FAQ
frequently asked questions
To reserve and officially book your date with Amplify, all we'll need is a non-refundable $250 reservation fee (that does go toward the final balance) and a signed contract. This process is incredibly easy and can either be done online or in person/via phone. To get started, fill out our inquiry form to confirm availability and we'll email you next steps.
Absolutely! We're happy to meet in person or via phone/Zoom/FaceTime. Contact us and we'll schedule a time that is convenient for you.
Yes, our job is to ensure the event flows and that everyone knows what's going on and what's happening next. Our DJs understand that a smooth-flowing, fun and memorable event isn't just about playing the right song at the right time (also important!), but also how it flows with announcements and how well the DJ guides the event on the microphone. Your DJ is also your Master of Ceremonies (MC or emcee), and you'll never have to worry about making an announcement.
Absolutely! We can handle that set-up and actually do it quite often. The cool part? We don't need to move any equipment (which creates awkward silence while the DJ is scrambling to quickly re-set up a sound system). Instead, when you add Ceremony Coverage to your DJ package, you'll notice the two things that you get extra are an extra hour (30 minutes of prelude coverage + 30 minutes of ceremony coverage) and a second sound system. What's important is that this extra sound system is an actual second system, not the same system moved to a second location. We'll have both systems independently set-up, tested and ready to go before anything starts. That way your guests can move from a location with music (the exit song at the ceremony, for example) to a new location with music all ready to go (the beginning of cocktail hour music, for example). Adding a third and fourth system to your package, if needed, is an easy add-on that we'll gladly accommodate.
Each of our clients is unique, and therefore we take extra care that each wedding is personalized and built intentionally from the ground up. We'll work with you to ensure that the music at your wedding matches your favorite music styles with the needs and wants of your guests. That means we can play any genre (even more obscure genres) or any mix of genres that you'd like.
Most clients tip between 10-25% of the total invoice with the amount of the tip depending on how well our team member (DJ, musician, photo booth attendant, dance floor installer, etc.) met or exceeded your expectations. Some also acknowledge challenging situations or set-ups. In the end, though, it's really it's all about what you, the client, think is fair. You are able to tip via our invoice in advance of the event, if you prefer. Otherwise, if you decide to tip any member of our team at your event day-of (most common), you can just pay that person directly (cash, Venmo, check written out to them, etc.). Regardless, we appreciate your business and leave the final decision up to you!
When an event is booked with our company, the DJ is reserving that time off to be part of the event and at least a few people at Amplify have to spend time jumpstarting an onboarding process, scheduling key moments in the future, etc. For the DJ, that sometimes that means forgoing a vacation or not making plans to see their favorite musician in concert. It also means turning down business for other inquiring potential clients on that day. During especially busy weekends when we hit certain thresholds, we're required to purchase new equipment and/or supplies many months in advance to prepare for the event. Other costs include insurance (non-refundable to us), credit card transaction fees, and other service fees. When an event is cancelled, there is lost time and money involved and our non-refundable reservation fee/retainer is to help relieve some of that lost time and money and it represents the cost to hold your date.
Yes, it's very important to enter into a professional contract/agreement with any of your wedding or event vendors, and a lack of a contract can be a serious red flag.
We do not offer discounts or promotions for two reasons: 1) We want to ensure that we're treating each of our clients equally. Preferential treatment to one group of people could fairly be described as discrimination against another, so our no-discount/promotion policy prevents any bias. 2) Typically promotions are a marketing scheme wherein "list" prices are artificially high, but a "limited-time/act now!" promotion allows you, the customer, to get access to what really is just the right price for the service. That's just not how we roll. So rather than create that type of FOMO anxiety, we instead price our services without considering promotion, which again allows every client of ours to know that their price is the same as the couple getting married the following weekend.
Having said that, there are two exceptions: 1) Each year, Amplify chooses a number of charitable organizations to donate services. Our current and past clients help us determine which organizations to choose among. If you'd like to be considered, please reach out to us. 2) Amplify is a growing company and sometimes we have a new DJ who is fully trained and ready to rock (including having been an assistant/second DJ on a number of weddings and events), but needs a few couples/clients to be his/her first wedding or event. To incentivize our clients to give our new DJ a shot, we offer a $100 Rookie DJ credit that comes off of the total invoice. This option isn't always available, but feel free to ask!
We understand that for many of the events we DJ, explicit music would not be appropriate for the guests. Because of this, we have invested in both original versions and clean versions (where they exist) of pretty much any popular song. We get the same music the radio stations get when they get them. This means early access to the latest tracks, including radio edited and shortened cuts, as well as some pretty fun remixes!
We bring a sound system that is ideal for your particular situation (venue size, indoor vs. outdoor, number of guests, etc.), and we do sound checks upon arrival for set-up. Even better, we'll work with you during the planning process to ensure that layout and guest seating options are ideal for a comfortable and consistent sound experience for all guests. One tip: when assigning seats or tables (if applicable), place any guests who are more sensitive to sound further from where the speakers will be set up.
Yes, and we typically use them for wedding ceremonies, toasts, blessings, and other moments as needed throughout the event. We also offer wireless lapel mics by request.
We LOVE it when a potential client gets to see us in action, and we actually get a lot of business from people who've attended an event we've performed and wanted to book us afterwards. However, we also deeply respect the private nature of our clients' private events and wouldn't want to be the ones who welcomed uninvited guests. So that means, unfortunately, that the only way to see us DJ a wedding or event would be to attend a friend or family member's wedding we're DJing or another event we're DJing where you are an invited guest. Or, attend a public event we're DJing (very rare). The good news is that we DJ a LOT of weddings (literally hundreds each year) so there's actually a pretty good chance you'll be invited to a wedding we're DJing!
In the meantime, we recommend reading online reviews from real couples and other clients, checking out some of our videos, and setting up an in-person or virtual meeting to ask any questions you may have and talk more about your wedding or event.
We use the most reliable, well trusted brands on the market, but even the very best and most well-maintained equipment will malfunction at some point. Every event we DJ has an on-site back-up sound system ready to go in the event of malfunction. In fact, we have a back-up scenario for each piece of equipment we use. We call this the "Peace of Mind Promise," and it ensures that if a power surge or other event causes equipment failure, the party can still go on!
Our music encompasses practically every genre out there, including genres like pop/top 40, '80s, '90s, funk, Motown, rap, hip hop, RnB, jazz, country, oldies, EDM, trap, crunk, indie, classic rock, salsa, merengue, bachata, banda, reggaeton, house, dubstep, swing, Contemporary Christian, reggae and so. Much. More. We've played specific ethnic/cultural requests for clients from France, Korea, Nigeria, Italy, Brazil, Cuba, Argentina, Puerto Rico, Mexico, Ireland, Scotland, India, Poland, Armenia, Egypt, Iran, South Africa, Ukraine and for many Jewish clients.
No, instead we strike a fine balance between getting your input on the potential direction of the music throughout the night while not requiring you to do all of the work. We neither require you to make your own playlists nor force you to use preset playlists -- it's more of a collaboration. Using your answers from our questionnaires, we’ll create a custom playlist unique to your wedding or event. We recommend including 5-15 songs on your must-play list. We can certainly accommodate more (some clients also provide a much more in-depth "Inspiration/If-Time list to give us a deeper look into their music styles, and you can even submit that as a Spotify or Apple Music playlist!), but you're not required to spend time building an actual playlist -- that's why you've hired us! Just include your favorites (or more!) and we’ll fill in the rest. In other words, we can be as little or as much involved in your playlist creation as you'd like. Either way, we’ll make sure your favorite music genres are represented well in our playlists we create specifically from scratch for your wedding or event.
Yes, in fact we encourage it! For whatever reason, there are always a few guests who think it would be a great idea to play the Chicken Dance or some other cheesy and/or inappropriate song at your event. You may not want to hear those songs and we totally respect and defend that. For any songs you can't stand, simply add those to the do-not-play list in your questionnaire and they won’t slip past your DJ. We'll even help you think of some good ones to add to the list and use our best judgement if a song comes in that we think you probably would have added to your do-not-play list if you had thought of it.
We are very request-friendly, but we make sure that the songs requested fit your wedding and aren't on your do-not-play list (and use our judgement in general to try and avoid a request killing the party vibe) before we let them play. We also offer guests the option to make requests using their phones through Hey DJ DJ, which is hugely popular! We offer this service for no extra charge. We also offer the option for our clients to not allow us to take any song requests from guests, if you prefer.
Absolutely not. We believe it is inappropriate for wedding vendors to put out banners and brochures at a client's wedding. For us, an awesome performance and a happy client better promotes our business than tacky banners and signs. Yuck.
No, we don't charge for either. Our contracted start time doesn't start until the moment we start playing music and/or running a sound system (for a wireless mic for example). For a wedding ceremony, we recommend a start time for us of 30 minutes prior to the official start time on your wedding invitations, which allows us to play prelude music for your guests as they begin to arrive and find a seat.
We always use our own sound equipment for Amplify events. That way we (you and us both) can rest assured that the equipment has been recently tested and maintained. We understand the limits of our equipment and our DJs can confirm compatibility with our mixers/controllers/cables. Plus, we don't have to worry about arriving at your event to discover that the equipment is under lock and key while the A/V guy is on vacation (uh oh!). Using our own equipment is the only way we can take responsibility for its quality and use. The exception to requiring our equipment for our DJs would be if we're working with a professional production company (common for very large events where extra sound reinforcement is needed), and we would work with them in advance to ensure quality, compatibility, and any other needs.
We allow our clients to guide what our DJs and other team members will wear at your wedding or event via our questionnaires. We want to make sure we're never under-dressed or over-dressed for the occasion.
Arrival time varies based on which package and enhancements are booked. This is typically 1-3 hours prior to the contracted start time.
For a ceremony or cocktail hour (no more than two hours total), we offer a completely silent Wireless PowerPack add-on that can go anywhere. We've used it on a beach on an island, at the top of a mountain, in the deep woods, and everything in between. For longer timeframes (for example, if power also isn't available for the reception), then you would need a more powerful option that also covers things like lighting, catering, bar, etc. (which we don't currently offer). In these cases where more power is needed, we recommend a computer-safe "silent" generator, and some great options are available for rent at Home Depot and Lowe's.
We allow our clients to choose whether or not to include their DJ or other Amplify team member for dinner. This is specified by you within our easy-to-use event planning questionnaires. Needless to say, we are very grateful when our clients do choose to include us for dinner!
We never book a single DJ for more than one wedding in the same day. This ensures your DJ is focused on your event and fresh with energy.
We typically don't need to attend the wedding rehearsal due to the extensive planning process and final review we complete prior to the wedding day. However, we do offer an add-on option to attend the rehearsal and will bring a small sound system as a part of the cost so we can run through any parts of the ceremony as needed.
All we'll need you to provide is a table, linen and two chairs, as well as access to a reliable power source (e.g. an outlet that we don't have to share with another vendor, which could risk a breaker trip). We'll provide everything else, from speakers, mics, amps, music, DJ controllers, stands, and more!
If it's getting late and your event is still going strong and you and your guests aren't ready to go home yet, no worries! If you'd like to continue DJ services beyond the contracted time (as long as the DJ is personally able to accommodate the request, which is most often the case), you'll have the option to go into overtime for an additional fee and all overtime fees are paid directly to the contracted DJ. We've DJed events past 3 a.m. in the past and love keeping the party going!
Having a friend play or sing is one of the most special moments at a wedding or an event, and we're happy to help accommodate that in every way we can. In fact, in most cases, it wouldn't even require any additional equipment, and therefore no extra charge. Example: Your friend wants to sing your first dance song at your wedding. We're happy to provide a wireless mic and play a backtrack. If they have a guitar, they're welcome to plug in to our system. The key is to let us know at least a week in advance, as well as provide any backtracks at least a week out as well. It only gets tough when someone brings a CD to a DJ that doesn't have a CD player -- no Amplify DJ has a CD player, for the record! And many of us don't have a USB port either. Gotta love Apple! 🙂
Our DJs or other team members will never consume alcohol or take cigarette breaks during your wedding. We don't need alcohol to feel comfortable on the microphone or to get the party started, and the truth is that there are few things that could be worse for your wedding than a drunk DJ. We prefer to remain professional while still maintaining a fun atmosphere and high energy.
We require no breaks for the weddings and events we perform. We'll ensure that music is queued up and that there is no gap while we briefly step away to use the restroom, eat a meal, refill our water, check in with another vendor, etc.
We don't currently offer any fog options, and we actually recommend against using fog in most circumstances. Fog machines can set off smoke alarms and trigger asthma in some people. Plus, they're not a fit for most weddings.