Cleveland’s Own My Life DJ Service Wins a WeddingWire Couples’ Choice Award® 2016

North Olmsted, OH – January 7, 2016 – WeddingWire, a leading global online wedding marketplace, named My Life DJ Service as a winner of the prestigious WeddingWire Couples’ Choice Awards® 2016 for Wedding DJ in northeast Ohio! 

The WeddingWire Couples’ Choice Awards® 2016 recognizes the top five percent of wedding professionals in the WeddingWire Network who demonstrate excellence in quality, service, responsiveness and professionalism. The esteemed awards are given to the top local wedding vendors in more than 20 service categories based on their professional achievements from the previous year. 

While many industry award winners are selected by the host organization, the WeddingWire Couples’ Choice Awards® winners are determined solely based on reviews from real newlyweds. Award-winning vendors are distinguished for the quality, quantity, consistency and timeliness of the reviews they have received from their past clients. 

“We are thrilled to celebrate such a high-caliber, committed group of professionals for the Couples’ Choice Awards’® eighth year,” said Timothy Chi, CEO, WeddingWire. “We are proud to continue to serve as the industry leader, with over 2.5 million consumer and peer reviews, and feature award-winning merchants...” 

As a Couples’ Choice Awards® winner, My Life DJ Service is highlighted within the WeddingWire Network, which is comprised of more than 400,000 wedding professionals globally. 

We are proud to be one of the top wedding DJ services in northeast Ohio in the WeddingWire Network. We would like to thank our past clients for taking the time to review our business on WeddingWire. We value all of our clients and truly appreciate the positive feedback that helped us earn the WeddingWire Couples’ Choice Awards® 2016. 

To learn more about the Couples’ Choice Awards®, please visit www.weddingwire.com/couples-choice-awards. 

About WeddingWire, Inc.
WeddingWire, Inc. is the leading global online marketplace connecting consumers with event and creative professionals. Operating within a $200 billion industry, WeddingWire, Inc. hosts 10 million monthly unique users across its mobile and web platforms. Consumers are able to read over 2.5 million vendor reviews and search, compare and book from a database of over 400,000 businesses. Globally, it provides these businesses the technology they need to serve their clients through advertising, marketing and business management tools such as websites, payment processing, invoicing and contracts. Founded in 2007, the WeddingWire portfolio of sites serves couples and businesses across 14 countries in North America, Latin America and Europe, making it the worldwide leader in weddings with brands including Bodas.net, Casamentos.com.br, Matrimonio.com and more. The company employs more than 650 and maintains global headquarters in Washington, DC and international headquarters in Barcelona, Spain.

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Working With Wedding Vendors

A unique characteristic of the wedding industry is that it is primarily small business driven.  Sure, there are some national companies or "chains" that provide service or product in this arena but to a significant degree the success of a wedding will depend on how effective the bride and groom are in selecting the right small businesses as their vendors.

In some instances, planning a wedding may be the very first time either the bride or the groom have ever entered into a contractual agreement with anyone (except perhaps their cell phone carrier or a landlord to rent an apartment).  Now, with a wedding date set, the stress of interacting with multiple vendors to compare prices, negotiate contracts, plan for the festivities, etc. can be stressful and overwhelming.

Here are just a few tips on working with the small business community:

1) Learn as much as you can about the company and its history in the community.  Is it family owned and operated or does it have a different structure?  How long has it served the community?  Can you have access to referrals from past customers?  The more you know about the business the more secure you will feel about using it as a vendor.

2) If you can, arrange to meet with the owner or those who have a direct stake in the success of the business.  Small business owners understand that your satisfaction is crucial to future business, especially service related industries such as photography, DJ services, or catering.  Small businesses are often extensions of their owners and tend to take on the owner's characteristics.  So getting to know the owner will help you determine the type of service you'll receive.  It will also give you someone influential to call (other than a salesperson) if you should have a concern.

3) Ask many questions.  A lot of couples are either too shy to ask questions of the vendor or they simply don't know how to go about the inquiry.  A proud business owner or manager is always willing to explain their service.  It gives small business people great joy to talk about their livelihood and special talents.  If you feel that you are getting the "run-around" or not getting clear answers to your questions, this is a sign of confusion, or worse, reluctance to share all of the truth.  At the very least, ask for a full explanation of all that the service promises to deliver.

4) Get it in writing.  A reputable company will understand the importance of using a written contract.  If you get resistance from a vendor to get details in writing, this should be a "red flag" to warn you away from using that particular vendor.  Ask for an addendum to the contract if you want specific items included in the service you'll receive.

5) Use information technology to compare vendors.  In today's business environment you can find a lot of information at the touch of a computer keyboard.  Most small businesses who work in the wedding industry will indeed have some internet presence as the web has become a wonderful tool for brides and grooms looking for vendors.  Use the internet to seek referrals and testimonials from past customers, get price quotes and learn about services.

6) Call or visit the vendor.  While the internet is great for gathering information, as mentioned earlier, you'll still want to visit the vendors who made your top three or four choices.  Did the vendor respond quickly to your call or did you wait days before receiving a reply?  Was the vendor hesitant to meet with you in person?  During the meeting, was the representative personable and professional?  Did he or she seem to genuinely care about delivering a great service or did it seem that it was "just their job" to meet with you?

7) Does the vendor play nicely with the other vendors?  Ask your photographer if he or she has ever worked with your choice of DJ service or band.  Have the caterers ever heard of the florist that you are considering?  The best vendors like working with their favorite associates.  They've established a good working relationship over the years and know how to communicate with each other.  There's nothing like a vendor who refuses to demonstrate some flexibility when things call for a change in plan.  You might get some useful "inside" information about a vendor from others in the industry.

The good news is that most small businesses are dedicated to providing brides and grooms with exceptional product and service.  Those who follow through with a little homework and communication will avoid the few "bad apple" vendors that are the source of wedding day nightmares and find their way to the great quality vendors who pride themselves on making wedding events fun, memorable experiences for everyone!

Click here if you want to learn more about our DJ service or receive a price quote for your upcoming event!

Holiday Rush

Twelve percent of all wedding engagements in the U.S. happen in the month of December. That's why there's a rush of interest in booking wedding vendors in the following months - January, February and March.

My suggestion to couples who already have a wedding date set for next year is to have most, if not all, of your wedding vendors booked before the holidays. That way, you will avoid the additional competition for wedding vendors that comes from the "surge" of newly engaged couples. Waiting too long might mean losing your number one pick of banquet hall, DJ/band, photographer, etc. You may even end up paying more for your second or third pick of vendor.

Booking your wedding DJ 8 to 12 months in advance is recommended. That means signing a contract and sending in your deposit. Vendors will appreciate you for being well organized and you will have peace of mind that the major considerations for your special day are in place. If you know that you want a particular vendor but lack the money for the required deposit, contact the vendor and ask about alternative payment options.

A little time spent planning now will go a long way in avoiding unneccesary frustration after the holidays. Good luck and happy holidays!

Click here if you want to learn more about our DJ service or receive a price quote for your upcoming event!