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First: Indoors or Outdoors?
Usually
wedding ceremonies and receptions are held indoors. Many are now
being held at outdoor gardens and other out-of-doors
locations.
If you plan to have an outdoor ceremony, cocktail hour or reception, be
sure to tell any entertainer
who may be performing that particular
outdoor segment.
Make arrangements to have suitable cover over the stage
or DJ area in
case of inclement weather.
Make sure an adequate number of electrical outlets are available for the
band, DJ, or any other performer. Check with your entertainer to
establish how many outlets are needed.
The
Contract:
The first thing you should do after selecting your entertainment is
secure a contract from the individual
or company.
This will insure that you get what you want from the entertainment. It
should be written in plain,
easy to understand language and contain the
following terms:
Date
Times (Start/Finish)
Location
Price
Overtime Policy & Fee
Deposit Policy & Amount
Cancellation Policy
Travel Fee (if any)
Let's
look in greater detail at some of these points.
Prices or Fees:
Prices will vary from band to band
or from DJ to DJ.
When making your selection consider experience, reputation, availability,
professionalism
and style.
With bands, also consider the number of members or size of the group.
Band prices are as low as
a few hundred dollars and can range upward as
high as you like. DJ fees start as low as $60 and also can cost $1000 or
more.
Overtime:
Overtime is the extra time you would like your entertainment to perform
beyond
the contracted time.
This may be appropriate should you require additional music due to
"late-running" ceremonies,
or because a great party is in progress and
you'd like it to continue.
Know beforehand if the entertainment
is available for overtime and how
much it will cost. This should be included in the contract.
If you are considering
going beyond the contracted time discuss it with
your entertainment to allow them an opportunity to program the music
accordingly. Waiting until the last minute may make it difficult to
regain the momentum your party had just 15 minutes
earlier.
Be sure the reception facility can accommodate your overtime request if
plans change during the reception.
"Off-Hours":
"Off-hours" are times like 3:00 until 7:00 p.m. or 4:00 until 8:00 p.m.
Some
bands or DJ's prefer to book 2 engagements per day. For example:
Reception "A" is from 1:00 to 4:00 p.m. allowing the
entertainment an
opportunity to also play engagement "B" from 7:00 to 11:00 p.m. If an
"off-hours" reception is booked,
the entertainment cannot accept a second
engagement on that day.
If you are planning a mid-afternoon reception,
check with your
entertainment to ensure that this doesn't create a conflict with another
engagement.
Ask
if there is any price difference for an "off-hours" performance.
Travel Fee:
It is not unreasonable
for entertainers to charge an additional fee for
traveling outside a "local" area.
This might apply for distances
over 20 or 30 miles. Fees may be charged
by distance or by actual time traveled.
If you choose entertainment
that is not based in your "local" area,
inquire about the amount and whether or not a travel charge is included
in
the price.
Deposit:
Most entertainers require a deposit when signing a contract for an
engagement.
Deposits may range in amounts from 20% to 50% of the total
entertainment fee.
The contract should specify
under what circumstances you might forfeit
the deposit.The deposit should be fully refundable if the entertainer is
unable
to perform.
Cancellation:
Sometimes unforeseen circumstances can force the cancellation of a
wedding.
You should not lose any part of your deposit because of natural disasters
such as hurricanes, earthquakes,
flooding or other similar occurrences.
If you are compelled to cancel your wedding for personal reasons you may
forfeit all or part of your deposit. In some cases you may be responsible
for the entire entertainment fee.
Give
ample notice to your entertainment if you must cancel your
reception. In such cases professionals will be willing to work
with you.
If the entertainment is forced to cancel for a reason beyond their
control they should be responsible for
making sure entertainment is
"covered" by an equally acceptable replacement if possible. You should be
given sufficient
notice of any such changes.
Final Payment:
Final payment for musical services may be paid any time
before the end of
the reception, or immediately upon its conclusion. The method of payment
(check/cash) should be
agreed upon prior to the engagement.
Part 2
The Music:
This section is concerned
with helping you to understand a few important
facets of the music presentation that will make your wedding reception
a
success.
Music comes in all styles. Casual or sophisticated; classical or rock;
reggae or jazz; polka
or pop. It is played loud or soft and fast or slow.
It appeals to young and old. It can make you feel lively or lethargic.
Music subtly augments a cocktail party and enhances dinner guests
conversations. It energizes the dance floor
continuously for hours.
Music is a common element of everyday life, but for your wedding
celebration, the
music should be extraordinary.
This section covers several points you should review prior to consulting
potential
candidates for your entertainment. Some insight will help
insure your music will be extraordinary.
Styles:
Playing a variety of music styles is a big part of programming that will
make the dancing segment of your
wedding reception a huge success.
Ethnic tunes, oldies, and today's hits should be combined in a cohesive
presentation
to allow your guests the opportunity to participate in your
celebration and enjoy themselves on the dance floor.
DJ's
have an advantage over bands in this case because they have a broader
selection of musical styles at their disposal.
Requests:
You may have specific songs which you would like to have played during
your reception and you may prefer to
eliminate certain songs or kinds of
music. Your special selections and musical wishes should be conveyed to
your entertainer
well in advance of your wedding day.
When guests request music, remember, it is not possible for a DJ to have
every song, or for a band to know every song that could be requested;
however, DJs do have greater flexibility in
handling requests because
they don't have to learn the songs.
People often request songs that do not "fit-in"
with your intended
programming or they may request inappropriate songs.Professional
entertainers know when it is acceptable
to honor requests.
Music Taboos:
Some music types and songs are unsuitable to play at wedding receptions.
Playing heavy metal or gangsta rap, for example, might upset or displease
some of your guests. Also, songs containing
objectionable language should
not be played.
Announcements:
Whether you book a DJ or a band you
will have someone on hand to MC the
festivities. Announcements shouldn't pose a problem for any performer.
Simply
write your announcements on a card and give it to the person who
is handling the MC duties.
Give the names
of the wedding party and family members to be introduced
to the "announcer" prior to the wedding day. This gives the MC
a chance
to learn difficult pronunciations. If there is an unusual sounding name
on your list, spell it out phonetically
or call to clarify its correct
pronunciation.
Breaks:
Bands may take 3 or 4 breaks during a reception.
They could be 15 to 20
minutes in length. Bands might play recorded music during these times.DJs
do not take breaks.
Continuous music is played during the reception with
only brief interruptions to conduct special festivities like a cake
cutting ceremony or special introductions.
Sound Levels:
Music volume should be kept at an appropriate
level so it doesn't
"interfere" with the event.Throughout all segments of the reception,
cocktail hour, dinner and
dancing, the music should add to, or help
create the proper atmosphere.During dinner the music should be loud
enough
to fill in any "dead" air that may occur while people are enjoying
their meal.The music level shouldn't be so loud that
it is distracting
when you are engaged in congratulatory conversation.As the event
progresses towards the dancing
portion of the event, the volume should
increase. The increase should be mainly concentrated on the dance floor.
This
will add to the excitement of the party. The volume increase should
not take away from the enjoyment of any guest as it
moves to the
foreground. Some people may prefer conversation over dancing. They should
be able to find quieter areas
away from the dance floor.
Sound System:
A moderate size sound system can provide plenty of quality
sound for our
reception. Depending on the number of guests invited and function room
size, sound systems can be customized.
If you are planning an unusually
large wedding, or perhaps a reception at a sizeable outdoor facility,
additional
sound reinforcement for a band or DJ may be required.
Obtaining extra equipment should not be a problem, though it may
mean a
slightly higher entertainment fee.
Lighting Systems:
Unlike nightclubs, discotheques, or
live entertainment venues it isn't
necessary for the entertainment playing your wedding reception to be
equipped with
an elaborate light show.Excessive lighting can be
distracting. Some effects are disturbing and annoying to older guests.
For example, strobe lights can trigger epileptic seizures; therefore, all
guests would have to be warned that this
effect was going to be used
prior to the event.Lighting effects can also add significantly to the
entertainment cost.
Part 3
The DJ
One of the most important positions at a party is behind a pair of
turntables
or CD players. The success of the dance entertainment depends
on him, he DJ.
It's much more than standing
there hour after hour playing records, tapes
or CDs, and introducing your wedding party.
From the DJ position
the mood of the reception is set. Proper ambiance is
created for cocktails and dinner, dancing is controlled, and festivities
are
announced. Musical pacing and timing is maintained. Requests are handled.
Overall audience satisfaction is achieved.
DJs possess varying degrees of experience, music mixing skill, "crowd
reading" ability or perception, musical
knowledge, and other intangible
qualities which define their talent. Take into consideration all these
qualifications
when making your decision.
The DJ you choose should also have an extensive music library consisting
of music
for guests of all ages.
He should consult with you prior to the reception and discuss your
musical needs.
You should feel totally confident with your entertainment selection.
DJ Attire:
Proper
attire is subjective. It may be appropriate for a DJ to wear a
fashionable shirt and pants. Some may prefer to wear a
tuxedo.
If you are not concerned with his attire, simply ask him to wear what he
normally wears when performing
a wedding reception.
If your event is casual then the DJ should be made aware of your plans.
If formal, he
should be similarly advised.
A DJ shouldn't charge an extra fee if you would like him to wear a
tuxedo.
Overall,
the appearance of any performer should be neat and appropriate
for your particular event.
Entertainers Drinking
on the Job:
You may request that entertainers do not engage in the consumption of
alcoholic beverages. You
may ask their policy on drinking alcoholic
beverages and should you prefer them not drink, they should honor your
wishes.
They should be responsible when performing at your event.
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