Meet Your DJ

Meet Your DJ

This is a topic I’ve wanted to touch on for several months now, and was unable to find to the words until reading a blog post by wedding marketing expert Andy Ebon titled “Bella Pictures Saga Continues: Next Exit, Bankruptcy Reorganization?”. In this particular blog post, Andy quotes a FAQ (frequently asked questions) from Bella Pictures – a large National photography studio with a less than stellar reputation. The particular language in the section of the FAQ reads like this;

Q: Why can’t I meet my photographer?

A: We do the selective in-person screening for you, which allows us to keep our prices affordable. You will review your photographer’s portfolio and talk with them on the phone, so you will know exactly what to expect.Rather than spending their time in meetings, we allow our photographers to focus on what they do best, which is beautifully capturing the unique, emotional story of your wedding day.

This was Mr. Ebon’s response to such nonsense;

There is no other wedding professional that is more important to meet than a photographer.  For all the images one can see and phone conversations one can have, nothing is more critical than the chemistry between the bride & groom and their photographer.  The FAQ statement is the worst kind of misdirection and double-talk.

I would agree with Mr. Ebon, and add that the wedding DJ is likely as important to meet with and know before the reception, which is why in the past year our DJ company has made a complete shift in our booking practices. Not only do we offer brides and grooms, as well as Bar and Bat Mitzvah clients the opportunity to meet their DJ/MC prior to the event, we encourage it.

The funny thing is, I can understand why Bella Pictures, or any other company would make this claim, and part of it is true – it allows them to keep their prices affordable. By taking choice away from you, the client, they – the company – are left with ultimate flexibility, both in scheduling and in budget. Now imagine buying shoes this way; “We pick your style of shoes for you, therefore we can keep the price down”. No thanks, I’ll pick my own shoes.

If you the customer – whether it be for a wedding or otherwise – allow someone else to make these important decisions for you, you are making a conscious choice to relinquish your power in exchange for the cheapest price. Additionally, I interpret what this company is saying is that they are better qualified to choose what is best for you than you are. As a consumer of goods and services myself, I find this flat-out insulting.

The bitterness of poor quality remains long after the sweetness of low price is forgotten
– Benjamin Franklin

As a wedding and event DJ company, we run into the same sort of situation at times where we are selling against a company that offers a significantly lower price, with no guarantee of who the MC/DJ will be on the day of your event. They will claim that each DJ in their company is of a similar skill level, and therefore they do not assign a specific DJ personality until closer to the event.

Somewhere, somehow, if you want an unbelievably low price, there is always some sort of sacrifice or compromise.

At Cutting Edge Entertainment we offer both; Disc Jockeys of equally excellent skill level, and the opportunity to meet with that individual DJ prior to booking. As Mr. Ebon said about the client-photographer relationship, we believe the same to ring true of the DJ.  Any DJ company that denies you the opportunity to know who the DJ (or Photographer) will be the day of your event, does not have your best interests in mind.

-Craig

DJ Brain Illustration by Sean Gallo

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