1.Synagogue service. "Great party. And Mazel Tov, once more!" "We're so-glad-you-enjoyed-yourselves-wonderful-seeing-you-again-drive-back-safely-bye-bye." Finis.
2.Out-of-town guests who can get home in a few hours won't have the additional expense of a hotel room for the night.
3.Depending on your (literal as well as figurative) tastes, you might opt for a less extravagant meal. Omelets and bagels vs. prime rib and garlic toast.
4.Fees may be lower for your DJ, caterer, photographer or hall. Ask and you shall receive...occasionally. You may not be offered a price break, but there's no harm in trying.
The opposite may be true. It's not unheard of for DJs to tack a concealed surcharge on a Bar or Bat Mitzvah. They feel a Bar or Bat Mitzvah is more work. They're right! (But, hey, that's not YOUR fault!) They'll justify the heftier fee if questioned, but you'd never think to bring it up.
Want to find out? Surreptitiously have someone call back and request a rate for a Reunion (a piece-of-cake gig). Some DJs keep their hourly rate fees standard for any type of affair, any time of day, any day of the year. Some don't.
Luncheon Disadvantages/Evening Affair Advantages:
1.DJ's make themselves available 24/7. (For most Conservative and Orthodox families, it's 24/6!) But, presuming you have a Saturday afternoon affair, your guests won't have had a chance to unwind after services. Evenings allow a respite.
2.The "mind set" and atmosphere at a luncheon is quite different than that at an evening affair.
From a DJ's point-of-view behind the mic, I suspect that the exact same music played in the exact same sequence would elicit a far different response from the exact same crowd during different times of the day.
It's often tougher to motivate an afternoon crowd that seems to be more talkative than active. Is there a dentist in the house? Getting some people off their tush is like pulling teeth! That's not to say that a luncheon won't be a wonderful and complete success. My wife and I had three. But, if liquor is offered, guests will drink more and assume a "looser" posture at night.
So, if the dance floor isn't jam-packed for the duration of your luncheon, it's not your fault, your DJ's fault or your guest's fault. It's the human body clock. Some bones just weren't designed to flail to The Chicken Dance at 3:30 in the afternoon! (But if you invite a fun-loving party crowd, the time of day won't matter. They'll wear a hole in the dance floor.)
3.If your banquet is on a boat cruise, no one's jumping overboard prior to the last dance! But if not, this isn't a Broadway show where they feel they'll miss something leaving before "THE END." Guests with baby-sitters, the elderly or out-of-towners who drove may exit early, especially if they also attended morning services.
Luncheon or Evening Affair, You're Being Warned, So Stay Calm:
Invariably, when you check the place-card table, there will be unclaimed names. They're not sick in bed either, but you almost wish they were! Seldom do 100% of expected, healthy guests show up. (And you had to pay for them, too!) It's aggravating and extraordinarily rude, but don't let it ruin your day. Anticipate it.
Have you been assigned your Bar or Bat Mitzvah date yet? Due to vacations and camps, there are seldom Bar or Bat Mitzvahs scheduled in the summer. My son's birthday is July 22. His Bar Mitzvah was pushed up to May 1! (And remember, springtime is Wedding season, too.) September and October Saturdays will get those August Bar or Bat Mitzvah birthdays, too. December Saturdays are devoured by office Christmas parties.
Never feel pressured to hire a DJ. But a word to the wise: DJs raise their rates regularly and book their dates from several months to even a year in advance. And Bar or Bat Mitzvahs are really the only type of affair that can book over two years in advance. All DJs will accept the first job that comes along for any date. So, as soon as you determine your DJ comfort level, GO FOR IT! Lock in your date, lock in your rate, book him and look forward to your party!
Think about the white-mustachioed, GOT MILK? advertising campaign. Your question must go well beyond GOT MUSIC? Of course, he'll have music. It's a given. After all, you've got plenty of CD's. You could have your cousins take turns on a boom box.
So the next level is GOT ENTERTAINMENT?
Your DJ's service must go well beyond pushing the "play" button. His entertainment value includes the HOURS spent with you well prior to your affair, consulting the caterer, photographer and others immediately prior to your affair and taking the burden off of your shoulders during the affair. Your party may be four hours, but counting the multiple consultations he'll have with you months, weeks and days before your Mitzvah and his set-up and dismantling time, any DJ may put in twice the time of your actual function. Counting the time spent hiring subcontractors, obtaining party favors then removing the cellophane wrapper from each one, preparing contests, producing and timing your Candlelighting Ceremony and maybe even finding that obscure song that brings back a special memory for you, perhaps it's triple the time of your actual party.
Your DJ simply cannot "wing it." He's got to prepare.
My wife and I were guests at a Bat Mitzvah and I couldn't help but notice the DJ's faux pas. Aside from consistently mispronouncing any Hebrew reference, he only referred to "The Bat Mitzvah Girl" and "Your Host and Hostess" throughout that party. It occurred to me that he never called Stephanie or her parents, Marty and Cindy, by their names. Not once. I'd bet a buck that he was subcontracted and never met with the parents prior to the party, forgot the agency's fax, couldn't recall their names and was embarrassed to ask who he was working for that day!
So your ultimate question should be GOT TALENT?
If one of the questions to a prospective DJ is "What type of mixer do you use?" I know you have no real concern regarding ohms or watts or what gauge cable wire your DJ provides. You just want things to function properly and sound clean.
Your DJ is not selling a product. He's selling a service. His proficiency. Hire a name, not just the occupation.
I've been flattered to once have a client change from an evening affair to a luncheon due to my lack of nighttime availability on their date. If a DJ is a real "catch" and you have enough leeway, consider changing your actual date in order to book this guy. Farfetched? All DJ's play tunes. It's the interaction prior to and during the affair that sets us apart.
All DJs will provide the tangibles. We all have equipment and music and party favors. You want the intangibles. The pleasantly unexpected.
Your DJ should ask you about your child, your wishes and your expectations for this affair and listen. He should take notes, not talk. During your initial consultation, you'll size him up immediately. Again, his focus should be on you and your family, not "me, myself and I." He won't have a second chance to make a good first impression so what you see (or hear) is what you'll get. If he makes you feel stress-free and carefree regarding this affair...how fantastic! If you feel he's well organized and can provide a beautiful flow to your party...how lucky you found him. If your town offers "slim pickin's," import a DJ! He has a vehicle. Pay him for the extra drive time. It's money well spent.
If your Bar or Bat Mitzvah is eighteen months away and you feel "he's the guy," book him now. (You're getting a discount! Even if he were available, I can assure you that his fee in eighteen months will be higher than it is today.) He's a professional, not a hobbyist, and he brings a lot to the table for you. He's more than gear and music. He's a fraction of your total day's expense, but he's worth more than you're paying. He's your trump card. Don't skimp. If you were a fly on the wall, as your guests left you'd certainly rather hear "Wow, that was so much fun!" than "At least there was nothing good on TV tonight!" Let's face it, if your DJ can even manage to get Aunt Edna up to dance, you may call him The Miracle Worker. Remember, there are no do-overs!
Article Source :
Joe Pachino has sinced written about articles on various topics from Home Improvement, Entertainment Guide. Joe Pachino has been a Radio & Mobile DJ in Baltimore since 1974 and authored