Contact: John Harman FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Tel: 559-684-1102
Cell: 559-799-0977
Email: john@zzydj.com
CURRENT ECONOMY MIXED BAG FOR BRIDES
Good Deals But Buyer Beware
Planning a wedding? You could be in luck: According to “The Wedding Report” (www.theweddingreport.com) the current economy has reduced the number of weddings by 30% since 2007 levels. This decline produced one favorable result: plummeting prices for products and services as vendors try to capture a share of the shrinking wedding market. But there is a dark side: a burgeoning field of amateurs ready to take an unsuspecting couple’s money.
As the economy declines, more people supplement their income through hobbies. The largely unregulated wedding industry is a ripe apple for picking by these people.
New and cheaper technology assists amateurs as well. Cheap digital cameras have flooded the photography and video industry with an explosion of cut-rate, incompetent people. With the advent of MP3 technology it’s easy for virtually anyone to build a library of music and promote themselves as a disc jockey. Other facets of the wedding market, from florists to cake decorators and others are reporting this infiltration of “hobbyists.”
This trend effectively drives prices down for associated services but also quality. For instance, the emergence of digital photographers leads brides to cut costs by asking for photos in digital format, frequently posting them to wedding web sites for viewing by friends and relatives.
But, just as an office backs up important documents, brides really need an album in the event their electronic media is compromised. A memory card exposed to a tiny static electric discharge from a piece of clothing can quickly leave a bride without any wedding pictures!
Fledgling disc jockey operations also leave brides with less-than-satisfactory results. These operators’ cheap prices are often coupled to low-quality offerings. Most people make the mistake of equating a few hundred songs with success as a DJ. But a competent entertainment company provides a Master of Ceremony service as well as a disc jockey. The MC guides the reception and ensures it success in addition to making announcements and coordinating with the other service providers, such as the photographer.
More and more photographers, video operators and caterers are reporting DJs who refuse to talk on the microphone forcing duties onto unsuspecting brides and grooms at the event. Reports of DJs who insist on their own brand of music even when it alienates their entire audience, and DJs who become belligerent when approached by guests to modify their approach are increasing.
While the industry laments the intrusion of these hobbyists-turned-entrepreneurs too many brides and grooms learn too late what they think and what they ultimately get aren’t the same. It’s imperative therefore, that couples educate themselves about offerings from businesses that supply services to their weddings. Here’s a quick list of suggestions to help educate brides- and grooms-to-be:
1) How long has a business been around? The longer they’ve been around, the more experience they have.
2) Do they have a business license? A reputable business will have one; some amateurs won’t even know what one is.
3) Do they have references they can give you?
4) Do other service providers know them? For instance, is the DJ you’re thinking about hiring known to your photographer? If both work in the same geographical area they will know each other.
5) Do they offer a signed contract? A contract means a commitment by them as well as you. A “handshake” deal can lead to heartache at the wedding.
6) Do they require a deposit? Most reputable businesses will; beginners often do not because they avoid making a strong commitment to you.
“What I’m finding,” says John Harman, owner of ZZYXZ Mobile DJ Service, “is brides being victimized because they think all DJs are the same. They end up hiring somebody who’s been a “bedroom jock” for awhile, then realize at the wedding they needed an MC and a competent disc jockey with some experience working with groups to have a successful wedding. But, it’s too late to fix the problem at the reception.”
Harman makes a suggestion to brides: find what you want in the way of services first then shop for the vendor who supplies what you want at the price that fits your budget. And, if you have relatives making gifts of services make suggestions to them about what you want. When the price is outside what they expected to spend, suggest family members combine their funds to provide the service you really want.
With the economy still stalled increasing numbers of people will continue plying the marketplace attempting to make ends meet at the expense of unsuspecting brides and grooms. Couples can protect themselves by taking a few countermeasures and following simple guidelines that will ensure the kind of wedding they want. For more information regarding this and other subjects of interest regarding your wedding visit http://www.zzydj.com
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