Q. What type of attire with the DJ wear to my wedding?
A. Unless specifically requested to dress in a more "casual" manner, Sight & Sound Disc Jockeys all wear a very professional-looking business type suit and tie. Our job is to provide entertainment and to coordinate the events of the reception, but we are not attempting to be the "center of attention," as that is the job of the Bride & Groom!
Q. What time will the Disc Jockey get to my reception?
A. In most cases the DJ will arrive 45 minutes to one hour before the reception starts. You however, do not pay for this "setup" time. Generally, the guests will arrive from the church long before the wedding party, so the early set-up time allows the DJ to have his equipment running and background music playing when the first guests enter the hall. (No one wants to walk into a "dead" room.) In cases where the DJ is also playing the actual wedding ceremony music, the arrival time is one-hour prior to the start of the ceremony.
Q. I've checked around and found that your prices are in line with most other companies, but couldn't I get a Disc Jockey for a lot less money?
A. Sure you could, but as the old saying goes, "you get what you pay for!" More importantly, think about this for a moment. Five years after your reception, how many people do you think will honestly remember what that very pretty, but very expensive Wedding Dress looked like? Or, how many people will remember what was on the Dinner Buffet? Who the Photographer was, what the Hall looked like, or even where it was located? The truth of the matter is that very few people, if any, will remember any of these things. But, the one thing people DO remember, is if they Danced and had a Good Time! That's because a good party always sticks in your mind. And just who is responsible for all this dancing and good time that everyone remembers?? - The Disc Jockey, of course!
Now consider this. Out of all the expenses incurred by a wedding reception, (Wedding Dress, Caterer, Photographer, Hall Rental, Disc Jockey, etc., which do you think costs the least? - The Disc Jockey. (Kinda ironic isn't it. The most important person at your wedding reception, is also the least expensive.) Yet knowing all this, people still have a tendency to want to "go cheap" on the DJ. In fact, most Bride and Grooms are willing to pay more for their Wedding Cake, than they are for the Disc Jockey. Does that make sense? Of course not! After all, no one is going to leave the reception because they didn't like the wedding cake, in fact half of them won't even eat it! And certainly no one is going to leave the reception because they don't like the bride's dress, the food, or anything else, but people WILL leave if they don't like the DJ or the music being played. Now think about this. The cake isn't responsible for announcing the wedding party and the Bride & Groom as they come in the room, something that you, the Bride, have been waiting for all your life. The cake isn't responsible for keeping the evening fun-filled and keeping people on the dance floor, and the cake won't coordinate all the events of the evening, and help to make sure they all go as planned. In addition, the cake won't drive $15,000 worth of equipment to your reception, set it up 45 minutes in advance, and take it down afterward. No the cake won't do any of those things, and it's not the cake that people will remember as they are "be-bopping" out the door at the end of the night, it's the DJ! Yet people still seem to think that the cake, which does nothing more that sit on the table for a few hours looking pretty, is worth more than the entertainer, who the works the entire night!
Remember, a good DJ is not just someone who shows up and plays music, he (or she) is an Event Coordinator, Director and Entertainer. At Sight & Sound we are all those things wrapped up in one, and it's our job to help make sure that your event runs smoothly and efficiently. Our Motto is simple, "You get married and show up at the reception, we'll take care of the rest!" We coordinate with the Caterer, the Photographer, the Videographer, etc., so that you can relax and have good time of your own! At Sight & Sound Entertainment we feel that our prices are in line with the quality of service we deliver, and any DJ who doesn't feel he or she is worth more than the price of a simple wedding cake, probably isn't!
So to answer your question, yes you can get a Disc Jockey for a lot less - but do you really want to trust the most important day in your life with a "bargain basement DJ?" We'll let you decide the answer.
Q. What type of music will the Disc Jockey play at my wedding reception? Do I need to pick out all of the songs in advance?
A. No you certainly do not need to pick out all of the songs at your wedding reception, in fact we would strongly recommend that you don't even try! Of course we want you to pick out songs that are "special" to you and your fiancee' for your "First Dance," "Father/Daughter Dance," "Mother/Song Dance," etc, and any other "special" dances that you may want to dance to at the reception, but as far as picking all of the songs to be played during the course of the reception, don't waste your time. Experienced disc jockeys will tell you that even they can't tell you what songs they will play at an event until they get there. This is because a good DJ plays to the crowd, not to the personal likes or dislikes of one or two people. While it is true that most DJ's will play a certain amount of "popular wedding reception songs" that will get people motivated and out on the dancefloor, the majority of songs played will generally be based on the age levels of the crowd. And since the guest list at most wedding receptions varies greatly in age and gender, your Sight & Sound DJ will play a w-i-d-e variety of music that will please all tastes. In addition, we allow and encourage your guests to make requests, and will do our best to get in all requests in the allotted amount of time. We do however screen requests, and will always use good judgement and common sense when deciding not to play songs which may be offensive or deemed "not appropriate" for a wedding reception.
Remember that every Sight & Sound Disc Jockey carries every song on our song list to every event, and you are more than welcome to underline or "highlight" songs that you or your fiancee' are particularly fond of . Then return the song list to us either before the wedding, or while at the reception, and your DJ will play those songs you've requested at the times he feels are appropriate.
Food for Thought - The purpose of the wedding reception is to thank your guests for attending your wedding ceremony, as such, the disc jockey should be give a certain amount of latitude when handling requests from the crowd, even if the bride or groom think a particular song is "corny" or "old hat." Remember that some of the folks attending your reception may not have "been out" in a long time, and songs that seem boring to you, may be exciting to them. So let 'em have their fun, and dance their silly dances! After all, the reason you're having this reception is to PARTY! ... and if everyone is having a good time, then the party is successful!
Q. What if we want to do things differently than the way you have them listed on your Wedding Reception Inquiry Sheet?
A. Many Bride & Grooms are not familiar with the normal "order of events" at a traditional wedding reception, and the Wedding Reception Inquiry Sheet is provided to assist you, as much as it is to assist us. It is not however "carved in stone," and you are welcome to rearrange the events any way you like. At Sight & Sound Entertainment, we are "easy to get along with," and we will adapt to whatever "order of events" you and your fiancee' decide upon. Remember, it's YOUR day, it should be conducted YOUR way!
Q. We want to meet and talk to the DJ that will be at our wedding reception, is that a problem?
A. Not at all. No one likes surprises, especially on they're wedding day. And while we encourage you to meet and talk with your DJ prior to the wedding, the fact of the matter is, that 75% of our work comes from people who have already seen one of our DJ's at someone else's wedding reception, birthday party, karaoke, or other event, and when they call, they usually ask for that particular DJ. If you have met one of our DJ's at another event, and you would like to have him at your wedding, we are more than happy to accommodate you if the that DJ is not already booked. If he is already obligated, we will introduce you to one of our other DJ's, and if he meets with your approval you can book him.
If not, we thank you for at least giving us the opportunity to meet the other members of our staff.
If you do decide to use our services, we would like to meet with you and your fiancee' at least two weeks before the wedding date, to go over all the details of the reception. This meeting can take place in our office, at your home, or by telephone, and usually only takes about 30 minutes.
Q. Another company said they would give us a list of references, can you do that?
A. Sure we could, but we don't, and here's why. - Let's say "Company A" gives you a list of references. You start going down the list and calling the names on it. What do you think you're going to hear when you talk to the people you call? You already know the answer to that! You're going to hear how great the company was, and how the person on the other end of the phone highly recommends them and blah, blah, blah. And more than likely it's all true, because no company in their right mind is going to give you a list of references, where the customer didn't speak highly of them. So what's the point? Handing you a list of satisfied customers doesn't tell you anything about the ones that were not so happy, and thus did not make it on the "reference list." Which is why we don't waste your time with a nonsense reference list, and why the majority of our customers come to us from either a referral, or from actually seeing one of our DJ's in action. (And that's the best referral you can get!) So the next time someone shoves a reference list in front of your face, (and it's probably the same one they've been using for the past 10 years) tell them to keep it, you'd rather have the real thing!
Q. Do you have a Video Tape we can look at, or could we see one of your DJ's in action at an event?
A. Although we have been in business for over 17 years, we have never produced a video tape of our DJ's in action, although admittedly, once in a while we do get a request for one. (Maybe one day we'll get off our a-- and get one made!) Meanwhile, you are more than welcome to come visit one of our DJ's in action, but please keep an open mind when visiting. What do we mean by that? Well just this, if you come visit us at a weekly bar/restaurant gig, such as Karaoke Night, the Disc Jockey will be acting somewhat differently than he would at a wedding reception or any other type of formal event. Let's face it, a bar crowd is handled very differently than 150 people dressed in suits and tuxedos, and consisting of not only close friends, but Aunts, Uncles, Grandparents, Great-Gradparents, etc. While the DJ will still be the same "Fun-Loving Guy" you saw at the bar, his behavior will be much more professional and refined, in a manner consistent with this extremely important day of your life. If you choose to visit us at someone else's wedding reception, that's OK too, as long as you "stay in the backround," since you are not part of the guest list.
Also keep in mind that not every event is the same. Some wedding receptions, especially those in which alcohol is not served, tend to be more subdued, as are receptions which take place in the early part of the day. On the other hand, receptions which start after 6pm generally have more dancing and "overall craziness" than do their morning counterparts.
Either way, we would love to have you come and check us out! For a list of weekly "open to the public" events, click the link "Regular Events" on the left side of this page.
Q. Am I supposed to “Tip” the Disc Jockey when the party is over? If so, how much?
A. Unlike restaurants, our disc jockeys receive a regular salary for their performance and a tip is not expected or required, and likewise, there is no standard “percentage” scale for tipping performers. Some people however do feel the need to show their appreciation of “a job well done” by giving the DJ a tip. If you decide to do that, the amount is entirely up to you, but any amount makes the DJ feel that you were extremely appreciative of his or her performance, and let’s face it, everyone likes a “pat on the back” now and then.
If you have specific questions not addressed here, please feel free to call us at 301-440-2778 or Toll Free at 1-800-318-0879.
