What's a Wedding without Wonderful Music?
A good DJ is as important to a party as the decoration of the hall
or the dinner menu. Choosing a DJ for your event is one of the most
important decisions that you can make. Absolutely nothing can go
wrong on this day and proper planning is essential. The entertainment
can make or break your event. If the venue was average, the food
was ordinary, the speeches were too long, but the entertainment was
phenomenal, your guests will remember your night as a success. Likewise,
if the venue was beautiful, the food was great and the speeches funny,
but the entertainment was lousy, your guests will remember your night
as less than spectacular.
Separating the professionals from the backyard DJs can help you avoid
becoming a wedding horror story. Nobody wants an irresponsible music
person who shows up late or not at all, doesn't interact with the audience,
plays inappropriate tunes or uses faulty equipment without backups.
Once you've got the selection narrowed down to a few candidates it's
important to keep your focus on the type of entertainment you want,
rather than try to get the DJs into a price war. Most professional
companies rely on referral business and maintain a certain pricing
standard. It's worth a few hundred dollars to make sure you're getting
a quality entertainer.
Consider more than price...
Avoid those who don't return calls quickly or fail to send you the
information you requested. Most importantly, trust your instincts.
If you have that feeling in your gut someone is wrong for you ... move
on. The biggest error committed by most brides and grooms looking for
a DJ is the phone book price comparison. A guaranteed recipe for disaster
is calling every DJ in the book and booking solely on the lowest quote.
Do your research on the company. Ask for references and talk price
after all your other goals have been met.
Rates for the DJ Industry vary greatly, ranging
from $350.00 to over $5,000.00 with an average
of $750.00 to $1,400.00 for a six hour event. The best price is not always the best deal, especially
if you are planning a wedding.
Surveys conclude that 93% of brides would have spent more money on
their entertainment and made it their #1 priority in hindsight. Five
years from now, nobody will remember what flavor cake they had, or
what type of favors you decorated the tables with, however, they WILL
remember if they had a great time, and your DJ will be directly responsible
for facilitating the great time they had! Your Photographer will obtain
better pictures and your Videographer will capture better video when
everybody is enjoying the event!
A full-service disc jockey company will normally invest 12 to 30 hours
into your special event, but it may appear that you are only paying
for "6 hours." Consultations, music purchasing & editing,
preparation, set-up and tear-down, education and other business related
endeavors add up to the overall success of your special occasion.
10 Questions You Should Ask Every DJ
1 - Ask about the DJ's presentation.
Ask them to explain how they will handle the details of the introductions,
first dance, cake cutting, bouquet & garter and special requested
dances. You want to be comfortable with the DJ's style and personality.
2 - How long have you been a Disc Jockey?
Experienced Disc Jockeys have the knowledge of common problems and
situations. Make sure to hire an experienced DJ to host a wedding celebration.
A less experienced DJ may be adequate for a school dance or a back
yard party. DO NOT TAKE A CHANCE on your "once in a life time" event.
3 - What will you be wearing for our event?
Your DJ should be dressed to fit your event. Some DJ's wear suits or
tuxedos…but don't count on it unless you ask. Your Acclimated
Sounds DJ always wears a Tuxedo to formal events.
4 - What's the size of your music library and what format is it in?
Can you choose from a song list. Can you choose a "no play" song
list. Does the DJ have a wide variety of song selections? Can the DJ
play songs to suite the tastes of ALL your guests (maybe two or three
generations). A library of 10,000 songs should be the absolute minimum
(comparable to about 600 CD's). Acclimated Sounds brings more than
40,000 songs to every event. Our music is updated weekly direct from
Radio Management!
What format is your music in? Most modern, professional DJ's have made
the transition to digital music. This is an expensive transition so
it's one way to weed out the amateurs from the professionals. Digital
music stored on a computer in MP3 format eliminates the issue of scratching
CD's or music skipping in the middle of an important dance. At Acclimated
Sounds, we have been using digital music in the MP3 format since 2000.
Acclimated Sounds uses only 320 kbps MP3's, for the absolute finest
in sound quality.
5 - Are you the DJ that will be performing at our Event?
Make sure you ask who will be performing at your wedding and that you
meet and consult with this individual. You aren't just hiring someone
to play music, you're hiring a personality that will interact with
your guests. It's important you ensure their personality fits your
expectations.
6 - Are you insured?
Homeowners and businesses carry insurance to protect themselves from
the unforeseeable. Much the same way, a Professional DJ will carry
liability insurance to protect you, your guests, and the DJ.
Acclimated Sounds carries a $1,000,000 liability policy.
7 - What type of equipment do you have?
A Professional DJ should have professional sound equipment - not "home consumer" gear.
You're looking for brand names like Crown, Rane, Alesis, EAW, Samson,
Benchmark, and American DJ. Professional sound equipment is very expensive,
thus lower-priced DJ's may not be using top-quality gear. Be sure that
the DJ's speakers and sound system will accommodate your reception
location. (loud enough but not overpowering!)
8 - Do you carry back-up equipment?
This is a must. Absolutely nothing can go wrong during your once-in-a-lifetime
event. Equipment failures are rare but they can happen. Ensure that
your DJ has back-up equipment with him. Some DJ's advertise they have
equipment "on
call." In the event of a problem, would you want to put your
event on hold for an hour while equipment was being delivered?
At Acclimated Sounds we take this issue very seriously. We provide
two independent systems at every event. If there ever was an issue,
you and your guests would probably never know.
9 - How much time do you allow for equipment set-up?
You want to make sure your DJ has everything set-up and ready prior
to your guests arriving. Set-up time varies by the event and the equipment
required. Make sure your DJ has planned for this.
At Acclimated Sounds, we arrive between 1 and 3 hours prior to the
event start time. While sound and lighting equipment may take only
an hour to set-up, we make sure we are always on time and have never
been late.
10 - Do you belong to any professional organizations?
Through the years, Acclimated Sounds has been a member of the Michigan
Disc Jockey Network, The Association of Mobile Entertainers, The DJ
Alliance, and the American Disc Jockey Association.
Acclimated Sounds is a Premier DJ Service catering to discriminating
clients for more than 15 years. All the best, and exceeding your expectations
is our norm. Music selection, personality, professionalism, and top
notch planning all come together to make your reception full of wonderful
memories that you will treasure for a lifetime!
Lane O'Neill, the owner and Disc Jockey talent of Acclimated Sounds,
has for more than 15 years, been consistently rated by our clients
as a 5 Star Entertainment company. Check our references to see how
we have met and exceeded our past clients expectations. In fact, hiring
Acclimated Sounds is like purchasing insurance that you will be able
to enjoy your wedding reception atmosphere to the fullest!
Acclimated Sounds can provide you with a high energy, full entertainment
experience where you and your guests can escape your daily routine
during your special event. Acclimated Sounds knows how to get the fun
started! Life is an adventure, so let's celebrate it at your next special
event!
Professionalism includes many factors
that are often times overlooked
when everything runs smoothly...
Prior to your event, your DJ will meet with you to discuss tailoring
your event to your individual specifications. For weddings, your DJ
will assist you in developing your reception format from the "grand entrance" to
the last dance. We have an easy to use questionnaire right here on
our website that you can fill out and submit from the comfort and privacy
of your own home or place of business!
As Master of Ceremonies and Maitre'd, Acclimated Sounds will insure
your event will run smoothly, as planned. We function as a central "hub", linking
with the banquet manager, photographer, videographer, wait staff, and others
to ensure that everybody is aware of what is taking place next. We have had photographers
comment that we are the most well organized DJ service they have ever worked
with. A studio grade wireless microphone is always available for "Roasts,
Toasts, or Announcements."
Planning also includes your musical preferences. Remember, you get
to pick your special requests before, as well as during your special
event. We also always honor your requests of specific songs and certain
music types that you don't want to hear!
Your Acclimated Sounds DJ will arrive at your banquet facility between
one and three hours prior to your event, to start setting up the sound
system & dance
floor lighting equipment. A sound check is made early, before your guests arrive.
The volume levels are adjusted for both pleasing cocktail and dinner music volume
levels, as well as night club high energy dancing. The light show is also "tweaked" to
optimum performance for the perfect high energy dance floor.
Acclimated Sounds uses only audiophile, studio, or high-end professional
touring equipment.
We can provide incredible sound
quality for parties from 50 people to small stadium size applications.
Up to three 2500 watt Crown professional power amplifiers power up
the EAW (Eastern Acoustic Works) speaker sound system. The sound quality
surpasses most Live Bands and almost all DJ's. We are able to provide
clean cocktail and dinner music at volume levels pleasing to all, yet
provide chest thumping bass for that night club type atmosphere.
Wedding Reception Packages include the following:
