FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
Q: How much does it cost to reserve or book my date?
A: For wedding receptions, a deposit of between $150 and $200 is due to reserve your date. Half of the remaining balance will then be due six months before the reception and the remainder is due 60 days prior to that date. You may elect to make full payment at any time. For other events, full payment is due on booking, unless other arrangements are made in advance.
Q: Will there be any other, hidden charges?
A: No. The rate we quote will be all-inclusive for the plan you select. Some companies will quote a low price, but then charge extra for setup time, dance lighting, travel and so on. In the rare event there are special circumstances which require an additional fee, it will be fully disclosed up front and included in the total. The only exception would be for a last-minute change or extremely unusual situation. But we try to avoid adding extra charges unless absolutely necessary. Note that this may not include optional services (uplighting, custom gobos) you may decide to add later. Those charges will be billed separately.
Q: How do I pay for your services?
A: We can accept cash, checks, all major credit/debit cards and PayPal. We can also arrange for financing, if needed. In all cases, full payment must be received before services are rendered.
Q: Do you require a contract?
A: Yes. This is for your protection as well as ours.
Q: I'm the one doing all the planning for the event, but someone else will be paying for it. Whose name should be on the contract?
A: That's entirely up to you (as long as the person is of legal age). Please be aware that the person whose name is on the contact is legally responsible for fulfilling the obligations of the contract, and that the individual named on the contract will legally have the final say in any disputes with respect to planning the event.
Q: What if I need to change the date or venue of my event?
A: A change of venue is no problem, so long as the new venue is capable of meeting all the necessary requirements. After booking, we strongly advise you contact us before deciding to change the date of your event to ensure we are available on the new date you are considering. Please note that additional charges may apply, and if we are unavailable on the new date, your contract will be treated as a cancellation.
Q: What is your cancellation policy?
A: Once your date is reserved, we must turn away other requests for that same date. Accordingly, our payment structure is designed to reflect the likelihood of being able to re-book a date. For that reason, payments are non-refundable after they are due (this is known as "liquidated damages" in legal terms). However, any payments made in advance of the date they become due will be refunded.
Q: Do you include a light show?
A: Yes. We use multiple professional lighting effects to create a party atmosphere on the dance floor (the exact number and type of lighting fixtures will vary at each event, depending on several factors). Again, there is no additional charge. Of course, you may ask that they not be used if you prefer.
Q: Do you use fog machines or bubble makers?
A: No. While fog machines do create a nice effect when used with the lights, they tend to create an unpleasant odor, may be problematic for certain people with breathing difficulties and can interfere with a venue's HVAC or alarm system (for this reason, many venues restrict or prohibit their use). Bubble makers can be dangerous by creating a wet and slippery dance floor. For liability reasons, we do not use either.
Q: What about strobe lights?
A: No. Strobe lights can trigger seizures for individuals with certain medical conditions, and you may not always know who among your guests is susceptible to them. Due to this liability, we do not use them.
Q: Do you use laser effects?
A: Our collection of professional lighting fixtures does include limited use of lasers. Due to federal restrictions, however, those effects may not be suitable for use in some venues. If you have any questions or concerns about the use of laser effects, please let us know.
Q: Will you meet with us in advance to go over everything?
A: Yes! We generally get together with clients 2-4 weeks ahead of time to discuss your event, get requests, set the timetable, and answer any questions you may have. Usually, this is a face-to-face meeting, but we can also meet by telephone or video chat if meeting in-person isn't possible.
Q: How early do you arrive to set up before an event?
A: In general, we like to have two hours of setup time. Usually, it takes less, but that gives us plenty of time in case we run into an unforeseen problem.
Q: How long will it take for you to tear down at the end of the night?
A: It takes about an hour to tear down and pack up our equipment. If you are required to vacate your venue by a certain time, it's important to allow for "load-out" (as well as the general cleanup of decorations, etc).
Q: Can you play special requests from my guests?
A: Absolutely! Our fully-digital music library includes more than 12,000 songs, and we are also able to immediately download songs that we may not already have. So we are happy to take requests (unless you tell us not to). However, please note that we cannot play music from a CD or MP3 player provided by a guest.
Q: But I have a special song on a CD or MP3 player (or even vinyl record) that I really want played. Can you do that?
A: In most cases we can, so long as we have access to it in advance so that we may preview the material for quality and legal considerations.
Q: What kind of music do you play?
A: All kinds! Our library includes everything from Big Bands to Current Popular Hits to Country to Hip-Hop. Whatever your musical tastes are, we have it covered. And, of course, we respect your request not to play a certain artist, group, or genre of music.
Q: Have you played at my venue before?
A: We've done events at most of the reception halls and party rooms in the area at one time or another, some more often than others. For those places we haven't been, or haven't played at often, we take extra time to contact the venue and make sure there are no surprises.
Q: How much space do you need to set up? What kind of power requirements?
A: We request that a 10'x10' area be provided with a minimum of two power outlets (preferably on separate circuits) within 10 feet of that area. Most professional venues are designed to meet these criteria.
Q: Do you need a table and chairs?
A: No. Our setup is fully self-contained and we provide our own chairs.
Q: What type of equipment do you use? Do you have backups in case something breaks?
A: Our professional setup includes Electro-Voice and QSC speakers and amplifiers, dbx sound processors, Sennheiser & Shure microphones, Chauvet & ADJ lighting fixtures, Furman power conditioners, Denon professional mixers, and Dell & ASUS computers. Although the exact nature of our setup will vary according to the venue and type of event, full redundancy is always built-in to our entire chain in the rare event of an equipment failure.
Q: Do you hang banners or advertising signs?
A: No. There is no advertising of any kind on our setup (although we do place business cards where guests can take one if they like). We strive to be as unobtrusive as possible.
Q: How will you be dressed?
A: That depends on how formal your event is. Generally speaking, we will be dressed the way you would expect your guests to be.
Q: Should we include you in the dinner count?
A: That's entirely up to you. Providing dinner for the DJ (and the photographer, videographer, etc.) is always appreciated, but not required. If you would prefer we not eat during dinner, please let us know.
Q: If there is a bar at our event, do you drink?
A: No. We never consume alcohol when we are working.
Q: Do you provide a wireless microphone for our guests to use for the toast or special announcements?
A: Yes.
Q: There's a special song I want played, but I can't remember the name of it. Or, I need some ideas for special songs for the bridal party dances. Can you help?
A: Absolutely. We'd be happy to make recommendations or help you track down a song.
Q: I have more questions.
A: No problem... feel free to contact us by phone at 419-306-0732 or via e-mail at chris@ckdg.com