These Wedding Statistics may shock you but they are true & from well known reliable sources! Read them all here and learn from other Brides & Grooms mistakes! It will make you rethink your Wedding Reception Priorities!

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AFTER YOUR WEDDING RECEPTION…

72% of all brides say they would have spent more time choosing their reception entertainment. Almost 100% say they would have spent more of their budget on the entertainment.

During wedding planning, Brides say their highest priority is their wedding dress, attire, followed by the reception site and caterer – reception entertainment is among the least of their priorities!

Within one week after their reception, 78% of Brides say they would have made the entertainment their highest priority!

When asked 81% of guests say the thing they remember most about a wedding is the entertainment (Band / DJ).

65% of all couples that chose a band to entertain at their wedding reception, said, if they had it to do over again, they would have chosen a disc jockey!

*These statistics were published in St. Louis Bride & Groom Magazine . Sources include: Simmons; USA Today, National Bridal Service, The Knot, Brides Magazine.

Wedding Disc Jockey rates are vary based on talent, experience, emcee ability, service, coordination, equipment needed, music knowledge, mixing ability & personality. Not all Wedding DJ’s are Created Equally, as many of you know – we have all seen the “Bad” Cheesy Wedding DJ!

Rates for the DJ industry vary greatly, ranging from $350.00 to $3,500.00 with an US average of $1,200.00 for a 4-5 hour reception.

The best price is not always the best deal, especially if you are planning a wedding. As the surveys above conclude that 100% of brides would have spent more money on their entertainment & made it their #1 priority in hindsight!

A Professional Wedding Entertainment company will normally invest 12 to 30 hours to your special event but it may appear that you are only paying for “4 hours”. Consultations, music purchasing & editing, preparation, set-up & tear-down, education, phone calls, travel & other business related endeavors add up to the overall success of your special once in a lifetime day.

Modern Bride Magazine: Entertainment is only 5% of your Wedding Budget, but TWICE as many guests will remember your entertainment, more than anything else!

The numbers don’t lie…

The cost of entertainment at your reception is only a small portion of your overall budget. As Modern Bride Magazine states above, only 5% of your overall budget will be spent on entertainment.

However, over 50% of your guests will remember the performance of your disc jockey more than anything else at your reception. Think back to the last affair you attended, what did you eat? What Color was the Napkin? What was the guest of honor wearing? The Chart Below shows you what was spent compared to how well it will be remembered….

Percentage of Money Spent On A Wedding Reception

Percentage of What Guests Will Remember Most About Your Reception

When you’re spending thousands of dollars on a once-in-a-lifetime event, doesn’t it make sense to reserve the finest entertainment, especially since it is only 5% of your over all budget??

Yes, your Gown & your Food are very important. Still, the selection of Music & Entertainment can determine the success of your event!

A qualified Wedding MC can guarantee your guests will stay after dinner to party; the Photographer & Videographer will have something to shoot & your guests will stay long enough to really remember your gown!

Here is a Chart that shows you Popular Wedding Seasons, what does this mean to you? Either avoid booking those times to save money or make sure you book all your vendors early. Because all the great vendors will be booked sometimes up to a year or more in advance! You don’t want to be “stuck” with who is left! There is usually a good reason why a vendor is not booked 2 weeks before your wedding!

We wish you the bestwith all your Planning but remember that sometimes the smallest overlooked detail may have the largest impact on the SUCCESS of your Wedding Reception!

What Do You want in a DJ/Entertainer?

I always ask my clients how they feel about DJs they have seen perform in the past. Invariably they can all remember that wedding or event they attended where the DJ was terrible and they had no fun. When asked why the DJ was not good the replies are usually the same:

1 – The DJ didn’t play good music

2- The DJ couldn’t read the crowd

3- The DJ refused to play requests

4- There were times when the music just stopped or was “choppy”.

5- The DJ just hung out behind their box all night and didn’t interact.

Let us discuss:

DJ playing music at mixer on colorful blurred background. The hands close up

1- The DJ didn’t play good music…

This is an interesting concern since all DJs pretty much use the same pre-recorded music. If they are keeping up with what is current and have a decent catalog of music then there is no reason they can’t play “good music”. The problem is not the music, but the DJ’s inability or deliberate decision to play music that will motivate their audience to dance.

The truth is that every event, every crowd is different. A play-list that packs the floor and rocks the house at one event may not necessarily succeed at another event next week. Why? Simply put, “different strokes for different folks.” Some audiences like a mixture of classic rock, 80’s, and Motown; another group might really like Old School and newer Hip Hop, Funk, and Line Dances. If the DJ doesn’t know who he’s playing for then they won’t dance.

2- The DJ couldn’t read the crowd…

This is a common concern. What this really means is that the DJ didn’t do enough research or ask his/her client the right questions before the event and he is winging it…ALL night. OR the DJ believes that his experience is enough to carry him through the event. While there are tried and true play-lists that are considered “floor packers” a DJ that relies SOLELY on these lists or their own “expertise” many times find themselves struggling to get or keep people on the dance floor.

It is important for the client to be involved in the music selection process. Why? Because you know your family and friends better than any DJ ever can. You’ve been partying and dancing with them for years so, you know what they like and what will get them moving. By giving your DJ your input, it will take less time to “read” the crowd and tells the entertainer the kinds of music that pretty much guarantees will keep your guests dancing all night.

3- The DJ refused to play requests…

We keep hearing this over and over. I don’t get it. The bride, groom, or a guest comes by the DJ’s station and requests a song and the DJ says “I’m not playing that…” WHAT?!! Why would a DJ do that? Well, several reasons, none of which I agree with.

One: Pride. They don’t want to be the DJ that plays the “Chicken Dance” even if THE BRIDE tells them to. Two: They think they know better…in their opinion, the song doesn’t fit into their pre-planned play-list and playing it will “ruin their rep”. Three: The DJ doesn’t like the song, NEVER plays that song, or thinks that your request is merely a “suggestion” that they don’t have to fit into their repertoire because, in their opinion, it will interrupt their flow of music.

It is true that there is a science to mixing music. It is a method to keep people dancing to play music within the same beat range. So, we do play songs that have similar “speeds” if we want to keep ‘em dancing.

Playing an obscure song or a song that does not match the beat currently playing, may cause many of the dancers to leave the floor, and once they leave, it can be difficult to get them back. That being said, refusing to play a bride’s or groom’s request because you don’t think it will “fit” with what you are playing basically means you are playing for yourself and your rep and NOT entirely for the folks who hired you.

A really good DJ will find a way to work their clients requests into the evening because THAT’S WHAT HE’S BEING PAID TO DO! Make sure you ask your DJ how they plan to keep your guests dancing and how they handle requests. REMEMBER: you’re signing the check at the end of the event, so, YOU SHOULD GET WHAT YOU’RE PAYING FOR!

4- The music just stopped or was “choppy”…

This might happen accidentally, or it might be the result of poor mixing skills, or poor planning. There is no logical reason this should happen throughout the entire event. It means that your DJ is not as experienced as he may have led you to believe. It means they are “winging” it and really don’t know what song to play next.

It could mean their laptop just froze and they don’t have a CD or back up music source ready to go. Or it could mean that the DJ company you’ve hired is training their new guys on YOUR TIME. All of this translates to people either waiting for the next song to begin or leaving the floor. You don’t want that on your wedding day…or at ANY event for that matter!

You should be able to review your DJ past performances. This is why I have posted comments from previous clients. Make sure you are getting a seasoned professional who knows how to transition smoothly from one song or genre to the next without those awkward silences or choppiness that is a mood killer on the dance floor.

5- The DJ just hung out behind their box and didn’t interact…

Many DJ companies actually sell “against” an interactive DJ. They call it “cheesy” or “intrusive” or “NOT classy.” I even heard of one DJ company who uses the slogan “We don’t do line dances, or interaction, just Classy, LOW-KEY, weddings and parties…” REALLY? When was that last time YOU went to a party or wedding reception that you had an absolute BLAST at and walked out saying “I had so much fun, that party was so LOW-KEY!”Or a better question might be:

“Would YOU rather attend a LOW-KEY event, or a party that was AMPED UP & ROCKIN’ ALL NIGHT LONG?! As one of my clients recently said on Weddingwire.com“a DJ can make or break a party…” You don’t MAKE a party by being LOW-KEY. How do you want your reception or party to be remembered? A) LOW-KEY? or B) Remembered forever as the best party your guests have EVER been to!– I’ll take option B any day of the week! You want “low-key” try a funeral…NOT A WEDDING RECEPTION!

There is a saying: “I do what I do, because I can do it. You do what YOU do, because you CAN’T do what I do.” The simple truth is that 95% of DJs don’t interact with their audiences BECAUSE THEY SIMPLY DON’T KNOW HOW! Most DJs can’t dance and don’t want to learn. They use statements like “I let my music do the talking for me.” Or “I don’t have to interact, I just play good music…” and when that music fails to motivate people to dance? The only thing they can do is PLAY ANOTHER SONG.

Don’t believe the hype. A good entertainer, as my client said above “will make sure that your party is fabulous even if it means that he gets on the dance floor to share a few moves and get even the most timid of guests to show theirs too.” Not to take over the floor, but to be there just enough to get folks started if need be and keep them going on the floor all night.

So, what do you want in a DJ/Entertainer?

1- A DJ that plays music specific to your likes and to those of your friends and family.

2- The ability to work WITH you to create a playlist that will motivate your guests to party all night long!

3- A DJ who cares more about what YOU and your GUESTS want than he does for his own rep, and who will honor your requests. PERIOD!

4- A seasoned entertainer who can transition music smoothly & keep the music flowing in such a way that your guests will stay on the floor all night.

5-A DJ who knows how to interact just enough to be a party motivator and make your event memorable!

Sounds like a job for…THE DANCING DJS! After all, Knock ‘Em Out is not who we are…IT’S WHAT WE DO!

Buyer Beware! Preferred Vendors

In this down economy everyone is trying to create business and profit. We recently heard of how Catering Halls & Venues are turning a little extra profit. This seems to be happening more on the East Coast but can be applied to anywhere.

Even before the recession many halls received a “kick back” for passing business to a particular vendor. The difference now is many halls are demanding a cash kickback to have vendors work in their halls. (Sound like the Sopranos to you?? – well it basically is!)

Examples:

Say you have a Florist you choose to do your reception and now your venue ( who you are also a client of ) says you have to use their florist – NOT because they are better or cheaper but because they get cash back from them!

Imagine having the perfect DJ or Band selected only to find out later that your Venue is forcing you to use their entertainment!!

The Videographer or World Class Photographer that did an awesome job for your BF’s wedding can’t be hired because your Venue has a “preferred vendor” for you. (They may not be any good or may be out of your budget!) …You get the picture.

Other Scenarios

Other scenarios that have been happening are certain halls will just give you, and your vendors a difficult time because you didn’t choose their preferred vendor for YOUR special day!

It may also happen that they may deny certain equipment (with out good reason) to be setup in your party, such as a Large Screen, Plasma, or Dance Lighting, because they had it built in BUT your external vendor already secured it for you at a reasonable rate.

We have heard of this situation where the hall has built in lights & tells the DJ not to bring their lights (that their clients paid for) in to the hall. Then the hall just turns their lights on but will not control them at all! So imagine trying to set the mood for your first dance & the halls strobe lights are on full blast!

Just remember just because the hall calls them “preferred vendors” does not mean that they are the best choice for your event. They merely do two things pay for advertising in the catering halls “book” and pay the hall a percentage commission from your money back to the hall!

It is very rare that a hall recommends a vendor strictly because they will benefit the mutual client, actually in some cases the sales person will get the kick back from a vendor, so they are even more greedy!

The last story we will leave you with, which may be the sneakiest… is using a “in house” vendor as a sales pitch or deal closer…. Such as we will throw in the ________ – (DJ, center-pieces, flowers, balloons, etc.) (I am not speaking about cocktail hour, extra room’s or extra food that doesn’t cost the venue) strictly a vendor…..

Goes back to you get what you pay for if they “throw in” a $1500 Disc Jockey – one of 2 things is happening – you are either paying for it and it is hidden in the price OR they are giving you a really bad cheap vendor that they can pay an hourly rate to…… not a professional.

So the outcome? You paid for a vendor you really didn’t want or you saved money and got a shoddy vendor… either way the hall goes to the bank laughing!

What to Do?

Buyer Beware, let Halls do what they do best cook the food, and do your research and compare at least 3 vendors before making an informed decision. Also ASK your venue if they are recommending their vendors based on skill, excellence or commission!

This information has been collected from various sources and is available also at www.perfectweddings.us

Christopher Abell

Premier Entertainment Wedding DJ Service
10805 Sunset Office Dr Suite 300
St Louis MO 63127

314-266-2666
www.abelldjcompany.com