What I DO NOT do

So a lot of companies will tell you what they are going to do for you and I will too but first I want to tell you what I’m NOT going to do. Call it a list of pet peeves. 

1. I’m not going to stop your party for a photo op for my website. You’re paying me to rock your party, not work on my self-promotion. I will coordinate a group shot and any other shots you or the photographer would like though.

2. I’m not going to have somebody running around grabbing photos and videos. That is really distracting to the video / photographers YOU are paying for. Not to mention they have to be paid and in order to keep my costs down, I don’t hire unnecessary staff to help me.

 3. I’m not going to run up to you at the end of the night and ask you how everything went with a camera in your face. You know why? It’s going to be a whirlwind day, a LONG day for you. By the of the night, you’re tired, maybe a little tipsy, and definitely sweaty if I’m your DJ. You’re going to have a million people wanting to say goodbye and congratulations and you’re probably just wanting to go home or continue the party elsewhere. Also, and here is my pet peeve, they’re putting you on the spot for a good review. So if they were bad are you going to say so. More than likely no. This is why I will simply say “thank you” at the end of the night and shoot you an email thanking you again later. 

4. I’m going to show up with exactly what you see in my pictures and videos unless I upgrade, which I frequently do. But I never downgrade. Just like everything else, technology moves fast in the DJ world and I like to provide the best sound and light there is. A lot of DJ’s will steal pics from other websites and claim they own them. I never false advertise anything. At any point in time you can ask me to send you a pic and I’ll send it to you right away.

5. I justify every cost I charge. That being said, it’s why I don’t offer some services. Prime example, CO2 cannons. Oh they are fun and a blast but the equipment is expensive, which isn’t the issue. The issue for me is I would have to charge a lot to recoup the cost and for how long they last, to me it’s not worth it. For example:

20LB Tank = Approx 40 seconds of co2 smoke special effects output

50LB Tank = Approx 85 seconds of co2 smoke special effects output

75LB Tank = Approx 135 seconds of co2 smoke special effects output

100LB Tank = Approx 165 seconds of co2 smoke special effects output

So even if I got the 100lb tank, I would need to charge $4-500 extra to offset the equipment and the cost of the CO2 for an effect that lasts 165 seconds. That to me is crazy. Are they fun, yes. Same goes for dancing on the clouds and the sparklers that shoot in the air (most venues still don’t allow them). What I will tell you is if you were to rent any of those, I will be more than happy to setup and run for you free of charge.

6. I don’t wear $2,000 suits to your wedding (yes there are guys that brag about the insane cost of their suits). I wear a nice clean pair of dress pants, dress shirts, and a tie. If it’s an outdoor wedding where it’s going to be very warm, I’ll wear dress pants and a nice polo shirt. I don’t need a $2,000 suit to be a good DJ and I’m certainly not going to absorb the cost of a $2,000 suit or pay the cost to you.

7. I don’t use a silly banner in front of my DJ setup. Again, personal choice but it’s a wedding, not a lemonade stand at the fair. I pride myself on my clean appearance. No visible wires or cable laying about. Speakers properly aligned, etc. 

8. I never charge “fees”. These are the biggest rip-offs. A setup and tear down fee? How can you do your job if you’re not set up? Travel fees? If you can tell me if gas is going to be $4.00 or $1.50 on your wedding day then I can figure out a fee but who can predict that? And again, it’s the cost of doing business. I work in a certain area and don’t go outside that area. I see some companies will book gigs out of state and yes I’ve done gigs out of state but that’s only because they had to have me, not because I needed the gig. But if I did a far gig I would have to factor in the cost of gas, hotel, meals, etc. That’s why I stay in a certain radius which is roughly 150 mile radius of my home in Norwalk, Oh. So from Toledo to Columbus to the Ohio / PA border is basically my travel area.

9. I carry a $2,000,000 insurance policy. Why? Because things happen. But here’s why it should matter the most to the client. 4 years ago and DJ showed up to do a wedding in Illinois. When he plugged his equipment, it shorted out and caused a fire in the wall which burned the building down. Keep in mind you sign the contract with the venue and the DJ. The DJ doesn’t have a contract with the venue. So venue burns down, dj has no insurance, and the venue ended up suing the bride and groom that hired the dj and the venue won