Marino's Hawaii Wedding Emcee & DJ/Entertainment Blog

Richard Mills, a New Zealand DJ, Master of Ceremonies, and a dear friend, had an interesting experience at a recent wedding:

• The location had no outdoor electricity to power his sound system for the wedding ceremony.
• The Best Man’s partner’s shoe heel broke.
• A button popped off his tuxedo jacket.
• A guest’s camera batteries died before the ceremony.

Click here to read Richard’s story in his own words.

Given the situation, what would you have done?

The average wedding DJ & MC probably would have

• Run LOTS of extension cords from an outlet to wherever he set up, or just claim that he just can’t do it without power;
• Said “Sorry” to the Best Man’s partner and the guest with the dead batteries, because “it’s beyond the work I was hired to do;”
• Left the button off the jacket to have it repaired after the wedding.

But Richard isn’t your average, ordinary DJ.

• Richard brought a generator…just in case. His experience with outdoor events probably taught him to be prepared for these situations, and it certainly did this time!
• Because he got there early enough and had ample time to set up, Richard was able to take the Best Man’s partner’s shoe to a nearby mall, where it was quickly repaired and back to the owner within 20 minutes.
• Because he carries a sewing kit and spare AA batteries among his equipment, Richard was able to fix the button on his tux AND help the guest by giving that guest fresh batteries for her camera.

Keep in mind that all of these challenges occured BEFORE the wedding even started! If any more difficulties arise during the presentation, you can bet that Richard is prepared for them.

Here’s a fun and eye-opening activity that you can do when you interview your Masters of Ceremonies & DJs for your Hawaii wedding: ask your prospective emcee or DJ what they would do in those situations. Listen to their answers. Now picture it happening at your wedding–will you be happy with their actions to overcome these challenges?

Great wedding DJs don’t simply spin music–any DJ can do that. Great wedding DJs make sure that everything runs smoothly so that you can feel stress-free and enjoy your wedding day. And that’s important, isn’t it?

Image courtesy PHIL AMMON / A+ Media Creations

written by Marino_NinjaEntertainment \\ tags: Advice, blog, DJ, Emcee, new zealand, preparation, richard mills, setup, stressfree, wedding

When dealing with live musicans or any wedding professional, it’s always important to make sure you clarify that the band’s performance start time does not mean it’s their “show up time”, or the time of their arrival. To explain, let me share a story.

At last night’s event, there were two bands that were performing for the audience. They both had separate stages, and they would alternate playing back and forth throughout the evening. Although they were tied into the same sound system, each group had their own microphones, instrument tie-ins, etc. The soundman purposely did this to avoid having to adjust the levels to each group every time a group played, just so that it would sound good and look good from the audience’s perspective.

Showtime was at 5:00pm. Doors to the guests opened at 4:00pm.

Band A showed up at 2:00pm to set up their instruments and run through a full soundcheck. Band B, on the other hand, arrived at 4:30pm, as the guests were mingling and taking their seats. It would have been rude and disruptive to the guests if the band conducted a soundcheck while the audience was in the room, so it was determined to just “shoot from the hip” and pray for the best.

When the show started, Band A sounded stellar. Their music was at the right volume and mixed very well. Band B, on the other hand, sounded terrible. There wasn’t a nice blend of instruments, and at times it was too loud.

In the end, Band A was very happy with their performance. Band B was displeased and blamed the soundman for causing them to sound lousy.

But it really wasn’t the soundman’s fault. He was just doing his best to accommodate a challenging situation.

The true fault in why Band B sounded lousy was Band B themselves.

If they had arrived early enough like Band A did, they would have had a great soundcheck, helped the soundman a lot, and given the audience a great performance. But because they arrived during cocktail hour, as guests were mingling and being seated, they didn’t.

Ultimately, these people lost out on the bad performance:

• The clients, because they had hired two groups to entertain their guests, but only one sounded good, and
• The audience, because they were expecting two great performances but only got one.

When it comes to YOUR wedding, if you are having a live band, do you want them to sound good? If so, make sure they understand that “start time” does not mean “show up time”. Insist they arrive early for a full soundcheck, just so that they will sound good during your event.

You’ll get your money’s worth, and your guests will certainly appreciate it!

written by Marino_NinjaEntertainment \\ tags: Advice, ideas, music, preparation, setup, sound, stressfree

In yesterday’s post, I wrote about wedding emcees and why it’s important to ask them what they will wear to your wedding, because what they wear may or may not match the decor and overall “look” you want to create for your wedding.

If you missed the article, read it here.

The article applies to DJs as well. I cringe every time I host a thoroughly-planned wedding where every color, flower, and linen complements a distinct look, and the DJ shows up looking like this:

As with your Master of Ceremonies, ask your DJ what he or she will wear to your event. Are they willing to work with you to achieve the “look” of your party? Do they have a “uniform” that may clash with your presentation?

Another important question to consider: how will their equipment look at your wedding? If you are planning an elegant, well-planned celebration, it’s embarrassing when your DJ’s setup has messy wires hanging out and looking disheveled, isn’t it? Imagine walking into the elegant Ocean Ballroom at the JW Marriott Ihilani Resort and seeing the DJ’s setup looking like this:

After all, you have spent so much time considering how you would want your ballroom or venue to look…don’t let the DJ ruin it! Their messiness is a reflection of YOU, because you hired them! Make sure your DJ’s setup fits the “look” you want to achieve; at the very least, make sure it is neat!

written by Marino_NinjaEntertainment \\ tags: Advice, ideas, setup