WPIC

Tips on Hiring a Wedding Band

Photo Source: God Made Me Funky

Written by: CEO of Fusion Events, Arthur Kerekes, WPICC

Arthur Kerekes comes from an entertainment background and started his career playing in wedding bands, specifically Juno nominated Toronto Powerhouse God Made Me Funky.

Face it you’ve probably never hired a band in your life…and chances are you never will again after the wedding. So what makes a good wedding band? It might be very different from what makes your favourite bands like U2 and Arcade Fire good. When hiring a wedding band remember that if you want a truly successful event with a packed dance floor all night you need a band that is versatile! Just because you love the Rolling Stones doesn’t mean that a tribute band is the answer. Of course you will want a band that can play some of your favourite songs and artists but you also want to entertain your guests…..don’t forget about the other 100-150ppl in attendance. They don’t all have the same tastes as you.

The first step to hiring the right band is sourcing out your best options. Wedding planners and your venue can be a good place to start as they have experience working with all kinds of vendors. The next logical choice is to ask around and see who your friends have been using. Keep in mind though that you maybe don’t want the same band as all of your friends. Will there be a lot of the same guests at your wedding? The next place to look is the internet. In 2011 90% of brides will book all of their wedding vendors using the web. If a band does not have audio and video samples on their website, or even worse, don’t have a website that raises serious red flags. Any good professional wedding band should have a website with audio and video. If they don’t even have a myspace page which is free and easy to set up they are not worth wasting your time and money on. I would suggest searching google and youtube and watching videos of bands on their websites and compiling your top 5 choices.

The next step is contacting the bands. First send an email inquiry and see what their initial responses are. Do they respond right away, the next day, 3 days later? This may give you some indication as to their level of professionalism. Do they call you on the phone? If they email you what information did they provide? How the potential bands respond might give you some idea as to who is right for you. But before you make your decision make sure you do 2 things. First speak to the agent, manager, or band leader (depending on who handles their bookings) in person on the phone and make sure the band is available for your date. If they are have them hold the date and give you the right of first refusal. Do they sound like they know what they are talking about? Are they familiar with bands repertoire, band members, set up etc? Second, find out when they are playing and ask to see the band live before you book. If the band has no upcoming gigs for the next 3months are you sure you want to hire them? Most professional bands work 12months a year however keep in mind that January through to March can be slower than the rest of the year.

Here are some helpful questions to ask your potential wedding band whether it be a duo or full orchestra:

1. Is our date and time available?
2. How many events did you do last year?
3. Will you book any other events on the same date as our wedding?
4. Have you worked at our venue before?
5. Can we see a video of you playing at a wedding?
6. Can you provide references?
7. Can we see you perform live at an upcoming wedding?
8. Will you be our musician on the day of?
9. What is the instrumentation of the group?
10. Do you have any additional people with you that are not in the band?
11. What do you normally wear to a wedding?
12. Will you wear attire specified by us?
13. What is your fee structure?
14. Do you have any package options and if so what are they?
15. How many hours does your price include?
16. When does the time start (when you arrive, set up, or start)?
17. Do you charge for Travel.
18. Can we extend the hours on the day of?
19. What are your overtime fees?
20. How many breaks do you require?
21. Do you provide recorded music during breaks?
22. What type of music do you specialize in?
23. Can you provide your complete songlist?
24. Do you take special requests that are not on your songlist?
24. Do you bring everything you need to perform and is it included in the price?
25. Do you provide lighting?
26. Will you act as emcee?
27. How do you motivate the crowd?
28. How many years have you been in business?
29. What insurance and permits do you have?
30. Do you have references we can contact?
31. Do you use a contract?
32.What is your cancellation Policy?

There isn’t one right answer for any particular question but at least now you have some idea as to the kind of questions you should be asking. Ask the right questions. Be informed. Most importantly feel confident in the person you are dealing with (as they may not be in the band themselves) and feel totally confident in the band as a unit. You will have seen them in action and loved them before handing over a deposit. This could be one of the single most important decisions you make about your wedding reception. If everything is perfect from decor to food but the entertainment is bad everything else that was good will be instantly forgotten. So do your homework and good luck!!!

WPIC Featured Wedding Planner of the Month:

I've had the pleasure of working with Mike Coombs from Prodigy Entertainment a couple times in the past few years.  I was so excited when one of my most recent clients told me they have known Mike for years and he was their DJ for their November 6^th wedding in Vaughan.   

 

Mike started in the wedding industry at the young age of seventeen.  He worked for a small DJ company who had brought him on board to cater to their younger clients.

Mike has always collected music and "just wanted to be a DJ” so he did it!

Since 1992 Mike has been known as DJ Prodigy and in 2001 he registered Prodigy Entertainment as a business.  He came up with the name while flipping through the dictionary to get ideas.  When he landed on “P”, Prodigy was the first word he saw and it stuck!

When Mike got tired of his “real job”, he quit to be a full time DJ.  The first time he attempted to make the switch he had no plans and ended up going back to work within the year.  The second time around, he was more successful and was very careful with forecasting his income in order to take care of his family and his business. 

He listened to his heart, made the plan and did it and shut out all the people who said he was “nuts”.

Mike decided to take the WPIC Course to get some letters behind his name.  He was already writing the itinerary for the night’s events, and at the time, there weren’t too many wedding planners around.  He was the first DJ in Canada to become a Certified Wedding Coordinator and held the title for about two years until others caught on.  Mike says, “Being a certified wedding coordinator gives DJ’s a real feel for the overall wedding process and how as vendors, we have to come together as a team to make the couples day perfect!”  I couldn’t agree more!

Mike has played in many of Toronto’s hottest clubs, for major celebrities and on the radio.  Mike has set himself apart from other DJ’s by taking voice lessons and improving his public speaking through Toastmasters.  He is one of the only DJ’s that can MC an event and beat-mix exceptionally well.  This combination is almost non-existent in Toronto’s Wedding Industry. 

Mike makes each wedding a unique occasion for each couple.  He writes personalized bios for each couple and their bridal party and considers their musical tastes and selections during the planning stage. 

Mike gives each couple the personal attention they deserve. 

Mike confessed that the best part of his job is seeing the bride and groom and all their guests having a great time from the moment they enter the room to their last dance.  At the time of his interview with me, his favourite song to play is “Dynamite” by Taio Cruz.  Seeing everyone on the dance floor throwing their hands up in the air is a great feeling, the place goes nuts!

 

Rockin’ Through the Ages

by Guest Blogger, Sinead Irvine, WPICC

I am sure we have all been to weddings where we hear older guests frustrated and saying. “I don’t know how young people dance to this music”. Weddings are meant to be a celebration for ALL your guests so customize your wedding reception music to ensure that all your guests are having a good time. 

One way to ensure that the dance floor is packed with a large variety of your guests is to move through the various generations of music throughout the night so that you target the musical taste of the majority of guests whether they are 18 or 88. 

Start off the night by playing music that appeals to your oldest guests. For example if you have some seniors guests (like grandparents, ect) play music early in the night that they are familiar with. These people likely grew up listening and dancing to music like Frank Sinatra, The Beatles and the Righteous Brothers. Start off the night of dancing with this music so they are pleased. These older guests will likely be the first people to leave the wedding so they will probably leave the reception after they have had some time on the dance floor with their favorite tunes. Younger wedding guests often find “oldies” fun and entertaining to dance along to- so the dance floor will likely start off full of teenagers, baby boomers and seniors all having a great time! 

Next hit the baby boomer generation with the music they are used to dancing too. This group of people (likely the parents of the couple and their friends/ aunt/ uncles, ect) would probably enjoy dancing to music like Elvis Presley, The Beach Boys and the Temptations. Play this type of music for them as they probably haven’t been to a function where the music is catered to them in a long time! It’s always fun to spend time on the dance floor with your parents and older relatives. 

The next generation to hit is people in 30-45 age group. These guests likely grew up listening to music in the 80’s and are very familiar with Michael Jackson, Madonna, Bon Jovi, ect. Playing music from their generation will help trigger old memories and is often fun for friends who are celebrating together at your wedding who don’t often get to see one another. Songs like “Girls Just Want to Have Fun” may bring back memories of college days and create a lot of laughter among friends. 

Once midnight hits the people that are likely left to be found on the dance floor are people in the 20’s and early 30’s. This is the time where you should have your DJ play current top 40 music that older guests often find frustrating and difficult to dancing too. 

It’s important when planning your wedding (or a wedding for someone else) be sure to spend some time thinking about the people that will be at your wedding and the music that will get them moving. Set up a timeline of the evening and the age groups and generations you would like to hit. Meet with the DJ and devise a plan that will work for your guests. 

An example of this would be: 

9:00-10:00pm-50’s/ 60’s Music 
• Hound Dog- Elvis 
• Twist- Chubby Checker 
• La Bamba- Los Lobos 
• Unchained Melody- Righteous Brothers 
• My Girl- Temptations 
• Surfin’ In the USA- Beach Boys 
• Chapel of Love- The Dixie Cups 

10:00-11:00pm-70’s Music 
• Copacabana (At the Copa)- Barry Manilow 
• Knock Three Times- Tony Orlando 
• Cecilia- Simon and Garfunkel 
• Do You Think I’m Sexy- Rod Stewart 
• Dancing Queen- ABBA 
• Macho Man- Village People 
• Wonderful Tonight- Eric Clapton 
• Old Time Rock and Roll- Bob Segar 
• Sweet Home Alabama- Lynard Sknyrd 

11:00-12:00pm- 80’s Music 
• Kokamo- Beach Boys 
• Lady in Red- Chris DeBurgh 
• Sunglasses at Night- Corey Hart 
• Like a Virgin- Madonna 
• Faith- George Michael 
• 9 to 5- Dolly Parton 
• Billie Jean- Michael Jackson 
• Girls Just Want to Have Fun- Cyndi Lauper 
• Loco Motion- Kylie Minogue 
• I Think Were Alone Now- Tiffany 
• Livin’ On A Prayer- Bon Jovi 
• Don’t Stop Believing- The Journey 
• Pretty Women- Van Halen 
 
12:00-12:30pm- 90’s Music 
• My Heart Will Go On- Celine Dion 
• Turn The Beat Around- Gloria Estefan 
• Mmmmbop- Hanson 
• Hold On- Wilson Phillips 
• Barbie Girl- Aqua 
• Mambo #5- Lou Bega 
• Spice Up Your Life- Spice Girls 
• More Than Words-Extreme 
• Good Riddance- Green Day 
• Lighting Crashes- Live 
• I Would Do Anything For Love But I Won’t Do That- Meatloaf 
• Together Again- Janet Jackson 
• Livin La Vida Loca- Ricky Martin 

12:30-1:00am-Most Current Music• Current top 40 hits 

This method of “Rockin Through the Ages” and playing the most appropriate music at the most appropriate time will not only ensure that the dance floor will be bopping all night long, but the guest will be leaving your event feeling very happy (and exhausted)!!!!!

Top 10 Questions to Ask a Professional DJ

by Guest Bloggers, Dan Forbes and Laura Forbes, WPICC, of Sounds of Distinction Entertainment

We recently attended a CPDJA (Canadian Professional Disc Jockey Association) meeting where this piece of material was discussed. (It is currently being handed out at most wedding shows).

 We had to share this with everyone because it is so dead on. When you are finding quality venders for your clients or yourself, why settle for anything less than these professional standards. There are hundreds of companies out there to choose from, please do your part in assuring that they are able to meet these guidelines.

Carrying the industry requirement in licensing and insurance should be a minimum standard. A contract/written agreement is an absolute. Never sign up with a company that cannot give you such a guarantee for any service booked. Another great thing to ask your DJ is if they have won any awards or have any extra recognition that they have earned.

While we were at this meeting, another DJ approached me and said, "Hey, I lost an event to you last week." I already knew this as my clients had spoken about the other DJ's that they were interviewing. I responded "I know that I have lost events to you in the past also, and I would rather lose them to another professional DJ then one of those other guys."

We firmly believe that competition is needed in every business; it keeps the industry up to certain standards. We just wish that all the competition was meeting these standards set in place by associations like CPDJA and CDJA. Every year we take dozens of last minute inquiries because; a DJ company will not return calls or e-mails, they have disappeared over night, or they simply forgot about the event and booked something else. We have even received calls from couples who have booked a DJ and just before the Wedding, they were given a call to say that something better has come up, so they can either pay up or miss out. No professional company would ever act in such a manner.

Do yourself a favour and when interviewing potential DJ's for your upcoming event, use this as a guideline for who you would like to work with further. Make sure they hold the proper AVLA licensing as well as full liability insurance. (Ask to see proof, verbal is not enough). You will be saving yourself time and grief. You will also be doing your part in keeping the standards up in an ever changing industry.

Our Irish Wedding Adventure ~ Bridal Fair in Dublin (Post 1 of 12)

by Danielle Andrews Sunkel

Once Tracey Manailescu, (Vice President of WPIC), and I (President) knew we were going to Ireland to look at Wedding Destinations, we decided to look for any Wedding Shows that would be happening around that time. Since we would be focussing our Wedding Tour in Northern Ireland, we thought it would be great to fly in and out of Dublin in the Republic of Ireland and see what the south had to offer. 

We took the opportunity to visit local vendors at The Bride of the Year Show taking place at the RDS (Royal Dublin Society) which was founded in 1731, and is a great venue for Weddings itself. At the show, brides were greeted by a Piper.  This show was packed and had lots to offer the many people in attendance.  

The usual vendors were there: photographers, cake decorators, chocolate fountains, decorators, planners, etc.  Many beautiful venues came to show their sites, including venues from France, Italy, Portugal and Spain.  

Some of the not-so-ordinary, included an aisle runner company, called Wedding Runner, that customizes woven carpet for the Bride and Groom and an incredible fabric company, Fabric Select with the most extensive and amazing fabrics imaginable!   

For couples wanting to add true Celtic entertainment to their wedding, Celtic Rhythm employs 88 of Ireland's best dancers who have performed with Riverdance, Lord of the Dance and Celtic Tiger.  Shows typically last 35 minutes and feature 5 dancers.  The company promises a standing-ovation-worthy performance at every wedding.

A Cake Baker/Decorator which stood out to us was Amazing Cakes these unique cakes were truly works of art!  They tasted amazing too ;)

    

Another unique vendor at the show was Fun Foto Imaging.  They will set up a little studio at a wedding and guests get to have their faces superimposed on the famous figure of their choice.  I of course was superimposed on Anna Nicole Smith and Tracey got her face on Kylie Minogue (pictures not available, LOL!)  This would be great fun for the wedding guests and serves as a cure and unique Wedding Favour.

 

Another vendor that would provide "Wow Factor" to weddings is Sweet Look Chocolate Pyramid Stands.

  

Another thing that really stood out to us cynical, veterans of the industry, is that Canadian Wedding Shows could (and should!) learn from the Choreographer who made the Fashion Show fun and best of all, interesting!

In-house Sound Systems

By Guest Blogger, Micahael Coombs, WPICC of Prodigy Entertainment, and President of the Canadian Professional Disc Jockey Association

Michael has won the 2008 & 2009 "Best Wedding DJ" Awards from the Canadian Wedding Industry Awards

This past week I had the opportunity to speak to a number of DJ's and Band Leaders about an issue that is causing ruckus throughout the Live Music and DJ industry, and will effect some of you directly as well.  The In-house sound system.

Over 3 years ago I was doing a Wedding for over 300 people.  I gave them probably one of the best introductions that I have ever done and then hit play on the venues CD players.  "Blip".  The song didn't play.  So I hit it again.  "Blip".  The song still didn't play and after repeatedly hitting the worn button, the song finally came on.  Only after having 600 eyes turn to me in disgust having screwed up the Bride & Grooms grand entrance.  And all this could have been avoided, if the equipment the venue forced my clients, and I, to use was not only up-to-date, but well-maintained.Over 3 years ago I was doing a Wedding for over 300 people.  Everyone was seated and I was conducting the introductions for the Bridal party.  The crowd was ecstatic and having a blast!  Cheering, clapping and whistling; it was an amazing atmosphere!  After the Maid of Honor and the Best Man came dancing into the ballroom, it was time for the Bride and Groom.

Over the last few years I've seen many venues install in-house DJ systems, where the DJ or Band has to plug into the existing system, or from a DJ stand-point, not bring in any equipment at all.  Now like anything, there are pro's and con's to this arrangement, and I can understand why some venues do it.  Aesthetics would be a main reason.  Having speakers hidden in ceilings, under stages etc. looks great!  However, the DJ should be allowed to bring in their own "console" and plug into the in-house set-up.  With the amount of different CD players, MP3 units and computer DJ programs on the market that DJ's are using, trying to force every DJ to use archaic and worn-out, run-down DJ systems, and having their clients pay for it is a travesty.  Again, would you tell a Band that they can't use their own instruments, but have to use instruments supplied by the venue?  No.  So why enforce it on DJ's???   

When you're looking at a venue that supplies its own sound system, here are a few things that you should ask or be aware of:

1) Will there be a tech there all night in case something goes wrong?  If being forced into using an in-house system, there should be a tech on-site to handle any issues that may arise.  Not a phone call away, ON-SITE! I was at an event last year, where the MIC had to be turned up for speeches and no one on the staff knew how to do it, or even where the mixer was???  And there was no tech on-site to fix the problem.

2) Is there an additional fee if your client was to bring in their own DJ to use the in-house system and not the in-house DJ service?  Some venues will charge well over $500.00 to allow an "outside" DJ into the premises.

3) The DJ should be allowed to bring in their own DJ console and plug into the house system.  Most venues will allow this, however you may have to push a little.  It's like telling a photographer that they have to use someone else's camera to shoot the wedding.  Yeah, right.  If you wouldn't force another vendor to use unfamiliar gear, then why a DJ? If you want the DJ to do the best job they can, wouldn't you want them to feel comfortable with the equipment they are using?

4) What's the Back-up plan???  I've heard more stories this past week of in-house sound systems going down in the middle of Weddings and Special Events than I could ever imagine.  And when it does, all the venue can say is "sorry".  If you are being forced into using an in-house system, ask what their back-up plan is in case it goes down?  If they tell you that it has never gone down and not to worry, find another venue.

5) What will it cost???  Some venues fail to inform the client of how much the sound rental is for the evening.  Then a month out, they get a bill for anywhere between $500 & $1000 that they didn't know about.nice!  Get the cost up-front so you know what your dealing with.

So, when using a venue with an in-house sound system, please keep the above items in mind and ask lot's of questions.  Ultimately, you want all your vendors to perform to the best of their abilities and be comfortable in their surroundings.  You don't want any vendor to screw up because they are unfamiliar with what their forced to work with.  You can't repeat a Wedding, so why take that risk?  Be sure that the DJ knows what their getting into and be sure the venue will allow them to bring in their own "instruments" for the sake of making your party as exciting and stress free as you have envisioned it!