There are so many details the couples have to keep track of; our job is such a small part of all that goes into a wedding. Knowing that most people reading this are planning their first "grand scale" event, they probably don't have much idea what to watch out for especially with regard to hiring vendors.

We see many vendors here at The Abbey, some good and some not as good. When it comes to DJ's we have someone specific who, to us at least, is "The Gold Standard." His name is Greg Koeppen and he owns "Medleys in Motion." In the future, I hope to have some of our favorite vendors post on this blog as guests, but for now I will just tell you a few of the things Greg does that we see and think should be required for every DJ.

1. He arrives on time and has professional-looking equipment. We call all incoming vendors the week before a wedding to confirm we have everything they need when they arrive and answer any questions they might have. Greg doesn't need much from us, but we usually just go over timing to make sure our notes are consistent.
2. He starts music BEFORE guests enter the room. A quiet room is a HUGE pet peeve of mine. There's so much thought that goes into the first impression of the room as far as floral, linens, etc and what guests are going to see when they first walk in. What about how they are going to feel? That mood is going to be set by lighting and the music more than just about anything else. We will dim the overhead lights and have the candles lit, but the DJ needs to have his music going when we open those doors or guests will walk into silence and believe me, you DON'T want that!
3. Greg always has a TYPED list of who will be announced into the room and in what order PRIOR to the wedding day. We've seen way too many DJ's who don't have this and are scribbling names on a scrap of paper with a pen they've borrowed from us at the last minute. Greg lists each bridesmaid and groomsman and even has the phoenetic spelling of their last name so he's sure not to mispronounce it when he announces them into the room.
4. For the bridal announcements, Greg gathers the bridal party and lines them up according to his notes. At this point everyone has had a cocktail or two and is wanting to start the party early, but he takes charge and this is what you NEED your DJ to do. Trust me, you do not want to have to worry about this on your wedding day!
5. With the pre-planning he does, Greg is in control of the evening from start to finish. He's always got a detailed list of exactly what happens and when (cake cutting, first dance, etc). There have been DJ's here in the past who ask for this information from US, but our main concern is focused on the food and beverage service, not on when the bride is going to dance with her father so we don't always have the answers he/she is looking for and we end up having to go to the bride and groom and sorting it out while they are eating dinner. TACKY!

We frequently recommend Medleys in Motion because we know Greg and his staff and feel very comfortable that they will do an excellent job. A DJ is one of the most crucial parts of a wedding reception and his/her importance shouldn't be underestimated. I just recently had a wedding whose DJ fell through at the last minute and I suggested they call Greg. He had the date open with just one week notice and afterwards, the bride's father was so thrilled they had gone with my recommendation.

We are open to welcoming any and all DJ's for weddings here at The Abbey. There have been many in the two years we've been here who have been extremely professional; Greg is just an example of one we highly recommend. For future brides and grooms, I hope this post will assist you in knowing what to look for so that not only will your wedding day be perfect in every way, but that the night before your wedding you will rest easy with confidence that all details will be taken care of.