Should you book a DJ or a Live Band for your wedding?

Often times, a couple will decide between going with a live band for their entertainment or booking a DJ. Sometimes it will be a family member or friend pushing for one over the other, but the best answer to this question is... you need both!

A live band is a great choice to keep the dance floor moving - especially if you book the right type of band to match your guests. However the band (in most cases) performs only for the 2-3 hours during the dancing portion of the evening, leaving the remaining 3-5 hours of the wedding unattended!

The band also usually plays 45 minute sets, which means that there will be 15 minutes of silence or generic background music during their breaks (perfect time for the DJ to keep the energy up and dance floor moving!). Working together, the band and the DJ can provide the best of both worlds and keep the dance floor full the whole night. However the main reasons why a DJ is so essential is that the DJ provides so many services beyond just the dance floor music. This is why the best option is the have a DJ as your 'foundation', and the live band as your dance entertainment.

Here are the main reasons why you need to (if it's in the budget) book both a DJ and Live Band for your big day:

• You need the DJ for the ceremony as the DJ will be playing not only the pre-seating music, but the songs (on visual cue!) for the bridal party entrance, bride's processional, as well as the bridal party exit (recessional). The DJ also will be providing sound for the ceremony including wireless lapel and handheld mics so that the guests can hear the vows and officiant. The ceremony is often the most important part of the wedding in terms of couple's memory and of course if it's being video recorded.
• The DJ is the host and emcee of your event, and will not only keep the guests informed about what's coming up next in the night (and the night on schedule!) but will introduce and emcee the grand entrance, the first dance, the parent dances, bouquet and garter toss, money dance, all the games, etc. This is a key factor in keeping everything fun and organized, and keeping the guests engaged.
• The DJ provides sound for not only the ceremony location, but the cocktail hour patio as well as the reception (dinner and dancing). Without the DJ's multiple sound systems, couple's are limited to whatever the venue has on hand (usually not too much!)
• The DJ provides a personalized playlist for both the cocktail hour and dinner, and in most cases these playlists are professionally mixed for smooth transitions and optimal flow.
• The DJ also provides (in most cases) all the lighting and photobooth options which is a big part of the services we provide. Most weddings greatly benefit from uplighting, dance lighting, cake lighting, and monogram lights (as well as open air photobooths). Booking through a separate event or production company is usually much more expensive than going with the DJ.
• The DJ helps plan and coordinate the event, often working hand in hand with the coordinator (or taking the role themselves if their isnt one), which is usually worth the DJ's booking fee by itself.

For all these reasons we recommend booking the DJ in addition to the band for the best in not only entertainment but for a successful and memorable day !

Updates and Improvements Oct 2017

It's been a little while since I posted my last blog but I wanted to write that I am very thankful for all the experiences and growth that has been happening this year. We booked over 100 events in 2017 (so far) which was a huge milestone for myself and everyone who's been helping make Aon Events a top event company here in San Diego.

As for our ever expanding team, we now have two open air photobooth options for customers (a standard and premium) - both of which are excellent and offer unlimited prints and downloads - with the premium being the 'latest and greatest' photobooth model.

DJ Tigerlily has been going out to events a lot this year and each time the couple or client emails me to tell me how happy they are with her performance! I have also had DJ Antuan and Tony Kings covering events and have had the same feedback. Great job guys!

As for equipment and other updates, we are now using lapel and wireless microphones at most ceremonies to give even better coverage, we have started getting involved with twinkle and curtain lighting (which has been getting a lot of interest on instagram), and we are now trying to customize our standard and premium dance lighting for each event to give the best experience at each venue. We have also introduced the Custom Package along with wireless uplighting which has been very popular too.

As for me personally, I have been staying busy mid-week DJing at Ignite in Carlsbad and the Round Bar and Eagles Nest @ Pechanga Casino, as well as trying to fit in at least one club event downtown per month. I have also been emceeing the game shows and slot tournaments at Harrahs Casino which is alot of fun (I love talking on the mic!)

Thanks for checking in !

Danny

December 2016 Update: Busy schedule, expanding team, & Photobooths!

As I look back on this past year I find myself quite excited with the progress and direction of Aon Events! We were invited back to every one of last year's office, corporate, and school dances/events, were added as a preferred vendor to 5 new venues/wedding professionals, and met and worked with so many great couples and clients.

We also started adding photobooth options to our DJ packages, and they have been a huge success. By partnering with Carlos Medina and the rest of the team at MyDJs Photobooths, we were able to offer our client's one of San Diego's best photobooth services at a great price, and many client's chose to add this service to their packages.

What else was new? Well as usual there was a lot of equipment upgrades and continuing small improvements in all areas (kind of like the latest version of Apple OS!). We went to many new venues and expanded our service further north into Orange County and further east into Temecula. We also had enough bookings that I was able to keep several of 'the extended team' busy with events - Chris, Tony, & Steve all went out for several gigs and got rave reviews.

As for 2017, I personally will be focusing on more club DJ work during the week as well as expanding the company to our goal of 200 events per year (this year we hit almost 100). With a expanded group of excellent DJs on board, I am quite confident we can reach that goal! Our mission statement of 'professional and interactive DJ services at a great price' seems to be winning over client after client. We will also be looking to partner with other wedding vendors to offer more 'one stop shop' services, specifically in the areas of dance floor rentals and expanding pro audio/video services and setups.

Thanks for reading and I look forward to meeting you or who having one of our great DJs meeting you in person soon!

Ceremony Vow Amplification - Handheld or Lapel Mic?

UPDATE Oct 2017: We now usually use both a lapel and a handheld wireless mics for the ceremony. Both have their strengths, so when possible we use both to provide the best coverage and best possible sound.

Original Blog (2016): When it comes to the ceremony portion of the wedding, the question is often 'should we use a lapel microphone or a handheld wireless microphone?'. The answer isn't always so simple, as there are some things to consider. I spent many years as a Soundman/ AV tech before becoming a DJ, and have years of practice with audio equipment and sound. When it comes to wireless microphones, I usually recommend a handheld wireless microphone placed on a high quality boom stand, and the reason is mainly because the sound is usually slightly clearer, and there is a time factor advantage as well.

When using a lapel microphone, we attach the lapel mic to the officiant's tie and the transmitter to his belt. This of course can take some time and requires us to spend time with the officiant prior to the start time (not always possible). Another factor I have run into is the officiant's beard, as well as strong wind levels can rustle and affect the quality of the audio. One other factor is that since the lapel is static (as in placed in a fixed position), there is no opportunity to angle the mic closer towards the couple. This isn't usually too much of an issue, but sometimes a bride or groom will be extremely soft spoken and all the signal boosting available can't always compensate for that. However, when the officiant is 'beardless', the location is wind-free, and the bride and groom are all speaking at standard volumes, the lapel microphone sounds excellent and does a good job at picking up all three voices.

In most cases I find the handheld wireless microphone sounds excellent, and can be adjusted to pick up a faint talker. My suggestion is unless there is a need to have no microphone in the background of the ceremony pictures, the handheld wireless has a slight advantage.

Improvements to website and videos coming this week!

I am often asked for videos; of myself emceeing or leading a line dance, or just of the dance floors from previous events. I have been working on putting these videos together and will have them uploaded to my Youtube and Vimeo pages, as well as (hopefully) having them embedded here. This will give everyone a chance to see what an event looks like without having to actually come down to one, and to hear me emcee (so they know I don't sound like a cheeseball!).
Thanks and please leave any suggestions on further improvements that will help clients see what I can offer and bring to their next event!

2016 is filling up ! Please check calender for dates open!

2016 is looking to be the busiest year yet, with 8 weddings booked just this past month ! (January). I have updated my calender (upcoming events page), and am making sure I keep updating my calender,  so you can check my availability for your upcoming event. I have excluded all tentative and pending events, but will update the calender once a week. Please call or text me to confirm availability. Call now for your free consultation and how I can help make your event amazing!

New Equipment Updates!

I love equipment upgrades!

I am happy to announce that I have upgraded my main speakers from the EV 1000 watts models to the latest model at 1500 watts each (EKX-12P). This results in a more powerful and clear sound, even at lower volumes!

Also I have added a couple of wireless uplights to the uplight setup (this is a new technology but definately the way of the future). Wireless uplights allow the elimination of cables and extension cords (which looks better visually), as well as being able to place the uplight in areas where there is no power or far away from power sources.

Lastly, I have upgraded the lapel microphone for the ceremony. The new sennheiser model has great clarity and is an option for those who don't want the handheld wireless.

That's it for now!

New Speaker Stand Covers!

I am happy to announce that now that new speaker stand covers (also known as Skrims) are available! These were backordered for awhile but have now arrived and look great. Clients now have an option to ask for stretch or fabric type skrims. I have attached some pictures of both types, although as a default I will be using the new fabric style ones (as I have the past few events). It's the details that make the difference!

New updates to site!

October 25th/2015: Welcome to the DJ Danny Aon/XxEvents page! I have added a few updates to the site including an 'upcoming events' section, some updated photos, an audio mix, and some other improvements! I will be talking about events, venues, things I've learned from the hundreds of events, and probably alot about equipment here too (as I love sound and lighting!). Thanks for reading !