Wedding Hive Podcast
Giving you the tea and ALL the buzz in the wedding world! New episodes every Wednesday!
Wedding Hive Podcast
013- Secrets from TREGO The DJ: Creating Unforgettable Celebrations
TREGO the DJ shares his journey from Disney performer to Arizona's premier wedding DJ, revealing how his background in musical theater prepared him to read crowds and create unforgettable celebrations.
• Adaptability is key—Trego changes his style based on each couple's needs and the crowd's energy
• Song requests should be handled based on the couple's preferences, established during planning meetings
• For empty dance floors, focus on whoever is dancing and quick-mix songs at 60-90 seconds each
• Special effects aren't necessary for a great party—prioritize open bar, good sound, and central dance floor placement
• Trust recommendations when finding a DJ and ensure you feel comfortable during the consultation
• Communication with other vendors is essential for smooth transitions throughout the wedding day
• When selecting music, couples should choose special moments songs but can trust their DJ with general dancing playlists
• Having a plan for unexpected situations (like requests from conservative family members) helps prevent day-of stress
Find DJ Trego on Instagram and TikTok @trego.the.dj or visit triggerthedj.com
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Hey Queens, it's Kelsey and Grace back with the Wedding Hive.
Speaker 2:Giving you the tea and all the buzz in the wedding world.
Speaker 1:Let's jump right in hey Queens. Welcome back to another episode of the Wedding Hive podcast. Today we have the myth, the man and the legend. The best dj in the state of arizona, mr trego, is here with us.
Speaker 3:I want to like homer simpson into like please look away that was amazing. Do you have like an emceeing background?
Speaker 1:I know I do not, maybe you should be a dj you do. Oh, you're the contingency plan oh my gosh, thank you, I appreciate it kelsey's just going to show up when Trego can't make it.
Speaker 2:Yeah.
Speaker 1:Tap me and coach.
Speaker 2:We'll just play all the crazy bangers and it'll be great.
Speaker 1:Yeah, I mean speaking of bangers. I think you have a good yes or no for Trego today.
Speaker 2:All right, let's go for it. So, yes or no to urban line dances such as Cha-Cha Slide that, soulja Boy, cupid Shuffle? How do we feel about those Urban line dances?
Speaker 3:That's what her Google said that's what ChatGPT just spit out. That's really I'm going to expose myself.
Speaker 2:I said Siri, what are these like dances called? Because I wasn't sure. And urban line dances is what came up. Bless yeah.
Speaker 3:So anything that is too accessible I like reject. It must be because of my age or whatever, but I'm just like, uh, it just gives me like weird, like middle school, just like I have to do this right now. There's many other run-ins I've had with line dances that I'm not interested in, but like, if it's like shivers, if it's like something that's off the beaten path, that like people don't know about, I think that's a little bit more interesting. Does that make sense? Yeah, keep it. Shuffle, cha-cha, slide, wobble, even Copperhead Road. It's kind of basic. But if it's like you had to go take a class and figure out the instruction beforehand, I'm kind of more into that.
Speaker 2:Okay, I'm down for that. Like, is it shivers right now? It's really like a popular, like line dance, right, yes, ma'am, okay. Every time I go to the country bars I'm like what the hell is this? What are they doing? I'm like, I'm like, I'm like let me take a few shots and a drink and I'll know the dance right away.
Speaker 1:I know this I absolutely love dancing yes, after drinking because I'm the best line dancer at the country bars and let me just I know that you guys are like.
Speaker 3:you guys preach no cash bars. Thank you for doing the Lord's work. That's just what we need, I mean that's what we try we try to do the Lord's work, and that's part of it. No cash bars, we're begging, yes we're begging you Either open bar and, if it has to, I mean just don't do it. Don't do it, it's not worth it. Lower your guest count.
Speaker 2:Yes, I agree. I agree Because we want to have a good time. Heck, yeah, You're for good time and a long time. Yeah, do you want to start with your first question?
Speaker 1:I will. Okay, perfect. Actually, you have the first question. Boo, oh you're right.
Speaker 3:I right away and I was like okay, so obviously you're the best DJ in town. And what so awkward, that's, so crazy, that's like saying somebody's the best, like ice cream flavor.
Speaker 2:It's so subjective you want me to say you're the most mid DJ, yeah 100%. I'll limbo under your expectations 100% yeah, because go under and then like, if your expectations are higher, then it's like exactly okay, exactly so, regarding, though, djing, how did you even get into it? How did this come about this career that you have now?
Speaker 3:I'll try to make it brief. Okay, so I grew up singing, dancing, acting on the East Coast. I got my degree in musical theater. I got spit out with Disney Cruise Line six days after I graduated college, met my wife there, had a great time. She graduated college, met my wife there, had a great time. She wanted to keep working at Disney, but get off the ship.
Speaker 3:So we moved to greater Anaheim, if you will, and I was like an actor trying to figure out my life and quickly became very disenchanted with like audition culture and like you do this for me and it's just very slimy out there and whatnot. And so I wrote down in a notebook in 2014, should I host events for money? I didn't know how to get there, but that was my diviner of I'm going to move in this direction. I found a Craigslist ad from a big multi-op that they pride people in taking them from nothing to professionals, and so they don't want the 10, 15-year veterans, they want to build people from the ground up. And I quickly was like I like this way better than driving to Santa Monica for three hours round trip, three people who don't even care, look over your shoulder, pretend like there's Godzilla and then like next, that was a real, that was one of the breaking points. I was like I don't want to do that again and I just kind of it was like a glove that fit right.
Speaker 3:My whole life I've been performing. I gravitated towards it really quickly and then it's gonna sound cheesy, but I worked for Disney and so like there's an aspect of like you are trying to perform for other people, for the betterment of other people, and there's such a fit with that, with wedding planning and that's so true being on the wedding day because, like you know, you just got married, you've been in this for forever and it's like people don't know their ass from a hole in the ground and they're scared and they're nervous and they just want to hire vendors that will take care of them, and then it's like awesome.
Speaker 3:I can't believe that they like hire me, I would do this for free.
Speaker 2:Such a humble king, we love a humble king. Or would you say you're a Disney adult?
Speaker 3:About five years ago. I would have said I'm a Disney hipster, but I have a five-and-a-half-year-old and a little baby, so she's so into it.
Speaker 1:I love that. Yeah, for sure Grace. And I disagree on Disney. I love Disney.
Speaker 2:I made my husband a Disney adult and I got him, so now we just go like once a year, I love that for you and now he's like asking me when we're going. I said, wait, what Okay?
Speaker 3:I said I know I loved you. Do you eventually want kids?
Speaker 2:Yes, I do, yeah, exactly, and that's like moments we're super excited for in the future.
Speaker 3:I love that.
Speaker 1:Very cool. Trego, how would you describe your DJ style? Do you have a style?
Speaker 3:Oh, man, I love that question and I've gotten it before. It's just so hard to kind of put it into words. What I do right, because at the end of the day I gel with the couple, I figure out what they want. It's a service industry job. I have all these game plans in place, but until you're there you don't really know what's going to happen. So people are like are you on the microphone, are you not on the microphone? Are you regimented? Are you professional? Are you laid back? I have to read the crowd, I have to figure that out, and Brock has done a bunch of weddings with me and I'm sure every wedding is slightly different to meet the couple's and the crowd's needs. I really have this much energy.
Speaker 3:I think, naturally I'm a high energy guy. I don't market myself as that because I don't want to jump through the floor like Psy from.
Speaker 2:Gangnam Style.
Speaker 3:I'm like, I'm a guy, fire me, you want me?
Speaker 1:I'm the best. To our quiet conservative couples who are just trying to know.
Speaker 2:So you're more than in that sense. You're kind of whatever the couple needs A hundred percent.
Speaker 3:You feel like you can play that role and that's what I love about weddings it's like you're meeting that need.
Speaker 1:You know what I?
Speaker 3:mean, like you can do bars, you can do clubs, you can do festivals and all that stuff, but like we're trying to, you know, unite this couple together with 200 of their closest friends and family, throw them an amazing time and I am just really pleased that I get to be there for this chapter. Then they go have kids and they get promotions and they move away and all the things that I'm like, I'm always a part of their life in some way, shape or form. Like if I ever ran into them at the grocery store, I would know this and this and this and this and this. I'm so sorry about your dog. I'm sorry. You know what I mean. Like all of this stuff that like it's such a disjointed like world that we live in and it's hard to make human connections, and this is my vehicle for human connection.
Speaker 3:I love that you're like a chameleon in that I use that a lot, like you have to be a chameleon, to match the vibe, to be able to connect with the couple.
Speaker 1:Even if we have different views on things, that is okay, because I'm here to serve you and love you and be what you need me to be on your day.
Speaker 3:And you need to be. For the vendors out there, you need to be ruthless during the sales calls. So when those red flags pop up before anybody's exchanged money or signed contracts or anything like that, if you don't feel like you can serve their needs to the utmost of the ability, then you're going to either not do that or you're going to do it anyways and resent them, and neither of those are fair am I humble, but aren't good opinion.
Speaker 1:I agree, I also love what you said about. I thought of an exact couple. I love what you said about just walking life. Because this is such an important moment. One of my couples I will this was. It was a couple I worked so, so, so hard with and her dad passed away like a year ago. And I felt it and because we worked together, we walked that. You know that ceremony and I'm like, oh my gosh, I feel like I've lost a loved one, because I'm grieving this loss with you.
Speaker 3:Did she experience her wedding and then the father passed?
Speaker 1:Correct Yep. So her wedding was a few years ago. And then to, like you know, she's now a mom and I'm like, oh my gosh, you're getting it, girl. I'm so happy to see what you and your husband are doing. And then boom, to feel that hit with a couple, which means you're an incredible vendor because you love your people 100%.
Speaker 3:You have to first and foremost there's no room to resent them you have to put all the cards on the table, understand what your boundaries are, and you get better and better at that. In the industry, you don't wake up one day and say, oh, I've done 10 weddings and now I know I've arrived. It's a constant recalibration of it.
Speaker 2:Yeah, that's so cool so okay, like this one's like a hot topic. What's your opinion on song requests at weddings?
Speaker 3:goodness, um. So I always ask this in my planning meeting. I'm like, how would you let uncle bob comes up? He asked for something. How would you like me to respond? There is one end where it's absolutely no request. There's the other that's like work as many that you you can in, like this is for everybody. And there's the other that's like work as many that you can in, like this is for everybody. And then there's the in-between zone. So what I like to do as a professional DJ is, say, the bride and groom have the couple. The couple has requested no requests. What were you going to say anyways? And that way it sets the expectation that you're not going to play that request, but if it's a banger and you're on the way, I'm going to work it in. Does that make sense? Yes, that is the top thing. And like, and I clear it with a couple ahead of time so that they know that when uncle bob runs up to them, go, the dj said no request. It's like we're on the same page. Does that make sense?
Speaker 2:okay, that kind of answered. My next question is is how do you handle guest requesting songs not approved by the couple?
Speaker 3:100%, so I also have an event assistant with me, so I'm in the zone and I try to make sure my assistant is Carlos. Shout out to you, carlos, I love you. He's doing lighting and he's also talking to the people who are coming up. They'll come up to me always in the ear that has a headphone on and I will.
Speaker 3:Literally they'll come up to me, always in the ear that has a headphone on, and I'm like, yeah, talk to him, um, but like I just want all of my bandwidth to be present, you know what I mean. So he talks to them and we've both gotten threatened physically, emotionally, flicked off. Yeah, security called all of it. Oh wow, 10 years, I mean.
Speaker 2:Oh for sure, Every iteration has happened. Yeah, yeah, everything under the sun.
Speaker 1:Yeah, and that's so. I mean it happens People don't understand that sometimes the weddings are like mini Vegas parties. Sure People are like, oh, I'm sure it's just like so calm and quiet and I'm like no girl, we get down. There is nothing that phases us and we, we love it, we love the industry.
Speaker 3:What year did you get in the industry?
Speaker 1:Um. I came into weddings specifically in 21.
Speaker 3:Okay, so I I came in in 15 and the biggest change in the last decade is like it went from this like very canned, very planned, very like formality driven thing to 10 years later. Now it's like it's basically a private event at a club or a bar. You know what I mean. There's really no difference for the clients that I tend to work with.
Speaker 1:Yeah, yeah. So I have another follow-up question. Yes, ma'am, how do you handle explicit music in a conservative crowd, or vice versa, when the expectation has been set by the couple?
Speaker 3:What have they said? What's the expectation set?
Speaker 1:Well, you know, maybe you have a couple who is wanting this, just explicit music. And then you have the grandparents, who are more conservative and calm and saying 100%.
Speaker 3:I'm working for the couple and it says in my contract that they are my clients first and foremost. Even if somebody else pays, even if somebody else gets offended, they are my clients. I am working on their needs first and foremost. And if they want Mo Bamba, we're playing Mo Bamba.
Speaker 2:You know what I mean.
Speaker 3:Like so, yeah, so I just I really feel like like bless them, I hope that they understand that they are here for Mike and Molly or whoever the couple is. And just like I'm sorry, I always say you can always make me the scapegoat because the chances are I'm never going to see these people again, like the couple, is the one who are going to have a relationship with them, whether it's great or strained or anything in between. Like, just be like. The DJ is such a dick isn't he?
Speaker 2:I told him not to play that I thought he was way taller.
Speaker 3:His LinkedIn profile said he was way taller. You know what I mean?
Speaker 2:I don't know, but just throw me under the bus, yeah, make the couple look good 100%. Yeah, love that. Okay, keeping on kind of like song requests, should couples have a set playlist for their wedding night?
Speaker 3:Great question. So there's two buckets in planning a wedding, and the one bucket would be special songs for formalities, things that are underscoring important events walking down the aisle, first dance, whatever it may be, I can't pick those for you. You're the ones who are going to be hearing it for 50 years from now, like if.
Speaker 2:I choose.
Speaker 3:I love Beyond by Leon Bridges. This would be a great first dance song for you, and they hate the sound of his voice Like I can't you know what I mean Like that doesn't work out.
Speaker 3:So I would say that's very heavy on the client to like. I can give you recommendations and I do give them recommendations, but ultimately this is your homework. Everything else pre-ceremony, cocktail hour, dinner, dancing, any permit, permutation, uh of the playlist I'll take as much say as you want to give me. I have the very most type A couples and they give me a list and they have an idea and all of that stuff. I try to talk them through. Expectations of this is what I'm seeing. This is how I can maximize the dance floor. I can play exclusively off of your list. But how many weddings have you DJed? I don't mean to throw that card at you, but do you want the people to dance or not?
Speaker 3:You know if you only want to hear your iPod shuffle. We're going to play your iPod shuffle, but I can't guarantee if those people are going to dance to that, because you're not giving me freedom. You're getting you're tying my hands behind my back. That's fine, but that's a scenario and that's an expectation that we set, and most of the time I check them at the sales call. I'm like you're not for me, but the other side would be like the very most laid back people. This is the general vibe. This is what we're looking for and in those consultations mainly the planning meetings, I should say I'm trying to pull information out of them.
Speaker 3:What concerts have you been together? What song? What's our song? What are there any like? You know groups of friends, of friends that like oh, we're all called like the trojans and like we like, because one time we had like this, like um, I'm trying I'm not doing a good job of like, explaining this, but like, like these, like I'm trying to get into the groups that are there and the psyche and vet those requests ahead of time so that when somebody comes up and they go I swear the groom really wants to hear Baby Shark right now you can be like. We already talked about that, yes, Whereas if they just come up to me out of the blue, I'm like what are you even talking about, Girl?
Speaker 3:What? What are we doing? You know what I mean. So I just try to do as much homework with them, even if they're very type A, even if they're very type A, even if they're very laid back, understand what they want, understand the expectations, and then I do all this preparation and then I just be present Like that's the biggest thing is like I have all of these crates made and all that stuff. 85% of the time I don't even look at it, but I have it. Do you know what I mean? And that's what is being a professional is like I'm ready to go. Brock might not need his second and third camera, but he brings it anyways.
Speaker 1:You know what I mean, that's true. I, you're making me think, uh like, do you have a psychology degree? Cause you know how to get into people's head and really understand their motives, their thought process, who they are, how they function. Like that is a good ass DJ. I appreciate it. I take pride in this.
Speaker 3:Like it's what I'm obsessed with and I think what's really crazy about DJing weddings specifically is it's DJing emceeing a technical aspect of it, professionalism, onboarding your client, making sure that they're having a great time, it's lighting, it's obviously taxes, it's all of these different things that you can just keep going down the music history and just keep going down the rabbit hole and learning more and more and more and more. So I never feel like I've arrived anywhere. I feel like I'm constantly learning all of these things and I would say like applied sociology is kind of part of that.
Speaker 1:Yeah, that's good, yeah. How sociology is kind of part of that. Yeah, yeah, that's good yeah. Um, how important is it on wedding day for you to communicate with vendors to make sure there's like good, uh communication and smooth or smooth, transitions?
Speaker 3:A hundred percent. It's everything. And you know, I would say I have this working theory. I don't know if it's fully fleshed out, but I would say that all wedding vendors have a special part of the day and so, like you know, everybody drops off all the pretty things. The wedding planner makes it look great. The ceremony is for the wedding planner, the cocktail hour is for the photographer and the videographer, the dinner is for the caterer and the reception is for the DJ, and so if I'm not one of the main parts of that, I totally like lie in the background. I'm just a supporting cast helping out. We need to move this up, we need to push this back. I can vamp whatever you need to. When open dancing starts, I'm like can we please turn off the floodlight on the dance floor because it's killing the vibe and stuff like that. Because it's now my turn to you know, complete the promise that I made the couple. Now my turn to you know complete the promise that I made, the couple.
Speaker 1:Does that make sense 100%? I rely so heavily on the DJ yeah, you really do, and have worked with some really shitty DJs and I'm like why am I doing your job Literally? Please don't make me do your job.
Speaker 3:I'm sorry, I'm sorry Give us something Give us something. It's so rough I mean, I think that's why I have a job, though is like you don't have to be great at any of this, like you have to be good at a bunch of things that don't necessarily connect, and I would say my strength is not having glaring weaknesses and then, when I do have those weaknesses, working on them and constantly bringing everything up. So I would definitely say I'm a jack of all trades, master of none. Yeah, bringing everything up.
Speaker 1:So I would definitely say I'm a jack of all trades, master of none, yeah.
Speaker 2:Learner of life. I love it. Okay, next question If no one is on the dance floor, what do you do to get them up on their feet?
Speaker 3:That is such a good question. It happens. It happens to the best DJs. It happens like the last time that it happened was February 14th it was Valentine's day. I remember exactly where I was.
Speaker 1:Oh, wow, and.
Speaker 3:God bless your little tattoo bar. It was a tattoo bar outside. I left, everybody left the dance floor because of those tattoo bars. I don't like you but I understand, but I don't like you. We're on, we're fighting right now. We're arguing.
Speaker 1:Took my people.
Speaker 3:Oh my gosh, I'm like I get it, but like that's what welcome parties are for, that's what family tattoos are for.
Speaker 2:So someone had a tattoo bar at the reception.
Speaker 3:Everyone was gone out of the room. I was playing to nobody. It was a lesbian wedding.
Speaker 2:I was playing gay bangers. It was but I was like you're like so am I lying, I might be dancing but your boy still got it.
Speaker 3:And what do I do? Mix quickly play to. When you do public speaking. If you have a hundred people in the room, a thousand people in the room, 10,000 people in the room, you have to connect with whoever's in the front row. You have to connect with those people and they're going to permutate to everybody else people and they're going to permutate to everybody else. So I just, whoever is on the dance floor, we just feed the flame, feed the flame, feed the flame.
Speaker 3:I might even go up to them and be like, hey, it's just you guys on the dance floor. Like, if there's anything that you want to hear, come like I will provoke those requests because at least it's something. It's like kindling to the fire. You know what I mean? It's starting something, and so I would start with whoever is actually dancing. If you're not dancing on the dance floor, you don't get a vote period, you're not participating, sorry. And so I work with them. I quick mix, so we're talking 60 to 90 seconds per song to just kind of have some sort of stimulus for them. What else? Drastic BPM changes, drastic genre changes. I'm trying to shock them, I'm trying to get their attention without doing a line dance without being cheesy or overbearing and like I swear you're gonna get like some viral video of me in the next 10 years having a 2007 Britney moment shaving my head of being like the Ronnie group made so much money it's going to come, but like that.
Speaker 3:It's never happened yet and I don't know. But yeah, that's the worst feeling for a DJ is like I'm trying because okay, so here's what I say is like we're trying to create a fire on the dance floor. Not literally been there, done that, I'll tell you that another time, but not literally. But fire takes what like the flame, oxygen and fuel or whatever it is Like. I can see the triangle in my head. I can't articulate it. I'm just the fuel. So like, as a good wedding DJ who is going to match the vibe and not be too much or overbearing. It's not about them. I'm the picture frame and not the picture right, I'm setting this couple up for success. So like, if you want to party, it's going to be an even better party than you ever thought, but like if you don't want to party at all, that's the hardest thing because you're the spark. The thing, because you're the spark, the crowd's the spark. I can't be the spark. I want to part. I'm getting paid right now.
Speaker 3:I'm getting paid. I am supporting my family like DJing weddings. This is insane. This is the simulation, this is crazy, but I need somebody to help me out here, someone got to throw you a bone.
Speaker 2:Does that answer your question? I think I'm going back to what Kelsey said. I think you need to be like a psychologist or something Actually. Can I come over and like have a therapy session?
Speaker 1:Yeah, please be a therapist.
Speaker 2:Oh, my God.
Speaker 1:Listen to this playlist.
Speaker 3:Just send me that, just send me like an upbeat playlist.
Speaker 2:I'll just be like I'm cured.
Speaker 1:I'll be like I'm feeling sad today.
Speaker 2:Here's the seven songs you need. We need the playlist.
Speaker 3:I love it.
Speaker 2:It brought me back to life Do you think special effects are worth it.
Speaker 1:Strobe lights, smoke guns lighting?
Speaker 3:Such a good question. I was thinking about this, right, and I've seen so many permutations. I mean, I do about 75 weddings per year. I've done this for 10 years Probably COVID was a weird year, but 600 to 800 weddings somewhere in there or whatever. I've seen every permutation. I've seen people, like have brunch weddings on Saturday and they're amazing. I've had Saturday night weddings with all the bells and whistles go kind of lackluster. There's not like a placebo or like a control group that I can say. And then they added the cold sparks and it was a better wedding, Right.
Speaker 3:So the way that I build my wedding package, I have one wedding package. It's full day buyout ceremony, cocktail reception, no moving speakers, sound guaranteed for up to 250 people. Also includes uplights, If, if a couple gets nothing else, I am totally happy with this, Right. I'm like this is everything that I need. I need to show up with some amount of lighting, right, but this is everything that I need in order to do my job.
Speaker 3:If you have a certain aesthetic, if you see something on TikTok or Instagram that you want to replicate, go for it. You go, Glenn Coco, but like you don't need that, Like you know what I mean. And so, like the biggest thing that I would say as I was preparing for this interview is like there's so many free things that you can do that will maximize the dance floor. That will have a much bigger effect and a more controlled effect on the dance floor is like don't book a venue with the terrible sound ordinance. Don't have the lights on when people are dancing.
Speaker 3:Have the dance floor in the central part of the reception space. Don't have the lights on when people are dancing. Have the dance floor in the central part of the reception space. Don't have the bar outside. You can go down the list of like this makes it better, this makes it better, this makes it better. When the cold sparks happen, people are like, oh, that's cool. And they whip out their phone and all that stuff. Does that make sense? Like I just don't. I wish I could strongly say like, yes, this makes the wedding better, but I don't know if I can answer that no, that's not fair.
Speaker 3:I'm the worst salesman you're like. Honestly, you don't need any of this shit, it's true though.
Speaker 2:I think as long as you have a good playlist and a good DJ, do you really need all the special effects?
Speaker 3:to spend more money on it? I don't think so do you need an open bar or do you need specialty drinks.
Speaker 2:Do you need specialty drinks? We need an open bar over spending money on special effects of the DJ.
Speaker 3:Period. I co-sign that a hundred percent and that's coming out of my pocket.
Speaker 2:He's going to put it on the bottom of his contract. Please just have an open bar, no effects needed.
Speaker 3:I mean, I'm just out here screaming into the ether and you guys are doing the Lord's work 100%.
Speaker 1:So what tips do you have for couples when picking their DJ?
Speaker 3:Okay. So, first and foremost, I would say ask around, like if you Google Arizona Phoenix wedding DJ right now, I think 125 companies come up and those companies might not have one person. They might have. So you're talking about hundreds of people. It gets overwhelming really quick.
Speaker 3:Ask everyone you know your venue, your wedding planner, your photographer. If you book them ahead of time, your friends, your family names are going to start popping up, especially in this region, especially in this industry. Names are going to start popping up, especially in this region, especially in this industry. And once you start hearing that again, stalk the hell out of them. Find the reviews, reach out to people who you might know, like in, like mutual friends and all that. Everybody loves to talk about their wedding, even if it was in 2021, even if it was in 2017, whatever, even if it was long ago, assuming that they're still married I will put that caveat in there Assuming that they're still married, they still want to relive that big day over and over and over again If they got a random DM saying hey, I'm considering DJ Drago.
Speaker 3:What was your experience with it? I can't wait to talk about my wedding.
Speaker 1:Do you know what I mean? Like that's not overstepping, it's like having a baby.
Speaker 3:It's like having a baby. Everybody wants to talk about their experience having a child their wedding day.
Speaker 1:Let's talk about it.
Speaker 3:And so that is something that is totally appropriate, I feel. And then you should get on some type of consultation call or Zoom or in-person meeting or whatever that looks like, with the DJ. They should be walking you through things because they are the experts and this is a service, industry-based job, rather than them being like, hey, so this is it, what question do you have. They should be walking you through something, establishing themselves as the expert, and when you get off of that call or Zoom or whatever it is, you should have a gut feeling that they know that's somebody that you can trust. You can pass over your baby to them. If you don't have that trust, keep looking, can you?
Speaker 2:babysit my child. They're like yep, okay, you're hired.
Speaker 3:You're hired. Oh my God, you start Tuesday. Yeah, perfect.
Speaker 2:You start and then up till my wedding. Thank you.
Speaker 1:How soon should people be looking for their DJ? How far out are you booked right now? How soon should people be looking for their DJ?
Speaker 3:How far out are you booked right now? I have a sales call tonight for February 20, 27. Yeah, yeah.
Speaker 1:So 27 is coming out right now.
Speaker 3:Yeah, I try not to book before 18 months, but it's kind of like a password thing, like before that, where it's like a really cool planner or a really great venue or something like that. I'm like, all right, let's talk.
Speaker 2:You said I'll make an exception. I'll make an exception.
Speaker 3:And I would say the first three things that need to fall are venue, date and planner. If applicable, please get a planner, please. But like that, that would be the big three. And then after that, like your photographer, your videographer, your DJ there's probably other things but the things that if Brock's booked on that big day, he can send an associate. But it's not Brock, right. If it's another kind of creative, it's like, yeah, they can help out as much as they can with the planning process and maybe like the deliverables and whatnot, but like you want that person there, so like, jump on it, at least reach out. Are you available or not? So I would say like the sooner the better. Yeah, for sure, I will throttle you If I'm like you're being crazy. You're getting married 2028 on the moon. You can call me next year.
Speaker 2:You know perry's getting married on the moon.
Speaker 3:Oh my god, I bet she is so nuts, she that has had a crazy ricochet effect, yes, but now she's on all the do not playlists. Oh yeah, immediately, because she's so cringe really 100 100, which is crazy. It's her and bruno mars. I know, don't talk about my man, bruno, like that. It's not mine to say I've seen him live, I appreciate him.
Speaker 2:I love him. Okay, so you have seen Katy Perry live and her concert was the best concert I went to which one did you go to? Um 20, I was graduating high school 2015, so Prism.
Speaker 3:So yes, prism was sick, I went to Prism she put it on a damn good show it's a great album.
Speaker 1:Yeah, the album's really good too.
Speaker 2:Okay to wrap up.
Speaker 1:Well, no, you had some questions, okay, oh, like, what do you want to know? I want to know everything.
Speaker 3:So like I listened to your first podcast and then Cinco de Mayo, and then like your latest podcast.
Speaker 2:I love Cinco de.
Speaker 3:Mayo.
Speaker 2:I got a little crazy.
Speaker 3:You guys were starting it and I was like I can't cost during this, it's all going to be like very informational and all that. And then Cinco de Mayo happened and I was like, okay, all things are set and good to go. And so how, like in 30 seconds to two minutes, like, how did you guys meet? Like I know you just got married. Yes, you've been running a venue and planning wedding planning for years, literally. Tell me all the things Like how'd you guys meet?
Speaker 1:Yeah, so the elevator speech of this is our. Our producer actually came to me about a year ago and said I want to start a podcast. I'm like, okay, whatever, ran it off, ran it off. And then early fall we were in a meeting and sharing all of the chaos stories of the weddings from the past weekend. I kept expressing frustration because I'm like there are so many things that I wish I could put on a platform to shoot out for information, because I'm getting the same questions and people are in the same boat and I want wedding planning to be easier, I want people to have friends in it and I'm I'm trying to reach out in all of these webs and avenues.
Speaker 1:She got married at the venue that I'm at in September and so it was an insane fall season, had some big, big weddings, and so and he produced her, like I said, it just kept coming in the air I want to start a podcast. I want to start a podcast. So in January we started talking through it and said, well, we need somebody else, like we need a co-host. We did talk with some other people about it.
Speaker 2:Wasn't the right vibe, and then we were like wait, I'm going to grace them with my presence. Let's go.
Speaker 1:Grace would be perfect for this. So interviewed her and we were like do you think, do you think you?
Speaker 2:want to be my best friend. And she was like and now we have tattoos for life, that's what I was going to get to. That I was like, yeah, and then we got matching tattoos.
Speaker 3:Can I see them?
Speaker 2:Yeah, mine's right here. Oh, mine's under.
Speaker 3:What does it say?
Speaker 2:It's a rose.
Speaker 1:Okay, yeah, just a little rose, love it.
Speaker 3:I saw people lining up for that too, and I was like obviously not DJing.
Speaker 1:I was like Chris is so pissed right now we have a little yeah cards fell and here we are, and we're a little salty with the tattoos as well, just for the record.
Speaker 2:We thought they were free and we got robbed $100.
Speaker 3:Just like I got robbed at the bar with my drink. Did you see that? Oh no, what up.
Speaker 2:I saw the drink prices and I said I didn't see the drink prices until I was at the front I was like yeah, no, do you take like HSA cards? Literally. I don't have that much money. Do you want my social security number? Because, goddamn, we're robbing everyone?
Speaker 1:No, because there was a list when we walked up for the tattoos and they're like are you ready? And we're like, yeah, and they're like, what do you want? And so she's looking at the page and I'm like, I guess I'm doing that too. And next thing, I know we signed waivers, sat down.
Speaker 3:Within five minutes, like they're tattooing us Also, like you're not sober, no, drunk, we were super drunk and so, and then that, and then we were, and then we that, like a moral, like they shouldn't be doing that right now.
Speaker 2:And it was like, like she said, there was literally a whole paper of people who had written their names down, left their numbers to be in line. So we're like, okay, we'll put it in, like well, you're just ready. And we're like, well, isn't there like 20 people in front of us like it's fine? And so it was boom. I didn't even think to ask how much it cost. How much was it?
Speaker 3:$100 each For a quarter size For a tattoo that took four minutes.
Speaker 2:Yes, we were drunk, which probably wasn't the best decision, but we don't regret it. Second, the beginning of the event. It was all free. Yes, food, the drinks, everything was free. So I was like, oh, they hired these people and paid them X amount to do tattoos at this event.
Speaker 3:So I didn't think I would have to pay for it, just like you would at a wedding.
Speaker 2:And then we went into the other bar and I said Kelsey, you want to leave? I was like because I'm not paying $25 for one drink. It's crazy.
Speaker 3:And after I'd already spent $100 for a tattoo. Did they comp your tickets because you guys are like media? No, they weren't cheap tickets either. No, maybe this should get cut out. I love them, but I'm like what are we getting for what we're experiencing right now in that regard? And it was so like I don't know black and white. It was just like open bar, everything's awesome. And then it was like itemized, itemized, itemized, expensive. Like it was like can I get some drinks?
Speaker 2:I kid you not, it killed the vibe. I literally was like my fee here. I just spent a hundred dollars when I was not planning on spending a hundred dollars, and these drinks are insanely expensive.
Speaker 1:No, she finishes it and she's like do you like it? I'm FaceTiming my husband because I'm like shit, probably should get approval. Hey, babe, I'm getting another tattoo Surprise. And he's like wouldn't expect any less from you. Babe, you a little crazy. And then I like hang up. But she's like all right, $100. And I was like what? Nothing sobers you up faster than?
Speaker 3:being told.
Speaker 2:I need $100. We sobered up so quick that they didn't even talk to you about it before. No, I'm telling you, it was literally Traeger. We walked up to the. You're on blast, we're fighting. We walked up to the like a table and within five minutes, I like getting tattooed. There was literally no time to think so it was.
Speaker 1:I don't know if I like it it was so bad that, like we both walk away and I was like what just happened?
Speaker 2:I'm like transfer from saving, so I'm like.
Speaker 1:I'm like hey, babe, please don't order pizza, because I just spent our pizza money for the kids tonight like panicking. But then we went inside and there's like that taco bar and I was like can I just have one? Or like how much are they? And they're like they're available and I'm like, yeah, but like how much is it?
Speaker 3:like all of a sudden, I'm sure all my time documentaries will be filmed on you guys but hey, congratulations.
Speaker 1:Thank you for being a freaking winner. I know it's it's so weird.
Speaker 3:I felt really numb, so awesome during the last, like the days. I felt like what.
Speaker 3:I just didn't understand that people thought about because we're on a vacuum in this industry. We might team up for one event, but then I might not see you for years, months, years, whatever. And so it was really humbling that people thought I did a good job or am doing a good job, and then I just celebrated 10 years in the industry last week and I was like it came out and I was like, oh, this is crazy. It's just kind of like we're trying to figure out how to better serve our couples and just get better and better and better and better. It's just a piece of paper. People are very nice.
Speaker 3:Thanks for your votes, but it's just like nothing of paper. People are very nice. Thanks for your thanks, thanks for your votes. But it's just like nothing changes and like, honestly, the quick turnaround to like my numbness was like well, you're thinking about yourself. Like that's dumb. Like think about your clients Like you do the this is a service industry job. Like focus on them again and like I had a wedding last weekend, have a wedding last weekend, have a wedding this weekend I'm just trying to serve them Like it's just another day.
Speaker 1:It's amazing. Do you have any other random questions?
Speaker 3:for us. I have one perspective to present for you guys.
Speaker 1:All right.
Speaker 3:This is just recently that I have experienced it, but on one of your podcasts I think it was Cinco de Mayo wedding one your podcast, I think it was Cinco de Mayo wedding one um that you guys both said that you guys wouldn't get prenups, correct?
Speaker 2:Correct.
Speaker 3:Both of you guys and, like, we're just like experiencing that I don't have a prenup, shout out to my wife, but I think everybody should consider a prenup, and here's why I say that Having a prenup is just about what happens if the unexpected happens, right, and it's like a quick way of like. This is no longer my person. I need to protect my family, I need to get away from them, whatever. That is right and this is how we're just going to divvy up assets. And the other thing is, too, if somebody comes into a relationship with a lot of money and then somebody comes in with a little bit of money, there's still a way to split that up fairly to both parties. Right, it is a prenuptial agreement, right, and so it's just going to streamline the mediation process, if you will.
Speaker 3:You know what I mean For sure. It's exactly the same. In my opinion. All this was predicated off of an interview that I heard off of Flagrant with Andrew Schultz. They had a divorce lawyer on there and he was like I wouldn't have a job if people spent $150 and just had these conversations at a time. Right, just have it. Right, because, like, the analogy that I would give is like if something were to happen at your, you have a husband and six kids and you have a husband and a dog, right, yes, that like if something were to happen and a fire breaks out, there's a plan. Right, you teach your kids to crawl and go find the smoke and feel for the door and all the things. You hope that never happens, right. But like it's so easy to say, like 20-20 hindsight, like I wish that we had talked about that so that Fido's still with us or whatever, and so that was brutal.
Speaker 2:Bye Dallas, bye Dallas. I loved you for six months. I loved you, so months I loved you.
Speaker 3:So I think it's just a part of being prepared that I don't think people are going into their marriage having all the cards on the table.
Speaker 1:Yep.
Speaker 3:With the financial, with how do we want to raise the kids. We come from two different religions. We come from two different political viewpoints. All of that stuff needs to be talked about, and that's just one aspect of it. And I was literally like, okay, how do I convey this to you guys? What if something happens to my wife, for example, and she falls off the back of a car and she hits her head? She has a traumatic brain injury. She's totally different, she hates me, she doesn totally different. She hates me, she doesn't want to be with me. She's a totally different person than the person that I met and she wants to divorce me and like we don't have like a game plan in place for like separating and like like not putting my daughters through that and like, do you know what I mean?
Speaker 3:Like none of that works. I hope none of that happens and I understand you're like, well, I wouldn't have gotten married if I thought I would get divorced. I hope you you said this in the interview. I hope that nobody ever has to reach out to me to like I hold their prenups for them. I hope nobody ever reaches out to me, but it's in a filing cabinet just in case.
Speaker 2:Does that make sense? No for sure.
Speaker 3:Everything else has been like yes, I agree with that. I agree with that. Like you guys have good discord.
Speaker 1:When that question? When I answer that question cause I know I was drunk and I'm sober now.
Speaker 2:Love that. Yeah, we're usually drunk a lot. Love that.
Speaker 1:Did I say I'm just curious, because when my husband and I got married, I know I'm sure I said in it we had nothing to our names we didn't we genuinely were scraping quarters did I answer I wouldn't have then and I still wouldn't have today you said something about morality.
Speaker 3:You said, morally, I wouldn't have one.
Speaker 1:You're like I'm holding you to that. No, no, no. I'm so curious because we have, we have conversations all the time.
Speaker 2:I'm like not against them, but I just I don't know. Like, if you want to get a prenup, I think that's amazing. If that works best for you, I'm down for that.
Speaker 3:Well, have you on the flip side? Have you? Did you hear the drama that happened this season? Maybe not.
Speaker 3:I will keep everything very vague, but there was a venue that I work at quite a lot and both the DJ who was working at the pool during the day of and the DJ who was DJing the wedding that night told me this like all the story came together, that the groom was presented a prenup the morning of the wedding by the father of the bride and he ended up not signing it. The wedding was off, the family of the groom took their meals and went away. They had this really awkward wedding celebration but no ceremony and any of that stuff, and that was because the urgency of well, we're walking down the aisle at five. You need to sign this.
Speaker 3:And he just rejected that. Now is that guy the groom a bad guy? Maybe, maybe not. I don't know the specifics of it. I don't know what was in that prenup, but again like a prenup is an agreement of what happens if we have to separate.
Speaker 3:Do you know what I mean? It's not necessarily like we want this to happen. I just I would be remiss if I didn't like speak up, because there's a lot of people who are listening to this podcast of like we want to go into our marriage on the best foot and like hopefully never have. I don't want to have a safe word with my daughters if they get abducted and they call me.
Speaker 1:You know what I mean. But I do yes and like again like I said, we're having these conversations. My perfect example my brother-in-law and sister-in-law have four children. My brother-in-law passed away a few years ago. This weekend she came to me and she said hey, I'm working on all of my stuff. Working on all of my stuff. If something happens to me, you are listed as the caretaker for my four children. Is that okay? Do I want my sister-in-law to die? Absolutely not. Do I want to take on four kids? Absolutely not.
Speaker 2:But there's a plan. She's like I already have six, so four more would make 10, and I might actually have a heart attack and die.
Speaker 1:I'm trying to get like a nice luxury SUV. I luxury SUV, I am not trying to get a 12 passenger van in my life, but it's a plan in place. It is the if shit hits the fan, if something happens, we have a game plan and it is what's best for the children and family. So I appreciate your perspective, I appreciate your honesty. Thank you for sharing all the wisdom on it, because it is it's a big topic.
Speaker 2:So it is yeah, I just don't think it should be talked about.
Speaker 3:I don't think, if a partner wants to approach their other partner about, like, what would happen with this, I think we need to, as a society, start leaving that stigma, stigma right. If it's not right for you and your partner to sign one, don't sign one, you don't need like, that's fine. But, like I think, like normalizing having the conversation of whether or not we want to have one, what does that look like?
Speaker 3:All of those things I don't know and maybe don't do it Because again, like I, feel really passionately about this industry too, and I feel passionately about the couples who are getting married and we just I would be remiss Like as I'm listening to your podcast that was the one thing that, like cash bar, like like favors, can go F themselves.
Speaker 1:Like all of them, Like I was like yes, yes, yes.
Speaker 3:I was like yes, yes, yes. And then it got to that point. I was like, I just want to mention like this other perspective.
Speaker 2:So I love that we're here. I'm not here to. We're open, so yeah, I'm here for it.
Speaker 3:Good stuff that's not how I want to end this podcast. No, no, we have more.
Speaker 2:We have more the last thing to wrap up, before we wrap up today's episode do you have any wedding horror stories?
Speaker 1:oh, give us all the tea of course.
Speaker 3:I mean, you want to tell us one of your biggest craziest one, oh, man, to leave the.
Speaker 2:I mean, you want to tell us one of your biggest craziest one, oh?
Speaker 3:man, I mean so like I. I hope that none of this happens to you. The viewer Um, I had a father of the groom collapse at a wedding, have a heart attack, and like we were like playing, like pursuit of happiness, tv Oki remix and they were like we're getting the ambulance. He really likes the eagles and I'm like I got a peaceful, easy feeling like I think he ended up being fine. The bride was like in shock.
Speaker 2:She's like I can't believe this happened, because it's like her little wedding day.
Speaker 3:Yeah, then I had father the bride collapse in the hotel room before the wedding. The the mother of the bride rushes off the bride is inconsolable. She's finally like they actually ended up getting married during COVID time. So it was just cocktail hour and dinner. So cocktail hour was kind of effed and then dinner happens. They just go into grand entrance like in a bad movie. They're on the microphone thanking their crowd. Obviously these aren't the circumstances that we wanted.
Speaker 3:We're going to make the best out of it. Her brother comes up, whispers in her ear dad's going into surgery right now. They whisk them away. I am DJing a wedding without a couple there, without their parents there, without anything. We end up having a pretty good time. And then the last like 30 to 45 minutes, they end up coming back and we raged like it was on sale for $19.95, which was super cool, but and we raged like it was on sale for $19.95, which was super cool, but that was wild, super Dang. That's insane. And then I started a fire at a wedding.
Speaker 1:Drago Like a—.
Speaker 3:What are you doing?
Speaker 1:No, that's what you said you wanted to do, but this one— oh yeah, is this a real fire? It's a real fire, real fire. How did this?
Speaker 3:happen. December I had cold sparks next to pompous grass, the pompous, we hate it.
Speaker 1:It catches fire to everything. People do not understand how much pompous is trying to unalive itself, but I didn't know that right To be fair.
Speaker 3:So, like what happens is like I'm working with this planner who I really love, who loves this client. She wants to go above and beyond for them. I donate the cold sparks in her name. She wants to go above and beyond for them, I donate the cold sparks in her name. She wants to pay me for them. I'm like you're crazy. And so I just like bring them anyways.
Speaker 3:And then the florist as we're like setting up, we have this huge like row of pompous grass for ceremony, a semi-circle if you will and then we're going to repurpose that on the stage for reception, on the stage for reception During cocktail hour. She's like are you sure this is a good idea? I'm like it's fine. I've seen, like you know, all these like Chinese manufacturing, like these guys like running their hands through the cold sparks. I'm like it's great, that's great. Shot them straight into trees, like all that stuff. I was like this is great. And like we test them during cocktail hour Great, great, great, great. And then their saxophone player comes out in the middle of open dancing.
Speaker 3:I've forgotten about cold sparks because, like that's not a part of, like, my bandwidth. I'm just thinking about how to keep the crowd going. And she's like can you set off the cold sparks? I want to take a video. I was like, okay, so I do. I shoot them off and like the next thing I know they're up in. I'll show you the video. They're up in flames like high. I don't want to be hyperbolic, but eight feet 10 feet high flames. It was all going so slow that it was up on the stage where my DJ stuff was and I was like, well, if it hits, all of this is going on in my head, if it hits the ceiling, it's going to catch the whole place on fire.
Speaker 3:You need to get the fire to lower ground. You need to kick the pompous grass off the stage. I looked at my feet and said I'd rather get my left foot burned than my right foot. I can't get off with my left foot. So I can't make it work and you're going to see how quickly it is in the video. Like it's just like this is all happening in three seconds maybe, and so I kick it off.
Speaker 3:They end up getting everybody out and spraying it all down and it was fine and we'll get back to that in a second, but I ended up DJing like outside on the ground and then like this like outdoor patio and then it was paradise Valley, so everything closes down at 10. Then we go inside for like another hour or so and it ends up being a great wedding, super fun. The groom comes up to me and he's like my feet were hurting. Anyways, this is a great story, like we're great and so like. Then, like I go and everything is covered in like white ash and like it's like damage and all the things. And uh, and the florist is there and I was like, um, because we were talking earlier about like her referring me. I was like, yeah, so like my business cards like will be in the mail, like I'm me. I was like, yeah, so like my business cards, like we'll be in the mail, like I'm making a joke out of it still.
Speaker 3:Yeah, so dead I know.
Speaker 1:I'm making a joke out of it.
Speaker 3:still, my assistant's like oh my God, I could have died. My lighting designer was like I could have died. I was like, yeah, you're fine, it all like the adrenaline wore off and I was like somebody could have died, like it could have been like like there could have been.
Speaker 3:There could have been, there could have been bad percussions, you know what I mean and it was like really really rough, not a floor, so it wasn't your fault uh, I took fault with it with State Farm, the only thing I'm sure you're really grateful you had your certificate of insurance on file.
Speaker 3:I mean, it's like I and I will like break even on my insurance in like 20 years now because it's like so. I was worried because the venue made a claim for the stage and the carpets but like all the linens could all the rentals could all the. Nobody else came after me. I took it because I had a remote control in my hand. There was no fire remote.
Speaker 1:There was fire it's easy to take blame for it.
Speaker 3:It ended up totaling about $7,000 in damages. That State Farm took all of it. Heck, yes, which is great, but it also was like that was another part of the darkness. I was like am I going to?
Speaker 2:lose my house.
Speaker 3:No, but you know I don't want to cough up $7,000, but I could you know what I mean, type of thing. And so that was nice that they just took care of everything. Nobody else had anything to say, but it was just like. So it was like weird karma that, like the Coltsburgs weren't even supposed to be here, yeah, Like I didn't want to do this, like I didn't want to do this, like I didn't know about the pompous grass. Do you know that they?
Speaker 2:spray. Pompous grass with hairspray.
Speaker 3:I didn't know that. To keep its form.
Speaker 2:Yeah, all right, fuck you pompous.
Speaker 3:That's what I'm saying. We're over it.
Speaker 2:Everyone. Don't have pompous at your wedding.
Speaker 3:A hundred percent, please. Call me in 10 years it might be back, but right now it's gone. Don't do it. And if cold sparks are at a wedding where there's pompous grass, I'm like I'm not setting them up You're like not with a tentacle.
Speaker 1:I will give you a refund.
Speaker 3:It's not worth it. You know what?
Speaker 1:I mean, I had one more question for him really quick. Yeah, what songs should absolutely not be played in 2026?
Speaker 3:Should absolutely not be played in 2026. Oh, okay, well, we kind of cover line dances. I mean, here's the thing Like, at the end of the day, this is all your big day. If you want to play anything, I say you do it. You know what I mean. I've had the chicken dance pop off. I've had, you know, mo Bamba. I've had everything in between like Baby Shark, baby Shark, all of it. I shark, baby shark, all of it. I've had it all work. If, if people are into it, like you know, they're into it yeah, um, so, really, anything that would make you blood curdling mad to hear the sound of this person's voice if it reminded you of an ex-partner, girlfriend, boyfriend, whatever that is.
Speaker 3:Um, no, I mean, I'm like all fair game, but also like, just like, trust, your DJ trust your vendors, because it's super important to be like there's so many songs on the radio right now that are like fun to listen to. It's fun driving music. But like I need like a remix of it. I need a mash. I need something to make this more danceable because it's just like does not have the backbeat of late 2000s recession pop. It's not quite back Close, but it's not quite back.
Speaker 1:If any of our listeners want to find you, where is the best place?
Speaker 3:Trigger the DJ on Instagram. Triggerthedj on Instagram or TikTok, rather Triggerthedj dj on instagram. Trego dot the dot dj on uh instagram or uh tiktok, rather trigger the djcom for website and guys follow him on tiktok.
Speaker 2:We need to get him to a thousand followers.
Speaker 3:We might need to do like some sort of giveaway, if I get seriously okay, I mean there's lots of stuff in the works that I'm not ready to talk about yet. But just stay in contact, because there's gonna be ways that we are serving people and I don't necessarily have to be their DJ.
Speaker 1:Okay, perfect, I love it. Well, thank you for joining us on today's episode of the Wedding Hive podcast. Be sure to like, comment, subscribe and we will see you next time. Bye Yee.