There are times in life when you wish to be specific about the people you trust. Most people are uncomfortable going to a Doc in the Box instead of their usual, trusted personal physician.
People develop similar relationships with their dentists, hairdressers, car mechanics, and babysitters.
So when the day comes that you decide to get married and hold a grand event for all of your family and friends, you naturally want to hire quality personnel. They will be the people ensuring that your day is flawless.
Hopefully, you have done your homework so that your caterer, photographer, florist, and DJ will be good choices to ensure that your day is happy, and memorable.
No one wants a caterer who runs out of food, flowers that wilt, a photographer who can't focus, or a DJ with the personality of Ben Stein.
So, when you hire these folks, naturally you interview with them, look at their past work, contact former clients, and check them out thoroughly on the internet. Right? RIGHT?
"But I'm on a budget!"
To a degree, we're ALL on budgets. The current economy has tanked, so everyone out there is looking to get the most for the least. Please remember that the most expensive service provider does not automatically mean they're the best. Just like the least expensive doesn't automatically mean they're no good. The secret is to find the right balance between the two.
For example, there are "big name" places that offer package deals for weddings. They will offer you a DJ and a photographer in one very cheap package. I used the word "cheap" on purpose. These places are often not locally based, and hire people on-contract to carry out the work. To grab a quote from the movie "Armageddon":
"Hey Harry, you know we're sitting on four million pounds of fuel, one nuclear weapon and a thing that has two hundred thousand moving parts built by the lowest bidder. Makes you feel good doesn't it?"
Here's the main problem with these places: You normally hire them 6-12 months in advance. Within that timeframe, these photographers and DJs realize that working for peanuts isn't paying the bills, and they move on. This means that the photographer and DJ, whom you may have already checked out, may not be the same one(s) to actually carry out the job.
Check out this complaint about one such company online ( found on ripoffreport.com). The bride had hired one specific DJ, who bailed before her wedding and a substitution was made (which is common for these big companies). She had specifically asked that no sexually explicit songs be played at the reception, as there were to be many religious folks there:
"During the recption, the following songs were playing: Baby Got Back, Hot In Herre and the like. I had to tell (name of subbed DJ removed) at one point to turn off the song he was playing. After the wedding, I had to call several guests and apologize for the sexually explicit music that was played at the reception."
Did you catch that? The bride had to apologize to her guests at her wedding!
With the exception of the caterer, there is NO training or licensing required to become a DJ, florist, or photographer.
That's right. A guy with an iPod and a Mr. Microphone can become a "professional DJ".
A guy who picks daisies from his back yard can become a "professional florist"
and a guy with a camera phone can become a "professional photographer".
Spend a few hours researching before you write that deposit check. It could make the difference between this:
Here are some great resources for your research:
www.ripoffreport.com
www.complaints.com
www.complaintsboard.com
http://www.bargaineering.com/
Good luck, and happy wedding planning!
People develop similar relationships with their dentists, hairdressers, car mechanics, and babysitters.
So when the day comes that you decide to get married and hold a grand event for all of your family and friends, you naturally want to hire quality personnel. They will be the people ensuring that your day is flawless.
Hopefully, you have done your homework so that your caterer, photographer, florist, and DJ will be good choices to ensure that your day is happy, and memorable.
No one wants a caterer who runs out of food, flowers that wilt, a photographer who can't focus, or a DJ with the personality of Ben Stein.
So, when you hire these folks, naturally you interview with them, look at their past work, contact former clients, and check them out thoroughly on the internet. Right? RIGHT?
"But I'm on a budget!"
To a degree, we're ALL on budgets. The current economy has tanked, so everyone out there is looking to get the most for the least. Please remember that the most expensive service provider does not automatically mean they're the best. Just like the least expensive doesn't automatically mean they're no good. The secret is to find the right balance between the two.
For example, there are "big name" places that offer package deals for weddings. They will offer you a DJ and a photographer in one very cheap package. I used the word "cheap" on purpose. These places are often not locally based, and hire people on-contract to carry out the work. To grab a quote from the movie "Armageddon":
"Hey Harry, you know we're sitting on four million pounds of fuel, one nuclear weapon and a thing that has two hundred thousand moving parts built by the lowest bidder. Makes you feel good doesn't it?"
Here's the main problem with these places: You normally hire them 6-12 months in advance. Within that timeframe, these photographers and DJs realize that working for peanuts isn't paying the bills, and they move on. This means that the photographer and DJ, whom you may have already checked out, may not be the same one(s) to actually carry out the job.
Check out this complaint about one such company online ( found on ripoffreport.com). The bride had hired one specific DJ, who bailed before her wedding and a substitution was made (which is common for these big companies). She had specifically asked that no sexually explicit songs be played at the reception, as there were to be many religious folks there:
"During the recption, the following songs were playing: Baby Got Back, Hot In Herre and the like. I had to tell (name of subbed DJ removed) at one point to turn off the song he was playing. After the wedding, I had to call several guests and apologize for the sexually explicit music that was played at the reception."
Did you catch that? The bride had to apologize to her guests at her wedding!
With the exception of the caterer, there is NO training or licensing required to become a DJ, florist, or photographer.
That's right. A guy with an iPod and a Mr. Microphone can become a "professional DJ".
A guy who picks daisies from his back yard can become a "professional florist"
and a guy with a camera phone can become a "professional photographer".
Spend a few hours researching before you write that deposit check. It could make the difference between this:
And This:
www.ripoffreport.com
www.complaints.com
www.complaintsboard.com
http://www.bargaineering.com/
Good luck, and happy wedding planning!
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