One of my favorite local wedding venues disappointed me recently. I’m not going to mention their name, because it’s less important WHO they are, compared to WHAT they did. Now that I’ve built the tension up to a fever pitch, excited voices ask “what did they do that was so bad, Alan?”

They booked their ballroom out for corporate seminars immediately before the wedding. In this case there were healthcare educators in one part of the ballroom, remodelers in another and a third group who were occupying the rest of the space that was where the wedding reception was to take place. None were expected out much before an hour or so ahead of the time the guests were to arrive.

That’s it? That’s their great crime? Hold on, let me explain a little.

Hey, I get that with the economy, venues have to make the best use of their space. I’m not naïve.  What ensued, though,  was a  food and beverage staff nervously trying to turn a room over in half the time needed, a very annoyed group of seminar attendees, disturbed by the banging and room changeover, and me trying to set up sound and cable checks  in a hurried fashion – ending with me drenched in sweat  and finishing mere seconds before the doors opened. Not my best look.

Now, my point in all of this is not “poor Diva DJ”, but what it says about the venue’s attitude towards its brides. And it’s a point I urge all brides to consider when choosing wedding venues. Is your dream day the ONLY thing on the mind of a venue, or are you just another money maker for them that day? I’ll suggest that by scheduling other events so close to the time when guests arrive, it says they don’t care about the little details being right. Nor do they have consideration for the other vendors who are part of Team Bride that day.

So, when seeking a venue ask them: Am I your priority, or am I just a number on your day sheet?

 

 

(Back in the dim and distant days, before the ScottishDJ blog existed, I wrote a Facebook note based on the experience of a friend – a wedding photographer – who had witnessed the downside of DIY entertainment. It started to get noticed again recently, so I thought I’d republish as a blog post.)

I received the following email by a good friend, a superb local wedding photographer, detailing some of the events of a wedding they had recently worked. As someone involved in the industry, they know the value of quality vendors doing the job they are paid to do. However, in this so-called “down economy”, and with occasional terrible advice from bridal websites, couples are often looking to save money on their big day.

What this shows, I think, is that some corners shouldn’t be cut. At between only 3-5% of the total budget, good entertainment is not only vital, but has an effect on the other important vendors at a wedding, and on the job they do.

Enjoy, if that’s the right word – but it’s hard not to feel for the couple…

“As a wedding professional, I’ve learned over the years that paying people to do what they do well is really worth every penny. I have a great hairstylist, she does a great job and I pay her for it. I take great wedding pictures,but I haven’t a clue on graphic design, so I pay a webmaster to do a great job. And while I understand very well the need to economize in “This Economy” let me share a true story from a wedding I photographed.

Let’s just call it “The Brother with the iPod”

It starts at the reception. After the cocktail hour the banquet coordinator talks to the bride and the groom about being “announced in” to the wedding reception. This is common fare, part of the DJ’s job is to also to be “Master of Ceremony” or MC for the event. Wrangling partying and drunken wedding parties into one spot is more difficult than you can imagine, and the ones who do it well always command my respect before a strain of YMCA is heard.

The bride has no idea if she is being announced in, and directs the banquet coordinator to The Brother with the iPod. He has no idea. He’s supposed to do what? And when? And what should he say? The coordinator tells him to just say something generic like “Announcing Barbie and Ken Smith!”. So the brother goes to the mike stand, and makes the announcement.
~ He doesn’t ask for everyone’s attention
~He makes the announcement while people are talking and mingling not only in the hall, but also when they are in the bar in the next room
~The bride and groom, confused, come in a different door than the videographer and I are at, poised to capture the moment.
~We scramble to the other side of the room to get the shot while a confused bride and groom come into a smattering of applause.

The banquet coordinator herds the rest of the group in and everyone is seated for dinner. There is nothing but the noise of clattering china, coughing, and the lingering looks from people wondering what they are to do next. The coordinator asks me “Is there dinner music?” I reply that I have no idea, that’s not really my area. She locates the brother at the bar, asks if there is dinner music, and he says “Uh…I hadn’t planned on any” So for nearly three hours we were treated to the soft muffled strains of Muzak over the main sound system for the hotel.

90 minutes after the meal, the bride and groom stand at the bar. They can’t be blamed, they are chatting, having fun, and when you are a bride and groom you have no sense of time, everything is a blur. Meanwhile, their guests have been fed, caked and coffeed for a good hour and the natives are starting to get restless. I approach them to talk to them about the time line that they had initially shared with me is running a bit late, and when were they planning on starting the first dance? They have no idea. Brother has no idea. I tell them that it’s fine, but as we had discussed, overtime charges would begin for me in 1 hour. They look panicked, they booked my smaller package for a reason, and based on the time line they gave me, they SHOULD have been able to easily fit everything in. But without having someone to help with the festivities, things were behind for more than an hour at this point. They responded that they still had to go to tables to greet, what should they do? I told them that I would stay until their specialty dances were over at the overtime rate we discussed. They agreed.

2 hours later, nearly 3.5 hours after the end of dinner the Mother of the Bride approaches me very annoyed that dancing hasn’t started. I tell her that the bride and groom are still greeting, and she says “Well where is brother!” People are leaving, they are sick of sitting around! We need to get the party started!” Brother is located at the bar in the other room. He comes in, fires up the laptop and the bride and groom are poised on the dance floor. At this point, he looks over to the bride and groom and says “What song did you want?”

I nearly drop 10K worth of camera equipment onto the parquet floor.

The bride responds in an annoyed tone the name of the song, snarling “I emailed you that was the song I wanted”. Brother replies he never got the email. A small sibling spat arises on the dance floor. It’s discovered that brother does not have that song in his iTunes playlist. But hey, no problem, he’ll download it right now. Except for one small thing….itunes does not sell that particular song. The bride is bereft. This was “their”song, it’s not a popular tune and she wants it. So the call goes out to everyone with an iPhone/iPod to see if they have the song. After 15 more minutes it is discovered that no one does. An enterprising groomsman finds the tune on YouTube, and the first dance begins, about 45 minutes after it was supposed to. I take a deep breath, begin photographing the happy couple….

And then…oh holy hell, it’s You Tube. They forgot about the buffering.

So for the entire duration of the song, about every 8 seconds, there is a 5 second pause. The bride is in tears, and not the happy kind. I’m in a quandary as to if I should photograph this, if she is going to want to relieve this moment and wonder if these photographs will be admissible in court when the bride kills the brother over the crappy job he did at her wedding. She was equally as gloomy in the Father Daughter dance that did not have the song she wanted. This is followed by the Mother Son, and the speaker quality is terrible. The people in the back of the room have no idea that the dance is going on, and there is a cacophony of talking and laughing during the specialty dances.

I leave 2.5 hours after my scheduled contracted time. Overtime charges are $250 per hour, so they’ve just spent $625 for me to photograph what could have been photographed in less than 15 minutes. I’m not even happy to make the extra money at this point, because it was not time well spent, but I have to charge all my clients in the same fair manner. I have to pay overtime for my assistant, and more pictures means more production time, etc. We talked in-depth at the pre wedding consultation about the time line they had arranged, but without help of a professional, that time line went all to hell.

When I left the reception at 11PM not ONE SINGLE dance song had been played, and the hall rental was until midnight. I can’t help but think that $625 would have gone a long way towards a good DJ and not of some photos of events they won’t really even want to remember.”

 

So, yeah – it’s easy for DJs to take issue with iPod weddings, we have an axe to grind, right? What this shows is that while SOME weddings really only need background music – where an iPod would be perfect – others NEED a pro, who knows how to structure the night so that everyone – vendors, guests, and obviously the happy couple – has the best time. Food for thought when it comes to preparing a budget…

What, no parade?

Thanks to Kim at http://www.kbimagephoto.com/ for the image

I celebrated my 20^th anniversary of entertaining at weddings recently.

By celebrated, I mean I noticed it was August 2011 and my first wedding was August 1991. So, with the aid of some fingers and toes, calculated that was 20 years! And when I say “entertaining” what I mean is that I showed up on time, with a pressed shirt and tie on, and tried not to screw things up too badly!

I worked for a multi-op company back then – a business with many DJs, some experienced, some…well, ME. And before I highlight the positive changes in my industry, let’s just examine that fact. I had knowledge of how to DJ, just not how to DJ a wedding. Big distinction. 20 years on, the industry hasn’t changed completely. There are still companies hiring young, enthusiastic, outgoing, yet totally inexperienced DJs and sending them to do weddings. Most have less training than the average burger-flipper, yet are at the helm of the S.S. Biggest Day of Your Life. And there are icebergs a-plenty!

Back then, I remember it being a rarity to see a DJ who didn’t have a day job, also. Sure, there were those who owned DJ companies full-time, but far fewer who went solo without the safety net of a regular paycheck. My mum, for instance, spent most of the 90s asking when I was going to get a “proper job” in something safe, like banking! To be fair, I believe Elton John’s mum was asking the same question well into her later years!

Here are the Top 10 changes I’ve noticed in my industry.

• Obviously, 20 years’ worth of songs to play at weddings. There is much more variety, which has both good and bad repercussions. Good in that we don’t have the same old, same old, necessarily (or at least we shouldn’t have the same 60 songs each week!). Bad in that it’s much harder to please everyone with so many styles available. Let’s see – since the 90s we’ve had styles like grunge, Britpop, techno, dubstep, trance, emo, and flip flop – that’s beach hip hop! Okay, that last one might not exist (yet!), but you get the point.

• Music is easier to transport now. Back when the music for weddings consisted of whatever vinyl I could cram into bread crates, there were limitations to how many songs I could carry. Not any more. MP3s loaded onto the huge storage capacity from hard drives the size of a cigarette pack means that, if I wanted, I could play a year’s worth of weddings and never play the same song twice. I can also cherry pick the songs I purchase. No more buying compilation albums for 3 hits and 15 tracks of filler I’d never play. I can be spontaneous too – I once bought a John Denver album track for a bride’s mum, at a wedding, and had it bought, cued up and playing within a minute. Talk about making an impact!

• Better sound and lights. Speakers are better, lighter and more portable, so DJs can raise them to a level where they are able to be heard more clearly. Some even sound check a room using equipment designed to place the speakers in just the optimum position for best clarity and efficiency. As for lighting, well, that’s a veritable revolution! LED technology means that lighting can be smaller, lighter, less prone to failure and more versatile. Plus, they draw far less power, making them cooler to the touch and cooler to the environment! Many DJs, myself included, can also provide lighting to enhance the décor of the venue, making them more valuable than “the guy who just presses PLAY”.

• Preparation A+ . In the 90s I used to wander in, maybe 30 minutes before guests would arrive, to start setting up. People would be grabbing cocktails while I was plugging things in. How must that have looked? Now, everything is setup well ahead of guests’ arrival, and all the elements of the night, from choosing songs and pronouncing wedding party names, to precise timelines, have been established in advance. I get one chance to make the night great – preparation makes that possible.

• Expectations are higher. TV shows like Platinum Weddings, have made couples realize that you can dream bigger. Once, it was enough that the entertainment show up, not hit on bridesmaids and stay sober long enough to play some tunes! Now, quality DJ companies have dispelled that myth by being professional, reliable, entertaining and a major reason why the reception will be remembered. As prices have risen, so has the expectation of higher value – and rightly so.

• Social media = better relationships. One thing I know is that my relationship with my couples is way better than it was 20 years ago. Back then, a DJ was the hired gun, a vendor who showed up, did his thing, and left. Now, in part because of Facebook, texting and emails, I’m a partner in making their wedding a success. I can make suggestions, recommend other wedding pros, and take much of the stress off their shoulders by letting them know what to expect. After all, it’s usually their first time and they don’t know what they don’t know! Seeing their baby pics on FB a couple of years later is always a great reminder I was at the start of their journey.

• It’s now a legitimate career. Many great DJs still combine their so-called “day job” with their weekend DJ activities, and props to those who can manage that balance. I need to devote more time than that allows, so it’s a joy to be able to run a business doing what I’m passionate about and make a living from it.

• Training and professional accreditation.  Many DJs now take their craft seriously enough to seek continuing education. As I wrote in an earlier post, conferences like those Mobile Beat, DJ Times and ADJA host every year are invaluable. Added to that, are Toastmasters, improv and acting classes. Accreditation, such as those LWPI or WedGuild provide, also lend credence to the industry.

• More personalization of the big day. So much inspiration everywhere for brides. Why have a dull, uninspiring wedding which doesn’t in any way reflect the personalities and style of the couple? Exactly. One thing which has changed massively in 20 years is the sense that tradition is everything. Now, weddings are more funky, more freaky and more memorable – in part because couples know there’s no such thing as “you must do X” anymore.

• More DJs. It’s never been easier to be a DJ. For many of the reasons listed above, they can sprout with far less effort, and expense, than used to be the case 20 years ago. Armed with a laptop, some pirated music and free software, Joe Schmo can call himself a wedding DJ and be looking for work within no time. Barriers to entry are sometimes bad, in that they keep potentially talented people out, but this explosion of wannabes just serves to confuse those looking to hire DJs even more. So, the key advice here is – do your research!

Well, it’s frighteningly close to Halloween (pardon the pun!), a time for trick or treating – we called it “guising” in Scotland, parties and playing dress up. Sometimes, when weddings fall near Halloween, couples get a little more creative in their planning! Two recent ones spring to mind that show what fun can be had combining the two.

Tom and Sarah’s wedding, at Milwaukee’s historic and beautiful Charles Allis Museum, was a Halloween affair, with an emphasis on the Mexican festival Día de los Muertos, or Day of the Dead. The bride and groom looked incredible in their skeletal wedding garb and guests included an Empire stormtrooper, Little Bo Peep and, since this is Wisconsin, Brett Favre!

I went as a Scottish DJ that day, since I already have people asking why I’m in “costume” when I wear my national dress to DJ weddings! I don’t always wear my kilt – sometimes I’m in a suit, or a tux, like the male guests, but it’s usually a talking point and some couples love it.

Day of the Dead, indeed!

Two years ago, Halloween fell on a Saturday, and my couple that day wanted a wedding which reflected, not only that, but their love for all things horror and the rap band Insane Clown Posse. ICP fans – Juggalos as they are affectionately known – are pretty hardcore. Indeed, their cake had the band’s record label logo on the frosting!

Brandon and Amber wanted to reflect their personality with the details, so as well as the cake, all the guests were in costume at their reception in Hartford’s Chandelier Ballroom. They also decorated and lit the room in spooky décor, and I provided dinner music that was classic horror themes like Psycho, Halloween, The Omen and The Exorcist. Quite a neat touch! Finally, in the words of the Twiztid song Monster’s Ball , “somebody said the Reaper’s the DJ” – I dressed as the Grim Reaper, scythe and all!

It was such a fun, and unique way to celebrate, but there’s always the chance that the style overpowers the substance. There were, for instance, a huge number of ICP and related artist requests. So, in one of the consultation meetings I had with the couple, I asked “is it more important that everyone sees just how big Insane Clown Posse fans you are, or is it more important that your guests have a great time?” Thankfully they realized (not everyone does) that the music YOU love may not be universally loved, so they gave me the authority to use my discretion about what would work. I need that, and it’s a vital part of dealing with wedding vendors – give them your creative ideas, but don’t be overly precious about being told that maybe some of them won’t make for the best party.

In the end, it was a blast, very distinctive, and a wedding few will forget, I’m sure. Whatever the dictionary definition of “Cookie Cutter” is, this wedding, and Tom and Sarah’s, qualify as the complete opposite. Mission accomplished!

 

Everyone surrounds the happy couple!

You want to put me where?

One of the most overlooked aspects of hiring quality DJs is the expertise and knowledge they bring to your wedding outside of their main specialty. This may be your first time planning an enormo-party, but for most vendors this won’t be their first rodeo, so to speak. As a wedding DJ, I like to think I can be a real asset to my couples in many areas, but one in particular – room layout.

Sure, you might think a venue has a bride’s best interests at heart – most do – but a whole bunch do that which is easiest and best for them. This often means that the DJ is in a different room, or behind a pillar, or has an unreasonable amount of time to set up before, and teardown after. None of these things will help your wedding become the success the months of planning and cost suggest it should.

Now, I’m not getting into the minefield of helping couples decide if Aunt Marion and Aunt Gladys should sit near each other, since they haven’t spoken since 1975 when Marion stole Gladys’ date at junior prom! More like, “the dance floor is here, the speakers are on either side; don’t sit grandma immediately in front of them”!

Is the space tight such that dinner tables need to be on the dance floor, and will be taken down before dancing starts? If so, put all the youngest, hippest party animals at those tables. After dinner they’ll either be at the bar, or dancing – so won’t worry about being displaced. Elderly relatives, who may need more seated time, won’t appreciate being moved.

Is your DJ even close to the dance floor? Seems like an obvious location – but there are times when a venue, or even a bride, decides that the entertainment needs to be heard, but not seen , so hides them away in the corner, many yards from where the dancing is. This causes two scenarios: either the speakers and lights are placed away from the DJ, near the dance floor, resulting in huge quantities of tape required to make the cables safe and secure. Or, the speakers are over in the corner away from the dance floor, resulting in a miserable night for all those tables in between the music and dancing! In an ideal setup, the DJ would be against a wall adjacent to the dance floor, and my preference would be near the bar also. That’s where people congregate, so it tends to make for a better atmosphere, I find.

Having the dancing and dinner in different rooms is sometimes a necessity, due to space constraints, but there are ways to make the best of this. Some DJs have the ability to run satellite speakers for dinner music and speeches – if you are forced to have this setup, ask how they plan to play music during dinner. A good pro will have a variety of options to ensure you get what you need. The venue may also have solutions, such as ceiling speakers.

If your state or country has designated areas to smoke in at weddings, don’t do what one venue I played did. They had a smoking lounge well away from where the dance floor was – with a jukebox in it! – thus neatly splitting the party into two equal halves!  It’s the same with big L-shaped rooms – with the bar and multiple TVs showing sports in one part, and the paid entertainment fighting for attention in the other part of the room. Aaargh!

Not every DJ will help with the room layout, but for those that can, tap into that knowledge. A well laid-out function room can make all the difference between a night that is Okay, and one which is OMG!

http://www.andystenzphotography.com/

A good friend, and DJ I’ve mentioned in this blog before, Lance from Big Show Mobile Entertainment in Spokane, has a wonderful mantra.

“I never want to be the reason a party has to end”.

Unlike many DJs, he doesn’t charge extra for events which go on past the contracted time, and after hearing his persuasive rationale behind this policy, I changed my contract to reflect this thinking.

In comparison with most DJ companies, I had my agreed price, which covered entertainment until a set time – in the Midwest it’s midnight, usually. Any extension of the party after that time would incur an extra cost, paid on the night, to keep playing. I’ve never been comfortable with this – partly because I preach to my couples the advantages of not dealing with payments on the night (I’m paid in full before the big day), and partly because it just feels tacky.“Please sir, may I have some more?” – like I’m some DJ version of Oliver Twist with my outstretched bowl!

Yikes! All of a sudden I can feel the combined wrath of a thousand DJ companies, screaming at their monitor. “Nobody else works for free, what the hell are you thinking, man?” Okay, calm down, guys and gals – here’s why.

• First off, it’s optional, at my discretion. I’m more than happy to keep going for people who want to dance, but if I’m providing background music as a soundtrack to keep the bar open longer, I’m not so keen. They don’t need me, and I’d rather the night ended with a bang rather than a whimper.
• For almost every event I play, I don’t have anywhere else I have to be afterwards. Sure, I’m looking forward to resting after a long and strenuous day, but I’d much rather have my nights talked about with phrases like “best wedding reception we ever attended. Period”! Sometimes a night is organic – it knows when the time to stop comes more than I or my couples do.
• I’m fond of saying that I don’t price by the hour, I price by the event. So, rather than feeling like I’m punching a clock, I look to the results instead of adding up the hours and minutes to get there. A happy, exhausted room, who can’t wait to tell people of the night they had, trumps me sticking steadfastly to the exact terms on the contract.
• During the consultation, we go over all the details, including finishing times. Usually, we have no say in when we finish. Most venues I play are hotels with staff on schedules who are less flexible than me, and who, I’m guessing, don’t want the party to be extended!
• I just feel that the act of asking for money takes away from whatever goodwill had built up prior to that point. The phrase “sticker shock” comes to mind. And in keeping the car analogy going – your mileage may vary!

So it’s gone, never to return. I’m certainly not advocating anyone leaving themselves open to being taken advantage of, but who wouldn’t want the chance to be Santa on the biggest day of couples’ lives? Ho ho ho, indeed!

http://www.jbe-photography.com/

 

We are exactly half way through 2011 and one of the great developments in weddings is that traditions may be cute, or they may be cliché, but couples don’t have to do any that don’t feel right to them. Don’t want to toss a bouquet? Don’t toss one. It’s your day, and I believe that nobody will miss what didn’t happen, but they will notice what looked awkward, unprepared or at odds with the couples’ personality.

As a result, I generally don’t pass too many of my own favorite wedding traditions on – it’s their day, not mine. The one exception to this is the Grand March, or Grand Entrance. Very much a US wedding tradition, I’ve loved this part of the reception since I first started doing weddings in the Midwest.

For me, it has three main roles to play to enhance a wedding.

• It gives the entire guest list a chance to find out a little more about the wedding party. Many family members might not know some of a couples’ college or school pals, and conversely, some of their friends may not know the relatives who form many of the supporting roles on the day.
• A really well-planned entrance puts energy into the room – the music’s pumping, the cameras flash like paparazzi, and for 5 minutes everyone feels like a rock star! The room may have been chilling to Sinatra or Michael Buble for an hour during cocktails, but stick around – there’s a party comin’!
• It is yet another place where a bride and groom can reveal more about their personal style, their musical tastes, or elements of what makes them tick. Nobody wants “cookie cutter wedding in a box”, so this really helps to customize their day.

So, a couple may be big sports fans and want to come in to their college fight song, or favorite baseball player’s entrance music. They may have a special movie scene they want to recreate, or use the entrance to come in to “non-mainstream” music they love. Or, they may have a family or college “in-joke” which demonstrates a part of their past they want to honor on their big day. Whichever it is, the role of a quality entertainer is to listen for cues, and help them put together this fun and unique element of a modern wedding to really personalize the reception even more.

I’ve done weddings with, and a few without, a Grand Entrance. Sometimes the very fact of being the center of attention is difficult for a bride or groom, so they decide against one. Universally, I’d say those receptions were harder to ignite when the open dancing began, and a night that begins with a room full of happy cheering people, tends to end that way also!

So, come armed with a boatload of ideas, or let your DJ guide you after listening to what makes you tick, but don’t pass on the chance to inject an element of fun and excitement. Make your entrance grand – it’s a great kick-start to the perfect reception!

Photography by JBe Photography - www.jenniferbrindleyphotography.com

One of the wonderful by-products of becoming American/Scottish, is that I’ve truly assimilated the “National Pastime” – baseball. Some 8 years on from moving to the US, I’m now a bona fide fan, in particular of my hometown Milwaukee Brewers. I go to as many games as my schedule allows, buy the merchandise, curse at the TV at dumb plays – I’ve even been known to spend an hour or two watching play-by-play analysis online. Of exhibition games!

So you can imagine that the first Brewers playoff appearance in some 25 years, in 2008, would be a big deal and the clamor for tickets would be intense. Check, and check! I received my playoff ticket from the lottery system they had in place and noted, with wry amusement that it was for the first Saturday in October. October is always the busiest month of the year for weddings here in Wisconsin, and this date books early each season. Of course, I had a wedding to entertain at – natch!

In my mind there was never a conflict, but the sports fans among some of my friends had it all worked out. “Just have someone else DJ the wedding and go to the game”, most said. At this point, there’s probably a Greek or Roman parable somewhere of the tortured hero faced with the impossible dilemma. For me, however, the choice is always clear. I’m able to go to sports events, rock shows, travel because I’m a wedding DJ, not in spite of it. I genuinely love what I do and, sure I was ruing the timing – but of the ballgame, not the wedding!

As it turned out, the Brewers won that game, although it was the only playoff game they did win in 2008. I received a wonderful note a few days later from my newlyweds, thanking me for helping them have the best day of their lives. Until a sports team or rock band shows me that kind of gratitude, they’ll always be second best!

It’s that time of year again.  A time when those of us shivering in the frigid Midwest are able to escape, if only for a few days, to Vegas and the annual mobile DJ convention.  Simply put, Mobile Beat Las Vegas is a chance to regroup before the marriage merry-go-round manages to occupy my spring, summer and fall weekends. It’s also a time to reconnect with those industry personalities whose opinions you most respect and, crucially, to find out the newest trends in weddings as they apply to entertainers.

I’ve been honored to have been an important part of over 700 couples’ wedding day. With that much practice I must be perfect, right? Even if it were the case – that practice makes perfect – I’m inclined to agree with the Vince Lombardi adage that only perfect practice, makes perfect. So, for me, and almost 1000 DJs from as far afield as Australia, Germany and the UK, attendance at conventions, such as MBLV, is vital. Vital to keeping on top of the hot items which will comprise our sound and lighting in the future, vital for the exchange of ideas, and vital as a reminder to keep doing, or start doing, those customer service practices that set apart the best from the rest.

So, whenever you find yourself trying to differentiate between two, or more, professionals with roughly the same skill sets, or personalities, ask one question. What do they do to continually educate themselves? Do they read books by renowned authors in the wedding industry, or business fields? Do they attend seminars (at considerable cost), to learn and relearn ways to make every event unique and memorable? Do they network with other vendors and DJs to build the relationships that create awesome teamwork at every event?

If the answer is “no”, my opinion is that they are either lazy, lack the passion required to really make YOUR wedding their priority, or truly believe they have nothing left to learn. If I’m entrusting the day I’ve dreamed about since I was a child to anyone, I know I’d rather it be to a professional with dedication, passion and a mind open to knowledge and creative ideas.

Most entertainers – at least at the minimum price levels you should consider for a wedding – have similar equipment and access to all the same music. Kinda like a high school production has access to the same script for a musical that a Broadway stage company does. However, if you’ve ever attended a Broadway show, and a high school version of the same show, you’ll know there’s a difference. Continuing education – stage school – and constant practice make one infinitely superior to the other. It’s also what makes one entertainer superior to another, so get ready to ask that question. What do YOU do to continually educate yourself?

1. 

   www.jbe-photography.com

   Do your research picking shows. There are online lists of upcoming shows in every community. Find the one or two that best suit your needs, both in where they are located and the best weekend to be able to bring your support team. Don’t go to every show – you’ll hate the wedding process before it even starts!

2. Do your research picking vendors. Every show has an online list (or should!) of the vendors attending. Take time beforehand to go to the websites of those vendors you need. Note those you like and rule out those you don’t, ahead of time.
3. Tickets, tickets, tickets! Save yourself the cost of entry by seeing if a vendor you particularly want to meet has free tickets. They often receive tickets to give away, and most end up in the trash, unclaimed!
4. Give yourself time to really walk around. Squeezing a bridal show into a couple of hours can leave you feeling rushed.
5. Leave the kids at home. If you have kids – either your own, or belonging to someone in your wedding party – don’t bring them to the show. There’s almost NEVER anything for kids to do and they, and you, won’t have fun.
6. Wear comfortable shoes. Sure, you are feeling all glam with that new rock on your left hand, but the Snooki heels are better left in the closet for another night. There’s a lot of walking involved, and you’ll be thankful for comfy shoes when you get home!
7. Have set goals in mind. Whether you are looking for a DJ, venue, florist etc., know going in so you can focus on the priorities. If time is getting tight, concentrate on the vendors that are harder to book – in-demand photographers and DJs or venues with long waiting lists, for example.
8. Resist the urge to book anyone at the show. In my opinion, it’s hard to make a measured, joint decision in the mêlée that is the average bridal show. Buy from a position of love, not fear. In other words, buy because you feel that a vendor is the absolute perfect fit for you, not because you are afraid that if you don’t act right away you’ll lose out. By all means set up appointments – that way you’ll have the vendor’s undivided attention at a later date.
9. Be smart about special drawings and offers. Know that if you give your details to a vendor for a special drawing, that you’ll be contacted later because they believe you are interested in their service or product. If you aren’t interested, or you already have, say, a florist , then don’t waste their time – and yours – by applying.
10. Don’t come in the middle of the day. Generally, that’s when the show is busiest. At the start of a day you get vendors at their most attentive and at the end of the day some of the very best conversations take place, in my experience, because it thins out dramatically. Oh, and a pet peeve of mine is vendors who start breaking down their booth before the show is over – you may have stayed to the end, so should they!
11. Rest often. Being cranky helps nobody.
12. Pay attention to booth design. It tells you a lot about a vendor. If they haven’t taken the time and effort to make themselves look presentable, what chance do you think they’ll have making your big day special? And avoid those that stand behind their table – to me it always sends the signal “I don’t really want to talk to you.”
13. Don’t just grab every piece of literature. Later, when you empty your bag o’ swag you won’t remember 90% of the vendors you visited. Pick some and jot a note with a sharpie – “talked about yellow roses”, “preferred DJ at our reception site”, etc. to help you remember them later.
14. Grab a show map. Circle the names of vendors you wanted to visit but were busy when you passed, so you don’t forget them later when it’s less crowded.
15. Take your smart phone or camera. That way you can take pics of ideas, colors, and vendors you like.
16. Bring stickers. Have stickers made with your name, address and contact details to save yourself time filling out the numerous drawing and offers cards at the show. Simple Avery labels through a home printer will often do the job.
17. Think twice about show specials. Oily salesman tactics rarely feel comfortable to me and, I suspect, to most brides. If a company can offer $200 off today only, do you really think they won’t honor that same price when you call them a week later? What has changed, other than the date, since they offered the deal? Nothing.
18. Listen to your gut. Intuition means a lot. Websites rarely feel intimate, so the chance to meet a vendor up close and personal, as it were, is priceless. Listen to your little voice – go with the good feelings and take note of the red flags that you often find when quizzing show vendors.
19. Ask vendors which other pros THEY would use. Those pros may be at the show or they may not.  Let’s face it, the vendors at ANY bridal show are merely the tip of the local iceberg. You might be missing a perfect fit. Good vendors won’t steer you wrong – their reputation is on the line with any referral given. And they may walk you over to someone at the show and introduce you there and then!
20. Have fun! It’s a great chance to bond with your partner or members of the wedding party, so keep a smile on your face. If you follow my suggestions it should be a score, not a chore!