo Breakup Projections.
Package is best for:	Simple and short events.  Family Reunions BBQ Shabby Sheik Budget Wedding	Simple Weddings up to 125 guest. Some “Wow” Factor Low Budget Weddings Small Parties Reunions	Traditional Weddings up to 175 guest. Lot’s of “Wow” Factor All Out Parties Class Reunions Sweet “16” Bat Mitzvah	Totally Astonish your guest. Maximum “Wow” Factor. This is like stepping into a movie. This package provides those amazing photo opts.
Cost:	$600-$700	$800-$1500	$2000-$3000	$3000+

What you'll want to think about prior to contacting your DJ is, "What type of wedding are you looking for? Simple or extremely elegant." Your DJ will help you in figuring the cost. Just remeber, the more the DJ does, the more you can save. DJ's are best at lighting and sound, don't trust a venue.

As you can see, the cost of DJ's is not cheap. Here is a break down of the most basic system:

Basic DJ Equipment Cost

4 Speakers $1,000 each = $4,000

Subwoofer = $750

Microphone Wireless = $450

Mixer = $800

Mixer Case = $200

Power Conditioner = $200

EQ or Maximizer = $300

Tripods = $75 each $400

Table = $50

Table Cover = $25

Cables (stereo) = $300

Total for the most basic system: $7,450

What’s not included: Music = $$$$$, Insurance, Advertising $$$ and more. As you can see even with the most basic system, you're looking at a $10,000 investment! When you rent any tool or equipment, you usually pay 10% of the cost of the product. We have yeat to factor the cost of labor. Yes, we DJ's still need to get paid; it's why we're DJing in the first place.

Hopefully this makes more sense as to why cost begin around $800. If you wanted an uplighting package with monograms and custom programmed lighting, your DJ will most likely be bringing $30,000+ of gear. The cost of $2,000 for the equipment, labor and advertising doesn't seem too bad, does it? When you talk to your DJ, think about what you want and what you need; cost is based on equipment and labor. 

New Year's Eve 2012-13

I'd like to thank Michelle Haskel for a great event on New Years Eve. The Mariner's Church was rocking and decked out for a big welcoming of 2013. This event included dance lights, moving head lights, and basic uplights. At the stroke of midnight we had a balloon drop and confetti cannons shooting confetti 25' in the air. Thank you for a great night. Here's a link to images and video.