About this vendor
Unite Your Guests With Symphonic Entertainment
Squawkbox Sound & DJ Services is a professional wedding DJ and entertainment service based in Salt Lake City, Utah. Russ Powell, the owner of the company, is committed to the creation of a mesmerizing experience for every client, leaving them with memories to cherish. He truly adores music, blending carefully selected songs together to create an electrifying atmosphere for you and your guests.
Russ has more than 15 years of experience within the entertainment industry, establishing a highly-regarded reputation through his sublime performance style. He began Squawkbox Sound in 2003, after offering his DJing services for a friend’s wedding. During this performance, several more clients expressed their interest in his flawless services, encouraging Russ to turn his passion into a professional career.
Russ is not limited to a specific genre of music, performing a wide spectrum of styles such as disco, jazz, Latin, and pop music. He will make it a priority to develop a personal connection with each couple, gaining an accurate understanding of their personal style and tastes. Russ is focused on the creation of a personalized experience for clients, allowing them to curate their own dream playlist for their big day.
Squawkbox Sound services a variety of wedding events including rehearsals, ceremonies, and receptions. Russ places attention on the finer details, using state-of-the-art equipment such as premium audio speakers and wireless microphones. He will work closely with each client from the very beginning, ensuring their complete satisfaction.
Details
Equipment
- Sound Equipment
Music Genres
- Bluegrass
- Caribbean
- Celtic
- Classical
- Country
- Dance
Music Services
- MC Services
- Sound Equipment
Planning
- Se Habla Español
Wedding Activities
- Rehearsals & Parties
- After Party
- Wedding
- After Party
- Ceremony
- Reception
Pricing
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Reviews
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5
out of 5.020 reviews
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Would give more stars is possible. Russ and his team made my wife and my wedding night so special. He put people on the dance floor all night long, and would have been there longer if the venue didn't close. If you need a DJ, Russ is a must!
Morgan and Russ are simply the best. My husband and I got married in January and were incredibly happy with choosing this power couple as our photographer and DJ! Not only are Morgan's pictures amazing, but she also made us feel very comfortable in front of the camera. Morgan took our wedding day and turned it into beautiful visual memories. Russ brought life to the party. He was very thorough in making sure he played music we liked, reads the room well to know which songs to play next, and was incredibly helpful in directing the flow of our reception. Their expertise with weddings was also very helpful, since my husband and I had a lot of questions which they were able to answer and give great advice about! I could not be happier that we chose these two for our wedding and reception!
Russ was recommended by our wedding planner. We sent over song requests including top 40 for my husband, EDM for me, classic rock for my parents, and Latin dance music for our friends/ my husband’s family. Basically an impossible feat; he absolutely nailed it! Everyone including my 70 year old aunt, both of our parents, and our friends were on the dance floor the whole night. A few of our guests even connected with Russ to see if he’d DJ their upcoming wedding as well!
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Russ and his wife, Morgan, the owners of Powell Weddings & Events are truly phenomenal. We had Russ DJ/MC our outdoor wedding ceremony and reception and couldn’t have been more happy with the experience. From the moment I first reached out to Russ (2 years ago thanks to covid!), the care, consideration, and communication that was put forth by him and Morgan couldn’t have been beat. They truly care about each of their couples and have a way of making you and your unique love story feel special. Our wedding night went perfectly. The flow and scheduling was spot on, all thanks to Russ and his son/awesome assistant! We had multiple compliments from guests on how awesome the DJ/dancing portion of the night went, and one of our friends even ended up with a great recommendation from Russ for his own wedding - as Russ himself wasn’t available for the date! It was incredible to me that Russ took the time after our event to get in contact with said friend to make sure he was set up with someone fantastic for his quickly approaching wedding. That alone shows the passion Russ has for the industry. I highly recommend Powell Weddings & Events for anyone searching for a DJ/MC. You truly cannot/will not have a less than amazing experience.
My husband and I cannot say enough great things about Russ and his team. They are the definition of going above and beyond for their clients. Selecting a DJ for our wedding was one of the most important decisions to us. We knew that the music/dancing/and ambience that was created was one of our biggest priorities in creating the wedding we envisioned. I am a professional dancer and a lot of my friends that were attending were as well, so we knew that it was VERY important to have an off the chart dance party! Well that is EXACTLY what Russ gave us. Our guests are still talking about how fun the reception (dance party/silent disco) was and how amazing the music was. I honestly never took my feet off the dance floor which is exactly what I wanted.
In my very first conversation with Russ I could tell that he absolutely LOVES what he does and has a true passion for it. Even more that that – he loves love and enjoys being a part of everything that contributes to what the wedding day represents for each couple. That was one of the main reasons I chose him and I couldn’t be happier with my decision.
In addition to picking the right music and making each song something fun to dance to, we had specific requests for Russ that he executed at an exceedingly professional level. I had a little surprise dance performance planned for my husband that included a costume change, and a choreographed dance with my bridesmaids. Russ helped me combine two different songs into a mashup and cut the music perfectly for what I needed. During our "secret" phone calls about how the plan was going to be executed, he was patient with my edit requests of the song, and just as excited about the outcome as me!
He suggested silent disco headphones when we found out we had to turn the sound off at 10 PM due to a noise ordinance. Let me say that was the BEST decision we ever made. Our guests had the absolute time of their lives and want to do it again! Russ owns the headphones and therefore we were able to get a better price than comparably renting them. I was very pleased with this! I absolutely recommend a silent disco at the end of your event.
A HUGE way that he and his wife went above and beyond was inviting us over to their house for dinner a week or two before the wedding. We were planning the wedding from across the country (during COVID) and had to postpone our original date and Russ and Morgan were so nice, accommodating, and welcoming. We felt like we had just made two friends. I for one, had a really hard time choosing the songs for the processional, ceremony, etc. Russ was again, so patient and provided me with options. While at dinner, Russ played my husband and I some options and we were able to listen and decide together which was really special.
Even after our wedding, Russ still reaches out to check in. He and his wife are some of the kindest people you will ever meet and if you choose them as your DJ, you won’t just be gaining an amazing DJ, you will be gaining a friend as well.
Russ is an amazing DJ and mentor. I am another local DJ and I have a lot of respect for what he does and the passion he puts into making your day special. I have been fortunate enough to have been hired out by him to do an event under his name and being able to rub shoulders with him and see him plan for each bride and groom individually was truly remarkable. I have learned so much from him and I know you won’t be disappointed in hiring him and his company for your big day. Thanks Russ for everything!
Response from the Vendor on 01/31/2020
Thank you Devin for working with Powell Weddings & Events to make our couple’s experience an elevated one. We pride ourselves on going above and beyond for our clients and you really embodied that with all your hard work to get ready for the we...
dding. You rocked it! They had nothing but kind words about the wonderful job you did. Everyone had a blast! You are always welcome on our team of event professionals. We look forward to working with you in the future
Russ is so awesome! He takes the time to get to know you to make sure it's a good fit before booking. We sat down with him before the wedding to finalize everything and it was so helpful! He made sure to play music guests of all ages could enjoy. Everyone had a great time at our reception!
My husband and I were married on 08/31/2019. Both of us are introverted people, and don’t dance much. We had no clue where to start when it came to looking for a DJ. Thankfully our venue had some suggestions and a few emails/phone calls later and we were in contact with Squawkbox. Russ asked us such great questions, regarding what we were looking for so he could provide us with exactly what we wanted. We were pleasantly surprised when Russ and his wife invited us over to their place for dinner, and to go over our wedding music. We were sent a few questions to fill out regarding what music we wanted for just about every little wedding day music thing you can think of. Which was great, because we didn’t have to sit down and think of all the little moments that required music. They even gave fantastic suggestions for songs when we were stumped. For instance we couldn’t decide what to play for our ceremony exit, Russ played a few bars of a couple songs and worked with us to find the perfect one. Russ was unavailable to DJ for our wedding, but he assured us our DJ Josh would be fantastic. Russ couldn’t have been more wrong. Josh wasn’t fantastic, he was beyond fantastic. He was the best possible DJ we could have hired. Josh was professional, and so fun. He took what we talked about with Russ and did better than we could have ever imagined. For example, we did the shoe game, and after a few questions he asked our guests for questions. During our anniversary dance the last few couples left standing were asked to give us some marriage advice (it was so touching to hear from my husband’s granddad who’s been married for so many years tell us what works for his marriage). Josh even went beyond the job of a DJ. During dinner he helped to usher tables and spent time talking with our guests. Never did our reception dance feel like every other wedding, and guests who don’t typically dance got out on the dance floor, including my husband who swore he might dance for one or two songs. He ended up dancing the night away. Many of our guests kept saying how amazing our DJ was. We couldn’t have asked for a better DJ and recommend Squawkbox to anyone getting married in the Northern Utah area.
Absolutely, the BEST DJ you will find. Having a great DJ for our wedding was really important to my fiance and me, so we interviewed quite a few DJs, and Russ from Squawkbox Sound easily stood out - let me list 5 reasons why Russ will make your wedding day special and why I'm confident he is your best choice: 1) He is extremely professional, punctual, and thoughtful (he will meet with you before the wedding to go over all of the details, confirm a timeline, he will make all of the necessary announcements at your wedding in a warm and professional manner, etc. - our guests adored him!), 2) he is flexible and willing to make what may seem like a miracle actually happen (example: my mother-in-law doesn't speak any English, and we wanted to be sure she felt included during the ceremony, but we didn't want a translator whispering during the ceremony to be distracting to other guests; I asked Russ if he could hook the translator up with a headset - with a live feed from the ceremony - and a microphone to talk into, in another room, and if he could hook my mother-in-law up with earbuds so she could listen to the translator through a headset - he did it!! Because of Russ, my mother-in-law was able to fully experience her son getting married, laugh along with the other guests, etc. - it was perfect, and it wouldn't have happened without Russ), 3) Russ stays on top of the game - he is one of only 2 DJs I found in the SLC area who actually attends continuing education workshops around the country to continue to hone is professional skills (and his pricing was much more reasonable than the other DJ - he provides an excellent value without sacrificing anything you'd want in a DJ), 4) Russ is FUN - he plays good music, he is responsive and knows when to change music up if it's not working for the crowd, and he knows how to mix songs, and lastly, 5) ***he will help you handle emergencies***. This was absolutely critical at our wedding - we had a quite negative experience with our wedding coordinator (who was absent for virtually the entire cocktail hour and reception) - I can't even count the number of occasions in which Russ stepped in and really did the full-time job of two people. He truly was our Superman of the night. When the wedding timeline got off track, Russ stepped in and helped my groom and me figure out quickly what we could cut so we could get things back on track, Russ was the one who reminded us to stop and kiss each other halfway out during the send-off (it will make for great pictures and our video, but I would have never thought of that if it wasn't for him!), and Russ even made the last few moments of our wedding extra special by sending everyone outside to prepare for the send-off while giving us an opportunity to have one last private dance together with one of our favorite songs - it was a beautiful, intimate moment for my husband and me, and something we won't ever forget.
The best test of whether or not someone is happy with their DJ is whether or not they would recommend them to a friend - I was so pleased with Russ that I recommended him to my friend, who also got married this summer, and her wedding was equally exceptional - Russ is consistent.
Best of all? He's got a caring heart, and it's clear to see he loves his job. I can't stress how important that is in a DJ - if your DJ is having fun, your guests will be too. He even checks in with my husband to see how we're liking married life! Russ has an incredible heart.
Russ is a true pro. I've worked with many DJs in my day, and this guy goes well above and beyond the call of his duties as a DJ to make sure his clients are well informed, and well cared for on their day. He does far more than just "play music", he has a unique infectious personality that brings the party to life. If you are looking for a cheap guy to simply play music, Russ is NOT for you. If you are looking for a professional, capable of making your party better than you anticipated, hire Russ, you will NOT be disappointed.
RUSS WAS AWESOME!!!! Me and my husband absolutely every meeting we had with him but we loved our wedding day even more because of him! He is fluent in spanish so it was a fun touch for him to be able to speak with my inlaws. He literally brings the party.. He got on the dance floor and danced with all of us. Me, my husband, and literally my entire family can't stop talking about what an amazing job he did!!! Thank you russ!
Russ is the best DJ in Utah! Highly recommend him!
He did such an amazing job at our wedding and did a great job reading our guests! So personable and the perfect amount of interacting with the guests.
Did a stellar job at our wedding. Sound, music, lighting and announcements were on point. I could tell he genuinely cared about getting to know us and how we envisioned our wedding day.
Russ was absolutely amazing. He treated my fiance and I like they were family and was super helpful and supportive with what we wanted. He offered suggestions when we weren't sure and was generally fantastic all around. During the wedding itself, he was on top of the music and interacted well with our guests. I'm very pleased with the experience!
I LOVED my DJ's! only my brides maids and nephew really wanted to dance so The husband got out on the dance floor showing us dances and getting the older people to dance. It was so much fun! I was getting tired dancing in a dress but I couldn't stop! If you are in the Salt Lake Area call them! You wont be disappointed!
In my search for a DJ our only criteria was that they needed to be fun. Squawkbox Sound was recommended to us, and I have to say for the price - they were fantastic.
They played our ceremony music, mic'd the officiant, played music during dinner, helped with toasts, introduced the wedding party for our grand entrance - and just helped the whole evening flow together wonderfully.
They played all the songs we asked them to, and none of the songs we asked them not to. Their equipment was glitch free, and they even waited to play the last song of the night until my mother was found and brought back to the dance floor...
Squawkbox Sound was a great investment in reception entertainment for us.
I met with Russ and Michelle the week of the wedding and they totally "got" what my husband and I were going for. Russ was even out on the dance floor with us by the end of the night!
We used Squawkbox for our wedding DJ and they were wonderful! The husband/wife team is super friendly and effective in what they do. They made our ceremony and reception very fun and smooth-running.
I loved this DJ! If you are looking to have a fun party at your wedding reception, hire this DJ. Squawkbox Sound does an excellent job planning ahead of time and delivering on the big day. They kept all my guests on the dance floor all night long. I received so many compliments on the reception and I know it was greatly due to our wonderful DJ.
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Wasatch Front, Intermountain Area, CA, NV, ID, CO, MT
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