WHO'S THE BEST WEDDING DJ IN PITTSBURGH?
Who’s the BEST when everyone is?
Are there 50 BEST DJs? According to some sites, there are.
How major wedding websites work and who to trust
Blog Post by DJ Underdog
I’ve been doing this a long time. A lot of things have changed, but one of the things that has stayed the same is what I hear from couples when considering booking me for their wedding.
Let me set the stage.
“Hey guys, congratulations on your engagement! I’d love to talk. Do you have any specific questions?” Without a doubt the response I hear 9 times out of 10 is simply, “I’ve never done this before. I guess, the price and what it includes”.
This tells me two things. First. People aren’t sure about what they want. Secondly, they aren’t sure what they might expect to pay for it. When you don’t know the answers, in this day and age, the answer is only a few clicks away. Your search may lead you to google reviews or to some of the big sites that focus on these exact answers. I don’t want to slander anyone’s name specifically, but there are a few. They specialize in the names of who is in your area, how much they cost and even reviews of the experiences of couples who used them on their big day. Sounds great right?
I have the unique experience of starting without the use of sites like this. My business, in it’s infancy at the time, was powered by the strength of word of mouth. One day I got the call. These big companies told me the clients in this area loved me and based on their reviews I should consider advertising with them to get even more exposure to future couples planning events. I must admit, it felt pretty good. I bought it. I wanted to expand my reach. I was proud that someone took the time to give their honest feedback. I checked my storefront and was blown away. My couples showed up and showed out. The list of those who were selected was set to release in a few months and I couldn’t have been happier.
Until the list came out.
The list came out and it had tons of names on it. How could so many djs all be the best?
In my opinion, when everyone is the best, nobody is.
I mean no disrespect to the people on the site, or to the people that work there. I just feel like it’s misleading. So many choices. Who is actually the best? Who do I choose? I think it makes the decision the couple has to make that much more difficult. I have a friend in the business who literally signed up the following year I did, had 10 people write reviews, and made the same list I did. The year after that, I left these sites and I decided to track my progress. What would it be like for my business? After a year, I actually did one more wedding than when I was on the sites.
The numbers aren’t on your side. On one of these sites, 180 DJs are advertising a storefront in the Pittsburgh area. 23 have 0 reviews, leaving 157 DJs reviewed. The reviews are 5 star. 13 of the 157 have a review score rating below 4.5. So, if 90% (4.5/5) is an A, 144 or 157 are listed as A quality DJs based on their ratings. 108 of the 157 have perfect, 5-star ratings.
I say that to say this. For me, the sites didn’t matter in that year. Maybe they never did. Will they matter for you? I can’t say for sure. When planning your wedding, consider your make-or-break vendors. You may be able to leave some things to chance and reviews. It’s like a review online for a restaurant I loved but you hate. It’s all subjective. I am, of course, very biased, but I believe the DJ is among the most important decisions a couple will make when planning their wedding. Make that choice as personal as you can.
Did someone, or multiple people you know, use the DJ you are considering? Talk on the phone, via Zoom, or in person and get a feel. Ask questions regarding what you see as your vision for the big day. You can tell a lot in how the person responds. Even if you disagree. Take the extra time and dig deep. The extra work during the planning stage can make all the difference on the big day.
When planning a wedding, you have a ton of tough decisions to make. Choose wisely.