Frequently Asked Questions ...and answers!

We’re proud to guarantee affordability! We also believe in clearly stating exactly how much our services cost: Most of our starting quotes are between $1199 and $1599, depending on the options you select. How does it all break down? Here’s a list of services we offer, and what’s included in every package. Our quote for your wedding depends on a bunch of different things. Where is your event located? How many hours do you want us to play music? Are we also providing service at your ceremony? Are we adding custom extras like uplighting design? All of these options factor into the total amount for your quote. Discounted rates are offered at non-peak times (like Sundays and during the winter months). We have options for every budget, and we’re ready to work with you right now. Contact us today for a completely free, no-obligation quote.

When it comes right down to it… three things! First, our planning services that we’ll use before your wedding. If you book with us, we’ll get you a login to our custom planning app, where we can plan everything from music, playlists, formal dances, bridal party introductions and more. We have a ton of ideas and suggestions in there to help you start thinking about music too. About 4-6 weeks before your wedding date, we’ll schedule a call to walk through every single detail of your wedding day, so the service that we provide is exactly what you want it to be.

Second, our industry-leading sound equipment and performance on your wedding day. We only bring the best speakers, mixers, computers and lighting (and backup equipment!) so we can party with the best sound experience. Everything will look and sound amazing at your wedding ceremony and reception.

And of course, our professionalism and music experience. You really can’t put a price tag on the experience that you need to make a great wedding reception a huge success. Not only do we have decades of experience with events and music selection, we always bring our A-game in every aspect of the services that we’ll provide for you. From planning the right order of music and events while we’re prepping your wedding, to mixing your favorite music together to keep the party going, to working with your venue staff throughout the whole process… you really want your wedding entertainment professionals to be pros, and we are!

Over the decades, our team members have performed at thousands of weddings and events across Maine and New England. All of our DJs are broadcast and event professionals who have decades of experience as wedding DJs right here in Maine. Our DJs Ryan Gavin, Brian James, Dominic Lavoie, Tom Doucette, Matt Perry, Justin Wiley, Jason Hjort and our other partners have each worked with hundreds of clients in every corner of the state, and all of our DJs are also experienced event emcees. In addition to providing wedding entertainment, Ryan, Dom and Brian have worked on the air at radio stations in Portland, Bangor and Presque Isle, and they can be heard on radio stations across the United States every day. We also host corporate, non-profit and charity events for organizations around New England, and we’ve also produced Maine’s spring wedding shows for couples and families. We’re just about as experienced as you can get!

This is a great question, and you should ask each of the DJs you talk with to see what they say! Unlike most entertainment vendors in Maine, all of our DJs are full-time broadcast media and event professionals. That means we’re not part-time weekend DJs – we’re radio hosts, music directors, and broadcast personalities trusted by some of the biggest radio stations in Maine and around the country to entertain hundreds of thousands of people every day, and we’ve been trusted by hundreds of couples from every corner of Maine to provide perfectly-planned wedding entertainment since the 1990s. Read more about our award-winning team here!

Another important thing to keep in mind is that we’re Open Format DJs. That means we’re able and willing to play anything you want for wedding day, whether you’d like classic artists for your cocktail hour, or the hottest current songs for your dance floor, we can do it! Unlike some DJs that only work in certain formats, or artistic DJs that have a locked-down setlist, we customize our entire performance to you, based on your favorite songs, the vibe you envision for wedding day, and the music you know will make your guests dance and remember your wedding day forever!

Superlatives and titles like “best” can be self-applied and really don’t mean anything unless you can back it up! Be careful when you’re booking wedding entertainment, because there are a LOT of different options out there… from people just starting out, to professionals like us. Here’s why we know we’re the best option for wedding entertainment services in Maine:

Hundreds of couples have told us!

We’re not part-time DJs, occasional club DJs, or MCs in training. We don’t do weddings on the side for extra income. This is what we do, and we’ve been recognized by our peers as the gold standard in our industry. Our team is made up of professional broadcasters, trusted by radio stations and broadcast companies to entertain hundreds of thousands of people across the country every day. We’re professional DJs, music directors, format experts, audio engineers, and event specialists. We use our experience from thousands of weddings over decades and decades to help our couples plan the perfect playlists, make valuable suggestions to improve their vision for wedding day, and bring the party to life!

Nobody else in Maine has a team like ours, because we’re incredibly selective about who we work with and allow to perform at weddings. We value performance quality and your experience above everything else, and having the best team in Maine is the only way to do it.

Some entertainment vendors will specialize in only one format of music, or just one “style” of presentation. We can do it all, and we ask all the right questions during the planning process (on our custom app!) to make sure we deliver a perfect experience on wedding day.

As you look at options for your wedding, you’ll notice that like most other wedding-related services, there are several great, professional-grade entertainment services in Maine, but there are also a lot of part-time DJs who don’t have what we consider to be required experience to deliver the best wedding possible for you and your guests. Make sure you have all the facts and make the best decision for your wedding!

Our style is YOUR style! We don’t have a pre-set playlist, and we absolutely let you pick as much of the music as you’d like for each part of the day, from your ceremony choices, to the cocktail and dinner hours, all the way through to dancing the night away. During the planning process, we’ll ask questions about the vibe and style that you have in mind for wedding day, not just what songs to play. We want to know who (demographically) your guests will be, what genres/artists/moods you’re expecting, and how we can capture the perfect sound of the day in the form of music. We’re the opposite of boutique DJs that only specialize in certain formats or genres… we’re professional broadcasters and event DJs who are just as comfortable playing Frank Sinatra at dinner as we are playing Lizzo, Whitney Houston or the B52s on the dance floor. Anything goes! We’ll match your music preferences and style to create the best custom playlists possible for each part of your wedding.

We can travel to locations anywhere in New England! Most of our DJs are based in the greater Portland, Maine area, but we travel all over northern New England on a regular basis. Travel is included in your quote for service at venues accessible by mainland roads within 100 miles of Portland, Maine or within 50 miles of Bangor, Maine. For venues outside of that area, or for venues inaccessible by mainland roads (ferries to islands, etc.), a small travel fee may be added to our quotes.

Absolutely! We’re based in southern Maine, but we will travel to your wedding anywhere in New England, from the nutmeg state to the hills of “the county” all the way up in northern Maine. “Have party, will travel!”

As soon as possible! When you confirm the date of your wedding and secure a venue, it’s a good idea to book a DJ before you do anything else. We typically book events anywhere from 6-18 months in advance, but it’s never too late (or early) to call! Fridays and Saturdays during peak spring and summer months fill up fast, so don’t wait. Contact us today to get your quote!

The booking process is easy, and we’re always happy to meet and talk about all your options before we agree on a contract. Part of our service includes providing unlimited consultations, phone calls, and planning sessions before your wedding day to make sure nothing is left to chance. To lock us in as your wedding entertainment, we need to have a signed agreement and a retainer to book the date. As soon as you know you want us on board, contact us and we’ll get the ball rolling!

Because wedding dates in Maine are incredibly popular, we have to operate on a first-come booking basis. That means that we can only reserve your date when we receive a signed agreement and retainer payment. We’re happy to meet with you and talk at length about your event before we agree on a contract, but we need an agreement to provide service for you in order to hold any date. When you’re sure that you want us on board, we can sign our agreement and process payment all electronically… so we can reserve your date immediately as soon as you’re ready to make it official!

Still have questions about how we book dates on a first-come basis? Please read our booking policies here.

Absolutely not! (Unbelievably, people have actually asked us this.) Weddings can be very private events, and we will always respect your privacy and guest list. We would never allow an uninvited guest to attend your wedding to watch us perform. If you’re looking to see if we’re a good fit for your wedding, you can read a few of our hundreds of reviews online, or watch a short video from one of our wedding receptions here. We’re also happy to chat about our services any time… just reach out and we can see if we’re the right fit for you!

We also totally respect your privacy. Once we plan your wedding with you and then perform on wedding day, we won’t bother you with repeated requests to speak to other potential clients, and we absolutely won’t sell your contact info to other vendors or service providers. Other than thanking you for inviting us to be a part of your celebration and (maybe!) asking for a review, we won’t continue to use your experience for our marketing purposes.

We understand that some couples want to experience a reception with our DJs before hiring us, or even speak with others who have hired us in the past. Because we perform exclusively at private events, this usually isn’t possible, unless you’re invited! If you’ve read our reviews from hundreds of couples, checked out our videos, talked with us to get a feel for our team, and you’re still not sure that we’re the right fit for you, that’s ok! We would recommend that you speak with your planner or venue manager about how to vet professionals based on your specific needs and requirements, but at that point, we’ve done everything we’re able to do.

We recommend a full 5-6 hours for most wedding receptions, but your timeline could be different based on what your needs are. We’re super flexible! Being rushed on your wedding day is the worst thing in the world, and receptions that run less than 5 hours can feel hurried. Generally, we can stay as long as you need us to, at an additional hourly rate. We’ll coordinate on all the details when you contact us.

Absolutely! Popular wedding dates fill up fast, so if you want to book us, let’s do it as soon as you’re sure. Choosing the right package options can take some time, but you don’t want to lose your date. To lock us in, we ask for a signed agreement and a retainer fee to book the date. We can always choose specific package options and a make a final decision as we get closer to your wedding date.

Most of our clients will book a 5 or 6 hour package first, and then we can adjust our time or package options later (up or down!) as your timeline comes into better focus when we get closer to wedding day.

We do! All of our packages come with a great light show for the dance floor, so we’re covered for dancing later in the evening. In addition to standard dance floor lighting, we also have projected monogram/video and uplighting options if you’d like to customize the look and feel of your venue for each part of the evening. Ask us about lighting options when we chat!

 

Sure! We can always adjust the amount of time we’re planning on, and we can add ceremony services to our timeline at any point during the planning process. Other options like enhanced lighting and projection systems are available on a first-come basis. Once we’re less than seven days from your wedding, our agreement is final and we’re ready to go!

Our quotes start with reception service in one location. If you want us to set up in more than one location at your venue, you’re increasing the amount of equipment and set-up time we need to give you the best service. For insurance and other logistical reasons, we cannot move sound systems from one location to another at your venue once guests are on the property. We always set up sound systems in their designated places before your event begins. To provide sound in a second or third location at your venue, we need an additional sound system, including at least two additional speakers per location, another sound mixing console, etc. For each additional setup, we need to perform a second or third sound check, make sure all of the equipment is working the way it should be, and then interface each sound location with our media network. Additional service options like ceremony service or multiple sound locations will increase your quote.

That depends on a bunch of different factors! We assign our team members based on your event date, location, any specific needs you have, and how complex your plans are for wedding day. For example, it may take more than one DJ to provide service at weddings with multiple sound system locations, or for weddings that require substantial travel.

All of our weddings start by planning your music and timeline preferences in detail with Ryan Gavin, our event producer. Ryan will be your contact throughout the planning process. This ensures that every wedding we produce has our expert attention and planning support from the outset, and makes it simpler for you to keep track of just one contact person!

Once your wedding is planned to perfection, at least one of our Maine Made Weddings DJs will be assigned to work with you on wedding day. All of our DJs are experienced broadcasters, musicians and event planners, hand-picked by our team because of their skill and dedication to delivering perfect wedding ceremonies and receptions. Because we’re not format-specific boutique DJs that only specialize in certain limited types of music, we can guarantee that each member of our team is equally qualified to deliver a performance based on the style, vibe and type of event you’ve planned with us.

Our team members include legendary Maine broadcast personalities, highly sought-after musicians, and some of the most awarded and recognized DJs in New England. You can read more about our fantastic team here!

Probably not! If your event is within 100 miles of Portland or within 50 miles of Bangor, and accessible by mainland roads, we don’t charge a penny more for travel. Our agreed-upon price includes planning, travel, setting up, breaking down, performance of services, and everything in between. We never have any hidden or additional costs, either. Unless you want to add additional services to our agreement, the price that we quoted you and the price we agreed on is always what you will pay. For island venues, mountaintop venues, or for travel to places more than 100 miles away from Portland or more than 50 miles away from Bangor, we may ask for an extra travel fee.

Yes – we’re fully insured with performance and general liability insurance, with policies covering each aspect of our service. We’re more than happy to provide you or your venue manager with a copy of our applicable certificates, and work with your team to ensure compliance with all safety standards for wedding day.

Of course! We’re proud to serve the LGBTQ community in Maine and throughout New England. We know that working with terrific vendors is really important, and we’re also more than happy to recommend other great wedding pros like caterers, planners, and photographers who we know you’ll love working with.

No. While this might seem like it would make things easier on your wedding day, it would actually complicate our setup process and music performance pretty significantly. Because we use top of the line, industry-standard equipment that we know will work at all of our events, we can’t guarantee that someone else’s equipment at your venue will work, or if it will work with our computers and mixers. We guarantee that our sound systems will always work, we know how to use them, and we carry backup systems with us just in case something breaks down. For all of these reasons, we just can’t be 100% sure that someone else’s equipment will work when we need it to on your wedding day, and we can’t provide quotes for just “music” service without our sound systems included as well. We always want to give you the best service that we can, and this is the only way to do it. If your venue is a performance space like a club or concert hall that requires us to use professional house sound, we still need to use our own mixers, control surfaces, computers, and planning time to provide the best service for your wedding. We also would need to coordinate with the audio technicians at your venue on connectivity and other logistical concerns. These are all good things to keep in mind when selecting a venue, as well as entertainment vendors like us!

We stick to sound and lighting! We’re audio professionals, and we focus entirely on the sound, flow and feel of your wedding. That lets us dedicate 100% of our attention and energy to the vibe of the party, which is where it should be! Operating a photo booth or setting up additional equipment takes a second person on-site, and sticking to music helps to keep our overall package costs down, which is a good thing.

We’ll explain payment options when you contact us to book your date. Generally, a retainer of $350 is due when you reserve a date with us (more affordable than the industry-standard 50%), and that serves as a non-refundable deposit to lock us into your date. The remainder of your balance will be due one week prior to the day of our booked engagement, or you can choose to pay it all at once. We also have payment plan options if you’d like to pay in monthly installments. We accept multiple forms of payment, including checks, money orders, and major credit/debit cards securely online. We’ll answer any questions you have about payment when you contact us to reserve your date. Need to make a payment online? Access our payment page here.

Other than our affordability guarantee, there’s just one thing to keep in mind: Because DJs book so far in the future, all retainers are nonrefundable. This is standard practice in the entertainment industry, and we do it for your benefit and protection. A retainer ensures that we’re locked into your event, and guarantees our appearance at your wedding. By signing a contract with us and paying a retainer fee, we can’t cancel on you in favor of any other event. If you cancel your event within 180 days, a cancellation fee of 50% of the remaining balance will apply. If you cancel your event within 90 days, a cancellation fee of 100% of the remaining balance will apply. More information about our retainers will be in your contract, and we would be happy to discuss the specifics with you at any time. You can read our booking, reservation and payment policies in full here.

Absolutely. Over the last few years, we’ve been forced to slightly increase prices for new clients to keep pace with inflation. Our agreements are rock solid, and once we sign a contract, we’re locked in to provide the services you chose at the price we agreed upon when we signed, and that price will never increase.

The music that YOU want to hear! We have a huge music library with over 150,000 songs, so we can play top 40, country, rock and roll, alternative, oldies, classic hits, hip hop, rap… and the list goes on. All of our DJs can also accommodate specific requests before and during your event, but that’s totally up to you. We have the capability to find, download and play music wirelessly, so the answer is always “Yes, we have it!” We’ll work with you and your family before the wedding to plan perfect playlists and make sure we understand the “vibe” you’re going for at your wedding. You can have as much or as little control over the playlist as you want… the more input from you, the better! Want to upload a Spotify/Apple Music playlist for us to use? Great! We offer unlimited consultations and planning sessions before your wedding, so nothing is left to chance. When you book your date with us, we’ll provide you with access to our music planning app, where you can browse our entire library and start planning musical selections ahead of time, right from your phone!

Yes! We’re a full-service wedding vendor. In addition to providing entertainment at your reception, we’re also happy to provide music like preludes, processionals, and recessionals at your ceremony, as well as microphones and sound equipment for officiants and participants.

Yes – that’s a big part of our service! We consider being a DJ and an MC to be the same job… you should never have one without the other! We can make announcements during your reception, serve as a master of ceremonies, and even help you plan the flow of your event ahead of time. We can make announcements paired with entry music, plan musical interludes and features during your program, and more. And best of all, it’s all included with your quote. When you book your date with us, we’ll work with you on details like how you’d like your bridal party to be introduced, what songs should be played at certain points during the reception, and how you would like us to manage the flow of your event. Every detail is totally customizable, and it’s all up to you!

Yes… That’s all part of our reception package! We have an extensive library of light background music, classical, jazz, and other traditional choices to provide background entertainment at certain points during your wedding or reception program. We can also play popular music, classic hits, genre-specific requests, and more!

When we book the date and confirm our services, you’ll get access to our exclusive music planning app, where you can choose music for each part of the day, from ceremony arrivals, your cocktail hour, dinner, and of course… the dance floor!

Absolutely, but that decision is completely up to you. If you want your guests to be able to pick the music, we’ll gladly work requests into the playlist that you have selected, if they fit the “vibe” of the party that we’ve already planned with you. If you want to have total control over what is played, we will politely explain to your guests that music selections have already been made. We take care of music playlists before the big day on our music planning app, so there’s nothing to worry about.

Absolutely. We use new, industry standard speakers, mixers and computers to deliver the best sound and a great experience for you and your guests. Wireless and corded microphones can also be used. And just in case something happens, we always have backup equipment on site, so the party doesn’t have to stop if something breaks. At minimum, we provide at least 4,000 watts of powered sound with either Bose, ElectroVoice, JBL or Mackie speakers, Behringer Xenyx digital consoles, Numark Mixtrack mixing boards, Sennheiser wireless microphones, and Chauvet digital lighting systems. We only use the best equipment at our events.

Of course! We have several lighting options for different kinds of weddings and venues. For most wedding receptions and parties, we recommend our standard party lighting package to light up the dance floor, and that’s included in your quote. We also offer uplighting in your choice of colors, and even monogram/video projection options too! Just let us know what you’re interested in and we’ll recommend options. We’ll always make sure that the lights that we use fit the style of your event, and are the most appropriate for your venue.

In general, we will arrive 2-3 hours before start time to make sure everything is set up and working properly. You do not pay for our setup time! The “time” in our agreement is performance time, and we always arrive several hours early to setup our systems and prepare for your event. We need access to the venue at least 120 minutes ahead of time at the absolute minimum, so keep that in mind if you’re renting a hall or reception area. We always want to make sure everything’s up and running correctly before the party or ceremony begins, so we can guarantee excellent service. We’ll go over all of these logistical details after we’re booked!

We have just a few simple requirements to be able to provide service, and each of these will be listed in our agreement:

• One designated parking space or reserved vehicle access as close to the venue loading entrance as possible
• Appropriate cover from wind, rain, sun, or other weather if the event is outside
• At least one standard, grounded power outlet with 15 or 20 amp circuits (no generators) within 50′ of each sound system location reserved for our exclusive use
• Unrestricted access to your venue at least 120 minutes before the start of the event and for at least 60 minutes following the event
• If large uplighting and sound system options are used, single-level access or the use of an elevator or lift to load heavy equipment directly into the performance space
• At least 8’x8′ of space at each sound system location

These requirements exist so we can give you the best possible service, and almost every professional venue will be able to meet them. If you’re not sure that your venue or private residence meets these requirements, please let us know and we can talk about the best way to provide service for you.

We always dress to impress! Unless you tell us otherwise, our dress for weddings is almost always business attire, so we can blend into the background of your dance floor photos. We want to fit in with your wedding! If you plan on requiring specific formal wear for your event, please let us know so we can make arrangements.

This is a great question! One of the most overlooked aspects of wedding day can be your floor plan or venue layout. This might not seem like a big deal, but it can actually have a significant impact on sound quality and the flow of your event.

Venue managers and wedding planners love to stick us in a corner or tucked somewhere out of the way, because it can save on floor space. If that’s where you want us to be, we’re ok with that! It’s just important to remember that from a sound quality perspective, that’s about the last place you want to put a sound system. If your floor plan allows for the space, or if you’re particularly concerned with sound clarity and quality, we strongly recommend placing your DJ in a central location within the space, right on the dance floor, or in a location that evenly covers the space. We’re more than happy to look at your floor plans and recommend the right placement.

For tented venues, our agreement requires that our system is placed on the EAST side of the tent, away from the afternoon sun. It’s also important to remember to place us INSIDE the footprint of the tent, so our equipment and personnel are entirely covered by the roof of the tent. We’ll go over all the important logistics as we get closer to wedding day!

Even though we’ve never missed a single event in more than 10 years, we’ve got you covered. Our contract agreement has a clause that requires us to provide a solution for you in the unlikely event that your DJ is sick or has an emergency, at absolutely no additional cost. In fact, we’ll also refund you 50% of the total cost as liquidated damages if another DJ is required to appear. These details will be outlined in our contract. Because we work with a network of DJs right here in Maine, we’ll always have you covered on your wedding day, so don’t worry about that.

You’re super lucky! (kidding!) We come prepared to provide service for you no matter the weather. If you’re forced to move your ceremony or any other part of your wedding inside because of the weather, we will still provide the same great service that you would have received outside. Because of the nature of our electronic equipment and the time that it takes to set up and perform the necessary tests and sound checks, we can’t set up equipment in the rain, even if it looks like it might clear up at a later time. We can only bring our sound equipment out into the open air without cover from weather if the forecast is completely clear.

Of course! Here’s a little secret: most weddings run 15-45 minutes “behind schedule” on average, so just relax and let the day happen. We’ll be set and ready to go at the time we agreed upon to start, regardless of any other potential delays with your day. Our contract timeframe will always start at the time we agreed it would. If something happens that causes your ceremony or reception to be extremely delayed (more than 90 minutes), we ask that you let us know, and we can make arrangements to extend our engagement if necessary.

Many of our clients are gracious enough to provide us with a meal after all invited guests have been served. Between travel, setup time, your wedding events, breakdown, and travel back, we’re usually out for a 12-15 hour day, or even longer. While providing a meal isn’t usually part of our contract agreement, we greatly appreciate your consideration of our time and long work day.

Some guests and clients will include a 10-20% gratuity for an excellent job, but it is not an expected part of our agreement. (We don’t use a tip jar for requests, either!) If you’d like to leave us a tip after your event, please visit our feedback page here.

One very simple thing… let’s stick to the plan! We try very hard to plan out every step of your wedding day, from the order of events to the music that you love. If you choose to utilize our planning services online with our music planning app (which we hope you do!) and work with us on a detailed plan, please inform your other vendors such as day-of planners and on-site coordinators that you have already set your preferences with your DJ. The only problems we encounter on your wedding day usually stem from other vendors or venue staff who might instruct us to do something that conflicts with the plan that you approved. When that happens, it puts us in a difficult position, and can cause confusion at your wedding, which is the last thing that we want to do. When we plan your order of events and music preferences, we’ll talk about what you’d like us to do if your wedding planner or a member of venue staff asks us to change your order of events, music, etc. (That happens more often than you’d think, due to timing issues, logistics, etc.) If you want us to treat a direction from your planner as a direction from you, we’ll do so, or we can politely inform them that you have already provided instructions. We also ask that you copy us on any emails or communications with your other vendors that refer to music, order of events, or announcements for the wedding. At most weddings, there’s no way to interrupt the day and ask the bride, groom, or senior members of the bridal party to deal with vendors, nor should that intrusion ever happen at your wedding. That’s why we try so hard to plan ahead! We can always avoid any issues that might arise by making sure that we have all of the information that we need (and always ask for!) before your wedding day, and by making it clear who has complete control over your schedule on your wedding day.