Sunday, June 5, 2016

What is the Purpose of a Wedding Planner?

There's are a lot of people "claiming" to be wedding planners, but what exactly IS a wedding planner? I can tell you what a wedding planner isn't. A wedding planner is NOT a venue coordinator. It is NOT a wedding decorator. It is NOT the photographer or the DJ (nor my 4 page PDF, which I call a wedding planner). It's NOT someone who just planned their whole wedding and now they think they can do yours.

This article covers what a wedding planner is, their purpose and what to look out for. I can offer one excellent suggestion if you need a REAL wedding planner. She is the only person I've every worked with that constantly amazed me at how intuitive she was and how hard she worked. If you decide you need a wedding planner after reading this article, call Ashley Lynch from Festoons & Flourishes (734)546-1487.

Stop Calling Yourself a Wedding Planner by Danielle Rothweiler
"A wedding planner seems to be the easiest job in the world. I mean, it must be for so many people to just throw it on their signature lines. Girl gets married? Instant wedding planner. Recommended peonies to your sister for her wedding? You’re a wedding planner too! To go all Oprah in this article, “You’re a wedding planner, and you’re a wedding planner, everyone’s wedding planner!!” Just add water, and boom: wedding planner.

This stuff is ridiculous now and the industry is saturated enough without these people running around claiming to be a wedding planner. It’s not fair to actual wedding planners, and guess what? It’s really unfair to those couples that are looking to hire a real wedding planner. Why? Because sometimes it’s hard to tell a Prada from a Canal Street Knock-Off. So, I’m going to make it a little easier for everyone right here, right now."

Continue reading at...
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/danielle-rothweiler/stop-calling-yourself-a-wedding-planner_b_8958460.html

Monday, January 4, 2016

Five Questions You Should Ask Before Booking Your DJ

It's that time of the year again.  The holidays are over, and maybe you got engaged sometime between Thanksgiving and New Year's Eve.  Now the task of planning the big day begins.  You have to choose a venue, photographer, cake and of course the entertainment!

Here's a few things I'm commonly asked by clients and a few things you SHOULD be asking as well.


1. What happens if you can't make it to our wedding?

Good question.  I have NEVER missed a wedding.  Unless I'm dead, there's no excuse.  Your wedding is the most important day of your lives!  I know that and I wouldn't be where I am today without the great reviews and referrals of my past clients.  This is what I do for a living and I take it very seriously.  I've had some crazy situations come up in the past (a rollover accident with a deer the night before) and still managed to get to a rental facility and make it to my wedding on time.  It's that important to ME.  If something should happen to me, I have other DJs that would fill in.


2. Are you insured?

Absolutely!  Both DJ and Photo Booth are insured up to 1 mil for liability.  This separates the amateurs from the pros.  Always ask your entertainers if they are insured.  If they say no, it's time to call someone else.


3. Do you have backups in case something fails?

Yes.  While we can't carry a backup of every single item as it would be both expensive and require an enormous box truck, we do carry backups of all the essential items such as laptop, cables and so on.  Most DJs use sound systems with active speakers these days, meaning the amplifier is built in to the speaker.  This means that at no time should the sound ever go completely out.  In most venues, our sound system is rarely turned up past the halfway point, which gives us plenty of extra volume if needed.


4. Can we come hear you at an event?

NO.  I'm not sure who had this great idea, but imagine if I invited clients to your wedding to come "hear me".  Doesn't sound like a good idea anymore, does it?  Most of the events I do are weddings.  When I'm working your wedding, I'm focused on that and not trying to sell to the next client.  I do a few charity events from time to time, but they don't include the same type of announcements (if any) that I would make at your wedding.  A better idea for this is in the next question.


5. Can we sit down and meet with you?

Absolutely!  In fact, I highly recommend it.  This is the best way to get an idea of my personality and hear who will be making those announcements for you.  It also allows me to show you some of the things I can do for you and what some of the services I offer, look like.  Many clients meet with the understanding that if they like who they are meeting, they will book the date at the meeting.  I can easily accommodate this.


Written by Ed Altounian
January 4th, 2016

Ready to book your date?  Visit our website: www.thedjguy.info
Call us today 517-404-0418 or email us at ed@thedjguy.info