Exceptional Disc Jockey Entertainment

Helpful Hints & Tips
for the Perfect Wedding Day by Party Time Productions

Interesting Wedding Statistics as published in many Bridal Magazines

• 72% of all Brides say they would have spent more time choosing their reception entertainment.
• Almost 100% of Wedding couples say they would have spent more of their budget on the entertainment.
• During Wedding planning, Brides say their highest priority is their attire, followed by the reception site and caterer - reception entertainment is among the least of their priorities. Within one week after their reception, 78% of Brides say they would have made the entertainment their highest priority!
• When asked 81% of guests say the thing they remember most about a Wedding is the entertainment.
• 65% of all couples that chose a band to entertain at their Wedding, said, if they had it to do over again, they would have chosen a disc jockey.
• Most Brides wished that they had spent less money on flowers, favors and food and more money on the entertainment. WHY? Simply put, these items do little to nothing to guarantee the success of the event. For example: Can a cut of chicken stuffed with wild rice keep a group of 200 people entertained and having fun for several hours? In one year will your guests remember or even care at all about the small containers of bubbles, the thousands of dollars spent on flowers or the delicious vegetable platter? NO! But they will remember the DJ entertainment for the night, be it GREAT or Horrible! Choose your DJ wisely, it could mean the difference between being the greatest party of your life or being the worst party of all time.

Things To Consider When Choosing Your DJ

1. HIRING A DJ:
   Only hire a professional DJ with proven experience. Some DJ's use the word "PROFESSIONAL" but in reality are just "HOBBY DJ's". The company they work for may have been around for a long time, but what about the DJ that shows up for your event? What is their experience? You don't want someone who is inexperienced to be in control of one of the most important days of your life. I have over twenty-five years of experience and I have been a "FULL TIME" professional DJ since 1997.

2. CHOOSING THE RIGHT DJ FOR YOU:
   Always meet face-to-face and talk extensively to the DJ before hiring them or their company. Make sure that your thoughts, dreams, ideas and personalities mix well. The DJ should be available to meet with you at their office or out at your home on a reasonable time schedule. You should feel very comfortable with this person and they should be able to help ease some of the stress that comes with the day. Party Time Productions business hours are Monday through Thursday 9:00 am to 9:00 pm Friday & Saturday 9:00 am to 3:00 pm. I would be happy to meet with you in my office, your home or at the reception site, which ever is most convenient to your schedule.

3. STANDARDS & ETHICS:
   The DJ should have a signed Standards and Ethics plan for you, to show their professionalism and commitment to you and follow those rules completely.
   Go To: "PTP Personal Pledge" for our Standards and Ethics plan.

4. Disc Jockey Association:
   A Professional DJ Service should belong to the DJ Association. This helps to show their commitment to the business and help establish a goal/mission and reputation in their industry. Associations have rules and regulations and set standards and ethics for the members to follow. Associations will filter out those who do not or cannot follow their set rules. Party Time Productions is a Charter Member of the Midwest Association of Disc Jockeys (MAPDJ) and we are on the Standards and Ethics committee for the MAPDJ. In addition, in 2004 I was elected to a one year term, and in 2005 reelected to a two year term. as the Executive Vice President of MAPDJ.

5. PRICE:
   You want to save a little on the cost of your wedding so you think you'll just hire a cheap DJ, "it doesn't matter, they just play music". Well you couldn't be more wrong. A GOOD DJ is in control of about 80% of your wedding day. They introduce announcements, direct the background/dinner music, program the dance music, perform the light show, and enhance the overall mood and success of your reception. Many DJ's offer wedding planning and event coordinating with their services. The average wedding in Minnesota costs $20,000 to $30,000. (This includes everything involved.) The average PROFESSIONAL DJ in Minnesota costs $700.00 to $1,200.00 per event. Sometimes when it comes to price "YOU GET WHAT YOU PAY FOR". The difference between a $200 DJ and a $2,000 DJ is experience, talents, skills, professionalism, services and peace of mind. It can be as big of a difference as the difference between a Volkswagen Bug and the GMC Hummer. Disc jockey, quality will cost you more, but isn't your Wedding Day the one day that it is worth it? Please, don't settle with "the guy with the lowest price." It really can make a difference in the success of your wedding day. Go To: Pricing page on the web site.

6. MUSIC SELECTION:
   When selecting the music to play or not to play please keep in mind ALL of your guests in attendance. You may enjoy Hip-Hop, Rap or metal but your grandparents may not. Consider waiting to play these styles of music until the end of the evening after the older guests and young children have left. Don't forget they may enjoy music like Big Band/Swing of the 20's, 30's & 40's, or they may enjoy the song styles of the 50's, 60's & 70's. Polkas & Waltzes. If you have many young children you may want to include the chicken dance and/or the hokey pokey. Everyone likes to hear music from their younger years. Play these styles early in the dance portion of the night. Talk to close family and bridal party members for their input. Remember this is a "DANCE" so select upbeat, fun dance tunes. There are a lot of great songs you can sing and listen to but not dance to, example: American Pie by Don Mclean. I bring over 20,000 songs for you and your guests to choose from.

7. KEEP THE DANCE FLOOR FULL:
   The Bride and Groom as well as the wedding party should stay on the dance floor as much as possible. People don't like to be the first or only people on the dance floor no matter how much they enjoy the music. Guests also like to be close to and have fun with the Bride and Groom, if you're on the dance floor they will follow your lead.

8. NEVER LEAVE YOUR PARTY!
   Many times people want to steal the couple and go off bar hopping or do other things. This will bring your party to a quick end. Your guests are there to see you and enjoy your day with you. When you leave they no longer feel obligated to stay and will pack up and leave quickly. There are also many dances, special events and announcements that you need to be present for during the course of the evening. If you leave this will throw the timing and the flow of the event off and can cause awkward moments and the look of an "unprofessional" DJ. I personally have seen a room of over 400 people leave shortly after the Bride and Groom left the party. When they returned to the dance the only people left were those who stole the couple.

9. SCHEDULING:
   A well planned and organized event will keep your guests excited, fresh and wanting to stay longer. When scheduling your event plan things close together. Have activities start immediately after your arrival to the hall. Plan the start of the meal within ten minutes of your arrival. Plan every special pre-dance event to take place at a fast pace. Down time, where nothing is happening is one of the biggest contributors to your guests leaving early. Boredom will set in if left to sit and wait for things to happen. If you plan things close together the flow will be so much better and if things do get behind schedule, it won't seem as time consuming to your guests. The "flow" or tempo of your reception is what keeps people wondering, "That was fun, what's going to happen next." Start your dance as soon as possible after the dinner is finished. The longer the wait, the more annoyed your guests will become. Reception attendees know that there is going to be fun and dancing, they want to get to it as quick as possible. Children get restless, and then begin to run around and cause chaos. Frustrated parents will decide to leave before your dance starts as a way to handle the children and not be embarrassed by them. You don't have to wait until 7:00 or 8:00 o'clock to start a dance. You can start it at 5:00 o'clock and after four hours of great dance and entertainment time; it's still only 9:00 o'clock. You can then have the DJ play longer if your guests are still dancing, or if everyone is tired, you can start your honeymoon and still be fresh for the evening.

10. PICTURES:
    Try to have as many of the pictures done before the actual wedding ceremony. Everyone will look fresh and happy and it will save much down time between the wedding and the reception. The longer your guests will have to wait for your arrival at the reception, the more likely they will leave your event early. Have your Photographer speak with the DJ before the wedding day to coordinate what will take place at the reception that he will want to have knowledge of to be prepared for when taking pictures at the reception.

11. DISPOSABLE CAMERAS:
    People like to put out disposable cameras out on the tables for the guests. I have found that this is a waste of time and your money. These cameras need a very BRIGHT room and you must be within a few feet of the subject. Most rooms are dimly lit to set a mood and get even darker for the dance. This will make it almost impossible to get good pictures. Most of the time young children get hold of the cameras and take pictures of the floor, walls, ceilings and other things you just don't want to see. Many cameras end up going home with the kids or just never get back to you. The ones that do, your just paying for dimly lit and/or bad pictures.

12. VEGETABLE TRAYS:
    In all the years I have been a professional DJ I have found the biggest waste of money is the veggie trays. Some reception halls charge anywhere from $3.00 per person to $7.00 per person for a veggie tray. If you have 200 guests at $3.00 per person your paying $600.00 for raw vegetables. The veggie tray is the first item out and the last item taken away. The tray is normally barely touched. Most people do not like to eat raw carrots or celery, and for those who do can they eat $7.00 worth?

13. FREE ALCOHOL:
    When beer or other alcohol is provided to guests at no cost, people have a tendency to over indulge. This creates many problems with behavior of guests during and after the event. At the event fights are more likely to happen, guests get loud, angry and give the staff, Disc Jockey and other guests problems. Then they get behind the wheel of a car. No one wants a friend or family member to get into an accident or get hurt or killed on their wedding night. You now also can be held accountable for serving the free alcohol and you can be sued.

14. DECORATIONS:
    Some decorations people like to buy seem to be a waste of money. Examples: The candy bar with a picture of a young boy & girl with the Bride & Grooms names on them. The young guests and the really hungry eat these up in seconds without even noticing the care and expense you put into it. Personalized napkins. Most locations have nice cloth napkins that they are charging you for in the cost of the room rental. Then you pay extra for the personalized napkins that most people really don't even pay attention to. Special gifts for the children. I've found that these gift bags for the kids tend to be only a momentary distraction for the kids. If the parents are not watching the children close enough these items soon end up all over the floor and used as flying objects, thrown at the guests, staff and entertainment. Most get left behind and thrown away by the reception staff.

15. BUFFET vs. SIT DOWN MEAL:
    When you have a choice between a buffet style or a sit down meal, a buffet dinner is a less expensive, easier styled meal. A buffet also will be a faster meal to serve and clear allowing more time for the dance. A buffet gives each guest a choice of what they want to eat and the amount they wish to eat. A sit down meal limits their choices. Guests enjoy a variety of food to choose from. People like myself are very finicky to what they eat. If they don't enjoy the meal served, you've spent $10 to $35 per plate for food not eaten.

We look forward to musically pleasing you.

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