Huge thanks to Eastlake High School for choosing DJ Charlie Walkrich and his team to provide music, sound and lighting for the 2021 prom celebration.  This video and photos feature one of our largest and most powerful sound systems, DJ equipment, laser stage lighting,  color wash lights, LED up lights, outdoor flood lighting, multiple fog machines and moving head lights. This was a custom package created specifically for this event. For more information on our sound, lighting or DJ services in San Diego, CA, please email us!

Hello everyone, my name Is Charlie Walkrich and in this video I'll share a few tips on how to choose a DJ for your wedding in San Diego, Los Angeles, Orange County or pretty much anywhere in the United States. If you’re new on my channel, I’d like to invite you to subscribe and hit that notification bell so you don’t miss out on more helpful tips
Along with some truly unique music videos which you will never get to experience unless you subscribe. Last but not least, in order to get the most benefit out of this video, be sure to watch the entire thing without skipping through, trust me, you’ll be happy you did!

And now let's jump right in! But wait a minute, WHO AM I to tell you how to choose the best wedding DJ? What makes me think I know what I am talking about? These days we have so many so-called experts on YouTube, right? Well, yes, I am an actual wedding DJ with over a decade of experience, but forget about that, it’s not important at this moment. What really matters is I also get to see many other wedding DJs literally all the time when I provide other wedding services.

So let’s say a couple is getting married and they’ve already hired another wedding DJ but they still need a videographer or other services. This is when I might come in either personally or while supervising my workers since my company specializes in many different wedding services including planning, coordination, photography, wedding videography, DJ services, live music, audio visual equipment rentals, event lighting design and so on. This gives me a chance to work with all kinds of wedding djs - the best and the worst, expensive and cheap, amateur family friends and experienced professionals. I get to meet them and see what they do from the moment they show up and start setting up for the ceremony until the moment the entire reception is over. I get to see their equipment, hear their announcements, watch how they interact with the couple, their guests and other vendors and, most importantly, analyze their unique skills and learn from their mistakes.

Does that mean I am the best wedding DJ? No, definitely not. I simply don’t have some of the talents I’ve seen among many different DJs. All it means is that hopefully I’m competent enough to talk about this topic and my tips are helpful to you. After all, it’s impossible to combine all the talents and stuff it into one person. For example, I sing, play piano, keyboards, drums and produce music, some of which you can find on this channel. But! I can’t play guitar, violin, cello or any other instrument! I know it might be a strange comparison but it’s going to be the exact same thing when you hire a DJ. He is going to have some strengths and some weaknesses. And your job is to know what’s important to you so you can choose the best match tailored to your specific needs.

One of the most common misunderstandings among couples who are planning their wedding is that a wedding DJ is just some dude who plays music. That couldn’t be further from the truth. Playing dance music during group dancing is only one of the many responsibilities a wedding DJ has. How about assisting with timeline and agenda preparation, consulting and helping you decide when and how it’s best to do your ceremony processionals, reception grand entrance, first dance, mother-son dance, father-daughter dance, toasts, bouquet toss, garter removal, cake cutting, etc.
Making sure it flows smoothly and your guests know what’s going on by providing clear and professional MC announcements and introductions, coordinating with your wedding photographer and videographer to make sure they're ready before announcing the most important events I just mentioned above, coordinating with your family and friends to make sure each person is ready for their speech before introducing them for toasts and other activities, taking the time to get to know you before the wedding in order to prepare a song list that is full of music that is meaningful to you and your guests, not to mention being responsible, preparing in advance, testing the DJ equipment and having a backup plan just in case anything goes wrong.

You don’t want your DJ to bring a mic that will be cutting in and out in the middle of your ceremony, right? You probably don’t want to have a DJ who will do your wedding party introduction and your first dance while your photographer is in the restroom and misses the whole thing, right? Or how about a wedding DJ who won’t announce anything at all so no one in the room knows what’s going on or what’s about to happen and therefore has no clue when it’s okay to step outside or use the restroom without missing anything? It doesn’t stop here, you don’t want a DJ who brings cheap terrible sounding speakers that are literally destroying people’s ears. Or a DJ who has no idea how to properly use EQ to improve the sound based on room acoustics. Or a DJ who brings amazing speakers but puts them on the floor while he sits on a chair playing with his new phone. And his power strips, wires and equipment bags are lying around all over the place and will probably end up in some of your wedding photos. Not to mention a DJ who choses songs based on his own music preferences while completely disregarding you and your guests. Or a DJ who has a personality / attitude problem and simply doesn’t know how to work with people?

Trust me, I’ve it all and it made me so sad. It’s once in a lifetime event and you are chosen to be a part of it. As DJ or any other wedding vendor you should do whatever it takes to make it a happy day and a perfect day for the newlyweds and their family members. This includes helping each other out, even if you just met this person. But some DJs don’t feel this way while others simply don’t have the experience and skills required to be a truly great and helpful wedding DJ. For example, your friend who likes music and is willing to DJ your wedding as a gift to you might be an amazing person. But he doesn’t do weddings very often so taking on all of these responsibilities might simply overwhelm him and stress him out to the point that he messes everything up. Or it can actually happen the other way around – let’s say you hire a top-rated party DJ with a hundred years of experience. But he is so overconfident and stubborn that it blocks him from seeing his flaws and doing the prep work that’s required to provide you with an excellent service.

So how do you choose a DJ for your wedding? Now that you understand what being a wedding DJ is about,
I’m going to give you some specific tips that would maximize your chances of finding the best one for your specific wedding. First of all, let’s determine your goals and priorities. For example, maybe music itself is not that important to you and you just want someone who can do great announcements? Or maybe the other way around, you don’t care much about all the formalities and just want someone who will play great music all day? Well, what do you mean by great music in the first place? Is it the list of songs that you choose and give it to your DJ as a must play list before the wedding? Or do you actually want your DJ to read the crowd and play what’s most appropriate to keep your guests on the dance floor? Or maybe a little bit of both with some prep work and a personal touch?

My recommendation is to think about it and write it all down in an email that you can later send to several potential wedding DJs. This way they’ll have a chance to know a little bit more about your vision, your expectations and provide you with solid answers along with a price quote. When you read their responses, you’ll be able to tell how much attention to detail they have and what they are willing to do to make sure your event is a success. If you’re not sure what you want or need, just say that in the email and a great wedding DJ should be able to guide you and provide options to choose from. You should also ask your DJ to send you some samples of their work including videos of their announcements, their DJ mixes and their lighting setup. If this initial communication process becomes helpful to you, then chances are that DJ will be helpful at your actual wedding as well.

Before making your final decision, I also recommend looking up your DJ on Google, Yelp, Facebook, Wedding Wire and The Knot to check out their reviews. Try to carefully read at least a few positive and negative reviews so you can get a good idea of what to expect. Keep in mind that some of those reviews might be fake. For example, almost 10 years ago someone I know got angry at me, pretended to be a bride and posted a 1 star review. Thankfully I was able to get that taken down. There are also some DJs who might buy positive reviews or ask their family and friends to post them.

One more important tip I have for you is this: do not try to find the cheapest DJ. These days almost anyone can download some music and call themselves a DJ. But if you got to this point of the video, you already know that being a wedding DJ is a profession that requires special skills and training. It’s just like being a teacher, a fireman, a doctor or a lawyer. If your main objective is to save money, think about what you’re willing to sacrifice. Unless you’re mentally prepared to see everything go wrong while being okay with it, try to extend your DJ budget just a little bit and it will be well worth it.

It’s also important to point out that most wedding DJs in the United States do not know how to beatmatch, mix or produce music. The only thing they do is press the play button on their laptop, which starts a prerecorded song they downloaded online earlier. As long as they’re good at everything else I mentioned in this video, it’s usually enough for a successful wedding. But if you want to have an actual DJ artist who is truly talented and knows how to manipulate music, you’ll have to expand your search. Mention this to your wedding planner if you have one. Otherwise, try to email as many DJs as possible asking them about this before anything else.

Some wedding DJs can even play live instruments. This can add much more class and elegance to your big day while truly impressing your guests. It also gives your DJ extra knowledge and advantage when picking which songs to play.
A wedding DJ who is also a musician is likely to choose better music, it’s as simple as that. So, if you want the best of the best, that’s what I would aim for, as long as that person is also good at handling everything else I mentioned earlier in the video.

To summarize my main tips on choosing a DJ, I’d outline these five steps:

1. Educating yourself on the responsibilities of a wedding DJ, which you just did by watching this video.
2. Determining your goals and priorities, in other words knowing what you want.
3. Sending a detailed email with your vision and your questions to a few potential wedding DJs you’d like to consider hiring.
4. Checking out audio, video and photo samples of their work, what their setup looks like, what equipment they use, what music they play, how they play it, etc.
5. Reading online reviews before making your final decision while keeping in mind that some of those reviews might not be real.

If this video was helpful, please be sure to give it a like, subscribe and leave a comment below, which would help me grow this YouTube channel. If you need a wedding planner, coordinator, photographer, videographer, San Diego weeding DJ, live music, audio visual equipment rental or event lighting design services in Southern California or anywhere in the United States, feel free to email me at CharlieWalkrich/at/gmail.com and I’d be happy to help. Last but not least, if you’d like to learn a little bit more about who I am and my story, I’d like to recommend my “American Dream” video, the link should be popping up on the screen right now and it’s also included in the description below. Thank you for watching and I wish you great success with everything you do.

Thank you so much to Kaitlin & David for choosing us as your wedding videographers. We always enjoy working at the beautiful Bali Hai restaurant and it was nice to do finally do some video work at that location since we were providing wedding DJ services during the last few visits. The story about how you two met and fell in love is very inspiring. Your special dancers definitely made everyone excited and watching their performance was an amazing experience. We hope this video trailer will help you remember and relive your wedding day for many years to come. Wishing you a lifetime of happiness together!

Thank you so much to Elizabeth and Elias for choosing us to be your wedding videography and photography provider. It was one of the most fun and enjoyable weddings we've even been a part of. It was so exciting to learn about different cultural traditions and experience it all live! Nothing can be more beautiful and inspiring than seeing two great families bonding together as one. Special thank you to Palms Banquet Hall and Mater Dei Catholic Church for making things easy for all parties involved. We hope this trailer will help you relive your big day for many years to come, and we sincerely wish you all the best!

Congratulations to Patricia on her 90th birthday! It was such a great pleasure being a part of this special celebration. Patricia definitely looks and behaves as if she were in her fifties. Seeing her being so strong, active and happy is an absolutely beautiful and inspiring experience! And she raised so many smart, talented, humble and grateful children - it's almost unbelievable! Thank you so much for choosing us and we are looking forward to being a part of your future family celebrations.

Putting together a schedule and a budget for your event, and finding that the costs are just too high right now? Wondering if there might be a way to shave a few bucks off the final cost, so you can throw a successful event for less, without skimping on quality? Try these tips, and see if they work for you.
 
1) Ask if there are discounts for leaving Yelp! reviews.
The world of event vending is fiercely competitive, and every vendor is always looking to boost their image and public standing so they can continue to attract clients. For most, the best way to appeal to consumers is through reviews. Small business owners, individuals running small one-person operations, and new businesses just starting out are often in strong need of positive reviews to bolster their image. If they don't already offer a discount for leaving a review, ask if they might be willing to cut you a deal in exchange for a prompt (and positive) Yelp! review.
 
2) Book during the off season months.
Spring, summer, and early fall are the most popular months for weddings. Vendors know this, and will charge accordingly (which is to say, top dollar). If you want to get married, but aren't heir to an oil fortune, then you may benefit from asking your vendors if they offer lower pricing from late September through early March, which is generally considered "off season." November, December, and January are (in most parts of the US) the coldest and wettest months of the year, so vendors see very little business then, and may be willing to cut you a break in exchange for some much needed patronage.
 
3) Inquire about military/ nonprofit discounts.
Are you an active or recently retired member of the Armed Forces? Some vendors may be interested in offering discounts to our people in uniform. When discussing booking fees, inquire if they have any military discounts or special packages available. Also, do you work for a certified nonprofit organization? Are you on a tight budget, and can't find anything in your price range? When contacting vendors about packages and services, ask if they offer any discounts or offer any free services to nonprofit organizations. Some may do this as it may be counted as a charitable donation, which confers tax benefits on their company. Be prepared to fill out and possibly notarize documents certifying their donation of goods or services.
 
4) Find out if they offer partner discounts.
While perusing the websites of various vendors, do you see any common names crop up? Do any of them have names of vendors they like to work with? Venues definitely like to keep a list of preferred vendors available, which can sometimes mean a discount when you book a venue and some of their preferred vendors. However, you might be able to find videographers who have certain photographers they like to work with, or DJs who like to work with photo booth people. Some of these vendors may offer a referral discount, if you book their friend as well, and their friend in turn, since both essentially got each other the booking. While discussing bookings, ask if they have any close associations with other vendors, and if they might be able to cut you a deal (and then ask the other vendor if they can do the same). Or ask if they can be booked as one entity, and providing a sort of group discount.
 
5) Special Discounts.
For an added bonus, inquire if you can get a special discount from a DJ by not requesting any face-to-face meetings. If the DJ can save on gas money before the event by only corresponding via e-mail or skype, they may be willing to pass on that saving to you. If the DJ is not too keen on making announcements, or if you'd rather have a family member make the major announcements, ask the DJ if they would be willing to shave a few dollars off for not having to make any announcements. If you provide the DJ with a total and comprehensive list of every song you want played at your wedding, right down the top 40 hits you want played at the reception dance, you'd be taking some pressure off the DJ to have to guess what should be played, and narrows down the field of music they need to have handy for the dance. That kind of time and effort conservation they may be grateful for, and you may be able to ask that they knock a couple bucks off as such. And a videographer or photographer may be happy to shave $100 or more off their normal price if you make the effort to coordinate with them via only skype or e-mail, and if you have someone on hand to help them find the optimal spots to place their gear for the best shots. Coordinating with the videographer with the location of the grand entrance well in advance so they know where to place their cameras to get maximum quality video will definitely be in your best interest.

Written by Dave Andersson

Were you surprised when you found out how much it would cost to have even a simple wedding? Why do wedding vendors, including disc jockeys, charge so much money for their services? What is the difference between an affordable $500 DJ and a more expensive one? How important is the role of entertainment at wedding receptions and how much should be spent on it? What do you do if you’re on a tight budget?  




Before I started my own wedding entertainment company, I had worked part-time for other well-established San Diego wedding DJs as their assistant and sound technician. When I started to realize how much money they were charging their clients, I was literally shocked. Back then I did not understand how much time it took them to plan each wedding and I did not know anything about their business expenses. I thought they were the lucky guys who didn't do much, worked one day per week, had fun and made a decent amount of money. 

As I continued working for different local DJ companies, I was becoming more and more interested in learning more about their business and how they made their success happen. I started to understand that they had to spend a lot of money in order to make profit and stay in business. I also realized that most of them had to work five, six or even seven days per week in order to stay on top of everything they did. In fact, most full-time wedding disc jockey companies normally invest 15 to 30 hours to every wedding while it may appear that you are only paying for "4 hours". In addition, they have to constantly spend thousands of dollars on their sound and lighting equipment, music, insurance, education, office space, advertising, marketing, etc. 

People often ask me why many event vendors and professionals tend to charge more money for their services at weddings. Well, it’s because your expectations are higher and vendors need to spend more time and money to deliver the types of services you require. Most birthday cakes are not the same as wedding cakes, just like a birthday DJ service is different from a wedding DJ service. While a simple DJ setup is usually sufficient for a birthday party, when it comes to weddings, two or three sound systems, customized selection of songs, MC announcements and introductions, several personal meetings and lots of planning are required for a successful job completion. As a matter of fact, I know some event professionals who are happy to work at all kinds of events but weddings (not Golden Gate Sunrise Entertainment). 

According to current studies, people spend only about eight percent of their wedding budget on entertainment, while the importance of their wedding’s success depends 70 percent on entertainment. In fact, the vast majority of your guests won’t remember anything (including your cake, décor, chair covers, photo booth, food, paper menus, transportation, your hair, you nails, your dress, etc.) but your wedding reception entertainment and how much fun they had. Almost all the brides regret not spending more time and money on their entertainment, while almost all the guests consider music to be the most memorable part of a wedding. Simply ask a few of your friends or do some online research on this and you will find similar statements almost everywhere. Your DJ sets the mood for the entire night and it’s very important not to underestimate this.

Shopping for DJs is somewhat similar to shopping for used cars. They are all different and, while it’s obvious that price is always one of the main factors we consider when we make our choices, the difference between an affordable $500 DJ and a more expensive one can be compared with the difference between a $500 used car with no engine and a more expensive and more reliable used car that costs more money. If you find a wedding DJ who wants to work for $500 or less, usually it means that he is an amateur and this is not what he does for a living. Unless someone else is paying your bills or you have another job, it’s not possible to afford all the equipment and provide personalized quality wedding entertainment services while charging $500, at least not in San Diego. Please keep in mind that there are some dedicated hard-working individuals who are starting out in the business and all I’m suggesting is to do your research and get to know your DJ before you make your final decision. You can also take a look at my “DJ Hiring Tips” article to learn more about this topic.

What do you do if you’re on a tight budget? As a matter of fact, most of us are on a tight budget and we can’t spend hundreds of thousands of dollars on our weddings simply because we don’t have that kind of money. I completely understand it and here’s a list of a few ideas that might help you plan your wedding and save money.

1) Write down a list of services you’d like to use for your wedding: venue, DJ, band, photography, videography, food, drinks, transportation, furniture, photo booth, cake, dress, rings, room décor, flowers, lighting, etc.  Prioritize those services and decide which ones are the most important to you. Even if you have a $100 000 budget, you will still end up having to save on something.

2) Once you’ve chosen the most important ones (e.g. venue, DJ & videography), increase your budget for those services and save as much money as possible on everything else.

3) If you have to, consider cutting down the number of guests. It might be better to have a great unforgettable wedding with 100 people in attendance than a so-so wedding where 200 guests get bored and start leaving early.

4) Have your wedding on any day but Saturday. Many wedding vendors charge less money for their services on weekdays and/or Sundays because they are less likely to be booked for those days and it makes sense for them to attract more potential clients by reducing their rates.

5) If you still can’t afford hiring a good wedding DJ or it’s not important to you, you have the option of renting a sound system and playing your own music. I’ve seen many people who simply don’t like DJs. Instead, they rent speakers and play rock music or anything else they want to hear without having to spend extra time and money. To be honest, I’m not a huge fan of DJs myself but, when it comes to weddings, it might be really helpful to have an experienced person in charge of all the music for your ceremony, cocktail hour and reception, all the sound systems, all the lighting, all the announcements and introductions, the person who coordinates all the vendors and makes sure everything runs on time, makes sure all of your guests are having a good time, helps you plan your timeline, helps you prepare a good wedding music selection, etc.

6) Search the web for more ideas. You’ll be surprised how many people have been in the same situation you are now and are willing to share the ways they saved tens of thousands of dollars when planning their dream weddings.

Please feel free to share your thoughts and ideas in the comment box below. 
If you have more questions, don’t hesitate to contact us.