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Below are some
of the most frequently asked questions to our DJ and Photograhy services and
thier respective answers. Click on the Question to jump down the page to the
appropriate answer.
For questions about our other services or questions not answered below please
contact us.
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How many weddings have you photographed and/or
DJed?
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What happens
if you get sick or some tragic event happens in your life, do we have a
backup?
-
Is it possible
to have two DJ's or Photographers at my wedding?
-
I need help planning my wedding. Is this
something you do?
-
What do
you wear to a wedding?
-
How many
people will come with you?
-
How early do you arrive before you begin?
-
What
is the payment schedule?
- What
happens if my payment is late?
- What
is the cancellation policy?
-
Do you need to be fed at my wedding
reception?
-
How
many breaks to you take, and how long do they last?
-
Do
you sub-contract your work out?
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Do
you smoke?
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Do you drink?
-
Do you need a microphone or CD Players?
-
Do you need a draped table for your DJ setup?
-
Are there any special needs for your DJ
equipment?
-
Is it possible to get a DJ demo CD?
-
Do
you use any dance lighting?
-
Can
you act as my Master of Ceremony?
- How
do I know if you have the kind of music I like? How much music do you have
to choose from?
-
Can you send me a paper copy of your music list?
-
As a DJ what sort of "performance" do you put on?
-
Why do your rates for DJing start at three
hours?
-
May I see you DJ at another wedding?
-
Will you play music requests made by me
or my guests?
- Q: How many weddings have you
photographed and/or DJed?
A: I lost track a while ago, but I've been in the business
for about 6 years now.
- Q:
What happens if you get sick or some tragic event happens in your life,
do we have a backup?
A: YES! There are DJ backups with experience at the ready through the American
DJ Association. Photographers are on call throught the Professional Photographers
of the Greater Bay Area. You will NOT be left stranded witthout music or a photographer
at your wedding!
- Q:
Is it possible to have two DJ's or Photographers at my wedding?
A: Absolutely! There are several people that I work with regularly with that
could also come in if necessary.
- Q: I need help planning my
wedding. Is this something you do?
A: Absolutely. Generally this is something that I provide
as your DJ and any DJ should provide this. I don't mind doing it
as your photographer as well if you'd like me to. I can sit down with
you and walk you through a typical wedding and help you plan out your timeline
exactly how you want. I also regularly work with many other vendors, so if
you'd like a referral, just ask.
- Q: What
do you wear to a wedding?
A: As a DJ I wear everything from a tuxedo to slacks and a button up shirt.
If I'm the photographer I usually wear black slacks and a white shirt. However,
in either case, I'm perfectly happy to wear whatever sort of attire you request.
- Q:
How many people will come with you?
A: I perform and do setup and breakdown by myself, unless I am providing DJ and
Photography services for you. In that case, I bring another person or two to
help make sure you get uninterrupted DJ and photography coverage. Occaisonally
if the venue has a lot of stairs or has an otherwise difficult setup I'll bring
a helper along as well.
- Q:
How early do you arrive before you begin?
A: I generally arrive about 90 minutes before I'm scheduled. If I'm DJing, I
take about 60 minutes for setup. If I'm doing Photography I usually just walk
around to scope out the scene. I like to allow this extra time to make absolutely
sure that I am ready when I said I would be.
- Q: What is the payment schedule?
A: A 50% non-refundable deposit is due when you
book services through Make Weddings and the balance is due 10 days
before your wedding reception. This is done to avoid the awkward
situation of asking for payment the day of the wedding. The bride
and groom have more pressing issues on their mind than to make sure
that I am paid! For photography whatever is purchased in advance
falls on the same schedule. For anything purchased after the wedding
payment is due at the time of the order. Please
read our "Payment
Terms" for complete payment policies.
- Q: What happens if my payment
is late?
A: A late fee of $50 will be added for all final
payments that are late. Bounced checks and credit card chargebacks
will incur a $50 processing fee and may also be subject to late payment
fees. Please read our "Payment
Terms" for complete payment policies.
- Q:
What is the cancellation policy?
A: Events cancelled are subject to the loss of the retainer except events cancelled
within 30 days will be subject to a 100% cancellation fee due to the likelihood
that I would not be able to re-book that date in such a short period of time. Please
read our "Payment Terms" for
complete payment policies.
- Q:
Do you need to be fed at my wedding reception?
A: It's up to you but certainly not a requirement.
.
- Q: How many breaks
to you take, and how long do they last?
A: I generally don't take any breaks unless you want
me to. (For example if you have a band that's switching off with myself as
your DJ.) The only other exception would be if nature calls. As your photographer
I'll probably break during part of dinner as there usually isn't much to
photograph during this time.
- Q:
Do you sub-contract your work out?
A: I NEVER send someone to cover your event for me. However my partners
DJ Amar, Kenda Mastain, and my live musicians are technically subcontractors,
not employees. I am and have been an independent Service since 1999.
Once you contract Make Weddings, I am the only person you deal with
except where necessary in planning.
- Q: Do
you smoke?
A: No. I don't mind if you do, but I don't.
- Q: Do
you drink?
A: Normally, I don't drink at all when I'm performing
at a wedding. Once in a while, if I'm specifically invited to share
some champagne or something, I might have a little. But just a little.
And never without being asked.
- Q: Do
you need a microphone or CD Players?
A: No.
I have a full complement of professional DJ equipment including 4 CD players
3 mics and everything else I could possibly need.
- Q: Do
you need a draped table for your DJ setup?
A: No,
I can bring all my own tables and everything else I need to give you a clean
and professional setup. However, if there is a draped table available it's
one less thing for me to bring.
- Q: Are
there any special needs for your DJ equipment?
A: No,
I just need one plug, two (on different circuits) if extensive lights are
being used.
- Q: Is
it possible to get a DJ demo CD?
A: Unfortunately
I had to discontinue this service because people have such widely varied
taste that I can't possibly provide one for every potential client. However, I do want you to have
an honest opinion and view about me and the services I offer. To that end,
many past clients have graciously given me permission to use them as references
available on request.
- Q: Do
you use any dance lighting?
A: I normally bring at least a little lighting
just to dress up the stage. By request I can bring all manner of lights
to make the dance floor really come to life. Most of the time however,
lighting at a wedding takes away more than it adds, so I don't recomend
it.
- Q: Can you act as my Master
of Ceremony?
A: Absolutely. This is included as part of the
DJ service that I offer if you want it (most people do).
- Q:
How do I know if you have the kind of music I like? How much music do you
have to choose from?
A: I carry about 5,000 - 10,000 tracks from the 50's to the present to every
wedding. However I own closer to 20,000 and continue to add at least 60 new tracks
every month! You can search through the the music list on-line here. If you don't
see something just ask, I'll be happy to pick it up before your wedding.
- Q: Can
you send me a paper copy of your music list?
A: Yes I can. Unfortunately, printing and shipping
costs require me to charge $75 for this service but I am more than
happy to do it. I do however normally send a free copy of the top 200
songs of the year and recommended songs for each of the bridal dances.
FYI, the full list if you want it is currently around 300 pages long
with about 60% of my titles included. I bring my copy to consultations
as well as the actual wedding for guests to make requests.
- Q:
As a DJ what sort of "performance" do you put on?
A: This is your day, so I try to keep the spotlight on you, not me. I'm generally
pretty low-keyed, keeping my focus on playing the music that you and your guests
enjoy for listening and dancing, and making any announcements that help to keep
the day running smoothly. Of course, if I see that a little encouragement might
be helpful and you want this, I'm always happy to offer games or encourage your
guests in other ways to get involved in some fun.
- Q:
Why do your rates for DJing start at four hours?
A: I actually put in many more than four hours for each wedding including a
preliminary site visit, driving time, setup and breakdown etc. plus I only perform
at one wedding on a given day. Since I can only count on working 4 Saturdays
a month I need to start at this level to be able to survive.
- Q: May I see you DJ at another
wedding?
A: I'm sorry, but I just can't allow this. I would
feel very rude asking to invite a stranger to such a private event, even
for a short stay. But I'm happy to have you talk to my references. Many
people also ask about seeing me perform elsewhere, but I work 95% at weddings.
So if there is a public event available, I'd be happy to let you know
but don't count on it.
- Q: Will you play music requests
made by me or my guests?
A: Of course! I always bring a printed list of songs so your guests
can browse the list and select anything they like. As long as it fits within
your discussed musical preferences, I'll be happy to play it.
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Frequently
Asked Questions
