Brand New Blog!

Well hello there!  Welcome to my blog.  As one of the Edmonton DJ's plying his trade right now, I have a few things to say, and I hope they can be of help to you.  I'm out there at a lot of weddings, I'm speaking with many other DJ's in the Edmonton market on an almost daily basis, and I see good and bad pretty much every single day.  My company, Advanced DJ Services is committed to excellence in the DJ/Entertainment field, to getting better every single day, and to promoting professionalism in the DJ Industry.

I always try to be positive, so we'll start with the Good:

There are a few companies out there who do this for a living.  These are typically the people who will do the best job for Brides and Grooms, since their livelihood depends on it.  Not to say that some part-timers aren't great entertainers, however, I would personally put my trust in someone who does it every single day; or someone who is a member of the Alberta Association of Mobile Entertainers.  This is an association of professionals (full AND part time) who want to protect people who use DJ's by ensuring its members have proper equipment, music, training, and probably most importantly, licensing and insurance.  It's always a good idea to check for association membership with DJ's you're speaking with.  And, ask about their liability insurance in case of an accident...and whether they have an AVLA License (for every single system that is playing music in a public forum, including your 'private' party.  To get a good look at the rules, and when and where an AVLA license is needed, click here.

The bad?  People who are unlicensed.  Your event can be shut down if an inspector shows up.  Policing happens on a regular basis.  How about non-insured?  What if people are having a good time dancing when a speaker stand is bumped and a speaker falls on a guest?  Is that DJ insured in case someone gets hurt?  Who's going to pay his or her bills if they need time off work to heal?  Always check for liability insurance.  Pirated or downloaded music is illegal as well, another reason to shut down an event.

And, the Ugly: Several times, we've gotten calls from people who paid a deposit with a "DJ" who took their money and disappeared.  There's a few ways to protect yourself from this.  Check that they're a registered business with the government.  Those of us who have registered have been given a GST Registration number.  Always, ALWAYS get the commitment in writing via contract...that way, you have a legal avenue if necessary.  iPod DJ's can be very problematic.  First, iPods are loaded with that person's music choices, not those of all your guests.  If you have 150 people, there will be some very different music choices.  It's probably best to have a library of over 25,000 songs available.

Watch carefully.  Ask questions.  Be thorough.  The reception is a MAJOR part of your wedding day.  Don't skimp on the person who will be entertaining your guests.  It's always good to meet the people behind the Edmonton Wedding DJ company you'll be using, to sign contracts, exchange reservation fee, firm up your details, hold a consultation, etc, etc, etc.  Make sure you're comfortable with the person you're going with. And don't get bullied into committing to someone you really don't want.  The choice lies with you!

Feel free to visit our website at http://www.advanceddj.ca/ to see more information!  I'll be rambling on like this on a regular basis, in the hopes that Edmonton brides and grooms, Edmonton wedding planners and other party planners can learn more!  I'm here to help.

Talk to you again soon.

Tarcy S.
Edmonton Wedding DJ
Edmonton Corporate DJ
Advanced DJ Services