CAVEAT: APPLICABLE TO MOST BUT NOT ALL FREE/INCLUDED DJs:
Attended, as a guest, a wedding ceremony/reception Saturday evening and was again reminded and re-affirmed that, substantially more often than not, the subject DJs under deliver or worse because they have no personal skin in the game or, at best, fealty primarily/only to the venue purposes and not the celebrating families.
The witnessed/experienced performance ranged from pedestrian, at its best, to disappointing and obviously generic. The primary and most glaring disappointment was realized early in the reception.
After the First Dance (The only formal dance chosen) but before the open dancing, the Bride's mother was given the floor to make a toast. This toast was presented as a family tradition, heretofore delivered by the Bride's grandfather. His place in this family was apparently of importance and value and his recent passing did not dilute or negate that truth. Therefore, this woman, this selfless, brave mother delivered, with class and apparent fortitude, the most loving heartfelt words to the newlyweds and all in attendance. It was moving and, by any measure, loving, honest, and meaningful.
It was also a moment that a professional planner or entertainer would purposefully embrace to enhance the importance of the moment with, at the very least, a subtle segue from the deserved applause to subtle transitional music with a loving, family, or both theme. Dozens if not hundreds of songs come to mind. Had the alleged professional given even a minimal amount of consideration to this opportunity, there are dozens of simple other actions that could have been planned and or deployed to elevate this meaningful moment.
However, this mouse jockey, a/k/a included in package employee, wasted the opportunity and dropped The Hollies Long Cool Woman on the moment. The reaction from the majority was akin to the oft used internet acronym, WTF?
FYI, the first verses include the following lyrics:
Saturday night I was downtown
Working for the FBI
Sitting in a nest of bad men
Whiskey bottles piling high
Bootlegging boozer on the west side
Full of people who are doing wrong
Just about to call up the D.A. man
When I heard this woman singing a song
Really, that the choice he made?
That missed opportunity was merely one in several that, when combined with the incessant and always doubled "Ladies & Gentlemen, May I have your attention please" preamble to each announcement and repeated references to the newlyweds as " the Bride & Groom" (as opposed to their names) served to confirm my prejudices in this subject matter, that being Free/Included DJs are worth every penny...likely worth even less.
Several positive notes: Venue was dated but attractive, well cared for , clean, and sufficient. Food service staff and bar tenders were attentive, professional and polite and the food was tasty and the drinks were light but not rising to require any complaints. Also, the mask tyrants were no where to be found.
Most importantly, the honorees seemed satisfied and there were no monumental errors or omissions...just too many missed opportunities and manifestations of minimal, almost lazy planning.
Attended, as a guest, a wedding ceremony/reception Saturday evening and was again reminded and re-affirmed that, substantially more often than not, the subject DJs under deliver or worse because they have no personal skin in the game or, at best, fealty primarily/only to the venue purposes and not the celebrating families.
The witnessed/experienced performance ranged from pedestrian, at its best, to disappointing and obviously generic. The primary and most glaring disappointment was realized early in the reception.
After the First Dance (The only formal dance chosen) but before the open dancing, the Bride's mother was given the floor to make a toast. This toast was presented as a family tradition, heretofore delivered by the Bride's grandfather. His place in this family was apparently of importance and value and his recent passing did not dilute or negate that truth. Therefore, this woman, this selfless, brave mother delivered, with class and apparent fortitude, the most loving heartfelt words to the newlyweds and all in attendance. It was moving and, by any measure, loving, honest, and meaningful.
It was also a moment that a professional planner or entertainer would purposefully embrace to enhance the importance of the moment with, at the very least, a subtle segue from the deserved applause to subtle transitional music with a loving, family, or both theme. Dozens if not hundreds of songs come to mind. Had the alleged professional given even a minimal amount of consideration to this opportunity, there are dozens of simple other actions that could have been planned and or deployed to elevate this meaningful moment.
However, this mouse jockey, a/k/a included in package employee, wasted the opportunity and dropped The Hollies Long Cool Woman on the moment. The reaction from the majority was akin to the oft used internet acronym, WTF?
FYI, the first verses include the following lyrics:
Saturday night I was downtown
Working for the FBI
Sitting in a nest of bad men
Whiskey bottles piling high
Bootlegging boozer on the west side
Full of people who are doing wrong
Just about to call up the D.A. man
When I heard this woman singing a song
Really, that the choice he made?
That missed opportunity was merely one in several that, when combined with the incessant and always doubled "Ladies & Gentlemen, May I have your attention please" preamble to each announcement and repeated references to the newlyweds as " the Bride & Groom" (as opposed to their names) served to confirm my prejudices in this subject matter, that being Free/Included DJs are worth every penny...likely worth even less.
Several positive notes: Venue was dated but attractive, well cared for , clean, and sufficient. Food service staff and bar tenders were attentive, professional and polite and the food was tasty and the drinks were light but not rising to require any complaints. Also, the mask tyrants were no where to be found.
Most importantly, the honorees seemed satisfied and there were no monumental errors or omissions...just too many missed opportunities and manifestations of minimal, almost lazy planning.
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