Don't fall for gimmicks and dishonesty!

We've all seen offers that seem too good to be true.  Well, as the saying goes, it probably IS too good to be true.  Recently, offers are popping up for "free this or that" for your wedding.  A good example is this facebook ad recently pointed out in a forum of photo booth professionals I'm a part of.

Let's be honest... no one is giving away a free photo booth.  How do they get away with saying this? Simple - by raising their DJ pricing and lowering the amenities offered with the photo booth in order to get you to add things in order to bring it back to the original price.

For example: They could cut the hours down, not offer printing, no scrapbook, no graphic design on the photo strips, no props and no digital copy of the images.  This diminishes the "wow factor" of the photo booth.  It's supposed to be fun and enjoyable for your guests, not tacky and cheap.

Another dishonest tactic is... 

Groupon is great for restaurants as they have a lot of room to work with on their pricing (in most cases).  $10 for $20 worth of food at a Mexican restaurant is still a profit for them.  If Taco Bell can do it for $5 and make a profit, so can they.

The big scam on Groupon is when you buy a discount photo booth service and the company doesn't even OWN a photo booth!  That's right, they subcontract EVERYTHING!  You never know who is going to be at your event or if they'll even show up.  This has happened countless times and I've seen a lot of articles about this.  I've even been contacted by some of these people, desperately trying to find someone to fill a date (usually within a week's time) and offering considerably less than what our cost is.  You can't get into a business if you don't understand it and know the costs involved.  On an average four hour booking, we're spending more than they charge!  We have employee costs, travel, media for the printer, insurance and much more.  I've even heard of companies that tried subcontracting for these people and then not getting paid!

How can they possible offer this for $199?  Simple.  Cut corners.  Which ones?  ALL OF THEM!
You'll get a subpar product that won't look good and will leave guests disappointed (if someone even shows up).

DON'T fall for these gimmicks and dishonest marketing!  The DJ Guy is ALWAYS honest about pricing and what's included.  We don't even offer a package that doesn't include basics like: props, custom graphic design, prints and flash drive copy of all images. Why?  Because we believe the experience is important.

Give us a call to book your event today!  517-404-0418 www.thedjguy.info

Cheap DJs aren't good and good DJs aren't cheap...

There are plenty of amateurs DJs out there. If you're paying under $100/hr, you might have one. Here's an article on the costs involved and this doesn't even begin to detail everything. I chose not to use any of the ones from actual DJ sites (there are plenty of them) because part of our job is to educate clients so they don't end up without a DJ at their reception or one that does a poor job. I don't want to sound like I'm selling something, it just bothers me when I hear about some amateur giving our profession a bad reputation. This is why I chose an article from an unrelated source. Take a look at that list and the final amount and just tell me how you would pay bills and cover costs charging $50 an hour. It cannot be done without cutting a LOT of corners and possibly resorting to illegal activity.

Here's a few examples of some minor issues with amateur DJs. This is the least of your concerns, but it may affect the image your had in mind for your reception.

Problem: lights on the table instead of being mounted, wires exposed and sloppy This DJ wouldn't even have a properly skirted table if the venue hadn't provided one for him!

Problem: no table skirt, wires running everywhere, everything exposed and sloppy Is this your home office or a wedding? No one wants to see all your junk piled up on the table, hide it!

Here's how things SHOULD look. Clean, no exposed wires and appealing to the guests.

The saying you get what you pay for is true. I get calls all the time from frantic brides and moms because their cheap DJ (or photo booth) cancelled or didn't show up.

PRIME EXAMPLE: Last week I got a call and the photo booth company they hired, cancelled on them the week before their wedding. Fortunately, I had the date open and was easily able to exceed their expectations (they actually got a much better package from me).

While the article below talks about startup costs, it doesn't mention annual costs and one very important cost - investing in your business. When we don't stay up to date with the latest trends and looks, we become irrelevant. Take a look at Kmart. When was the last time you were in one? The store hasn't been updated since the early 80's. They didn't invest in their business and soon they will be gone and out of business.

Here's the article...

https://www.entrepreneur.com/article/201652

It seems like a lot of money for a DJ...

While there may be a few amateurs willing to take your money (for a lower price), I guarantee that none of them have the experience, or the awards to merit even the smaller amount they are charging.  Very few have the ability to speak in a public forum and make announcements clearly.  Imagine if your introduction was mumbled and you didn't even know when to walk in because you couldn't hear your names being announced!  I've seen it happen!

Playing music is only a small portion of what a DJ does.  Keeping the reception moving a good pace (while not being pushy towards the bride and groom about when to do them), is a very delicate process and takes great skill, something amateurs just don't have.

If none of this makes sense to you or you just don't care about entertainment, consider this:


“Although linens, lighting and florals are the areas of a budget that can really visually make a room, entertainment and catering are the two elements that are most important to the comfort of guests,” David Tutera wrote in his book, The Big White Book of Weddings: A How-to Guide for the Savvy, Stylish Bride

David Tutera is one of the top wedding professionals in the country and just about every bride knows his show; My Fair Wedding.  David isn't the only one to point out the importance of entertainment.  Take a look at these online articles for more about the importance of entertainment at your reception.


Tips-on-How-to-Tie-the-Knot-in-Style

A DJ, Band, or an iPod? (note the going national rate for DJs in the first paragraph and then decide whether its too much for a DJ)

Importance According to Brides (look at this chart to see how most brides view their wedding)

5 Tips for a Fun Reception

What kind of wedding DJ do you get for $150? (The story says check with the BBB, but references are even better.  A good DJ will provide you with at least two names and numbers for reference.)

According to The Knot, "72% of all brides say they would have spent more time choosing their reception entertainment. This happens because they make a quick decision, and look for the cheapest DJ."

And finally, here's a short video about picking the right entertainment for your reception:

Regardless of what list you look at, entertainment is ALWAYS in the top three (if not the number one) things that a guest will remember about your wedding day, so why is it that most people spend thousands of dollars on their wedding day and the least amount on their entertainment?


Make your day, one that guests will remember and look back on with a smile.  Call The DJ Guy!