Pigeon Forge Knoxville & Gatlinburg Disc Jockey Services DJ TRAXX in The Smokies (865) 207-6579

Hiring a Great DJ Takes the Worry Out of Your Event

Posted on April 4, 2012 by DJTraxx

Have you ever been to a reception where the Disc Jockey was not at all what you thought they should be and yet no one wanted to say anything to the Bride and Groom because it was their special day, even though they were thinking the same thing and wanted to make the best of a bad situation. This happen more than anyone thinks and it happens in my area as well.

Hiring a great DJ will take the worry out of your reception from start to finish. It’s not even so much about how many years they have been a DJ (although helpful) it is if they “Get It”. If the Disc Jockey gets that they are there at your service to provide the best music for your event and to keep things moving in smooth direction then you have nothing to worry about.

If you are heading into the event concerned about your DJ and if they will be great for your guests, it is normally to late to change your mind and hire a new DJ. However, it is not too late to take the DJ by the headphones and make sure they “GET IT” before your event starts. This is normally a good thing to do two weeks before your event.

Make sure they understand what music you want, make sure they know how the event is suppose to go, make sure they are going to dress professional, make sure they know where they are going, make sure they understand your standards and can meet them. Now if you have hired a great DJ then none of this will be a concern of yours because they will have handled everything and put your mind at ease.

Bottom line go with your Grandpas advise a trust your gut. If your gut is not comfortable with your DJ you need to make a phone call and make sure your gut is comfortable with your DJ. If you hire a great DJ then they will be the least of your worries when it comes to your special day or event. - Kevin Griffin – DJ TRAXX in the Smokies

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What DJs Should Do During the Reception

Posted on March 29, 2012 by DJTraxx

1. Look Professional – A DJ should always dress professionally by wearing a suit or tuxedo…no If ands or buts. Also the set up should be clean and not cluttered. Most weddings are elegant and classy and there is nothing like a unsuited DJ and wires showing everywhere to change the attended look.

2. Play your music – The DJ should play the type of music you favor along with a few songs that they know work for your group of guests.

3. Keep your reception going – Whether the DJ plays the right music, leads a few line dances, or has games your DJ needs to know how to keep the reception going from start to finish.

4. Have FUN – It’s okay for the DJ to look like they are having fun because a sad DJ is a poor DJ in my opinion.

5. LOOK out for you… the Bride and Groom – DJs should always look out for the best interest of the Bride and Groom, if they are not happy no one is going to be happy. The DJ should check in every now and then to see if there is anything they need. They should not bother the Bride and Groom constantly, however touching base doesn’t hurt either.

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Helpful Tips on Hiring a Wedding Disc Jockey

Posted on January 27, 2012 by DJTraxx

Wow! There are so many DJs out there that have great prices, tell Brides they are the best, and want to have your business before you even know what you want. Here are a few things to think about when you are wanting to hire a Disc Jockey at a Wedding Reception or Party event!

1. How do you know the DJ you are hiring is a professional and the DJ for you will make sure you actually talk to the DJ that will be performing at your event before you hire the Disc Jockey services. Many times you will talk to the head DJ who can sell water to a dolphin and may have the skills to DJ your event. The problem comes he/she may not be the one actually DJing your event. make sure you feel good about the DJ you talk to and that they seem to be a great fit for your event!

2. If you seem more knowledgeable than the DJ you are talking to about the event it will not matter the savings they might be able to save you because your event will NOT go well and YES I can guarantee it! Nothing is worse than hearing time and time again how bad a DJ was at an event and then finding out they got the cheapest one. Sometimes over a fifty dollar difference.

Look your guests deserve better as well as you do. Make sure that the DJ is one that can share professional ideas to enhance your event. That $50 or $100 you think you are saving at the time, yet are not completely sold the DJ is the one for your event, will seem like money you wish you would have spent on a better DJ. By that time it is way too late and EVERYBODY suffers.

Look at it this way. The extra money you are spending ($50 to $100) will be acting as an insurance policy on your event going off without a hitch. DO NOT get sucked into high priced DJ’s that offer a lot of bells and whistles that you may not even want, however it is what comes with their “package deal.” Do not get the cheapest DJ and don’t go with the most expensive. Go with your instinct and gut. If you feel awesome about the DJ then go with that DJ over trying to save a few measly bucks.

3. There are other things to think about, however the top 3 things to always think about when hiring a DJ is to find out if the company is reliable. What is their back up plan if they do not show or cannot make it. Get referrals. See what their word of mouth is. While I am typing this blog a great thought is to call around the area you are getting married and ask the event coordinator of that location who do they recommend.

Bottom line you want to gather enough information before you make your final decision and send in your deposit with the contract. Most events are a once in a lifetime event and you want it be an amazing experience.

If you have any other questions or need some help in your area call 865 207 6579 and I will be more than willing to help you out! Good luck with your event and have a wonderful day!

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DJ TRAXX in the Smokies Wins 2012 Wedding Wire Award

Posted on January 9, 2012 by DJTraxx

DJ TRAXX in the Smokies Wins 2012 WeddingWire.com Bride’s Choice Award! This is the first time he has been awarded this award! This means his DJ company is in the top 5% of Wedding Pros nationwide! The WeddingWire Bride’s Choice Awards™ recognizes the top local wedding professionals from the WeddingWire Network (Sevierville, Gatlinburg, Pigeon Forge, Knoxville, Seymour, Morristown, Dandridge, and Newport, Tennessee) that demonstrate excellence in quality, service, responsiveness and professionalism. Unlike other awards in which winners are selected by the organization, the WeddingWire Bride’s Choice Awards™ are determined solely by the reviews from over 1.2 million newlyweds. This is one of many awards DJ TRAXX in the Smokies has won by giving great DJ services to the brides and grooms that hire him year after year! He is highly respected in his community and favored throughout the wedding industry!

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Fun Music Facts #1

Posted on December 2, 2011 by DJTraxx

House of the rising sun by The Animals was recorded with only 15 minutes because the band was on a tight budget. In spite of that the song went all the way to number one in 1964.

40 billion songs are downloaded illegally every year, that’s some 90% of all music downloads.

In 2000, Guiness World Record credited Madonna as the most successful female recording artist of all time, with estimated worldwide sales of 120 million albums

Duran Duran took their name from a mad scientists in the movie Barbarella.

In August 1983, Peter Stewart of Birmingham, UK set a world record by disco dancing for 408 hours.

The Beatles song “Martha My Dear” was written by Paul McCartney about his sheepdog Martha.

Garth Brooks was the first country artist to sell over 10 million copies of an album?

Global sales of pre-recorded music total more than $40 billion.

Britney Spears has sold over 76 million records worldwide according to TIME magazine.

Jimi Hendrix, Janis Joplin, Jim Morrison and Kurt Cobain were all 27 years old when they died.

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DJ TRAXX in the Smokies says Happy Thanksgiving

Posted on November 23, 2011 by DJTraxx

I want to wish you a Very Happy Turkey filled, Thankful infused, Giving empowered Thanksgiving! I know we all have things going on in our lives that will make us miss someone, wish things were different in some way, and feel life is not always fair. Some of that maybe true so take a moment to remember those we will miss, think about if your wish is a need or a want in your life weighing you down, and think about how blessed you really are through all of life’s unfair twists and turns. Once you have taken a moment to do this then take the majority of your day to show those who are still by your side how much you love them and care for them, go out of your way to make a difference in someone else’s life, a focus on all the “fairness” that is in your life today. If you do this today, tomorrow, and begin to do this everyday your life will be different in a great way and all your “unfair” moments will be over shadowed by what is “fair” in your life. Just something to think about

DJ TRAXX in the Smokies

Have a Happy Thanksgiving and God Bless!

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Things Brides Should Know Before Planning the Reception

Posted on November 17, 2011 by DJTraxx

I have come up with a few things Brides and Wedding Planners should take into account while planning the Wedding Reception. There maybe a few more things, however this will give you a great start.

1) If you are getting a dance floor make sure you purchase one that is not huge and will accommodate all your guests, instead get one that can fill up quick because a packed floor makes for more people dancing the night away!

2) Make sure the main songs you select are appropriate for what you are using them for in the reception. Example: “I Will Always Love You” sung by Dolly Parton and Whitney Houston is a song I tend to steer brides away because it is a song about two people who can no longer be together, however will love each other forever. Not a good song at a wedding. Although a great song and the singers sing them well it is not the message you want for your reception. Make sure all the songs you send are not couple songs for the Mother/Son Dance or The Father/Daughter Dances it’s just odd. Just something to think about.

3) Make sure you place the entertainment in a location close to the dance floor so they can be part of the energy of the room. Nothing is worse than the entertainment being in the far corner and the dance floor being on the opposite side or 25 feet away because there was no where else to place them. It’s a smart thing to have all entertainment as close to the Dance area as possible.

4) Try not to place a table in front of a DJ set up or band. The music needs to be up lifting and a decent sound level to have that “celebration” feel. If you have to set people in front of the speakers of the entertainment make sure it is the last table filled and no older people are near. Older or Wiser people tend to find loud speakers unfriendly.

5) Please keep all doors closed to the main room. An open door allows extra light in side the main room you may not want and allows your guests to move freely about the reception venue when you want a mostly captive crew. You do not want your guests to stray off..they might miss something. Keep all the main doors closed is a great idea in most cases.

6) If you are deciding to serve “liquid spirits” at your reception the best place for it is in the main room. People gravitate to the bar and you do not want them gravitating away from the main area of the reception. Nothing is worse than having the entertainment fight to bring people away from the bar and dance. You want people to have a great time, dance, and remember your special day was awesome!

7) Select songs that everyone will get into. Select music that either hits the majority of your crowd and will want to get them up on your dance floor. You may want to add in some of your unique songs in the dinner portion of the reception, however you want the dance portion to be music most of your crowd can relate to and has heard before. PLEASE NOTE: You will not make everyone happy with every song trust me I know, however if the mix is right you can make everyone be apart of a really great time!

8] Leave some of your miusic up the the professional you hired. They have been doing this for a while, or at least longer than you have, so give them some freedom to use music they think will get your party rockin! If you are seeing the music they are selecting outside of your list of music is not working then by all means get in there and safe your party or get one of your friend to step in and save the day.

…to be continued

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Breast Cancer Awareness Thought

Posted on October 5, 2011 by DJTraxx

Please remember everyone affected by Breast Cancer. Those who have fought the great fight and laid the path for others, those who are fighting for life and for the friends and family who love them, those who caught the cancer in enough time and are loud voices for prevention, those who spend hours of time researching for a cure and will never give up til they do, and for those who will donate-support-help charities in the common goal to find a way to cure ALL cancer! It will happen one day we simply can’t give up!

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How to pick the right music for a Wedding Reception

Posted on August 17, 2011 by DJTraxx

It is always important to pick the correct music for your wedding reception. It is your wedding reception and it should be the one and only one you will plan for…so it’s a big deal or is it? Being a DJ in the Knoxville, Gatlinburg, Pigeon Forge, and Sevierville TN area I have performed at a thousands of receptions to know the secret to picking out the right music for your wedding reception.

The key to picking out your music is not really hard at all. Make sure it is music that means something to you and your fiance’. You want the key dances like: Intro Music, The First Dance, Mother/Son dance, Father/Daughter Dance, Cutting the Cake, Bouquet and Garter toss, and your exit Music to be meaningful to you and make you smile. The rest of the music should be music you can relate to and makes you and your crowd dance. DO NOT worry about picking every song, instead give your DJ a general list of ideas that will work for the dinner section and then for the dancing section of the reception. Your DJ should be able to work with that. If your Disc Jockey is wanting every song picked out you probably should go to a different DJ because that DJ should be able to feel the crowd when they are there and work from the guidelines you have given them.

Anyone can be a DJ with some equipment and some music. You really want a DJ that has your key music selection or that is willing to provide it themselves. Remember you are hiring them to provide both music, sound, and sometimes professional lights for your event. Now if you have an odd music selection and you really want it by a certain artist then you may want to provide the song for them. NO DJ should expect you to provide your music requests to your own wedding reception, why hire them in the first place?

Sometimes you can’t make up your mind on which song would be best, that does happen. For example: You may want to use two songs for the first dance. Pick one song for your first dance and then use the other one for your cutting of the cake or have the DJ use the other song when your guests are initially invited to go begin the food process that you have chosen. There are many ways you can incorporate your favorite songs.

In closing make it fun, don’t stress about the music, and make the music meaningful to the two of you. Bottom line if your friends and family are having fun and dancing you will have created an event that will be a lasting memory for you and your guests! I hope this has been helpful in planning your special day in your life:)

Posted in Dancing, Disc Jockey, DJs, Gatlinburg, Music, Pigeon Forge, Sevierville, Tennessee, Wedding, Wedding Reception | Leave a comment

Djing in the Great Smoky Mountains

Posted on June 16, 2011 by DJTraxx

Being a DJ in the Great Smokey Mountains is great! Covering Knoxville, Sevierville, Seymour, Pigeon Forge, Gatlinburg, Newport, and Townsend there are so many places to entertain! We are the top three destinations to get married at and I hope that we can make that #1 someday soon! With so much to do in the Great Smoky Mountains it is easy to know why this are is in the top three! It is always a great drive to and from an event and you never know what you might see next! Crazy visitors, wild animals, or a great view captured by the mountains and the sun! I enjoy being a DJ in God’s Country what a blessing it truly is everyday!