I am extremely pleased to be able to add a super professional DJ and lighting crew to The Wedding Genie Dream Team. Ian Fish of Soundsfishy is one seriously brilliant DJ. Not only does he conjure up the best music and atmosphere so your guests dance their socks off all night, but he can also make the venue look fabulous with his lighting system.
The service you get from Ian is top notch, I can verify that first hand from the weddings we have worked on together. No cheesy DJ, tacky lights or poor quality sound, Ian offers only the best in sound and lighting, the kind you would find in a top night club. Not only that he knows some of the best entertainers around so if you want to start with solo singer or band to kick off your evening Ian will help you find exactly what you are looking for.
Unusually for a DJ and lighting crew Soundsfishy also offer a Video and Production service. Ever thought of having a video at your wedding but can’t bear the thought of hours of monotonous footage. Check out Marryoke, Ian’s speciality. Two of my clients booked this service and I can tell you not only did their guests have fun all day but the video at the end of it is so much fun to watch and keep. It wasn’t intrusive or time consuming, even the photographer commented on how great it was for the guests to be entertained by starring in the video!
Ian is going to be a guest blogger on The Wedding Genie from time to time and I asked him to give us some facts and background when thinking about your entertainment.
Here is a little bit of background about Ian. It’s always good to know about the suppliers you are considering parting with your hard earned cash for.
With 20 years experience in events and entertainment we’ve built quite a reputation behind the scenes on shows of all kinds.. from big corporate parties to celebrations in the grounds of a private home. We’re trusted to work with famous performers, comedians and presenters and understand their requirements as well as the clients needs.
Now, Sounds Fishy Productions is coming out from behind the scenes, and making our services available direct. We’re passionate about making every event, or disco, the best it can be, and we have a reputation in the music and entertainment industry that proves our attention to detail pays off.
We use only the best suppliers, many of whom are trusted friends that we’ve worked on events with for years, meaning you get the benefit of a team that is experienced, professional, and perhaps above all.. fun to work with.
We’re also happy to offer advice and guidance.. free of charge.. even if that sometimes means we’re not the right people to help.
Ian is also the Multimedia and Events producer at one of the best radio station in the midlands Heart Radio!
I asked Ian for advice when booking entertainers and DJ’s. He gave me so much to think about that I have split his pearls of wisdom into two blog. Friday’s post looks at Timelines, playlists and questions to ask. So read on and digest!
Soundsfishy Great Advice
There’s so much information and so many contrasting opinions when it comes to planning your big day. Well, having worked on weddings for 20 years we at Sounds Fishy have a wealth of experience in this area.
So, whether you decide to use us or not for your big day, we think you deserve some FREE advice and guidance about what to look for when choosing your big day entertainment.
We hope you’ll find some of the below useful…
Did You Know?
- 92% of brides say that the evening entertainment is one the 3 most important elements of their wedding day.
- When asked 81% of guests say the thing they remember most about a wedding is the entertainment.
- 72% of all brides say they would have spent more time choosing their reception entertainment.
- Almost 100% say they would have spent more of their budget on the entertainment.
- During wedding planning, Brides say their highest priority is their attire, followed by the reception site and caterer – reception entertainment is among the least of their priorities.
- Within one week after their reception, 78% of Brides say they would have made the entertainment their highest priority!
(*These statistics were published in Bride & Groom Magazine in 2003)
So, getting the correct entertainment is absolutely crucial to the success of your big day!
What To Budget?
When budgeting for your wedding set aside some money for the entertainment in the evening. The evening may not be the big focus of the day.. but really it’s just as important as the daytime. It’s the time when guests can really start to relax and where the fun begins!
Creating the right atmosphere is essential. There’s nothing worse than some guy playing Agadoo to an empty dance floor. Whilst your vows, the table display, the car you arrive in and the flowers are all important parts of your day, most of your guests are much more likely to remember the evening party. As such, it’s important not to cut corners in this area, a dull party will be talked about for longer than most other aspects of your day.
At least one recent survey on evening entertainment by a leading wedding magazine, has suggested that as much as 20 to 30% should be budgeted on the evening entertainment (food, disco and/or band) for a wedding to be a complete success and well remembered.
With a typical wedding costing £16,000 – £20,000 .. that’s a lot of money, and we think you should be aiming for more like 5 – 15% depending whether or not you want a band AND a disco!
What to look for in a DJ and where to find one
It’s the role of your DJ to create the atmosphere at your wedding reception. It’s what they’re paid for. A good DJ will both listen to what you want played but will also be firm about what he *knows* should to be played. If a DJ simply takes your list and plays your songs one after another, you can ruin the atmosphere, or never get one started in the first place. A good DJ should be an expert in their field and should know what music is relevant for the audience and atmosphere they’re in.
You first stop is probably yellow pages or a google search, where you’ll find some good guys… but also lots of cheap cowboys…
- There’s the guy who turns up with all his mates, and only plays what they want to hear.
- There’s the guy who turns up with only 20 minutes to set up.. and complains and grumbles the whole way through.
- There’s the guy who uses too much smoke and sets fire alarms off..
- There’s the guy with a terrible sound system, there’s the guy with terrible cheesy lights…
- and there’s the guy who does all of the above.
- Then there’s the guy who doesn’t turn up at all because he got a higher paying gig at the last minute.
The higher priced DJ’s.. are higher priced for a reason. They will do a great job.. they will turn up.. they will take the hassle out of the evening arrangements for you. They should act as entertainment consultants and take you through the process to ensure you’re 100% happy and comfortable with what you’re paying for.
If you are spending £600 on seat covers, £900 on cars, and £1200 on place settings.. you really should be thinking of spending a lot more than £200 on the first DJ you find.. they are, after all, responsible for 5 hours of your day – and for the evening only guests, they’re going to make or break their whole experience of your big day.
- Get testimonials.. even better – speak to past clients.. best thing to do is go off recommendation..
- Is it a proper company – rather than a guy with a hobby – have they got insurance ?
- Is everything Portable Appliance Tested (PAT TEST).. ?
- Do they carry spares and backups in case of equipment failure ?
Wow some great tips here and there is more on Friday, pop back for the second post.
Until next time, happy planning.
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