Show Up & Show Out!
Chicago, Chicago Suburbs
Service area
Chris Kidd
EVENTS DIRECTOR
Typically responds within 24h
AWARD WINNER (3X)
Thanks to recommendations from couples on The Knot
Music is everything. It’s your history, your identity, and your joy. It’s what moves you on the dance floor and what moves you to tears. Quite simply: it’s the most important decision you’ll make at your wedding.
All Ears DJ is a premier entertainment group that boasts a ten-deep crew of highly-skilled DJs and musicians. Don’t settle for anything less than a DJ who can wow audiences with perfect blends, mashups and song selections. Talent matters, and All Ears DJs have shown up & showed out at more than 1000 weddings in the Chicago and San Francisco Bay Area during the past decade.
All Ears DJ boasts a diverse roster of performers who celebrate core values such as inclusivity, Black Lives Matter, and LGBTQ+ rights. All Ears DJs regularly spin at Chicago hot spots like Old Town Pour House, Derby, Fatpour, and Hopsmith.
All Ears' three Chicago DJs - Chris Kidd, Perry Dontae and DJ Lipgloss - are experts in the realms of blending and beatmatching, bringing club-level talent to dance floors across the metro area. They are creatives first and foremost, leading double lives as club DJs, local musicians, drum-pack leaders, hip-hop artists, mashup makers and video DJs.
All Ears built its five-star reputation on exceptionally detailed preparation and flawless event coordination. Once you match with your DJ of choice, you’ll share playlists to collaborate on the perfect mixtape. Your DJ will also act as your entertainment director and help design an ideal event flow that lets you live in the moment without stress. If you love music and won’t settle for anything but the best... hire All Ears DJ and make it a night to remember!
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Details
Equipment
Sound Equipment
Music Genres
Classical
Country
Disco
Folk
Hip-Hop
Jazz
Latin
Pop
R&B
Rock
World Music
Music Services
MC Services
Recorded Music
Sound Equipment
Wedding Activities
Wedding
Ceremony
Reception
Awards and Affiliations
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Meet the team
Chris Kidd
Events Director
Like his favorite NBA player Jason Kidd (no relation), DJ Chris Kidd is shifty with the rock and one hell of a facilitator. Known to weekend revelers as Kidd the DJ at venues like Old Town Pour House, Derby, Fatpour, and Hopsmith, Chris showcases a nonstop mix skill that often incorporates mashups, blends and acapellas. Chris honed his mixology in the wild clubs and parties of Bourbon Street during his former life as a laid-back Southerner. Since relocating to Chicago, Chris has stepped up his hustle to become one of the city’s fastest-rising DJs.
Reviews
4.9
out of 5.0179 reviews
Your trust is our goal. Our community relies on honest reviews to help you make those big decisions with ease.
Review Summary
This AI-generated summary is a snapshot of this vendor's ratings and feedback.
Chris Kidd is an exceptional wedding DJ who garnered high praises from multiple reviewers for his professionalism, energy, and ability to keep the dance floor lively and engaging. Guests raved about his song selections, unique mixes, and skill on the turntables. Many highlighted his positive energy, easy communication, and flexibility, with some stating that he was the best DJ they had experienced at a wedding. Reviewers highly recommended Chris Kidd for his talent, attitude, and contribution to making their special day unforgettable.- Top reviews
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Jane M
5.0
4/28/2024
Chris was incredible! He was so in tune with our style from the first meeting we had with him! He brought a wonderful energy and worked so well with our coordinator. We got so many compliments from guests on how great he was and we whole heartedly agree! The dance floor was JUMPING from the first group dance and the song choices were fun, unique and perfect to our taste. We would recommend Chris to our closest family members and friends for any wedding or event. Do yourself a favor a choose Chris for your wedding DJ!!!
not implemented response 04/28/2024
Yesss! Thanks Jane and congrats!
David J
5.0
12/08/2023
Chris Kidd- Lights out! We've been to WAY too many weddings, as have our friends and family, and every single guest at our wedding said that Chris was the best DJ they've experienced--high energy, reads the room well, skilled on the turntable, and very professional. He is timely, efficient, flexible, and communicative. 10/10 would recommend!
Any questions?
Raissa F
5.0
9/01/2022
Chris was amazing!! He is such a nice guy, easy to work with and super skilled! We had a playlist set but also wanted to give him freedom to throw his mix to keep the dancefloor going. He did a great job! All I heard from guests is that they never had so much fun and danced so much at a wedding. Could not be happier!
not implemented response 09/01/2022
Thank you Raissa and so glad to hear!
Sam K
5.0
4/25/2022
Chris Kidd was fantastic and we were so grateful to have him DJ our wedding! From start to finish, he was incredibly professional, easy to communicate with, and brought such positive energy to the experience! Everyone loved the music and our friends barely left the dance floor! (Only to rehydrate before getting back out there!) Thank you so much for everything, Chris!!
Kayla B
5.0
10/30/2021
From start to finish, I can honestly say Perry was above and beyond what we could have hoped for. His presentation, setup, attitude, and of course, - talent, made for an unforgettable reception. The week before the wedding I spoke to Perry and let him know that I was nervous as after weeks of trying to provide a song list, I really didn't have a lengthy playlist or request list and hoped that was alright. He put me at ease and we went over what vibe I was looking for and let me know it wouldn't be an issue and he would make sure to keep the party going. Once the dance floor opened, the dancing never stopped. All night I heard so many compliments on the DJ, how amazing the music was, and what a blast everyone was having. I would recommend Perry to any and all of my friends and family. Thank you to Richard at All Ears for introducing us to him, he was an important puzzle piece for our perfect day.
Ryan L
5.0
10/05/2021
We had Chris Kidd DJ our wedding and couldnt have been happier. He was very professional and communicated consistently throughout the process. He worked with us when it came to the planning and really made us feel at ease. Everyone loved the music and kept people dancing all night!
David B
5.0
9/07/2021
We could not have been more impressed with DJ Chris. Professional from first zoom introduction, to final song at the reception. He fielded our very specific ideas and requests with ease and understanding. Never stressed but always on top of things, he proved that he is a seasoned professional. We were thrilled when at the reception he was mixing and mashing up our requested songs with others, which made the playlist feel familiar but also totally surprising and fun. Couldn’t have picked a better guy to handle our big day, and would seriously give 10 stars if we could.
not implemented response 09/07/2021
Super happy to hear ya'll! Congrats and all the best!
Meghan N
5.0
10/03/2020
Chris Kidd was AMAZING! He was so upbeat and easy to work with. Every single person at our wedding told us that the DJ was so good and they loved all of his music! We had to change our wedding plans because of COVID and Chris was so accommodating and helped to make our day so successful. I can't recommend Chris Kidd enough!
Brianna A
5.0
1/06/2020
Perry Donta’e! Wow! I don’t even know where to begin! Perry was so easy to work with. He understood us as a couple, played all of our requests, brought live music into the reception and brought his drum line, The Pack, to crash our wedding!
The drum line was definitely out wow factor and still has people talking! Perry is a live Dj and is so talented at mixing and keeping the dance floor full. He is not about to stand behind his computer and press play!
He danced, he entertained, but never made the entertainment about him. Perry, thank you so much for keeping our reception poppin! I had the best time and so did our guests!
not implemented response 01/06/2020
So glad to hear Brianna! Congrats!
Emily R
5.0
11/14/2019
Chris Kidd was the BEST DJ EVER!!!! He traveled from Chicago to Upper Michigan, and thank god he did. From start to finish, Chris was always positive, professional, and upbeat in our communications and answered all the questions I could think of in a timely, thorough manner. His set-up for the wedding went so smoothly, he is a total pro, and he kept the dance floor bumpin' until the very end. I wish he could DJ every party I ever have.
Rachel K
3.0
10/17/2019
Chris Kidd was going to DJ our wedding but he had to cancel a few weeks before. He recommended a replacement DJ, Marcus Carter. We filled out their standard form that said order of events, song preferences, etc. In the end, we had a good dance party which was our main goal. However, Marcus ignored or messed up several of the items in our form. He started the grand entrance 20-30 minutes late, which caused dinner to start very late. The order of the first dances was wrong and the first dancing song was wrong. 3 of our 5 "do not play" requests were played. The best man's name was pronounced wrong. It was a series of things that showed there was no prep for our wedding. I emailed Marcus, the original DJ (Chris Kidd) and the owner about my experience. I didn't ask for money for anything, I just wanted to explain why I was disappointed. There was no response from anyone which I found disheartening.
not implemented response 10/17/2019
Hi Rachel, sorry to hear that Marcus fell short on a couple accounts but glad to hear he r...
ocked the dance party. It is very rare that we have to switch DJs on account of personal emergencies so I am sorry that was the case with yours. Marcus is a very experienced DJ who Chris has trusted for years so he felt that was the best option available given the circumstances. As the owner of the business I'll admit that I am disappointed as well, though I also know from experience that sometimes mispronunciations and DNP plays happen despite our best efforts and don't necessarily indicate a lack of preparation. We aim to execute flawless receptions but in the heat of the moment we're not always perfect. Hopefully the dance party will be what you remember most and all the best to ya'll!
Dieter A
5.0
9/26/2019
Working with All Ears DJ was a blast, from beginning to end. They made us feel at ease from the beginning of the process -- they clearly know their trade and they're really easy to work with (professional, responsive, fun, knowledgeable, etc.). DJ Aaron Francisco totally rocked it at our wedding; he made sure he understood what music we wanted, but also went with the flow and added a bunch of really cool songs throughout. We had a long reception (9 hours, not counting ceremony), and he did a great job setting the mood for all parts of it. Thank you Aaron, Richard and the entire All Ears DJ crew!
Kristina E
5.0
1/13/2019
DJ Kidd was so great! So many of our guest talked about how much they loved our DJ. People were dancing until the lights came on!
We had such a diverse crowd with varying taste in music and he did an amazing job of playing music that catered to all of them while at the same time playing all of the songs my husband and I wanted to hear specifically.
Additionally, Chris has such a great personality and very professional.
Chris-Thank you for helping to make our day so special and fun!
not implemented response 01/13/2019
Thanks for the feedback Kristina and so glad to hear!
Chris H
5.0
10/30/2018
Tanner was a multi-talented star at our wedding, and a big part of what made it such a wonderful occasion for us. He provided acoustic accompaniment for the ceremony and cocktail reception, emceed the toasts, and kept the dance floor energy going with a great DJ set after dessert. All the while he accommodated our requests (he learned a new song on guitar for our ceremony and tailored the DJ set to our and our guests' musical proclivities). Last but not least, Tanner was extremely personable and a joy to work, with starting from our initial call 10 months before the wedding all the way through the event. We couldn't have asked for a better teammate for our wedding day!
Brittany E
5.0
10/29/2018
We could not have asked for a better DJ than Jayson! He was so great to work with and kept everyone on the dance floor the entire night! There wasn't an off moment. He played to the entire crowd of older family members and all of our younger friends and made sure he had a playlist that everyone would love. He was so organized and had a great template to help select the songs for each part of the wedding. He dealt with the 3 different setups we needed (ceremony, cocktail hour and reception) and pulled off everything so smoothly. I am so happy we went with All Ears DJ and Jayson! I could not have asked for a better DJ & have already received requests about who our DJ was and how they can book him!
Shannon P
5.0
10/29/2018
All Ears DJ is such an easy group to work with. We had Chris Kidd for our wedding dj and he was awesome. He was very responsive, receptive to all of our ideas and concerns and mixed in any crazy requests we or our guests had with ease. He also handled The music and acoustics for our ceremony and did a phenomenal job. Chris is a huge reason our wedding was so great and we cannot express our gratitude enough. Do yourself a favor and hire him!
Diana K
5.0
10/24/2018
We just had our wedding in Kansas City and can't recommend All Ears/DJ Stevie Cruz enough. Both my husband and I have super eclectic tastes in music and I was looking for a true DJ who knew how to mix. After an exhaustive search, we came upon All Ears DJ. Richard was quick at corresponding and recommended DJ Stevie Cruz. Stevie was kind, courteous, and responsive on text/emails and definitely an artist. He's wayyyy more than your average wedding DJ. Stevie took our random music playlists and took it up several notches with his beats, and song selections and literally set the mood for an amazing chill cocktail/dinner to an ultimate dance club party. On top of that, Stevie made us a mix and we are so incredibly grateful to be able to remember the night. Weeks later, guests are still telling us how awesome Stevie was!
not implemented response 10/26/2018
Awesome to hear Diana and thanks for the feedback!
Sage H
5.0
10/18/2018
We were so overwhelmed with wedding planning, we really didn't allot much time into researching for a dj. We feel so lucky to have found All Ears DJ and especially for getting Tanner to Dj and play acoustic at are ceremony and reception. Tanner was amazing!!! We gave him very little guidance and even made changes the day of... He ran with our requests and our entire wedding party had a blast! His acoustic repertoire was spot on with what we were looking for and such a great bonus for our ceremony and cocktail hour. We couldn't be happier!!! We'd recommend All Ears DJ and especially Tanner to DJ anyone's wedding!
not implemented response 10/18/2018
Awesome to hear Sage and all the best to you guys!
Kelly G
5.0
10/16/2018
Richard was absolutely amazing! He was able to set up in multiple locations for our ceremony, cocktail hour, dinner, and dancing for our wedding. He played guitar and sang during our cocktail hour and our guests couldn't stop commenting about how talented he was! The whole night flowed perfectly and I never had to worry about making sure he knew what was happening next. I didn't send him a list of songs for the dancing portion of the night but told him I trusted him to read the room and our dance floor was packed all night! Our entire wedding was absolutely perfect and I would recommend Richard from All Ears DJ to anyone getting married or planning an event!
Chay M
5.0
10/14/2018
I can not say enough great things about All Ears Dj. They are very professional and prompt with getting back to me on all my questions! We had Colin as our DJ and I would highly recommend him! He was amazing! Spoke clearly and if the dance floor wasn't popping he would make a smooth transition to another song. We appreciate his willingness to go with the flow and meeting us to over concerns we had. We ended up playing the newly wed shoe game and it was a blast. We can't thank Colin and All Ears enough for the awesome party they gave us!
Margaret M
5.0
10/09/2018
We hired Mike from All Ears DJ and couldn't have had a better experience. We had great conversations first with Richard and then with Mike about how we wanted our event to flow, and the execution was flawless (for context, we had 3 locations, only one of which was indoors, plus some live music). Mike played Brazilian music for our reception and dinner, and then a funk/soul/disco dance party that got everybody our on the floor. Also Mike was just an absolute gem the whole time; a real pleasure to work with. Highly recommend!
Lan H
5.0
10/05/2018
We booked through Richard and the process was seamless. We had Mike Cochran as our DJ for our sep 2018 wedding and he was amazing! So easy to work with and he played great music all night. Will recommend to my family and friends and if there's any other event where I need a DJ I will book Mike again. Highly recommend All Ears DJ!!
Lindsey G
5.0
10/01/2018
Mike was one of the best DJ's I've ever heard in my whole life, so glad we booked him for our wedding! Mike helped us with the planning through phone calls and emails, everything was dialed in for our event. He arrived on time, set everything up based on our requirements, and did the sound for the wedding, cocktail hour, dinner, speeches and dancing. The sound quality of his equipment was really good and he brought plenty of microphones and backups in case of emergency. For the dance party, everybody was on the dance floor because the music was so great. He does some very cool mixing of songs and transitions between the songs. I would highly recommend Mike, very friendly, easy to work with and professional!
not implemented response 10/01/2018
Awesome and best of luck to ya'll!
Gindin M
5.0
9/23/2018
Mike Cochran of All Ears was AMAZING. He worked with my husband on music choices and was very easy to communicate with. An absolute pro and dialed in.
You certainly hope that you and your special ones will have a blast and he delivered. Our dance floor was bumping (with wild dancing) and there was no denying that EVERYONE was losing their minds over how fun everything was.
This is a DJ that truly does DJ, mixing music and riffing off the crowd. What more could you ask for? If you want a robot, just make a playlist. If you want a DJ, go with Mike.
Thank you again Mike, and let us know when you're playing at the RipTide! We had an outrageously fun night thanks to you!
not implemented response 09/23/2018
Thanks Elizabeth and all the best to you!
Carly M
4.0
9/20/2018
Richard was an awesome DJ not only did he keep everyone on their feet all night but all I kept hearing was how awesome the music was! He was very professional and made our wedding night so so fun! The only minor complaint I had was that there was some crackling from the microphone during the ceremony and a speech. But having worked in theatre, I know these things happen!
Amy J
5.0
9/18/2018
Tanner did a great job DJing our wedding! I was on the fence about DIY vs hiring a DJ and it was SO worth the money. I didn't have to worry about anything, and the dance floor was full all night! Tanner was super nice, he handled the announcements etc. perfectly but wasn't a giant loud personality - just hung back and played great music which is exactly what we wanted. We gave him a playlist of songs we liked about a month in advance, and he did a great job of mixing in a good number of those songs along with other ones that fit the vibe and were popular with our guests.
not implemented response 09/18/2018
So glad to hear and thanks for the feedback!
Amy J
5.0
9/18/2018
DJ Kidd was so easy to work with!! We knew he was an experienced DJ so we left a lot of the decision making regarding the music up to him and his ability to read the crowd- and he did not disappoint! Guest of all ages were having fun on the dance floor! We were so happy with the outcome and would 100% recommend!
not implemented response 09/18/2018
Great to hear and thanks for the feedback!
Katie B
1.0
9/10/2018
I'm happy to hear so many couples below had an amazing experience with Richard at All Ears DJ, but unfortunately for us this was not the case. When I first reached out to All Ears DJ, I was excited to find a DJ who wasn't the typical "Wedding DJ" which I was really afraid of while searching for our wedding music. When I first spoke to Richard, we had a great conversation and I was so thrilled to use him. I was conflicted as to whether I should have him play live music or not, but Richard assured me that if I booked that option to begin with, I could change my mind later on. The problems with Richard didn't arise until we got closer to the wedding date and on our actual wedding day. My wedding planner was in complete communication with him up until our big day, and I also sent over my music planner on excel with all of our songs we had chosen for our wedding. I ended up deciding to not do the live music option, as he assured me I could change my mind. When I told Richard I'd like to just have him DJ throughout our wedding instead, he wrote back "well, this is awkward..." and went on to say that he'd like me to spend $200 on uplighting to replace the $200 fee I'd pay to have him play live music. Considering I had an e-mail from him saying how it would be fine to change my mind, this put a really bad taste in my mouth. I then decided to have him play live music, as I'd rather choose that option than unnecessary uplighting, and I didn't want to upset him - it was apparent $200 meant a lot to him. On the day of our wedding, he told our planner that he didn't have any of our chosen music, including the song my wedding party and the song I was going to walk down the aisle to. He literally had to download it 5 minutes before we all walked down the aisle! Luckily, my Wedding planner didn't tell me this until after our big day, but I couldn't believe it - ridiculous AND unprofessional. Richard then, after dinner, came up to my Planner, Husband, and I and told us that we hadn't paid him yet and was making a big stink about it. We had called him with our credit card number two weeks prior, and he even sent us a receipt of our transaction. We could not believe he'd approach us on the most special day of our lives complaining how he didn't get his money. 10 minutes later, he said he screwed up and got us confused with another couple and apologized. I was dumbfounded and it caused an unneeded stress to us on a day where we should be having fun and celebrating. Throughout his DJing, he was super unenthusiastic on the microphone while EMCing - we wish he was a little more lively and actually acted like he wanted to be there! Lastly, he double played multiple songs and played songs I specifically told him not to. He also played different songs than I had requested for our last song and wedding cake cutting song. I know it's not ideal to see one bad review amongst a sea of good reviews, but I had to voice my experience to give other couple's a heads up! Music was within the top three aspects of my wedding that was extremely important to us, and I have to say Richard was a HUGE disappointment. With so many vendors out there, I'd do your research and go with a DJ that will spend more time and effort into making your day about YOU!
not implemented response 09/10/2018
Hi Katie, very disappointed to read this. I continue to be perplexed and honestly a bit sa...
ddened by clients such as you, who indicate no concerns in-person but swoop in a month later with a one-star review. I’ll certainly cop to a few minor mistakes during the day, but as I recall your big day went swimmingly and therefore I’m mystified by your disappointment. I wasn’t “disinterested” in the least and I received numerous warm compliments during my acoustic set. The dance floor was packed all night and I most certainly didn’t double-play songs as that’s always something I’ve avoided. If I was grabbing a track or two last-minute it was only because your choices kept changing. I’m more than happy to be flexible, but multiple last-minute changes were made and I was simply doing my best to accommodate them and execute a flawless reception. Based on your review, it really seems like most of your dissatisfaction stems from me simply holding you accountable for the package you chose and contract you signed? I do apologize for my error on the remaining balance but I did clarify it quickly and very apologetically. Honestly, it seems as though you were already annoyed with me before I showed up, and honestly I was also frustrated with the situation, but I never let it impact my performance at an event, especially a wedding. I wish you the best of luck with the rest of your lives together passive-aggressively finding fault with “the help” rather than effectively communicating your needs and expectations :(
Meredith H
4.0
9/04/2018
Music was important to us and so was staying in our budget and All Ears fit the bill. Jason was super nice and kept the music going all night. There were some must play songs that didn't get played, but everyone enjoyed the music and had a great time!
Sarah S
5.0
8/28/2018
DJ Kidd was the BEST DJ ever. My husband and I literally had the night of our lives at our wedding reception and all of our guests did too, thanks to his musical skill and keen ability to read a room. It's been over a month since we got married and we still have our friends and family giving us compliments about DJ Kidd. A complete professional from start to finish, we couldn't reccomend DJ Kidd enough.
not implemented response 08/29/2018
Awesome, congrats and appreciate the feedback!
Olivia B
5.0
8/02/2018
Richard DJ's my wedding in Half Moon Bay, CA. (Wedding-about 175 people in attendance.) He was extremely responsive from start to finish. I never felt like I couldn't communicate with him or was waiting for a response. He was always there to answer any questions and played all the music I had requested (old school to modern day hip hop/R&B). I didn't meet him until the day of the wedding but he was fantastic! Everyone loved the music and people were dancing all night! I would recommend him to anyone looking for a seasoned & awesome DJ.
Caitlin B
5.0
6/28/2018
Richard was an amazing DJ and we could not have asked for anyone better. The live music he played before and during our ceremony was beautiful and everyone was raving about the reception music! He was so helpful in keeping the party flowing nicely and we got so many compliments on what a great job he did. He was helpful throughout the planning process and took all of our requests into account. At a lot of weddings it seems like there are only a few people dancing, and the music doesn't flow, but everyone was dancing the entire night at our wedding! Richard did a perfect job of mixing music genres to make all of our guests happy!
Kristen J
5.0
6/09/2018
My husband and I had a small backyard wedding with 50 guests. I was worried a majority of our guests would not dance, but Richard assured me he could get people out of their chairs. Boy, was he right! He really felt out the crowd and played the music people wanted to hear. I gave him our preferences, but left it open to his professional opinion. We had a small dance floor, but it was a packed dance floor! Everyone had such a great time.
My initial phone interview with Richard went very well. I felt comfortable with him and the service he would provide. My husband and I also added a lighting package, which I would suggest taking advantage of. Even for our backyard reception, it added a really beautiful effect. Richard was extremely professional and confident throughout the duration of the event. Our ceremony was a little ways away from the reception space, but Richard was able to provide 2 set-ups with his speakers. Mics were also provided for our officiant and the reading of the vows. I would highly recommend AllEars for your wedding or event.
Erica T
1.0
4/28/2018
My experience working with All Ears DJ was pretty horrible. We booked Marty nearly a year prior to our wedding date, but three weeks before the wedding we found out he unavailable. The only reason I found this out was because I reached out to Marty multiple times with no response, and then had to reach out to the owner, Richard, to ask about what was going on. He wasn’t sure what was happening, but found out a few days later that Marty’s band had signed a touring deal, and he wasn’t going to be available on my wedding day. I am from out of state, so my parents had originally gone and met with Marty and we selected him based on his personality and ability to play acoustic at the wedding. When I found out he was no longer available three weeks before my date, it made it very stressful as we were trying to nail down all the final details from the event - and I was doing it from a distance. I had a call with Richard to understand the details and what was going on - my dad was on the line because he had signed the contract. Richard was EXTREMELY unprofessional and was not sympathetic at all to the situation he put us in. He was putting guilt on us for not being happy with the new solution he had come up with, completely blind to the fact he was causing stress and uncertainty in our minds weeks before the wedding. For a business providing services to customers, Richard was very unprofessional, disrespectful and awful. He was cussing and yelling during our phone conversation - never apologizing for the bind he put us in. He also completed lied multiple times about notifying us as soon as they knew Marty was unavailable, but that was absolutely not the case. There was no sympathy, understanding or an ounce of support during this process. I would NOT recommend this company to anyone. In reading the company’s responses to other bad reviews, its clear this was not a one time issue. The DJ we ended up with was fine - he didn’t make us aware of technical difficulties he was having before the ceremony - but he played the list we had provided and took recommendations from our guests.
not implemented response 04/30/2018
Hi Erica, one star for you as well! I won't be taking the "high road" here because I'm the...
sort of person and business owner who calls it like I see it. Every year I've been doing this since 2010 we have a client like you. In our industry we call them "bridezillas". They're real and they exist and they are you. The only silver lining for us is that we got our 2018 bridezilla out of the way early. Hopefully smooth sailing from here!
Every time I encounter one of these brides, I explore all possible options to assuage them. But as the year's have passed and I've had more experiences like this, I've realized a common thread. They don't want to be pleased... THEY WANT TO BE MISERABLE. Literally there must be something cathartic in crying, fretting and lashing out. Perhaps this is the experience they were seeking when they started planning their wedding.
The only kink in our planning process was a switch from DJ Martin Bush to DJ Colin Halliburton one month prior to the wedding. At that point, you assumed the sky was falling and went into full bridezilla mode. Your asked your father - a lawyer - to call me and make threats, all the while emphasizing that he was a lawyer and that Erica always gets her way. Perhaps this is the first time in your gated-community life that you didn't get your way? Perhaps you should have gotten married on Ventura Boulevard rather than a place like Kansas City where people treat their wedding vendors like friends and not like the help.
Sometimes we actually do make mistakes. We take ownership of them and offer apologies and sometimes even refunds. In your case, there never was a problem. You said as much in your review: "the DJ we ended up with was fine". Honestly it was probably better than fine because Colin is every bit as talented and experienced as Marty and has made 100+ clients very happy. Though in fairness, those were clients who wanted to be happy.
It is always our goal to have continuity and ensure that the DJ who is your first preference is the one who shows up at your wedding. But once or twice a year external forces intervene and we have to recommend a switch to another staff DJ. One month is more than enough time for us to prepare as we always to and customize your music and event flow. As you said, it turned out just fine.
It should also be noted that we offered you a refund of deposit should you have chosen to terminate your booking. We never held you hostage; we simply offered you our best solution.
Now that your wedding is over, I wonder what new avenue you'll find for making people miserable? Perhaps you can be mean to servers or double-park behind a row of cars at Starbucks while you complain to your barista about how sweet your cinnamon dulche latte is? I bet you'll figure it out.
Ben E
5.0
1/06/2018
My wife and I searched far and wide for a DJ truly passionate about music and the art of DJing for our wedding in November 2017. We kept running into so-called “DJs” that just didn’t match our style or taste. Meeting DJ Stevie Cruz was a breath of fresh air. He is professional, extremely talented, and has the taste and edge we were desperately searching for. His background in club DJing gave our wedding reception the tasteful feel we were looking for. He was extremely receptive to all our wants, and his music selection and ability to mix in our long list of must-haves was remarkable. Upon our request, he even sent us the entire mix he made for our reception, as well as the name of all the songs he played for our dinner and cocktail hour so that we can enjoy and relive those special moments in all of our married years to come. We can’t thank him enough for all that he’s done. We feel like we’ve made a lifelong friend in Stevie. If you haven’t already—BOOK HIM! You won’t be disappointed.
not implemented response 01/07/2018
Thanks for your feedback and very happy to hear!
Lauren S
5.0
11/19/2017
Stevie and Heidi absolutely put our wedding over the top!!! We were looking for a DJ/Live Musician combination for our wedding to play at both the ceremony and reception and quite a few vendors joked to let us know when we found this “unicorn”. We are happy to say that we definitely did with All Ears! We used a combination of Stevie Cruz and Heidi Gluck and WOW … we could not have been happier! First of all, we have to thank Richard for chatting with us and pointing us in the direction of these two specifically, because they were exactly what we were looking for.
Heidi provided the instrumentals and vocals for our ceremony, as well as the first dance and sounded absolutely amazing! We had a few specific songs in mind that we wanted to use and she was flexible and willing to learn if she wasn’t familiar already. She also sent us a couple of recordings of her singing our first dance to both ensure that we were happy with her take on a Frank Sinatra classic (we’re telling you - this girl has talent!) and also to give us an opportunity to practice our first dance.
I don’t even know where to start with Stevie so the first thing I’ll say is if you’re looking for a regular wedding DJ, keep looking because this guy is a professional (literally) and it was obvious to all of our guests! Stevie was so easy to communicate with and extremely responsive to any questions or thoughts that we had for him leading up to our wedding but that doesn’t begin to review his talent that was shown at our reception. Our goal was to have a packed dance floor all night with a reception that felt like a true party (sans those “normal” wedding reception songs you hear like the cupid shuffle, YMCA, electric slide, etc) and Stevie more than delivered! Our guests were all talking about his song choices, how he was mixing songs, and one of the jokes of the night to describe his talent was how he could even make the beat drop in Wonderwall. Don’t bother sending Stevie a playlist - he doesn’t need it and honestly probably chose better songs than we would’ve anyway. He took our favorite genres and absolutely exceeded any expectations we could’ve had!
Meredith C
5.0
11/06/2017
Alex Ward with All Ears DJ (Chicago) is simply amazing. I can't brag enough that we had the BEST DJ for our wedding. He was fantastic to work with and really listened/understood what we were looking for. He knew all the songs that would get people dancing, had a great flow of oldies, today's hits, and slow jams, and may sure to work in a few favorites. Our dance floor was never empty, so much so we had to extend the wedding another 20 min because nobody wanted to stop. Thank you for making our wedding so incredible!!
Erica K
5.0
10/29/2017
Tanner is magical. We have very particular music tastes and knew we'd also need to cater to all different audiences at our wedding. After our first conversation with Tanner, we knew he "got us" and handled it like a pro. He played guitar and sang for our ceremony and first dance, and it was one of the best decisions we made. He also killed it later in the night and all of our guests were dancing and having the best time and even mentioned to us later how much they loved the music. I believe music sets the tone for the whole event and I can say without a doubt it was one of my favorite elements of the whole day. I'd recommend Tanner over and over again.
Courtney F
5.0
10/19/2017
Richard was everything I could have hoped for in a wedding DJ! He was professional and very responsive throughout the planning, but also fun and easy going, and we knew from the beginning we were in good hands. We had a large, very traditional black tie wedding, but I didn't want it to feel stuffy, and I knew I wanted a fun dance party. I don't think a single person, young or old, didn't get out on the floor to dance. Aside from providing a few particular songs for our walk out, first dance, etc., we really left the playlist for dinner and the dance party up to him and he totally crushed it! Richard also did a great job MC'ing, and the flow of the evening with announcing us, bringing up people for toasts, etc. all flowed really well. I'd hire him again in a heartbeat for any event, and highly recommend to others!
Diana R
4.0
10/16/2017
This review is for Tanner Walle's acoustic music skills which are fantastic! Tanner has played a lot of live shows with big name artists and it shows in his performance. He's a great musician with a really nice voice, but his ability to adapt to what we were looking for and work with the flow of the ceremony is what really sets him apart. He brought his own great equipment, played our ceremony just how we wanted it, learned a new song in a matter of days and entertained our guests during the cocktail hour with a variety of songs from his acoustic set. He's funny, charming and very easy to work; my husband and I really enjoyed Tanner and highly recommend him.
Veronica B
5.0
10/15/2017
We can't say enough great things about Tanner Walle. He played acoustic guitar and sang at our wedding ceremony and cocktail hour and then he was our DJ for the rest of the night. Tanner was professional, reliable and just a generally nice person to be around. He did wonderful job at our ceremony, learning a new song that was our favorite and singing it beautifully. He had the dance floor going all night and multiple people came up to us and couldn't believe that the same person sang and DJ'ed throughout our night. I highly recommend working with All Ears DJ's and Tanner Walle. They helped make our wedding absolutely perfect!
not implemented response 10/16/2017
So glad to hear and thanks for the feedback!
Ivan B
5.0
10/02/2017
We booked Colin H. for our July wedding and he did a fantastic job! The DJ at the wedding is largely responsible for the "flow" of the reception, and we were afraid to make a decision. We need not have worried at all - Colin was perfect. His acoustic set during our cocktail hour was incredible, and people were dancing all night (literally until the venue closed!). We had so many compliments and everyone had a great time. Thank you to Colin for a wonderful night!!
Stacey S
5.0
9/19/2017
We booked Martin Bush through All Ears for our 9/9/2017 wedding reception, and we can't say enough great things about him. From the first meeting, we knew he was the right choice and he did not disappoint. We had him do an acoustic set during the "cocktail hour" and play our first dance song "When The Right One Comes Along" and during our first dance we couldn't stop talking about how he sounded better than the original musician and the ones who sing it on the show Nashville.
We did things a little differently and Martin didn't even bat an eye. It was completely stress free and I never worried for one minute about the reception music from the first moment we met him. We planned everything from the other side of the state and he was extremely accommodating, even when I wasn't going to be able to get to KC in time for our final meeting he took care of everything over the phone with 0 notice. We heard nothing but great things from the guests and everyone thought it was awesome he played and sang our first dance song! We seriously cannot recommend him enough!
Nicole H
5.0
9/15/2017
Richard was absolutely fantastic throughout the entire process. After contacting several other DJs, it was very clear that All Ears DJ was head and shoulders above the rest.
Richard walked us through the whole process, made it very fun, and came up with an excellent custom mix tailored to our specific tastes that had everyone dancing all night long.
I would highly recommend All Ears DJ to everyone, and wish Richard and his business the greatest of success!
Ryan A
5.0
9/11/2017
Richard did a wonderful job for our recent wedding in Tiburon over labor day weekend. He was engaged with us in the months leading up and was extremely flexible throughout the evening especially when we wanted to make last minute changes. His positive attitude and great personality was an absolute pleasure to work. We highly recommend him for any event!!!!
not implemented n
5.0
9/11/2017
My husband and I were so glad we chose All Ears DJ for our wedding. Corey was so relaxed and easy to work with. We called him a couple times to go over the schedule and last minute details, and I felt like really he understood what we wanted. He was a complete professional - arrived early to get everything set up and check the microphones and kept the party moving right until last call.
Heidi sang and played guitar for our wedding ceremony, which was just lovely. She learned a new song that I wanted to walk down the aisle to, and it was so beautifully played and sung. We were so impressed by both her and Corey!
not implemented response 09/12/2017
So glad to hear and thanks for the feedback!
Lucy S
5.0
9/06/2017
Mike was so amazing.. great communicator before the event, showed up on time in the midst of chaos and needed no help setting up and figuring things out (without a wedding planner and in the middle of a redwood forest!) He worked within the constraints of my micromanaging the playlist and was super skilled and friendly all along.. Can't recommend highly enough!
not implemented response 09/07/2017
So glad to hear and thanks for the feedback!
Ashten H
5.0
8/25/2017
My husband and I got married in April, we had Richard as our DJ and also had him do acoustics during the cocktail hour. He was so great to work with and made things just go very smoothly. He has a good timeline set for when to get in touch and make decisions, he's very flexible and always accepting of any random requests you may have. He has multiple options available (DJ Only, DJ + Acoustics, etc) to fit your style and venue setting. He thinks quick on the turntable if a quick song is needed to fit a situation. Our family and friends loved the music selection and danced the entire night. I promise you will not be disappointed if you choose Richard for your wedding or any other event!
Anastasia W
5.0
8/23/2017
I was so impressed with Jayson Ehm, words cannot even begin to describe how much I enjoyed having him being a part of our wedding. We planned our entire wedding in the Bay Area from Australia, and the All Ears Team was super easy to deal with and made it super simple for us. Jayson was our MC as well as our DJ and worked seamlessly with our vendor to make sure we had nothing to worry about the day of and ensured that the dance floor was a real party.
I would 100% recommend All Ears Dj to anyone planning a wedding and would encourage any future events to request Jayson in particular.
Danielle H
5.0
8/15/2017
Richard is a dream to work with. He is kind, easy-going, accommodating and knows how to throw a party. Richard struck the perfect balance of accepting our (myriad) requests and mixing his own mash-ups. He came extra early to our wedding to make sure that everything was perfectly set up for both the ceremony and the party, and he put us all at ease. Hire Richard today! He is the man.
Sara G
5.0
7/18/2017
This company was amazing to work with! Richard got us in contact with Colin who played at our ceremony and then DJ'ed our reception. Colin was so helpful in navigating the timeline of our event and very timely in his responses to all of our requests. I highly recommend Colin with All Ears DJ!
Danielle N
5.0
6/19/2017
We hired Alex to be our wedding DJ this past Saturday and the dace floor was on fire the entire night. We were on a tight budget for our wedding and it was between Alex and the ever popular Cage and Aquarium. We spoke with Alex on the phone and we felt like he had a real passion for what he does and understood that music was an incredibly important part of our wedding. He was willing to work with what we liked and didn't have an attitude like "I'm a professional DJ and I can read the crowd so I'll play what I want and I'm too good for your playlist".
When we met with him a few weeks before our wedding he was genuinely enthused when I showed him a playlist I made to guide his music choices, and is honestly just a super nice dude. When it came to the day of, everything was perfect. He crushed the song choices outside of the list we had given him, and people kept coming up to me the entire night telling me how amazing the music was. You could tell he was having a great time, loves what he does, and totally gets it. Alex made our wedding a PARTY and I cannot recommend him enough.
not implemented response 06/19/2017
So glad to hear and thanks for the feedback!
Skip J
5.0
6/03/2017
DJ Kidd (Chris Kidd) from ALL Ears DJ made my wedding reception a party to remember for the ages! He was prompt, easy to work with and very flexible with all the requests my wife and I had for our special day. Most importantly, he kept the crowd engaged, alive and dancing from the youngest kids all the way to the older crowd! If you want your party to have a great time, make sure you book DJ Kidd!
not implemented response 06/05/2017
Thanks for the feedback and so glad to hear!
Lauren G
5.0
5/29/2017
I was a guest at one of the weddings DJ Chris Kidd spun at it was great! Old folks and young folks were enjoying themselves and partying all night long. His mix of old school and new school mashups give everyone a bit of what they want to hear.
Kevin R
5.0
5/03/2017
Perry did a great job and kept the party going all night! Would highly recommend him!
Adrian P
5.0
4/20/2017
Martin was perfect!! From playing guitar during our ceremony to djing our reception he nailed it. We had him learn a couple new songs which he did a great job of putting his own spin to them. Several of our guest commented on how well he did and asked where we found him. Thank you Martin and All Ears DJ!!
Cassie C
5.0
4/14/2017
We found All Ears DJ via The Knot and couldn’t be happier with our choice. They were one of the top rated DJs and won The Knot’s Best of Weddings for 2017.
For our wedding we worked with Richard in the Bay Area. We had a short ‘interview’ phone call to get to know each other than we signed the contract. Our biggest criteria was that the music flowed together and not have any breaks where everyone leaves the dance floor. The ceremony went smoothly and he was a natural at being the MC so everything flowed throughout the whole night. He is also a talented musician and we had him play sing and play acoustic guitar during our cocktail hour. Our guests loved the live music, it was a hit! During the reception, Richard did an excellent job and the party never stopped. He followed our tastes in music and didn’t play anything on our do not play list. Best night ever!!
not implemented n
5.0
4/11/2017
Mike is great! The planning process with him was a breeze and his musical selections terrific! Not an easy tasks as the guests ranged in age from 3 years old to 90.He put the cap on a wonderful wedding.
Jennifer I
5.0
4/10/2017
Mike was the best DJ we could have asked to have at our wedding. He made sure all of our song choices were played and the dance floor was always crowded. He offered a wide range of music to please everyone. We would recommend him to anyone looking for a fun DJ!
Lauren F
5.0
1/04/2017
Tanner was amazing. As soon as we met him, we knew he was the perfect fit. His communication and professionalism leading up to the wedding was thorough and detailed. He even sent us a preview performance of what we’d asked him to play during our ceremony and cocktail hour. You can tell he’s a natural on the microphone – apparently he’s been a touring musician for years – and beyond our specific requests during the reception, his song choice and playlist made our night absolutely perfect. Everyone was sweating their butts off! THANK YOU Tanner!
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