Category: Party & Event Planning

Signs a Wedding Dj Might Be Too Amateur

Everyone is constantly looking for the best deal, hoping to save cost on everything. That’s because 99% of the couples who are planning their own wedding are driven by cost. So how do you know if your getting a talented up and comer who is building their business, looking to build their client base and help couple’s save a bit of money?

1. They don’t take requests or only take requests

This is one of the clearest signs that someone is playing the role of wedding Dj without actually having the knowledge to make a wedding work. Their are hundreds of bedroom Dj’s who have worked hundreds of hours making perfectly executed 3 hour house mixes using beatports top 100 tracks of the month, and who’s sole mission is to use your wedding as an audience and they will outright tell you “I don’t do request”! On the flip side is the all requester, who banks on your guests to deliver musical direction, this is ok if the people requesting music know what will fill the dance floor. If that’s the case you should have them plan your music and save you the $500 bucks.

2. They market to everyone, everywhere and offer everything, no niche market

Expansion has been the norm in every industry, being worldwide like pitbull is a popular phrase and Dj’s want to be big. A wedding Dj should know and focus on a key demographic. Many offer photo-booths, videographer and bartending to name a few. So how do you know the Dj your hiring is just a qualified salesman or a dedicated wedding Dj. Raise your eyebrow if the vendor you contact is based out of a city far from your own, chances are they will contract out your wedding.

3. They don’t MC

This is a dead giveaway your Dj is not wedding qualified. Everyone working in the wedding industry should be prepared to actively engage with your guests and family, especially the wedding Dj. One of the biggest assumptions is that a Dj just needs to sit in the corner and play music. This couldn’t be further from the truth, proper announcement of key events and guest direction should be high on a Dj’s priority list. They also help to energize a crowd by engaging and meeting your guests. If a Dj say’s I’m not comfortable on the microphone its a clear signal you are dealing with an amateur.

What Should I Look For When Hiring A Wedding DJ?

Don’t leave shopping for a wedding DJ until the last minute; the best wedding DJs’ calendars fill up fast. The earlier you start shopping for a wedding DJ and contacting DJs, the better chance you have of booking one of the best that fits the wedding DJ price you set. Though the cost is important, remember that you can’t rely on DJ prices to make your decision about hiring a wedding DJ—you may end up with a lame DJ. How do you know the signs of a lame DJ?

• Hidden costs and wedding reception overtime fees. Make sure you find out what the total cost of a wedding DJ includes; some lame DJs may be great with your guests on the dance floor, but lame when it comes to delivering a bill full of hidden costs and wedding reception overtime fees. Don’t fall victim; make sure you ask about the final total cost of a wedding DJ up front, and if they charge any overtime fees.

• Standard, non-personal wedding reception format and wedding song playlist. A lame DJ sees a wedding reception as a one-size-fits-all occasion. They use the same wedding song playlist, the same standard format for every weekend; they use your list of preferences as a suggestion, instead of as a DO NOT playlist or as a must play list. A good wedding DJ (such as Enchanted Evenings!) has an extensive music library consists of thousands of songs, including traditional favorites and the latest hits.

• See a wedding as just another event. Too many lame DJs do everything, without doing anything well. They take on as many events as possible, and treat your wedding as just another gig that pays. A good wedding DJ, like our Enchanted Evening DJs, has the experience to respond to your audience (and keep them moving!), a huge wedding song playlist to choose from (or to add to your do not playlist!), and the coordination experience to work with other vendors such as your wedding photographer, videographer and reception hall (i.e. during your garter toss, bouquet toss, first dance, father/daughter dance, etc.). And because of our massive wedding song playlist, we can also personalize our service to your wedding (such as retro songs for your vintage wedding, excluding songs on your do not playlist list, including songs on your wedding song playlist for your dances, etc.).

• Don’t offer any “extras” that you want at your wedding reception. Do you want more than just wedding reception entertainment? Contact Enchanted Evening DJs for professional wedding reception entertainment in Chicago, Illinois and any “extras” you want on your wedding day. We offer photo booths, reception lighting, your name in lights, enhanced sound system, photo montage, additional music at your wedding ceremony or during the cocktail hour—whatever you choose at a price that fits your wedding budget.

Wedding DJ FAQ

1. What is your contract policy?

A written contract establishes the professionalism of any wedding DJ. The terms and obligations of your agreement will be outlined here, and it guarantees the quality and delivery of your DJ experience. The contract is an essential part of the service, and you should always use a DJ who offers one.

2. Who will be our wedding DJ?

You should always interview your DJ before committing to having them DJ your wedding. Ensure that their name is provided in the contract and their services are guaranteed.

3. Can we meet before signing a contract?

Meeting in person before signing a contract is essential to ensuring you get exactly the DJ you want for your wedding. Interviewing over the phone or via e-mail can be done, but this doesn’t give you the gut feeling of reassurance that you should always have. Meeting face-to-face lets you go over the details of your contract and make plans for the big day.

4. How long can a date be held before we sign on?

Many DJs will try to pressure you into committing as soon as you choose your date, saying they can’t hold the date for you ahead of other paying customers. This is a tactic that we don’t subscribe to – you should have enough time to make the decision, meet the DJ, speak to others, and finally commit to signing the contract. One to two weeks should suffice.

5. Are you a subcontractor or do you work exclusively for this company?

Large DJ agencies generally work with subcontractors who work for several organizations and for themselves. Because of this, it’s very important you finalize your dates and ensure your DJ’s availability. The contract should include clauses that cover damages for double booking or no-shows.

6. How much experience do you have as a wedding DJ?

DJ experience can vary widely depending on the agency and the person him or herself. Someone may have many years of experience DJing but have never worked a wedding before. Another DJ may only have two years under their belt, but if it’s all weddings, they’re going to know more. You should inquire with the individual detail to learn these specifics.

Do you do multiple weddings per day?

While practice and sharpness are important, some DJs can take this too far, cramming as much work into as little time as possible. This prevents them from putting their full attention and focus on your event – ask your DJ whether they work multiple events in a day and consider whether this is the sort of person you are looking for.

How do you distinguish yourself among your competitors?

This is the kind of question any professional DJ should be able to answer clearly and confidently. Rather than taking the opportunity to speak ill of their competitors, a professional will simply outline what they offer and why they are the best one to offer it. Speaking poorly about others doesn’t reflect well on a DJ, so you should consider avoiding the ones who do this.

Have you ever performed at our reception venue?

If your DJ has experience at your reception, they will be able to set up faster and give an overall smoother performance. While this can’t always be the case, it’s worth asking, especially if your reception hall or venue is sought after and often booked.

Why The Difference In The Price Of A Wedding DJ?

For one thing, there’s no such a thing as a ‘one price fits all’ solution. This is because each couple is unique and will want to customise their entertainment to make the moment truly special. Therefore, due to such unique wedding entertainment needs, there will be variations in pricing!

Also, it bears asking, would you prefer an amateur or a seasoned professional for your wedding entertainment?

That is an important question, because an outstanding performer has spent years practicing their craft and will charge accordingly. However, as a novice will not have the range of experience and skills, nor a track record of reliability, it is likely that His or Her fee will be vastly cheaper.

Essential Qualities of a Good Videographer

In today’s marketplace video is a major product that many people want. There are so many different types of video available (such as short films, weddings, live events, commercials, etc.) that videographers are in high demand. But what constitutes a good videographer? There are many qualities that go into being a good videographer, but these three are some of the most important.

Having Great Communication Skills

A good videographer will have great communication skills and be a leader both on and off the set. When filming a project having a good line of communication is a must. A breakdown in this communication leads to issues behind the camera. A videographer who has great communication skills will be able to not only communicate with anyone helping them, but they will also be able to communicate clearly with their client to ensure that both parties are on the same page. If a videographer is not sure about what their client wants they should always inquire before moving forward with the project

Having Knowledge of All Types of Video Equipment

There are a large variety of video cameras, editing software, lighting rigs, etc. A good videographer will have basic knowledge of how all these pieces of equipment work, especially if they are going solo on a project. Having access to mid to upper range equipment is also a must. They will also have knowledge of basic lighting setups, white-balance levels, and camera movement. All these elements (and many others) put together will help create a great final cut

Being Able to Adapt to Any Situation

Being a videographer also means that you have to adapt to what is happening around you, especially if you are filming a live event where you only get one chance to get it right. Everything doesn’t always go according to plan, and you have to able to adjust for that. Quick thinking and fast acting are the difference between a perfect shot and a missed opportunity.

Reasons Why A Videographer Is Important For Your Event

Now that we have small sophisticated computers with us all the time, it’s easy to wonder about whether or not bringing a videographer to your event can be helpful. There’s no question that shooting video and storing devices has become easier. So what can a videographer offer?

Post-processing. As sophisticated as devices have become, the computing power needed to edit and process video is still greater than a phone or regular point and shoot cameras (and even some standard computers) can handle. Outside of the shooting times, there is stitching, tracking, editing and processing for video that needs to be done. In fact, many videographers spend more time editing than they do in filming – time you can spend enjoying the event and the days to come.

To make the most of an event, there is no better way than to be there in the moment. Filming it yourself means that you now have two tasks: make your own memories and make sure they’re captured correctly on camera. It is difficult to do both, and impossible to do both well at the same time. It is easy to forget that there are some memories you can redo, and enjoying them in person is priceless. You guests will be at ease as well, even if they start filming. Living the memories through a screen isn’t the same.

Big days and beautiful moments have no do-overs. Did you frame that shot correctly? Was everyone in focus? When you were checking, what else did you miss? This is something we often don’t realize until it’s too late. Those times are priceless and giving everyone the chance to be there instead of filming is a great gift.

Since there are no do-overs, what can we do? Prepare! A videographer knows best where to be, what is happening next, and is most prepared to safeguard against missed or mis-directed shots. Sturdy equipment handled well at your event can be tremendously important to making sure the footage is also protected in case of rain, hard drive failures, or accidents. Anything can still happen, but hiring a professional can keep you another step away from disaster.

The skills of the professional. Years of training, love of the process, and the talent behind the camera will all help you to look your best on your big day. Videography is art, and hiring someone with year of practice is a perfect way to keep your big day in focus.

Based Wedding and Events Videography

What Do We Offer?

Here, can shoot a wide array of styles, weddings, and events. In other words, whatever you are looking for can be accomplished and most importantly, at a reasonable and affordable price.

videography business offering wedding, family moments, business promotion, band promotion, etc. video services and pride ourselves on the quality of our work.

I have Questions

want you to be “in the know”. Most importantly, want you to feel completely at ease in your search for videography services with your special moment or project, whether it be weddings, promotional videos, or family gatherings

How to Use Video to Increase Your Event’s Value

It’s probably a pretty big understatement to say that online video consumption has grown by leaps and bounds over the past decade and it’s definitely no surprise that there’s no sign of it slowing down. In fact, according to the 2016 Ericsson Mobility Report, video will account for 70% of all mobile traffic by 2021. And savvy event professionals have taken to the medium like fish to water, but as technologies change, you might start to wonder if it’s really worth it to try and keep up. After all, producing quality video requires some investment. Today we’re taking a look at how producing and using video can help add value to your event.

Marketing is often the first thing that comes to mind when it comes to considering video for events. And why not? Video now plays a huge role in marketing now, for just about any product. In fact, according to statistics from Insivia (via Hubspot), research has shown that videos can have an amazing impact on conversion rates. For example, video in an email leads to 200-300% increase in click-through rate. And including video on a landing page can increase conversion by 80%.

Marketing using video can not only have a tremendous impact on your rate of registration it can also improve your attendee’s experience and kickstart their engagement before they’ve even set foot on site. Video formats like 360˚ video and live streaming give event organizers the opportunity to engage attendees before and during events through virtual tours or live Q&A sessions about the event itself.

The great thing about marketing with video is that you don’t have to worry about putting together expensive productions or long videos. In fact, 5% of viewers will stop watching a video after 1 minute and 60% stop watching after 2 minutes – so it behooves you to keep it brief. Consider the popularity of the, now defunct, social video site Vine. Where users were limited to creating videos that were only 6 seconds long. Or think of the videos created by “Now This” which are informative, entertaining, and most notably – short, usually under 1 minute. These types of videos can have a high impact and require less effort than your typical video advertisement.

Education is another common use of video produced at events. Event organizers have found that the life of event content can be extended drastically when sessions and panels are recorded and made available to attendees or organizations as additional opportunities to earn CEUs. Especially in the case of association meetings and conferences, this can help to not only give those unable to attend in-person the chance to learn, it can also add tremendous value for your association members by providing on-demand access to conference content for review.

Conference Videographers

Videography has never been this important for global enterprises. A professional videographer enables you to share the buzz of the day, the speakers, topics and networking opportunities through a highlights video. By hiring an experienced team, you can maximise your SEO by opting for a video with the right industry format and length that’s needed to drive traffic and engagement. Moreover, a talented videography team will use their expertise and skills to work under pressure and to maximise every situation in order to produce high-quality content.

Gala Dinner Videographers

Whether the gala dinner is a stand-alone event or part of a larger event such as a conference or exhibition, hiring a team of professional videographers is always a good idea. An experienced team will take care of everything, ranging from the correct lighting to directing your guests, in order to produce high-quality videos that will make your company stand out from the crowd.

Staff Party Videographers

Whether it’s a royal wedding or a company party, professional videographers know what they’re doing. As an organiser, you’ll be responsible for making sure that the event goes off without a hitch. Therefore, hiring an experienced videographer is a sensible move that will ensure that you and your boss are happy with the videos the videographer produces. Communicate your vision well from beforehand, and discuss the format and length of each video in order to make sure that you and your videographer of choice are on the same page.

BBQ Events and Summer Party Videographers

In this day and age, content is king. That is perfectly the reason why more and more companies are opting for a professional team of visual artists to document each and every event. If your company is based, BBQ events and summer parties make an excellent addition to your company calendar. By hiring a videographer to document your business’ social events, you can visually communicate that your enterprise is a fun-loving one that values staff members by allowing them to socialise and explore different aspects of their personality

Christmas Party Videographers

Visual content is crucial when it comes to recruiting new individuals. Documenting social events such as your company’s  Christmas party means that you promote a holistic company culture that values its staff members.