So that you have a better understanding of what I normally do, here’s a bit of a run down on my service and the type of service I deliver.
My exclusive, personal service and guaranteed standards always apply, regardless of the type of event and no matter who my client is:
- Exclusive “There-in-Person” guarantee – first contact to last dance.
- I do not hire staff, so you will not be sent a less experienced DJ that you have never met.
- I will not invite other clients to your event for a “demo”.
- I will not transfer or “sell” your entertainment to another DJ company.
- I will be set up at the specified time, and start on time.
- I only use professional equipment.
- I will be dressed in a suit with tie.
- You will have all of your details confirmed in writing.
- I do not drink alcohol or smoke, and I do not stop for a break.
- You will be in control of the volume.
The Service
I learn everything I can about your plans and always look for ways other than the music that I can help. I don’t apply time restrictions to wedding days, which means I’m involved from the moment the first guest arrives with uplifting, energetic yet unobtrusive music and don’t end until the venue closes. Of course, before I’ve even played anything I’ve taken in all I can about your wedding day. Typically before the wedding day arrives, I’ll know the names of all the parents, the wedding party, exactly what time the wedding party is arriving, and through which door, and exactly how they want to be welcomed into the reception. I’ll know precisely how you need the first dance to begin, how long you want to dance for, if and when others are to be invited, and who should make that invitation (me or your MC) and more.
I worry about the little details – not so I can take charge or be in control, but to be just an extra cog in the wheel that helps keep everything going just the way you imagined.
The more information I have, the more I can help. I’ve delivered flowers to a reception when I noticed the florist had fallen through at the 11th hour (the bride knew nothing about it), I’ve stepped in as MC minutes before the wedding party made a grand entrance at the reception, and I’ve helped deliver special messages from loved ones around the world that bring a tear to the eyes of everyone in the room – myself included. I do love weddings….
That aside, I also play music – in case you were wondering! The music is of course a very important, but it’s only a part of what I do.
Your Wedding
My rate for your wedding day would include compact and incredibly discreet Bose sound systems for the ceremony, the reception, basic lighting for the dance floor area, wireless microphones for the speeches, and I DJ in person (no substitutes or hired replacements) with a suit and tie, shiny shoes, and a smile on my face. I can also help with sourcing or editing music for your first dance and ceremony if required.
As I don’t apply time restrictions to your wedding entertainment, I can be ready to start the music the moment those first guest arrive at the ceremony. I’m there to assist your MC and help them relax as a guest without having to look at their timeline or the clock every 30 seconds. I take responsibility and ownership – but am very subtle and discreet about it. It’s not my wedding, it’s yours, so all I do is work in the background and watch for ways to make things happen exactly the way you planned. By the time the wedding day arrives, I’ll know little details that DJs just aren’t expected to think of.
My History
My first DJ event came when I was 12 – a mere 2o and a bit more years ago (I’m only 38). I organised a dance at my small rural school and played the music myself using tapes decks and a home stereo. I no longer use tapes and home stereo equipment though.
At the age of 15 I started in radio as a studio operator at the number one radio station in Northland, moving to announcing and hosting my own show full time a short time later. During the 90s, I was one of the youngest full time announcers in the country at 18 years old. At the same time, I was DJing in nightclubs, and even went on to a full time bar/club resident DJ and MC role at a very popular tourist spot. We hosted 300 guests a night, 6 nights a week, the majority of the patrons being tourists from Australia, USA, Canada, and all over Europe. Since leaving full time radio a little over 10 years ago, I’ve worked part time on a variety of Auckland or nationwide network stations including ZM, Hauraki, Easy Listening I, EasyMix, and most recently Classic Hits.
After many years of working for other companies, I have run my own DJ service since 1997 and now focus primarily on weddings with personality, and fun corporate events. I network closely with event DJs from around the world and have gone as far as Las Vegas to further my wedding MC skills. I am a full time entertainer focussing primarily on weddings, and I am very much involved with The Grand Wedding Show, which my wife created and produces.
As a sole DJ operation with my own name on the company branding, I’m very careful to look after my clients. This is not a hobby, it’s a career and I take the business very seriously. I don’t advertise, and the majority of my bookings come from repeat clients and word of mouth referrals, and I nurture my business relationships. From a business perspective, it astounds me that so few DJs understand the importance of a room full of guests. My client is king, and their guests in that room at that time are the most important people in the world. Being genuinely focused on doing a fantastic job each and every time I set up means I don’t have to look very far for more events – my next client is there in the audience. I have researched, asked questions, and listened to the responses. The simple facts are that no matter what other skills I can offer, the music is the most important thing. Play what works for that audience, that room, that client, that atmosphere, and everybody wins. Why would any DJ play obscure, personal favourites that he or she thinks the world needs to hear? Why would any DJ play music that’s inappropriate for the audience, perhaps with offensive lyrics or unknown content? Sadly it seems it happens quite a bit, and I pride myself on being the DJ that surprises guests in a positive manner. A number of times guests have complimented me on the dinner music alone at weddings and corporate events suggests that they weren’t expecting it to be so positive for whatever reason.
Career highlights include being asked to program, produce and mix a weekly nationwide party show for the Classic Hits radio station (format was a mix of rock n roll, 70s, 80s, 90s, and top 40 for an adult market), and DJing on stage as part of the warm up for Simply Red’s Auckland concert at Villa Maria, February 15 2009 in front of 10,000 people. This has led on to other “Day On The Green” event invitations including The Proclaimers and B52s concert and Tom Jones.
A few of my previous corporate audiences have included:
– Westpac Australia
– Flight Centre
– Telecom New Zealand
– TelstraClear
– Cogent Communications
– McDonalds
– ASB Bank
– Russell McVeagh
– DMG Radio (Australia)
– Holiday Shoppe
– Skycity Auckland
– The Radio Network
If you haven’t already, please take a moment to read some of the candid, unsolicited communication from past clients here.
In short and as a summary, I’m on site with equipment set up long before the first guest arrives, and provide music during the dinner and support through the entire reception. While you may already have an MC in mind, I provide MC coaching as part of the service as well, both on the night so your MC can relax and be a guest a little as well, and in the weeks leading up to the wedding so they will know what they need to do to prepare. I put in quite a bit of time preparing for each wedding, and by the time the day arrives I normally know every little detail about the wedding, such as names of the wedding party, names of the parents, how you want to be introduced for the first dance, who is introducing you (the MC or I) and how long you want to dance alone to that song, if at all.
Whatever you want to have happen on your wedding day, I’ll help with ideas and methods designed specifically for your requirements.