Throughout wedding planning, we had the following guidelines in choosing vendors: quality (for which we looked at reviews), value (for which we looked at package specs and price), and ideally some sign of inclusivity. Music Man Productions was ...very straightforward with packages, the reviews mentioned elements that were important for us, and they mention they serve the LGBTQ community on their website, which meant a lot to us. Your DJ really sets the tone, and we wanted everyone to feel welcome to the party.
Curtis was our initial contact. A few months beforehand, Curtis had a family commitment and we switched to Brock and Leah. Initially we were flustered, but not only was it a seamless transition, but they are just a rock solid team and extraordinary professionals. One or both of them are teachers, and that combination of engaging and getting it done in their personalities played out wonderfully with our wedding. When we have kids I want them to be in their class(es)!
Planning process: We met with Brock 3 times before the big day, and each time it was less of a song checklist and more of a discussion of how we wanted the day to go. That not only helped check off songs, but gave us clearer mental organization that ultimately helped in other realms of wedding planning. They have an online tool (“gig builder”) to help plan out the day so you can reference that throughout planning. Very helpful that we had a living document that we could look at at any time of day.
Technical: Brock and Leah know their equipment well. I’m guessing they put a lot of thought into the brand and type of speakers they use. Multiple people reflected later that the reception music was loud enough to dance to, but people didn’t feel the need to leave the room to visit. It was a detail that ended up making the reception enjoyable for young and old.
Music repository: we had some less frequently used songs for our ceremony and beginning of the reception, and wanted certain versions of some songs. They have an arsenal of various platforms to get whatever song we asked for. Even if they’d never heard of a song, they were unfazed and made sure they had it.
Sensing: we had a clear idea of music we wanted for the ceremony and beginning of the reception, but pretty much turned it over to them as soon as any “official” songs were done (wedding party entrance, cake cutting, anniversary dance, etc.). I got the sense they put a lot of energy into reading the room throughout the night. I feel like this is where some people get into trouble with DJ’s – not at all an issue here, they were great. I can’t really articulate how they did it, but they kept the energy up but also kept the focus on the crowd.
Responsive: they were responsive both throughout planning and the night of. We had a song from a Bollywood movie a friend of ours got us hooked on a few years ago, and they made it happen. The dance floor was already going great, but really lit up then! They were also on board to do the games we liked.
Conflict management: they were very straightforward about respecting a “do not play” list. We didn’t have a ton on it, but it gave us a lot of peace of mind knowing that would never be an issue.
They’re unflappable, and they think through details I’d bet a lot of DJ’s don’t. Cannot recommend them enough.