Karaoke Forums

Take the word "deposit" out of your vocabularies and your contracts

"Deposits" are legally always refundable under certain conditions

"Reservation Fee" on the other hand is just what it says. A fee.

Read some books on djing and wedding planning. If you can help an experienced wedding DJ or observe him do.

Try to meet the photographer and get on the same page with them - they are the ones who have wrecked plans the most frequently.

Meet with the bride and groom. Do a planning sheet. Take a list of good dance songs with you. See mobile best site for ideas. Get the bride and groom to pick some off the list. Don't let them turn the reception into a Ray Montagne snoozefest.

Visit the venue in and advance. Purchase mp3s of all the bride and groom's special songs, Burn them to a CD. Give it as a special gift.

Visit the venue well in advance to solve the logistics. Get to the site as early as possible. Plan on everything going wrong and have a backup plan.

Wrap the garter around a mini football for the garter toss. Play NFL music to get single men on the floor for the garter toss. Men are too image conscious to get excited about a garter toss, so make it manly to participate.

If you carry an emergency kit of safety pins, bobby pins. Etc you'll be ready to help with wardrobe malfunctions. Write out the whole event. Practice, practice, practice.

Have your script handy as a fall back. Find out how everybody's name is pronounced. Spell it out phonetically.

Be prepared for an exhausted bride and groom to deviate from the agenda.

Be ready for a photographer who wants to cut the cake before the meal is even served, etc. So they can go home. Yeah, there really are people like that out there.

Have one person to communicate between you and the bride and groom. I like to post a person with a walkie talkie outside so I can play the Grand Entrance music just as they walk in.

Now are you still sure you want to do weddings? .

Take the word "deposit" out of your vocabularies and your contracts

"Deposits" are legally always refundable under certain conditions

"Reservation Fee" on the other hand is just what it says. A fee.

Make sure your contract specifies a covered table and power outlets in proximity to table.

Read some books on djing and wedding planning. If you can help an experienced wedding DJ or observe him do.

Try to meet the photographer and get on the same page with them - they are the ones who have wrecked plans the most frequently.

Meet with the bride and groom. Do a planning sheet. Take a list of good dance songs with you. See mobile best site for ideas. Get the bride and groom to pick some off the list. Don't let them turn the reception into a Ray Montagne snoozefest.

Visit the venue in advance. Purchase mp3s of all the bride and groom's special songs, Burn them to a CD. Give it as a special gift.

Get to the site as early as possible. Plan on everything going wrong and have a backup plan.

Wrap the garter around a mini football for the garter toss. Play NFL music to get single men on the floor for the garter toss. Men are too image conscious to get excited about a garter toss, so make it manly to participate.

If you carry an emergency kit of safety pins, bobby pins. Etc you'll be ready to help with wardrobe malfunctions. Write out the whole event. Practice, practice, practice.

Have your script handy as a fall back. Find out how everybody's name is pronounced. Spell it out phonetically.

Be prepared for an exhausted bride and groom to deviate from the agenda.

Be ready for a photographer who wants to cut the cake before the meal is even served, etc. So they can go home. Yeah, there really are people like that out there.

Have one person to communicate between you and the bride and groom. I like to post a person with a walkie talkie outside so I can play the Grand Entrance music just as they walk in.

Now are you still sure you want to do weddings? .

I disagree here. You can still use the word "Deposit" in your contract. Within the contract that I have written up, I state that a specific $$ amount is required as a "Deposit," and I also state within the contract that the "Deposit" is NON-REFUNDABLE if cancelled less than 7 days before the date of service. Within your contract, you can state any terms and conditions you want regarding a "Deposit" (and it will be just as legally effective as using the words "Reservation Fee").

That thinking comes from Stacey Zemon's book on DJing. She in turn got that from her lawyer.

I love you to death, Cueball. You're a terrific guy! But I got to go with the lawyer and Stacy on this one.

OMG, a BorG wedding! Was Picard the Glooms best man? Did the BorGs sing Kraftwerk karaoke songs and boogie with bridezilla!!! This is a great topic with a lot of good advice! Kudos to all who posted!