Who’s Running This Show?

Veteran wedding entertainer Carmen Tomassetti sets us straight on who’s calling the shots at your party.

Question: I’ve been calling DJs, trying to narrow the list down to ones I’d like to meet, and I’m surprised by some of the resistance I’m finding: I say I don’t want the “Electric Slide;” one promises me that his is actually really great and “different,” and that I’ll love it. I tell another I don’t want him to take requests from guests; he absolutely insists that he’ll do it anyway. I say I don’t want much in the way of announcements or talk; another one promises that all his “jokes” will be really funny. Are these vendors just not a good fit for me, or am I trying to micromanage their duties too much?

Answer: It’s important to remember, as you plan, that your wedding day is in fact your day, says Carmen Tomassetti, CEO of Manayunk-based CTO World Entertainment. “The [music] professional you hire should have experience—and as an expert, should certainly offer valuable suggestions,” he says. “But that’s as long as it does not conflict with your gut feeling” on what you want your event to be.
Also, he says, micromanaging is hardly telling your vendor what you’re looking for as far as your musical entertainment. “That would be more like telling a DJ how to accomplish his/her job by specifically plotting out every detail of the performance.” Because, after all: There are brides who expect their DJ to be the life (and leader) of the party—and then there are brides who don’t want the DJ being the focal point of their reception. “Either way,” says Tomassetti, “a professional should be able to accommodate these requests.” — Chelsea Solitrin

Image, photos.com

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