DJ Facts

Over the years, we've received hundreds of smart questions from couples planning their weddings. Below we've addressed some of the most popular ones. If you have a question that's not answered here, please email it to us at ebox@frontier.net. We'll quickly send you a response.

What sets our company apart from others?
When I started SandMan/HummingBird, I wanted to provide a better service for my customers. I surveyed hundreds of newly married brides asking them what they wanted in a dj service. Here’s what we found out:

Dislikes

1.      Cheesy Dj’s – talks more than play music.

2.      Inappropriate music, dances, crowd participation and language.

3.      Inappropriate attire.

4.      Shows up late or no show at all.

Likes

1.     Dj’s who listen to their needs.

2.     Takes requests and plays them.

3.     Has the ability to read the crowd & motivate them.

4.     Energetic & professional personality.

5.     Reliable.

Our goal at SandMan/HummingBird is to provide every bride and groom with what they want. If you ask us to play only certain songs that you want, then that is what we will do. If you want us to do everything, then we will do that. We do not believe that every wedding should be the same. Everyone has different tastes and we want to cater to them.

I'm going to need a lot of guidance as I plan my wedding. Can you help?
One of the most important services we offer, which is part of our entertainment package, is the assistance of SandMan/HummingBird. We'll help you carefully plan every detail. And if you're looking for interesting ideas to make your reception particularly distinctive, we've got plenty to suggest.

How will your DJs handle the master of ceremonies responsibilities? How will they interact with my guests?
Your call. We will host your entire reception, unless you request otherwise. We'll be as involved or uninvolved as you'd like us to be. We have the ability to be outgoing and entertaining when it's requested, but can also be reserved and low-key if that's your preferred style. What we'll never be is overbearing or embarrassing hams on the microphone. The focus of attention will always remain on you and your guests, the stars of the day.

How far in advance should I reserve my date?
We generally begin booking wedding dates anywhere from eight to eighteen months in advance. Since we can only perform at a limited amount of receptions per weekend, we strongly recommend that you contact us as soon as possible to check on the availability status of your date. By the same token, if for some reason you find yourself in a situation where you need a DJ last-minute, please call us. We'll make every possible effort to help you.

Do you provide music for the ceremony?
We often provide the ceremony music. We can provide you with a small unit that has microphone inputs so that you may utilize them if needed. The importance of having this unit is there is no need for us to tear down and then reset-up the equipment. The reason for this is that when the ceremony is over, your guests will go straight to the hall. When they get there, the disc jockey will either not be there or they will be setting up and this can take up to an hour, with you and your guests waiting. We believe there should be no wait. That is why be set up before hand and bring the portable unit.

Our cocktail hour is going to be in a separate room from the reception. Is that a problem?
That’s no problem at all. We often play in facilities that have multiple rooms. For a minimal fee, we will provide you with extra speaker set-ups in additional rooms. All we ask is that you let us know in advance

What will the DJ wear?
A tuxedo, unless you request otherwise.

If we book you for a certain amount of hours and then decide that night that we’d like you to perform longer, is that a problem?
As long as it’s an evening wedding, we’ll stay for as long as you’d like for a minimal fee.

What if we want to hear a song that’s not on the play list?
So, if you don’t see a particular selection, there’s a good chance that it’s in our library. If it’s not there either, we’ll get it for you at no cost, as long it's still in print. Or, if you'd like us to use music from your own collection, we can do that, as well.

How much choice do I have in the music selection?
As much as you'd like. Occasionally couples decide to hand pick each and every song that's played at their reception, which is perfectly fine, but it's not necessary. We'll ask you to make a list of many specific songs and genres that you like to hear. With this information, we'll craft a custom-designed music menu for your reception.

Funny thing. I love music and listen to it all the time, but I never seem to know the names of songs or artists. How do I tell you what I like?
A very common predicament. You might be surprised to find out how many people are in the same musical boat. Once again, this is an area where we come in handy. In addition to being meticulous planners, we can be accomplished tune detectives. Know a song title but not the singer? Just know some of the lyrics? Come on in and hum a few bars and we'll help you figure out just what it is you're looking for, and you can sample as many selections as you'd like on one of our sound systems. We'll help you design a music format that perfectly reflects your taste.

My family is Italian and my fiancé's is Irish. Can you provide that kind of music?
We often perform at weddings where specific types of ethnic music are requested. We try to have music of every nation, tradition and background. If there are specific songs you'd like to hear that we don’t have, we’ll gladly get that music at no cost to you (as long as it's still in print). Or, if you have the music, we can work with your collection.

There are songs that we definitely don’t want played at our wedding. How do we make certain that we won't hear those wretched tunes?
We'll strongly encourage you to give us a "don't play" list of music, and we will absolutely abide by it. You won't hear any unwelcome surprises at your reception.

Do you play guests' requests?
That's completely up to you. If it's okay, we'll play whatever your guests want to hear. If, however, you'd prefer that your DJ not take requests, that's also fine.

How many songs will be played during our wedding?
The average song is about three to four minutes long, so you can figure that approximately twelve to fifteen songs can be played per hour.

I'm concerned about the volume level. How do you effectively control it?
We're very conscious of the fact that no one wants to listen to music at an uncomfortably high volume, and that people have different sensitivity levels. That's why we'll constantly monitor the sound intensity throughout the course of your reception. Our dynamic sound systems allow us to create an environment that's conducive to both dancing and socializing.

Do you take breaks?
No. You'll hear continuous music from beginning to end - an uninterrupted flow of seamlessly mixed music.

My sister’s got a great voice and would like to sing at the reception. Is that possible?
You bet. We’ll have a microphone available for her and she can either sing a capella or we can play a song in the background while she sings over it.

What time will SandMan/HummingBird arrive at the reception site?
Your disc jockey will arrive two hours before your scheduled start time.  Why do get their so early? We need time to set-up the equipment and test it. If there is a problem, then we have time to react to it.  

We also get there early to talk with the banquet manager to find out your planned course of events for the evening and also communicate with  your photographer and videographer to see what their plans are and work them into the evening. Why do we do all this? To make sure that everything runs smoothly and to take the stress off you so that you may relax and enjoy yourself.  You do know that this is supposed to be the fun part, right?

One other important note, you will always have guests that arrive early. What we try to provide is some type of music playing when they arrive and  to be fully dressed. This makes your guests feel more welcome. There is no charge to you for this part of the service.

What if something happens to the sound system?
We carefully maintains our systems to help eliminate the possibility of equipment malfunctions. To make certain that we're able to deal with any technical challenges that may come up, however, every sound system contains backup gear, which means that you'll have outstanding sound no matter what.

How much gratuity is appropriate?
Please note that a gratuity is not included in your balance due. People generally tip their disc jockey 10% to 15% of the total payment.

Are we required to feed the DJ?
That’s your choice. Customarily couples do provide a meal for their DJ.

We’re still deciding between a band or a DJ. Any advice?
Bands can certainly be great at weddings, but they do have a lot of limitations. Regardless of how talented a band is, it's impossible for them to sound just like the original artists. Also, no matter how large their repertoire is, it’s still quite limited when you compare it to what we offer; we can play literally any song that you'd like to hear. Another important difference between a band and us is that we don’t take breaks; the music will be continuous from beginning to end. One more thing: We can easily control the volume from a single switch and keep it at an appropriate level at all times. It's very difficult, however, for a live singer not to powerfully belt out a tune or a percussionist not to whack the drums so hard.