Help! My friend was going to DJ my event, and now they bailed!!

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Consider that price reference the DJ company’s average booking.
As an event professional, a call I get far too often, mostly from brides, is where the client is left high and dry by their friend who convinced them they could “DJ their event for cheap”.  However, the other day I actually got a call from one of these DJs, and I posted the story on my Facebook page.  What made the call from this DJ, who fully intends to bail on his couple, even more troubling is that he has a company name, and appears to be professional to the people researching him.  The other thing that made this example stand out is that I had just ended a phone call with another bride 20 minutes prior who mentioned that she was going to make this exact same mistake, and also claimed that the “friend” was part of a DJ company.  Keep reading to see the excuse this DJ gave for wanting to bail…

Planning a wedding, or will be in the near future? Take note:

The other night I get a call back from a bride I met at a very recent wedding show. She was very interested in our services, and knew the price range, but now her fiancé is telling her he’ll get a friend to DJ the wedding because it will be lower in price. She claims this friend is part of a DJ company. I offer helpful experience to her and say, “Be extremely careful. While you may not go with us, make sure you thoroughly put anyone you’re considering through the paces to make sure they’re professional, skilled, and reliable. I get calls all the time, every wedding season, from couples in a panic searching for someone open telling me about the friend who bailed on them.” I then thanked her for calling and offered to provide any help she may need down the line. 

Not more than 20 minutes later I get a call from a DJ. They have the words “Double D” in their business name (smh). I had never heard of them. What does this guy tell me? He was supposed to DJ a wedding for his work-friend he works with at his factory job (this guy isn’t a full-time DJ), and he got asked to stand up in a closer friend’s wedding. He didn’t realize for some time that the two weddings were on the same date! He’s bailing on his work-friend to stand up in his other friend’s wedding despite having agreed to DJ the work-friend’s wedding first. He even said to me “I’d rather stand up in my friend’s wedding than DJ a wedding. You understand!” No I don’t understand. The only thing I understand right now is that you are unprofessional, and have no business taking on an event where you weren’t prepared to 100% commit. 

Now this bride is in a panic because she’s without one of the most important services of the day, and she is only a few months away. Plus her wedding falls on a prime date that’s booked up nearly everywhere. She had no contract with “Double D”, and the amount of money involved with this transaction was insignificant enough to where there was no incentive, or “skin in the game”, for either side to press for the agreement being kept. She also sounds completely unprepared to find a professional DJ at a professional rate. Which means she’s likely going to roll the dice again on a hobbyist. 

Moral of the story: don’t hire the friend who does this as a hobby for your wedding day. Not all DJ companies are actually professional – and be especially careful of the ones that do this as a side hustle. Do your research, and prepare in your budget adequately (at least 10-15% depending on your total budget). Hire the professional that has a solid reputation, works on your experience (instead of selling gear), and charges a professional fee. You won’t miss the few hundred or even a thousand bucks more 10 years later to get who you want, but you’ll regret not having the best possible experience and memories.


I can’t stress enough how important it is to do your research, and pick the very best DJ you can afford.  It’s no exaggeration when people say that, “The DJ makes or breaks your party.”  If you’re spending thousands on a photographer to capture your memories, why aren’t you also spending that much on a DJ to help create the memories your photographer will capture?  Equally prioritize them in your budget, and you won’t be sorry when your wedding day comes.  If you would like an “easy” button to help find your DJ, get in touch with me.  If we’re not a good fit, I’ll get you connected with one of my worthy competitors.  

At your service,

Alton Olson
SoundFire DJ
920-403-0827

Long overdue for a new blog post!

As I get ready to do some wedding prep for my awesome couple this weekend – Hana & JJ, I have to sit and reflect on some things.

First of all 2018 is going to be an amazing year when it comes to our weddings.  We have more weddings on the books than ever before, and it’s only growing from here.  We’re so thrilled that so many couples have chosen us to entrust with the experience that they will share with their guests on one of the biggest days of their lives.  They made the investment in us, and they decided that their wedding day was worth it.  I want to speak for all of us here at SoundFire DJ when I give a big thank you to all of our 2018 couples!

What are we working on for 2018?  

In a word – performance.

SoundFire DJ is already well-known for the awesome delivery of the “Love Story”.  We aren’t stopping there though.  This past March Alton traveled out West to study with his mentor Mark Ferrell, the OG when it comes to telling the wedding love story, and spent 2 full days doing nothing but learning how to do this better.  The results so far are – more “awes”, more laughs, more cheers, more tears of joy, and, most importantly, a greater emotional connection between the couple and the audience when the couple takes the dance floor for their first dance.  After the day is done, this results in better memories for all in attendance.

We talk a lot during our consultations about the difference between amateur MCs and professional MCs.  Although we already repeatedly receive comments from guests such as, “I can tell you’ve done this before. Were you ever in broadcast?” or “Thanks for not sounding corny like the last DJ we saw at a wedding.” – it’s not enough.  Again, we have been taking professional classes to further develop and refine our skills as the spokesperson who will represent you on a microphone in front of your friends & family.  This makes a huge difference when it comes to how people experience your event!

The bottom line is your event deserves better than “cheesy shtick”.  You have something very real to celebrate, and the spokesperson you hire needs to be in tune with that.  We take this very seriously.

Of course, the music is important too, and that’s only getting better as well.  For the past few years we’ve been bringing a level of skill to DJing that you rarely see in Northeast Wisconsin.  We’re not the human jukebox pressing shuffle on a playlist.  We’re DJs.  We study the skill of taking you and your guests on a musical journey, and the learning never stops.  Until you’ve experienced a wedding with us, you don’t know what you’re missing.  We keep the music going with seamless transitions from song to song where everything stays on the beat, along with creative ideas that have crowds reacting like this:

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At a Wedding
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At a School Dance
See you at your events everyone!  

If you’d like to learn more about how SoundFire DJ can make your event look like the pictures above, get in touch!

​920-403-0827

November 5th, 2016 – Groose Wedding

PictureAlton Olson & Mike Rakovszky

Our last wedding of the main wedding season!

What a way to send things off!  We had such an incredible time with the DuFrane’s & the Groose families.  They had a beautiful reception up at The Carrington, which is part of The Landmark Resort, in Egg Harbor (our second time being up there this year).  What was also very special about this event is Mike Rakovszky from Advanced Entertainment DJ service came along to co-chair the event under the SoundFire DJ flag.  It’s something special when DJ companies can work together to help bring an amazing experience to each other’s events.

Our couple had their ceremony service at a nearby church, and then the doors for their guests opened at 5pm for the reception.  Guests were immediately greeted with tasteful selections of Adult Contemporary music based on Adam & Megan’s requests, and music we expertly curate based on their tastes.

Right before we began dinner …


we had a private cake cutting with the wedding party, and then introduced their wedding party in grand style!  Immediately following we shared our couple’s love story which painted the picture of how they met, how their relationship developed, and illustrated, through words, the moment when they got engaged.  We were able to pull everyone in the room into the experience our couple had leading up to that day, and then tie everyone in that room into being part of the continuation of that story which we were creating that night.

I’m delighted to share that this resulted in an amazing evening for Mr. & Mrs. Groose, and we put together this short video to wish them a big congratulations!

With love,
Alton Olson
​SoundFire DJ

October 15, 2016 – Firkus Wedding

Earlier this month we had the pleasure of bringing to a reality all of the hard work that was prepared for Matt & Krista.  It was a beautiful day with a beautiful ceremony at the Botanical Gardens here in Green Bay, WI.  

We had the pleasure of working with Vicky Gilson Photography who captured the beautiful memories in which we helped to contribute.  Here are a couple beautiful examples of Vicky’s work:  

While we were posting photos to our Instagram account, we received this wonderful message from Krista:
Thank you Krista & Matt.  The pleasure was ours, and we want to wish you both the very best in a long & blissful future together.  Congratulations!

October 8, 2016 – Brzozowski Wedding

A modern bride & groom sharing a kiss at their wedding. SoundFire DJ is all about creating these memories with you.
We had an absolutely incredible time with the Brzozowski & Martinez wedding party this past weekend. They had the most beautiful ceremony & reception at Barnsite Retreat & Events Center located in Kewaunee, WI. SoundFire DJ had the pleasure of coordinating their wedding with Kyra Rane Photography and ZoZo’s Kitchen. Everything went extremely smooth for Timothee & Brittany, and we were so honored to be a part of one of the biggest days in their lives!

We want to thank Brittany for leaving us this fantastic 5-star review on Facebook:

Alton did a fantastic job DJing our event this past weekend!! He was not only an excellent DJ, but he helped us out every step of the way, keeping us on track with our planning. He was very professional and genuinely wanted to make sure that everything went smoothly and perfectly for our day. He kept everyone on the dance floor all night, which was very important to us. We would recommend Soundfire DJ to anyone!!

Again, thank you to Mr. & Mrs. Brzozowski!  It was truly an honor to work with you both on creating lifelong memories for your wedding day.  I want to wish you both and Addie the very best in your future together – you deserve it!

October 1, 2016 Weekend – Lots of news to report:

The Brilliance Setup at Jerika Bolen's Prom - 2016 at the Grand Meridian in Appleton, WI
First, as has been in the news the past couple weeks, Jerika Bolen passed away on 9/22/2016.  Exactly 2 months since we had the honor of providing the entertainment for her prom.  This past Saturday Jerika had her funeral, which was kept private in lieu of all the attention her story had received.  Sadly, we were not able to attend due to our commitments to our couples.  Everyone here at SoundFire DJ sends our deepest condolences to Jen Bolen along with other family & friends of Jerika.  

We didn’t get to know her for very long, but she left an impression on us that will stay with us for a lifetime.

Jerika’s obituary can be found here.

Our events:

We had two amazing events this past weekend.  That’s right, SoundFire DJ is growing, and we’re doing so 
in a very careful way to maintain our high standards of quality both in performance and presentation, along with providing the flexibility we have offered our clients all along!

Alton, the owner, was at the Shawano County Park Pavilion for the wedding of Nicholas & Katie Lucier helping them to have a night of a lifetime filled with beautiful memories as we shared their love story, and directed the night to accommodate a very diverse group of guests & special dances.  Here is a brief video we put together to wish them a congratulations!

We also want to share with you this photo that Adam Shea, of Adam Shea Photography, captured of Nicholas & Katie during their first dance.  Adam & Alton coordinated together to create this epic shot of our couple in an effort to, once again, help create memories to last a lifetime.  

Bayport 2016 Homecoming

SoundFire DJ was contacted this past August to work with Bayport High School to provide entertainment for their 2016 Homecoming Dance! We were very excited to work with them, and are excited to be providing entertainment for their Snowball dance this winter. We are in talks already about providing next year’s Homecoming entertainment as well; provided it is scheduled on a date we still have availability (next year’s September is completely booked minus Labor Day weekend, and that day is pending a decision from a couple as we speak, and early October is starting to book up as well).

SoundFire DJ brought on board the talents of Tyler Hooyman, Nate Losinski, and Serna Al aka DJ Baja to run the dance. Our equipment setup for this dance was nothing short of incredible. For lighting we had 10 moving heads, 4 wash lights, and our truss was illuminated in Bayport’s school colors. Our sound system had 4 dual 18″ subwoofer cabinets (yes, a total of 8 18″ low frequency drivers – the bass was insane), and we flew 4 2-way speakers from the truss to have the incredible skills of our DJ – Tyler come through with crystal clear audio over the 1300 students that were in attendance!

Here are some photos of the guys setting up (just for reference, Tyler, pictured bottom left, is 6’6″ tall):

As the students started to trickle in, it didn’t take long for the fun to begin. (Video courtesy of DJ Baja)
Very quickly we had the place jumping.  In the student’s own words, it was a, “Lit Ho-Co!”
We love what we do here at SoundFire DJ!  

Contact us for your next event!

Our first congratulations we send out from our new blog!

SoundFire DJ would like to congratulate Dan & Emily Elliott on their wedding 9/24/16!  It was an absolute pleasure to work with them, and we’ll definitely be staying in touch.  I love it when we not only have satisfied couples, but new friends as well!

A Surface-Level Blog!

This isn’t the only blog on this website!  We have our blog entitled, “Wedding Pro Tips” which hundreds of Northeast Wisconsin couples have found very helpful.  However, since it’s not on the top level of our page, not everyone finds it easily.  Also, we like to update our guests and clients with news besides our helpful wedding pro tips, and doing that under a blog titled “Wedding Pro Tips” doesn’t accurately describe content other than that.  Therefore, we are starting this top-level blog to tell you about our new developments, our thoughts, and anything else we want to share!  Be sure to add us to your RSS feed.  Thanks!

Another upgrade post!  We love our couples, and want to continue bringing our best in service & skill.  By having the best tools at our disposal, it’s one more way we make it an amazing night!

SoundFire DJ at Jerika's prom.

Jerika’s Prom setup. For those wondering about the mirror ball, we gave it as a gift to Jerika & Jen after this event. If you do like the look of the mirror ball though, let us know!
Wedding at the Woodwalk Gallery

The gorgeously rustic Woodwalk Gallery in Door County! With our elegant Premier service as a tasteful juxtaposition.
This is a big one!  After 6 years of our trusty QSC system, we have upgraded to the top of the line powered JBL speaker system.  Our QSC system is tuned to perfection to give amazing sound for our more intimate events, and will therefore still be the system used for our Streamlined service, and sometimes our Streamlined+ service depending on the venue (due to size or loading restrictions).  
For most Streamlined+, and all Premier clients we will be using our JBL SRX800 series system.  These things are serious!  They won the ProSoundWeb 2015 Reader’s Choice Award for best powered loudspeakers.  That’s a big deal, because the readers of that site are the people who do touring sound for some of the biggest stars in the country.  

We premiered (no pun intended) this system at Jerika’s prom, then had it at the Woodwalk Gallery the next day as pictured here.  What you don’t see in the Woodwalk picture (but can see in Jerika’s prom setup) are the 2-way 15″ top speakers off to the sides of this image.  The whole system sounds incredible!  

This system is primarily for our larger weddings, or for those that want the ultimate sound system.  You’ll love it from the first note you hear.


When possible Streamlined+ couples will have 1 of the dual 18″ subwoofers and the two 15″ tops, while Premier clients will have both dual 18″ subwoofers (as pictured above – that’s 4 18″ subwoofers – music you can feel in your bones!) and the two 15″ tops.  

Now if y’all want to party like we do, if y’all want to party like us, lemme hear ya say – SoundFire DJ!

Jerika’s Prom

While not directly wedding related, I wanted to write about this a little here on the blog.  

Yes, we do events like this at least once a year, and this has certainly been the most high profile of any of them.  The reason I want to talk about it is because it has a lot to do with what SoundFire DJ’s philosophy has been for a few years now – and that is it’s all about meeting our client’s vision while helping them to create beautiful memories.  

Jerika, if you do read this, I want to start out by saying how brave I think you are, and I respect your decision.  You have a beautiful, bright spirit, and you’ve touched my life forever.  Thank you for that, and thank you for choosing SoundFire DJ to be a big part of this amazing event.  As we have cited in previous articles, DJs are responsible for 80% of the success of weddings.  When it’s a prom or dance, that responsibility shoots up to about 95%.  We don’t take that lightly.

Jerika was in a unique situation as she had several DJs come forward to help her and her mom with her prom.  I’m sure most, if not all, like myself, offered to do this at no charge, and I happen to know that a couple of the other DJs that came forward were good, reputable companies.  I’m honored that they chose SoundFire DJ.  I never asked explicitly why they chose us, but Jen (Jerika’s mother) must have felt we were the best fit for their vision.

Their vision, and all of our couple’s/client’s vision is what is most important to us when planning and working at an event.  We don’t focus on other DJs, we don’t focus on our gear (other than to make sure it adequately fits the size of your party, and fits your vision), and we don’t focus on what we get out of it.  Our main focus is you, your night, and the memories you take with you.  

For Jerika, I’m proud to say we achieved that; along with the help of some wonderful people that came together, both in the community, and across the country.  The memories we were a part of helping to create that day are something that can never be taken away from Jerika, Jen, and all that were in attendance.  They are the priceless feelings and thoughts that can only happen through experiencing life in the moment.  

I wanted to give Jerika & Jen one more thing after the prom, the mirror ball we used that night, and stopped by their house to set it up for them so they could enjoy it.  I asked Jen if there was anything else I could do to help, she said, “Can we have another prom this weekend?”  She could not have given a better compliment.  

I’ve said it several times: what an honor it has been to be a part of this.  Jerika & Jen you’re in my prayers, and, from the bottom of my heart, thank you again for trusting SoundFire DJ.

​- Alton

We’ve gone and done it again! 2016 Upgrades!

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A clean setup that allows you to see the DJ work their magic. Notice the pristine wire management (with over 70 ft of wiring used to connect power and control cables to the lighting alone). This picture was taken shortly after setup had been completed. The extra transport bags on stage were removed prior to guest arrival for an extremely clean appearance.
We’ve had a lot of positive feedback over the last year about our lighting panels in our Premier Package (the light bars on each side in the picture above).  People love the look, love that they’re not too bright when viewed directly, and photographers love that they put out a nice, neutral white light on command for when they need to get those important pictures.

So, with that in mind we made a very important change.  We got rid of the wash lighting that occupied the top of our trussing – seen on other pictures on our website (or if you had the Streamlined option the top of the t-bar), and now all of our system options will use this awesome lighting – even the Streamlined!  Another upgrade for the Streamlined option is NO MORE T-BARS!!  Now we have truss totems to give an even more professional look for your event (imagine the picture above without the top cross section).

For our Streamlined+ and Premier options we have also added the ability to make our truss structure longer and taller for larger dance floors and halls.  Pictured in this blog post above is our Streamlined+ service with the truss system lengthened side to side to properly fit the dance floor.  It looks amazing!  We wanted to give it the height extension too, but there was a chandelier that would have interfered.  Getting the lighting up higher covers more of your crowd, and makes the lighting look even more impressive.  

There’s more to come for 2016 upgrades, and we will announce them here!  If you haven’t done so already, please add our blog to your RSS feed, or if you would rather follow us on Facebook we also post these great updates there too (be sure to select the option to put our posts at the top of your news feed, or to get notifications when posts are made – we promise to only post great stuff).  Thanks for reading, and if you happen to be someone in need of an award-winning DJ service that knows how to put the amazing in your event, give us a call!

Its been a great year so far, wedding season start, continued education, and UPGRADES!!

Prime Wedding Season Kick Off

Prime wedding season has already begun and is going well!  We have lots of events, final meetings, and more on our calendar coming up.  I feel truly blessed to be a part of every one of our couples’ wedding day.  It’s an honor and a privilege serving every single one of you, and I want to thank those who have had their wedding already this year, and for those yet to come!  I also want to thank all of the couples that have already booked us for next year, and are inquiring for 2018 already!

Education

We believe at SoundFire DJ that continuing education is paramount to continued success through exceptional service.  In the past 2 months alone we have attended major conventions both regionally and nationally to learn and study with some of the best professionals in the country, and even some from outside the country.  SoundFire DJ is one of the very few providers in the STATE that has been in attendance to both Mobile Beat and Midwest DJs Live this year.  Not only does the fact that we attend these conferences, and continuing our education put us in the top 5% of DJs nationwide (top 1% in the state), but our clients said it loud and clear with their reviews leading to us winning the WeddingWire Couple’s Choice Award for 2016!  
In just the past year alone I’ve had the pleasure of learning from some amazing people such as:
Alan Dobson
Andy Ebon
Michael Buffer
Scott Silz
Randy Bartlett
Peter Merry
Alan Berg
Vicky Musni
Dennis Jones
Darnyelle Jervey
Mike Walter
Curtis Whipple
Matt Radicelli
Joe Bunn
Rob Peters
John Beck
Arnoldo Offerman
Justin Miller
Matt Martindale
Mitch Taylor
RedFoo
Tom Haibeck
Jon Taffer
Jason Spencer
David Louis
Jorge Lopez
Jim Cerone
Todd Mitchem
Geoffrey Sandler
Bill Hermann
Jake Palmer
Sam Fleming
Mike Petritis
and more…

I’m sure some of those names you immediately recognize, and some you would need to look up.  The point I’m trying to make is this:  If you’re considering hiring a DJ ask the DJs where they get their education.  I’m willing to bet most can’t name more than a few people, and if they say they learn on the job through years of experience, as opposed to getting education, they’re only learning enough to keep people from leaving.  It’s also saying they used people’s events as practice rather than properly preparing for your event.  Doing just enough so people won’t leave is barely a minimum requirement.  Playing music people will dance to is also a minimum requirement.  Inspiring people to have fun, laugh, smile, and making an event truly “once in a lifetime” based on each couples’ ideal vision is the goal.  That’s the goal we are dedicated to at SoundFire DJ.

New things coming this year!

As always we are constantly working on ways to improve our show!  I spent roughly 50 hours reprogramming our light show from the ground up.  Let’s just say your dance floor is going to be EPIC!  We’ve made some other changes too.  We listened to our guest’s feedback, and have eliminated certain wash light fixtures we were told were “too bright” by replacing them with even better looking fixtures that produce plenty of light while being easy on the eyes even when looking right at the fixture.  This change in primary wash fixture also has the added benefit of more consistent white balance so photographers and videographers can achieve better color consistency when we use our white lighting for fill light during your spotlight dances.  The other benefit is the really cool moving lights that create motion in the room are further enhanced by this softer lighting.

Also, for venues that have the space, we have increased the size of our trussing system from 8’x8′ to 11’x13′ for our Premier service.  Again, this is dependent on the amount of space the venue has in the performance area.  What this does is creates an even more impressive look and feel by getting the light fixtures higher in the air, and spread out more to really improve coverage.  All couples who have selected our Premier option will be receiving this upgrade (again, space permitting)!  Streamlined+ remains relatively unchanged, and Streamlined will be receiving a small upgrade in its look, but we can’t say what it is yet (stay tuned).  

​We have some other upgrades (a couple that are going to be pretty huge) planned for this year too that we will share as they arrive.  Be sure to subscribe to our Facebook page to stay up to date on our announcements (when liking our page on a mobile device be sure to click “Following” to follow our posts in your news feed and select “See First”, or from a computer hover over “Liked” and turn Notifications “All On”).  Thanks for reading, and we look forward to helping you “Experience The Difference” with us soon!

A helpful word on wedding budgets. PART 1

It’s that time of year again.  The time when most couples have been recently engaged, and are on the path to begin planning their wedding.  This is a new experience for most couples, and they don’t know where to start, or the big question on their minds are usually, “How much does everything cost?”

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The days of tradition where the family-of-the-bride funds the event seems to be fading too with more couples funding their wedding themselves.  Also, the expectations at weddings has changed greatly between the time the parents of the millennials and the millennials currently getting married with modern wedding expectations tending to be much higher.  

It seems a lot of new couples are wondering what it costs to throw a reception and get married.  Even with lots of resources out there dedicated to this question, the current status quo is to look online for local vendor pricing, attempt to contact vendors via email or text for price, and stop there while rarely having a phone call or face-to-face conversation about what a service provides for a certain price.  This is a huge disservice when trying to find the right provider for a once-in-a-lifetime day like a wedding.  I’ve even had someone respond to me on Facebook recently, when I provided them with a suggestion for a vendor, “Any idea what they charge? …  I don’t feel like I should have to call to get a price.”  Often times vendors are pricing competitively based on the quality of product they bring, and some vendors cannot post prices as they may be subject to price fluctuations in the materials required for their craft (i.e. price of food, flowers, etc.).

So, in an effort to help the current generation I’d like to share with you the quick guide to budget for a wedding, along with what to expect to pay for the core professionals needed to have a successful wedding & reception. (Some of this same information can be found in another article we have posted, but with how often this question comes up it warrants repeating.)

But first, a baseline of information:

SOME FACTS:  
The average wedding budget/cost in the United States is: $26,444
For Green Bay, WI, and most surrounding areas, average budgets are as follows:

  • Number of guests less than 50 $7,599 – $12,664
  • Number of guests between 50 and 100 $11,571 – $19,284
  • Number of guests between 100 and 200 $18,478 – $30,797
  • Number of guests between 200 and 300 $23,832 – $39,720
  • Number of guests more than 300 $46,110 – $76,849

A single guest could add between $104 and $127 to the overall cost of your wedding. The best way to save money on your wedding is to limit the number of guests.
(source: http://www.costofwedding.com as of 2/9/16)

 The numbers above are based on what couples said they paid, and not on vendor pricing.  Therefore, this information has some great credibility to it, as it was provided by people who are in the exact same situation as you!

TIP:  Start a savings account at another bank.  If you have online banking through your main bank, set it up to where you can transfer funds into this other bank account, but not withdraw through the online system.  Saving is hard these days, and there are too many ads we are subjected to every day asking us to give up our hard-earned dollars.  If you are serious about saving, then you need to make that money a little harder to access.

The #1 mistake we see couples fall into is having a guest list that is too big for their budget.   We have been noticing a trend of couples planning on having 200-300 people on a budget of $10,000 or less.  I know we want lots of people to share in our wedding day, but if you try to do a 300 person wedding on a $10,000 budget it’s going to be a disappointment for your guests when the reception comes.  Why disappointment?  Because the cost to have that many people means having to go cheap on everything that makes a great reception.  Plus, having a guest list that is too big for your budget just makes wedding planning hugely stressful.

So how do we know what kind of budget is possible, and how many guests we should have on our guest list?

Step 1:  To know where we’re going we need to know where we are.

If you haven’t done so already put together a monthly budget for your household.  Start by calculating the average income brought in every month, then deduct recurring monthly expenses, savings allotment, along with factoring slightly higher than average for incidentals (i.e. gas for the car(s), going out to eat, and other entertainment money).  Then find out what you have left at the end.  Does this number seem close to what you have leftover at the end of the month?  If you find you are usually lower in your bank account by this amount then you need to look at your bank statement to find out what else is coming out of your hard earned money and find places where you can cut back.  Let’s be real, I know this sucks, but it’s a good habit to start right now.

Once you’ve figured out how much you can realistically expect to have left over every month try to save at least 50% of that remaining balance.  This is what you put into that hard to reach account which is going to fund your wedding.  Then multiply the number of months, and this monthly allotment to figure out what you may potentially be able to save, and subtract 20%.  Why subtract 20%?  Well, we’re human, and sometimes we just have to buy that “As Seen On TV” item or get that thing on sale.  -OR-  You have one of those human moments in life where you need some cash.  Ideally you’ll have the willpower to not touch this account, or won’t be forced into withdrawing due to “life” situations.

So, let’s say you figure you’ll be able to save $10,000 if you never have to touch it, and $8,000 if “life happens”.

You can factor in things like tax returns, or other forms of income that are not part of your regular income to put into this account too, but don’t count any chickens before they hatch.

Step 2:  Figure out your guest count.

This step is easy.  Take the worst case scenario budget, and divide it by the cost per guest (which can be found at www.costofwedding.com by typing in your zip code).  Then multiply that number by 1.25.

In our example we have a worst-case scenario budget of $8,000, and the cost per guest is between $104-$127 in this area.  So let’s take the number in between which is roughly $115.  8,000/115 = 69.5  Then take that 69.5 and multiply by 1.25.  69.5 X 1.25 = 86,9.  Since it’s impossible to invite a fraction of a person let’s round to 87.  So for an $8,000 budget you want to have a guest list of 87 people.  Why 87 and not 70?  Because typically 20-30% of guests invited to a wedding do not attend.  So to hit your target number always invite a few extra people.

​TO BE CONTINUED…..


A helpful word on wedding budgets. PART 2

So, we have an appropriate number for our guest list to reflect our budget.  Now what do we do?

Wedding Budget Percentage

Now we allocate the different portions of our budget!  As a disclaimer, the following allocations are mere suggestions based on our research, and experience helping couples plan their weddings.  They are not hard & fast rules.  

We will use the dollar amount and figures from PART 1 of this blog post.  We will even give the breakdown for the “Tight Budget” figures ($8,000 budget, and expecting 70 confirmed guests), and the “Mainstream Budget” figures ($26,444 and expecting 200 guests).

This article also assumes that you already have an officiant lined up.  If not it would be appropriate to find one in the same step as your venue.

Let’s start with the food, venue, and cake.
Our recommendation:  35% of the overall budget

From an $8,000 total budget:  $2,800
From a $26,444 total budget:  $9,255

Tight Budget:
We recommend narrowing your search to venues that have on-site food service, and are appropriately sized.  It’s very important that a room never be too big for the crowd invited.  There are lots of wonderful venues that provide on-site catering.  If you are looking to keep your cake budget in check it can help to have a smaller cake for display, and sheet cake for serving.

Mainstream Budget:
This amount does allow for more venues, and off-site catering.  However, venues that provide on-site catering should be considered as well.  Often times the food is better when it doesn’t need to be transported while being kept warm.

Next let’s get the entertainment.
Our recommendation:  15% of the overall budget

From an $8,000 total budget:  $1,200
From a $26,444 total budget:  $3,966

Why entertainment immediately after the venue?  There is no getting around it.  The entertainment is the #1 thing most remembered by your guests at your reception.  Why?  As Maya Angelou once said, “I’ve learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.”  We Present our case as to why a DJ may be preferable to a live band, but we completely respect the art of live music.  The bottom line is that entertainment is the most crucial element as it is the vendor you trust with creating the atmosphere at your event, and the atmosphere will set the mood.  It will be the most influential service when it comes to how your guests feel.  

Therefore this is the vendor to secure next as entertainment services will vary greatly, and you want to make sure you get exactly what you want.  This is also a vendor where if you find one you really like, it’s worth it to stretch the budget a little.  It pays back in dividends with great memories to last a lifetime.

Tight Budget:
At this time the $1,200 figure happens to be the national average for DJs, so the good news is you will still be able to find a decent provider at this rate.  However, if you value quality, you will be looking at DJ services only without other finishing touches such as uplighting, photo booths, etc.  Trust me that quality should always come over quantity, and any service that does all 3 for this price is not going to provide the same quality.

Mainstream Budget:
This amount may sound like a lot, but entertainment providers, and in this case we’re talking about DJs, often times offer far more now than they ever have.  Photo booths, uplighting, monograms, pinspotting/accent lighting, video montages, and more.  On the flip side, if you’re considering a band these can range greatly as well.  A 4 piece combo or rock band will typically be less expensive than a 20 piece big band, but often times couples still hire a DJ & emcee to cover when the band takes breaks, and to direct the event.

Now we want to preserve these memories.
Our recommendation:  9% of the overall budget for the photography, and 5% for videography, however feel free to lump this as 14% and split it up any way you see fit.  We’ll give the 14% portions below.

From an $8,000 total budget:  $1120
From a $26,444 total budget:  $3,702

Tight Budget:
It’s going to be difficult to find a photographer and videographer in this range.  Your best bet is going to be finding a great photographer who’s style you are in love with.  Look early and book early to have a better opportunity of finding what you want.

Mainstream Budget:
Again, find a photographer and videographer who’s style you absolutely love.  If you don’t love it then keep looking.  There are also plenty of solo photographers who charge this much, and more, who are worth it.  It is possible to find services that provide 2 photographers and a videographer at this rate too.

Once you have these providers set CONGRATULATIONS!!  This is one of the hardest parts of planning as these providers are typically very limited availability (often times one wedding per day), and getting them all aligned on the same day is no easy task.  They will also have the most impact on your day, and the days after your wedding when it becomes a memory.

What’s left?

Tight Budget:  $2,880
Mainstream Budget:  $9,521

What to do with this remaining amount?  From the remaining amounts come things like decorations, flowers, the couples’ wedding attire, wedding rings, favors & gifts, transportation, and the rehearsal dinner.

Need more money to have your dream wedding?  There’s a company who is now taking applicants where they will loan you $10,000 toward your wedding, and you never have to pay it back as long as you don’t get divorced.


– an update about the link immediately above this – SwanLuv sadly did not deliver on its promise as people had hoped.  It was marketed and advertised as a lending business, but with the overwhelming response it received (and the red tape to become a lender) they pivoted their business model to being a place where couples could crowdsource fund weddings (like Indiegogo or Kickstarter, but for weddings).  This did not bode well, and now their domain is no longer in service.

Thanks for reading, and if you would like to pick our brains feel free to give us a call at 920-403-0827.  


How to tell if your DJ is actually a DJ!

So, most mobile DJs, especially when they specialize in weddings and private parties, will tell you that these skills/factors are the order of importance when making an evaluation about the DJ you select:
1. Emcee skills
2. Musical knowledge and ability
3. Customer Service
4. Equipment used

This is 100% true, and we agree.

For the purpose of this blog entry we’re going to focus on that number 2 spot.  This is an important, and often overlooked skill when it comes to picking a DJ, and it’s also the hardest for customers to gauge during a meeting with their DJ.  It’s also an overlooked skill by many “DJs” out there.  It begs the question:  how can one call themselves a DJ without being a DJ first?  

By the loosest definition being a DJ is simply having control of playing pre-recorded music for an audience.  At the same time there exists DJs of all skill levels out there – anywhere from DJ Jazzy Jeff (on the left, one of the greatest hip-hop DJs of all time, notice the turntables) to your buddy “Joe” (on the right using a chair for a speaker stand) who likes to put playlists together for his back yard parties.
Practically all mobile DJ companies fall somewhere in between this range.  Sadly, by simple law of averages, there are quite a few that aren’t a whole lot better than “Joe” skill-wise.  These are the DJs that are working as their “side-hustle”.  It’s easy to spot these vendors too.  They will be the cheapest in the market with their main package (not the lowest or highest priced, but the one that the majority of their clients choose) typically starting somewhere under $1,000 (your market may vary slightly lower, or higher).  We even saw one DJ try to use the excuse of “I DJ because I want to, not because I have to,” for why he was so cheap.  The truth is if that DJ could charge more they would.  Just like any other profession where artistry is involved, there are lots of people who do it, but only few who do it well.

Brides & Grooms, if you’re reading this, and you’re trying to go cheap on your DJ, reconsider.  Your DJ is like buying a lobster dinner.  At some point the price has got to be low enough to scare you (bad lobster, food poisoning, etc.), and if it’s high enough where you have to think about it you know that’s got to be some amazing lobster (fresh catch, prepared by a master chef, perfect side pairings, etc.), and it’s definitely worth splurging on – especially on an occasion as big as your wedding day.

Scary Cheap Lobster

That cheap lobster dinner wasn’t such a great idea after all. Seriously don’t eat that.
The Best You've Ever Had

It may have cost a little more than you planned, but it was worth it. Delicious!

This is your brain on music.

Back to mixing – so what makes some DJs better at being a DJ than others?

First and foremost is music knowledge, and managing “energy levels”.  A good DJ knows not only great music for people to dance to, but they know what song should come next.  These two nuances are mutually exclusive to one another, but still go hand in hand.  Here’s an example – “Drop It Like It’s Hot” is a great tune to do your West Coast sway dance, and who doesn’t get amped when they hear “Party Rock Anthem”?  However, if you go from “Party Rock Anthem” into “Drop It Like It’s Hot” (and we’re talking just playing one song after the next) they don’t transition well into each other.  It’s also a HUGE energy change between the two, and this can clear a dance floor.


Second, is reading the dance floor.  This is a skill that is complimentary to music knowledge and energy levels.  Some DJs will disagree with “reading the dance floor” as being the complimentary skill, but it is.  Reading the dance floor facilitates making musical selections, and managing energy levels.  Some would say that this skill belongs up there with number one, and I can agree with that to a certain extent, but it is a separate and distinguishable skill.  A DJ can read a dance floor, but if their knowledge of music leads them to bad selections, then what good is reading the dance floor?

These first two skills are the basis of being a good DJ, and no one should call themselves a DJ until they have a good handle on these two things.  They are the foundations of being a good music programmer, and if you have a good music programmer you can have a respectable party so long as your DJ also has solid emcee skills to go along with these fundamentals.

Third, is a DJs skill set when it comes to mixing.  This is the skill that starts to separate reputable DJs.  In our opinion it is important to have good programming AND mixing skills to truly bring the full DJ experience.  Therefore, to utilize good mixing skills one needs a proper set of tools.  Is it possible to DJ from the mouse and keyboard?  Yes, but barely.  Laptop-only DJs are very limited to what they can do when performing.  If they use software, such as the popular “Virtual DJ”, the software offers some automated features to make transitions, but the accuracy and capabilities of the automation is very rudimentary.  The accomplished DJs in your area will use some kind of equipment that allows them to have better control over the musical playback.  Amongst us DJs we may debate whether Vinyl, CDJ, or Controllers are the best, but to our customers they are all a tool, that when used properly, can make a huge difference in the performance and fun of your night.  

CDJ Setup Example

CDJs – Yes
DDJ-SX

Pioneer DDJ-SX, or another high quality controller – Yes
Turntables & Mixer Setup Example

Turntables – Yes
All three of the above are often used in conjunction with a computer these days, but the computer is simply acting as the music catalog and heads up display.  The control is being handled through the device of choice.
Laptop DJs don't bring enough excitement.

Laptop DJs just don’t bring the same energy with them. They may think they do, as illustrated here, but the capability just isn’t there.

Picture

So how do you know if you’re hiring an expert DJ?  It’s pretty easy to spot someone who would be a good emcee, and someone who you will feel provides great customer service.  Even spending 30 minutes researching their equipment will tell you if they invest in good gear, but the hardest skill to spot in your DJ is if they are in fact a good DJ.  There are two ways to find out this information, and I recommend you do both.  The first way is look at reviews, and ask to talk to a DJ’s previous clientele.  If a DJ is willing to provide references that’s already a great sign, and if those references can attest to how awesome their night was that’s good too.  The other way is to ask the DJ, and I’ll even give you the questions along with guidelines of what to listen for in the answers you receive:

What equipment do you use to mix?  As mentioned & pictured earlier, if the DJ responds with “Turntables”, “CDJ” (it’s a special type of CD player with a huge jog wheel/platter on top of it), or a controller (while using something is better than nothing, there are lots of cheap controllers out there that some DJs will buy just to say they have one – if they say it’s a Pioneer DDJ-something, or a Numark NS6 or 7 those are considered industry standards, and are the most popular among professionals) this is a very good indicator already that you’re dealing with a DJ that cares about being a DJ.

PictureIf this is Greek to your DJ just say “pass”.

Ask if they know how to mix harmonically.  Most DJs can fudge their way through the question “Do you beat match?”  Plus, there’s a hotly debated button in DJ software these days called the “sync” button which beat matches for the DJ.  The more skilled DJs consider this button a “cheat”.  While this button might help some DJs beat match, it can’t help them mix harmonically.  Harmonic mixing makes music “sing” together.  It’s when two different songs are in relative keys to one another, and line up not only in tempo, but in harmony too.  Some DJs use the “Camelot Wheel” while others use traditional keys (i.e. D Major & B Minor).  Either is fine.  

Do they use “lyric play”?  This is where you can take songs with similar lyrics, or lyrical cues to one another and mix that way.  A great example is taking Trick Daddy & Lil Jon’s song “Let’s Go”, and on the last “Let’s Go” shout in the chorus switch over to when Busta Rhymes says “Let’s Go” before his verse in the song “Look At Me Now.”  Two songs, fairly close in tempo, but overlapping in words to make a great transition.

Do they use EFX?  Here’s another tool that can also add excitement to a mix, and make transitions like “Party Rock Anthem” going into “Drop It Like It’s Hot” possible.  Using a well timed echo effect, or a brake effect can make a transition from a fast song to a slow song smooth, and effortless for your dance floor to respond to.  The key is it draws interest and attention to what the next song may be.  If done at the right time, reading the dance floor, and during the right cues in the songs it can go from being a dance floor killer to a dace floor thriller.

Of course SoundFire DJ is a DJ company that strives to be accomplished in our musical and speaking abilities for the benefit of our clients.  If you are ready to experience the difference of what an accomplished professional can bring to make your event one-of-a-kind please Contact Us today.  Thanks again for reading!

Wedding Season is in full swing!

Julia & Tyler's Wedding

We have been well into the wedding season since March already!  It’s been a great few months, and we’re gearing up for the busiest part of our year to come!  We’ll be getting in touch with couples again shortly to make sure we are doing everything we can to help with your wedding planning.  Every wedding we’ve had (including one where we were called literally the day before to perform) has been a huge success.  We look forward to each and every one of our weddings, and look forward to helping you and your guests create wonderful memories to last a lifetime.  Here are some of those moments from weddings we’ve had the privilege to be a part of just this year:

Lora & Brandon’s Wedding

We want to take a minute to do a spotlight on Lora & Brandon.  We performed at their wedding this last weekend.  They looked amazing, and had an amazing time.  SoundFire DJ was honored to be the provider for the entertainment, and contribute to memories that will last a lifetime.

Lora & Brandon had opted for our most popular option:  the Premier service covering cocktail hour through the rest of the night; along with our Virtual Photo Booth service.

We want to give a huge congratulations to Lora & Brandon, and wish them many years of happiness in their union.  Check out some of the great moments they had here.

Upgrades for 2015 clients and beyond!

We’ve done it again.  Bringing you amazing value and service.  We believe that we best serve our clients by reinvesting in ourselves.  Of course, that means we attend trainings, stay up to date on current trends, and carefully upgrade our system to bring you an excellent show.

SoundFire DJ is proud to make its first upgrade announcement for 2015.  All customers who had selected the “Premier” service will see the following upgrades at their wedding:

2 more wash bars to really bathe the room in many different colors of light

An additional effect light (2 total) for creating the “disco ball” effect, laser effects, and white LED chase patterns and strobes.

2 moving head “spotlight” fixtures.  They dance with the music and create exciting effects during upbeat songs, while helping to “set the mood” during the more intimate dances with appropriate effects.  If your venue allows haze or fog you can see the beams of light as they move through the air, and it looks amazing.

For those that have selected our “streamlined” service we haven’t forgotten about you, and your announcement will be coming later this year.

Stay tuned as we will have more announcements throughout the year for the exciting things we are bringing to SoundFire DJ.  Thanks for reading, and if you, or someone you know, need the right DJ for your wedding please give us a call 920-403-0827 or Contact Us through our website.  Thanks again!

Exciting news for our current and future clients.

We have had lots of great response and compliments to our 2014 “New Rig”.  In fact several of our 2015 clients complimented us on how clean, polished, and professional it looks.  It provides an amazing light show experience in the hands of a qualified artist.  


However, we are always finding ways to improve, and maintain our leadership in providing high quality wedding entertainment.  So, at the beginning of April we will be announcing our updates for 2015.  The updates will apply to both our Premier and Streamlined services.  


Stay tuned, as we will be announcing these changes April 2, 2015.


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