Frequently Asked Questions

Nightlife Entertainment
South Jersey's Premiere Wedding
Disc Jockey Service

Your Subtitle text

Here are some statistics, myths and facts, and answers to commonly asked questions that will help you in choosing the entertainment that is right for your wedding. Even if you don't use us, we want you to make an informed and educated decision, not just a shot on a dartboard. If you don't see an answer that helps you, simply email us and we will be glad to help you!

Did You Know??

- 72% of all brides say they would have spent more time choosing their reception entertainment.

- Almost 100% say they would have spent more of their budget on their entertainment.

- 65% of all couples that chose a band to entertain at their wedding said that if they had it to do over again, they would have chosen a disc jockey.

- 81% of guests say the thing they remember most about a wedding is the entertainment.

- During wedding planning, Brides say their highest priority is their attire, followed by the reception site and caterer - reception entertainment is among the least of their priorities. Within one week after their reception, 78% of Brides say they would have made the entertainment their highest priority!

- Statistically, the things guests remember most after leaving a wedding are:
#1- Quality/Presentation of the Food
#2- Ambience
#3- Music/Entertainment
#4- Apparel
#5- Quality/Presentation of the Cake

Statistically, the things guests remember the least are:
#1- Favors
#2- Flowers
#3- Staff/service

- The average bride spends 2 days (total) choosing her entertainment. The average bride spends 3 weeks preparing her favors.

- The average cost of a band in 2008 was $3600. The average cost of a DJ in 2008 was $943.

Facts and Myths about DJs:

Myth- The DJ you heard at your favorite watering hole is the DJ you want for your wedding.
Fact - The DJ you heard at your favorite watering hole is great for your favorite watering hole. However his wedding experience may be limited. You should consult a wedding professional before you commit to your favorite bar guy. Plus, your grandmother may not be a big fan of Salt-n-Pepa's "Push It". While it's a great song, it may not be appropriate at a wedding.

Myth- Any DJ can play a good wedding.
Fact- Many DJ's find themselves in a niche situation, where they do mostly one type of work. Some work bars, some work nightclubs, other work private events. Be sure of your DJ's area of expertise, and don't be fooled by a big company that does "everything". Your Aunt Mary doesn't care about mixing skills or bling. She just wants good music to dance to.

Myth- MP3's are just as good as CD's, therefore I can use my I-pod for my wedding.
Fact- You could never be so wrong, sorry. With the advent of computer performance software, many DJ's use MP3's as their support format. Picture this - You have a large poster on your wall, you get it scanned into a file and set it as your desktop on your computer screen. Looks great. Then you take a picture of that desktop and enlarge it to a billboard-size picture for your friend. Full of holes and broken lines. That's what happens when you take a song and make it into an MP3, It gets compressed into a tiny file. This is fine for earbuds or even a home stereo system, but when you use it in a broadcast situation like a large room full of people, i.e., your wedding, the music sounds like a duck quacking underwater. If you see a DJ performing using and I-Pod or MP3's, you should consider another company.

Myth- I need to get my DJ from a bridal show.
Fact- Ever been to a bridal show? A thousand bridezillas in a room trying to get to the big-name companies before the swag runs out. The fact is, the only people who benefit from big bridal shows are the host venues. They charge an arm and a leg for companies to be there, and then they charge you to get in the door. These costs are only rolled into your cost, when the value of the service isn't being increased with the price. It's like if your corner gas station suddenly raised the price of gas to $7 a gallon, and simply changed the sign out front. You're still getting the same gas, it just costs more. Those pushy salesmen are also rolled into your costs. They are usually just that, salesmen. They are likely not going to be DJing your wedding. Beware of gimmick lines like, "We only have one slot left for that date, book us now!" or "Why shop around when you have the best right in front of you?"   Feets, don't fail me now! These are sales pressure tactics to get you to commit to something you may not want, or that may be something different than what you think you are getting, before you realize its too late to get out of it.

Myth- The more I pay, the better the DJ I'm going to get.
Fact- You couldn't be more wrong, again, sorry. The sad fact is that many larger companies and "House DJ's" work off of kickbacks ,commissions, and incentives, which all get rolled into your cost. Others have lavish storefronts and staff overheads that only add to your costs. Weddings are a mobile service that goes to your venue. You aren't going to be introduced to your guests as husband and wife in someone's storefront! The best DJ's usually work independently, and can still be competetive with industry standards. Many venues offer a DJ with your catering package. This is usually presented to make you think you are getting a better price for a DJ. However the difference in cost is usually incorporated into a hidden fee that you don't see until it's too late (do you really know what an ASCAP fee is?). Then you end up paying more for a DJ you may not know, like, or want. Buyer beware.

Myth- My friend has a turntable, he can do my wedding for much cheaper than you.
Fact- Yes, he probably can do it much cheaper than we can. However, he is most likely not a trained professional, which is ever-crucial to making your wedding a success. Plus, that turntable may have been sitting in his basement for 15 years collecting dust. I've heard more horror stories from brides who did this and regret it for the rest of their lives! Most people only get one shot at getting married, let your friend do your backyard barbecue. Shave a cost somewhere else (do you REALLY need $10000 worth of fresh flowers which will be dead in a day, when silk ones are 1/3 the cost and they last forever?), and get a Professional DJ!!

Frequently Asked Questions

Here are some items and ideas you should consider before choosing your DJ:

1. Do you use professional equipment? Can I see/hear it?
    There are pictures of the standard equipment setup on this website. All equipment and music are meticulously maintained and serviced to provide you with the best quality sound possible. Consultations can also be arranged free of charge for a sound demonstration, where you can see the setup, hear a voice, and hear the professionally engineered sound.

2. Why should I use your service, when my reception hall recommends another service?
    Often times, reception halls will recommend a service or vendor that they have worked with in the past. Most of them are very good at what they do. They wouldn't be recommending them if they weren't. The thing to remember is that they are recommending a service that is good for the hall, and not necessarily what is good for you and your party. I've seen instances where vendors pay halls a finder's fee for recommendations, which can be substantial. This only gets rolled into your package price, and costs you more money, unnecessarily. You will get a good performance from them, but it will be just that - good, maybe a little run-of-the-mill. Be sure you are getting what you want before you let someone else make a decision for you, especially the choice of entertainment.

We at Nightlife Entertainment take the time and effort to meet with you and combine our experiences with your dreams to make your wedding reception an event to remember.

3. Have you ever played in the hall where my reception is located?
      In our extensive experience in the business, we have played at most of the major halls and venues in the area. However, many brides make the sad decision to discard a service that may otherwise be a great match with their crowd over the shear fact that they've never played in that particular hall. This is an area that is far too often over-emphasized in planning schemes and "checklists". A true professional can identify his role in any atmosphere almost immediately upon entering the room, even if it's the first time he's been there. The trained professional carries all the necessary equipment to be able to adjust to any situation, i.e., extra extension cords, long speaker wires, mic cords (for when the wireless mics pick up the local college radio station), table feet for outdoor events, and the list goes on! Don't rule out anyone on the shear fact that they've never been to a particular venue. Logistics is the responsibility of the professional, not you!

4. What kind of music do you play?
      Our music library is comprehensive from the 1940's through tomorrow's up-and-coming stars. We cover a large variety of genres from pop, modern & classic rock, country, disco, funk, R&B, Hip-hop, house, freestyle, oldies, big band, jazz, and many others.
      Weddings generally require a broad diversity of music to complement your guests' tastes. We carry a large selection of music, so that we can do our best to provide something that everyone will enjoy and appreciate. Plus, our Interactive Agenda gives you the opportunity to make sure we have all the music we are likely to need for your wedding.

5. Do you play requests? Can you help us choose the songs we want?
    We always take requests. In fact, we encourage them. Our goal is to entertain your guests, and taking requests from your guests provides a guide to making the most of the reception time. With our new Interactive Agenda, you can create a profile where your guests can log in and add their favorite songs to the playlist. This way we have every request before your wedding!
     Requests often are the biggest headache for a DJ. Often times, guests present requests for songs that are known dance floor killers. A particular guest may like a song, but it may be something only a handful of guests will enjoy. Playing these types of songs can be a party-goer's worst nightmare, since it detracts from the overall experience of being at the party. While we do encourage requests, they are just that, a request. It is not a guarantee that the song will get played right away, if at all. It's not a dollar in the jukebox. They do, however, give us an idea of what the crowd will enjoy, and a basis for our selection. If the song fits, it gets played. This is where the Interactive Agenda comes in very handy for everyone. We have a pre-determined list of songs that you and/or your guests want, and we can be as prepared to make the best presentation of these songs to keep the party moving and the dance floor full. While we do our best to honor everyone's requests, it is not uncommon for a request to be scrapped.
     We recommend that you set up a consultation time, when we can discuss your "vision" of how you want your reception to progress, and we can cater the music to fit your needs. You can choose as much or as little music as you want.

6. How much time do you allow for set-up and breakdown of equipment?
     Punctuality is paramount to the professionalism in which we take great pride. We generally allow 1-2 hours set-up time prior to your reception. Some larger setups require more time. We like to be set up and have music playing when your first guests arrive.

7. What services do you provide during the wedding reception?
      Our services include, but are not limited to, continuous music coverage, professional M.C., coordination of activities, and, of course, the festivities.

8. I've been shopping around for a while and getting quotes from $400 to $2000 for similar services. Why are your costs so low compared to many other services?

Our prices are low for the simple fact that we try to keep our overhead low. Other businesses carry heavy overhead by constantly attending huge bridal shows, maintaining lavish storefronts, huge staffs and bankroll relationships. These costs are passed along to you, the customer, to foot the bill.

We don't go to those multi-million dollar bridal shows - the only people who benefit from those are the host halls. You fight for a few minutes of a vendor's attention, only to get sucked into some gimmick promotion that will force you to buy something else or is really just their basic service masked as a promotion. We do some smaller shows, but most of our operations are conducted on a face-to-face basis. We never pay anyone else for the right to perform for your reception guests.

We would rather place our efforts on maintaining our music selection, our equipment, and our customer relationships, rather than fork out your hard-earned money to some pushy bridal show manager or venue owner.

All this is done so we can keep your prices as low as possible, often below market prices, without substituting service and quality for affordability. These savings are passed on to you, so that you are given the best available service without compromise.

9. Why should I use a DJ when I can use my i-Pod?
       A professional DJ provides a multitude of services that add to the ambience, flow, and overall success of your wedding reception. The DJ's job goes far beyond the music, and it has been proven time and time again that a DJ is the most versatile and reliable form of entertainment for a wedding reception. Your i-Pod cannot coordinate the cake-cutting between the caterer, the photographer, the videographer, and itself.
Here is a link to a video of what can happen at an i-Pod wedding:

http://www.adja.org/media/video/ipodwedding2.wmv

Let Nightlife Entertainment make your wedding memorable, not a water-cooler topic.

10. What music formats do you use?
      Since the advent of the computer-assisted DJ software, most of our CD's have gone the way of the Dodo. The professional equipment and harmful environments (such as smokey rooms, dusty floors, and sheer time) rapidly deteriorate CD's, and it's just too expensive to maintain. All of our music is now used in WAV format, and we use some vinyl records. We NEVER use mp3s or downloaded music. MP3's are not designed for large-scale sound production, and downloaded files are simply unreliable. This provides the most professional sound quality available while ensuring reliability, accessibility, and organization. Music is protected and stored on independent hardware, and our software is powered by Serato.

11. Can you provide music for our ceremony outdoors, even if our reception is indoors?
     Yes, we can. Our equipment is professionally designed to meet almost any need, size, or situation. However, our systems use electricity, so outdoor services must utilize protection from the elements. Every reception is different, so we advise a free consultation to discuss your needs.

12. What is your usual attire for a reception?
      All weddings are performed in full tuxedo, unless you specify otherwise.

12. Do you provide a written contract?
     Yes. All of our services to be performed and basic requirements are detailed in a service contract. This is a legally binding document that guarantees quality service and provides for a mutual agreement between you, the Client, and us, the Company.

Email: info@nightlifeentertainmentdj.com

Phone: 215-356-2312