It's been a long year of COVID-19 restrictions. 11 months to be exact. Restaurants closed, schools closed, limited access to hospitals, face masks required everywhere, wedding reception dancing prohibited, and the list goes on. Last spring, we had to cancel or postpone 12 events/weddings. This past fall, there were definitely many more people that I knew or heard of locally that had tested positive. But, alas, there is light ahead! Look at the below statistics in our part of Ohio. In Hancock county, as of today there are zero cases reported to the state! So let's be grateful that this year may be wedding-cancel free (crossing fingers)! 

Over the past few years, I've been fortunate to work gigs in most of the event venues in the area. Here are my top 10 favorites in Findlay & Hancock County. 

1. Old Mill Stream Centre
www.hancockfairgrounds.org/the-old-mill-stream-centre/

2. Circle P Reception Hall
www.circlepreceptionhall.com

3. Marathon Performing Arts Center
www.mcpa.org/about/facility-rental

4. The Barn at Walnut Creek
www.facebook.com/TheBarnatWalnutCreek/

5. The Hancock Hotel
www.hancockhotel.com/weddings

6. Alexandria's
www.alexandriasfindlay.com/plan-an-event

7. Brugeman Lodge
www.hancockparks.com/facility-reservations/

8. Findlay Country Club
www.findlaycc.com/event

9. Scarlet Oaks Estate
www.scarletoaksestate.com

10. Country Memories
www.countrymemoriesrental.com


Honorable Mentions: 

• Litzenburg Memorial Woods
• The Findlay Social
• Jones Mansion
• Elks Lodge
• The Event Center
• Findlay Inn & Conference Center
• Hilton Garden Inn

Do you have a recommendation of a venue? Please leave a comment or question below. 

The year has so far been very good based on how many bookings we have in 2020 as compared to last year. As of early March, I had surpassed my wedding bookings # that I had for the entire year of 2019. However, the past week or so has been very quiet due to the coronavirus outbreak. A few weddings have been forced to reschedule by the venue managers. And the spring wedding expo has also been rescheduled for Sunday, June 6. We are currently adding to our staff of DJs and MCs, and eagerly anticipating the allowance of public events and gatherings, hopefully by mid-May! Please, let me know how I can be of assistance at your next big event. 

1) Submit your very basic info on our contact page such as date, kind of event, etc. 

2) Complete the basic questionnaire that auto-sends to your email. This should only take a minute or two. 

3) Select your package options on the pricing document. This form is emailed to you as soon as you complete the first questionnaire. You can also click on the contract to read thru the details. The contract is attached to the pricing document. Click on "Accept". 

4) Schedule your first consultation if you would like to discuss your options. We can meet by phone or in person. You can find a time slot to call or meet on the email sent or on our contact page. This can also occur after booking. 

5) Sign the digital contract after you accept your price quote. Be sure to read our policies first. Once signed an invoice will be send and a first payment will be due.

6) Send your deposit within a week after receiving your invoice. Once, we receive the payment and send a receipt, you will also receive an email with your final event planning questionnaire.

7) Complete the final planning questionnaire with plenty of time before your event. 

8) Schedule your final consultation to occur within two weeks of your event. Texting will be best to make final confirmation of any meetings. Your final payment is due prior to the event date. 

9) Following the event please sent us any comments or online review of your experience. 

Often times, the hired DJ is also the MC at a wedding reception or event. But these are actually two very different roles. A great DJ does not equal a great MC (master of ceremonies). A wedding reception requires a MC who can also DJ.  Later in the evening, the wedding dance party requires a DJ who can also MC.

Let's break these down a bit. The role of MC requires a lot of microphone usage, event planning skills, understanding of timing, reading the client's needs, keeping the event on schedule, flexibility, and a strong stage presence. The role of DJ can vary from a skilled turntablist or open format DJ who is energized and dancey to someone who just plays thru a prescribed set list with a laptop and iTunes while seated behind a table. I've seen both.  A great DJ knows lots of styles of music genres and lots of decades of each, and offers well thought out musical entertainment. But a great MC knows how to engage a crowd, move amongst the crowd, be in the right spot before, during and after the ceremony and reception, and fit in well with the bridesmaids and groomsmen, sometimes step in where needed to make the event better, and make the bride and groom the center of the attention. The MC kicks off the reception with a bang from the first moment and runs the plan efficiently, tactfully and happily. Then, the bride & groom and wedding party can totally enjoy the night themselves and not worry about anything.

While the DJ is the one most often hired, not all DJ's are competent to MC well. When the dance party is over, people often forget to mention how well the reception itself ran between all the elements from start to finish. It's the MC who sets the stage for a fun evening of music, dancing and celebration while providing excellent customer service. 

Contact us today to find your next professional DJ/MC!

MicDrop is a relatively young company, with a beyond BIG potential. The amount of momentum we have this early in 2019 is humongous compared to last year. Our staff is growing and we will all be on hand to meet you in a public venue this Sunday! 

Here are 13 Tips For attending a bridal show according to WeddingWire. The full article is linked HERE with plenty of links therein.

1. Why attend a bridal show in the first place? Meet vendors and get inspiration! 
2. Do Your Research
3. Express Your Personality, but Be Comfortable
4. Get There Early
5. Don't Go Solo
6. Bring Your Card
7. Grab a Swag Bag
8. Color Code
9. Take Notes and Photos
10. Be Chatty
11. Hunt For Deals
12. Follow Up
13. Have FUN!

We are excited to meet some prospective brides this weekend at the Courier Bridal Expo in Findlay! More info at www.courierbridal.com. 

Is it possible to be a professional at parties? ABSOLUTELY! Event planners make a living at meticulously planning your event with flowers, decor, table settings, and intinerary. However, the one thing that seems to be overlooked is what goes on in the transitions and establishing the general vibe of the room. 

Picture this...Your wedding ceremony is finished, and it is time to get to the celebration of the day. You and your newly wed spouse walk into the room and no one even notices it?! The entire wedding party sits at the head table and then people realize they missed the entry. There is an awkward moment of silence and then an even more awkward “do we eat now?” feeling in the air.

Now, picture this...The ceremony is over and you and your newly wed spouse are waiting to enter the room. A well thought-out music list is playing in the background to add ambience to the reception space. Lights are dim and a light illuminates your entryway when the cue is given. 

The music changes and the DJ/MC is ready to announce the wedding party pair by pair. Everyone stands and applauds as the wedding party struts into the room and makes their way to the head table. There is another shift in music and you know the big moment has arrived to emerge into the room and make your appearance as a newlywed couple. The DJ/MC announces both you and your spouse to the crowd with a giant voice. You enter the door and your reception is amazing! All of your loved ones applaud as you make your way to the head table to have a seat, or to the dance floor to display your coolest dance moves together. 

You look around the reception area as you walk. The head table is back lit and fore lit with the closely matching the colors of your wedding, the cake is elegantly highlighted with downlighting from the DJ’s light rig, and the dance floor area shines with your pre-designed wedding logo. It’s so perfect it’s almost magical! Who made this happen?

At MicDrop Productions, we are more than just DJ’s. Our team meticulously plans out the minor details with you before we even get to the big day. We want to partner with you to help you plan out every moment and make the celebration of your perfect day just as magical as your wedding ceremony. 

You spend months planning out all the details of your wedding, so your reception party is where you should be able to relax and enjoy your new life as a couple. For that matter, you want to remember the special dances with just the right lighting so the photos capture the special time forever. Carefully planned full-room lighting can highlight and prepare areas for photos that you may not think of like the cake cutting photo, father daughter dance, mother son dance, the shoe game, garter and bouquet toss, all accomplished while adding a degree of sophistication and flare to your special day.

Nowadays, it seems that anyone with a Spotify account and a couple of speakers can say they're a DJ. But wouldn’t you want a crew that thinks through all the possible nuances of your wedding day, and offers you all the options you may not have thought about? Experience your favorite life soundtrack with a MicDrop DJ, and experience how MicDrop Productions can bring the boom to your room!

Www.micdropdj.com

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What's so hilarious about this? Is it the ill-timed use of the equipment? Is it how bored he looks? Can't dance? Wait a second...what the world....the equipment is not even plugged in?! There are zero chord and cables connected to this unit :0   --- Good job TV Producers :)  

How much should you be paying for a quality DJ service at your event? Sure, some DJ's only charge a few hundred dollars for a wedding. They think earning some money is better than none; undercut the competition, keep costs very low, and win the job. On the other hand, the best-of-the-best in America charge well over $2,000 for a wedding event.

So what's the difference? A lot of things contribute to a solid price quoting process. Take these 10 factors into consideration:

1. What professional experience and style do they have?  And not just as a DJ, but also in other related professional fields? Perhaps the DJ has put in years or decades as a creator, organizer, coordinator, manager, artist, or public speaker. All this helps bring value to your event. If your DJ cannot speak in front of an audience of 100+ people on a topic of their choice, then do they have the confidence to speak out, lead, and inspire  the crowd you're inviting out to celebrate your big day? To add appropriate comments on the fly? Change the dance song on the fly? Can they handle a wedding or corporate event with delicate sensitivity to the bride and groom as well as to a CEO at a corporate event? Or are they better fitted for a wild, young adult party?
2. Does the DJ have a good website with samples of their resume? Reviews? Photos? Videos? These will give you a great indication of what you're getting. Websites are so easy to build DIY from scratch these days that I would say if they don't have a decent website, then they probably don't have enough creative expression and confidence to build you an amazing live event experience. A good and current website also means they are putting their time into their craft. 
3. What special options or talents are they offering? MC Service? Event planning and consultation? A big, beautiful uplighting scene? A GOBO light? Mesmerizing dance floor lighting? A subscription to a DJ music service? Everything they offer takes time and talent to setup, teardown, maintain and store when not being used, load into a van, trailer, etc. If they're taking on-site song requests, then the bigger the event the more requests to receive. This will require making even more decisions on the fly. The more skills they have at doing it all, the more they ask in fees.  If their quote is very detailed with options, then they're ultimately putting your best interest in mind to tailor fit an experience for you. 
4. What equipment are they bringing to your event? Cheap stuff they found at a garage sale? Or middle to high-end equipment that comes highly rated? What frequency spectrum can they cover with clarity? Some DJ's come with a great bottom end you can really feel. I love that! But it costs quite of bit of money to produce. Further, I'm at events all the time where there is terrible high-end frequencies. It makes hearing voices or lyrics much harder to understand. They need a good ear to make their equipment sound great. And don't forget, if they have decent equipment they need to have insurance to cover damage to that equipment. 
5. How much room/venue space can they fill with good quality sound? Especially with all of your guests in the room absorbing sound waves? A PA system that sounds absolutely great in a living room with 2-5 people will sound terrible in a banquet hall with 250 people. (And if they can fill a good size space, then that means all the more people they may have to interact with who come up asking for song requests, asking questions about their rig, potentially straining their playlist and itinerary. Most people never think of this aspect of being a professional DJ.) 
6. Who has spent time mentoring your DJ? What formal training or apprenticing have they done? How many YouTube videos are they watching to get better? What other DJs are they networking with to get better or seek advice? Furthermore, who are they training up? A great DJ has others who can learn the trade and be a back-up if something unanticipated happens.
7. What plans do they have for developing their business to the next level? That takes money to plan for the future and bring it to reality. If you payment barely covers their time, what about the payments they may be making for equipment, vehicle, storage or even a office-studio space to operate out of? Plus, their business needs a percentage of gross revenue for accidents, upgrades, software subscriptions, or whatever. 
8. How much time and money are they putting into your event? Usually, whatever time length your event is, you can multiply that by 2 or 3 when you add in travel, setup/teardown, loading/unloading, planning, meetings, phone calls, emails, research, and other professional activities that add value to you. If they're good enough to be doing this service full-time, then they cannot afford to just charge $400 for a wedding that takes 15-25 hours of their time. Remember, they are also giving up a precious night away from their own family or friends to work and serve at your event. 
9. Are they putting valuable content on websites like The Knot, WeddingWire, GigMasters, Thumbtack, and especially social media sites? Such sites certainly build value as you decide who to hire. Are they using an advertising agency, local bridal shows or magazines, mailers, etc.? All of these cost money to advertise and get in front of prospective buyers. Some DJs spend a good percentage of their budget on advertising to build their business and their brand. They're hungry and motivated to offer a valuable service to the world. 
10. And don't forget a professional DJ should pay taxes at the end of the day. The state will tax them, the city, and obviously Uncle Sam IRS. They're not just pocketing all of your money and making 100% profit from their fees. It's much more complicated to run a real business, be a real professional, and succeed in a dog-eat-dog world. If they're cheating on paying taxes, then should you really support them with your business? Nobody enjoys paying taxes, but it's necessary. Some solo entrepreneurs do get away with avoiding taxes. If you're not being charged an additional 5 or 7% tax on top of your price quote, then an honest DJ is taking it out of their fees. 

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This list in not exhaustive. But you get the idea. At the end of the day, you will have to take time for your due diligence and investigation, and set up a budget you can live with.

If you're in the market for a wedding DJ, please look at our page www.micdropDJ.com/weddingDJ or our home page for social media links, etc. We would love to partner with you at your event! 

​-Nate / DJ MicDrop