1.) Make sure that the entertainment company that you choose can provide you with proof of liability insurance - This is a standard practice for professional DJ's, but there are many out there who are not. From your standpoint, you are the only person who signs an agreement with the facility, therefore making you somewhat of a contractor for any other service providers that you bring in.  The policy that I carry is a 2 million dollar policy per incident, which is standard in my industry

2.) Is the entertainer (not the company owner) that you are looking at a full time or part time entertainer?  - While being full time is not a necessity, it is great to be able to find someone who will be able to devote plenty of time helping you to plan and prepare for your wedding. This also gives you the peace of mind that the entertainer that you are working on can give you their undivided attention not only on the night of, but throughout the planning process as well. 

3.) Does your entertainer take part in any programs/courses/workshops for continuing education? In the 14 years that I've been in business, I make it a priority to attend several wedding entertainment seminars and conventions, as well as performance workshops in order to make sure that I am the very best that I can be for my clients. Many (even those in the business for years) are completely self-taught, and do not feel the need to spend the time or the money in order to help them improve their craft. Look at it this way, I have a great set of tools, but that does not make me a carpenter!

4.) Does your DJ provide you with a written agreement/contract? - This is a big one. I can't tell you how many calls that I get on an annual basis from couples who thought that they had someone hired, only to find out weeks (or even days) before their wedding that they can't get in touch with their DJ, or they get a call from them with an excuse that they had a death in the family, car accident, etc. and can't make it to their event. Make sure that you get a clearly worded agreement, and that you are protected. 

5.) Will the person that you talk to/meet with be the person at your wedding? - This stems partly from what I had mentioned in #4. Our industry has a little bit of a black eye due to companies out there who will literally book as many events that they can on a given day, and worry about how they are going to staff them later. This not only gives you no guarantee of WHO you'll be working with, or even if the person that shows up is even an employee of the company that you hired. But you also have no idea if the person that you are working with is even qualified to be there. Don't find out that you made a mistake in who you hired after your wedding!

6.) Ask for references for the specific entertainer - I always recommend getting professional references from other reputable service providers. By doing that, you know that the people that you are talking to are not only legitimate sources of information (not an friend or relative of the person, posing as a past client) not only that, but these are people who are part of weddings each and every weekend, and can tell you the good (or the bad) about what they've seen.

7.) Does your entertainer have a legally purchased (and updated) music library? - Professional DJ's will obtain their music from similar sources that radio stations buy their music from. Not only is it licensed for public performance, but they will also have the "clean radio edited versions" of the songs available, insuring you that you won't have profanity-laced music played throughout the night. (parents and grandparents tend to appreciate that part!)

8.) What does your normal planning process for a wedding consist of? - The answer that you get for this question can be very telling. If you ask the questions and get an answer similar to: "Well, first we send you a reception planner to fill out (or even have one online) and then we work off of that during the wedding". If you get that answer, RUN! I meet with my clients a MINIMUM of 2 times prior to the date of their wedding. There is a lot of work that goes into the planning process, and you want to make sure that you choose someone who clearly knows (and can execute) the vision that you have for your wedding day, both as a Master of Ceremonies, as well as an entertainer during your dance.

9.) What is your back-up plan in case of any equipment failure? The answer to this one can also be very telling. You'll generally get 1 out of the 4 answers here:

                1.) "All of our equipment is only a few years old, and top of the line, therefore we do not keep backup equipment onsite" - Anything can happen with electronics, regardless of the age (or brand name) of the equipment.

                2.) "We have people on staff who can bring out equipment if something were to happen" - If something happens, do you really want to wait the 30 minutes to possibly an hour later when the "staff" can get by there to replace the faulty equipment? This can literally be an event-killer.

                3.) "We do have backup equipment in our vehicle/trailer onsite"- While this is definitely better than either of the two scenarios above, you'll still be looking at anywhere from 20-40 minutes (or more) of downtime (depending on what happens) while they replace the gear in questions.

                4.) " Yes, we carry backup equipment, and it is in the room and ready to go" - While any equipment failure would be unfortunate, you certainly want to make sure that if something does happen, that your wedding does not suffer because of it. Time is of the essence when you have a room full of guests, and nothing but dead silence. (especially if it happens in the middle of your dance!)

10.) Does your DJ belong to any professional trade groups/associations? - While belong to a trade association does not guarantee you that you're hiring a professional, it does assure you that they are at least serious about improving their craft. The American Disc Jockey Association (www.adja.org) is a great association, and I would recommend starting there as you begin your search.



Ryan from Absolute Sound DJ Entertainment has been a Professional Wedding Entertainer for 14 years. He is a full-time wedding entertainer, and is a member in good standing of the American Disc Jockey Association, attends wedding entertainment seminars/conventions on an annual basis, as well as taking part in performance based workshops such as the Marbecca Method Master of Ceremonies Workshops. For more information, you can contact Ryan by clicking here. 

Wedding season is winding down, and as I reflect back upon this year, I must say that 2012 has been nothing short of incredible. I am so excited to see what 2013 brings! I have the very best job in the world, and I deeply appreciate each and every you (my clients) who have placed your trust in me during one of the most important days in your lives. I look forward to continuing the friendships that we have built, as well as hearing about your lives moving forward together.

One thing that I will promise all of my future clients is that I will continue to do the very best that I can to insure that your wedding celebration is the amazing, breathtaking event that you so richly deserve. I will do so by working closely with you to help you create your ideal wedding, as well as taking every opportunity that I can to improve the service that I provide to you through furthering my training through continuing education. I do so by attending a combination of Wedding Entertainment conferences, seminars, and small-format workshops in order to insure that I can offer you my very best. In order for me to do the best that I can for you, I have to learn from the best. 

To all of my friends and service providers in the Wedding industry: I also would like to thank you for displaying your trust in me enough to refer me to your clients. I wish you the very best as we approach the Holiday season. Wichita has an amazing group of talented photographers, caterers and bridal consultants to choose from, and I look forward to working together with you as we finish 2012, and move forward into 2013. Let's keep raising the bar! 

      In the years that I've been blessed to have been in business, I've been able to spend the majority of my weekends spending time with couples on one of the happiest, and most important days in their lives. Often times, their celebrations are filled with happiness, laughter, and sometimes tears as they share each and every moment with the most important people in their lives. THAT is a powerful moment, wouldn't you agree?

     Today we'll be talking about some of the parts and pieces that make up a great wedding toast, as well as some things to avoid when either delivering a toast, or speaking to those whom you would like to give you a toast at your wedding. 

    The introduction: This can typically happen in a few different ways, a lot of which will be dictated by whom the bride and groom have chosen as their DJ. If he is a true Master of Ceremonies, he or she will set you up nicely before delivering your toast. In the case where he or she may not be handling those duties, you'll want to make sure that you open your toast by greeting the guests, thanking the bride and groom for giving you the honor of being a part of their day, and then introducing yourself to the guests, including how you know the couple. This is a great opportunity for you to transition into the next element of your toast. 


     To be, or not to be (funny) that is the question! Let's face it, there are some people in this world who can make people laugh, and almost make it seem effortless. Do you know why that is? It's because it comes natural for them. Some people are just funny people, most of which comes naturally for them. Comedy is all about timing, if you don't have it, don't try it! The bottom line here is this: If you're not a funny person, don't try to be! There's nothing wrong with you if you're not. Each of us have different personalities. Structure your toast to play to the strengths of your personality. Not only will the delivery be more genuine, but it will be a much better toast as well. 
     

    The skeletons in the closet: Everyone has them, right? One thing that they have in common, is that they were put there for a reason! It's one thing to reflect upon embarrassing things that you have done in your past in a small setting, but often times these are brought up at your wedding, and many times are completely inappropriate. Whether it's past relationships of either the bride or groom, or whatever the case may be, think carefully before bringing it up at their wedding. When delivering a toast, there is nothing wrong with having fun, even if a little bit (I stress the word "little" here) is at the Bride/Groom's expense. But if the story is going to make Grandma blush, maybe it's better left in the closet, where it belongs, wouldn't you agree?

    Inside Jokes:  It's inevitable that if you have asked someone to deliver a toast at your wedding, or if you are the one delivering the toast, that there will be many things that you have experienced together that are fond memories, some of which you'd love to share, and that is ok! When you are composing your toast, and deciding on which of those memories you'd like to share with everyone, ask yourself this question: If I bring this up at the wedding, is this something that is easily explained, and something that everyone in the room will be able to "get"? If not, it probably fits into the category of an "inside joke", and while it may be hilarious to the 4-5 of you who experienced it originally, by telling it at the wedding, you'll more than likely get zero response from the rest of the guests in attendance. 

      The Close: Every toast should have a close. This is where you'll want to offer the couple your congratulations, as well as asking the guests to raise their glass with you. The remainder of the close can be as simple as "If you would, please raise your glasses with me as we toast to the new Mr. and Mrs. *****. Or you can also add more of a creative, or personal element to it. 


     All things aside, just be yourself. I would encourage you to write your toast out on paper, and rehearse your delivery enough times to where you do not have to read it. If you can do that, you may stray from your original text, but that is perfectly ok. By doing this, more of it will come from the heart, and your delivery will be MUCH better than it will be by simply reading a script. You'll also be able to make eye contact, and connect with the guests, as well as the most important people in the room, the couple that you are toasting. 

*This is a brief overview of a few ideas that you can incorporate into your toast, or even ideas that you can pass along to others who may be delivering a toast at yours or a friend's wedding in the future. For more information, please feel free to contact me, or visit my website at www.absolutesounddj.com. 

Til next time!     

     This weekend while although busy, was definitely memorable! I began the week with a phone call that Iin the back of my mind I was expecting, but also one that I wasn't looking forward to receiving. Without going into details, a friend of mine is going through a very challenging time in his life, and I was fortunately able to help him this weekend by taking on a wedding that he was physically unable to do. The couple was very understanding about the situation, and although challenging to put a wedding together in such a short period of time, I could not have been happier with the way that it turned out. They had really set themselves up for success by choosing a great team of service providers. Alli and her team from Jubilation Events, Tim Davis Photography, and Ann with Hotel at Old Town, as well as Sunflower Photo Booths are all top notch professionals, and did a remarkable job putting everything together, and capturing the events of the evening.

     Afterwards the Father of the Bride approached me and said something to me that I'll never forget. He said to me "I know the situation that took place this week, and I want you to know that you did an amazing job. Many of our guests here tonight thought that you had known ********* and *********** for years, Thank you!" 

     Not only did I have a very short time to prepare for their wedding, this was also the weekend for the Wichita Bridal and Prom Expo.  Twice each year, my wife and I have the opportunity to spend a little bit of time with A LOT of Brides, Grooms, their parents, as well as a few of their friends, as they begin the process of planning their weddings. Although it does get very busy, it's a fun way for us to have a little bit of face to face time with them as they start their journey. While I know that I'll only get the opportunity to work with a select few of them, I still enjoy the opportunity to meet with so many couples as they begin to prepare for the most important event in their lives. 

     Last weekend, I had the pleasure of working with Darren & Erin Anderson, as we displayed the finished product of  many months of planning and preparation for their wedding day. After multiple face to face planning sessions, e-mail & phone conversations, the day had finally arrived, and it was time for them to say "I do". 

     I tell couples everyday when they call an inquire into my services that the first thing that we need to determine is whether or not what I offer fits their style & vision, and this wedding was the perfect example of why I do that. Our personalities lined up, my style of entertainment matched what they were looking for, and we had worked together to plan a fun filled night that really captured who Darren & Erin were. 

      Darren & Erin had chosen to utilize every aspect of the venue. The ceremony took place in one room, the cocktail hour in another, and the guests were led to the banquet hall just before the Grand Entrance of the Wedding Party, where they got to witness firsthand, the transformation that the Grand Hall had taken on in preparation for Darren & Erin's celebration. 

     Blue Moon Catering did a phenomenal job in providing passed Hors D' Oeuvres and cocktails for the guests during the cocktail hour, meanwhile, Darrin Hackney of Darrin Hackney Photography was outside capturing phenomenal images of Darren, Erin & their wedding party, along with their special guest, Willie the Wildcat!

     Darrin completed their photos just as the cocktail hour ended, and we moved the guests into the reception area for their first look. Many guests began taking photos, wanting to capture what many of us had worked hard to put together on this lighting and decor makeover of the Grand Hall. Shortly thereafter, we brought Darrin, Erin & their wedding party into the room in fun fashion for their Grand Entrance. After the cake cutting and toasts, we had yet another surprise for the guests, as we introduced Willie the Wildcat, the honorary member of the wedding party in to the room for the first time. As the "Wabash Cannonball" rang out, the room was rocking back and forth, resembling game day in Manhattan!

     After a fun filled night of dancing, it was time for Darrin & Erin's send-off. As they made their way outside through a tunnel of sparklers, the night came to a close on what was definitely an epic wedding! Congratulations to you both, and thank you for choosing me to be a part of your day! 

     For more information on how you can create your one of a kind wedding celebration, you can contact me by e-mail, or by clicking here. 

Until next time!

What a great weekend! 

     I had met with William and Ciara on more than one occasion as we prepared for what was to be the very first wedding held at the brand new Flint Hills Discovery Center, in Manhattan Kansas. Their personalities were both so fun and energetic, and I couldn't wait for today to arrive as we had a lot of "twists" incorporated into their celebration. 

     As the day arrived,  we began by taking a dose of what mother nature often times dishes out to us in the Midwest: - Kansas wind and the impending threat of rain. As we began setting up the sound system for the ceremony, the wedding party arrived for an expedited photo session with Heather and her husband from "Spitting Images Photography" before guests began arriving. William had not yet seen Ciara in her dress, and in the interest of time, they chose to do a "reveal" prior to the ceremony. 
     
     As incredible as this facility looked both inside and out, it was all overshadowed by this absolutely beautiful bride as she approached William, with his back turned, who had not yet seen her. Shortly after the pre wedding photos concluded, guests began arriving, and the skies began to look even more ominous. We stuck it out, and the ceremony went off as planned, although we had to eliminate the microphones due to the wind. The ceremony matched William & Ciara's personalities perfectly. They had written their own vows, and in those moments, they injected laughter, love and a few tears. After a fun "high-five" followed by a passionate kiss, these two officially began the rest of their lives together. 

     The guests had arrived and the stage was set. It was time for the grand entrance. This facility has a very unique layout, including a 3 story open foyer/atrium with railing on both upper floors and we had chosen to use every aspect of that to our advantage as we introduced the wedding party into the room. 

     As the guests gathered on the ground floor, we introduced the wedding party in fun fashion, all appearing over the rail from different floors before making their way downstairs. The guests attention was all turned to the upper floors as they anxiously awaited the arrival of William and Ciara, but there was a twist. As the chorus of "Love in an Elevator" rang out, the distinct "ding" of the elevator cued the guests to turn around to find William & Ciara enter the celebration in unique fashion. 

     William & Ciara proceeded to the cake table to cut their cake. Another personal element was injected into the cake cutting.  William proudly serves our country in the Army, rather than cut their cake with the standard cake knife, it was done with his sword! Not many cake cutting photos will have that element  look back on!

     Onto the toasts: After a fun toast from one of the groomsman, one of William's family members delivered a very heartfelt toast that William thought to be the final toast. However, there was one more. You see, one of William's groomsman wasn't able to be a part of the celebration today, his brother Joey. The two of them are very close, but Joey too serves our country and was deployed to the other side of the world. Without William knowing, we had arranged for Joey to be able to be a part of this once in a lifetime occasion with his brother. After a short introduction, Joey was patched into our sound system, and delivered a live toast to his brother and his new bride, all the way from southeast Asia. 

     The entire day captured William & Ciara's personalities and was filled with fun, laughter and dancing. Ciara & William, I wish you both the best as you begin this journey in your lives together, and I can't wait to see what the future holds for you. Thank you both for trusting me with one of the most important days in your lives together, and I was truly honored to be a part of such a fun and special celebration! 

     This weekend, I had the pleasure of working with Chris & Amber Elder at Hidden Lakes Golf and Country Club in Derby Kansas. The day began with the threat of rain, but the threat remained just that. As a matter of fact, it turned out to be a beautiful, cool, sunny Kansas day, with a little bit of the wind that we are known for. 

     Chris & Amber had a fantastic outdoor ceremony complete with bits and pieces of their personalities sprinkled in here and there, and overall was a picture perfect reminder of the fun couple that they are. Amber made her way down the aisle, escorted by her father to "I Loved Her First" by Heartland. She looked absolutely stunning, and you could tell that Chris was blown away seeing her in her dress for the first time. 

     Following the ceremony, and a few photos, we worked out a fun grand entrance for the wedding party to enter the reception, followed by Chris & Amber's first dance together. After dinner, toasts & the cake cutting, Amber shared a dance with her father, followed by Chris dancing with his mother. After that, it was time to get the party started!

     We covered literally 5 generations of music over the course of the dance, and ended the night on a fun note as Chris & Amber were elegantly chauffeured away in a stretch Hummer. Overall, it was a great night and these two were truly a blast to work with!

I LOVE my job!!

     Have you ever been to a wedding where you really didn't enjoy yourself? Overall, you felt really disconnected from everyone in the room, there was no direction, and you were flat out bored?

     You're certainly not alone, as that happens each and every weekend in cities all across the country. When searching for their wedding entertainment, most couples are going through that process for the first time, and quite frankly do not know what to look for, what questions to ask, or even where to begin. 

     This brings them to the default question: "How much do you charge?" Now if you were buying a loaf of bread, or a gallon of milk, that would be a valid question, and a great place to start, right? Why is that? Because the two things that I listed above are for the most part,  simple commodities. 

     Look at it this way, imagine that you and your fiance are headed out to the movie theater to catch a movie. You visit the concession stand, and make your way to your seat. As the curtain goes up, and the movie begins, this particular film never really captures your attention, as a matter of fact, you are completely disinterested! You begin to ask yourselves: "Do we want to waste the next hour and a half of our lives and sit through this, or do we want to leave?" 

     On the flip side of that coin, put yourself in that very same situation, except for the fact that the movie is phenomenal! From beginning to end, it captures your attention, and you feel like you are a part of the movie. You connect with the characters, you laugh with them, sometimes even cry with them. In short, you are emotionally connected with the movie, so much so that you did not even want to get up to use the restroom, in fear of missing something. Even though this movie may have been 3 hours long, you were simply not ready for it to end. 

     Weddings are very similar in that regard, as you can actually get the same types of feelings and reaction from your guests. Either they're engaged in every moment, and enjoying it from beginning to end, or on the other end of the spectrum, it could be like the first movie that I mentioned above, one where they are looking at their watches, wondering when the best time to slip out would be. 

     In order for your wedding to be the captivating, engaging, and incredible event that you deserve, you have to have a great supporting cast, which in this case, equates to who you choose to guide and direct you through the evening. Do you want a DJ who will simply play music, yet take no involvement in the direction of your wedding? Do you want someone attempting to guide and direct you through your evening who quite simply is not qualified to do so? It's kind of like a movie with really bad acting! Even though the premise of the movie was great, the delivery was really bad, and they weren't able to convey the thought and emotion intended, leaving a lot to be desired. 

My question to you is: As you are planning your wedding, which "movie" do you want your guests to see?

For more information, please feel free to contact me via e-mail, or on my website. 

     Those of you getting married in the future, and are searching for your DJ/Entertainer or even your photographer, how do you begin your screening process? Most will ask one and only one question: "How much do you charge?" but what do you really learn by asking that question? (other than a number!)

     There are so many options available to you when choosing the service providers for your wedding day, and I can assure you that with a lot of the service providers out there, it IS an apples to apples comparison. The key phrase in that last statement is "A lot". Notice that I didn't say "all", and there is a big reason for that. 

     Many of you may not realize it, but there is a BIG difference between the levels of wedding service providers out there, and they key thing that creates the large divide is a very important word in just about any other walk of life: "Education". Now I'm not talking a High School Diploma, or even a College Degree, but let's look at that for a moment. When you go to see your family doctor, you know from the fact that he is a doctor, that he has completed all necessary requirements in order for him to become a doctor right? The same can be said for many career fields out there. 

     My question is, when factoring in that same logic towards your wedding day, why not hold your chosen service provider to those same standards? I mean after all, your selecting someone to work with on what will theoretically be the first (and only) time that you're ever going to do something in your life. Let me put it to you another way. If you knew that you were only going to be able to buy one car in your lifetime, and that you'd have that car forever, would you buy a Ford Festiva? (sorry if I offended any of Ford Festiva owners reading this!) Or a different scenario, if you were only going to be able to eat at one restaurant one time, and you were never able to eat at another restaurant again for the rest of your life, would you really pick Burger King?

     My point being, as you begin your wedding planning, approach the day for what it is, a once in a lifetime moment for you. Hold your service providers to the same standards that you hold many other people in your life to (i.e. the family doctor mentioned above, the general manager at your place of employment, etc.) Find out where your service provider received their training and education, and that they make continuing education a priority with their business. Just because someone has the tools, does not make them qualified, much less a professional. I have a fairly impressive set of tools, but simply owning those tools does not make me a carpenter! (Far from it I might add)

     You may not realize it, but there are many ways for your service providers to receive continuing education on a regular basis. In my field, I am a member of the American Disc Jockey Association, they host an annual entertainment seminar/convention yearly The Las Vegas DJ Show, something that I attend on a regular basis. There is also Mobile Beat DJ Show that I've attended every year for several years. Expanding upon that, there are shows for all wedding service providers that cover a variety of fields from Photography, Event Planning, Entertainment, Decor and more, such as the Wedding MBA, you get the point, right?

     The bottom line is, you should definitely do your research and make sure that who you are choosing quite frankly is qualified to even be there. For more information, you can contact me on my website, or by clicking here. 

Thanks for stopping by, and til next time!