Over the past 14 years of my career as a wedding entertainer, this is something that I (as I'm sure that many other DJ's) have heard on a fairly regular basis. Now don't get me wrong, I certainly enjoy receiving compliments and thank you notes from my clients, but at the same time, I also have to look a little deeper into them. While I'm very gracious to my clients or their guests when they approach me and say something like "you're the best" or something similar, the absolute worst thing that I can do in that situation is to BELIEVE it, and here's why. 

Regardless of the career field, whether it's someone who practices medicine, a professional athlete, an actor, or an entertainer, something that all of them have in common, is that they have to be willing to accept that regardless of how "good or great" that they are, there is always room for improvement. There are very few (if any) people in this world who are naturally "great" at anything. If you want to achieve that status, you have to be willing to invest your money, you're time (and a lot of it!) into improving through any means necessary. Let's look at professional athletes for a moment. While Adrian Peterson is an unbelievably gifted athlete, and has a tremendous amount of God-given ability, he still has to have the heart and desire to outwork everyone else on the field in order to have that edge. As an entertainer, that is something that I have to be willing to do as well.

If I were to begin to believe everything that an excited client or guest says to me either at the close of their event, or in a thank you note to follow, it would become increasingly difficult for me to keep the drive that I have to constantly want to improve. In order for me to achieve the improvement that I work so hard for, it requires me to step outside of my circle, and to seek the training/education in whatever means necessary in order to attain my goal of constant improvement. I see so many in my career field who are completely self-taught, and have never looked to gain any training or education in order to improve their performance. Quick, name one profession that you can be completely self-taught in, yet still improve on a yearly basis? I do not know of one.

Each year that passes, I try to identify areas either personally, in my business, or in my overall style of entertainment that I can improve on. I often use the analogy that "it's similar to how your immune system attacks a virus". I look for ways to improve through a series of either conferences, seminars, or workshops in order to challenge myself to step outside of my comfort zone in order to be better at every aspect of what I provide my clients. Do you know why? It's because they are WORTH it! 

In closing, it would be a lot easier for me to sit back and not challenge myself to improve, and to believe what my clients and their guests say at the end of the event. While I may be able to get by on that, not only would I quickly become complacent, but in the end, the ones that I would really be doing a disservice to would be my clients, and I'm not willing, not even for one second, to be satisfied with providing my clients with "mediocre".

  I'd love to answer any questions that you may have, or to hear your feedback. You can contact me through my website at www.absolutesounddj.com, by Twitter or on Facebook. 

Until next time! 

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!     

     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!