If you’ve never booked a mobile DJ before, you’re bound to have questions.
I’m not one to hide behind a smokescreen and I’ll happily answer any questions you may have about the services I offer – I’m a friendly chap like that!
Below are some of the most asked questions I receive on a regular basis. Of course if your question isn’t answered here, please feel free to get in touch and I’ll do my best to answer as quickly and honestly as I can!
My fees depend on many things such as the length of your party, the distance I have to travel, the amount of equipment needed and how easy/difficult it is to access your venue (I may need to hire additional help for instance)
Please contact me for further information. At the very worst, I’ll be the wrong price for your budget and I won’t pressure you into booking.
Full details of my current prices can be found here. Please note that if your wedding is more than 12 months in the future, these prices may change!
I offer the following services as a professional DJ and wedding host
- All day (ceremony, wedding breakfast and evening reception)
- Part day (wedding breakfast and evening reception)
- Evening only reception party
- Adult party disco
- Retro disco
Yes I do.
It’s actually a booking fee and it covers the time spent in setting up things like your online planning portal, the admin involved in setting up your party and numerous other things. My booking fee is £50, it’s non-refundable and is taken off of your total party cost.
And so to how to book me….
On agreeing to hire me to provide your party, you’ll need to electronically sign a booking contract and pay your booking fee (full details are explained when you hire me). The balance of payment is then due 14 days before the date of your event (sorry…I don’t take payment on the night and haven’t done so for around 10 years).
Sorry – no!
My fees are based on a lot of aspects (not least of all the amount of time I’m “on-site” at your function).
Yes. Many venues will insist on proof of both public liability insurance and proof of PAT (portable appliance testing) inspection.
I carry public liability insurance for £10 million and my equipment is tested annually by a qualified electrical engineer. I’m more than happy to pass details of these to your venue on request.
Only if you’re an invited guest at a party I’m entertaining at I’m afraid.
All of my work is for private functions and as such aren’t open to the public. I’m sure you wouldn’t want me bringing potential clients along to YOUR party. Bear in mind also that each and every party is different. Whilst one wedding couple may require a “cheese fest”, you might not (and vice-versa). I act on the requirements of each client so what you may see at one party would be completely different to another party.
Where possible, I try to capture photographs and videos of functions to give you an idea of the type of entertainment I provide.
Of course I can…..but…
My insurers insist that I’m “on-site” with the equipment at all times for both health and safety and security reasons (would YOU leave £12,000 of your own possessions unattended with strangers?).
Whilst I’m happy to set up early, this will incur an extra cost unfortunately.
As an alternative though, why not use my Wedding Breakfast or Wedding Host service? It’s much better for the equipment to be doing something rather than standing idle, and it’s actually cheaper!
Of course I can!
It’s a little known fact, but I started out as a children’s entertainer and I’m more than happy to provide a mini kid’s party full of adrenaline packed games and dancing before the adult party starts!
Full details of my kids party services are available on my sister site at Ely Kids Disco
This is a complicated and grey area!
Under UK law, loud noise (what I do) MUST end by 11pm on unlicensed premises (i.e…a marquee in your back garden).
I CANNOT AND WILL NOT BREAK THE LAW!
However…there are ways around this and each and every party is different.
If your party is in a marquee and somebody local complains about the noise levels, the police can and WILL pay a visit and issue a cease and desist notice…I cannot and WILL NOT disobey this . Failure to do so will risk the seizure of my equipment and therefore, my livelihood!
BUT…
- If your party location is VERY remote (i.e no neighbours who will hear the residual sound levels of your party and no chance of a complaint, I’ll happily work until 1am.
- If your party location is in a rural location with local neighbours who might be affected by residual sound levels, it’s best from experience to WRITE to them to let them know that it’s a one-off event and even invite them to the evening. At 11pm, I’ll turn down the volume and the bass so that the residual sound levels don’t travel beyond your marquee!
This is actually a very complicated issue and involves a lot of laws. It’s best to get in touch with me on a case by case basis if you’re expecting to party until the very early hours!
YES!
Whilst I can provide the ceremony and indeed the wedding breakfast on battery powered equipment, the main disco does need electricity to operate…and lots of it!
For outdoor weddings (i.e. marquees, tipis etc.), I require the equivalent of 2 x 13a sockets to connect my equipment to.
If you’re hiring a generator, my requirements are:
- 4Kw of power on a pure sine wave must be provided with an uninterrupted supply (i.e. not in the same circuit as bar refrigeration equipment).
- The generator must also be earthed and installed as per the regulations specified under BS7671.
- If your reception or party is held in grounds where power to to be provided from extension cables from a building (i.e. a house or hotel), then blue arctic cable must be used from the building to the marquee with a double 13a socket on the end where the disco is to be set up. Ideally, the cable run should be armoured to prevent breakage or trip hazards to guests. It must also be IP7 certified in case of rain!
I WILL NOT connect my equipment to power sources not meeting these requirements.
I can… but….
It’s all dependent on your venue’s entertainment license.
Whilst I’m happy to work until 2am (I won’t go any later than this!), the licensing at your venue is the deciding factor in any extension to performance time.
Venues cannot exceed their licensing times (they can lose their license if they do) and I have to abide by this.
Any extension to performance times is subject to additional fees which must be agreed by both myself and the venue an hour before the end of your agreed party times.
Believe me, I try my hardest to be!
By it’s vey nature, the equipment I use needs electricity to power it, which has an impact on the environment.
However, my equipment is always kept up to date to be as energy efficient as possible (even the 80s Roadshow has been converted to LED), my office runs as green as possible (things like energy use and printing), and even the confetti cannons I use are bio-degradable.
You won’t see me using CO2 (dry ice) at an event, because CO2 is bad. You won’t see me using too much in the way of incandescent lighting (because it uses a lot of energy)
Sadly, my van is the villain of the piece here. I HAVE to transport the equipment to your party somehow, and at the moment, the only option is diesel (electric vans just don’t work in this line of business with an 80 mile reach unladen during daylight hours) at the moment but as soon as they do….I’m buying one!)
Of course I do!
It seems sad in this day and age that I have to clarify this fact (and it’s actually illegal to discriminate on gender…but some do!).
Love is love in my book and it should be celebrated. Your gender preferences really don’t affect the way in which I work.
