This post is about keeping promises to the bride and groom, while preparing for big changes at home. Tonight I am going over the details for a wedding tomorrow. It’s not a wedding I am being contracted for. It is not a wedding where I am going as a guest. Tomorrow I have the distinct honor of helping my very good friend Chris Bouchard of http://bouchardentertainment.com/
His wife is having a baby at some point within the next week or so. Just in case he needs to go at be by his wife’s side should their little bundle of joy arrive early. The due date is actually toward the end of the coming week, but today was his wife Pam’s last day of work, and getting around has been quite difficult for her, so it’s getting really real.
Planning ahead
Chris is my kind of guy. He thinks ahead, he prepares. As the time drew near, and things looked like they might be a tight squeeze, he told the bride he was bringing me in as his backup. Of course he had asked if I would do it. 🙂 Initially I said I would back him up. I said it quickly, and without much thought. I just knew if my friend needed a hand I would be there. As I thought about it, I felt like I’d be letting him down if I didn’t go and do the wedding with him. After all, if he has the opportunity to to see his son born, I want to be sure he can do it. So I asked him if he would mind, and explained my rationale. Chris was grateful and agreed.
So I prepped for this wedding like any other. We talked to the bride together so she would be comfortable with me should I need to take over, and of course as is Chris’ regular course of business, to dot the I’s and cross the T’s making sure no detail was left overlooked. Now, here I am. Clothes pressed and ready, music all tucked neatly into the folders I would need should I be in charge, and my equipment checklist is ready to go for the morning.
Peace of mind for the bride, the groom, and the DJ
As a bride or Groom, you shouldn’t be burdened by those you contract with. Your service provider should treat you with the care and respect you and your event deserve. Chris thought ahead, and planned for his client to have the best wedding day possible, no matter what happened. That’s integrity. It’s a tough thing to screen for when meeting with potential DJ, photographer, or other service provider. The proof is in the work. That’s a hard thing to do, to put your trust in someone who recognizes it as their duty to ensure the client is cared for. That’s what is needed when you’ve invested so much in your event.
As for me, It’s my belief that we help our friends when they are in need, to the degree that we are able, but we gain much more than we give. I will get a birds eye view of how another DJ operates, processes and such. That alone is a great honor. I’ve been in business over 20 years, but I can always pick up something new, or share something that works for me. I am excited for Chris and his budding family. Just as I am for Heather and Stephen, the Bride and groom. Should Chris need to whisk away to be by his brides side, I will be ready to take the reins and ensure the bride who hired him has a caring soul to meet her needs as well.
I will post a follow up…. I’m posting this later than I should have. I wanted to get Chris’ permission first. The follow up is next 🙂
~Mike Mahoney – M&M Entertainment
