It’s the thing most couples dread….a phone call to say their Wedding DJ isn’t going to be able to be at their wedding.
We’re in August..peak Wedding Season, and it’s a cry for help I see far too often!
Trust me, I see this an awful lot. And not just DJs but caterers, photographers, in fact all and any type of supplier. The trade Facebook groups are FULL of posts with fellow professionals trying to find cover for couples who’ve been let down by another supplier. At the end of the day, everyone involved in your wedding wants things to work for you and we’ll go to the end of the earth to help find a replacement.
This is a situation which has got worse since we came out of the Covid lockdowns in July 2021, where hobbyist DJs thought they could take on the world, realised it’s NOT actually as easy as they thought it would be, and have disappeared.
And yet…..
I’ve had several phone calls and emails recently asking if I’m able to step in with in some cases, less than a week’s notice to provide entertainment for a wedding.
Two couples have been lucky!
In both cases I’ve cancelled a scheduled night off to be there to make their days run as they planned. As for the others….I really don’t know the outcome.It’s
Why does it happen?
There are many reasons sadly.
Now it may be that there’s a genuine reason for your DJ not to be there such as illness (we’re only human), something like the death of a relation, or something else earth shatteringly detrimental to them being there….life happens.
In cases such as those above, most of us will try to find alternative cover for you so that the day runs as you’d planned, sometimes at our own expense…reputation is everyting!
BUT, as wedding suppliers we also see “trends” in who are letting people down, and some of the behaviour is despicable!
Some recent examples:
- A local DJ that “hoovers” up wedding DJ bookings at low prices (the couple think they’re getting a bargain), and then tries to farm the party out to someone else after taking a cut from the fee for doing nothing. This rarely ends well!
- Another DJ is well known for quoting rock bottom prices to secure a party, and then finds work for the same night at a better price….where do you think he goes each and every time?
- There’s yet another local DJ who takes on wedding bookings but who’s never actually performed at a wedding and backs out last minute every time after trousering the deposit. I can’t name name’s here for legal reasons but he has the same initials as me and is letting couples down in Norfolk and Suffolk left, right and centre!
- There are also several I know of that will cancel because they’ve suddenly been offered a mate’s night out/it’s too hot/the football’s on (insert other excuses here…there are lots of them!)
See….said they were despicable!
Something to note (and this is factual)….ALL of the above reasons for pulling out were from part-time/hobby DJ’s without exception. It’s actually very rare to see a full time DJ who does this for their main source of income letting a couple down on their big day!
It actually raises the temperature of my urine to boiling point!
I should actually point out that I know a LOT of DJs that do this part time and are 100% reliable.
Will I let you down?
Not if I can possibly help it!
I’ve been doing this job since 1988 and in all of that time I’ve only been late to ONE party because of a vehicle breakdown (and the party still went ahead with just a one hour delay). I’ve worked with broken bones, full blown flu and even after the recent death of relations.
This is what I do for a living (I don’t have another job), so being there and providing the service I’ve promised is important.
But…should the worst happen and I really can’t be there…I have back up plans!
- I have a very reliable network of DJ friends that work to the same standards as I do who will cover where they can
- I’ll happily pay any difference between my own fees and any stand-in at my own expense to make sure your evening reception happens as you’d planned it
- In the event of me being too incapacitated to arrange cover, I have somebody not too emotionally involved with what’s happening to me that will step in to organise things
- Any change of plans will be communicated with you and to the standard you deserve – I won’t just say I can’t be there and leave you to find alternative cover!
Have you been let down by YOUR wedding DJ?
Trust me…it’s highly unlikely to have been me!
But, if you’re stuck for entertainment please do give me a call. It’s very rare that I can help but if it means cancelling a night off then I’ll absolutely be there for you because EVERY couple deserves a decent wedding reception party!
If nothing else, I can probably put you in touch with somebody that will make your wedding reception something to remember for all the right reasons!
Let's talk!
From formal weddings to the very loose timelines, I’m here to help you with every aspect of your wedding entertainment!
