Day 21, meet Rick with Bass is Loaded! Mobile DJ!
Champagne: Why do you feel having a good DJ is so important?
Bass is Loaded! Mobile DJ: Because the alternatives are not good! Great DJ’s are remembered for great reasons. Bad DJ’s are remembered for bad reasons. Probably more than any other wedding vendor, the DJ has arguably the most extreme differences in quality from one to the next. Some wedding DJ’s are a few thousand dollars. Some are $40/hour. When the $40/hour DJ sits across from you and tells you they can do the same things the professional DJ’s can do, there is a very clear disconnect that brides & grooms need to look at in more depth. A good wedding DJ can transform an otherwise “ok” wedding to an event that is remembered for a lifetime. A majority of brides and grooms completely underestimate how important a good DJ’s role is in the overall success of the wedding. Guests remember the DJ/Entertainment way more than they remember the vegetables or linens – and studies have proven that. And remember, from DJ’s to pro sports athletes to comedians, the difference between a professional and an amateur really becomes noticed not when everything is going perfectly but instead when there are challenges or imperfections. Bride and groom not back from post-ceremony pictures? How will your DJ handle that? Food not ready as planned? How will your DJ handle that? Other vendors being challenging and difficult to deal with? How will your DJ handle that? Have limited electrical power in the building? How will your DJ handle that? Looking at it this way makes the decision to hire someone good that much more important. If it’s a middle school dance, hire the $40/hour guy. There will always be another dance down the road if something goes wrong. But leave the weddings in the hands of a good, professional DJ. You have one shot at it.
Photo by Richard Roman Photography
Champagne: How do you get people involved in the event?
Bass is Loaded! Mobile DJ: By doing lots of the subtle things, things I called “rapport builders.” Getting connected with guests at an event EARLY makes such a difference and it makes the progression into dancing so much easier. If you can develop a connection and rapport with a group of people as they arrive, as they mingle during cocktail hour, etc…it can create an atmosphere of trust where you don’t need to pressure, don’t need to force people to do silly things, and people’s involvement in the event becomes natural. The role of planning cannot be underestimated here either. Knowing a couple, and their family dynamics puts you ahead of the game. My own personal goal is to have people saying to themselves, “Oh, this guy seems cool, calm, collected, professional, not corny, not self-indulgent, etc.” Much of that will be subconscious but nonetheless at the forefront. The more thoughts like that happen, the easier the involvement becomes.
Photo by Richard Roman Photography
Champagne: How can I know you’re not going to dress up in costumes or dance on the table?
Bass is Loaded! Mobile DJ: Funny question! Yet all too real. Unless you have a good referral, hiring a DJ is often done site unseen. You may not have any idea what your DJ will say & do or in many cases WHO your DJ will be. Definitely dig into the DJ’s public reviews. There’s a very good chance that if a DJ did these kinds of things that the reviews out there would reflect that. On the other hand, there may indeed be couples out there that want to have their DJ wear a costume. It’s ultimately the client’s decision and the DJ’s job to determine what kind of wedding a client wants. Me personally? I’ve never worn a costume or danced on a table in my 20+ years in the industry. If that is what a client wants, I will politely decline the event. Couples should do their homework. Also be sure to ask other wedding vendors what they think of the DJ you’re thinking about hiring. There is a very good chance in any community that other vendors will know EXACTLY what you can expect out of the DJ you’re considering hiring.
Photo by Richard Roman Photography
Champagne: Do you have video of you in action?
Bass is Loaded! Mobile DJ: I have a number of videos available in the FAQ section of my website. A couple of these videos are of me specifically in action, however a majority of my videos discuss things to be thinking about when hiring a good DJ for your wedding. I purposely don’t show a ton of “ME” videos. When you think about it, seeing a bunch of videos of DJ’s in action begs the question, “What does this look like to your wedding guests when a camera is rolling on the DJ the entire wedding?” Surely that DJ will lose focus and the attention that should have been reserved for the bride & groom and their guests is now being diverted towards something external and unrelated to the wedding itself. Hop on YouTube and you will see countless DJ “gig logs” as they call them where some DJ’s assistant or even the DJ himself will point a camera on himself so you can see what he does. In fact, every once in awhile a prospective client will ask if they can come see me at a wedding. My answer to that will always be “If it was your wedding, would you like me to invite some people you don’t know to come and check me out and redirect my focus from you to them?” A wedding is sacred and should never be commercialized. Plus, you can be sure that any videos filmed of your DJ in action will obviously show that DJ if a favorable light. No DJ will ever say, “Hey, sit and watch this video where I stared at my laptop, sent text messages on my phone, ate all your food, and frowned the entire night!” The more useful tool would be to read the public reviews a DJ has. That is hands down more relevant information than any DJ promo video. Any DJ can have a handful of good weddings. You want to find someone who has an impeccable reputation and track record. What does your DJ do when the camera is NOT rolling? That is an even better question. Kind of a long answer to a simple question, but treat your DJ research the same way you would research a hotel or a restaurant. Read lots of reviews, ditch the ones that are extremely positive and negative (the outlayers), and then gauge what the overall consensus seems to be. I do this on a weekly basis to know what my competition is up to, and so I can accurately continue telling potential clients that yes, there are indeed DJ’s out there ruining weddings every single weekend. Videos ARE important…but they don’t paint the entire picture.
Photo by Richard Roman Photography
Photo by Richard Roman Photography
Champagne: What is your favorite part about your job?
Bass is Loaded! Mobile DJ: I love how raw and “live” a wedding is. Unlike a produced event, a wedding is real and fluid. The ability to create a memory is what I live for. And this isn’t to negate how much planning goes into a wedding ahead of time, it’s just that sometimes the best moments in a wedding are off-the-cuff and impromptu. Those are my favorite moments.
And as I suspect with most DJ’s, a love of music is a prerequisite. Whether it’s a beautiful wedding ceremony, or a high-energy dance floor, music creates emotion. I get to have a hand in it.
Photo by Richard Roman Photography
Champagne: Where would you go if you could go on vacation anywhere for a month?
Bass is Loaded! Mobile DJ: My family and I are Disney people. Drop us in Anaheim and we all become children. But for a month? That would probably mean a couple of weeks for Disneyworld, a week or so on a Disney cruise, and maybe another week hitting various theme park/roller coaster kind of places.
Photo by Richard Roman Photography
Photo by Richard Roman Photography
Champagne: Is there anything else you’d like to share with our readers?
Bass is Loaded! Mobile DJ: I get approached weekly by other DJ’s throughout the country and even other parts of the world who watch my channel on YouTube. Last week a guy from Las Vegas closed his very nice email to me with this question…“Do your friends think you are a TAD anal?” My response comes with no hesitation: Absolutely. I think about things 5 times before they happen once. You have one single shot at making this one of the greatest days of your life. There are no re-do’s. No DJ ever ruined a wedding by being early, by being thorough, by caring too much or by planning too much. I feel like I was put on this Earth to do what I do. I love what I do. And at the end of the day, that makes all the difference in the world…
Champagne: Thank you, Rick [Bass is Loaded! Mobile DJ], for telling us more about your company! Make sure to check out his website and become a fan on facebook!
Day 20 of 30: Effesenden Music
Day 19 of 30: Anne Adams Photography
Day 18 of 30: Paparazzi Tonight Photo Booth
Day 17 of 30: Timberline Lodge
Day 16 of 30: hi, friend.
Day 15 of 30: Byron Roe Photography
Day 14 of 30: Francoise Weeks
Day 13 of 30: phresh catering
Day 12 of 30: Carroll Myers
Day 11 of 30: Ryan Ricketts Photography
Day 10 of 30: Floral Designs by Alicia
Day 9 of 30: Domaine Margelle
Day 8 of 30: Crave Catering
Day 7 of 30: Pro Djs Oregon
Day 6 of 30: O’Brien Event Rentals
Day 5 of 30: Lauren Brook Photography
Day 4 of 30: Fleur:ology Wedding + Event Floral Design
Day 3 of 30: Pure Space
Day 2 of 30: Celebrate Life Photography
Day 1 of 30: Paper Bloom
Last year’s 30 days of vendors
What is 30 days of Vendors?
We look forward to seeing you again tomorrow! Thank you for stopping by our blog! Happy Planning!
Cheers,
Mandi, Rachelle & the Champagne team
P.S. Oregon Bride Magazine just opened up the voting for this years “Best Of” issue. Make sure to go vote for your favorite wedding vendors!! We appreciate you all helping us win “Best New Wedding Vendor” last year! We’d love to win best planner this year- one can dream! : )
