4.7 out of 5 stars and 65 reviews
4.7
(65)Best of Weddings (1x).Serving Raleigh, Durham, Chapel Hill and beyond.
About this vendor
Serving The Triangle, Piedmont Triad, and surrounding areas of North Carolina. Island Sound can play every type of music. When it comes to entertainment for your special day, we are "The Wedding Specialists." Playing all your favorites, making all the important announcements, and helping to maintain a flow that will make it an exciting night for all your guests. For a free color brochure, call us, day or evening, or visit us on our website...
Details
Equipment
- Audio/Visual Equipment
- Sound Equipment
Music Genres
- Country
- Dance
- Disco
- Hip-Hop
- Jazz
- Pop
Music Services
- MC Services
- Recorded Music
- Sound Equipment
Wedding Activities
- Rehearsals & Parties
- Wedding
- Ceremony
- Reception
Awards and Affiliations
Reviews
Your trust is our goal. Our community relies on honest reviews to help you make those big decisions with ease.
4.7
out of 5.065 reviews
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Tiny Tim was such a great DJ! He was so communicative with us before the wedding in figuring out how we wanted to go about our day and how he could make it the best it possibly could be and I couldn't have asked for better. From the music selection to the ambient lighting, he did such a great job. I especially loved that he went out of his way at the end of the night and set up an extra speaker and some lighting in a little courtyard outside for us to have our last dance to and I will never forget how beautiful a moment it was to have that. The man has style so that was a plus too! Highly recommend them!!
Tldr: my biggest regret was hiring Island Sound as my DJ. Black brides or brides looking for an RnB and Hip-hop setlist, please look elsewhere. Was set up on time, but they need a lot of guidance on the day of regarding music and you will be disappointed with the song selection. Music was so bad for dancing portion that I couldn't even enjoy that part of the evening. Dj would ask for advice on what to play next and I had to turn off lights to the dance floor myself. Supplied Lapel mic and set up the sound system for cocktail hour, dinner, and reception well, but the music was not good.
Full review: When I reflect on my wedding day and all of the things that went wrong and all of the things I could have done differently during planning, my biggest regret is the DJ that I hired through Island Sound. I envisioned a night of dancing and laughter on the dance floor. When I spoke about this vision and the need for a RnB + Hip-hop + House set with Frankie, he assured me that they were comfortable doing this. We even talked about us both not being into "trap" music which made me think he knew his way around Black wedding music genres. And since they were allegedly familiar with my venue and recommended by the caterer, I booked with them. No one contacted me about a final run-through meeting. When I reached out 2 weeks before the wedding, I was told to fill out some forms no one told me about and that they would reach back out. No one did. The week of the wedding, when I was finally able to contact them after calling and messaging on social media, Peter reached out and we scheduled the meeting for 3 days before the wedding. Peter said he was going to be my DJ, not Frankie. I explained the set list goals and Peter seemed less comfortable and asked for me to upload Spotify Playlists (that had not been made because I did not think I'd have to give a DJ guidance on music outside of a "no play" list). With a meeting taking place three days before, when was I going to find time to create playlists? I inserted some to the form very late the night before the wedding which the DJ did not see or have access to because they did not have internet access in 2023.
Long story short, the DJ did not meet the vibe expectations. Beyond dinner where we asked for oldies for the older guests, it was bad. Dj was asking for song advice during dancing. I, the bride, had asked if he turned off the lights to the dance floor because it was so bright to which he responded something along the lines of "idk". When I turned off the dance floor lights myself and heard "shots" by LMFAO playing instead of the RnB or Hip-hop we discussed, that was my last straw. I was so disappointed with my decision that I did not return. Maybe Frankie would have been better. Maybe they could have better matched me with a DJ on their website who could have handled my event better. Maybe they don't actually have access to the other DJs listed on the website and list them to appear like they can meet a diverse range of music requirements. Regardless, my DJ choice and experience still keeps me up at night and I want better for future brides. Anyone can supply lapel mics and set up the sound system for cocktail hour, dinner, and reception. Go with another DJ.
We used Island Sound to DJ our reception, and had Frankie Hagan as the DJ. His execution and professionalism were both top notch, and my wife and I were both very pleased with his service. My wife said that out of all the vendors and services we used for the wedding, he was the best! He helped make the day smooth, enjoyable and carefree. We provided him with a list of songs, and he did a great job with stringing them together, and his volume was spot on, not too loud, but enough that people would dance, and he adjusted it dynamically. 5 out of 5, would recommend him for any DJing you need done.
Island sound did a great job at our wedding! Tracy was fantastic for the duration of our event. He was on-time, professional, and kept the party going all night. We are so grateful for the excellent service we received and all our guests had a blast.
Island Sound did an amazing job at our wedding. Frankie was so nice and professional and fun! He executed everything perfectly the day of the wedding and everyone had an absolute blast. He honored all the music we really wanted played and made some incredible selections of his own. Honestly, having a good DJ is one of the most important elements of a wedding to make it a blast and Frankie + Island Sound really made our night. Most fun night I've ever had.
Island sound is affordable and gave us exactly what we wanted and needed. Our DJ kept people on the dance floor while mixing in all of our favorites and request. They are very thoughtful and made the process easy!
Our DJ was Frankie Hagan. He took direction really well and came prepared with great ideas! The reception was very fun.
We were so happy with Island Sound at our wedding! They were extremely professional and made sure to make our day special! We were able to request a few songs they didn't have already, which they obliged us with. They were also fantastic emcees!
We originally scheduled for Frankie to DJ our wedding, but he had some family circumstances come up about 2 weeks beforehand that led to a last minute change to us working with Evan. Despite this, they were both very communicative and organized during the switch and we never worried that any of our requests or anything would get missed. Island Sound was an easy vendor to work with and Evan did a good job interacting with our guests on the dance floor and keeping the music fun and varied. Overall we were happy and think they were a good value for the price!
DJ Frankie was the worst part of my wedding. He played the wrong songs(songs that I didn’t even pick) during the entrance, didn’t even attempt to interact with the crowd, wasn’t paying attention(cutting the cake wasn’t even announced), and took the fans that were pointed to the dance floor and pointed them toward himself. I was very unimpressed with his DJ skills and it was not work the price. I would not recommend him to anyone...
Frankie was the most amazing DJ! Not only did he play an excellent selection of music based on our preferences, but he also contributed to the fun with his personality in leading games and special songs/dances. Our videographer, Whitewater, was equally wonderful. He put together a memorable "Biography" video that detailed our relationship from the beginning up to the wedding day. It included commentary from us and our families/wedding party. It is a unique and special video that will bring us back to that special day for years to come!
Frankie from Island Sound was amazing! He has great communication with you and really cares about you as a couple. He played a great variety of music for us and had everyone on the dance floor all night. He kept our wedding flowing too by being a great MC.
Frankie was phenomenal! This is the second time I've hired him for an event and he certainly delivers. My husband and I have a pretty particular music taste that doesn't necessarily fit the typical "wedding" playlist, and Frankie did an excellent job of playing music the bride and groom wanted to play that our guests would also enjoy. I didn't hear not one song I didn't want to dance to! Guests basically had to drag me off the dance floor for photos (or meet me there!!). Frankie is also a wonderful MC and kept the wedding running super smoothly and he made a few jokes that had our guests chuckling. Go ahead and hire these guys and ask for Frankie!
Island Sound & Video is great. They did a good job with the ceremony and reception. They were very accommodating when it came to working with us on specific songs we wanted and the photo booth. The Photo Booth was AWESOME. It was a mirror and just so different from anything else we've seen.
The only thing I was worried about was that when we met with our DJ he didn't seem to have a personable personality. He got the job done but I was a little disappointed in the fact that he didn't seem like a people person.
From the initial meeting to the day of the wedding, Frankie Hagan and his staff had their stuff down and knew what we would like. Frankie talked with us at great length about music in general and put our minds at ease. He even shared some memorable stories from past weddings he’s done which further cemented our decision in hiring them. He knew exactly what to do to get our family and friends up on the dance floor, and his call to play “Paradise By The Dashboard Light” at the night’s peak is sure to go down in our family history book as one of the most epic spontaneous dances, ever. We would definitely recommend them for any special event.
Harry was great! He was easy to work with and fun. Island Sound also has very reasonable prices.
Frankie was awesome! DJ had the best mix of not being in your face but being there when needed! Played the right mix of music for us!
Harry was an amazing DJ and Emcee at our wedding! He played great music and got everyone on the dance floor as well as kept the events of the whole night going smoothly. I didn't have to worry about the turn of events after I got to the reception which was a huge weight off my shoulders. It made the entire reception much more enjoyable.
Peter and the staff at Island Sound were very accommodating and easy to work with! They provided beautiful, blush uplighting at our reception to meet our "kate spade inspired" wedding at Rose Hill Plantation. We highly recommend their company for all your wedding day needs!
We had DJ Frankie Hagan for our wedding. I immediately loved him after our first phone call. He was just as helpful at helping us plan our wedding as he was at emceeing our event. He was flexible with our schedules, and he was always available to meet with us when we requested it. He is familiar with all genres of music and was able to offer great suggestions for our specialty songs like the father/daughter dance (even when I selected beach music as the genre). He mixed up many types of songs and knew how to read the audience to help the flow and energy of the reception. He also suggested different group events that helped us to catch some great photos. We love Frankie!
Josh was amazing!! He kept our guests partying and dancing the entire night!! Can't recommend them enough!!!!
We had Island Sound do our DJ services as well as our lighting. We are so happy we did. Frankie Hagan was our DJ and he did a great job MC-ing and DJ-ing. He did the music both for our ceremony and our reception. We got many compliments on our music selection and my husband and I (and our guests) had a great time dancing at the reception! Island Sound provides some neat online planning tools that allow you to choose and save songs for your ceremony and reception and to make a general play list. We told Frankie that our songs were just a guideline to give him an idea about what type of music we like and wanted to hear. He was extremely knowledgeable and obviously passionate about his work. He was very quick to respond to email questions and was always happy to help. Island Sound also provided uplighting for our venue, which turned out great! They also did a GOBO (little monogram design) that was projected onto our dance floor. It looked great, and the little kids at the wedding had a blast dancing on top of it :) Island Sound was a great value and they did an awesome job!
Working with DJ Frankie from Island Sound has been a pleasure. From the time that my new husband and I booked Frankie as our reception DJ, it had been easy to work with him. He has a great energetic personality that not only you'll appreciate but your wedding guests as well. Using Island Sound's online planning tool was very useful as it helps plan out certain special dances and songs to be played throughout the reception. Another quality Frankie has is that he is able to "read" the room to help gauge what direction the music needs to go in to help bring the party alive. Thank you so much for a wonderful evening, Frankie!
Frankie was absoluetly amazing!!! He knows his stuff! He was knowledgeable, flexible, engaging, organzied, professional, and absolutley fantastic at gaging the crowd and the pacing of the wedding! He was able to keep the dancefloor packed the entire evening and played music that appealed to everybody, even though we had many specific requests. He provided the right amount of "MC talk" to get the crowd going and provide the right mood without talking to much, like I have seen at so many other weddings. This is a true professional who was so easy to work with and who calmed me down when needed.
Our DJ was awesome! Brandon was super fun to speak to before and during the wedding. He would consult with us on every step of the process. The music was fantastic. We all danced the night away. There were some sound quality problem towards the beginning but overall it was great!
Wonderful job!
We used Island Sound DJ in Raleigh, NC for our wedding ceremony & reception. Josh was our DJ for our wedding day and we had a great time with him. Island Sound's biggest selling point was their online planning tools. Having this tool allowed for us to be able to choose exactly the type of music we wanted and didn't want played at our wedding. Josh was very professional and friendly. We would recommend Island Sound.
We were recommended to Island Sound through our wedding venue because they had been working together for 10+ years and they offered a discount. We were matched with Pablo Rodriguez (DJ Piblet) and he was very professional during the whole process. My husband and I provided him with a list of songs to play during specific parts of the wedding very close to the wedding, then asked him to include a GOBO and up-lighting a week before our wedding day! All of our last minute requests were granted and I am so glad that Island Sound was so accommodating! As music lovers, we had specific requests and a specific atmosphere we wanted to have during the reception and he accomplished everything! We were so happy with the end result! Our guests kept telling us that we had one of the most fun and memorable weddings yet and I must say it had a lot to do with Pablo and his talents. Oh, and I had bought glow necklaces and bracelets which were a hit and made it feel like an awesome dance party :) I would highly recommend Pablo, Peter and the whole Island Sound team for your next event.
Peter did a great job at my wedding! Last minute we had to move everything under the tent and he was so nice and played music while the guests waited for the ceremony. The dance floor was full all night!
frankie was AWESOME! fun, enagaging, and creative!
We had Frankie DJ our wedding and he was great! He really kept the party going- a lot of people told us afterwards that it was one of the most fun weddings they had been to! I like how Island Sound has online tools that help you plan how your reception will flow, what songs you want to play and when, etc. as well as a place where you can enter a "do not play" and "must play" list. We would definitely recommend them!
We used Island Sound for both DJ and video, and they were fantastic. Jason is amazing, he had the dance floor moving and shaking, the entire night. I don't think there was a moment of silence, on the dance floor! Whitewater was non-invasive, as videoing, yet I am sure captured the fun! They were great to work with!
We went to a wedding in December 2011 where Jason from Island Sounds was working and we LOVED him! We ended up booking him for our wedding and he was great! He helped us out along the way, provided great insight for our music, found songs we asked for that are not normal requests, and took the time to get to know us and what we wanted & what our guests would want. Jason provided music and microphones for our ceremony and then music, lighting, effects and fun for our reception The day of the wedding he showed up early and set up and played the day out perfectly. During the reception he kept people entertained and even taught us a new dance. :) We had people on the floor including my husband and i til the night ended and i would love to hire him again for future events! Definatly worth looking into and hiring!!
Jason from Island Sound did an amazing job, and played great music and was a pleasure to work with. Our dance floor was packed the whole time, and every guest ranging from the "older" guests to the "younger" guests have complimented how incredible the DJ was. Im not sure how he managed to make a playlist that made everyone happy, but he did an incredible job and everyone had a ton of fun. He really knows his stuff and does a great job!
Whitewater from Island Sound did our videography, and was very professional, easy to work with, and seemed to be everywhere at the same time.
After being in weddings, being a guest in weddings, and after my own I feel as though I can safely say:
Jason Huggins is the best DJ!
What can you really say after that?
He gave us exactly what we wanted. First off, his knowledge of music is like no other. Once he knows what style of music you want, you're set.
What I learned from my wedding is that a DJ is not only the person who does the music but the DJ actually holds a lot (if not all) of the control of your day. From when you walk into the room, your toasts, your cake cutting, etc every aspect of your wedding is in the DJ's hands.
Jason did an incredible job for all parts! He made us laugh, he gave us a few "awe" moments, and he kept us right now track for our evening.
I cannot say just how impressed we were with his service!
(The price includes DJ & Videographer)
We had Jason from Island Sound do the music for our wedding ceremony and reception. He was very professional and helpful when selecting music for our wedding. We totally trusted him to create a fun dancing environment and he made the reception so much fun. Our guests kept saying how much they loved him and the music he played. Would definitely recommend Island Sound if you want a good party at your reception!
Some of the funnest meetings we had in our wedding planning process were with Jason from Island Sound! I fully recommend him as an awesome, charismatic DJ for your big day. Island Sound makes it very easy for you to plan just about everything for your reception (the online planning tools are very easy to use, and I suggest using the "notes" section as much as possible if you have specific requests) and you get the impression that when you are talking in meetings, they are actually listening. The price value for such a great DJ is unmatched, so do yourselves a favor and book a meeting with Jason ASAP!
They were so easy to get along with. Very professional. Guests are still commenting on how much fun my reception was!
We had very untraditional music choices and they were able to pull it off!
Videographer was outstanding as well :)
Peter from Island Sound was great! He was easy to work with and everything went smoothly with him at the helm. Definitely recommend Island Sound to anyone looking for a great DJ.
We also used them for videography. The guys were there on time and stayed until the night was over, capturing lots of fun moments. We haven't seen the video yet but I am sure they got some wonderful stuff and we can't wait to see it!
Very professional, great music. Frankie was amazing, able to incorporate personal music and details (some at the last minute). Very happy with our events. We had several consultations, that were very laid back & no pressure.
From the moment I met Frankie at the wedding expo, I knew he was the perfect DJ for us! He had this bubbly and comedic appeal that was infectious. To me, that is extremely important. He had great energy throughout the evening and made sure that the music was appropriate. He handled requests spectacularly! I really enjoyed his ideas as well - he made our event interactive at its low points!
Jason at Island Sound did our wedding last month and did an awesome job! We didn't really know what to do or what we wanted for our wedding music, but we met with him twice before our wedding and gave us a lot of help. He really made our day run smoothly- even when we changed up things in our reception last minute- 15 minutes before our 1st dance we asked to change our song, Jason went into the house downloaded the new song and it was ready to go! He was great & we would highly recommend Island Sound :)
I enjoyed working with Island Sound for the wedding. Our DJ was great and listened to our ideas. The only complaint I have is not knowing who our DJ was until a month before the wedding as I had originally met with the owner believing that was my DJ. Other than that, they were great at the wedding! The online planners are really easy to do too!
Our wedding planner recommended Island Sound for our DJ. Our DJ Jason was great, he kept the whole night flowing and stayed on schedule. We had trouble with communication and getting ahold of anyone when we called and it usually took a couple days to get a return email.
We used Jason from Island Sound for our wedding. He completely understood the vibe we were going for. He did an excellent job of playing the songs we requested and coming up with his own songs that fit wonderfully. He was also incredibly flexible the day off. The groom changed his mother/son dance song at the last minute. We had a table of friends singing Disney songs to themselves so he played a few Disney songs for them. He had a great stage presence and made a great MC. The only complaint we got was that some of our older guests thought that the music got a bit too loud near the end of the evening. However, our friends preferred it that way. So it all worked out. I would definitely recommend Jason from Island Sound.
I hired Island Sound for their DJ and video services during my reception and my DJ was amazing! I was married a month ago and my guests still comment on how much fun they had during the reception. I don't think I could have found a better DJ or videographer. The DJ really kept the party flowing and was able to keep everybody dancing. The videographer was very engaging, yet unobtrusive. I would highly recommend this company!
Another vendor who made my day very easy on me. We went with Jason, who helped make a mix of songs everyone likes, songs for the parents, songs for the friends, and songs from genres our parents and friends wouldn't normally put up with but we loved. My mother and sister loved Jason so much they want to bring him down to Charlotte when my sister gets married (even though she's not even dating anyone right now). The party never died down, cheese was kept to a minimum, and everyone had a GREAT time. There were two things I was worried about that Jason suggested which turned out great. 1) he suggested purple uplighting. Our wedding colors were white, ivory, dark purple and lavendar. I was concerned about how tasteful something called "awesome purple" would look on a wall, but it was, well, awesome! Not tacky at all, and defintely gave the room an extra sparkle. 2) The "That's amore" dance. This was not a tradition I had ever heard of, but basically, the bride and groom stand in the middle of the ballroom and every time Dean Martin says "amore" everyone rushes in for a group hug. I thought it sounded really weird, but it was a TON of fun, plus it makes for some really amazing pictures. Jason also had the UF fight song ready to go when we presented my dad with his Gator themed birthday cake. Definitely a great choice, and an unbelievable value for the budget.
We specifically requested Frankie from Island Sound, but I know their entire staff is great; I've had the opportunity to work with them at Ballroom events before.
I can't say how happy I was with the service! The day was seamless and the guests had a GREAT time dancing and listening to a great mix of music. It was such a great balance of fun and funky while staying classy and not over the top. We had a band as well, and Frankie did a smashing job transitioning from DJ to live music and keeping the dance floor full!
I even had guests write me after the wedding, saying how great the DJ/music was.
Jason from Island sound was a great DJ. He did all the lighting too and we wanted the room lit red. It turned out beuatifully. On top of that he really kept the party going and everyone had a fabulous time dancing the night away.
i'll be honest - we were really nervous about hiring a dj. we had considered just putting play lists on our ipod but realize that it probably wouldn't be the best idea. we picked jason because his favorite music was the closest to our tastes. we were VERY controlling when it came to the music and jason was so accommodating. we gave him all of our cocktail hour music and dinner music, then some of the reception music. we were really adamant about keeping the cheese to a minimum and he did an awesome job of keeping the crowd going without resorting to the usual corny dj antics and songs. he even through in a few songs that he knew we'd like and we were thrilled with them! had a few "why didn't we put this on our must play list?" moments. overall, we couldn't have been happier.
Ryan was exactly the right DJ for our wedding. We had very specific songs we wanted played for our guests, and he played every one of them. He was very professional through our meetings, and the suggestions he made were right on the money. No one left the dance floor for almost five hours!
Collin was absolutely fantastic!!!! Everyone was on the dance floor almost the entire time! He played an amazing mix of music and really got the crowd going. I would definitely use him again for any special occasion.
Our DJ was very laid back and listened to the sort of emcee'ing we were interested in.;We had some specific requests on our 'play if you can' list but not very many of them got played.
Colin was amazing. The entire night there was only 1 song where everyone left the dance floor. Other then that the dance floor was packed! He even helped us pick out all of the necessary music that we didn't even realize we had to have (introduction music bouquet and garter music etc.).
He played the songs that I wanted.;Make sure that everything is hooked up (stereo, speakers, etc) before the reception. He played music for over 30 minutes and the guests couldn't even hear it because the speakers had not been checked and were not working.
Our DJ is a good friend of ours. He was excellent!!! Got our guests very involved; great music selections.
He took requests, but didn't play the same sounding or kind of music too much in a row.
He was very prompt with email and my requests and questions throughout the planning process. He kept the party going at the reception--I had several requests for his name afterwards. He was very free flowing and easily adapted to a changing schedule due to pictures. Excellent variety of music--even got the groom's father up dancing!! There's no way we thought that would ever happen!
He was very personable and played many of the songs I requested. He even played some 'spur of the moment' requests. He mingled with the guests and got the crowd dancing.;I thought he was great. No complaints.
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3024 Barrow Drive, Raleigh, NC | Serving Raleigh, Durham, Chapel Hill and beyond.
Island Sound & Video
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