Well if you don’t have your DJ for your December event, you have just a few weeks before times become hectic. With Halloween and the holidays just around the corner, now is the time to book the rest of your DJ, or other Vendors for that matter. Also, you run the risk of not finding the right one since most of the good ones are already booked for the popular dates. This year it’s the first three Saturdays of December which are; December 1st, December 8th, and December 15th. All of which are already booked for me, including some Fridays and Thursdays.

December is the month when all the companies are having their holiday celebrations and a lot of people chose to get married to take advantage of all the days off. So finding vendors for an event will be difficult the more people procrastinate.

Some of my December dates were booked as early as March (Dec. 1st) because people know that the good December dates are gone in a flash.

So what to do if you have not booked your Vendors already?

• Find a local vendor.
  Use the power of the internet to find local vendors for Entertainment, Linens, Cakes, Reception Halls, Photography, video, etc…
• Call and make an appointment to meet at least 2 of each category.
  Believe me, the more people you interview the better your chances are on finding a great match for your vendor. You can compare they way they attend you, the way they conduct themselves and the options they have for your event. So the more you have to compare against, the better your decision will be.
• Avoid the upcoming Holidays.
  I will include Halloween in this, even though there is little to no expenses, for some people, during Halloween, it is a time where some of your energy is wasted and you can feel overwhelmed with “things to do.” Of course then there is the month of November when you are preparing to leave town for your Thanksgiving Celebration with family and friends, or better yet you have to prepare your home for the upcoming celebration and again, your mind and focus is in other things. Finally, you have to start purchasing gifts for Christmas. Less money in your pocket and less time to recover from the additional or unexpected spending.
• Make out a contract and leave a deposit ASAP.
  Most vendors work on a first-come-first-serve basis. It’s hard to hold a date for somebody that does not leave a deposit. If there is no contract, there isn’t any guarantee for either party. There is no guarantee that your vendor will hold your date, even if they tell you verbally, and there is no guarantee to the vendor that the client will chose another service, the week before the event.
• Feel good about not procrastinating.
  It feels good to cross things out of a to-do list. Give yourself that reward and that satisfaction that there is one lest thing to worry about.

So take my recommendation and try to have a contract signed at least by the end of next week for at least one more vendor. If possible try to have everything taken care of so you can enjoy the upcoming Holidays without anything in the back of your subconscious mind.

Happy Planning!

–
Francisco H. Perez
“Simply Frank”
Houston’s Bilingual Latin Wedding DJ