Add Cheese to your Burger, say NO to the Cheesy Wedding DJ!
Posted by Jason | Filed under Wedding DJ Advice
Our Los Angeles Wedding DJs recently exhibited at the Bridal Premier Showcase at the Hyatt in Westlake California, as we do twice each year. Every Bride or Groom we speak with at these shows and elsewhere seems to have 1 common concern about their wedding DJ, and that is, “We Do NOT Want a CHEESY DJ!!!”
So, if that’s truly the case, I wonder why so many DJ companies still present themselves as the same old Cheesy, bad joke telling guys forcing you to endure an overkill of personality with silly props and flashy lights and 80′s costume jewelry. I suppose it stands to reason why our company is doing so well, because simply put, we are not cheesy. We’re a bunch of regular guys with an extraordinary passion for music, an extremely high level of experience in providing a top level DJ/Emcee service for our clients, especially Brides & Grooms and their families, on one of the most important days in their lives.
I say we’re regular guys, and I mean we don’t have to dress in costumes, wear makeup and flashy jewelry, tell jokes with horrible punch lines, or sell you crap you don’t need. I admit, I’m not a used car salesman, none of us are…we develop packages and upgrades that people need, and we won’t force you to spend money on fluff that cheeses up your wedding.
We do offer a very classy, fun, yet low profile lighting option, such as our NEW Wireless LED Up-lighting, which has been a huge seller for us and makes any room or space look amazing. There’s no big silver metal trusses and a bunch of tape and wires all over the room!
When our DJ’s are in front of all of your friends and family, we look our best, always well groomed and wearing a suit and dress shirt, sometimes a tie, depending on the location and style of your wedding. Let’s face it, if your wedding is in a garden or outdoor location, it should have a more romantic, elegant yet relaxed, fun, and even perhaps a rustic appeal. There’s no need for all the Club lighting and a DJ wearing a tuxedo with a sequin vest (heaven help me! I’ve seen DJs still wearing this early 90′s get-up in 2011!) Read the rest of this entry »
Los Angeles Wedding DJs Elegant Event Entertainment win Wedding Wire Bride’s Choice Award 2011
Posted by Jason | Filed under Announcement
We’ve Won the prestigious annual WeddingWire Bride’s Choice Awards™ 2011 for Wedding DJs in Los Angeles and Southern California. This is the 2nd year in a row we’ve won this award!
Recognition for the Bride’s Choice Awards™ 2011 is determined by recent reviews and extensive surveys from over 750,000 WeddingWire newlyweds. Our past clients are among those that shared their experiences on WeddingWire, the largest wedding review site in the nation.
For more information on the Bride’s Choice Awards™ 2011, please visit our Awards Page
Hiring a Wedding DJ? Interview in person, ask the following questions, get references, and trust your GUT!!
Posted by Jason | Filed under Tips for Hiring a Wedding DJ
Hiring wedding vendors can be a very daunting task.
Hiring your Wedding DJ should not be so frightening. After all, the DJ is supposed to be the fun part of a wedding! Certainly there are a lot of things you need to know before you hire, but perhaps the most important thing you can do is to interview your DJ before you make a decision.
In my vast experience, I have found that clients who meet their DJs in person have a far better experience in choosing/hiring the DJ. Brides and grooms tend to get better pricing and more detailed explanations of what the DJ provides with his services when a meeting is held in person rather than over the phone or worse, through a series of very impersonal emails. When you take the time to meet in person, you have the opportunity to get to know the DJ up close and personal, and you should be able to make a much more informed decision based on his presentation or “pitch” as well as his appearance, his demeanor, and the all important “Vibe” or gut feeling you get from him.
Logistics and Location can be a problem for meeting in Person.
Many of our clients are located out of the area and cannot meet us in person before they hire, however we offer alternatives to in person meetings such as conference phone calls between the DJ and the bride and groom. If technology allows we also offer live Skype or video chat sessions where you can actually see the DJ as you interview. And as a final alternative, with our services if the client cannot meet us before they hire we do everything we can to schedule a meeting in person prior to the event. Read the rest of this entry »
Requesting Music from your Wedding DJ with Elegant Event Entertainment
Posted by Jason | Filed under Wedding DJ Advice
We’ve heard horror stories from Brides and Grooms who have been to weddings where the DJs played terrible music, where no one danced, or worse when they knew the DJ did not adhere to the client’s specific request list. Luckily, with EEE, you don’t need to worry about that. As a member of the Los Angeles Wedding DJ community, I am proud to say that our company Elegant Event Entertainment has had great success in playing music for our clients that suit the client’s unique music tastes and keeps the dance floor packed at the appropriate dance times at weddings. This is due in large part to our adherence to the client’s very own personalized music request list which we allow every client to create and provide to us.
Every one of our clients has a personalized Online Event Planner; they can log in from our website and are able to choose as much music as they would like to hear at their event. Using an international database of songs and artists, our Clients can tell their DJ which songs are MUST PLAY, DO NOT PLAY, as well as some additional choices of music that perhaps isn’t found in the database. This information is kept safely in their personal online event planner file for our staff, the DJ, and the client to see 24/7, and both client and DJ can make changes to the list as it’s necessary.
Read the rest of this entry »
Old Ranch Country Club Weddings from a Wedding DJ’s experience with video.
Posted by Jason | Filed under Orange County Wedding Reception Venues
We try to review Wedding Venues in Los Angeles, Ventura, and Orange County as much as possible. After all, the DJ gets to experience a Wedding Venue from the front and back of the house. We get to work with the staff on many levels, and we see what goes on behind the scenes perhaps more than any other vendor.
This month, we’ve featured a Wedding Venue in Seal Beach California, a country club and golf facility in orange county that hosts beautiful weddings as well. On July 31, 2010 our very own DJ Jason Jones of Elegant Event Entertainment was fortunate to DJ a Wedding for Cheryl and Michael at Old Ranch Country Club. This venue is just about a mile off the 405 freeway in Orange County’s Seal Beach area. The scenery is gorgeous, the greens are perfect and the fairways are lush…the water features and mountains in the distance set the perfect backdrop for a wedding Ceremony. The club has recently done a major construction project which includes a brand new Wedding Ceremony site, complete with amazing rock and iron work, and an grand staircase for the entrance of the bride.
The reception hall is enormous, with numerous salons that can be closed off in sections with large air walls, but one entire side of the room features floor to ceiling windows and glass doorways, the length of more than half a football field. If you’re hosting a large wedding, this place is awesome!
The staff was perfect, the food was very good, and the facility was impeccably gorgeous. Let your DJ or MC know that wireless micrphones might have a little trouble at this facility, but if they own a pretty nice mic, they should be able to find a clear channel to broadcast on. The staff all wear radio headsets, which is why they’re so service oriented and attentive, but the radios and the Naval Base nearby will interfere with a wireless mic signal. For the wedding ceremony, it might be best to use a wired micrphone on a stand, then you’re sure to have No Problems with sound.
Otherwise, I’ve included a short highlight video from the wedding we did on July 31 at the Old Ranch Country Club. Mike and Cheryl are of Japanese descent, and you’ll notice lots of Japanese culture influence in this amazing wedding which held over 300 guests and was topped off as a Sports Themed wedding, since the Groom loves the Clippers and Angels, and our Bride loved the Lakers and Dodgers…Of course as the DJ, I had to remain neutral, but at least I am not a Boston fan!
We had a wonderful time at this wedding, and the facility is one of my new favorites in Orange County. If you’re getting married in the OC, go check them out for sure and let us know if you need DJ and Entertainment services.
I hope you enjoy the video.
Bridal Premier Showcase at Westlake Hyatt August 8, 2010
Posted by Jason | Filed under Announcement
Elegant Event Entertainment will be showcasing our Wedding DJ Services at the Bridal Show in the Westlake Hyatt in Thousand Oaks On Sunday August 8, 2010. Doors open at 11:00am. The show is produced by Bridal Premier. Click here for more information.
Come on out to the show, you’ll find many of the top companies in the Wedding Industry there. Come by our booth and let us know you saw this Blog and save money on our DJ Services! We hope to see you there and congratulations on your upcoming Wedding! If you can’t make it to the show, don’t worry, give us a call to schedule a free consultation with our highly recommended DJs. We would love to find out more about your event and help you realize your dreams of a fun-filled and perfect Wedding Reception!
Sincerely,
Elegant Event Entertainment Team.
Small Weddings don’t need Wedding DJ’s…Or Do They?
Posted by Jason | Filed under Wedding DJ Advice
It occurred to me that our Wedding DJ’s seem to be working more and more weddings with smaller guest lists these days. It got me to wonder whether there are more small weddings due to economic hardship, or in fact, if the majority of weddings have been smaller all along. Statistics show that most weddings are of a smaller nature which gives me confidence to know that most of our clients understand the importance of hiring a wedding dj no matter the size of their guest list. If your wedding is of a smaller nature don’t be discouraged, some of the most fun weddings can have 75 people or less, I’ve witnessed it, I’ve been a part of those joyous celebrations!
Now, although a smaller guest list does not necessarily mean a smaller budget, it’s fair to say that the majority of smaller weddings are on a stricter budget than those “pull out all the stops” weddings with 300 or 400 guests. Many Brides and Grooms who approach us are very concerned about their budget, especially if they have a smaller wedding. However, even with a smaller budget and guest list, you need some form of Entertainment! The most obvious and affordable choice is a Wedding DJ. I’ve written numerous articles for our Blog on how to hire a DJ, why to hire a DJ, and so on, but I simply wanted to reinforce that you really do need an Experienced Wedding DJ if you expect the party to be fun, to stay on some type of schedule, and to be handled professionally. The great news for you is, you can afford it! Pricing for DJs ranges all over the place, we’ve talked about it in several blog articles such as our Wedding DJ Pricing article and you’ll see it for yourself if you shop enough places on the web and at bridal shows and magazines. If you’ve got 60 guests coming to an evening wedding in a smaller ballroom or even a garden venue or backyard setting, you want those 60 people to have fun don’t you? Many clients with smaller weddings think they should simply keep it “low key” and just use an ipod or home stereo system to play music throughout the reception, or perhaps worse, they have a friend strum the guitar all night. My question is “who will make important and appropriate announcements to keep your guests involved and aware of things that are happening throughout the event?” The answer is usually “uh? We didn’t think of that.” or “my Uncle is public speaker (translation=teacher/sales manager) and he’ll do it.” My answer: “so your Uncle has to work on your wedding day? How many Weddings has your uncle actually ‘worked’? Or “does your friend have to play guitar all night? Does he have a sound system so he can be heard clearly and does he have microphones for your toasts and other announcements?”
I hope you get my point and that you’ll let your relatives and friends enjoy themselves at your wedding and allow a professional to keep the party moving along nicely without feeling rushed or too “produced”. You also should relish the fact that even though our DJs want you to provide us with a lot of your favorite song requests, you won’t have to try to put the songs in a sequence that flows perfectly and entertains from start to finish, that’s the DJs job and he’ll constantly tweak the music set list throughout the night, which is something you or your guests should not be worrying about! Our DJs have many styles, we can keep it very low key, but always professional and fun, so don’t let your “Smaller Wedding” discourage you from allowing it to be a lot of fun. Oh and by the way, “Fun” does not mean “Cheesy”, our DJs certainly know the difference!
So, whether you have “Religious Constraints” that prohibit or limit dancing or certain types of music, or alcohol, (all of which can be “fun inducers” but are not necessary to have a party) or you think you have “No Dancers” on your guest list (which I highly doubt) these weddings still need someone to play music to serve as a nice accompaniment to the event. You don’t need the smoke and mirrors and crazy lights and confetti blasters that many DJ companies try to sell you, but you will want a professional sound system with microphones for toasts and announcements. And although I wouldn’t use the term “no-frills DJ” you might require a more simplistic approach, a DJ who at the very least will manage the flow of the timeline, play great music in sensible rotations, make announcements and keep the guests aware of the schedule and special events throughout the evening. Let the professionals, not your friends and family keep up with all of those details and your event will be executed perfectly!
DJs provide the soundtrack to the most important day in your life and they carry the responsibility of making sure that everything they are in charge of happens without a hitch, which leaves you and your guests to do one thing: enjoy yourselves! No matter the size of your guest list, consider hiring a DJ, you’ll be very surprised at our affordability and you absolutely won’t regret it. Your guests will thank you and they’ll be talking about how much fun they had for years to come!
Photo provided by Cheryl Ogden
We won an award: Winner of the Bride’s Choice Award for Mobile DJs!
Posted by Chris | Filed under Announcement
Los Angeles, CA – 1/19/10 – WeddingWire, the nation’s leading wedding technology company, just announced Elegant Event Entertainment has been selected to receive the 2010 Bride’s Choice Awards™ for Mobile Disc Jockey Service!
The annual Bride’s Choice Awards™ recognizes and celebrates excellence in quality and service within the wedding industry, as determined by recent reviews and extensive surveys from over 500,000 newlyweds.
Elegant Event Entertainment is among the top five percent of all vendors in the WeddingWire community, which includes over 100,000 wedding professionals across the US and Canada. Awards were given to winners across 19 different service categories, from wedding venues to wedding photographers.
“We are excited to recognize and honor the success of the top wedding professionals within the WeddingWire Community” said Timothy Chi, WeddingWire’s Chief Executive Officer. “The annual Bride’s Choice Awards™ program has given us the unique opportunity to highlight the best wedding professionals in each region as reviewed by brides and grooms who have utilized their services in the past year.”
We are happy to announce that Elegant Event Entertainment is among the very best Mobile Disc Jockey Service within the WeddingWire Network, which includes WeddingWire and Martha Stewart Weddings. We would like to thank our past newlyweds for nominating us for the 2010 Bride’s Choice Awards™.
For more information, please visit our WeddingWire Storefront today at http://www.weddingwire.com/biz/elegant-event-entertainment-inc-newbury-park/df911e0875c68ff5.html
Los Angeles Wedding DJ Prices: What exactly are you paying for anyway
Posted by Jason | Filed under Wedding DJ Advice, Wedding Planning
If you’re planning a Wedding or other Special Event I’m sure you’re interested in how much it’s going to cost. And if you’re hiring a DJ in the Los Angeles area, we know you are certainly concerned with your budget, but we all know that old saying “you get what you pay for.”
In this article, I want to point out some of the factors that influence DJ pricing so you will have a better understanding of how we determine our prices and you’ll realize that we truly can work with almost any budget. We believe having some kind of entertainment is better than none at all, but great entertainment and hiring a great DJ is paramount to the overall success of your event.
First I’ll list the “5 Most Important Questions” a Professional DJ should ask you to help determine your needs. If you can answer some of these questions for us, we’ll know exactly how to price and plan for your event.
5 Main Factors that influence Wedding DJ Pricing:
1. Q: What is the date, time, and location of your Event?
By Knowing these details, we determine which of our DJ’s are available, what type of equipment you’ll need, the level of difficulty of set-up/tear-down, and if we’ll need to asses any other fee’s.
2. Q: How Many Hours of DJ Services do you require?
We build our prices first by determining the number of hours of Entertainment you need. As a rule, Most Receptions are 4-6 hours, Ceremony & Receptions are 5-7 hours.
3. Q: Do you need the DJ for the Ceremony & Reception?
If you require Music and/or microphones for the Ceremony and the Wedding Ceremony is in a different area than your Reception, we will generally need to provide an additional sound system.
4. Q: What is your overall vision for the Event?
Your Event is unique, and we want your vision and personalities to shine through! By knowing the “feel” you’re trying to achieve for the event we can pair you with the perfect DJ to meet those needs. In addition, our Event Planning/Coordination staff can help you locate other vendors and offer great tips to help you achieve your dream of a perfect event.
5. Q: What is your overall Budget for Entertainment?
We believe Great Entertainment is Priceless, but we can custom tailor a package to suit most budgets. Being up front about your budget will save you a lot of shopping hassle.
Read the rest of this entry »
Los Angeles Wedding DJ’s “Top 5 Helpful Wedding DJ Blog Articles”
Posted by Jason | Filed under Wedding DJ Advice, Wedding Planning
Below is a quick list of links to our Favorite and “Top 5 Helpful Wedding DJ Blog Articles” that we published here on our “Los Angeles DJ Blog” throughout 2009 in an effort to help our current and potential clients with the planning of their DJ entertainment. This list should give you a bit more insight about us, and what we can offer our clients. Whether you’re just beginning to search for DJs in Los Angeles or if you’re looking for music ideas for your Wedding, we’ve got you covered! Click the links below that interest you and feel free to browse and read all the articles we post, past, present, and future!
1. Hiring a Los Angeles Wedding DJ? Click Here for helpful hints!
2. Wedding Ceremony Music Ideas- Click Here
3. Bride & Groom’s First Dance Song List. Choosing the “Best” Song for you!: Click Here!
4. Father Daughter Dance Songs & Helpful Hints for Fathers and Daughters Click Here!
5. To Watch Our Los Angeles DJ Services Demo Video Click Here!
And Remember, our Blog is always being updated with Articles, Stories, Reviews of Los Angeles Wedding Venues, Event Planning Tips, Wedding Song Ideas, and so much more. If you need a Los Angeles Wedding DJ, or a DJ in Southern California for any special event, you’ve come to the right place! Please keep coming back and feel free to leave comments on our Blog if something sparks your interest, just type in the “Comments” box and click “Submit Comment.” Happy Planning and Best Wishes!
Click Here to Read the Bios of Our DJs
If you are an experienced wedding DJ who loves working to serve the needs of your clients, 