It may be a cliche, but “You get what you pay for.”
I do not normally comment on my competition but I will make an exception because of a phone call I just got.
Just a few minutes ago, I was called by a frantic bride who wanted to know if I was available for her wedding which was just 3 weeks away. She continued to tell me that the DJ that she had lined-up was backing out and that she could not reach him after repeated attempts. She had left the guy several messages and none of them had been returned. She didn’t know if the DJ was going to show up or not for her wedding that was happening in 3 weeks.
I asked her if she had a contract with the DJ and she told me that the DJ told her just to call him about a month before the wedding. In other words, there was no written contract between the DJ and the client.
I asked the bride a few more questions with my final question being “What was that DJ going to charge you?” She told me he was charging her $350 for 5 hours. She thought that was a great deal and is why she choose that particular DJ. I don’t know of any quality DJs that would charge such a ridiculously low rate. In fact, a quality DJ is more likely to charge $200-$350 per hour, but certainly not $350 for 5 hours.
Now that the wedding is 3 weeks away and her cheap DJ is missing in action, she is freaking out and I don’t blame her. Trying to find a quality DJ during the busiest wedding month of the year with just 3 weeks notice is going to be very difficult for her.
Moral of story? Never work with a DJ that doesn’t return your calls, doesn’t work with a written contract and charges a price so low that it seems too good to be true. You get what you pay for.
Meredith & Dave – July 17, 2010
There is just one word to describe the wedding of Meredith & Dave.
Perfect.
It wasn’t only the breathtaking location: Heron Hill Winery, nor was it the perfect weather or the amazing views. It was not just the delicious food provided by Serendipity Catering or the great videographer (Mary Beth Longo of Video Network Inc) or photographer Shai Eynav or the beautiful flowers by Michaleen’s Florist. It wasn’t even the DJ (that was me). It was the combination of everything mixed with the energy of all the guests in attendance and the vibrancy of the bride and groom.
It was perfect.
Heron Hill Winery is located on the West side of Keuka Lake, north of Hammondsport. It’s high perch has a commanding view of Keuka Lake. The winery has striking architecture and the views are extraordinary. It is particularly well-suited for wedding receptions since the winery has a separate area for its wedding receptions while also having a café on the other side of the winery. This keeps wedding receptions private and does not interfere with the “winery” business. It’s a wonderful arrangement and makes Heron Hill a stand-out location for a wedding.
As you can see in my photos, there is a beautiful area surrounded by lush, impeccably maintained gardens that is well-suited for having the ceremony on-location.
After the ceremony a cocktail hour ensued with music provided by Cornucopia. As guests began making their way to the most beautiful tent area for dinner, a brief period of dancing took place. I could tell at this point that this group of family and friends were ready for some action on the dancefloor. Meredith and Dave were introduced and had their first dance to the song “If I Should Fall Behind” by Bruce Springsteen. Toasts by the Matron of Honor (Sister of the Bride) and Best Man (Brother of the Groom) followed.
After dinner the dance floor became a frenzy of activity and dancing continued for the remainder of the evening. It really was an amazing evening and the good vibes from this wedding will be with me for quite some time.
Thank you to the bride and groom and also to the parents of both for making me feel so comfortable and of course for your kind words. It was a pleasure for me to be able to be involved in this most incredible wedding.
Natasha & Robert – June 27, 2010
“You and your wife will be happy in your life together” – The wisdom of a Chinese fortune cookie set the tone for the wedding of Natasha and Robert.
The reception was held in the magnificent Memorial Room at Cornell University. The love, caring and tenderness that Natasha and Robert have for each other was so plainly obvious throughout the evening, it made me feel such joy for them… just an endless amount of smiling, laughing and that hard to describe but so easy to spot chemistry they have between them. Although I chuckled when I saw the fortune cookie wish that was displayed on the table holding the guest seating cards, it could not have been more accurate.
To say that it was a hot and humid day would be an understatement. It was the kind of heat where just thinking of moving made you sweat. But the heat did little to discourage any of the guests from enjoying the celebration of Natasha and Robert’s wedding. After the cocktail hour, formal introductions took place after which the bride and groom danced their first dance to “Nothing Can Change This Love” by Sam Cooke. Toasts followed and then a wonderful meal catered by Word of Mouth catering who did their usual fantastic job. The official photographer for the wedding was James Peluso of Alexandria Photography. He showed me a few of the photos he was getting during the reception and they were phenomenal.
At the conclusion of the meal were the other formal dances. The Father/Daughter dance was “What a Wonderful World” by Louis Armstrong and the Mother/Groom dance was “The Circle Game by Joni Mitchell. In spite of the heat the guests quickly filled the dancefloor and had a great time throughout the evening.
Natasha and Robert, you are a great couple and it was a pleasure to be a part of your wedding day. Thank you. I hope you enjoy a few of the photos I took during your reception.
Julie & Trevor – May 22, 2010
My 2010 wedding season began with the wedding of Julie and Trevor at the Aurora Inn, in Aurora, NY.
It is always a rewarding experience when a family has chosen to use my services in the past and then contacts me again for another event. This is what had happened to me for this wedding… I had had the pleasure of providing the entertainment for Julie’s sister Katherine at her wedding reception in 2006. I was so happy to be able to share another wedding with this great family.
It was a slightly cloudy, warm and breezy day. The nice breeze blowing across Cayuga Lake took the edge off the heat of the day. The Aurora Inn is so beautiful, nestled close to lake-side. The “ruins” that are also part of the property add to the atmosphere. It was in this beautiful setting that the ceremony took place. The breeze caused Julie’s bridal veil to billow in the wind at times, but she managed to control that situation well and the added bonus is that you can often get some amazingly cool photographs in that situation.
Immediately following the ceremony, the guests moved up to the patio for cocktails and a beautiful display of hors d’ouevres. Once guests had taken their seats for the meal, a toast was given by the Best Man, Ryan (Brother of the Groom.)
At the conclusion of the meal were the formal dances. Julie and Trevor had their first dance to the song “Better Today” by Coffey. That was followed by the Father/Bride dance, “My Little Girl” by Tim McGraw. Then it was time for the Mother/Groom dance done to “Wonderful World” by Louis Armstrong.
Everyone was rewarded for putting up with the earlier-in-the-day clouds by a magnificent sunset. It was an explosion of color as the sun slowly set, directly across from the lawns of the Aurora Inn. After a fun evening of dancing, everything wrapped up at 10:00pm.
The photographer for the wedding was Valerie Bond of Timeless Treasures and Heather from the Aurora Inn was instrumental in ensuring everything having to do with the Aurora Inn was perfect.
Thanks to Julie, Trevor and their families for allowing me to be a part of this happy day. Enjoy a few more photos that I took during the reception.
Lauren & Ross – September 20, 2009
The wedding of Lauren and Ross actually was the second of two back-to-back weddings that I DJ’d this weekend, both at the Fontainebleau Inn. It also happened to be the nicest weekend of weather we’ve had all summer. It was just about as perfect a day as you could ask for.
Lauren and I had had many conversations leading up to the wedding. As I got to know her more it became apparent that she is one of the most considerate people I know. Imagine being the person hired to work at her wedding and about the first thing she asks me upon arrival is whether there is anything she can do for me. That’s the kind of person Lauren is… always thinking of everyone else.
This was a joyous day; one that included the bringing together of Lauren with Ross and his daughter Jessica. They had their wedding ceremony at lakeside.
At the conclusion of the ceremony, everyone made their way up to the patio for cockatil hour. After the formal introductions, Lauren and Ross had their first dance to a great song by the Jayhawks, “I’m gonna make you love me”. The Father-Daughter dance was done to the song “True Grit” by Glen Campbell and then Ross danced with his daughter to the song “Hoodoo Voodoo” by Wilco.
Lauren and Ross both have a love for music. They provided me with a great list of song suggestions, one in which I discovered some new music that I was not familiar with. Now as a person who already owns over 8,000 CD’s you might think that there couldn’t possibly be music that I wasn’t familiar with. Ha! Thanks guys, for helping expand my music horizons.
I’m so fortunate to have the opportunity to work with so many wonderful couples and families. Lauren and Ross, you guys are the best and I wish you a long happy marriage.
