Bronx DJ Entertainment News

Well folks, as we eagerly await for winter to break, we have arrived at that time of year when we begin the long and arduous task of planning, setting, and of course, selecting the people that will ultimately make our once in a lifetime event come into fruition. The key to a successful event is to focus on your priorities first (the must haves) from the “extras.” In doing so, you’ll be more at ease with the “extras” which may help you to keep within your budget.

One area that should be given an extra thought is your selection of your musical and event director. Now you are probrably saying to yourself “what is he talking about.” I am simply talking about the DJ. He is after all managing the flow of music (Cadance), controlling the appropriate pitch of the music and if he’s a good DJ, directing the event as you have instructed him/her to do. All while making the proper announcemnts as MC for the event as well as coordinatiing the proper timing of the event as well.

Music for a house party with your buddies is one thing. Your Wedding Reception with guests of all ages and tastes requires whole different menu of music. The DJ you give the controls to will be one of the most important choices you make for the success of your once-in-a-lifetime day. Even the cocktail and dinner music can be good, bad, ok… or AWESOME and add lots of sparkle to the atmosphere.

The dilemma you face is that you’ll be able to know what your cake, wine and food will taste like or what your dress, location, flowers and table settings will look like… but despite any promises, sales pitch, price, website, video or music lists, you will not know what the end results from your DJ will be until you live it. Choosing a good DJ is tricky and crucial.

After taking calls from 1000’s of brides-to-be I’ve found that most don’t realize how different the end results can be from different DJs and how many DJs advertising are amateurs. It takes more knowledge and talent than ever to be a truly competent Wedding DJ. Music is the key to your day’s success, but a great DJ also emcees your intros, toasts, first dances, cake, bouquet and garter events. Do you want a pro who does it smoothly and friendly, or an awkward or overly theatrical amateur?

There are fewer and fewer real pros developing because of the vast historical knowledge required, and lots more amateurs than ever advertising because of how easy it’s become to acquire equipment and music libraries. If you hire an amateur, there is a high probability your wedding will be musically choppy, inappropriate or narrow, always fishing for momentum…. and ultimately, a long, boring drag for everyone. Have you been to a wedding like this?

I find that most Brides-To-Be ask only about the price! They assume that ‘all DJs are basically the same’ or that a DJ ‘just plays music and it’s not that hard.’ Making these assumptions and choosing without asking crucial questions can potentially ruin your wedding day.

Hire only a long-time, full-time, career DJ who specializes in Weddings. The best ones are working for themselves and making a living at it because they’re good at it. Ask the Event Managers, Caterers and Photographers for references because they’ve seen them all.

Big caution: DO NOT hire a DJ from an agency with whom you haven’t talked to and/or met with personally first. If agencies typically charge BIG bucks and pay their DJs $15-25/hr, what do you think the actual value of the talent will be that you’ll get at your Wedding? A really good professional DJ would not settle for what an agency typically pays.

Put the DJs you interview on the spot! Pick some of your favorite older artists and ask the DJ to quick name 3 songs by them and test the depth of their knowledge a bit. You’ll find it very revealing to compare how the different DJs you interview respond. Hire the person that knows their stuff and you feel is most honestly passionate about their job, not just trying to close the deal.

Remember, the music will make… or break… your day!

Good luck, I hope you have one of the most wonderful days of your life.

It is very essential to have the right wedding Dj at your reception party in order to create the perfect ambiance. But then most people get confused when they have to decide whether to hire a live band or a wedding dj for the event. Both have their pros and cons, you have to decide which suits you best. Wedding Bands Pros ” It is definitely true that there is nothing like live music. Live music can energize the people and really pull them to the dance floor. ” Chances are the sound quality will be better compared to what is being played by disc jockeys. Cons ” The cost of hiring a live band can really play havoc with your budget. They will cost probably 3 or 4 times more than the cost of hiring a disc jockey. ” The wedding band might be proficient in playing one genre of music and might not be comfortable in playing something else, or worst case they might not be able to play it at all. ” There are many wedding music bands that play at only one volume and that being loud. If you have a small hall for your venue, the sound might get too loud for comfort. ” Musicians however good and professional will definitely need to take rest. They can not play for more than two hours at a stretch. The gap is generally filled in by playing a CD, but this creates a sudden lull in the party and can actually at times ruin the mood by breaking the tempo and flow of the party.

At a fun-filled, smooth-flowing wedding reception, there is a certain energy that develops and intensifies as your guests experience the facility you’ve selected, the menu you’ve planned and the entertainment you’ve chosen. Phoenix DJ Billy James offers ten tips to energize your wedding reception.

1. Dim the lights when it’s time for dancing. Soft lighting during dinner creates a more comfortable atmosphere. Dimming the lights after dinner will motivate your guests to dance. Determine the desired lighting levels for dinner and dancing when you meet with your reception facility’s coordinator. Consider light levels that will compliment any candles you plan to use. Ask that your lighting preferences be included in your contract with the facility.

2. Don’t let photographs dominate your day. Select a photographer who has the professional skill to capture your special moments efficiently and unobtrusively. Don’t be held hostage at your own reception by a photographer who will dominate your time with lengthy photo sessions while your guests become restless. Choose a video company willing to use comfortable lighting unless you want your guests to be squinting and covering their eyes throughout the reception.

3. Place your DJ next to the dance floor and avoid sharing facilities. Avoid seating guests between your DJ and the dance floor. Placing your DJ adjacent to the dance floor maximizes your DJ’s ability to control the sound and interact with the dancers. Be wary of situations where the dance floor is in the next room or access is not convenient for your guests. Also, avoid facilities where you must share an area with restaurant diners or other parties. Such arrangements almost always generate requests to lower the volume, which will diminish the energy of your reception.

4. Make sure your DJ has a reception planning form. Traditional reception events such as the grand entrance, toast, special dances and the bouquet/garter toss must be carefully coordinated. A professional wedding DJ should have a comprehensive reception planning form with suggested music. If the DJ you’re considering doesn’t have one, find a DJ who does.

5. Invest quality time in planning your Grand Entrance. The Grand Entrance sets the tone and establishes the energy for the entire reception. Work closely with your DJ and Catering Director to stage a Grand Entrance that reflects your style and personality. Decide who will participate, where they will assemble and in what order, where they will go after being introduced. Clarify pronunciation of names, determine appropriate introductions for blended families and, of course, select the perfect music.

6. Do the formal toast immediately after the Grand Entrance. At no other time during the reception will your guests be more attentive and focused. Your DJ should provide a wireless microphone to allow the toast to be given by the best man directly from the head table. Decide if you want others, such as parents or friends, to propose additional toasts. Let your Catering Director know when you plan the toast to allow for timely pouring of the chosen beverage. Also, consider welcoming your guests following the toast. Your guests are still attentive and focused on you and the microphone is available. This is an excellent but often overlooked opportunity to share your thoughts and feelings and thank your guests for attending.

7. The First Dance - don’t wait forever to do it and don’t do it forever. One of the special moments of the reception is the bride and groom’s first dance. Having your first dance after the grand entrance, or right after dinner, is a great way to start the party. Don’t delay your first dance to visit with your guests. Doing so will deflate the energy of your reception. You’ve selected your favorite ballad, but that five-minute song may seem like an eternity both to you and your guests. Have your DJ fade out the song at a designated time if it lasts more than a few minutes. All of this applies as well to the newlyweds’ dances with their parents.

All of the planning is now behind you. You’ve made the walk down the aisle, proclaimed your love, and exchanged glistening gold wedding bands. Congratulations, you are now man and wife. Now it’s time to kick back, unwind, forget all the stress and celebrate the day at your reception.

What to expect

First, the photographer may want to take a few more pictures at the church or wedding site. After that, it’s off to be greeted by family and friends who have come together for your wedding day. Don’t be surprised to receive an enthusiastic welcome as your DJ and Master of Ceremonies announces your grand entrance. It’s one of the things they enjoy the most. And for the next few hours it will be your DJ’s job to lead the festivities, play the music that is important to you and your guests, and keep the reception running smoothly. Music is in fact one of the most important and memorable parts of a reception. Reception guests seldom remember the color of the linen, or even the cake, but they almost always remember the music, especially if the DJ did a great job.

Who Coordinates the Reception?

The main reason wedding couples choose a Professional DJ with many years of wedding experience as opposed to lower cost DJ Services is that the selection of music a Professional DJ can play spans across all ages and tastes instead of just what the lower cost DJ likes to listen to. But aside from the music, your DJ will also act as your Master of Ceremonies to help maintain the proper flow during the reception. A good Disc Jockey Service will coordinate with your photographer to get all the right pictures for your wedding album. They will also work with the rest of the professionals (Videographer, Banquet Staff) during your event to ensure everything runs smoothly. So while you may be thinking of hiring a DJ just for the music, remember at your personal meeting with your DJ & Master of Ceremonies, it is important to discuss not only the types of music you want, but which events you will be doing and their desired order. These would include such things as the cutting of the wedding cake, the toast, and the bouquet toss. A Professional DJ will also work with you on individualizing your wedding at this time. Your DJ should want to know what exactly you envision for your wedding. One couple may want a low-key elegant event, while the next may want a high energy party atmosphere. If your DJ wants to tell you how your event will run instead of the other way around, then they actually are not interested in working with you. Every wedding is unique and your DJ should treat them as such.

Before your DJ plays the first song at your event, do you know what he (or she) has done to prepare for your event? The common misconception is that a DJ shows up, plays for 4-5 hours, then goes home. What most don’t realize is the experience the DJ has from previous events, as well as the time he will dedicate to planning your event prior to playing the first song.
What you don’t know about a professional DJs preparation may surprise you. A professional DJ usually has experience with your type of event because he has performed at several of these events in the past. You are gaining his experience (and mistakes) that allow your event to be better than the previous one. In most cases, these subtle differences impact the overall success of your event.

Preparing for your event may include meetings. These meetings allow your entertainer to better understand the vision you have for the outcome of your event. During these meetings your entertainer should ask many questions about you and your guests. The more your entertainer knows about you and your guests, the better chances he has for creating a successful party as you have pictured it.

Organizing your music may sound like a simple task. You probably figure most DJs use the same music at each event. However, each client has specific desires for the atmosphere they want to establish with music. Your DJ may need to reorganize his library, add additional selections, or even find music you have requested which is not in his library. The success of your party involves providing the right mix of music you and your guests will enjoy.

You most likely will never see the work involved in setting up the DJs sound system. Maintenance of a professional sound system is often minimal. It is the quality of professional equipment which will deliver sound quality you can enjoy at your event. A professional DJ will most likely show up 1-3 hours prior to the start of your event. Setting up, testing the equipment, and performing sound checks make for the start of a great party. When you walk in to your venue, you will notice the decor is all in place and your DJ entertainer is setup, dressed for your event.

Your DJ provides much more than just the music at your event. Because he met with you, he understands your vision. He has designed the formalities as you requested. He will perform as Master of Ceremonies, making announcements, working with your other vendors, and keeping the sequence of events flowing. While all this appears polished, it is due to the time invested prior to playing the first song. A major portion of the success of your event rests in the hands of your chosen DJ entertainer.

To most professional DJs, your event is similar to the Oscars. You are the stars of the evening and they will help you plan, coordinate, organize, entertain, and program music. Because of your DJs experience at similar, previous events, meetings, music research, and other training, your event will most likely occur as you have already imagined it to be.

When researching your entertainment choice, evaluate the importance of your DJ. Your investment in your entertainment will contribute more to the overall success of your event than you realize (until afterward). A professional DJ will care about the success of your event and will invest a great deal of time into creating the atmosphere you have imagined. While you may think your DJ “just plays music”, it is his experience, talent, and expertise that will deliver the reception of which you have always dreamed.

Make your event a fantastic success, find the “right” DJ for your once-in-a-lifetime celebration, instead of the one you may have found at the best price!

Hello Folks,

It’s been quite some time since my initial and previous posting. With never ending things to do, I sometimes wish that there were many more hours in a day. In any event, I hope that all is well with everyone.

Well, I am excited to report that on August 29, 2009, I had the pleasure of DJing for another wonderful couple who tied the knot. The event which was held at Kelly Ryan’s in Riverdale, New York, went extremely well. The crowd was energenic, bubbly, and fun. ( I wish they all were this way).

In getting to know the couple, I later found out that the groom was a New York City firefighter, and that some of his collegues were to be at attendance during the wedding reception. Then I just thought (sometimes this can be risky, LOL), what if I were to call upon them to lift the bride up on a chair after we do the “Congo Line”. So, just as I thought about it, I executed the idea. Much to my surprise, the risk paid off tremendously. The crowd cheered on as the firefighters lifted the bride to the tune of party music. Immediately after they put her on the ground, the groom placed himself on the same chair and once again, his collegues lifted him in the air. After being lifted three times to the tune of the music and with the crowd cheering on, he leapt from the chair and unto the dance floor. It was great! (see video).

As the party started to wind down, Anthony Morales (The groom), shouted out ot me to get my attention, and as I turned and looked, he gave me a thumbs up and stated, “that was great!”
“Wow” I said to myself, the risk paid off.

Once again, as I previously mentioned, it is not the money that drives me. It is however the fun crowds, the thumping of the music, and most importantly, it is the “thank you” from the people that hire you that is more satisfying to me than the money gained. Believe me, it feels good to do a good job where people are actually approach you and state ” Man, I thought you were family the way you were interacting with us” as one of the party goers stated to me during the same event. Or, as a family member who acted as the bartender for the evening stated to me “good job, very good job” as he winked and walked away. What they all realized that evening, is that once I get into the music, and once I feel the crowd, I truly do become a part of their family.

At this time, I think it is only appropriate to thank the FDNY who were at attendance during Anthony and Moniques’ wedding reception. Without you folks, my idea would have been just an idea and perhaps nothing more. But because of you guys (men and women alike), You added something different to a tradition called weddings. To that I say thank you. And to all of you who still think that all djs are the same, I would seriously think twice before selecting a dj based upon that theory. -Until next time.

Welcome to our new blog. It was created to keep you informed of all past and future events as well as getting your take on the comments left below.

As of this writing, I am sitting on a beach surrounded by turquoise waters sipping Presidentes. That’s right, I am in the Dominican Republic gathering some great underground Reggaeton Music to be added to my collection of great mixes. There’s no question that some R&R was my initial quest flying down here but I just couldn’t help myself when I was introduced to this great music. I fell right into DJ Mode again.

So far, it has been a great summer. After completing a couple of duo events in one day, I must say, that it all went well. In fact, Mr. & Mrs. Eastern and Dezerey Smith just rewarded me with a 4 Star review on Eventective.com, after I hosted and entertained their beautiful wedding at the luscious & beautiful Chateau La Mer situated on the waters off Long Island-simply breathtaking scenery, on Saturday, June 27, 2009. ( See wedding video on my site). That was followed by Brittney Leon’s sweet sixteen held at the Sanz, in the Bronx.

While my day started at 9am for the wedding, and closed at 3am the following morning for the sweet sixteen, I felt extremely rewarded for the work that I did as well for the wonderful post party comments received from the party revelers. This is truly what it is all about. The satisfaction of receiving positive comments after completing someone’s dreams on a positive note.

I must say that many still believe that monetary compensation is what motivates people. I on the other hand, truly receive my just compensation from the good work and positive comments that often follows. For those that really know me and my professional career out side of my passion as a DJ, You know that I do not DJ as a means of support but rather as a means of carrying my love of music and the gathering of people.- Together, the satisfaction is addicting.

Please feel free to offer comments on anything relative to DJ, Music, People, and Fun. All comments will be welcomed. This is it for now. I am due back in NYC on July 21, 2009 to help get my birthday party started for July 26. For those that can make it, please stop by and say hello at Columbus 21. I’ll be at the reserved area. It was suppose to be a surprise but when I received an engagement for the evening, everyone decided to tell me so that I show up; and I will be there after 1:00 am.

Also, I have 3 events coming up in August. I have a Sensual Eighteen event as well as another Duo event on the same date- Saturday, August 29, 2009, I’ll be DJing 2 weddings on this date, as well as another wedding (still Pending), on the friday evening before…. Things are begining to heat up!!

By the way, check out Brittney Leon’s Sweet Sixteen Photo montage Video I produced from photos from her event. I usually take from 200-300 photos of every event that I entertain and follow up with a video of the photos. To date, there has been no complaints and most say that they are nice surprise. It appears that most had a great time there. The crowd was upbeat, lively, and fun.- Just the way I enjoy them…..More to follow. Peace and Love..always,
DJ Larry Love
Brittney\'s Sweet Sixteen Photo Montage of her party