Frequently Asked Questions
Answered by DJ Mike Lujan
Answered by DJ Mike Lujan
Q: How do you handle weddings where the ceremony, cocktail hour and reception are in different locations but at the same venue?
A: We have different equipment setups for each location, all of them being set up and ready for action before the start of the ceremony.
For the ceremony, it’s one JBL loud speaker (two if needed), Audio-Technica wireless mics for the officiant and for readings, a mixer, and a computer/tablet to control the music.
For cocktail hour, it’s one QSC K-10 loudspeaker and an iPod with a pre-set playlist (which we would coordinate on together).
For the reception, it’s two QSC K-12 loudspeakers, two QSC K-Sub Subwoofers, one Pioneer or Numark DJ controller/mixer, Audio-Technica wireless mic for toasts, and Chauvet dance floor lighting.
I always work with my assistant who helps me in setting everything up in a timely manner. We usually like to come around 3 hours before the ceremony to have plenty of time to get everything running perfectly. Generally, our set up time takes about an hour, but we like to start as early as we can so we have time to run mic checks and troubleshoot any technical issues, if any.
We do NOT charge for our time spent setting up and cleaning up, we only charge for the time of “service”, which is from the start of the ceremony to the end of the reception. Coming three hours early to set up is our own decision and our own personal preference.
For the ceremony, it’s one JBL loud speaker (two if needed), Audio-Technica wireless mics for the officiant and for readings, a mixer, and a computer/tablet to control the music.
For cocktail hour, it’s one QSC K-10 loudspeaker and an iPod with a pre-set playlist (which we would coordinate on together).
For the reception, it’s two QSC K-12 loudspeakers, two QSC K-Sub Subwoofers, one Pioneer or Numark DJ controller/mixer, Audio-Technica wireless mic for toasts, and Chauvet dance floor lighting.
I always work with my assistant who helps me in setting everything up in a timely manner. We usually like to come around 3 hours before the ceremony to have plenty of time to get everything running perfectly. Generally, our set up time takes about an hour, but we like to start as early as we can so we have time to run mic checks and troubleshoot any technical issues, if any.
We do NOT charge for our time spent setting up and cleaning up, we only charge for the time of “service”, which is from the start of the ceremony to the end of the reception. Coming three hours early to set up is our own decision and our own personal preference.
Q: Do you carry backup equipment in case something breaks?
A: Absolutely! We bring backup speakers, mixers, mics, computers, hard drives, and cables. Thankfully, we have never had a need to replace anything during a wedding, but that is why we like to arrive early to set up. In case we test a speaker or mic and something doesn’t work, we have time to replace it and run a second sound check.
Q: What are your rates?
A: There are many factors involved when determining my price, and unfortunately that means I can't offer flat rates. Your quote could be anywhere from $800 to $2000, depending on many things. All of my clients get customized packages based on their needs.
These are the factors that are considered when determining the price:
- If we're needed for the Reception AND Ceremony, or only the Reception.
- If we need extra mics for the Ceremony (clip-on for officiant, handheld for readings, extra mics for instrumentalists).
- If the guest count is large enough to need more speakers and/or subwoofers.
- The overall amount of labor involved with setting up and cleaning up all of the equipment.
- If extra lighting will be used (dance lights and up-lights).
- What day of the week your wedding is on. Saturdays are the most expensive, then Fridays/Sundays, then weekdays. This is to account for the overall demand for my services on those days.
- The length of time needed for my services.
- What month/season your wedding is on. For example, June, September and October are historically the busiest and when most people get married, so I would need to account for the demand if we're being hired for those months.
These factors might affect the rate, but not drastically! Overall, we try to offer a fair price, and we are open to negotiating.
These are the factors that are considered when determining the price:
- If we're needed for the Reception AND Ceremony, or only the Reception.
- If we need extra mics for the Ceremony (clip-on for officiant, handheld for readings, extra mics for instrumentalists).
- If the guest count is large enough to need more speakers and/or subwoofers.
- The overall amount of labor involved with setting up and cleaning up all of the equipment.
- If extra lighting will be used (dance lights and up-lights).
- What day of the week your wedding is on. Saturdays are the most expensive, then Fridays/Sundays, then weekdays. This is to account for the overall demand for my services on those days.
- The length of time needed for my services.
- What month/season your wedding is on. For example, June, September and October are historically the busiest and when most people get married, so I would need to account for the demand if we're being hired for those months.
These factors might affect the rate, but not drastically! Overall, we try to offer a fair price, and we are open to negotiating.
Q: Do you charge for travel time?
A: I only do this if my travel time is more than three hours away from Clarksburg Maryland, to cover hotel fees for a one night stay.
Q: Are you open to taking suggestions from the bride/groom/guests but also providing input and suggestions yourself? How exactly do you decide what songs you'll play?
A: Definitely! I usually discuss this during a phone call or meeting with my clients so I have a better understanding of what musical atmosphere and vibe they have envisioned for their wedding. The process of figuring out what songs I play is more complicated and organic than using a simple playlist, and I will detail the whole process here.
In terms of music, I would plan everything out with you and your fiancé/fiancée in a Google Docs sheet that we would all have access to. It would ask what songs you would like for the key events, like the First Dance, the parent dances, the Reception entrance, the Processionals and Recessional songs for the Ceremony, the cake cutting, etc. For the open ended parts of the wedding (dinner, cocktail hour, open dancing), the form would let you describe the genres, styles, artists and songs you would love to hear. You are also able to put in songs as “Must Plays”, as well as filling out a “Do Not Play” section to share what artists/genres/songs you don’t want me to play.
Based on all the input you give me through our talks and through the Google Doc, I fill in the gaps from there for the rest of the day, using my best judgement of playing what I believe the guests would like to hear while mostly sticking to songs and suggestions. For example, if your list includes popular hits from Bruno Mars or Beyonce, I would not only play their songs, but also play the popular hits from similar artists like Rihanna and Jason Derulo, and more from that vibe. If your list mentions Michael Jackson, I would play his best songs while also playing hits from Earth Wind & Fire, Kool and the Gang, and more from that era. If your list includes Drake, I would play more modern music from maybe Lizzo and Nicki Minaj. I do this with any and all of the songs/artists you give me, while making sure I play all of your Must Plays.
I pride myself on being flexible and working with any amount of input you give me. If you give me a list of 50 songs (which is higher than most), I would stick to that list and, if time permits, fill in the gaps with similar songs and artists. If you give me only 5 songs, or even no songs, I am more than comfortable taking control and playing what I know works and reading the room. If, however, you DON’T want me to take any creative liberties and stick to a list you make, I would be more than happy to do so.
In terms of suggestions from guests, I usually take song requests from them and use my best judgement on IF I should play it, and how soon I should play it. If your musical atmosphere is mostly throwbacks and family friendly music, like Jackson 5, Abba, or Stevie Wonder, I most likely won’t honor a request for an inappropriate Cardi B song. If the music I’m playing at the moment is fast-paced pop/EDM, like I Gotta Feeling, We Found Love, or any David Guetta song, I likely won’t honor a request for Sweet Caroline at that moment. If the request, however, was something like Moves Like Jagger, a high tempo dance song, I could fit that in immediately and smoothly.
With that in mind, many weddings of course want more than one style, and I understand how to follow the flow of music. So while dropping Sweet Caroline in the middle of a high tempo dance set wouldn’t be right, I could still play it after a few more songs when the energy has passed the apex, and likely after a slow dance song.
At all times of the wedding, I read the crowd and their body language. If I play a song and I see that people aren’t into it, then I smoothly switch to the next song after one verse and one chorus. If I can see that the current song is getting the crowd excited, people are singing along, and the energy is high, I keep that song going for maybe two verses and two choruses, and keep that style and flow going. And of course, as a DJ, I absolutely know how to mix as a DJ, how to transition, how to read song structure, and how to beat match. There will be no awkward fade in/fade outs.
As you can see, I’m very passionate about music and the craft of DJing and pleasing the crowd. My goal is to get EVERYONE excited at the wedding, and that usually means having a fine balance of music from all eras (80’s, 90’s, 2000s, and today’s radio hits). But at the end of the day, you both have the final say in everything. For requests, I usually use my best judgement, but you can also tell me to accept ALL requests, or to NOT accept any requests. And if you DON’T want me to use my best judgement about adding songs to your list, I would be happy to stick to a list you provide. If you want me to play songs in full, I can do that too. And if you walk up to me at ANY point and ask me to play ANY song, I WILL play it, no hesitation.
I highly suggest listening to this Wedding Demo mix I made that demonstrates my style and technical abilities: https://www.mixcloud.com/djmikelujan/lujan-entertainment-wedding-demo-2020/
This is just to give an idea of what I COULD play. At the end of the day, what songs get played depends on a combination of:
-the input you give me
-my selections based on your input
-how I read the crowd at that day
(Also, I always default to playing clean versions of all songs, unless you tell me otherwise.)
A: Definitely! I usually discuss this during a phone call or meeting with my clients so I have a better understanding of what musical atmosphere and vibe they have envisioned for their wedding. The process of figuring out what songs I play is more complicated and organic than using a simple playlist, and I will detail the whole process here.
In terms of music, I would plan everything out with you and your fiancé/fiancée in a Google Docs sheet that we would all have access to. It would ask what songs you would like for the key events, like the First Dance, the parent dances, the Reception entrance, the Processionals and Recessional songs for the Ceremony, the cake cutting, etc. For the open ended parts of the wedding (dinner, cocktail hour, open dancing), the form would let you describe the genres, styles, artists and songs you would love to hear. You are also able to put in songs as “Must Plays”, as well as filling out a “Do Not Play” section to share what artists/genres/songs you don’t want me to play.
Based on all the input you give me through our talks and through the Google Doc, I fill in the gaps from there for the rest of the day, using my best judgement of playing what I believe the guests would like to hear while mostly sticking to songs and suggestions. For example, if your list includes popular hits from Bruno Mars or Beyonce, I would not only play their songs, but also play the popular hits from similar artists like Rihanna and Jason Derulo, and more from that vibe. If your list mentions Michael Jackson, I would play his best songs while also playing hits from Earth Wind & Fire, Kool and the Gang, and more from that era. If your list includes Drake, I would play more modern music from maybe Lizzo and Nicki Minaj. I do this with any and all of the songs/artists you give me, while making sure I play all of your Must Plays.
I pride myself on being flexible and working with any amount of input you give me. If you give me a list of 50 songs (which is higher than most), I would stick to that list and, if time permits, fill in the gaps with similar songs and artists. If you give me only 5 songs, or even no songs, I am more than comfortable taking control and playing what I know works and reading the room. If, however, you DON’T want me to take any creative liberties and stick to a list you make, I would be more than happy to do so.
In terms of suggestions from guests, I usually take song requests from them and use my best judgement on IF I should play it, and how soon I should play it. If your musical atmosphere is mostly throwbacks and family friendly music, like Jackson 5, Abba, or Stevie Wonder, I most likely won’t honor a request for an inappropriate Cardi B song. If the music I’m playing at the moment is fast-paced pop/EDM, like I Gotta Feeling, We Found Love, or any David Guetta song, I likely won’t honor a request for Sweet Caroline at that moment. If the request, however, was something like Moves Like Jagger, a high tempo dance song, I could fit that in immediately and smoothly.
With that in mind, many weddings of course want more than one style, and I understand how to follow the flow of music. So while dropping Sweet Caroline in the middle of a high tempo dance set wouldn’t be right, I could still play it after a few more songs when the energy has passed the apex, and likely after a slow dance song.
At all times of the wedding, I read the crowd and their body language. If I play a song and I see that people aren’t into it, then I smoothly switch to the next song after one verse and one chorus. If I can see that the current song is getting the crowd excited, people are singing along, and the energy is high, I keep that song going for maybe two verses and two choruses, and keep that style and flow going. And of course, as a DJ, I absolutely know how to mix as a DJ, how to transition, how to read song structure, and how to beat match. There will be no awkward fade in/fade outs.
As you can see, I’m very passionate about music and the craft of DJing and pleasing the crowd. My goal is to get EVERYONE excited at the wedding, and that usually means having a fine balance of music from all eras (80’s, 90’s, 2000s, and today’s radio hits). But at the end of the day, you both have the final say in everything. For requests, I usually use my best judgement, but you can also tell me to accept ALL requests, or to NOT accept any requests. And if you DON’T want me to use my best judgement about adding songs to your list, I would be happy to stick to a list you provide. If you want me to play songs in full, I can do that too. And if you walk up to me at ANY point and ask me to play ANY song, I WILL play it, no hesitation.
I highly suggest listening to this Wedding Demo mix I made that demonstrates my style and technical abilities: https://www.mixcloud.com/djmikelujan/lujan-entertainment-wedding-demo-2020/
This is just to give an idea of what I COULD play. At the end of the day, what songs get played depends on a combination of:
-the input you give me
-my selections based on your input
-how I read the crowd at that day
(Also, I always default to playing clean versions of all songs, unless you tell me otherwise.)
Q: What genre of music can you provide?
A: I would be happy to play any genre, and I specialize in many: Top radio hits from today, 2000’s, 90’s, 80’s, as well as pop, hip hop/rap, EDM, Motown, Soul, Funk, Disco, Throwbacks in general. I also have familiarity with Country, Classic Rock, Dancehall, Reggae, Soca, and I also play Spanish music like Salsa, Merengue, Bachata, Reggaeton, and Cumbia. With that said, if you’d like me to play any genres outside of this list, or any international music, I am more than happy to do so and acquire the music needed through legal outlets. I would only ask for a list of a few songs from you to get an idea if it’s a genre or style that I am not too familiar with.
Q: Where do you get your music from?
A: All of the music I play is acquired legally through websites like iTunes, Amazon, and DJ Pool websites like Clubkillers and BPM Supreme. All music is of excellent quality, and we do not use YouTube rips or illegally acquired MP3s.
Q: Due to COVID-19 and social distancing guidelines, how do you work with still getting guests involved, dancing, and to have a good time but being safe?
A: We take many precautions to protect against COVID, including wearing masks at all times, sanitizing the mic in between speeches, and maintaining our distance from everyone. We also have a sign with a QR code at our table so guests can make song requests through their phone. In terms of dancing, I am more than happy to announce through the mic specific some guidelines before the start of dinner, or at the end of the ceremony (i.e. announce that masks must be worn at all times except when eating at the tables, and dancing must be done six feet apart from other couples. Masks must be worn by dancing.) These announcements usually get the idea through, especially if I make it more than once.
I have DJed several weddings during the last fall, and we’ve tried different ways to make sure that couples dance with enough space from each other. One wedding had me ask people through my mic to make space, which works but also might have come off like I was “policing” the crowd. An alternative to this is having a different on-site staff member, or even the coordinator, check on the dance floor and ask them directly to make space. Some weddings also had “marks” on the dance floor to indicate where couples can dance.
Through all of my weddings last year in the COVID era, we strived to make sure everyone was safe, but also that everyone had an amazing time. And I am proud to say that all of them went through with no problem at all. In every wedding, COVID was never the “focus” of the wedding, and it was always about the bride and groom, and always about celebrating, but in a safe way. It’s absolutely possible, and will absolutely be our priority to make your wedding both safe and incredibly fun.
Q: I am looking for someone that will take the reigns with planning and coordinating things, is this something that you and your company handle normally?
A: I can definitely do that! As the DJ and MC, I am needed the most to move the wedding along, and I have done many weddings where I served as the on-site coordinator. I would be able to make a schedule for the day, and my assistant and I would coordinate with the day-of coordinator, photographer, catering and venue to make sure we’re all on the same page with everything. I can help make a schedule with you and help arrange the events, like Ceremony, Cocktail Hour, Reception start, first dance, speeches, dinner, cake cutting, bouquet toss (if applicable), etc. On the day of, I would make play the ceremony music after making sure everyone is lined up and ready. At the reception, I would do the same for the reception entrance. I would make sure the photographer is ready before starting an important event, and make sure the catering is ready to provide champagne for speeches, and be ready for the cake cutting. I would also be talking with you both to make sure you’re ready for those events too!
Q: Do you have a backup plan in case you are sick on the wedding day?
A: I do know many other DJs in my network, and I would be able to reach out to any of them if absolutely needed to cover for me. However, I want to be completely honest about this. While all of them are amazing and would be more than willing to cover, I CAN’T guarantee their availability for your wedding day. Those DJs do have their own businesses, and any DJ worth their value will want to have their own event for any wedding day and get paid properly, rather than be on stand-by and not get paid.
If something does happen to me and I am unable to DJ your wedding, I would give you 100% of your money back, including the retainer fee. This would be reflected on the contract. However, it would take a MAJOR accident or something worse to prevent me from DJing.
With that in mind, I strongly believe that I am not just any other DJ. We offer a service and experience that cannot just be replaced by any other DJ or company. We LOVE to DJ and offer the best services we can, and if we sign the contract, we WILL be at your wedding, 100%. We live to offer the best entertainment experience for all of our weddings, and our full attention is given to each wedding. We live healthy lifestyles, we exercise, we don’t smoke, we don’t drink, we don’t party the night before the wedding. We never get sick, we have fast roadside assistance in case we get a flat tire, and we have easy access to rental vans just in case something happens to my vehicle last minute (which is another reason why we leave to our weddings 3 hours in advance).
While I wish that I could have another amazing DJ on stand by, the truth is, that would not be possible unless we charged you a lot more just so we can pay the other DJ to be on stand by. But if you sign with us, it’s not only a promise that we will provide the best service that we can, but a promise that we WILL be there, ready and prepared to entertain and make your night an incredibly fun and memorable night.
We do get this question a lot, and I understand why. This will be one of the most important days of your life, and we do not underestimate its importance. And thankfully, in my ten years of DJing, nothing has happened to me that prevented me from DJing and giving it my 100%.
If something does happen to me and I am unable to DJ your wedding, I would give you 100% of your money back, including the retainer fee. This would be reflected on the contract. However, it would take a MAJOR accident or something worse to prevent me from DJing.
With that in mind, I strongly believe that I am not just any other DJ. We offer a service and experience that cannot just be replaced by any other DJ or company. We LOVE to DJ and offer the best services we can, and if we sign the contract, we WILL be at your wedding, 100%. We live to offer the best entertainment experience for all of our weddings, and our full attention is given to each wedding. We live healthy lifestyles, we exercise, we don’t smoke, we don’t drink, we don’t party the night before the wedding. We never get sick, we have fast roadside assistance in case we get a flat tire, and we have easy access to rental vans just in case something happens to my vehicle last minute (which is another reason why we leave to our weddings 3 hours in advance).
While I wish that I could have another amazing DJ on stand by, the truth is, that would not be possible unless we charged you a lot more just so we can pay the other DJ to be on stand by. But if you sign with us, it’s not only a promise that we will provide the best service that we can, but a promise that we WILL be there, ready and prepared to entertain and make your night an incredibly fun and memorable night.
We do get this question a lot, and I understand why. This will be one of the most important days of your life, and we do not underestimate its importance. And thankfully, in my ten years of DJing, nothing has happened to me that prevented me from DJing and giving it my 100%.
