Are you looking for a Professional DJ to play at your wedding reception? Keep reading!

Although DJ Bolivia is known first and foremost as an electronica/dance DJ, playing at clubs, festivals, and one-time parties, he is also frequently asked to be a DJ for wedding receptions. If you are interested in booking him for such an event, rest assured that you will be hiring a professional DJ who provides top-quality musical entertainment in an enjoyable performance for the guests at your reception, no matter what the demographics might be. DJ Bolivia can deliver experience with a professional sound and lighting system, and can provide references.

Weddings are the most difficult gigs for a DJ to play, due to the variety of ages and musical tastes of the audience. A professional DJ is well aware of the significance of a wedding reception. It is the event of a lifetime, and the service needs to meet that standard. Some couples, however, are understandably concerned about the expense of hiring a professional DJ for their reception, and question the costs. In doing so, it is important to remember that you're not just paying the DJ for five or six hours of music and MC'ing, you're paying for years of prior experience as a DJ in a professional setting. You're also paying for the cost of gear ownership, set-up and break-down, having a DJ assistant on-site, music costs, and other incidentals.

Further, the time commitment required for a DJ to properly manage a wedding is substantial, both in terms of preliminary meetings, planning out special music selections, purchasing additional music, and rehearsals. The question you should ask yourself is: 'Is it worth having somebody inexperienced (for less money), who may not deliver the level of care and service you would like, or is it better to hire a professional who can provide peace of mind when it is most needed?'

In the case of the former, some couples hope to save a few hundred dollars by selecting a friend or family member who can DJ with a laptop and rented gear, but that person will probably have limited music selections and a lack of professional experience. If there is a short circuit in one of the XLR cords connecting the microphone to the mixer, will your DJ be able to instantly recognize and rectify the problem? If a recessed button on the back of the compressor gets pushed accidentally and half of the speaker system won't produce any sound, will your DJ instantly recognize what the potential cause might be? Will your DJ have access to backup equipment, in case a critical component fails during the evening? And what about depth of knowledge of the music that is provided?

Your DJ could have thirty thousand songs on their hard drive, but if they don't actually know the music, having all of those selections is not useful. Ideally, you will have a DJ who is intimately acquainted with (at a minimum) classic pop/rock, mainstream, and pop dance music as well as having familiarity with some country music, mainstream rap, ballads/waltzes, and classic oldies. Very few DJ's have this complete breadth of experience, but it is something that DJ Bolivia can deliver.

One inherent problem with finding a good DJ for a wedding reception is that the typical age range of the crowd is from about 14 to 74 years old. People getting married are often younger and want some current & relevant music. But if there are parents and grandparents in the crowd, is it wise to have a young DJ who ONLY knows hip hop and top40? Although such DJ's may be able to please a younger crowd, the older folks could be disappointed. Other DJ's may know their older mainstream, pop, and classic rock/oldies inside out, but might feel uncomfortable playing modern, beat-mixed dance tracks. It is very rare to find a DJ who is skilled in both ends of the spectrum, but DJ Bolivia is a member of that elusive class of DJ's. In terms of professionalism, Jonathan is an accredited member of the Canadian Professional DJ Association (CPDJA). As a music composer/author and broadcaster, DJ Bolivia is also a member of the Society Of Composers, Authors, and Music Publishers of Canada (SOCAN). Jonathan is insured, and is a member of Canada's Audio-Video Licensing Agency (AVLA) which allows for playing copyrighted music legally in mobile venues. In additional, as a professional DJ, he is committed to a policy of not consuming any alcohol prior to or during wedding events. The last thing that a bride and groom need at their reception is an intoxicated entertainer.

If you're interested in booking DJ Bolivia for a wedding reception and would like to enquire about his availability, he'd be more than willing to consult with you (no commitment required) so you can determine whether or not he is the most appropriate entertainer for the event in question. The first step is to ensure that you understand the technical aspects behind the entertainment for your reception, and for him to understand the specific requirements for your event. It is typical that the wedding couple and the DJ spend more time in the planning process leading up to the event than the actual time DJ'ing at the event.

To help initiate the consultation process, it may be useful to know some of the details regarding costs. To act as the MC and the DJ for the reception, DJ Bolivia's typical wedding pricing is $1150 plus HST. This assumes a start time (the beginning of music or MC'ing) as early as 7pm, and a finish time of 1am. Therefore, this includes up to six total hours of musical entertainment, so starting at 6pm and finishing at midnight is also fine. Unlike many other services, we exclude set-up and break-down time as part of the provided entertainment time, so those duties do not reduce the amount of time that we will be providing entertainment. If more than six hours of music are required, add $100 per hour. All prices include equipment, music, Master of Ceremony services for the reception, DJ'ing, set-up time, and take-down time. It also includes the cost of having a second entertainer on-site to help with gear, help with MC'ing, and to occasionally switch off with the regular DJ (bathroom breaks, etc.). Quoted prices include all required equipment, and we do not charge extra to bring in fancy modern dance-floor lighting.

Approximately fifty pieces of equipment (consoles, mixers, speakers, lights, players, power cords, microphones, signal cords, compressor, EQ, backup gear, etc.) are required to properly outfit a reception gig. Our price is a flat rate no matter what the venue has (or doesn't have) for pre-existing gear. We will have a pair of microphones available at your event, including both a wired mic for the DJ/MC, and a wireless microphone for any floaters (more microphones are available by request at no extra charge). We use a pair of powered 1000-watt EV speaker tops for treble and mid-range sound, and a pair of powered 1500-watt subs for the low end. This system has been used successfully in venues holding over 750 people, however, we will purposefully turn the volumes down for smaller venues, when appropriate. Music needs to be loud enough to dance to, but not so loud as to make socializing awkward. As for lighting, we will bring a couple of state-of-the-art lasers and modern low-temperature LED GoBo lights, to ensure that the dance floor looks energetic (when appropriate). We do not use smoke or fog machines, which might bother some of your guests, and which might cause problems with the venue's fire suppression systems.

In terms of geographic range, DJ Bolivia usually does weddings in the central Maritime provinces of Canada. This includes New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, and Prince Edward Island. Please note that the price quoted above includes travel expenses within a half hour of Sackville (ie. Moncton, Sackville, Amherst). For other locations, add $100 for travel costs for a range of up to 300 kilometers from Sackville (ie. Halifax, Truro, Saint John, Fredericton, Miramichi, Charlottetown). For distances beyond that, assume $0.40 per kilometer travel time PLUS $100 for over-night lodging, and potential extra charges for additional travel time if the total time away from Sackville exceeds 24 hours. In the event that DJ Bolivia is required to DJ at an event which requires air travel, the cost will also include all airfare, lodging, and basic meals during the extent of the voyage, in addition to standard DJ fees, AND the rental of all gear that cannot be brought onto the plane. That may sound overwhelming, but really, anything is possible if proper consultation takes place up front and you're willing to cover the expenses. For events greater than 300km from Sackville (New Brunswick), please contact DJ Bolivia to discuss specifics.

Please note that the above pricing plan covers the wedding "reception" only (meaning the formal reception period after the ceremony, which can also include a meal). In the case of a meal being part of the reception, light background music can be played during the appropriate times. If you need Jonathan to act as a Master of Ceremonies during the dinner, that is certainly possible. However, we suggest that receptions are more intimate and personal when someone who is well-known to the guests is selected to act as the official Master of Ceremonies during dinner, and then the MC'ing duties are passed on to Jonathan at the conclusion of the dinner and the commencement of the official dance/reception. This is because someone who is well known to the bride and/or groom will be better able to interactively ad lib with guests on a familiar basis, as well as improvise appropriate jokes and introduce speakers. Separately from the reception, Jonathan is also able to provide music for the actual wedding ceremony itself, but again at an additional cost (contact us for details).

To clarify notes on pricing, deposits, and cancellations, please be aware of the following. A deposit of $500 is required at least 28 days before the event. In the event of a cancellation, that deposit will be forfeited. The remainder of the event fee is due 14 days before the event. In the event of a cancellation less than 14 days before the event, the entire fee will be forfeited (because it is almost impossible for the DJ to get a replacement booking in that short of a time frame). Immediately after the initial consultation, if you decide to use our services, we will provide you with an invoice and a copy of our contract for the engagement of entertainment services.

During the pre-event planning process, we'll ask you about songs that you specifically DO want to hear, songs that you specifically do NOT want to hear, and your general thoughts on genres to be played. We'll work together to ensure that we are able to play specific songs that you want for key moments during the reception, such as the father-daughter dance, the mother-son dance, the first dance as a couple, the final waltz, etc. We are open-minded and willing to play any suggestions or requests that are given, as well as work around individual reception styles (for instance, some receptions are less formal and do not entail dances such as those listed above).

To help kick things off, we have lists of suggestions and recommendations in case you're not sure about specific songs for some of the aforementioned key moments (see some examples below). In short, we'll take the time to work with you and plan out a basic framework for the evening, to ensure that the event runs as smoothly as possible, and to make sure that there are no last-minute questions or surprises. Please note that pre-event planning and consultation meetings are included in the package price. As is the case for the happy couple, events are far less stressful for the entertainment staff when specifics are planned out in detail in advance.

In short, if you're looking for a professional entertainment solution for your wedding reception, DJ Bolivia can provide an all-in-one package that is sure to satisfy your needs. We have experience, we have a professional sound and lighting system, and we can provide references. Ensure that your reception is memorable in a good way, rather than as an unpleasant experience that you'll regret for the rest of your life!

DJ Bolivia is currently available from January 1st through April 15th of 2011, and from September 1st through December 31st of 2011. Unfortunately, from mid-April to the end of August, he will be unavailable for weddings while working an extended contract in British Columbia and Alberta. All prices quoted above are valid for calendar 2011.

Email Jonathan at djbolivia@gmail.com today, if you'd like to make a booking inquiry!

Some Recommended Wedding Reception Music!!
(We also have suggestions in case you need music for your ceremony)

FIRST DANCE AS HUSBAND & WIFE:

FATHER & DAUGHTER MUSIC:

MOTHER & SON MUSIC:

BRIDAL PARTY DANCE MUSIC:

CUTTING THE CAKE MUSIC:

GARTER AND BOUQUET TOSS MUSIC:

LAST DANCE OF THE NIGHT: