I’ve had the incredible Martin Acrobat lights as part of my equipment for several years now and still find them to be the most remarkable, effective and versatile lighting effect for mobile DJs on the market. They aren’t without their challenges though and one of the problems I had from the outset was the original Martin Acrobat bracket. The problem with the original bracket is Read the rest of this entry »

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Increasingly I’m being hired by companies in the capacity of presenter for a variety of events. In recent months I’ve been the Master of Ceremonies (MC) at Silverstream Retreat for the Hutt Valley Chamber of Commerce Business Excellence Awards night, a movie preview for Toshiba where they launched their range of new tablets and performance laptops a couple of Wellington Audio Association meetings. Read the rest of this entry »

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Hiring an average mobile DJ to entertain at your wedding in early 1987 (when I started) typically cost around $400.00. According to the Reserve Bank’s inflation calculator, $400 in wages would be the equivilant of $933.33 in quarter 4 of 2010. This means that based on inflation alone, any mobile DJ providing the same meagre level of service should now be charging over $930. Read the rest of this entry »

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Choosing a first dance song can be a real challenge for many couples. If you are having difficulty deciding on a first dance, here’s a fun idea to add a little bit of mystique to your reception and involve your guests in one of the major elements. Read the rest of this entry »

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Ben & Jennifer's Guard of Honour at Pukehou Church in Hawkes Bay

Picture the moment.

Your celebrant smiles broadly and introduces you proudly to all of your friends and family as newly-weds. Applause breaks out, your chosen recessional music plays and you walk down the aisle as a married couple, followed by your wedding party, family and guests.

It’s a wonderful moment, and one that probably hasn’t factored too highly in your planning, as it’s a given that it will be both emotional and exciting. What could possibly go wrong? What could need to be considered in advance? 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 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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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With the H1N1 Swine Flu now officially a worldwide pandemic, what thoughts have you given to preventative measures at your event or celebration?

Do you have sterilising hand gels in the rest rooms? How about face masks? Imagine, just for fun, a wedding group photo with everyone wearing a mask! What are your thoughts?

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What type of music do they provide and will they play requests?

It’s your party. Will your prospective music entertainer cheerfully accept your musical suggestions? Can they provide a play list with a wide variety of songs that you can choose from? Will they play Read the rest of this entry »

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This is an incredibly novel concept. The amount of work and planning that must have gone into this is frightening, but I have to admit that it’s totally memorable. Read the rest of this entry »

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By MARK HENRICKS, Entrepreneur.com

John Osher has developed hundreds of consumer products, including an electric toothbrush that became America’s best-selling toothbrush in just 15 months. He also started several successful companies, including Cap Toys. He built sales to $125 million per year and then sold the company to Hasbro Inc. in 1997. But his most lasting contribution to the business world just may be a list of screw-ups he jotted on the back of a piece of paper. Read the rest of this entry »

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Take a look!

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Compared with many DJs, my equipment when set up, is incredibly compact and visually discreet. The aim is to not detract from the (usually) beautifully decorated venue with big speakers, lighting frames, cables and other equipment.

When the situation requires it however, I use substantially more equipment than most. Read the rest of this entry »

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How will the DJ you are looking at hiring make YOUR celebration unique? What will they do to ensure that your celebration isn’t just a music playlist variation from every other similar type of event they’ve performed?

If your event is a wedding, this question is all the more important. The couples I’ve spoken with over the last 23 years really don’t want their wedding feeling like a McWedding, or to feel Read the rest of this entry »

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For most people, hiring a DJ is a new experience. What do you need to ask? What are the differences between a great DJ and an average DJ? How can you be confident that you’ll get the entertainment experience you’re hoping for? How can you be sure that the DJ you choose will even show up?!

This series of comments on my blog will hopefully offer you some guidance to narrow down your choice. Once you’ve got a short list, Read the rest of this entry »

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For the most part, I talk with my clients about their celebration and how I can offer ways to help bring it to life while making it unique and fun. I don’t talk much about my DJ gear as it’s really only a tool I use to provide my service and deliver my entertainment, but it’s worth mentioning a few things about it.

Over the years I’ve worked very hard at making sure my DJ equipment fits several important criteria. Read the rest of this entry »

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One of the questions I occasionally get asked by prospective clients is if they can come to one of my events to watch me work. Although I’d love to have my work observed and would love to be able to demonstrate what I can do to help make a wedding or corporate event really special, I obviously can’t invite people to somebody else’s wedding or celebration.

There are other factors too. The entertainment I offer is personally crafted to each client and Read the rest of this entry »

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Garden Weddings

For an informal and very private wedding a beautiful garden is the ideal place to exchange your vows. From Spring to Autumn this is a backdrop to remember.

How about at your own house? Romance is in the air, you love your garden, Read the rest of this entry »

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