Featured Vermont Wedding DJ: Mike Toomey

Mike shares advice for wedding planning, and what distinguishes him as a wedding DJ!

Advice for Couples First, congratulations! It’s exciting to get married, it’s wonderful to be married, and you’re almost there.

My best advice is to plan everything you want, share everything you want with your vendors, and trust them to make it happen!

Everyone involved in your day has the goal of making your wedding exactly what you want it to be. Share what you’ve imagined and know that your vendors will bring it to life. And once you’ve shared everything and your day finally arrives, relax and enjoy every moment. You won’t need to check the time, check if something or someone is ready, or wonder what’s happening next. We’ll take care of all of that for you.

I started with SuperSounds in 1999. I’ve played at between 500 and 600 weddings. That’s given me the chance to get to know so many of the photographers, officiants, banquet coordinators, wedding planners, and videographers all over Vermont. We’ve all worked together many times and many are my friends. We trust each other and know that we can make your day happen exactly the way you want it to happen. If you’re working with vendors with the same level of experience, you can trust us too.

In the months before your wedding, we’ll exchange email and you’ll let me know everything you’ve planned. When we get together on the phone a week before your wedding, we’ll review all of your plans. I’ll ask lots of questions, including the names of all of your vendors. Most of them I’ll know, and if there are any that I don’t happen to know, on the day of your wedding I’ll make a point of meeting them hours before anything starts. With that, I’ll know everything you’ve planned, I’ll know everyone who I’ll work with to make it happen, and you’ll know that we’ll make your wedding exactly what you imagined.

Why would you hire me as a DJ?

Fairly regularly, guests come up to me at weddings and say “I’d love to be a DJ – I love music.” I tell them that I love music too, but to really be a good DJ, you need to love people. Music is how DJs create a fun atmosphere where people can relax and get to the place where they can really have a great time. Getting your friends and family to that place is the goal of a good DJ because the DJ cares about your friends and family. It’s what I care about.

And as a DJ, playing for weddings is a lot of fun! If it isn’t fun, the DJ shouldn’t be doing it. It’s possible for the crowd to have fun if the DJ isn’t, but it’s a lot less likely. Personally, I’m looking forward to your wedding. I know it will be fun. Getting the dance floor packed is fun for me every single time!

Now, almost any DJ with a bit of experience knows how to get people on the dance floor at the beginning of a party. Most DJs do everything they can to keep all of the guests there. While I certainly want to pack the dance floor, I know that pacing is essential and I believe my most important skill is knowing what to play when – a skill that’s only developed with lots of experience. I appreciate that there’s so much to enjoy at your reception – all the special things that you’ve planned and all of the special people that are there to celebrate with you. While it’s fun and important for me to have a full dance floor, it’s far more important to me to make sure your guests also enjoy the two of you, each other, and everything that makes your day unique.

So I’ll make sure to play the right songs at the right times so everyone both has something they’ll love to dance to and also has plenty of time to be with you and enjoy everything about your day.

And at the end, I’ll bring them all back to the dance floor. People say that first impressions are important. I agree, but I really want to focus on the last impression. I always save some of the best songs for the end of your reception; songs I know will get everyone who isn’t already dancing back on the dance floor. By picking the right songs and knowing when to play them, I’ll bring all your friends and family together to celebrate the two of you and what a fantastic day it was. That’s the last impression everyone will be left with. That’s what I strive to do every time.

While I judge my success by your happiness before and during your day, I also judge it by what happens after the party is over. When the lights are on and the caterer is cleaning up, if your family and friends are still chatting away and don’t want to leave, that’s success for me. I know that I’ve created a fun atmosphere where you and your guests did relax and did have a great time. That’s what I wanted to do, and I always do everything I can to make it happen.

At the end of the party, when you’ve made the memories that you’ll always look back on fondly, I love knowing that I had a part in it. Sometimes, I get a review after a wedding that confirms that for me. Here’s part of one of my favorites from WeddingWire.com:

If you’re having reservations about who to have DJ your event let me assure you that they turned this cynical skeptic into a true believer!! Get Mike Toomey to DJ your special event and you’ll have the best memories of your life!! I know that I’ll probably still be talking about this event on my death bed and die with a smile on my face. Thanks a million!! cheap at twice the price!!

Since you’re considering SuperSounds, you already know that it should be a given that your DJ will spend significant time preparing and making timelines to ensure that all details are covered; checking equipment and backup equipment and that everything is appropriate for the venue and number of guests; preparing your special music and backup copies; setting up hours early and testing everything; and checking in with you and your guests during the party to confirm that the volume is just right and everything is going the way you imagined. That’s all true with me, like it is with any good DJ.

What distinguishes me is that everything I do is done specifically to make sure you and your family and friends enjoy every part of your wedding and have memories that you’ll all keep forever.

Like I said at the beginning, you’re almost there. Have fun with the planning and of course, look forward to the day. I hope that I can be a part of it!