Photo Gallery of MaryEllen and Dick’s Hudson Valley Wedding at Christo’s Courtesy of Cheryl Bolton-Reuter Photography

This spring I had the honor of providing DJ and MC services for MaryEllen and Dick’s unique Hudson Valley wedding at Christo’s.  Thanks to Cheryl Bolton-Reuter Photography for capturing these fantastic images of their big day:

4-4-13 Dick and MaryEllen:  May the 4th Be With You!
https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.539670232738851.1073741829.101584816547397&type=1

Visit Cheryl Bolton-Reuter’s Blog to read more about this amazing wedding at
http://boltonreuterphotography.com/blog/

Congratulations MaryEllen and Dick!
– DJ Bri Swatek, Spinning with Style

________________________________________________________

DJ Bri Swatek, Spinning with Style

Your DJ for Your Unique Style
in the Hudson Valley of New York

Email: briswatek@aol.com
Phone: 845.235.0080
Online: www.djbriswatek.com

Photo Gallery of Ashley and Matthew’s Hudson Valley Wedding at Lippincott Manor Courtesy of Paul’s Pics 4 You

This spring I had the honor of providing DJ, MC, and uplighting services for Ashley and Matthew’s unique Hudson Valley wedding at Lippincott Manor.  Thanks to Paul’s Pics 4 You Photography for capturing these fantastic images of their big day:

Ashley and Matthew
http://www.fotolightroom.com/gallery/paul/wedding/pages/MORRIS/index.htm

Congratulations Ashley and Matthew!
– DJ Bri Swatek, Spinning with Style

________________________________________________________

DJ Bri Swatek, Spinning with Style

Your DJ for Your Unique Style
in the Hudson Valley of New York

Email: briswatek@aol.com
Phone: 845.235.0080
Online: www.djbriswatek.com

How to Hire Vendors for Your Unique Hudson Valley Wedding

While all brides and grooms should have a firm budget in mind for their wedding that they are comfortable with and that they can work within effectively, it’s also important to consider this question when planning your wedding: Who are my wedding vendors?

Bride and Groom’s Hudson Valley Wedding First Dance Set to Music by DJ Bri Swatek at The Garrison Courtesy of Dan Stockfield Photography

It sounds like a simple question, but the truth–as always–can be a bit more complicated. In fact, this question actually answers a second question which all brides and grooms do consider at some point: Why are all of these wedding vendors’ prices so different?

Here’s the truth: full-time, professional wedding vendors set prices that are a reflection of the time, effort, quality, and service that they will provide for your once-in-a-lifetime event.

First, are your wedding vendors full-time wedding professionals? If they are, chances are you’re going to have a vendor who is responsive to your emails and calls, and treats your wedding as the most important event on their calendar that day. If your vendor is not a full-time wedding professional, it’s good to find out if a) they’re a wedding vendor first with a related sideline second to bring in a little extra income outside of the wedding season, or b) it’s the opposite: being a wedding vendor is really a part-time job for them and they have another career that takes up the majority of their time and energy. Imagine doing your own job as a part-time, weekend sideline–would you be able to do it effectively?

Second, who is actually coming to work at your wedding? If you signed a contract with a company that has several staff members, who is the actual person who will be working at your wedding? Make certain you know *who* your vendor is going to be on your big day.

Hudson Valley Wedding DJ Bri Swatek with Bride and Groom at Villa Borghese Courtesy of Kristine Palmer Photography

There are many great companies in the Hudson Valley that offer multiple DJs, photographers, etc. for you to choose from for your event. They offer the opportunity for you to see samples of their work and meet with your personal vendor before the big day. However, there are also a number of services in the tri-state area that offer “too good to be true” prices for “someone” to come work at your wedding.

I’ve said this many times in my career as a DJ, MC, and event host: the words “surprise” and “wedding” rarely go together well. You should know exactly who your wedding vendors are and you should have the opportunity to be totally comfortable with them well in advance of the big day. Anything less than that feeling of complete confidence is not worth it.

Here’s an example from a bride named Lauren who confesses that she “made a mistake” and “took the cheap photographer route,” only to regret it after her wedding:

Lauren’s Wedding Story: “I Took the Cheap Photographer Route”

http://everylastdetailblog.com/wedding-planning/i-took-the-cheap-photographer-route/

You can hear it in Lauren’s voice as she tells her story: she regrets her decision to not hire a wedding professional.

In addition, consider what professional Hudson Valley wedding photographer Autumn Thomes has to say on why

“Hiring Professional Hudson Valley and CT Wedding Vendors Matters!”

http://www.autumn-photography.com/blog/?page_id=1210

Clearly, Autumn has had the privilege of working with some great Hudson Valley wedding vendors, but she has also seen some vendor horror stories that could really ruin your big day.

Madison, Wisconsin photographers Primavera Studios further highlight the importance of paying for the time and effort that goes into quality wedding photography when they answer the question,

Why Does Good Wedding Photography Cost What It Does?

http://primaverastudios.com/blog/2011/why-does-good-wedding-photography-cost-what-it-does/

Most of this article could really apply to any of the Hudson Valley wedding vendors you are considering for your big day.

Taking her own personal “horror stories and success stories” as a bride “into account,” Jill Tooley at Best Hudson Valley Wedding Ever offers “seven red flags to watch for when you’re interviewing/researching wedding vendors”:

7 Signs It May Be Time to Find a New Wedding Vendor
http://www.besthudsonvalleyweddingever.com/wedding-story/7-signs-it-may-be-time-to-find-a-new-wedding-vendor

Moral of the story: “It’s your wedding, not anyone else’s.”

Don’t ever be afraid to ask your wedding vendors any of the following questions:

- Are you a full-time wedding professional?
- How many years of experience do you have in the wedding business?
- Why did you decide to become a wedding vendor?
- What do you enjoy most about being a wedding professional?
- How many weddings do you work per year?
- How many weddings do you (or does your company) work in one day?
- Do you ever “subcontract” your work out to other wedding vendors?
- If we hire your company, who will be working at our wedding?
- Are you registered as a legitimate business? (DBA, Inc., or LLC)
- Are you a member of a professional association?
- Are you insured for liability?
- Do you use professional equipment?
- Do you provide backup equipment at my wedding?
- What’s *your* backup plan?
- What happens if I cancel the wedding or need to change the date of the wedding?
- When will you arrive on my wedding day?
- Will you be suitably dressed for our wedding?
- Will you be willing listen to me, and follow my plans for my wedding?
- What are your pricing packages, options, and services offered?
- What specifically is in included in your pricing, and what is “extra,” an “add-on,” or a “fee?”
- How much is your deposit, how do payments work, and what methods of payment do you accept?
- Do you provide a written contract?
- Can I have references and contact information from previous customers?
- Can I have references and contact information from other wedding professionals?

The American Disc Jockey Association provides questions like these, as well as things to look for in your vendors’ potential answers, online at http://adja.org. While the ADJA article is mainly focused on hiring a DJ, these questions could easily be applied to most of the wedding vendors you are looking to hire for your big day.

Once you begin looking at true professionals as vendors for your wedding, you will find that while there are always differences in packages, options, and approaches to your big day, the price range for quality service is actually fairly consistent in the Hudson Valley. As always, you get what you pay for!

For more suggestions on how to interview and hire your wedding DJ or any of the most important vendors for your upcoming Hudson Valley wedding, please visit:

Wedding DJ Prices
http://djbriswatek.wordpress.com/wedding-dj-prices/

and

Wedding DJ Reviews
http://djbriswatek.wordpress.com/wedding-dj-reviews/

Need help looking for professional wedding vendors to make your big day the best it can be? Start with the list of true wedding professionals located on this blog: Your Unique Hudson Valley Wedding, including recommended

- Venues and Locations,
- Caterers,
- Photographers,
- Videographers,
- Florists,
- Photo Booth vendors,
- and much, much more!

Congratulations on your upcoming wedding!

Bri

________________________________________________________

DJ Bri Swatek, Spinning with Style
Your DJ for Your Unique Style
in the Hudson Valley of New York

Email: briswatek@aol.com
Phone: 845.235.0080
Online: www.djbriswatek.com

How to Hire a DJ for Your Unique Hudson Valley Wedding

For most brides and grooms, hiring a wedding DJ is a new–and sometimes challenging–experience.

Bride and Groom Toast at their Hudson Valley Dutchess Manor Wedding MCed by DJ Bri Swatek Courtesy of Allan E. Levine Photography

Although some brides and grooms may have previously hired DJs for other personal or workplace events–and many couples have seen DJs perform at weddings for family and friends–most brides and grooms find themselves searching for a truly professional wedding DJ for the very first time.

What should you look for when searching for the best of the best in professional Hudson Valley wedding DJs? What questions, beyond the price or cost of DJ services, should you ask Hudson Valley DJs?

DJ Bri Swatek Spinning with Style at a Hudson Valley Wedding Courtesy of Allan E. Levine Photography

Don’t ever be afraid to ask your any of your wedding vendors–including your DJ–any of the following questions:

- Are you a full-time wedding professional?
- How many years of experience do you have in the wedding business?
- How many weddings do you work per year?
- How many weddings do you (or does your company) work in one day?
- If we hire your company, who will be working at our wedding?
- Do you ever “subcontract” your work out to other wedding vendors?
- Are you registered as a legitimate business? (DBA, Inc., or LLC)
- Are you a member of a professional association?
- Are you insured for liability?
- Do you use professional equipment?
- Do you provide backup equipment at my wedding?
- What’s *your* backup plan?
- What happens if I cancel the wedding or need to change the date of the wedding?
- When will you arrive on my wedding day?
- Will you be suitably dressed for our wedding?
- Will you be willing listen to me, and follow my plans for my wedding?
- What are your pricing packages, options, and services offered?
- What specifically is in included in your pricing, and what is “extra,” an “add-on,” or a “fee?”
- How much is your deposit, how do payments work, and what methods of payment do you accept?
- Do you provide a written contract?
- Can I have references and contact information from previous customers?
- Can I have references and contact information from other wedding professionals?
- Why did you decide to become a wedding vendor?
- What do you enjoy most about being a wedding professional?

The American Disc Jockey Association provides questions like these, as well as things to look for in your vendors’ potential answers, online at http://adja.org. While the ADJA’s guidelines are mainly focused on hiring a DJ, these questions could easily be applied to most of the wedding vendors you are looking to hire for your big day.

In addition, as the owner of DJ Bri Swatek, Spinning with Style, I would recommend these additional resources to use when you begin to look for Hudson Valley DJs to provide music, entertainment, Disc Jockey, and MC services for your upcoming wedding:

“How To Find a Fun, Non-Cheesy Wedding DJ”

Stephanie Padovani of The Best Hudson Valley Wedding Ever! offers excellent tips on how to find the best Hudson Valley DJ services in her article “How To Find a Fun, Non-Cheesy Wedding DJ” at http://hubpages.com/hub/Hudson-Valley-DJ.

“Do Your Research – Finding the Perfect Wedding DJ”

Alan Robb, owner of Accent Events in Wisconsin suggests you “Do Your Research” when “Finding the Perfect Wedding DJ” at http://scottishdj.wordpress.com/2010/12/06/do-your-research-finding-the-perfect-wedding-dj.

“How Much Should Your Wedding DJ Cost?”

Stacie Tamaki of The Flirty Blog interviews a number of the best professional wedding DJs across the country to demonstrate that “there is a big difference between how “professional” and “stereotypical” DJ’s view weddings” in her article “How Much Should Your Wedding DJ Cost?” at http://theflirtyguide.blogspot.com/2010/06/how-much-should-your-wedding-dj-cost.html.

“How to Choose a DJ . . . a Decision Worth the Effort”

Judy Lewis at HudsonValleyWeddings.Com offers great advice on hiring Hudson Valley DJs in her article “How to Choose a DJ . . . a Decision Worth the Effort” at http://www.hudsonvalleyweddings.com/guide/dj-pick.htm.

“How to Select a DJ”

Shandria Strickland, Chief Entertainment Officer of A Woman’s Touch Entertainment in Atlanta offers advice on “How to Select a DJ” that could be applied in any area of the country, including the Hudson Valley. Visit http://womanstouchdj.com/about-us/how-to-select-a-dj to hear her unique perspective on the value of hiring a professional to DJ your once-in-a-lifetime event.

By the way, while these articles are mainly focused on brides and grooms hiring Hudson Valley DJs, many of these questions could easily be applied to almost all of the Hudson Valley wedding vendors you are looking to hire for your big day.

For more suggestions on how to interview and hire your wedding DJ or any of the most important vendors for your upcoming Hudson Valley wedding, please visit:

Wedding DJ Prices
http://djbriswatek.wordpress.com/wedding-dj-prices/

and

Wedding DJ Reviews
http://djbriswatek.wordpress.com/wedding-dj-reviews/

Congratulations on your upcoming wedding!

Bri

________________________________________________________

DJ Bri Swatek, Spinning with Style
Your DJ for Your Unique Style
in the Hudson Valley of New York

Email: briswatek@aol.com
Phone: 845.235.0080
Online: www.djbriswatek.com

Signature Gobo Lighting by DJ Bri Swatek for Your Unique Hudson Valley Wedding

Looking for a way to share your unique style with your friends and family at your wedding? Say it with lighting!

Signature Gobo Light by DJ Bri Swatek at a Hudson Valley Wedding at the Poughkeepsie Grand Hotel Courtesy of Surprise Photography

Project your
• names,
• monogram,
• the date, and / or
• any other message or artwork at your wedding.

DJ Bri will work with you to create unique, custom-made Signature Gobo Lighting to achieve any effect you want on the dance floor, wall, or ceiling for your wedding celebration. Contact DJ Bri Swatek, Spinning with Style to find out more about how you can add a personal touch to your Hudson Valley wedding with Signature Gobo Lighting.

Congratulations on your upcoming wedding,
Bri

________________________________________________________

DJ Bri Swatek, Spinning with Style
Your DJ for Your Unique Style
in the Hudson Valley of New York

Email: briswatek@aol.com
Phone: 845.235.0080
Online: www.djbriswatek.com

Meghan and Peter’s Hudson Valley Wedding at the Poughkeepsie Grand Hotel Courtesy of A Night in Bloom

Last fall I had the honor of providing DJ services for Meghan and Peter’s fantastic Poughkeepsie Grand Hotel wedding.  Check out this outstanding article about their big day from the perspective of their florist, my good friend Heather Lundy at A Night In Bloom Event Floristry, with images courtesy of our friend Elissa Davidson at EID Photography.

Meghan and Peter’s Wedding Courtesy of A Night in Bloom
http://anightinbloom.com/blog/?p=2950

Congratulations Meghan and Peter!
– DJ Bri Swatek, Spinning with Style

________________________________________________________

DJ Bri Swatek, Spinning with Style

Your DJ for Your Unique Style
in the Hudson Valley of New York

Email: briswatek@aol.com
Phone: 845.235.0080
Online: www.djbriswatek.com

DJ Bri Swatek’s 2012 Hit Mix

As the 2013 wedding season kicks off, here’s a look back at some of the most requested hits from weddings and events I DJed in 2012.

DJ Bri Swatek – 2012 Hit Mix
http://www.mixcloud.com/djbriswatek/dj-bri-swatek-2012-hit-mix/

Enjoy!

Bri

________________________________________________________

DJ Bri Swatek, Spinning with Style

Your DJ for Your Unique Style
in the Hudson Valley of New York

Email: briswatek@aol.com
Phone: 845.235.0080
Online: www.djbriswatek.com