Enjoy our answers to the most common questions our clients ask:
What type of sound gear does JR Music Collective provide?
JR Music Collective offers two complete sound systems with every wedding we work. In some cases we provide a third system for a cocktail hour or similar when there are three distinct locations. All systems are setup and tested prior to the ceremony so that your musician/DJ can move from one location to the next along with the wedding guests and ensure smooth transitions. At the end of the day we circle back and tear down all the gear.
The ceremony system is set up so that it covers the audience evenly and also stays out of wedding photos. The setup includes a wireless headset mic for the officiant as well as a handheld wireless mic for any readings or vows.
The reception system is a traditional PA with stereo mains and all DJ gear plus FX lighting for the dance floor included. The reception setup includes a wireless handheld mic which is available for speeches / toasts. Here are few pics of our reception setups:
Do you provide lighting for the dance floor? What about uplighting?
Yes! Every package we offer comes with FX lighting designed to spread color and movement around the dance floor. In many cases this can help your reception feel more like a party.
We also offer uplighting. This type of lighting becomes part of the decor of the room, highlighting walls, columns or accent pieces. Uplights are low-power-consumption, high-output LEDs, that can be programmed to any color. Uplighting is available as an add-on at $35 per light, 9 lights minimum, including delivery, setup & teardown. Here are some pictures and video that explain more:
Do you attend rehearsals?
JR Music Collective musicians and DJs do not attend rehearsals. We choose this approach for two reasons:
Reason #1: Most weekends our staff are out working weddings and many weekday afternoons and evenings we’re out working public and private events. Most of the time we’re simply not able to make it to rehearsals from a scheduling standpoint.
Reason #2: In light of our extensive experience, having your musician attend the rehearsal is simply not necessary. By asking a few simple questions to the right people the day of your wedding (what will the cue be to start the processional? who is the last person walking in before the bride?) we can quickly and efficiently gather the info we need to make our song transitions at exactly the right moment. Those who will be performing the processional music LIVE we will be able to adjust the length of each song (longer or shorter) to fit the moment when people are walking. Our DJs are skilled at fading or looping songs when needed and with some input from you on specific parts of songs we can blend everything together as you like. You just walk at whatever speed you’d like and we’ll take care of all the timing issues.
Can we choose the songs we want for the ceremony and for dancing? How do we share that information with you?
Yes, absolutely. We want our couples to have as much direct input about their wedding music as possible! We want the day to reflect you as a couple and not us as a company.
Many of our couples select specific pieces for each special moment during their day (i.e. processional, recessional, first dance, cake cutting, last dance, exit song, etc.) and we’re happy to help them do so. We provide each of our couples with resources and an online questionnaire designed to provide us with all the info we need for each wedding. You can provide as much input as you want or we are happy to help curate the music too.
Can our musician learn a new song for our wedding?
Absolutely! Each of our musicians has a setlist with all the songs they currently know and perform. Our musicians are always learning new material so we do our best to keep the lists updated. Couples can have their musician learn and perform a song not currently on their list for a small fee($50/song) If you would like us to learn, perform and professionally record our version of the song, we’ll do so for $100/song.
7. Does JR Music Collective staff make all the announcements at our wedding/reception? Can they direct our guests so that everyone knows where to go and what’s happening next?
Our musicians and DJs happily make any and all announcements needed at weddings. This includes things like introducing the couple, announcing special dances, cake cutting and toasts, as well as directing your guests at various times. In general, we think of ourselves as the master of ceremonies at your wedding and want to make sure you and your guests always know what’s happening, what’s coming next and how they can be prepared for it. We are also happy to MC a game if needed.
How early will our musician/DJ arrive on site the day of the wedding?
Since we’re normally setting up and testing two or three different sound systems we like to arrive between 2 and 3 hours prior to the ceremony. Our preference is to setup in a relaxed fashion, not rushing at the last minute or stressed out, which can add to the stress of your day. This extra time also allows us to trouble-shoot any issues that may arise and fix things before the day begins. While we can certainly setup faster if access to the venue is delayed, we prefer this longer window of time.
I’m ready to book my musician, how do I complete the process and secure my date?
Booking your wedding with us involves two steps:
1) signing a contract through your online portal
Our contracts establish the basic logistical information about the wedding (who, where, when, etc) and detail the services we’ll be providing. They also set the terms of our agreement related to the sound gear we’ll provide and the policies we’ll use in case of cancellation, sickness and failure to perform.
2) submitting a retainer payment
The retainer payment for each wedding differs in amount since it is calculated as 25% of the total package price. Most retainers are somewhere around $500 or $600.
What types of payment do you accept?
We accepts payments through Maroo. They accept payments of card(with a small fee) or ACH(no fee). We also accept checks by mail.
What will my musician need on-site the day of the wedding?
Our contracts require our couples to provide a few simple things for us on the day of the wedding:
A 6 foot table with linen adjacent to the dance floor on which we can place our DJ gear
Access to reliable power within 100 feet of ceremony, cocktail hour and reception venues. (We don’t mind running extension cords to power but we don’t carry more than a few hundred feet of cord. Plus, if there’s no power we need to know ahead of time so we can reserve you a generator or battery power supply.)
Provide food for your musician/DJ to eat (either the same food you’re serving your guests or a vendor meal from your caterer).
Have a back up plan in case of rain. This means that you have access to a covered space (tent or indoors) or that you’ll allow us to use a pop-up tent to protect our gear if there is potential rain or extreme heat in the forecast.