From a convenience and budget point of view this may seem like an ideal option, but if you look more closely, it might not be the best option for you. It seems that dozens of services (primarily DJ services) have jumped on the bandwagon of being the one-stop wedding reception superstore, offering everything from photography to decorations and of course their DJ services. Though this is not something Elite Pro DJ chooses to do, there are a couple of company’s out there that are pretty darn good at it. Unfortunately, it’s not all of them and it’s easy to get caught up in the pricing war between companies while losing sight of the important role that each of the services plays.
Being a DJ in the business for 35 years, I know how long it has taken me to hone my skills and expertise, Rome wasn’t built in a day. I understand the amount of time, energy and focus it takes just to give my customers 100% of the one thing I do, which is provide DJs for weddings, it’s a full time job. Just the thought of taking on another facet of the wedding services business is somewhat daunting to me. How could I possibly provide the same level of service, quality and attention to these other services that I do my DJ service? Yes, I could hire more people to handle it but ultimately the burden is still on my shoulders regardless.
I think there can be a positive to bundling services if the order of your priorities are right. For example, if you like the companies Photo-booth and up-lighting options and are going to go ahead and throw in the DJ service because you get a big discount for the 3 piece bundle, then you may be making very detrimental mistake. However, if you reverse this idea and are choosing the company because you love their DJ service and it gets even better when you throw in the other items, then you may do OK.
Things like up-lighting and photo-booth a really quite simple and require very little if any experience to provide. The same cannot be said for things like DJs, photographers, wedding coordinators, etc., These skills require considerably more knowledge and experience and are not just a run-of-the mill services that anyone can professionally provide. Some companies just randomly sub-contract the service out and take a cut of the price you pay for the service involved with this. Very risky for your wedding!
Bundling might be a fantastic option for some people, especially if you are very limited on time. However, in my opinion, you are always better off to look into the best of the best in each vendor category based on your budget range. The likelihood of any company that bundles having the best in more than one category is highly unlikely, so you may cut yourself short by not doing your homework. On the other hand I have heard great success stories with customers who have bundled with one company.
In conclusion, if you have the time, consider carefully looking at both options, either bundling or searching out each individual vendor separately. Just be careful not to fall into the trap of bundling in a critical vendor, such as a DJ, photographer or coordinator, just because it’s convenient or saves you a little money. If you find the exact DJ or photographer you want, and they offer lower skill options such as up-lighting or photo-booth for a discounted rate, then it’s hard to see how you could go wrong.
John Richard
Elite Pro DJ
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