Since I've taken over the wedding portion of Snyder Entertainment, I've started scheduling and attending my own meetings with prospective clients on a pretty consistent weekly basis. Usually at these meetings, aside from meeting all of our wonderful clients, and some where in between enjoying an afternoon cup of coffee, I get asked a lot of the same questions. Which is not a bad thing; I prefer more questions upfront, and our policy is always to be honest and transparent with our clients! So I compiled a list of my most FAQ's during my prospective client meetings in hopes that you get to know us a little bit better and that this can be a good go-to source when you're wondering why you should book one of the most important days of your life with Snyder Entertainment. Let's face it, your wedding music will be a major component to your wedding. Not only will the music set the right tone and create the atmosphere you're going for, but your assigned emcee/DJ will also help to gracefully keep the evening's events flowing smoothly from one moment to the next. So you want to be sure that when it comes to booking a DJ, that you're making the absolute best choice. Of course I personally think that Snyder Entertainment is the absolute best choice, and after you read more about us below, I think you'll agree..
Tip: I recommend printing out this list of questions and taking it to all of your vendor meetings! (Just switch up wording to fit the service!)
The Basics + Background Information
• Is my wedding date available?
This is typically filtered through our first initial phone call or email. I promise if we do not have a team member available for your date then your date is (unfortunately) not available, and I will not waste your time. We can recommend other local companies at your request.
• How long have you been in business?
Snyder Entertainment has been leading events and weddings since 2000, so we're very familiar with almost every single venue in Nashville, other local vendors, and industry professionals. We recently were voted Best of B&B 2017 by local vendors.
• How many weddings have you done? How many weddings do you do in an average weekend?
We've been a part of thousands of weddings; honestly too many to count all the way back to 2000. But to give you an idea, from 2013-2016 we were a part of 1,005 weddings, which is roughly 252 weddings per year. To say the least, we have plenty of experience.
For an average weekend, we usually are a part of Friday/Saturday/Sunday weddings, but we've also been a part of Thursday and Monday weddings as well. We never double book our DJ's, so you never have to worry if your assigned DJ/MC had an event earlier in the day. On your day, it's all about you.
• Will you be the DJ at our wedding?
Personally, no I won't be, but that's one of the best parts about meeting with you, learning more about your desired taste, and hearing about your wedding plans. All of our guys have different styles, so I'll partner you with someone who will be best suited for your special day based on your preferences and compatibility.
• Have you done events at my wedding venue?
Our team has been a part of thousands of weddings, so we're very familiar with almost every single venue in and around Nashville. (We also travel to surrounding areas such as Knoxville, Chattanooga, Memphis, Birmingham, and beyond.) If it's a new venue, we always arrange an on-site visit to explore the property, ask proper questions, and gather as much information as we can so that we are totally prepared for your day.
• What sets you apart from your competition?
Can I give you two answers? First, quality not quantity. Other DJ companies advertise that they always have a DJ available for your event, by keeping upwards of a hundred plus people on their team at one time. Instead of trying to add as many people to our team as we can, we take the time to professionally train each one of our DJ's and techs' to ensure that they are sufficiently trained to manage even the smallest details on your big day. In addition to training, our team members are always invested in your events, treating each one with care, and creating a playlist per individual event. Not every playlist matches every setting or couple that we partner with. Secondly, aside from our team members, we're separate from our competition because we offer our clients the "white glove treatment." Meaning each event receives the same amount of time, attention to detail, and thorough preparation no matter the size of the event, package chosen, or overall budget. Our happiness is your happiness, and we judge an events success off of your feedback.
• Are there any other services that you provide, such as lighting design or a photo booth?
We offer a huge variety of services for any and every event! Read more about our lighting and photo booth options below:
- Lighting | What can possibly set the mood faster than great music? Atmosphere! More to the point…Lighting. Whether it is the florescent lights at a dentist office or the bright audio triggered lasers at the club, lights invoke feelings in all of us. That is why Snyder Entertainment has worked hard to develop an amazing arsenal of lighting options that we can transform your event with. Uplights, Monogram Lights, Intelligence Lighting, Moving Fixtures, Fog Machines, Dry Ice Machines, Programmed DMX Shows, Lighting Towers, Lighting Truss, Projectors, Animated Gobo’s…and the list goes on and on. We have stretched into the world of wireless LED lighting to reduce our footprint on this earth while becoming quicker and more mobile with our venues. It doesn’t matter if your event is a Wedding, Corporate Event, Dinner Party, Sweet Sixteen Party, Sorority or Fraternity Function, or a Murder Mystery Dinner; our Lighting Design skills can completely transform any situation. Every room is different so all of our designs are custom made for you. Contact us today to see how our Lighting Design can help you make your events in Nashville and the middle Tennessee area unforgettable!
- Photo Booths | The Nashville Photo Booth is one of the hottest items in the event industry! The booth serves both as gift for your guest and as a scrapbook of memories for you. Our booth's print out TWO high quality digital prints on the spot…we will give one to your guests as they exit the booth and we will keep the second print so they can write in your very own scrapbook. At the end of the evening, your guests will have a party favor and you will have a scrapbook full of memories! Our Photo Booths are the perfect addition to any wedding or corporate event. And to make the pot even sweeter we offer fantastic bundled pricing when you add a Photo Booth to our DJ Services or Lighting Design Packages! Snyder Entertainment includes free custom overlays for your print outs. Check out the gallery to see examples of some of our work.
• Can you provide me with recent couples that I can contact for references?
For the privacy of our clients, we do not give out their personal information. However, we encourage all prospective clients to read about past weddings and events through our blog series titled "Nashville DJ Diaries," and also through reading our ratings and reviews on our WeddingWire reviews page.
The Music
• Do you have any videos from a prior wedding?
Yes! Aside from our blog recaps and videographers tagging us in clips from past weddings, you can check out our Vimeo page to see our team in action!
• Can you assist me in choosing the music for my processional, recessional, father-daughter dance, etc.?
Once you book with us, you will receive an email from me titled "Booking Confirmation," and inside this email will be log-in information for your online planning portal, provided free of charge to all of our clients. Inside the portal you'll find thousands of songs to choose from and a recommendation library to help you select songs. We've gone a step further to break down our recommendations by genre, decade, artist, and even by moments. It's incredibly user friendly and makes selecting your music easier than ever before!
• How extensive is your music library or song list? What genres can you cover?
Our music library contains hundreds of thousands of songs, and it's very rare that we don't have a song that a client requests. But that happens and when it does, we purchase the song at no additional cost to you.
Our genres span from alternative to the blues, rock, rap and hip-hop, pop music, EDM, disco, bluegrass, indie, R&B, and beyond.
• How do you keep your music collection up-to-date?
We have a monthly subscription that sends us hundreds of new songs each month that we easily upload into our online library for our clients. All of our songs are radio version, meaning free of explicit language.
• If the DJ scheduled for my event is unable to perform for some reason, do you have a backup replacement ready to go?
Always. When we book your event, we automatically assign two team members to your wedding day in the case of an emergency. Both team members will be present for your wedding, and your assigned dynamic duo always helps to keep the night moving smoothly.
• Do you take any breaks?
No our team does not take breaks other than necessary bathroom breaks. Our team members know to eat prior to events, pack snacks in case hunger strikes, and we're always prepared with a timeline so we know when to wait. Plus having two team members there relieves the stress of necessary breaks as well.
• Do you act as the "emcee" and make all of the announcements?
Our team members are all professionally trained emcee's and they will review your timeline, pronunciation of names, and details prior to your wedding day with you to ensure everything is correct. We will make as many or as few announcements as you prefer.
• How would you define your "style" when making announcements?
When you think about emcee's I think it's easy to imagine a cheesy 80's DJ with a big bow tie, slicked back hair, and a massive microphone up to their face saying things like "alright girls and gents lets get this party started!" We are nothing like that. Our style is professional, clean, and clear spoken. We are conscious of our clients preferences, our surroundings, and of your guests needs when making proper announcements.
• What do you do to motivate the crowd if nobody is dancing?
Motivating the crowd is dependent on a few things: the style of music you're playing, the age demographic in the room, and the flow of the evening. Our team knows when to press play on songs that always encourage guests to dance; it's what they are trained to do, and your DJ will review those songs with you during your final walk through meeting. Plus adding fun elements like dance floor lighting, up lighting, and party enhancers usually always encourages guests to get up and dance!
• Do you take requests from our guests?
This is a preference you'll be able to set with your assigned DJ prior to your wedding. Some couples don't want requested songs, they only want the songs to be played that they themselves chose ahead of time. Other times, clients want us to play songs within reason that guests request. Your DJ will get to know you, so if a guest comes up and requests something totally off the wall or a song that would clear the dance floor, we politely decline their request.
• Can we submit a "Do Not Play" list?
One of my favorite tools of our online planning portal is the option to create a do not play list. For example: my husband and I met at the University of Tennessee at Knoxville, so for our wedding we requested to hear "Rocky Top" basically on repeat. And at the same time, on our do not play list was, "Sweet Home Alabama." Because Go Vols.
Pricing and Payment:
• What is included in the cost of my event?
For weddings, we offer 4 different packages and they all include:
- Unlimited phone calls, emails and meetings with our wedding manager and your assigned DJ/MC
- One sound system for your ceremony
- Another separate sound system for your cocktail hour and reception
- Access to hundreds of thousands of songs for your music selection
- One lapel microphone for the ceremony
- One handheld wireless microphone for the reception
- Cocktail hour music + Dinner music
- Dance floor lighting for the reception
- Another back-up system on site for peace of mind
- $2 million in liability insurance provided to your venue
- Complete set up and tear down of our equipment
- Personalized online planning portal that allows you to easily go online and make song selections prior to the event, enter bridal party information, additional vendor information, day-of details, and much more!
• How much would you charge for overtime?
Our wedding specific packages do not restrict your wedding to a time limit. So your time frame beginning two hours prior to your ceremony start time (for our team to set up equipment, run sound checks, etc.) until the very end of the reception, within reason, are included. Our rental services such as photo booths will have a predetermined time limit, and if you request to go past your time frame, we do charge an additional $100 per hour.
• Are there any additional fees that could accrue that I am not taking into account, like travel expenses or charges for special musical requests?
We will give you your total cost up front before you even sign your contract. Travel fees are only applied when we are traveling outside of middle Tennessee and will require over night accommodations for our team members. There are never any hidden costs, fees, or charges that will be a surprise to you.
• When will I receive a written contract?
Once you notify us that you're ready to book your wedding and we have a team member available for your day, we will email over a contract for you to electronically sign. Easy as that!
• How much of a deposit do you require and when is it due? Do you offer a payment plan?
We require a $500 deposit that is due at the time of booking, and your deposit payment goes towards your final payment.
Through your online planning portal you have the option to make payments as frequently as you would like, at any amount of your choosing. We just require all final payments to be made at least 10 days prior to your wedding date.
• What is your refund/cancellation policy?
Your agreement/contract cannot be cancelled or modified except in writing by either the Client or Snyder Entertainment. Your deposit is non-refundable and non-transferable. If Client initiates cancellation less than 60 days prior to the event, then only the deposit will be forfeited. If the Client initiates cancellation less than 30 days prior to the event, then Client is responsible for the total fee OR may forfeit deposit only by signing a new Entertainment Agreement with DJ within 14 days of cancellation for a substitute engagement performance in the following 6 months. Rescheduling for events canceled due to inclement weather shall be accommodated without penalty whenever possible. Rescheduled events are subject to availability.
• How far in advance do I need to book you?
We recommend that clients reach out to us about their upcoming wedding as early as possible to properly prepare for your wedding day. Contacting us a month or less out from your wedding date may result in a rush fee proposed by the assigned DJ/MC due to lack of time for preparation and planning. From the initial moment that we first speak with you, we reserve your date up to two weeks.
• Are you insured?
We have a $2 million dollar insurance libiality plan with Farm Bureau and can provide our proof of coverage to your venue free of charge.
Logistics:
• Can you provide wireless mics for the ceremony?
Included in every package is one lapel microphone, which we encourage either the Officiant or the Groom to wear to pick up sound from all three individuals. We bring state of the art speakers so that even guests in the back row can hear the vows. Another lapel microphone can be added to your package for a small fee.
• Does any of your equipment require special electrical outlets that I need to inform my wedding site about?
Yes and they are as follows: (1) Performance area shall be within 25 feet of a reliable 20 ampere circuit (3-prong grounded) for audio and/or a reliable 20 ampere circuit (3- prong grounded) for lighting effects; 2 circuits are needed for extended lighting. (2) facility is open at least one hour prior to scheduled start time; (3) facility meets all federal and state safety regulations and has all appropriate music licenses and performance permits where applicable; (4) reasonable steps taken to protect Snyder Entertainment’s mobile equipment, personnel, and music, and crowd control will be provided if warranted; (5) for outdoor performances, shelter is provided that completely covers and protects Snyder Entertainment’s mobile equipment from adverse weather conditions.
• Do you bring backup equipment?
We always bring an additional back-up system on site for peace of mind and another device with your custom created playlist as well. Because technology fails sometimes. We also always have a printed copy of your timeline, your requested special songs, and bridal party names.
• If my site doesn't provide what you need, will you make arrangements for the items you need or am I responsible for renting it?
We require a table and matching or black table linen for our set up. If your venue does not provide either then you are required to reserve an additional table upon your table/linen rentals. And as stated above, you are required to provide adequate reliable ampere circuit for audio plug in and a cover for our equipment if your wedding is outdoors.
• How much time will you need for setup, sound check and breakdown on the day of the event?
We like to arrive on site at least two hours prior to the ceremony start time for set up and sound checks, but we require at least 1 hour prior to scheduled start time for set up. Breakdown requires 1 hour as well.
• What time will you arrive at the site?
At least two hours prior to your ceremony start time for set up, sound check, etc.
• Will we meet again before the wedding?
You have access to unlimited communication with your assigned DJ/MC including phone calls, emails, and meetings. You will have a final walk through meeting with your DJ somewhere between 1-2 weeks prior to your wedding day.
• When do we need to submit our music requests and event details?
From the day you book until 10 days out from your wedding day, you will have unlimited access to your online planning portal where you can submit song choices, set up playlists, enter in additional vendor information, timeline details, bridal party information, and much more.
• What will you wear to our wedding?
Unless otherwise advised from the client, our team will wear business casual. This includes a button up shirt, a tie, jacket/blazer, nice pants and shoes. If you would prefer a black tie event, we will dress accordingly, or if you would prefer a very casual approach we will dress accordingly.
• Do you (and each member with you) require a meal?
No we do not require a meal.
• What is your policy on alcohol or smoking during the wedding?
Our team members do not take smoke breaks or drink alcohol at anytime ever during events.
Have more questions? No worries, call me today in the office at 615.613.1686, and I'll be more than happy to schedule a meeting with you ASAP! Coffee's on me.
Written by: J. McGee