The Importance of Being Early

As a wedding DJ, I take on a special responsibility for my clients and their guests when I agree to be a part of their day and evening.  I have to not only meet but exceed their expectations throughout the event.  I would not want a wedding professional involved in my wedding who did not have this goal in mind.  Why settle for ordinary when your love, your celebration, and your party are anything but?

I accomplish this with the utmost professionalism and with an attitude that lends itself to the success of the event.  There are countless ways I make this happen: I get to know the bride & groom.  I dress and act professionally at all times.  I use only top-notch equipment and have backups handy, just in case.  I make sure I have all their music on at least three different devices.  And maybe too easily overlooked by some but very important nonetheless- I always arrive early to the venue.  I'm not punctual.  I am early.

It seems simple, right?  Show up well before you are scheduled to play.  Unfortunately many don't strictly follow this rule and their performance suffers.  I do not want the bride & groom, their families, other wedding professionals etc to worry one moment about "Where is the DJ?"  My job is to facilitate the event, to head off problems before they impact the timeline, and to seize opportunities as they come up to make their day even more spectacular.  For me, being early sets me up to accomplish these goals.

Being early, I don't typically have to worry about loading or parking issues, and if I do I have plenty of time to work around them.  Sometimes the layout of a room has completely changed since talking with the clients or venue representative and the extra time allows for innovative problem solving if the new setup is less than ideal.  Power sources and positions for lighting and speakers can be tested and changed so that the set up is optimal.

Arriving early allows me to calm an overtaxed mother of the bride or a nervous groom.  It allows me to meet and get to know the bridal party and officiant and discuss pertinent details of the day.  I can speak with the venue rep, the caterers, the cake people and pick up valuable details while being a calming influence, showing them I will be a productive and cooperative partner in the upcoming festivities. Through this I am making connections that will not only serve me well in this event but in future events as well.

Finally, arriving early allows me to keep my personal stress level down.  I am not watching the clock, hurrying to accomplish something but instead taking my time to make sure that every little detail is correct.  I am a rock for my clients and the other wedding professionals, keeping things level and fun  which only magnifies the vibe of the entire event.

Personally, if I am not at the venue and unloaded an hour before I am supposed to play, I get antsy.  And this is at a venue that is close by and one that I have played before.  If the venue is further away, I always add more and more time depending on the circumstances.  I have to allow for traffic, for weather, for flat tires- basically anything that can happen I need to be prepared for.

In almost 800 weddings now, along with several hundred other events, I have had three close calls.

Once, in Southern California, I was rear-ended on the freeway on the way to a Holiday party. I had to wait for the CHP to come and make a report and even though it took up far more time than I would have liked, I was still at the venue and set up in time for cocktail music.

Another time, up at Lake Tahoe, I arrived early at a beach for a ceremony (the reception was in another spot and I had already set up there).  No sign of the bridal party but the officiant and a dozen family members were looking around, kind of confused.  It turns out they (and I) had been told the wrong beach by the coordinator!  The real beach was several miles away! Being early and inquisitive, I had the time to talk with the family members and officiant and I knew something wasn't quite right.  A quick call to the groom and we were off to the real ceremony site with time to spare.  Instead of "Where's the DJ?" I received gratitude for correcting an issue that would have affected their day.

Finally, the only other time I became worried about my arrival time was a winter wedding up in Incline Village.  It was snowing and I allowed for lots of extra time to get over the pass.  It's a good thing I did!  As I reached the top of the pass under whiteout, 15mph conditions, the road in front of me suddenly cleared up!  I was ecstatic until I drove off the highway into a shallow depression... The clear area was where the snowplow had just turned around. Aargh!  My vehicle wouldn't budge.  I immediately called AAA and awaited rescue. The tow truck showed up 45 minutes later and I had him take me all the way to the venue- I wasn't taking any more chances!  I did not make much that day- the tow charge and the healthy tip cut drastically into any profit but most importantly I was on time and the ceremony went off nicely.  I told my photographer friend what had happened and he laughed because he had passed me as the tow truck was hooking me up but didn't realize it was me.  So even in dire, blizzard conditions I had given myself that extra cushion of time and it had paid off immensely.

So what I am trying to say is a wedding is not a 'gig' or just another job.  It is a sacred trust you are entering into by accepting a contract, and every aspect of your preparation or lack thereof reflects on you and on your reputation.  Being early is one of those things that is well within the control of even a novice event professional, and all the little things you do to prepare add up and make a difference.  Don't be 'on time'!  Be early and your clients and your reputation will thank you.

My expensive hook up :)

Caitlin & Steve at West Shore Cafe with Photography by Monique

For my 100th blog post I couldn't have written about a more fun couple and wedding than Caitlin & Steve's ceremony and reception on Lake Tahoe last month.

Technology is amazing! The first time I met these two in person was on their wedding day yet through FaceTime/Skype we were able to meet several times prior to they Big Day and we really connected, plotting musical selections, timelines- fleshing out the general vibe they were trying to achieve on their day. They have definite musical points of view and we were able to weave these throughout the ceremony, cocktail and dinner hour, and into the dancing. I love it when I can play special songs and create an absolutely unique experience that reflects the bride & groom. The whole day and evening seems to become even more special and magical.

The bridal party enters

A large part of the magic that night was the exceptional group of family and friends gathered in a beautiful forested meadow overlooking Lake Tahoe being served professionally by fantastic servers and bartenders- everything seemed to click perfectly. The venue they chose is fast becoming one of my favorites, the West Shore Cafe & Inn. It is a unique destination that has a myriad of possibilities for weddings and events. There is a gorgeous lakeside restaurant, patio and dock that is also a working Inn so the bride and groom and other VIPs can stay right on the property if they so choose. There is an adjoining grove/meadow that is just shaded enough by some towering pines to make an outdoor wedding and reception a comfortable and gorgeous affair without a need for a tent or covering. Finally they have a bar across the highway where your after party can continue well after midnight.  Add those perceptive, friendly and efficient staff members and you have a stellar venue that is easily one of the best on the Lake.  Throw in some of their fantastic food and drink and you don't need to look anywhere else.

I was particularly indebted to Natalie and Hoke from West Shore Cafe.  Natalie helped coordinate everything and did it with professionalism and a fantastic attitude. Not only does she make all of the guests feel right at home, but also the wedding professionals like me who are just coming in for a couple of weddings a season. Hoke (if I'm spelling that correctly) helped me several times with different issues and was a great example of the type of people that make up the WSC family.

Madeline & Luke

The ceremony site is on the eastern edge of the grove and overlooks the gorgeous Lake. The weather was perfect that afternoon and I had a non-musical role in providing microphones and amplification for the officiants and for the two young guitarists providing the seating and ceremony music. Family members Luke and Madeline provided exceptional background and processional guitar music as the bridal party made their way from the back of the grove to the ceremony area. It is a beautiful walk through the trees to the Lake and to watch Caitlin and her dad come in was spectacular for all present... especially Steve :)

The ceremony itself was presided over by two officiants, David & Eric, who I thought did a fabulous job- serious yet tinged with happiness and fun. They alleviated Caitlin & Steve's nervousness through a bit of humor and you could just tell they were so happy and honored to have been chosen to do this for the soon-to-be newlyweds.  When Steve & Caitlin had kissed and been presented to everyone as husband & wife, Luke & Madeline played them out to much applause and happy cheers.

First Dance!

Monique from Photography by Monique is always great to work with and she soon had various family members posing with the newlyweds while everyone else enjoyed the spectacular views along with equally spectacular cocktails and yummy appetizers. Soon the pictures were done, and I gathered up the bridal party for the Grand Entrance. Everyone came in dancing with a unique twist to TI's "Bring Em Out" and Steve and Caitlin followed and went directly into their first dance, "Dance With Me Baby" by Ben Rector.  Fantastic moment!

BM Kevin leading off the toasts

Caitlin & Steve wanted more of an informal vibe so they had two food stations then open up for everyone, without calling up tables by number or what have you. Everyone enjoyed a delicious dinner at their leisure and soon it was time for the toasts. The best man and brother of Steve, Kevin led off the toasting with a funny yet touching tribute to his brother and his new bride and the same came next from Caitlin's sister & MoH Emily. By the time Caitlin's dad Dave came up, I was thoroughly impressed with how the two families had welcomed and loved their new addition- Caitlin or Steve- and how much fun they seem to have when they get together. Very cool families!

Father-Daughter & Mother-Son Dance

Following the bubbly, Dave and Caitlin made their way to the dance floor to start the Father/Daughter dance. They danced to Adele as I then introduced Steve and his mom Jocelyn who joined them on the floor as "Here Comes the Sun" by the Fab Four started. Soon after that I invited, on Steve & Jocelyn's and Caitlin & Dave's behalf, all the fathers & daughters and mothers & sons up to join them. I absolutely love when the bride & groom do this!  It makes one more special moment that will be remembered the rest of everyone's lives- including the guests and other family in on the most sentimental dance of the evening.  Why have an ordinary reception?  Have a reception that everyone will judge all receptions to follow by.  Including your guests in on certain events is one way to make this happen, and Steve & Caitlin's reception was indeed a reception that everyone will set their bar by.

Dancing then began in earnest and I really enjoyed the crowd. They rocked the dance floor all night. Steve & Caitlin had an amazing dessert bar set up, with brownies, cookies and other goodness and so a formal cake cutting wasn't really done. They also did not throw the bouquet or garter but no one missed it and it was great to make their vision of their day and evening come to life.  After sunset pix and some phenomenal dancing, a surprise that Caitlin's parents Dave and Joanne engineered was sprung on the newlyweds.

I announced over the mic that "we'd lost Kai", one of Caitlin's younger brothers and apparently one who has a history of getting separated from the family. Kai himself then appeared, introduced himself, and then brought his parents and siblings out where they proceeded to do a choreographed dance routine much to the surprise of Caitlin & Steve and the rest of the crowd.  A great surprise and some great dancing!

We danced until 10pm (the usual stopping point for amplified music around the Lake) and then the guests and bridal party migrated across the street to an after party at that bar that I am sure went deep into the night and early morning hours. Such a fun group!

Thanks to Natalie and Hoke and everyone from West Shore Cafe for their hard work and big smiles. Thanks to Monique from Photography by Monique for her professionalism and ease to work with. Thanks to Madeline & Luke for the tremendous job they did with the ceremony guitar music and to Eric & David for their fun officiating.

Finally thanks most of all to Steve & Caitlin for including me in their exceptional day and evening. I had a blast and will remember your wedding and reception for a long time to come. The best of everything, always you two!