If your guests are not entertained, how long will they stay at the reception?
Punishing the ear drums with heavy volume will make guests leave early.
Bad music results in bad reactions.
In a recent survey the thing guests remembered most about wedding receptions was the music and the standard of the DJ.
Good DJs will not advertise at your wedding. Why should the DJ display a large banner with his name and number on it. Why should uninvited people attend to see your DJ in action?
Music will set the tone of your reception while food and drink may only assist.
Your guests will want to dance but could be prohibited by the DJ playing the wrong music.
DJ announcements should be clear,entertaining and above all correct.
Professional DJs who interact in a fun but elegant way are not easy to find but they are available at Academy DJs. The game show Elvis style DJ is everywhere!
The DJ who invites you to one of their weddings means that you will also have his or her potential clients at your wedding too. There are much more effective ways of demonstrating performance and ability. Ask us how to view one of our professionals at work.
Late or untidy DJs are out there! We arrive in plenty of time for your special day and then change into our formal attire.
Planning before your wedding is the key and we provide you with all the tools. We are always available to work with you.
Please ensure that you only choose a professional Insured Disc Jockey company.
Our staff ensure your wedding is a dream come true and make sure memories are made to last a life time. What follows now are some examples of why Academy DJs are the only true choice.
What makes us different and what do we offer?
We offer an all inclusive service and do not offer any complicated packages to choose from. You simply receive our price and this will include everything.
Professional, experienced DJ
Full Digital sound system with backup
Complete sound library with catalog
Wireless Microphones for your use
All Announcements and MC duties
Full consultation at any time with your DJ
Free on line planning forms and full instructions
Music online selection system
Printing of your own planning forms for yourself as well as other vendors
Free setup and tear down
No Tips except if you would like to give to your DJ one
No Tax or hidden fees
No mileage or travel expenses
No packages or tricky extra's to work out, just one fully inclusive price
A truly excellent service delivery with full back up support staff
lets assume you have the venue location booked or are considering one for your wedding reception and have the ceremony location and timings organized. You are starting to organize your wedding dress and have already had a fitting or certainly have scheduled one. Have you noticed that it is hard to see the difference between all those wedding DJ companies that you have spoken to ? Do you get confused with various different packages or equipment descriptions, and look at the variety of quotes you have received. What we aim to do here is help lift the confusion that sometime arises and help you understand and plan your wedding reception.
Speak to a Wedding Consultant now toll free on 888-867-7630
Planning your wedding Venue and DJ considerations.
It really is useful to know exactly what you can and cannot do at your actual venue. The DJ may ask you if he or she can use a smoke or bubble machine. It is worth asking if you do want these machines at your reception. Also some venues do have sound limiters that ensure DJs do not go over a designated volume. It will be worth asking because the DJ will need to know about these devices, if they do not know how they operate their could be serious consequences for your reception and the DJs equipment.
When consulting with the venue manager or banquet staff ensure you know how long you have to set up your reception. The DJ will need to know the earliest access time and also how long they have to pack the equipment away at the end. Ensure you understand the designated dance floor area and establish whether you will need to hire a dance floor yourself or if the venue will lay one down for you. If they do lay one down ensure the size will be sufficient for your guests and that it is actually non slip. The position of your DJ should be in close proximity to this dance floor and not obstructed from view of this dance floor. The DJ should not be placed in a position where he or she is obstructing the fire escape or bar area. Another consideration is to ensure your DJ does not get boxed in or has to set up their equipment in such a manner that the speakers become too close to one of your guests tables.
If your reception is to be held outside ensure you do have emergency provisions should the weather become unstable. Rain and DJ equipment certainly do not mix and you will need to have some cover arranged just in case. Ensure there is a suitable power outlet that can run the DJs equipment in isolation without having to have your DJ plugging the equipment into a domestic extension. It is advisable to have a tent or some kind of overhead cover for your DJ, that way sun or rain will not interfere with a computer screen if one is in use
To recap items on your venue check list should be:
Check the earliest time your DJ can arrive to set up
Check the exact start and finish time for the DJs performance
Check how long the DJ has to tear the equipment down at the end
Check whether a sound limiter device is installed
If you want it check whether smoke or bubbles are permitted
Check if the venue requires the DJ to produce liability insurance
Check if the venue has a safe adequate dance floor
Ensure the venue supplies at least a skirted 6ft table for DJ use
Ensure the venue has an adequate and safe power supply for DJ use
Inform the DJ of any obstructions ( Stairs or difficult equipment install)
Ensure prominent positioning of your DJ
Inform your DJ if there is a stage or platform
Inform the DJ of the name of the room and exact venue location
Inform the DJ of an outside reception and provide adequate shelter
Provide contact information for the venue manager or host
Try to ensure reasonable parking exists or area for equipment load and unload
Any information your DJ may need about your venue must be provided as soon as possible
Consider taking a photograph or drawing an outline plan
Collect and copy the brochure or provide the venue web site or phone number
If we do need to set up by a certain time please let us know what it is
Our planning includes whether to bring a set up crew or arrive extra early for a potential difficult to find or hard to set up venue. The age of the building or height of the ceilings can contribute to our decision of what sound system to supply you so if the building appears very old and the ceilings are very large please inform us. We usually do not like to be up on the stage as the star of the show is you, not the DJ so consider decorating it with flowers instead and position us to the side. Of course if you do want the DJ on the stage then we will be happy to be on there but usually if we are at ground level with your guests it is actually easier for them to make requests and for us to relate to the dance floor. The venue layout is crucial to a successful reception so try to follow some of our do not's.
Do not have too much activity in another room, half a potential dancing crowd may get lost.
If you have a Bar in a different place to the dance floor you will lose your bar flies from the main room.
Be careful if the caterers use the dance floor area to serve the food. This prevents early dancing and a possible collision.
Never have your wedding cake set on or near the dance floor.
Balloons and decorations cannot be too close to hot DJ lighting equipment.
Inform the DJ if you have a guest book to sign or photograph.
IMPORTANT: Ensure your DJ arrives and plays music before your first guests arrive.
CONSULT in fine detail with your DJ regarding ideas of how to best use your venue.
Wedding Vendors
Other Wedding Professionals are usually going to be at your reception performing their various respective roles and responsibilities. Most of the time the only person with a take charge attitude is your Disc Jockey. If you have a great DJ he or she will ensure your event runs smoothly and as near to your time schedule as possible. Put another way I have never seen a photographer yet that organizes and arranges the cake cut or first dance, it is always the DJ. You need to trust your DJ not to be overbearing or pushy but to actually in a tactful way to steer the whole production team (Vendors) through their functions during a reception.
Everyone has a role at a reception no matter how big or small, whether at your back yard or large banquet facility and the DJ must manage the joint effort to ensure success. The bride and groom certainly should not be worrying about what is happening next and who is performing what role at what time. I have heard of wedding vendors not communicating with each other or not actually cooperating with one another. This must not happen on your special wedding day because it will disrupt the smooth flow of your event. Academy DJs always introduce themselves to your vendors and quickly establish a great working relationship. The DJ will need to know the information and contact number of
The Photographer
The Caterer or chef
The Videographer
The banquet or venue manager
The bar manager if hired locally
Any other musicians or entertainers
Anyone who will be present in an official capacity at your reception
The reasons for needing to make early contact with other vendors are endless but in a sense it is all about creating harmony and setting up a quick and professional working environment with your hired vendors present at the reception.
Examples of why your DJ must be a Professional with vendors are
The DJ should not announce dinner is served without consultation with your caterers, after all if it is not ready the DJ will give incorrect information
There is no point the DJ playing a significant song if the photographer or videographer are not in the room or ready to capture the event.
The DJ should announce the cake cut only when a knife has been arranged and after full planning with caterers
The DJ must ensure all Bar announcements if required are accurate.
The DJ should make sure your caterers have completed pouring the toast before announcing it if you are having one.
Photographers sometimes like to plug batteries and lights into the DJ power distribution equipment.
Videographers often can record the music direct from the DJ equipment to enable a CD quality playback on your wedding video.
The venue manager will provide vital safety information and give the DJ some house rules.
Academy DJs have worked with hundreds of other wedding professionals up and down the country and always create a great working partnership. Please provide your vendors with our contact information if you hire an Academy DJ. We would also like their information in return so we can work together and plan together before your big day.
FOOD AND DRINK plays an extremely important part of your reception. You can plan exactly what your guests will be eating during the cocktail hour or dinner depending on what you organize. The food can be sit down service or buffet or a combination of the two. More and more creative ideas are seen with different ways of providing a variety of food to your wedding guests.
The food though is usually not the main reason why your guests come to a reception. The first reason obviously is to share your special day with you because they are a friend or relative, but consider the fact that if wedding receptions were all about the food bride and grooms would in the main just hold the reception in a good local restaurant. Studies have shown that more money is spent on food than on the entertainment, yet the food is consumed in under one hour and the entertainment lasts anywhere from 4 hours onwards. Also most people actually expect to be entertained at a wedding reception and do not anticipate a great plate of food.
The point here is catering for your guests and family is important and necessary but what should be more important is ensuring your DJ is a talented and experienced individual who can keep your guests at your reception for the majority of the evening and above all creates the mood you want and ensures people are having FUN. The DJ you hire will need to know what type of meal you are having and a time frame of the length of your meal. The DJ will need to know seating arrangements to identify where the bride and groom will be sat as well as those involved in speeches or other activities. Vendors are usually provided with refreshments and either eat at an assigned table or will sit in another designated room. A good DJ will not pause very long for food to ensure the music flows gently through dinner. Bar timings are important too and the DJ will need to understand your alcohol policy.
Academy DJs will not drink alcohol during your reception and will always ensure the DJ area is tidy of bottles or glass wear. These items can be left by guests requesting music and also dancing guests tend to leave these items on the side of the dance floor, your DJ will assist in their removal to prevent injury or potential damage. Some useful considerations,
In a recent survey conducted in St Louis 79% of brides interviewed stated if they were to plan their reception again more money would be used for entertainment.
Food and drink while important, should be ancillary to your entertainment and socializing.
A good DJ will organize your cake cutting and toast
Inform you DJ of the exact manner in which dining will take place
DJs will play an arrangement of quality dinner music ranging from light jazz to great fun classics or mood music.
Consider dividing the entertainment cost between all your guests to establish the per plate food and entertainment costs.
Do not position the wedding cake on your dance floor
Receptions outside or at home need an extra degree of care during the cake cutting ceremony
You can create a timeline of events to give your vendors an idea of dinner arrangements and the general flow of proceedings. Visit the time lines we use here at Academy DJs by clicking on the link below.
MUSIC SELECTION is a vital part of your reception. You have in your mind the type of music you would like to hear at your reception so please ensure it is played. Gone are the days when the DJ used to just turn up and play music he or she liked. Now you can have much more influence regarding music choices and policy. Ensure you tell your DJ what types of music you would like and also what you do not want to hear. If you want line dances or the YMCA tell the DJ and if you do not want the CHICKEN dance we need to know too as it does form your music policy we create. Consider how long you would listen to a Rap radio station if you did not like it or how long would you tune in to the radio station playing country if its not your preference. An experienced DJ will read your crowd and assess age ranges and groups and the DJ will enter into full music consultation with you before the reception. Professional DJs will,
Encourage you to choose music before your reception
Create a music policy and play list with you
Help you with suggestions and ideas for songs and dances
Accept requests at your reception and encourage guests to contribute
Read the crowd and play appropriate music at relevant times
Will not play the music too quiet or too loud
Will have a music library of at least 85,000 songs
Allow you to browse their library online and will get music for you they do not have.
Will understand music programming and rotation of types of music
Your DJ will blend quality fun tunes for all age groups
Different music can be selected for different phases of your wedding. The mood of the music should match and influence the mood of your guests. The phases are
The ceremony and initial anticipation music
Background upbeat or classic while guests arrive
Upbeat and grand entrance music for the arrival of the bride and groom
Subtle mood music during cocktail hour and dinner
Cake cutting music
Programmed fun music for bouquet throw and garter toss
Upbeat party and dance for main reception
Classic love songs for couples dances
Farewell or end of the night dance
you can of course program music for a cocktail hour or theme presentation too as well as specific music for the dollar dance or honeymoon dance and special dances like the Anniversary dance. Music is the food of life so celebrate with quality music played using industry standard high performance equipment. To browse our music library please visit our home page and scroll to the bottom or when you become a client you can activate your own online music area with our password.
Here is your Homework
ACTION ONE: Call 888-867-7630 and either speak to an entertainment consultant or just hang up after hearing the opening information. Now call two other DJ companies and jot down the differences?
ACTION TWO: Email Info@AcademyDJs.com and wait to see how long one of our Entertainment Consultants take to respond to you. Now email two other DJ companies and time their response and note the difference.
ACTION THREE: Browse the web site of Academy DJs, Inc and research information on hiring a DJ to determine if you have been give helpful advice in an easy to find way. Now read up to two other DJ company web sites to try to gain equal or more information.
ACTION FOUR: Ask Academy DJs for Business Licenses and Liability insurance then ask two other DJ companies to see the same documents.
Action FIVE: Reserve a Professional Entertainment Service not based on price but based on value and peace of mind. Pick up the phone and ask for your Entertainment Consultant and we will help you in a very relaxed and informative way. Speak to an Entertainment Consultant now 1-888-867-7630
Our DJ service comes with an excellent money back guarantee. Your low risk deposit is fully refundable should you change your mind for whatever reason. Our terms are all on our easy to read Agreement for services. Please call and ask us as many questions as you choose and we will discuss with you our service and how we can ensure you get the very best with us.
We offer an all inclusive service and do not offer any complicated packages to choose from. You simply receive our price and this will include everything.
