DJ Jason Spencer Entertainment – San Jose, Santa Cruz, Monterey Bay Area Wedding DJs

Every industry has some mentors that keep them guided and on track to making the best of their passion. It might be someone they aspire to be as they go forward. The one that sparked the mobile DJ/entertainment industry has to be Mark Ferrell.

Along with his wife, Rebecca, Mark teaches and inspires entertainment skills. For anyone that wants to be a better Master of Ceremonies, their workshops are hands down the best (and they aren’t just for DJs either). They have inspired a new breed of entertainers to begin incorporating the bride and groom’s “Love Story” into a wedding reception. Admission to the MarBecca community costs $360 per year — but for the professional entertainer, they are completely worth it.

You can have your event in your garage and serve beans and franks, and if the entertainment is great, you’ll have a fantastic and memorable event.

Or you can have your event at the Ritz Carlton and serve 5 star cuisine, but if the entertainment is mediocre or worse, the event will suffer and guests will leave early.

-Mark Ferrell

The truth is that you have many options for entertainment. Beyond looking for a DJ, Master of Ceremonies, Band, Magician, Comedian and more is looking for a good one. If you’re lucky, you’ll sometimes find a great one.

Typically, the great ones are not going to be the under $1000 DJ that you find on Craigslist. Many of them can average services ranging from $3500 to $5900 in price. A select few can command over $10,000 or more for a 5 hour reception. But are they worth it?

In a word? Likely.

The truth is that, during an initial consultation (some might call this a “sales meeting”), nothing scares me more than when it comes to telling you the price. It’s not because I don’t think I’m worth it – my previous wedding couples already let me know that answer through feedback surveys.

This fear is true among most of the community, and it’s because so many couples are familiar with the average wedding DJ, which comes with average pricing. While the fear of sticker shock is there, all of us that ask an above average price know that you will receive value far above and beyond that price. We know that we are worth it, because our clients have told us we are worth every penny (or more).

The best thing to do is go into that initial consultation with both an open mind, and good set of questions to ensure that your expectations but you also understand the value of what the company you meet with can offer.

Those that have taken training with industry specialists like Mark & Rebecca Ferrell, Bill Herman, Peter Merry and Randy Bartlett (among a dozen others) — workshops and seminars that keep our passion and creative juices flowing — are going to command that higher price, but also ensure that you get value in return.

Call me today and see what I can do for you.  Reach me at (408) 426-8117 or head over to the Request For Information page.

Song Title: Have I Told You Lately That I Love You
Performing Artist: Van Morrison
Running Time: 4 min 18 sec

(1 votes, average: 4.00 out of 5)
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People can find information or reviews about wedding DJ services just about anywhere online. Starting today, you can find my Wedding DJ and Master of Ceremonies service descriptions, and even a special Insider Q&A on a new site called Thumbtack.

If you are looking for any other services – not just wedding related – they seem like an interesting option to research carious providers and verify their social media status, and read reviews from their clients or customers.

Think of it as an alternative to Yelp. ;-D

Bay Area Celebration and Fireworks 2011

When a holiday weekend rolls around, most of us in the wedding industry have an extended weekend of work. However it’s always more exciting for me to DJ  a weekend like the 4th of July… because we get fireworks!  If I’ve done my homework, I also know when they are going to start (generally between 9:30pm and 10:30pm) and can even put it on our timeline and announce as the Master of Ceremonies.

However, with the recent economic crisis, many cities (like here in Santa Clara’s Central Park and Downtown San Jose) have opted cut out their fireworks spectacular.  That doesn’t mean that you can’t still take a short drive and enjoy a show.  Here is a list that I’ve compiled that will get you some fancy fireworks all around the Greater San Francisco Bay.

If you attend any of these shows, please feel free to send me your pictures at inspiration@spencerweddings.com — maybe I’ll use them in a followup post!

Berkeley – Marina

4th of July at Berkeley Marina
Monday, July 4th from 12pm-10pm

Santa Clara – Great America

4701 Great America Parkway
Saturday & Sunday, July 2nd & 3rd at 9:30pm
(NOTE: No fireworks on the 4th!)

San Jose – Municipal Stadium

San Jose Giants Fireworks Extravaganza
Monday and Tuesday, July 4th and 5th
(after the ballgame)

San Francisco Pier 39

Fourth of July Waterfront Celebration
Monday, July 4th from 12pm – 9:30pm

Oakland – USS Hornet Museum

Fourth of July Party
Monday, July 4th from 1pm – 9pm

Scotts Valley – Skypark

Scotts Valley Fourth of July Festival
Monday, July 4th from 3pm – 10pm

Mountain View – Shoreline Amphitheater

Fourth of July Fireworks Spectacular with the SF Symphony
Monday, July 4th at 8pm

City of Monterey

Fourth of July Big Little Backyard Bar-B-Que & Entertainment Extravaganza
Monday, July 4th from 11am – 5pm
(NOTE: Due to budget constraints there will be no fireworks display this year.)

After the vows and after the last dance…

It’s very easy to have buyer’s remorse immediately after purchasing a big ticket item, but what about after the wedding has happened? I did some digging around and pulled together several statistics produced by top magazine surveys* in our industry. I felt that they would be good to share with everyone that takes time to read my blog.

• During wedding planning, Brides say their highest priority is their attire, followed by the reception site and caterer – reception entertainment is among the least of their priorities. Within one week after their reception, 78% of Brides say they would have made the entertainment their highest priority!
• 72% of all brides say they would have spent more time choosing their reception entertainment.
• Almost 100% of those same brides say they would have spent more of their budget on the entertainment.
• When asked 81% of guests say the thing they remember most about a wedding is the entertainment.

*These statistics were published in St. Louis Bride & Groom Magazine in 2003. Sources include: Simmons, 2001; USA Today, 2002; National Bridal Service, 2001; The Knot, 2002; Brides Magazine, 2001.

You are right, those are just magazines…

We all know that facts can be spun to favor the side you want. These facts were originally compiled by the national American Disc Jockey Association (they also have a snoozefest iPod wedding that makes a point). I would venture to say that they have a genuine interest in making the wedding disc jockey an ideal choice for wedding entertainment.

It’s too bad that someone else — someone that does not make their living as a wedding disc jockey — couldn’t tell us the important answers.

The Flirty Guide: How Much Should Your Wedding DJ Cost?

If you were looking for the answer on why you should stop hoping to get the average and start looking for the great ones, then I have good news for you. Stacie Tamaki, aka The Flirty Girl, has put together one of the best magazine style blog posts out there. She will boil it down and open your eyes to what you should be looking for… what you should be expecting… from your qualified wedding DJ or MC.

She will remind you why there is a common misconception of only having “cheesy” and “obnoxious” entertainment options. She will also break down your budget and tell you why everything you expected to spend is probably wrong.  Stacie will also tell you all the things to consider (insurance, contracts, equipment, etc), but more importantly she talks about the intangibles. Questions you can ask to really understand your wedding DJ or MC of choice.

Does the DJ you are considering care about your wedding?  Are they honored to be a part of your special day or is it just a job to earn money?

Then, just in case you really wondered why we are not all $500 floozies, she’s going to remind you why the Creme Brulee of Professional DJs ask for above average rates. The common misconception is that I show up, play some music and make announcements for about 5-6 hours, and go home. Stacie reminds the world that this is still a business, and like any business there is an overhead cost of staying in business (meaning the professional guys will still be around to perform on your special day).

The bottom line

It’s true. At the bottom of the post, you will see my name squished between some of my favorite people in the industry, including several local DJ/MC vendors that I refer when I am not available. The truth is that Stacie had written most of this story when she wanted to get feedback. I was happy to offer some input before she shared it with the world. I also think that you’ll find the comments, mostly from DJs, to be valuable — don’t skip them!