While we love the energy that a live band can bring to a wedding reception, we’ll be the first to admit that sometimes it just isn’t the right fit for an event.  It may come down to the room size, the desired mood of the event, or any number of other things that would make a DJ a more practical entertainment choice.  While we include DJ service in our wedding packages, a we thought it might be interesting to hear about the experience from someone doing it full-time.  Josh Staley, owner of Josh Staley Productions, has been a long-time friend of Robert. Since moving to Columbus, OH he built a highly-successful wedding DJ service and was willing to answer some common questions for us to share with you.  Be sure to check out his website and facebook page if you’re looking for premier wedding reception entertainment in the Ohio area!

Tell us about yourself and how you got started?

I grew up in Kansas City, MO (Rock Chalk!, Forever Royal!, Chiefs Kingdom!). From a young age I loved music and preforming in front of people. From my grandparent’s nursing homes, to our churches stage I was never very far from my next gig in my early years. I even got to be the DJ on a school field trip to a model city (don’t worry I only played Christian Music). In High School I had my first experience with a mobile DJ in the form of my history teacher Mr.Finch. At my freshmen homecoming dance I realized then and there that the DJ has a huge impact on the mood, atmosphere and memories of everyone present. Fast forward through college (where I mostly focused on the electric guitar) to my wedding day where the story truly begins… My wife put me in charge of hiring the DJ for our big day. I had no idea what I was doing. The first thing that hit me was how much DJ’s were charging, $700 for 4 hours?!?!? We were on a small budget so I had to keep looking. I finally settled on a large company who offered me a price closer to our budget, $500 for 4 hours. The wedding day arrived and 5 min before I was going to walk down the aisle to await my brides arrival, my phone rang.

Me: Hello
DJ: ummm hi I’m sick.
Me: uh ok, sorry to hear that,are you sending a replacement?
DJ: No I don’t have one
Me: Well it’s an hour before our arrival, can you at least drop off your equipment?
DJ: No I can’t do that
Me: Well what am I supposed to do sir?
DJ: ummmm…ok I’ll be there.

Long Story Short: He was fine. I know this because he chased us all over the golf course, reminding us that we only had him for 4 hours….3 hours 50 minutes…etc. He then mispronounced all of the bridal parties names and was incredibly awkward on the mic. Throughout the night he proceeded to ignore our wishes, yell at guests, and while he played the requested music, it was much to quiet. The final straw was the shoe game. Since most of our guests were Christians we provided the DJ with our own questions for the shoe game. He decided to use his own, which included the question “who is better in bed?” (Which caused my Father to shoot me a look that would have made Chuck Norris break out in a cold sweat). Needless to say the review score I left would make a great golf score. This experience still motivates me to this day. 2 years later good friends of mine asked me to DJ their wedding. I agreed and although I had never done it. I was confident I would be a natural. I bought some equipment and prepared for the big day. I then realized the wedding was in October and it was only January. I could use this equipment to DJ other people’s weddings to pass the time! I began bidding on jobs. 3 people hired me basically sight unseen. I had no website, reviews, or business cards but I knew how to relate to brides in person and over the phone. I ended up booking 30 jobs that year. I ran into another problem though. I was getting wedding requests for dates I already had weddings booked. I realized that I could probably teach some of my friends how to do this. I did and thus Josh Staley Productions was born! The next year we did 80 weddings and this year we have booked 150 weddings and high profile events.

Josh Staley Productions continues to focus on making brides wedding day dreams a reality by consistently providing client focused service and the most creative and unique wedding days possible. Josh Staley Productions currently employs an amazing team of 7 DJ’s and is looking to branch out into Cleveland, Dayton, and Cincinnati, OH markets in 2017. Josh’s wife Michelle went on to to become a very successful wedding photographer who teams up with JSP to make lots of dream weddings reality. Josh and his wife Michelle currently live and serve in the amazing city of Columbus, OH.

What’s your favorite part about what you do?

I love exceeding expectations. I love giving a bride and groom an incredible reception and hearing “you were so amazing!” or “This was so much more fun than we could have imagined!”.

What’s the most unique wedding you’ve ever done?

The most unique wedding I have ever done was a country wedding at a private home in the middle of nowhere. When we arrived we noticed that our DJ table was surrounded by 20 or so coolers full of beer. This paired with a large pool, hip hop loving grandmas, a fajita bar, and young guys wrestling and throwing old men into the pool turned into a night I will never forget.

What is the most challenging part of your job?

The most challenging part of my job is patience. Whether it is in the sale or company growth, I am always longing for the next step. I wholeheartedly believe that our company is going to give each and every one of our clients the wedding day experience they have been dreaming about, and more than that we all want them to have it. Josh Staley Productions is not just a business, it is a group of caring people dedicated to giving our couples their dream wedding day. How does the relate to patience you ask? During the sale I want to help the potential clients understand how perfect for them we are. I over sell sometimes and every now again we don’t book the job.

What should couples look for when searching for a DJ?

Couples should look for three things:

Competence.  There are a few great questions you can ask a DJ that will give you a sense of how good he is:

a. How do you usually eq your mics? If the DJ looks confused or says something like” my mics are great without eq” move on.
b. Do you play songs from beginning to end? If they answer “yes” or look confused, move on.
c. What is your definition of a seamless transition? You can judge this one. Listen for thoughtfulness. If they give a vague, half-baked response, YOU GUESSED IT! Move on!

The 2nd thing couples you should look for is care. How much does the potential DJ care about you and your wedding day? If they sit across the table or phone line talking about themselves, without ever asking you what you are concerned about on your wedding day. That is a big red flag! (Oh and “What are you looking for in wedding DJ?” doesn’t count, that is a lead in every DJ is taught at some point) Read reviews on The Knot, ask you other vendors if they have worked with this DJ company before, make sure the company is going to focus on making your day great, not just for building up their own brand.

The 3rd thing couples should look for is pricing. Good wedding and event DJ’s will have a simple and easy to follow pricing guide. They are not looking to hit you with hidden fees or sneak a charge by you. A good pricing guide is a sign that they have been doing this awhile and they know that brides and grooms have enough to worry about without having to take a journey through a 5 page pricing guide. The simpler the better. Another thing to look for is price in general. I know no one wants to hear this but you really do get what you pay for in this industry. Look for a DJ with good reviews priced just above $600 for 4 hours. I know this sounds like alot but keep in mind just renting a low level sound system for one day costs $500 so for an extra hundred your getting and MC, Sound Tech, Entertainer, Dance Instructor (at least with JSP), and unwavering ally to walk through the biggest day of your life with you.

What is your go-to tip for making the wedding reception go smoothly for everyone?

The biggest tip I can give to couples when planning their big day is to LISTEN. I was there, I was getting married and I knew everything! I was fresh out of college and was suddenly, magically a wedding expert. It never crossed my mind that the professionals we hired did this week in and week out. If you have hired great pro’s listen to them. They do this every weekend and they want your event to be the best it can be. So take a deep breath and listen.