We've all heard of the "cheesy DJ" that speaks in a deep voice with a certain inflection that makes you want to gag. Or the DJ that mis-pronounces a name, or doesn't quite play all those songs you requested.
What about the DJ that doesn't show? A Wedding DJ that's not THERE for your most important day doesn't have the opportunity to entertain. The wedding DJ doesn't have the opportunity to conduct the flow of your reception, provide the perfect atmosphere or listen to your needs. Let's face it, the Worst DJ ever doesn't even have the opportunity to even BE the worst DJ if he's not even there!
Today I took yet another disheartening phone call from a bride who's going to get married this June, 2011. Her sad story was one we hear many times in this industry, yet never ceases to surprise me. "My friend who owned some DJ equipment, recently moved away and won't be available for my wedding." It's now the second week of April, we've been booked out for months and even the 2nd & 3rd class DJ companies are too. What is she going to do?!
The lesson that can be learned here is "friends don't let friends DJ their wedding." As convincing as it might be to have your friend DJ your wedding reception, here's a laundry list for why that might not be a good idea:
1. If he/she is a good friend, why have him/her work at your wedding and not relax and enjoy the celebration with you?
2. Since it's your friend, a lot of the professionalism goes out the door. Remember, just because you know him/her, a lot of your guests might not, and you'll want a good representation for your friends and family.
3. What if your friend gets sick? or moves? or can't make it?
4. Does your friend know how to emcee an event in front of hundreds of people?
5. Will your friend's music be radio edited for the children and grandparents that are attending?
Simple solution, look for an elegant, professional Wedding DJ service who will BE THERE for your wedding. Think of it this way, a wedding DJ company that books out multiple events for one night, months in advance, is obviously doing something correct. So hurry, call and book! Avoid getting the worst DJ at your wedding reception.
Friday, April 8, 2011
Friday, April 1, 2011
Professional Wedding Video
How important is the video for your wedding? How much should you spend on your wedding video? Great questions! This unfortunate couple in the video probably tried to find the cheapest price and with all due respect, got what they paid for. Now, you should never expect to get a video THIS bad, but most people don't realize how important the video is until AFTER the wedding.
Here's a tip: Plan on spending around $1,000 for a top quality wedding video, make sure the company (like Complete Video) has been around a while and has plenty of examples to show you, and finally make sure the company (a.k.a. Complete Video) will always have a back up, on-call videographer.
Here's a tip: Plan on spending around $1,000 for a top quality wedding video, make sure the company (like Complete Video) has been around a while and has plenty of examples to show you, and finally make sure the company (a.k.a. Complete Video) will always have a back up, on-call videographer.
Friday, March 25, 2011
Videography/Cinematography, which one for your wedding?
Your wedding is rapidly approaching and you already know that you NEED some type of video. Video is the ONE element from your day that allows you to relive your wedding and all of the emotions involved with it. The dilemma then is not whether you should get video or not, rather, what style of video you want. Of course with the fantastic company that is Complete Music & Video you can trust that they keep up with the latest trends and quality in the video realm. We receive many calls about our videography and little do they know that there’s a whole new world out there and it’s best we try to educate all of you on your options. To do that, I will break it down into two simple styles and give you the pros and cons of each:
Long Form Documentary:
This style of videography is what we also consider as more of a traditional approach. The Long Form Documentary will essentially document the entire day with little creativity. You will have a videographer arrive and essentially try to capture everything that happens; i.e. push record and leave it on throughout the entire ceremony/toast/dance etc…
The cons: To be completely honest, you will watch this video once, maybe twice and then let it sit on your shelf collecting dust. Yes, it’s great having everything captured, but is this really something you want to show your kids, friends or other family?
The Pros: For those of you wanting/expecting more of the traditional videography and want as much captured as possible. This style is for you.
Short Form Cinematic:
The best way to describe our cinematic video is, think of your wedding being promoted on MTV or TLC. Cinematography has more of an art form similar to that of motion pictures. In this style, both your ceremony and reception will be captured into a creative 3-5 minute piece set to music. The final production will also include audio from your vows and other important parts from your day (like your toasts).
The cons: The only fall back to doing a cinematic piece for your wedding is that it will NOT capture your entire day.
The Pros: Here’s a video from your wedding you will want to watch over and over and be proud to show it off. All of the events you fast forward to on the documentary style are going to be the exact moments captured on your cinematic piece.
So, which style fits you?
Long Form Documentary:
This style of videography is what we also consider as more of a traditional approach. The Long Form Documentary will essentially document the entire day with little creativity. You will have a videographer arrive and essentially try to capture everything that happens; i.e. push record and leave it on throughout the entire ceremony/toast/dance etc…
The cons: To be completely honest, you will watch this video once, maybe twice and then let it sit on your shelf collecting dust. Yes, it’s great having everything captured, but is this really something you want to show your kids, friends or other family?
The Pros: For those of you wanting/expecting more of the traditional videography and want as much captured as possible. This style is for you.
Short Form Cinematic:
The best way to describe our cinematic video is, think of your wedding being promoted on MTV or TLC. Cinematography has more of an art form similar to that of motion pictures. In this style, both your ceremony and reception will be captured into a creative 3-5 minute piece set to music. The final production will also include audio from your vows and other important parts from your day (like your toasts).
The cons: The only fall back to doing a cinematic piece for your wedding is that it will NOT capture your entire day.
The Pros: Here’s a video from your wedding you will want to watch over and over and be proud to show it off. All of the events you fast forward to on the documentary style are going to be the exact moments captured on your cinematic piece.
So, which style fits you?
Friday, March 18, 2011
White Glove Service: Not just a buzzword
If you’ve spoken to a Complete Music office you might have heard the phrase “White Glove Service,” but what does that actually mean? Is it just a fancy wedding term to make them appear elegant? Or is there some actual meaning behind the phrase?
The truth is, “White Glove Service” means a lot to a Complete Music wedding Disc Jockey. Being in business since 1973 (38 years) Complete Music has seen enough weddings to plan and develop its philosophy with White Glove Service (WGS) as the icing on the cake. Number one you know that Complete Music is already going to be your trained emcee making sure all of your plans flow according to your style. That just simply won’t be enough; you should expect more from your wedding vendors.
This is YOUR wedding, the biggest day of your life, the day you’ve been waiting for! As a company, we recognize this simple truth and it’s our philosophy that you should be treated like royalty. That’s why we’ve come up with and implemented WGS as a part of our DJ training. What that means is that your DJ is there to serve you head to toe on your wedding day and will do things like:
• Open doors for and greet your guests
• Hold your dinner plate as you’re perusing the buffet
• Go table to table asking for song requests
• Pour the champagne for you at the head table
• Check in with you throughout the night to keep a strong open communication
That’s just the minimum of what we require of our DJs. There are countless stories of Complete Music DJs who have gone above and beyond the call of a Wedding DJ, extending this list of service. So as you’re shopping around for wedding vendors, just ask the salesperson if you deserve to be treated like royalty on your day.
The truth is, “White Glove Service” means a lot to a Complete Music wedding Disc Jockey. Being in business since 1973 (38 years) Complete Music has seen enough weddings to plan and develop its philosophy with White Glove Service (WGS) as the icing on the cake. Number one you know that Complete Music is already going to be your trained emcee making sure all of your plans flow according to your style. That just simply won’t be enough; you should expect more from your wedding vendors.
This is YOUR wedding, the biggest day of your life, the day you’ve been waiting for! As a company, we recognize this simple truth and it’s our philosophy that you should be treated like royalty. That’s why we’ve come up with and implemented WGS as a part of our DJ training. What that means is that your DJ is there to serve you head to toe on your wedding day and will do things like:
• Open doors for and greet your guests
• Hold your dinner plate as you’re perusing the buffet
• Go table to table asking for song requests
• Pour the champagne for you at the head table
• Check in with you throughout the night to keep a strong open communication
That’s just the minimum of what we require of our DJs. There are countless stories of Complete Music DJs who have gone above and beyond the call of a Wedding DJ, extending this list of service. So as you’re shopping around for wedding vendors, just ask the salesperson if you deserve to be treated like royalty on your day.
Friday, March 11, 2011
Wedding Photography Trends
I just recently traveled to the heart of Mexico to be a part of a very traditional wedding. Of course keeping a watchful eye on the customs and traditions, I was shocked, but not in the way you would imagine. Sure the language, the scenery and the people were all different, but the style of the wedding including the vendors and what they offered were very similar to what you’d find here in the US. Don’t kid yourself either; the United States is NOT the only expensive place to have a wedding.
I think the most surprising was the wedding photographer. Apparently the trend is changing and not just in the ultra developed countries. I got to speak at length with this trendy Mexican photographer and was pleasantly surprised to find out what his wedding package was. For the bride and groom he stuck around their entire day taking tons of pictures where he was then going to edit them and give them the rights to do whatever they want; a trend not too far off from some of the modern US photographers. They also had the option to add on a neat photo album and even select a nice 20X20 to hang on mom & dad’s wall.
So in a nutshell, more and more wedding photographers are providing clients with a full signature release of their photos. What do you think of the idea?
I think the most surprising was the wedding photographer. Apparently the trend is changing and not just in the ultra developed countries. I got to speak at length with this trendy Mexican photographer and was pleasantly surprised to find out what his wedding package was. For the bride and groom he stuck around their entire day taking tons of pictures where he was then going to edit them and give them the rights to do whatever they want; a trend not too far off from some of the modern US photographers. They also had the option to add on a neat photo album and even select a nice 20X20 to hang on mom & dad’s wall.
So in a nutshell, more and more wedding photographers are providing clients with a full signature release of their photos. What do you think of the idea?
Friday, March 4, 2011
Just because it's free doesn't mean it's good
I wish I could say I’m surprised, but I’m not… this happened TWICE today… not once, but TWICE in an 8 hour period; with two very different results.
Many months ago, we received phone calls from two brides that had previously spoken to us about doing their wedding receptions. Both brides were very impressed with us and very interested in reserving Complete Music as their DJ service. That is, they were interested until each received an offer from a family member to do their wedding for free. In both cases, we gave the same warning about this inherent danger in going that route. Both gave the “that won’t happen to me” response and considered it a deal too good to pass up. After all, what’s better than free?
Both of these brides found out today from their friendly, loving, helpful, just-as-good-as-you-anyway relatives that they were being dropped in exchange for a better-paying gig. We were able to help one only one. The one we couldn’t help asked me, “What am I going to do now?” I imagine she’s still dialing down the list of DJs in the phone book praying that she can find someone – ANYONE – still available. She’ll likely not even stop to consider if they are any good, the time for being picky having passed months ago.
Sometimes it’s better to just book what you really need with a service you can really trust. As my good friend Erin at Exclusive Events reminded a bride’s mom this morning, “Just because it’s free doesn’t mean it’s good.” In the end, I’ll take good over free every time.
Many months ago, we received phone calls from two brides that had previously spoken to us about doing their wedding receptions. Both brides were very impressed with us and very interested in reserving Complete Music as their DJ service. That is, they were interested until each received an offer from a family member to do their wedding for free. In both cases, we gave the same warning about this inherent danger in going that route. Both gave the “that won’t happen to me” response and considered it a deal too good to pass up. After all, what’s better than free?
Both of these brides found out today from their friendly, loving, helpful, just-as-good-as-you-anyway relatives that they were being dropped in exchange for a better-paying gig. We were able to help one only one. The one we couldn’t help asked me, “What am I going to do now?” I imagine she’s still dialing down the list of DJs in the phone book praying that she can find someone – ANYONE – still available. She’ll likely not even stop to consider if they are any good, the time for being picky having passed months ago.
Sometimes it’s better to just book what you really need with a service you can really trust. As my good friend Erin at Exclusive Events reminded a bride’s mom this morning, “Just because it’s free doesn’t mean it’s good.” In the end, I’ll take good over free every time.
Friday, February 25, 2011
DJ or Live Band? What's your preference?
When considering the entertainment for your wedding, the big question arises, should I use a DJ or a Live Band? A band would be incredible! Right? Well here's some things to consider:
-Will a live band coordinate the flow of your reception and make all of your announcements, or are they just there to be the rock star that they are?
-What if the lead singer gets sick?
-What if something goes wrong with their equipment? Will they have a back-up?
-Can the band play the majority of your song requests?
Check out the video embedded below as a local news team interviews Complete Music DJs on what makes the difference.
http://www.nebraska.tv/global/video/popup/pop_playerLaunch.asp?vt1=v&clipFormat=flv&clipId1=5570213&at1=News&h1=Complete Music: Tips for Brides Part 1&flvUri=&partnerclipid=
-Will a live band coordinate the flow of your reception and make all of your announcements, or are they just there to be the rock star that they are?
-What if the lead singer gets sick?
-What if something goes wrong with their equipment? Will they have a back-up?
-Can the band play the majority of your song requests?
Check out the video embedded below as a local news team interviews Complete Music DJs on what makes the difference.
http://www.nebraska.tv/global/video/popup/pop_playerLaunch.asp?vt1=v&clipFormat=flv&clipId1=5570213&at1=News&h1=Complete Music: Tips for Brides Part 1&flvUri=&partnerclipid=
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
