At 57, Still Loving the DJ Thing

Hey friends, well it's been quite some time since I've posted in this blog. The last time we connected, COVID was in full swing and influencing every part of our lives. For a short time in Ohio, dancing was illegal at weddings except for the bride and groom’s first dance. As you can imagine, the COVID pandemic damaged the hospitality and entertainment industries. It's only now that these sectors are coming back. Many people have asked me, how are bookings? How is business? The truth is, I'm as busy as I want to be thanks to the word-of-mouth referrals from many clients and friends.

I started DJ’ing weddings and other events in the late 1980s. At that time, my mentor and trainer, Dennis McNulty, had me accompany him to the events that he had booked for himself. I trained with him for a year or two before we began booking solo gigs for me. From that point on, I've been a DJ entertainer in northeast Ohio ever since. By my calculation, I am closing in on 35 years in this industry. I estimate that I have been the DJ entertainer at over 1,500 events, about half of those being weddings.

 

When I meet with prospective clients, I don't hide the fact that I'm 57 years old. I realize that some folks will want a younger DJ. What I've also found, however, is that many people prefer to have an older more mature person controlling the music and making the announcements. I have been shocked, quite frankly, that my inquiries have not gone down as I age but in fact have gone up. I always imagined when I was younger that clients would prefer a young DJ and that as I got older the business would dry up. I have been blessed that I have had the opportunity to work steadily in this field all these years.

 

The thing that COVID taught me was that I enjoy being home on a Saturday night to tinker around the house or simply enjoy a hobby. I have allowed myself to slow down and book fewer events each year. In part, it's because working in this space is very exhausting and if you do your job right, you'll be quite tired at the end of the night because you give your clients everything you have up until the very last minute of the event. It takes me longer to recuperate from gigs now that I’m in my late 50’s, especially after working weddings that can be 10 or 12 hours long.

 

I have also been blessed all these years because (except for a few years here and there) I have had a full-time job aside from DJ’ing events on weekends. Some of you know that I worked in nonprofit social services for over two decades and then moved to higher education teaching at the college level which I still do to this date. When I began DJ’ing in the late 80’s and early 90’s I desperately needed money for college tuition. Into the 2000’s, my DJ income was used to save money to buy a house and build a reserve account. Now, the bulk of my DJ income is pushed into my future in the way of retirement investments and some of it is happily given to my favorite charities. It's been a lot of work over many years, many sacrificed weekends, but I don't regret a minute of it. I still find it a joy to help people celebrate significant moments with music. 

 

I imagine in the next few years I will be scaling back even more so, doing only a handful of weddings each year and an assortment of fundraising events for my favorite charities. At this point, I can't imagine stopping completely. Helping people celebrate with music will always be in my DNA.

What To Know About Your Sunday Wedding

We receive a number of inquiries each year from engaged couples who have chosen to have their wedding on a Sunday. And, of course, some of those inquiries turn into booked events in which we are privileged to participate as DJ entertainers.

Sunday weddings may provide couples with options they ordinarily wouldn't have. Many wedding vendors; venues, caterers, photographers, etc. offer discounts for events that happen on Sundays as there are fewer of them happening.  Saturday evenings are typically in high demand and experienced professionals don't have trouble booking them well in advance. So, for financial reasons alone, a Sunday might be a good idea.

Sunday weddings seem to be ideal for DIY couples who plan to implement at least some of the event themselves or with the help of family members and friends.  They may provide food for their reception or do their own decorating and it seems (although I could be wrong) that venues, caterers and other professionals tend to be more understanding of couples who want more direct involvement on a Sunday. I guess, what I'm saying is that many Sunday weddings tend to be less formal than most Saturday evening weddings and for those people who are more comfortable planning a casual celebration, Sundays are perfect for them.

A brief word of caution - many popular sporting events happen on Sunday.  This blog article is being written just hours before the Super Bowl. So unless you want your wedding to compete against the attention of a major sporting event, check a calendar to be sure your wedding is happening on a day free of such potential conflict.

My main suggestion to couples planning a Sunday wedding is to get the timing right.  By this I mean, start early and end early. I say this because many inquiries we receive initially ask for DJ entertainment during a typical Saturday evening timeline, say 6PM to midnight.  I can share with you as an observer of many Sunday events, most people will not stay till midnight on a Sunday.

We have been programmed since childhood to use Sundays as a day to prepare for the coming week, right? We do laundry, complete homework, run errands, etc. just so we can be ready for the coming week and most of all, Sundays are for getting to bed early.  The following day is after all a work day for adults or a school day for the kids. Asking people to disregard their psychological and physical programming is a tall order. I have observed the tendency of guests to want to leave early even if the celebration is full of energy and moving full steam ahead. There seems to be an internal clock inside some people that says, ok time to go home, even if that means leaving at 9PM.

Some people plan their Sunday wedding on a three day holiday weekend such as Labor Day weekend, thinking that their guests have the next day off, so they'll be able to stay later. There is some degree of truth to this and you might be able to go to 11PM on a holiday Sunday.  Still, many people listen to their internal clock and leave early even though they could stay longer.

My recommendation is to use your Sunday wedding as a 4 or 5 hour afternoon celebration:

2PM to 7PM or 3PM to 8PM

Or, if you desire an evening celebration:

4PM to 9PM or 5PM to 10PM

I have DJ'd wedding receptions on Sundays that successfully went late (meaning almost everyone stayed to the end) but they are rare. I believe you and your guests will be better served if you plan your Sunday wedding with the appreciation of how we are programmed. More people will stay the entire time to celebrate with you if you simply plan to start a little earlier and end a little earlier than a typical Saturday night reception.

I look forward to your thoughts and input on this topic. As always best wishes on your special day!

Gazebo Wedding Ceremony

Outdoor wedding ceremonies held under a gazebo are beautiful and very romantic.  Although a gazebo is an ideal site for a wedding, they almost never have an attached PA system.  For this reason, we are often asked to help couples facilitate their gazebo ceremony by providing a PA system, a microphone and/or music.

If you are having a small intimate gathering of 40 or 50 people and you do not wish music to be a part of your ceremony, you may not need a DJ to assist with a PA system.  You  and your officiant will probably be heard just fine without the aid of sound amplification.  If your group, however, is larger than 50 and/or you wish music to enhance the celebration you will certainly need a PA system at the gazebo.  I suggest against the boom box option as they tend not to be powerful enough and outside ambient noise can easily drown out the quality of sound coming from a boom box.  Plus, the boom box option requires a family member or a friend to work the controls and this takes away from their experience at your wedding, even if all else works fine.

You'd be surprised at how affordable it is to have a professional provide this service for you.  Typically, we charge only an additional $100 to $150 to set up a sound system at the gazebo if the ceremony is held at the same site as the reception, which is almost always the case.  A recent client of ours commented on how valuable this service was to her because it relieved her of a lot of stress related to the ceremony.

We'll arrive well before the start of the ceremony to set up equipment in a manner that is not intrusive.  We'll do a sound check, prepare the microphone and music, etc.  When guests begin to arrive, they are welcomed by prelude music already softly playing as they find their seats and prepare for your ceremony.  When the ceremony begins, you and your bridal party will enter to a processional song(s) of your choice, making for a very moving experience.  And, hey, what about the postlude song as your officiant congratulates you as husband and wife?  We'll make sure that the end of your ceremony is a great springboard for fun and celebration afterward at your reception!

For more information about how we might help you with your ceremony and reception, please contact us soon to set up a phone chat or a personal meeting!

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