Spotlight Events (Pro Wedding DJs in Madsion, WI)

eas and suggestions from ceremony items to group photos and everything right down to singalong songs to wrap up the night! Our guests continue to also say how much they loved our love letter voice-over that Russ has as an option. If you are on the fence about whether or not to do it, DO IT!!! Weddings can be expensive but cut something out and do the voice-over, it is so unique and unexpected for the guests - it's amazing and it makes us both cry as we listen to it a month later. From the music througout the day of getting ready with our girls, through both cocktail parties and throughout the night - it was all amazing and so well put together. Russ communicated so well before and during the wedding - there was never one time that we felt we were without his help or support. I cannot let the review end without mentioning that his mobile photobooth option was a hit and the attention that he gave to us and our girls at the head table was amazing, always checking in at us during dinner to see if we needed anything. He IS more than a DJ and when he tells you that the music and coordination of it makes the wedding memorable - believe it!

njoys his job and really got into the music. He read the crowd well, saw our nonverbal cues when we wanted to move on to the next thing, and played songs to cater to every generations’ taste. Russell went with the flow and checked in with us throughout the evening to make sure we were enjoying everything. We highly recommend him for your next event!

morable experience. Russell is so professional and will elevate your event to new heights as he did ours. He is responsive and always willing to chat on the phone. He created a wonderful first dance/voiceover for our clients and has so many fun ideas to get guests involved in the reception. There was never a dull moment which is an invaluable quality in an entertainer! I highly recommend Spotlight Events!

enues, hotel, photographers and all is involved in your wedding. That in itself is a talent and a skill. Our event planner at the hotel commented on how easy it is to work with Russell. When Tom and I met with Russell for the first t… See more 0 Comments Teresa Holbach Jeske recommends Spotlight Events - Music & More. June 28 · spotlight events was who my daughter picked for her wedding DJ....DJ doesn't seem to be the right word for all the work that they did! They were so professional in greeting guests, making sure they knew where gifts were to be placed, what drinks were available, and making sure they knew where the photo booth was, and generally keeping everyone entertained, as well as making sure the dance floor was never empty! I had many of the guests comment to me how great Russ and Greg … See more 0 Comments Sarah Ann recommends Spotlight Events - Music & More. May 18 · Russ was amazing! He DJ’d my graduation party and was involved from the very beginning wanting to ensure that it was personalized to me and my guests. He made sure to check in throughout the event and was quick to adjust to requests and anything else we needed. He was upbeat and personable. I would highly recommend for your event!

et multiple times prior to our big day to ensure we were getting exactly what we wanted at our wedding. He was truly more than a DJ, as he helped us plan our complete wedding timeline and was there to help in any way he could. Our dance floor was packed all night with all the best music played. Throughout the night, we had many guests coming up to us telling us that Russell was the best DJ they had ever experienced and we couldn't agree more.

ire day with us and had a plan B for everything. We spend hours prior to to our wedding day planning out every little detail. You really don't even think about all the things that go into a wedding until you start planning one. We were going to plan the wedding on our own, but Russel basically planned it for us. He kept our timeline on track and made the day so easy for us. My husband and I had such an amazing night!

ight Events. Russell worked tirelessly to make the day great and it was!! We started planning pre-COVID. The bride, groom, and mother of the bride met with Russell to start making plans for the day. Prior to meeting with him, we had been looking for a wedding day planner also. After meeting with Russell, we knew we had found a great D.J. and wedding planner extraordinaire!!! The day was planned, organized, beautiful, and fun! We could not have pulled off this wonderful event without Spotlight Events!! Russell has so much experience that he knows exactly what works and what does not work. He helped us plan out the entire schedule and music for the day. He provided us and our other vendors with a minute by minute itinerary. Everyone was on the same page. Once COVID hit, we put things on hold to see what would happen. Then they opened things up some and we planned the wedding at our venue. Right after we sent out the invitations, the county shut things down again. With not much more than a month to go, Russell helped us orchestrate a scaled down backyard wedding. It was fabulous!! Russell had a plan A and a plan B, if needed, for everything that day. He gave us so many great suggestions regarding timing. It would have been a mess if left to us. We had people on the dance floor all night. He provided the music for the whole day. Great sound outdoors for the wedding ceremony and reception. Everything went as planned. The music added so much to the day. His planning expertise was priceless! We highly recommend Russell and Spotlight Events. No question we would hire them again. You will be so happy you did!!! mother of the bride

enue changed twice, We met with him at both venues during our prep for wedding. We also met with him at his house / Home studio several times to go over all our wedding information and what we wanted. We also went over playlists he had and ones he made up / mixed / mashed up together. The music was awesome the whole night. During dinner and cocktail hour, Russ and his crew kept everything lively, stayed on schedule and helped us stay on track with the nightly schedule. They provided music and microphone for ceremony which turned out great outside. Russ had one of his workers go around during dance and cocktail hour taking really cool pictures / GIFs. Really cool to look back on. Also he provided someone on a video recorder taping our ceremony and the whole night. He kept the dance floor always busy. Provided some really cool accent lighting and provided us as a gift with led colored masks to wear during night. Russ was always very responsive, worked around our schedule and always made the most of our time. Him and his crew did an absolute great job even during a pandemic. They also always wore masks to keep everyone safe. He met with us at the venues well before the dates to go over what he thinks would work best for all of his equipment. He made a great cocktail hour playlist as well as several different fun sets we went over with him and he showed us and played them during the night. We just received the video of our ceremony which turned out great and will always be fun to look back on with family and friends. Once again we would really like to thank Russ and his team for providing us an awesome experience and we would honestly not change one thing that he provided for us. It was perfect!! We highly recommend him !

o start, we had issues with the quote/contract we were given. The first thing Spotlight Events will have you do is call prior clients to ask about their experiences with the DJ. While they all had great things to say, we asked them about the invoice total. We were skeptical on our quote because when we met with Russell he told us it would be an extra $1,000 for him to be our DJ (versus his other DJ). This was not mentioned prior to our meeting so we were a little surprised about this extra fee. When talking to prior clients, (two different couples) neither of them were charged the extra $1,000. Russell claims this was because they did not specifically ask for his services, but he ended up being the only DJ available... At the end of the day, we still moved forward with Spotlight Events, but felt there should have been more transparency with the invoice. A couple of months later, Covid comes along and we had to make drastic changes to our wedding plans (225 people down to 25). We no longer were going to have a dance floor and did not need a DJ for our very small wedding. Spotlight Events would not refund our down payment. Yes, there is a contract. Every wedding vendor has contracts, but Spotlight Events was the ONLY vendor that would not refund our money. These contracts do not address global pandemics and at the end of day Russell was the only one that held that contract against us. Russell did give us an option to transfer our down payment to another couple. We had two different couples approach him. They both wanted a basic DJ service; no special lighting or other additions. Russell would not allow them to have a basic package. Essentially, to use our down payment he was requiring them to have a minimum DJ package; making it extremely difficult for us to transfer our down payment. This entire process has been exhausting and stressful so we have decided to give up.

nning because of Russell. We are SO excited for our wedding and would not recommend anyone but him!!

tion of the day. I did this because I wanted to make sure I was happy with the service. Sadly, that didn’t help and I was left very disappointed. To outline the details of what went wrong: • Russell didn’t play songs that were on our playlist that were explicit and never explained why or told us beforehand (he did however tell my brother and future sister-in-law after the fact that he will not play music with swear words because of his brand – if he had told us this when we first met, we would’ve hired a different DJ) o The music should be customized to us and what we want. Russell lets his personal opinions dictate what he plays o He made a comment to a bridesmaid about a song that was playing being “inappropriate” – this to me is totally unacceptable. A DJ’s thoughts on a song, especially one REQUESTED by the couple, should be kept to themselves o This comment came off extremely judgmental and that is worse a brand than playing songs with swear words in it o Too many party mixes were played (not from my playlist)– my aunt couldn’t tell he was playing a certain song until he was asked to play the original • The wrong song was played for the grand march so we had to tell him to play the correct song • The volume was off – our venue was open and we heard multiple people after the fact saying the music was too low. I have some empathy for this because I know there were some older guests who asked to turn it down so that was conflicting with direction from others who asked him to turn it up • Requests – we were asked if we want him to play our guest’s requests and we said yes. I should’ve said yes, if the request is fitting. A request was played from the Phantom of the Opera and it needed to stop as soon as it started. It was not appropriate for our wedding, or at almost any wedding at 8 pm • There is a fine line when a DJ talks too much at weddings but it was like he wasn’t even there – Russell didn’t say anything besides introducing us at the grand march and dance. There was no assistance from him to get people on the dance floor during the reception • Songs were cut way too soon – if a song is popular and people are out on the dance floor, why would it be cut short? • I asked for a song to be played, my husband also asked when it still wasn't played, and we asked again. A bride & groom should NEVER have to wait to hear a song they request immediately. Ultimately, I value the DJ so much at weddings. They really make the party happen (with the help of alcohol, of course) and every time we met or spoke with Russell he made it seem like he knew exactly that and was confident he would do that. The dance floor on my wedding day was rarely full and left me very disappointed. Russell came up to us throughout the evening and asked if we needed anything, brought us appetizers, etc. That was very nice at the time but now I wish he would’ve just focused on being the DJ instead of our personal attendant. Plenty of people could have brought us drinks but no one else could DJ. Spotlight Events offers a lot of services: lighting, photobooth, etc. We didn’t purchase any extras so I’m not sure if as much care and attention was put into our wedding compared to those who may have spent more.

Events. She explained how professional they were and how nice of a job they did. When I asked for the contact information, she was so protective of the business card, she would not even let me hold the card to take a picture. When we met with Russell, he went through everything in detail which helped us layout our wedding day schedule. He always answered the phone when we called and was flexible with meeting times. He was genuinely excited to DJ our wedding and cared about our day. On the day of the wedding, Russell and Greg came very early to set up everything for our ceremony and reception. They helped direct guests to where they had to go for the ceremony, brought us refreshments while we were taking photos, ran the photo booth (which was a hit!) and asked our guests during dinner for music requests. My husband and I highly recommend Spotlight Events!

ery personal - he interacted with our guests, and even played bartender for the wedding party! Our guests are still talking about how our wedding was the best one they had ever been to, and Russell had a large part in it. As we entered our reception, any worries we had were gone when we saw Russell. Russell was there to greet the wedding party with a variety of drinks and catered to our needs so we could enjoy as much time as possible with guests. He took the time in the planning process with us to know what our hopes were for our big day. We knew exactly what songs he would be playing, and in turn, he knew how to pronounce everyone’s name in the wedding party along with our timeline for the night. And he did an extraordinary job in keeping us on time throughout the night. Russell also went above and beyond by putting together our love story for our first dance which was the highlight of our wedding to many of our guests. We are so thankful that Russell was there to fulfill our one greatest request of having a packed dance floor for the night. We accomplished that goal with his amazing music and upbeat attitude. It was always packed to the point where our reception staff even had to fix the dance floor a few times throughout the night! We would highly recommend Russell for any event, whether wedding, birthday, or anything else. He was so catering to us, working to add any unique idea we had and was unbelievably flexible if last minute changes happened during the night. Thank you again, Russ!

ack. The dance floor was never empty, and he's amazing at reading the crowd and keeping it fun! (And we had 250 guests!) Our day went so smoothly, and he was a huge component of that. I would highly recommend Russell for your wedding!

to us and worked with any changes we made, even changes we made on the day of. During the reception, he did an amazing job - there was never an empty dance floor and we received so many compliments on how fun our wedding was!

all your guests and has the best music in town! We have used Russell Welch - Spotlight Events for two of our children's weddings. In fact if he was already booked for the date our daughter chose for her wedding we would have moved the date in order to have Russell. He is so flexible and has great ideas to add that special touch to fit you and your guests. The voice over on the first dance is so special, all our guests commented after that they had never experienced anything like this before. They came away really knowing the Bride and Groom and how they met. Russell keeps everyone dancing from the first dance to the end of the night. I highly recommend Russell and will not use anyone else! Sheena B

ey crafted Must Play and Must Not Play lists and discussed how the music would progress throughout the evening. At the event, the sound system for the speeches worked flawlessly and Russell helped transition smoothly from one talk to the next. When it came time to dance, Russell knew what to play to keep our group on the dance floor having fun, and he even joined us for a polka! It was wonderful to find a DJ who could be fun and entertaining, keep the night moving, all while keeping the focus on the bride and groom. Spotlight Events could not have delivered more!

true entertaining experience. Russell went above and beyond making sure everyone was participating and having a great time. There was never a dull moment on the dance floor and our pictures showed everyone truly enjoying themselves. The magic mirror was amazing and the personal love story was both an emotional and unforgettable moment at our wedding. Spotlight Events is worth every penny for the experience. I highly recommend Russell for your wedding!

easiest to work with music professionals we met. He was able to answer all of the questions we had, suggested appropriate ideas for our entertainment, and provided top-notch MC service on the night of our wedding. We opted for the Love Story add-on for our first dance and had a wonderful time with him while recording it and were incredibly pleased with how it turned out. The up-lighting was great, and after a minor miscommunication, was easily adapted to our event. We received nothing but positive remarks about the music selection from all of our guests we spoke to. They had a nice blend of classics and modern music that got just about everyone out on the dance floor. Greg is a wonderful person overall and was great to work with. You are absolutely in good hands if you choose Spotlight Events.

oughtfulness made planning for the day a piece of wedding cake. We leaned on Greg to play tasteful music for our ceremony and to play music that kept the dance floor occupied and he did a great job. Many guests commented throughout the night how great our DJ was and we still get compliments months after saying how great our wedding/DJ was. We also had a special Grand March planned that a friend helped us with. Greg was fantastic and was able to mix music/audio live to make the entrance go incredibly smooth. He is a true professional and you can be extremely confident in his ability. Greg even drove to our venue the night of our rehearsal so we could practice to the actual ceremony music! We were blown away. We highly suggest booking Greg with Spotlight Events. He will make your day even more memorable than you ever thought possible.

party and Russell was a big part in that!

d our expectations! First the ceremony: I've been to several outdoor ceremonies where no one can hear the music and the speaking. The outdoor space at Holy Wisdom is large - like a prairie setting - and everyone could hear! The walk through the prairie to the seated guests and archway where the couple got married was a very long distance. Russell did a GREAT job keeping the music loop going. It took some time for the grandparents to walk down and get seated and the song was nearing the end; I thought for sure I would be walking down in silence. But Russell had it covered! Without missing a beat, the music looped and continued flawlessly. The ceremony music was loud enough for everyone to hear and enjoy. Russell started playing while the guests were being seated, and I heard a lot of positive feedback about the pre-ceremony music. He played fun music after the ceremony while the couple ushered their guests out of their seats. (My daughter had made a playlist, and Russell stuck to her preferences.) Also, the sound system was great with respect to hearing the officiant and the couple exchange their vows. The reception: Russell was all set up and ready when my husband and I got to Blackhawk. He had great background music playing and also greeted guests asking for requests. Again, the sound system for all the speeches was great! All guests could hear the speeches, and I again heard great feedback about this. Russell played nice dinner music and quickly went into the dance as requested. THERE WAS NEVER A TIME WHEN THE DANCE FLOOR WAS NOT FULL! I could not believe it! Russell kept the music loop going and played a nice range of music types. He also stuck to my daughter's "Do Not Play" list. I would definitely hire Russell/Spotlight Events again. I recommend this business without reservation. Music is a HUGE part of a successful wedding day, and I am so happy my daughter choose Spotlight Events.

allest details to the biggest. I don't think our wedding would of been flawless without him. The most unique part of his DJ skills is the voice-over during the special dances. Every single guest gets pulled in and is truly part of the moment. I would choose Russell over and over again!