Monday, February 22, 2010 Why do you charge more than "So & So"? I have been asked that question for years.  The question really is... "Why is "So & So" cheap?"  The answer to that is... "So & So" knows what they are worth.  They just told you... "We do half as good of a job, put in half the work, half the investment and care half as much, so we charge half as much as the rest."  Beware the cut rate deejay that charges less than what a reputable equipment rental company would charge to simply deliver a sound system... no music, no DJ... just the PA. Do you see the need for quality?  What is your wedding day worth? An example... a 1999 Toyota Camry with 160,000 miles on it will get you from place to place (it gets my daughter to and from school quite handily), but may not be as reliable or as stylish as a Lexus LS10 sedan.  What would you prefer to arrive at your wedding in?  Ask yourself why? McDonald's sells a perfectly edible fish sandwich, why would you ever go to Red Lobster?   Quality costs.  If you want a "Casablanca meets Breakfast at Tiffany's" reception, you rent the Palais Royale Ballroom. Am I explaining this correctly? A professional entertainer is worth more than the sum total of his equipment expenses.  Talent, skill, experience, enthusiasm, ethics... these are a few of the qualities that separate an excellent Master of Ceremonies for your wedding reception from the discount deejay. Next post... "Couldn't I save money DIY-style with an iPod instead of hiring a deejay?"   Short answer.. Of course! Labels: Cheap DJ, quality, weddings posted by Paul Chamberlin at 12:14 PM 0 Comments Saturday, May 26, 2007 Lightshow at a wedding? "Anonymous said... Our dj is trying to up sell us on a light show claiming that a dance club like setting will get more people to dance? Is he right or just trying for more money? Lisa Labor Day '07 May 25, 2007 7:16 AM " Hi Lisa, If that's absolutely necessary, why is he upselling instead of including it? I have done many successful receptions with and without dance floor lighting. It truly depends on YOUR tastes. Not every party needs it. Lights are simply tools to help move a party, they won't make or break it though. What kind of vibe are you trying to convey? Labels: dance, lights, weddings posted by Paul Chamberlin at 4:03 PM 4 Comments Wednesday, May 23, 2007 Replies to Anonymous There's a couple of good questions! Band vs. DJ... It comes down to taste and priorities. One cannot compare to the other... it's mixing apples and oranges, different jobs. A GREAT wedding band can cover all your favorites and have the unbeatable "live" music vibe that prerecorded music just can't match. The best ones will practice long and hard before ever coming to your event. But band members rarely make great masters of ceremonies (MC). They need to take breaks during your event, they can't perform for 5 hours straight. It's reasonable and expected. A GREAT band provides great music, but their repertoire will be limited to what they know and have practiced. A GREAT wedding DJ provides more than just music, think of the best ones as Wedding Entertainment Directors. They will act as your MC, music programmer, sound engineer and party motivator. They will put hours of preplanning into your event. Music played will be by the original artists, not chancy covers and the variety of styles is much greater. Very brief comparison. My recommendation... audition bands, interview DJs, don't skimp on the entertainment budget... you get what you pay for! Now to the 1:47 poster... Why are they charging the same? Because the price of the music has very little to do with the cost of running a quality DJ service. 1st... hopefully they are still BUYING their music so it's still an expense. CDs may cost more than a 99 cent download, but a CD player is less expensive than a laptop computer. And a good DJ will carry more than one of either. Truthfully... CDs or legal iTunes downloads are not a DJ company's biggest expense. Equipment, management, upkeep, transporation, insurance, taxes, other overhead expenses are still the same whether you use CDs or computers. These are expenses built into everything you buy, not just DJ services. Priced gas lately? I wish I spent as much on music and I do on fuel annually. Labels: Re: Band vs. DJ and why DJs cost pretty much the same? posted by Paul Chamberlin at 8:06 PM 0 Comments