Professional DJs will work thousands of weddings over the course of a mobile DJ career and many times we are asked for tips to make an event run smoothly. But, what about the things we see at events that you might not often hear about? Often times, the bride & groom are super busy at their wedding reception, taking pictures, talking to family, dancing in front of family and friends. They might not see some of the uglier parts of a wedding, that can often affect the experience you and your guests will have. Here’s 5 things I hate to see at our events and the one you have to avoid for a worry-free wedding day.
Phones: Put Them Away
This is one we’re seeing more and more as technology advances and moves ever more toward mobile-only. I love “offline- events” where our couples ask their guests to put the phones away. Recently, I was a guest at my cousin’s wedding and at her ceremony, in a Catholic church, I counted over 30 phones sticking out of the aisles as the bride was walking in for her entrance. I can’t imagine what her professional pictures will look like with all the phones in the air. Concert is what comes to mind.
Action Item: Put those phones away people! Be in the moment. A wedding is the one day this couple is asking you to partake in a beautiful celebration WITH them. And I’m not even suggesting to completely go offline, but more for those super important parts of the evening such as the ceremony, their first dance, etc. Be in the moment.
Micromanagers & Too Many Cooks In The Kitchen
This is in reference to people helping you out with the wedding, but not directed at actual wedding coordinators or planners that you have paid to manage your event. Example: Putting mom in charge of your wedding planning.
We recently had an event where we only coordinated with mom through out the planning process, which was actually fine. Until… the day of the event. Mom was so concerned about minute details and when agenda events were happening (such as toasts, cake cutting, etc) that it was obvious she could not relax and enjoy herself. Meanwhile, she was adding unnecessary stress to other vendors and her family around her.
Action Item: If you do not want to deal with all the details, or want to take the idea of planning a huge wedding off of your plate, I’d highly recommend hiring a professional planner. The key word? PROFESSIONAL. A professional will know the right vendors, bring the right ideas to you and create a worry-free wedding day for you and your guests.
Vendor Gear Thrown Everywhere
This is a pet-peeve of mine. We, as an event company, take a lot of pride in our setup and presentation. We make sure there’s no wires seen, clean lines, and amazing lighting and atmosphere. This takes a lot of time, effort, and energy to create a space that looks PRO.
It drives me INSANE when a photographer, videographer, or any other vendor brings in their bags, gear, stands and throw them all over the place, creating a mess that are also seen in those same photos and videos they are taking! If you want to connect your audio recorder into the DJs gear, then come prepared with cords, cables and the necessary items to make it clean and unseen. If you have bags and other gear, don’t assume the DJ area is your storage space. Guess where we put our bags? Either in an empty room in the venue, or our van or trailer if needed.
Action Item: Make sure your vendors keep a clean area and store any unnecessary gear and bags somewhere that won’t be seen by others.
Vendors That Don’t Coordinate and Cooperate Together
This is something that should never happen, but sometimes it unfortunately does (and in our experience, more with unprofessional vendors). A seamless team involving coordinators, DJs, photographers, videographers, etc, will make for an amazing wedding experience for you, the couple.
Last week one of our couples had to deal with an unfortunate circumstance, where her photographer and videographer were obviously not on the same page with one another. They started arguing during the event while taking outdoor photos. Then, the bride brought it to our attention, and she wasn’t quite sure what to make of it or handle it. This is the last thing a couple should have to worry about on their wedding day.
Action Item: Make sure when searching for a wedding team, you ask vendors about other vendors. Chances are good they will be referring those they too like working with. This will ensure a higher probability that your team is cohesive and gives you the best experience that day. Remember, you will be spending a lot of time with these people and it’s essential that you vibe with them and that they too vibe with each other.
YOU MUST AVOID Unprofessional Vendors
I cannot stress this point enough. There’s plenty of excuses not to book a professional: my cousin is a DJ, we’ll have everyone else take pictures, we’ll just have a camcorder (are those still around?) take 6 hours of footage, we only need an Ipod and speakers, etc. Don’t do it!
A professional will always steer you in the right direction and will have the experience it takes to make sure your wedding day is a success and memorable for all the right reasons. Professionals will also refer other professionals.
But Professionals Are So Expensive?
With experience, knowledge, and skill also comes a price. Most vendors in the wedding industry are limited in time and can only dedicate themselves to one event per day, which for most is the weekend. With higher demand, also comes a higher price. Why? Because couples are willing to pay more to ensure they get the right person for the right job.
Have You Thought About The Cost Of Having The Wrong Vendor?
In the short term, you will save money by not hiring a professional. Until…
- Your amateur photographer doesn’t have a backup when their single battery runs dead.
- Or, your DJ, who is also a do-it-yourselfer singer for your first dance, but isn’t prepared, then can’t figure out a way to play the music you always wanted for this one and only moment.
- Or how about maybe you hire a cool videographer with a drone and flies it right into the grooms face?
How much would you pay to ensure none of that happens and that you have the perfect wedding day?
Action Item: Ask yourself how much your wedding day memories mean to you.
