Morris Wedding 1 9 18 Goldwasser Toast Intro

All Day and All of the Night

Do you think of a wedding DJ as someone who just turns up at 7, plays music and maybe announces the buffet?  Is that really all you expect?  Is that what you want for the DJ on your big day?  At Silverball Leisure I do more – much more!

Before the Day

Whenever possible I will meet you face to face – if not we’ll talk by phone/skype or (at worst) very detailed emails!  This meeting is to discuss your music choices, the timetable for your day and allows me to get to know you a bit better and understand how your special day will go.  I will then make sure that all your special music is available to me, and listen to your first dance several times so I know when best to make announcements etc

In The Morning

Up early, load the van with everything I will need and might need for the whole day.  The equipment is mostly in roadtrunks for ease of transport and for safe keeping.  I’m already dressed in logo’d rigging clothes with my suit safely in its own carrier!  Appearance is important, even when travelling and setting up.

At the Venue

Subject to the venue I will always arrive way ahead of time to load in the equipment and set it all up.  Especially for a wedding it is important that the set up is neat and elegant as it will be on show all day and will form the backdrop to some of your most important photos.  It can take anything up to three hours to rig, the more time I have, the more precise I can be!  I will finish off by taking a photograph as that is the best way to check there is nothing messy about the set up.  Being in so early also allows me to discuss the timings with the venue and familiarise myself with the room.  The equipment will be set, everything tidied away and I will be in my suit before you arrive in the room so that neither you or your guests are faced with the mess of setting up

During the Wedding Breakfast

Background music on (there is never any need to “DJ” this part, and therefore never any need to pay for it!) and I am available should you need me – announcing you into the room, introducing the speeches – I have a lot of experience in this!  If you have your own MC I will supply a radio mic for both announcements and the speeches

Evening Time

I always feel cake cutting is best done once the evening guests arrive, and just before the first dance.  Both of these are important events and should be properly managed. I will liaise with everyone over timings, assemble the guests, introduce and also build the excitement!  Too many times I see cake cutting done practically in silence!  Cakes deserve a countdown and a cheer – and you can use my sword if you so choose!  

The First Dance is a very important part of the day – and the last formal thing you have to do.  Again, properly managed, built up with appropriate invitations (usually staged) for people to join you – parents, best man/bridesmaids etc.  It shouldn’t just stop at the first announcement.  Let’s make it a big deal and celebrate your marriage!

Party!

Now you can kick back and enjoy!  Based on your playlist, guest requests and of course reading the crowd we will have a fun night.  The last hour I now call “Bride Hour” when I can really focus on your favourite tunes until the big finish.

 

No wedding should fizzle out, and all your guests will want to say goodbye to you, so its everyone on to the dance floor, lots of singalongs, arms in the air and a fitting end to your big day. 

A good DJ can make such a difference to your special day.

A great DJ will help your day go smoothly

An excellent DJ will go beyond your expectations and make your day fabulous

Book an excellent DJ, book a DJ who cares

Personal – Passionate – Professional

Money's Too Tight (To Mention)

Whenever we talk about the disco, especially at Wedding fairs or in any sales call, the main question people want to ask is “how much?”  Its not a surprising question, and with wedding planning in particular budgets are very important – and in the modern social media savvy world there are far more opportunities for price comparisons.

When it comes down to it, we are not the cheapest supplier, although we are not the most expensive either!  If you are watching the pennies for your wedding day – or even if you are not! – you have a few options for a DJ

The Cheap DJ

“Well, all DJs are the same aren’t they?  They just play music, and I know a bloke down the pub/my mate’s friend/a guy my Dad knows who can do it cheap”

Have you planned your whole wedding around “cheapest option” or “best value”?  It does feel like we are the only part of the wedding (or general entertainments) industry where people base their selection solely on price

"Price is what you pay, value is what you get." 

Warren Buffet

There is a reason why that cheap DJ is cheap – and very often it is because they are not very good,  they only attract bookings based on price alone.  If they are charging less than the going rate then they don’t seem to place much value on their own services – so what value will they place on your wedding, and what value will they add to the day?

Are they reliable?  I see, every single week without fail, requests for cover for a DJ who has let down a client.  These are never at a high rate, they are always, always, for very low money, because the cheap DJs will drop a booking to take one for a bit more money.  Now, imagine that was your wedding they have just dropped….

Are they professional?  I’ve written another blog post on this – take a look.  Will your cheap DJ have decent kit?  Insurance?  Will they make an effort?

We do.

The Supplied DJ

We met a bride to be at the weekend who said “its cheaper to have it in the package”.  She didn’t seem bothered at all to have no choice, no input into the DJ – and that is her absolute right!

But having chosen your dress, your flowers, the colour for your bridesmaids dresses, the car you will arrive in, even the design of your place cards are you going to trust to “whoever they supply”?

What if he doesn’t have your music?  Your first dance?  Does he even know your names?  Does he understand your family dynamics?  Will he make a faux pas about your family out loud on a microphone?

This is why I always talk to my happy couples in advance – preferably in person – so I understand exactly what they want, exactly how we are going to deliver it

The “Too Good To Be True” DJ

You’ve seen their set up, their glossy brochure, it all looks fabulous and the price is really low!  Isn’t that perfect?  Well, no.  Does that price actually cover everything they’ve shown you?  More and more DJs are going with “extras”, so the price they show you is not the price you pay.  All those additional fees quickly add up to a price way higher than you first thought – and more than the DJ you thought was the more expensive!  Charging for extra hours, microphones, extra lights, early set up, background music – even for requests in advance…we’ve seen all this and more and we will not charge for these things.  All of this comes for free with our price.  We have two optional add-ons (mood lighting and games) and that’s it!  

We believe in honest pricing

The Ultra Expensive DJ

Surely after all I’ve said there is nothing wrong here?  Well, the DJs who position themselves at the very top end are making a great living – but most of them are not “wedding DJs”, they are club DJs, which is a very specific skill set – as is wedding DJing.

Other ultras have “gadgets and gizmos aplenty, whozits and whatsists galore” – and you are paying for them!  If that’s what you want – go for it!  But remember your budget…..

So where do I sit?  Right at the price that I believe is fair, both for me and for you.  Thirty years experience, high levels of service, attention to detail, support and reliability means that I provide value, and add value to your wedding day.  Feel free to ask me more, or see what previous happy couples have said… Facebook Reviews

Fiesta! - Jess and Ben married....

I often say that Silverball Leisure doesn't tend to get booked for "ordinary" weddings - there is always something a bit quirky about the ones we are asked to do, and this was no exception!

Jess and Ben had a wedding that seemed quite close to a festival - they even had festival caterers!  A marquee reception in a quirky walled garden, outside games, BBQ reception, pizzas and chips for later - this wedding was so laid back yet so well organised.

For our part we arrived early so we were all set up before the guests arrived.  This allowed us to not only get all the work done and tidied up but also to provide background music (supplied by the Bride's sister) a microphone for the MC (absolute natural) and speeches as well as providing back up and support to the running of the day

First dance, then father daughter dance and a few tunes as a warm up to the band that the bride had also booked  - then a hour and a half break!  Once the band had finished it was back on with the tunes and a busy dance floor right up until 2am!

Jess had supplied a great playlist to work with, and just 10 "must play" songs, as well as very personal "last 4".  We actually did the finish early as some guests were beginning to leave, but then carried on partying and repeated those songs at 2am

Weddings are such a privilege to work at, and this one was so much fun - and it was great to meet and work closely with some fabulous suppliers who were all so friendly and flexible, even helping to load each others vans in the early hours!

Get The (kids) Party Started

Although we focus mainly on weddings, we are also rather special at Children's Parties too!  Like much of what we do, the content and method is based on seeing things that don't work - and changing it!
If you simply put on music for children, many of them won't dance, because they don't know how to, they are shy or they are being distracted.  The very simple way to deal with this is to teach them the dance steps - and yet most DJs don't do this!
We don't believe in making a party into a competition, so fewer games, our emphasis is on interaction and involvement for all
Recently I had the absolute delight of entertaining at my own God daughter's 7th birthday party, and this is how we went about it!

To Start
Interaction, Interaction, Interaction.  Simple dances at first to get everyone involved and to use up their excited energy.  The dances get a little harder as we progress stage by stage.  Drop in a small competition - who can go craziest to the song Aisy Waisy (lets go crazy).  Although this is a "contest" it is open to all, as it doesn't require any skill - in fact there are bonus points for falling over! (although we don't tell them that)

 A party isn't a party without a game, so we introduce Musical Bumps - again it is simple, its up tempo and it keeps the energy levels up.  When a child is "out" we bring out three puppets.  First children hold the puppets, subsequent children choose a "team" to go to - so we never actually use the word "out"

Just before food time we get the musical instruments out and have a bit of a carnival, and a line lead all round the room by the birthday child.  This gets the children into a line, ready to sit at the table or collect their food - Parents tend to love this idea!

After they eat, jumping around would be a BAD idea!  We then do a seated activity - we have a hilarious story, parachute play or a very fast version of pass the parcel to choose from

The final part of the party is the disco proper - lights down, disco lights up and play the birthday child's favourite songs.  Throw in some cheerleader pom poms and you have a high energy end to the party - just as all the parents arrive to collect!  The pom poms make for a great final photo too!

There you have it - party the Silverball Leisure way.  No "dance competitions", no bored children and no stress for you!  We have plenty of other activities not covered here - just ask if you'd like to know more!

Hello Again....

It is lovely to get positive reviews, thank you cards, kind comments, even recommendations - but nothing beats being asked to DJ for  family again...and again!

Around 4 years ago I was honoured to be asked to DJ for Carly and Andrew's wedding at the Preston Cross Hotel in Great Bookham (one of the last weddings ever held there) and this weekend I was delighted to be the DJ for Carly's surprise 30th birthday party.  It was of course lovely to see them both again - and many family and guests who remembered the great night we'd had - but most of all, a true delight to meet their very cheeky daughter!

From the wedding 2014...

...to 30th Birthday

And a beautiful daughter!

A surprise party is never an easy thing to organise, much planning and subterfuge is required.  I asked Andrew how he' managed to pull it off

"Just lied"

And that is probably the most accurate advice I could give anyone planning a surprise party!

"Just Lied..."

So we partied, we cut cake, we ate pizza, we danced to a wide range of (mostly cheesy) music and we rounded off the night for the die-hards with  some classic Ibiza tunes!

More pictures can be seen on our Facebook page and videos are on YouTube

Carly's Surprise Party - the arrival!

Living in a Box

Ok - this one won't be the most exciting of posts, but not every part of the events industry is exciting!  Well, I guess that depends on your point of view!  Personally, I love the pop up events - arriving on site with a van full and a venue empty!  The arrival, load in and setting up are just as important as the performance - albeit unseen by most of your guests!  The load out is important too, not only because we want to go home to bed, but often because the venue may have constraints on exit times, vehicle movements etc.

So, how does Silverball Leisure go about it?

We have designed and refined everything about our equipment to ensure smooth and quick load ins, eliminating hassle, stress and disturbance to you, your guests, the venue and any guests of the venue (particularly relevant if your wedding or party is in a hotel).  When possible we prefer to arrive early in the day, ensuring we are in and set up before any guests arrive - there's nothing worse than rushing in just before the evening reception, causing noise and chaos!  We don't charge a single penny extra for this!

(Almost) everything is in a road trunk - a big box on wheels) which means fewer trips and fewer boxes and bags strewn everywhere.  At one recent wedding in a beautiful hotel, the walk from car park to reception room was quite a distance - we did it in just two trips, and the load out through the hotel afterwards was very efficient an quick.

Two trips - no fuss!

Tucked neatly away

Professional, elegant, efficient

What about the vehicles?

Rather than cramming everything in to the back of a family car, Silverball Leisure owns a large van (with full business use insurance) which allows for us to easily move all the equipment, plus anything extra we might add "just in case", and the road trunks mean we can unload quickly via our purpose manufactured ramp!  The van is not sign-written both for security, but also elegance at your venue.  Nobody wants a moving billboard outside their wedding!

Recently the country was hit by snow - twice!  Its not great to be driving  large van in such conditions (trust me!) so we also have a 4x4 and equipment designed to fit into the back.  The 4x4 ("Travis the Truck") and the adapted equipment are also ideal for any hard to access venues in any weather!

Wolfgang the Wagon (Our Main Van)

Travis the Truck - go anywhere 4x4

I did warn you this wouldn't be the most exciting of posts, but it is an important (and overlooked) part of ensuring your wedding or special celebration goes without a hitch!

Gray Wedding - Cutting the Cake and First Dance

Last Night A DJ Saved My Life

I saw a post on social media recently from someone looking for a DJ at short notice for a wedding, as they had been let down.  Many people replied because, lets face it *everyone* knows a DJ – one respondent even boasted of having a database of 56 DJs in that area

So I got to thinking – how on earth do you sort the wheat from the chaff?  And are any, let alone all, of those 56 DJs actually good enough for a wedding?

What sets apart a good wedding DJ from a” guy down the pub”

What should you look for in your wedding DJ?

Are they passionate? Are they actually a wedding DJ?  Wedding DJing is a specific skill (if done properly).  Its not just about playing music and you would for any regular party, there should be an element of MC to potentially organise the cake cutting, making sure the first dance goes well, inviting family and friends to join in at the right time – the list is long!

Richard has been entertaining at weddings for 30 years, and is also highly experienced and sought after in the events and hospitality industry

Are they professional?  Just having a laptop, speakers and a couple of flashing lights does not make a wedding DJ!  The lighting, sound and even appearance should be suitable for a wedding – not for a night in a pub or a warehouse rave!  Your wedding reception will probably have a very diverse guest list, and you will have styled your venue beautifully.  You don’t want that ruined by a wannabe superstar DJ in jeans pumping Ibiza tunes while Granny is trying to waltz!  The disco will also form the backdrop to many photos – so I’m sure you want elegant rather than the entire contents of Maplins with cables festooned like tinsel!

We are very aware of the look of the disco, Richard always DJs wedding in a dinner jacket (except that one time dressed as a Jedi) and the disco is designed to be elegant

Are they providing a personal service?  With more and more agencies providing DJs to venues and to brides and Grooms you may not actually know which DJ will turn up at your wedding.  Do they know you?  Do you know them?  Are they suitable for the style of wedding and music that you want for your big day?  With single operators you can be sure that you will be entertained by the actual person you have booked and discussed your day with

Silverball Leisure actually consists of one person – Richard, although we can call on experienced events professionals when required.  We say “we” because it sounds good!

Are they popular?  Can you see reviews written by previous Brides and Grooms?  Facebook pages are great for this as you can see if they are genuine reviews by having a peek at who wrote them!  Read the reviews – you really want to be seeing something a bit deeper than “he had nice lights and played good music” That’s the most basic of requirements.  See if they have gone the extra mile for a couple, added anything extra to the day (especially service levels that you don’t pay for!)

All our reviews are genuine, and many go into depth about why they recommend Silverball Leisure

https://www.facebook.com/pg/Silverball.Leisure/reviews/

Are they prepared?  Can you turn to them if things go a bit off plan?  Does your DJ carry any bits and pieces that will not only keep the party going but keep the whole day going?

We carry our “Justin Case”, ranging from safety pins to confetti, bottle openers to an actual cake knife “Just In Case”

The contents of "Justin"

Pocket sized gavel for speeches

Knife and Gavel

Or beautiful cake knife - "Just In Case"