Angelfood Catering & Personal Chef Services: Great Weddings in Austin

Posted on March 15, 2012 by

Angelfood Catering specializes in on-location, full service, Personal Chef Service and Catering.

As the owner of Angelfood Catering & Personal Chef Service since 1994, Chef Millie Wilson has spent her lifetime developing a culinary reputation of which she can be proud. Due to her lifelong love affair with food, Angelfood Catering is currently known throughout Austin and surrounding areas for its diverse range of foods, including Chef Wilson’s ability to design any menu to accommodate customers' needs. As a catering facility, the company offers, wedding accessories, dishes & flatware, chocolate fountains, bartender service, wine & champagne glasses.

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7 Quick Ways To Tell If Your DJ Is A Pro ! by dandydj.com

Posted on March 15, 2012 by

When seeking a DJ for the first time, many people find themselves in uncharted waters and unsure of what to look for and what to ask about. There are so many DJs out there and all claim to be professionals. Thus, the first course of action should always be to narrow the field. Here are 6 quick ways to tell if the DJ you are reviewing is likely to be a solid professional and worthy of a closer look:

1. WEBSITE

GOOD – They have a real website with a .com web address which has a polished, professional appearance.

BAD – Their only online presence is a social networking site like MySpace or their website looks as though it were made by a 3rd grader.

2. EDUCATION

GOOD – All communications, materials and correspondence are thoughtful, tactful and smart with proper spelling and grammar.

BAD – Communications and correspondence are filled with spelling mistakes, bad grammar and slang.

3. EQUIPMENT

GOOD – They have all the professional equipment needed to provide the services they offer.

BAD – They try to require that YOU provide such things as the sound system, microphones or other equipment needed for services the DJ claims they offer.

4. RESPONSIVENESS

GOOD – They respond quickly to phone calls and emails.

BAD – They are difficult to reach and slow to answer

5. ATTITUDE

GOOD – They are upbeat, friendly and positive

BAD – They are dour, low-energy and negative

6. PERSONAL APPEARANCE

GOOD – They are dressed appropriately in all their presentations and pictures for the type of event you have a need for (formal for weddings, sharp and hip for club-style parties, fun and bright for kids parties, beachy for luaus and picnics, etc.).

BAD – They have an unkempt look, don’t show teeth when they smile (could be a sign of bad teeth and neglected personal hygiene), clothes are ill-fitting or crumpled-looking, hair is messy. If they don’t even care about themselves, what are the odds they will care about you!?

7. INSURANCE

GOOD – They carry a minimum of $1 million general liability insurance (Dandy DJ carries $2 million general liability insurance FYI)

BAD – They are uninsured. Run fast! Run far!

 

Thanks and best regards,

Neil Smith, DJ / Owner

DANDY DJ
 - proud member of the American Disc Jockey Association

"Playing the music YOU want to hear!
Always appropriate! Always fun!"

818-754-0828

neil@dandydj.com
http://www.dandydj.com or visit my profile on The Wedding Inbox here

P.O. Box 4278
N. Hollywood, CA 91617

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DJ for the Wedding Ceremony??? by dandydj.com

Posted on March 15, 2012 by

A DJ for the reception is an obvious and natural fit, but what about the ceremony? If you have hired the neighborhood kid with the sideways baseball hat to to record-scratch to gangsta rap for your reception (hey, some people go that way!) it’s probably not a good idea. But if you have hired a mature professional DJ who specializes in weddings, it can be a great idea which can actually save you a lot of money because a ceremony setup is usually much smaller than the dance reception setup, often only requiring one speaker, and most DJs will add this service on as just a nominal extra fee, sometimes just their hourly rate if the ceremony is in the same location as the reception. If the ceremony is in a different location, some extra charges will surely apply, but will often still cost less than hiring an additional person such as a classical musician (since the DJ is already scheduled and present) and definitely less than a string quartet. And as an added bonus, any decent and seasoned wedding DJ should be able to provide a microphone for the officiant as well!

The music you choose is a matter of your own tastes and what you want for your special day, just make sure to coordinate your music selections with the DJ in advance to allow the DJ time to obtain any special selections they may not already have in their music library.

The best thing to remember is that it is YOUR day. Be sure to communicate clearly to not only your DJ, but all your providers exactly what your wishes are before hiring them, make sure they can deliver what you want, have strong references / good reviews / care about your needs, and your dream day will have a much better chance of being as perfect as possible!

 

Thanks and best regards,

Neil Smith, DJ / Owner

DANDY DJ
 - proud member of the American Disc Jockey Association

"Playing the music YOU want to hear!
Always appropriate! Always fun!"

818-754-0828
neil@dandydj.com
http://www.dandydj.com or visit my profile on The Wedding Inbox here 

P.O. Box 4278
N. Hollywood, CA 91617

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Communication Is Key For A Successful Event! by dandydj.com

Posted on March 15, 2012 by

The importance of choosing vendors who listen to and truly care about your needs is an obvious necessity when planning your event, but even the best vendor and listener can only hear what they are told. Vendors and the goods and services they provide can be as varied and individual as people themselves, so never assume a vendor provides something unless they explicitly state that they do and ALWAYS be sure that if you have a certain important need, that it is stated clearly in your contract with the vendor.

A great example in the case of a DJ would be a dance floor. Some might assume that because the DJ provides the music that they would bring the dance floor as well. This is not usually the case. Dance floors are actually provided by rental companies such as the ones who would deliver the tables and chairs in most cases.

How bad would it be to find out on the day of your big get-together that your DJ doesn’t have microphones for your speeches and toasts, or doesn’t have your special first-dance song or doesn’t even own a suit and tie !? (Of course any decent DJ should have these things, but believe it or not – this really happens!).

As much as it is the responsibility of any decent service provider to clearly convey to the person interested in hiring them exactly what they are able to provide and what can be expected with their services, it is the duty of the person doing the hiring (for the sake of their event and guests) to be sure to know what to expect from their providers so as to avoid any unfortunate surprises when it’s too late to do anything about it!

This is why Communication Is Key For A Successful Event !

 

Thanks and best regards,

Neil Smith, DJ / Owner

DANDY DJ
 - proud member of the American Disc Jockey Association

"Playing the music YOU want to hear!
Always appropriate! Always fun!"

818-754-0828
neil@dandydj.com
http://www.dandydj.com or visit my profile on The Wedding Inbox here

P.O. Box 4278
N. Hollywood, CA 91617

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How Far In Advance Should I Book My DJ? by dandydj.com

Posted on March 15, 2012 by

This is a question which comes up a lot and there are some different points of view on this one, and most of them are perfectly valid viewpoints. I’ll try to address some of the pros and cons of each.

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Over A Year In Advance – Many wedding planners and advisers will tell you to book all your vendors one year in advance to make sure you are able to secure the providers and venue you really want. This is a great plan for getting the venue you want and maybe even the caterer you want, but in my opinion, not so much for the DJ. Many great independent DJs simply will not quote a price that extremely far in advance because they simply do not wish to commit themselves that far out, and if they do – they will certainly quote an extremely high rate to make it worth their while to commit themselves that far in advance. And if you should happen to be unfortunate enough to get a DJ who does not conduct themselves very ethically, they may accept the date and then back out for a better offer somewhere along the line and return your deposit. DJ agencies with many DJs on their roster will most certainly secure services this far in advance, but agencies usually take a lot of the money off the top and pay DJs very little, meaning you can sometimes end up with a DJ who is not so great, even though you paid the price for a great one. (I am personally listed with an agency and have only accepted ONE job from them which was a last-minute emergency fill-in – meaning that very same day. I just happened to be available and it was very close to where I live, so it made sense in that one particular instance for me to accept. I get requests from this company regularly asking if I am available 8 months in advance for celebrations they are paying the DJ barely over $200 for! This should underscore very quickly that very few true professionals would make themselves available for such an organization, so be careful when considering an agency.)

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6 Months In Advance – This is what I usually recommend. It’s far enough in advance to where many great and professional DJs will still be available and soon enough to able to come in at their normal rate of pay. I call this the “sweet spot.”

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3 Months In Advance - There are still a decent amount of professional DJs available at their normal rates but they are definitely getting booked at this point.

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1 Month In Advance – If you can find a good DJ still available at this point, they are probably getting eager to fill the date and are much more likely to cut a deal – the challenge is finding a good one still available.

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A Week Or Two In Advance - Everybody’s desperate at this point – you and the DJ and you both want to get this filled. Anything could happen at this point. Some DJs will charge a higher rate based upon your desperation and others will charge a much lower rate based upon their own desperation. When you let things get this late in the game, you are definitely entering the “Wild Frontier!”

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Just remember – review your DJ thoroughly no matter what because a bad one will ruin your gathering quickly but a good one will please you and your guests and help you have an AMAZING TIME!

 

Thanks and best regards,

Neil Smith, DJ / Owner

DANDY DJ
 - proud member of the American Disc Jockey Association

"Playing the music YOU want to hear!
Always appropriate! Always fun!"

818-754-0828
neil@dandydj.com
http://www.dandydj.com or visit my profile on The Wedding Inbox here

P.O. Box 4278
N. Hollywood, CA 91617

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Does Your DJ Carry Insurance? by dandydj.com

Posted on March 15, 2012 by

First off let me state that I have been fortunate enough in my years of providing professional music and emcee services to have NEVER had an accident. I attribute this to putting safety first ALWAYS. This means placing speakers in safe areas where people do not walk, avoiding running cables across walkways and when that is absolutely unavoidable, taping down the cables and covering them with floor mats.
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Still, one of the biggest mistakes people make when hiring a DJ is that they forget to check whether or not the DJ is carrying INSURANCE!
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Your DJ having insurance is very important on two levels:
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1. It gives you added assurance that you are hiring a provider who is a true professional and takes their business seriously. It is another tool which helps you to separate the fly-by-night hacks from those who provide their services on a higher level. It helps greatly in narrowing your field of candidates making your decision-making process much easier.
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2. It protects you, your guests and your venue in the event that an unfortunate accident should occur.
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Many venues such as hotels, restaurants and even military bases will not even consider allowing a DJ or any other service provider on their property without at least $1 million in general liability insurance (My service, DANDY DJ actually carries $2 million general liability coverage on every event). In the past, this was rarely checked, but I have noticed that more and more, venues are requiring it and demanding proof of insurance well in advance of the event date. How bad would it be to hire a provider, place a non-refundable deposit and then find out they can’t even get onto the property!?
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And if your gathering is going to be at your home, you’d REALLY better make sure your providers (caterers, bar service, DJ, etc.) are carrying coverage because the person left holding the bag if something happens will be YOU!
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Proof of insurance is simple to ask for, simple to receive (just have them email you a copy of their proof of coverage – usually just a single page) and it tells you so much about the provider you are considering.
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ASK FOR PROOF OF INSURANCE EACH AND EVERY TIME. YOU’LL BE GLAD YOU DID!
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(As previously stated in this article, DANDY DJ carries $2 million general liability insurance on each and every event!)

 

Thanks and best regards,

Neil Smith, DJ / Owner

DANDY DJ
 - proud member of the American Disc Jockey Association

"Playing the music YOU want to hear!
Always appropriate! Always fun!"

818-754-0828
neil@dandydj.com
http://www.dandydj.com or visit my profile on The Wedding Inbox here

P.O. Box 4278
N. Hollywood, CA 91617

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What’s the Difference Between a Wedding DJ and a Club DJ? by dandydj.com

Posted on March 15, 2012 by

This is a question which comes up from time to time and the unsurety makes more than a few brides and grooms nervous about getting the right type of provider who will be able to please all the tastes and age ranges of their guests (and many a club owner nervous that they will accidentally end up with a wedding DJ used to pleasing a wide demographic and not being strong enough at pleasing their strictly 20-something hip hop crowd, techno, or deep house lounge vibe crowd).
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CLUB DJ  –
As aforementioned, the Club DJ almost always caters strictly to a very young 20-something demographic and is more of a performance artist than a professional service provider. The club DJ will have a special style of mixing and mashing songs together (mashups), will often have a very flashy look and will use skills such as scratching and needle-dropping (if using turntables) and the truly skilled and talented club DJs actually approach the level of being musicians themselves for what they bring to the table (no pun intended). If you are having a party for older teens and 20’s who like hip hop, techno and similar styles, a club-style DJ is the way to go. With this type of DJ, because their personal “spinning” style is very intregal to what they do, you will generally want to hear a mix demo. A mix demo usually only applies to club-style DJs and not Wedding DJs.
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WEDDING DJ -
A Wedding DJ is a more of a professional service provider than a performance artist. While it is true that they should possess some of the same basic skills as a club DJ such as beat-matching for the dance portion of the reception (beat-matching is when the DJ gets the beats to match up from one song to the next for seamless transitions between songs to help the dance floor keep going), a demo mix is not usually something you would ask a Wedding DJ for. Some of the more important aspects of the Wedding DJ are their ability to coordinate with you in advance to make sure that all of your desires for your big day are going to be met, a wide selection of different styles to please a wider demographic of people which you will find at almost all weddings, punctuality, a clean professional look, courtesy to your guests, great speaking and presentation ability for your introductions and announcements and special portions of your reception, good equipment which will be presentable in your elegant setting and most importantly – INSURANCE (Many wedding venues will not even let your DJ on the property if they are uninsured. Be sure to verify your DJs insurance before hiring them. It could save you a lot of trouble later).
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The best thing to do when planning your soiree is to know what you want, have a good idea of the type of entertainment which will best please your guests and be thorough when screening DJs. Make a list of the important aspects which apply to your situation and don’t be afraid to ask all your questions. Any DJ who is not gracious enough to happily answer all your questions, is standoffish or squirmy when you ask them, does not deserve your business and you should immediately move on until you find the right provider who exudes professionalism and shows that they truly care about the most important thing of all: YOU!

 

Thanks and best regards,

Neil Smith, DJ / Owner

DANDY DJ
 - proud member of the American Disc Jockey Association

"Playing the music YOU want to hear!
Always appropriate! Always fun!"

818-754-0828
neil@dandydj.com
http://www.dandydj.com or visit my profile on The Wedding Inbox here

P.O. Box 4278
N. Hollywood, CA 91617

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Does Your DJ Have a “PLAN B?” by dandydj.com

Posted on March 15, 2012 by

Don’t let this happen to your event!

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Let’s face it, life happens. Things can go wrong and Murphy’s Law states that they will always go wrong at the worst possible moment!
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You would never see an athletic team take the field with only ONE play in their book!

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A mountain climber always has another route planned out in case their first plan goes wrong!
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Web service providers have duplicates of their databases in case something goes wrong with their main system to ensure your service never gets interrupted.
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By this same token, you should NEVER hire a DJ for your special life moment without making sure they have a “PLAN B” in place should something go wrong with a major piece of their equipment (computer, speaker, microphone, etc.)
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A mobile DJ has very expensive and very sensitive equipment which is constantly being set up, packed away, loaded and transported. In fact, a very large portion of what you pay a DJ goes into maintenance, upkeep and reinvestment into equipment. An experienced DJ knows that no matter how good the equipment they have is and no matter how well they stay on top of the maintenance and upkeep, it is not a matter of IF a piece of equipment will fail, but a matter of WHEN.
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A professional DJ will be well prepared for just about any scenario which could arise. A novice DJ (or one that simply does not care about you or your special life moment) will not be prepared or will tell you that they have the best equipment, never have any failures and that plan B scenarios are simply not something you should be concerned about. You should run quickly away from any DJ who tells you this. They are either lying to you or they do not have the experience to know any better themselves.
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I’ll give you a personal example of the importance of a DJ having backup systems in place. A couple of weeks ago, I was DJ-ing a wedding and it came time for the couple’s first dance. I started to play their first dance and suddenly my laptop computer which I had NEVER had a problem with EVER BEFORE froze up and would not play their song! It couldn’t have happened at a worse possible time! But because I keep a backup drive of my entire music library ready to go which feeds into my DJ mixer entirely independent of the laptop, I was able to get the couple’s first dance song up within seconds as well as prepare the next few songs to be played while I quietly rebooted my laptop off to the side. The couple had their first dance without incident and the main dance portion of the evening got underway without a hitch and once rebooted, my laptop performed flawlessly for the rest of the evening.
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I of course ran a system repair program (on a Mac, it is called repairing the disc permissions for you techies out there) on my computer before the next event, but because I am experienced and know that anything can go wrong at any time, I have spent a great deal of time thinking through most every scenario imaginable and preparing backup plans for those scenarios down to cables, microphones, connection adapters, music libraries and speakers. I would be personally horrified if I were ever to be the cause of ruining someone’s special moment (any decent person would) so I am absolutely fanatical about being prepared! Any true professional DJ will have similar stories they can tell you. Don’t be afraid to ask about a time when something went wrong and how they handled it. You will find out a lot about the professionalism and character of the provider very quickly.
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The moral of all of this is that if it is important to you, it should be important to the person you hire, so don’t be shy about asking a few probing questions and making really sure you are getting a pro. You never get a 2nd chance at your wedding’s grand entrance or your aisle walk or your first dance! Make sure your DJ has PLAN B preparations in place and ready to go!

 

Thanks and best regards,

Neil Smith, DJ / Owner

DANDY DJ
 - proud member of the American Disc Jockey Association

"Playing the music YOU want to hear!
Always appropriate! Always fun!"

818-754-0828
neil@dandydj.com
http://www.dandydj.com or visit my profile on The Wedding Inbox here

P.O. Box 4278
N. Hollywood, CA 91617

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6 Quick Outdoor Wedding Reception Tips To Live By! by dandydj.com

Posted on March 15, 2012 by

Outdoor weddings can be great, but they also come with a certain set of considerations you will need to take into account!
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Have A Plan B! - Nobody can predict the future, so be sure your site also has an indoor facility your entire gathering can move into in case bad weather should happen. Otherwise, you are taking a big gamble with your big day!
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Where’s The Juice? - Make sure there is adequate electricity within a reasonable distance of where you plan to have your DJ, lights, bartender and food preparation.
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Get Made In The Shade! – If your reception will be in a very sunny location, think about providing sun-brellas on the tables, tented areas and keep the water flowing (extra tip: ice water taps with different types of fruit such as lemons, limes, oranges, watermelon, cucumber, etc. is a low-cost way to add a classy, flavorful and refreshing way to keep everyone well hydrated.)
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It’s Potty Time! - If the facility has no bathrooms, rent a couple of decent port-a-potties with lights and hand-washing stations (please do a bit better than those nasty plastic outhouses! Yuck!).
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Light It Up! - Be sure to prepare adequate lighting if your reception will continue into the night.
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Get On The Dance Floor! - If there is not a good, solid surface to dance on, you will want to rent a dance floor from a party rental company. If the facility does not provide tables and chairs, you should be able to get all of this from the same company.

 

Thanks and best regards,

Neil Smith, DJ / Owner

DANDY DJ
 - proud member of the American Disc Jockey Association

"Playing the music YOU want to hear!
Always appropriate! Always fun!"

818-754-0828
neil@dandydj.com
http://www.dandydj.com or visit my profile on The Wedding Inbox here

P.O. Box 4278
N. Hollywood, CA 91617

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Have An Off-Season Wedding And Save BIG! by dandydj.com

Posted on March 15, 2012 by

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In these economic times, everyone is looking to save money. Having your wedding during the off-season months of November, January, February and March (I skipped December because it is an in-demand month for Holiday Parties) can save you a bundle because most vendors dramatically slash their prices during this time due to it being a slow business time. There are some considerations to keep in mind though…
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Consider holding both the ceremony and reception at indoor sites. The last thing you want is for all your guests to be freezing their patooties off instead of enjoying this special time with you. Better yet, consider having the ceremony and reception at the same venue. You can often get a better package price and you and your guests won’t have to hassle with traveling in the middle of the festivities.
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For additional savings, you may wish to consider having your wedding during even lower demand periods such as early daytime (your alcohol bill will be MUCH lower) and even weeknights. The highest (and most expensive) demand time for services is Saturday night followed by Friday, Sunday, Thursday, Wednesday, Tuesday and Monday (except for holiday Mondays) in that order. The lower the demand time, the better discount you can usually get from the vendor.
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Having your wedding during the off-season is also a great courtesy to your guests who must travel as both their travel and lodging costs will be much lower.
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For the flowers, choose locally grown which are in season. You may also wish to consider artificial flowers.
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If you insist on having your off-season wedding outdoors, be sure to choose a venue which has a backup indoor accommodation in case of inclement weather. This is great advice even for peak-season weddings.
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If you plan properly, your off-season wedding can be a SMASHING SUCCESS!

 

Thanks and best regards,

Neil Smith, DJ / Owner

DANDY DJ
 - proud member of the American Disc Jockey Association

"Playing the music YOU want to hear!
Always appropriate! Always fun!"

818-754-0828
neil@dandydj.com
http://www.dandydj.com or visit my profile on The Wedding Inbox here

P.O. Box 4278
N. Hollywood, CA 91617

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