“Who’s my DJ?”
This is a question that many brides, grooms, and event planners need to ask when hiring a DJ service. The fact is, depending on the company or individual you choose to handle the entertainment for your wedding or event, you may not even meet your DJ until the day of the occasion at which they are performing. If a company has a great reputation that you feel you can trust, this may not be a deal breaker for you. But if you want to make sure that your performer’s personality and experience level are a match for your big day, this may not be so appealing.
When searching out a DJ entertainment service, I personally think of there being four major categories of service providers.
- The “Non-DJ” DJ: This is usually a friend, family member, or acquaintance who doesn’t actually provide DJ services as an occupation. At best, they may be someone who collects a lot of music, has thought about getting into DJing, and thinks it would be fun to make a party playlist for you and see how it goes. At worst, they may just think that paying for a DJ is a waste of money and “I bet anyone can do that!” With this person, you MAY know what you’re getting, but worst off… you may NOT know at all. PROS: They are cheap (or free!) – CONS: You may get what you pay for! The talent and experience level is very low, and whatever equipment they do have is highly unlikely to be of professional quality.
- The Single Operator DJ: This is a one man operation. This person has probably performed at quite a few events for compensation, but works alone. They love being a DJ and being part of making your day special. They probably have an official company name, but most likely work another “career job”. PROS: they are (hopefully) a professional, intent on providing a great service. You’ll know what and who you’re getting. – CONS: there really isn’t much of a backup plan if something arises and they can’t make your event. Because this isn’t usually their career job, the equipment they use may not be of the highest quality.
- The Small To Medium Size Company: This is what is known in the business as a “multi-op”. There are several select DJs who work for this company, possibly giving you the opportunity to choose which one you like most based on their availability. They are dedicated enough that this is not just a side job for the people at the head of the company, but their primary source of income. It is their career. Like the Single Operator DJ, they likely take a great interest in making sure your day is as special as you envision and are quite often the performer at your event. PROS: You have DJs you may be able to choose from. In the event that a DJ cannot make it to your occasion, there is likely a backup plan for another DJ to take his/her place. They will most likely be using high level professional equipment since this is not just a side job for them. You should get a true professional, since they have targeted themselves as a quality service. – CONS: They may cost slightly more than a single operator DJ because they have a higher level of dedication to the service and reliability that they provide.
- The Large DJ Company: This company employs many DJs and usually is doing business “in bulk”. Their focus is to book as many events as possible and fill them with as many DJs as necessary. Sometimes these companies will put out ads to find and train new DJs in order to cover the the high number of events they undertake. Those at the top of the company are usually not the ones actually performing, but running the business either behind the scenes or as the face of the company. So even though they may be the person a client meets with and sets details of their event with, they are likely not the ones to perform on your day. PROS: They have lots of DJs. They take many aspects of their business and reputation seriously. – CONS: You often do not know who the DJ will be in advance of your event. Since they book in high numbers, getting a good DJ is hit and miss since they have to hire so many in order to fill the dates they booked. Equipment quality is often inconsistent because many of their subcontracted DJs have their own, which may or may not be of professional quality.
So for your event, which of the above options sounds like the best option to you? That may depend on your budget, the importance of the event, and the level of risk your willing to take.
D&M DJ Entertainment would fall into the category of “Small To Medium Size Company”, and that is by choice. It fits our philosophy of making your event a personalized experience that focuses on taking care of you and your guests while putting your mind at ease that you’re in the hands of true professionals. Here are some of the things we pride ourselves in.
- All of our current DJs were once single operator DJs. They learned their craft under an environment that allowed them to focus completely on the client, knowing that their name and reputation was on the line.
- All of our event DJs have a minimum of 10 years experience in doing weddings and corporate events. Most have twice that number.
- We have handpicked our DJs. We network within the industry to find DJs who meet our strict criteria before approaching them to become part of our team. We don’t hire DJs just to fill spots, but choose entertainers that have proven their dedication to delivering exception service and performances.
- Our DJs are not just subcontractors, but DJ Partners. What does that mean, and what does it mean to you? To us (and our DJs), it means they are compensated at a rate nearly twice as high as most companies. To you, it means that they are fully invested in the success of your day and not just working for some “expendable side money”. This is the primary source of income for nearly all of our DJ Partners, and they treat it as such.
- You will know your DJ when your contract is signed. There is no question of who you will be working with, because that will be known before you commit to using our services.
- We provide you with convenient planning tools to help you lay out your day at your leisure. Within 90-45 days of your wedding, there will be a final meeting with your DJ to make sure everyone is on the same page in making your day as close to perfect as you imagine.
- If an emergency arises and your DJ cannot make your date, we have other talented DJs who can take care of your event. This is not a common occurrence at all (in fact, it hasn’t happened yet), but we are always prepared so as to set your mind at ease.
- We will never get “too big”. Yes, D&M is a fast growing company, and we thank our fine performers for helping to secure the reputation that allows us to fill in more and more dates each season. But our dedication to personalized service will not suffer due to this. We will never take on more events than we know that we can fill with quality hand selected entertainers that we know will put you first!
So back to the original question…. “Who’s Your DJ?” Well, we hope it will be one of the talented members of the D&M DJ Entertainment team. And you’ll know “Who’s MY DJ?” from the moment you choose us!
Mark Derenberger, Co-CEO of D&M DJ Entertainment