DJ Richard Mills

This is NOT me!

One of the most common requests from any mobile MC & DJ’s prospective clients is the question asking for a quote for a price for a 4 or 5 hour wedding entertainment package. In my early years as a mobile DJ, this wasn’t a problem, because I really didn’t do much more than turn up on the day and play music for that time frame. I may have found out a few basic details, such as the timing of the finish of dinner and the first dance song, but that was about it. Read the rest of this entry »

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About 15 years ago, I was like most DJs in my market. I only charged around $500 for an event and other than finding out the most basic details, such as the venue and start/finish times, I really did no show preparation at all. For weddings, I’d know the couple’s first names and the song that they wanted for their first dance, but that’s all. Read the rest of this entry »

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I’ve seen a lot of these fake microphones popping up again, so I thought I’d post this as it’s good consumer advice. It also applies to the Sennheiser brand and presumably others, although I don’t have pictorial evidence of them. Read the rest of this entry »

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I was reading comments from a British DJ on a UK DJ forum today. At the last wedding he entertained, he was getting ready to play the first dance for the Bride & Groom. He got the song queued up, prepared the following song also, checked that the couple were ready to go, then announced the first dance. Read the rest of this entry »

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I’ve had a spate of enquiries lately from couples wanting a quote before talking or meeting with me. I find this very difficult because my service isn’t a ‘five hours’ type of service by any measure. I’m often on site from a couple of hours before the ceremony until half an hour after the finish of the reception. 14 hour days aren’t uncommon. Price isn’t an easy thing to discuss without an understanding of value. Read the rest of this entry »

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Last night, my fellow Hutt City Chamber of Commerce members and I gathered at Petone’s old Empire Hotel in Jackson Street. Although I’d heard it had been refurbished, I was still not expecting much, as for many years it had languished Read the rest of this entry »

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Jonathan Saunders from Sutton, United Kingdom asked me on my Facebook page the following in response to this post;

2 questions for you Richard.
1. What age do you see yourself DJing till?
2. Do you think if you didn’t look like an Hollywood actor, Read the rest of this entry »

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It’s this time of year when I’m putting the final touches on the last couple of weddings for the season. I like to take stock of the memories of the celebrations past, the wonderful people I’ve met and the enjoyment I’ve helped create. I think about what I’ve learned, what I could have done better and what went very well. Read the rest of this entry »

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Every now and then I’m genuinely pleased that I’ve paid attention to the little things that sometimes go wrong at weddings.

Take today for example. Read the rest of this entry »

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The first quarter of 2010 has been incredible for me. I’ve enjoyed DJ and MC work literally all over the country and have clocked up some astonishing kilometres in my car.

Because I need to take my gear with me, it’s most convenient to drive to my events. When choosing a vehicle for my work, I had to take this into consideration. Read the rest of this entry »

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In a recent blog post, Andy Sernovitz said the following:

We’ve been hosting our email with the same company for 10 years. It’s been rock-solid, with the occasional problem Read the rest of this entry »

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What a fascinating season year it’s been already been. I’ve been fortunate enough to entertain clients and their guests in some of the country’s most beautiful locations and there’s more still to come before winter hits.
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For the second consecutive year, I’m honoured and extremely proud to have been nominated as a finalist in the 2010 Corporate Events Guide People’s Choice Awards in the classification “Best Nationwide DJs & MCs.

I was delighted to win this accolade last year, thanks to the support and wonderful comments from my previous clients and other event professionals who I had worked with over the year.

Please vote for me- the button is below.

Corporate Events Guide Peoples Choice Awards Nomination for Entertainer DJ

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A few months ago I was fortunate enough to purchase an extremely compact data/video projector for an extremely reasonable price. I had the intention of using it to play video footage that I occasionally get asked to present at my client’s events. Read the rest of this entry »

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The recent acquisition of a Honda EU10i portable inverter generator was a long-time coming. For years I’d wanted to have a generator so that I had the ability to provide beautiful sound virtually anywhere that my clients required it, Read the rest of this entry »

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I read this recently and thought it sounded like a HUGE, yet amusing challenge for the Groom-to-be and his entourage:

Stag will be wearing a full wedding dress with a veil all day Read the rest of this entry »

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It’s a sad fact of my industry that there are many operators who don’t seem to place much importance on the appearance of their equipment relative to the celebration and the venue. I attend weddings all over the country (and a few overseas) and I see how much effort Read the rest of this entry »

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Will your DJ have back-up equipment in case of an emergency?

Even professional equipment can fail on occasion, so it is important to know whether your DJ has extra components, or hopefully another entire sound system available to them. Often only the top-end professional DJs invest the extra money to ensure that everything works on your event date and backup systems are in place. Read the rest of this entry »

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The purchase of a new Honda EU10i portable inverter generator (known in America as the Honda EU1000i) now offers the ability for me to supply music and announcements virtually anywhere. Read the rest of this entry »

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Many of you will have seen this already, but it’s such a fun clip that I thought I’d link it for your enjoyment once more. I do love it when couples put some preparation into creating something fun and memorable for their reception. Enjoy!
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On the evening of Friday 6th November I was the Master of Ceremonies for the auspicious Hutt Valley Business Excellence Awards. These awards recognise Read the rest of this entry »

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The Corporate Events Guide People’s Choice Awards honour New Zealand companies that have excelled in their field of expertise over the last 12 months. Now in their fourth year, the Corporate Events Guide People’s Choice Awards Read the rest of this entry »

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In a recent news story I read how in Australia, Austereo radio listeners will be able to control what is being played on air in real time and even nix bad song choices as they are playing in a radical new experiment that blends online and traditional broadcasts. Read the rest of this entry »

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I’m sitting in a 737 waiting to take me to Auckland. It’s already been a big day, as I worked last night until 1am at the Turoa Ski Lodge in Ohakune, which was a three hour drive from Wellington airport.

I’m to be the Master of Ceremonies for the two bridal fashion parades and I’m looking forward to it very much. Lisa runs a great wedding expo and it will be a huge day. I’m planning to offer a few nuggets for brides attending to help with the planning of their big day. Should be fun!

I’ll be flying back home this evening for some much-needed catch up sleep!

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What kind of equipment do they use & what is their technical expertise?

Determine if the DJ uses today’s professional technology. You are paying money for a professional and they should have modern, well maintained, quality equipment and know Read the rest of this entry »

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Here’s a tip for you to help with planning your wedding ceremony, whether it’s in a church, marquee or garden. Signing the wedding register in New Zealand (unless it’s been partly completed in advance) usually takes 5 minutes or more. That’s Read the rest of this entry »

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It came to my attention recently that there is a DJ operating in the lower North Island who has a conviction (and spent time in prison) for an abhorrent indecent assault on a female guest after an event. Another DJ in New Zealand had a complaint of alleged inappropriate behaviour levelled against him when he was a scout leader.

I realise that these are isolated cases, but it got me thinking about ethics, morals and scruples and it prompted me to get in touch with the Ministry of Justice to get a letter confirming my own clean criminal record. Read the rest of this entry »

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I recently received the following email:

“We are paying for our wedding ourselves so have to stick to a tight budget so therefore can’t afford a professional DJ = (. But was wondering if you offer a service where u can create a playlist for me Read the rest of this entry »

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Can you meet with the DJ personally?

Does the DJ you’re considering tell you anything about themselves in their website or advertising, or are you hiring an unknown? Most people would like to know a little about the person who will be entertaining at their event, particularly if it’s a wedding, and a face to face meeting is the best way Read the rest of this entry »

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