Joined on December 31, 1969

Power House Sound

2011-10-04 19:26:26

I would tread carefully if considering Powerhouse Sound. When we were initially deciding upon a DJ, we screened our choices with a number of questions ranging from experience to company stability. Powerhouse Sound met all the criteria, as far as we could tell. Our experience goes to show you that meeting your vendors in-person is almost always a better method than through e-mail or even over the phone. While all-in-all our wedding reception did go well, it was not without some complications. Within the DJ's scope of responsibility, here is where we think they fell short:

1) The DJ's announcement of the bridal party's names was a bit tardy because of equipment malfunction. Not a major issue, but worth noting.

2) The DJ's speakers experienced a brief, yet alarming, feedback during our first dance song while he turned off his bubble machine - an aspect of the electrical service that he should have been aware of before our wedding. The resulting "pop" startled all our guests, including us.

3) Speaking of bubble machines, we asked that none of these items/props (e.g. disco ball, bubble machine, maracas) be used at our reception in the first place. We were unpleasantly surprised each time they showed up during the evening, and especially during our first dance.

4) The DJ accidentally played our last song of the night about half-way through the evening. We had previously provided him with a note explicitly stating our last song, yet he still messed it up somehow.

5) We realized on short-notice that our walk-in song was not accounted for - an error deservedly on our part. We asked if he had the song or could get it. We were surprised to learn that (a) they did not have a copy of the song already (it was not an obscure song) and (b) they had no means of grabbing up such songs on-the-fly, even though it was our mistake. Thankfully, someone in the wedding party had an iPhone and downloaded it for the DJ. I would recommend you find a DJ with at least 3G capability to fulfill any on-the-fly requests.

6) The DJ played an incorrect version of a song, even though we had spelled out in advance exactly which version we wanted.

7) The DJ's questionable mini pony-tail / undercut hair style was a topic of much discussion throughout the evening. The hair style appeared unprofessional and ungroomed.

8) The DJ repeatedly ogled our younger female guests, which was reported to us later in the night. (Had we known or seen this for ourselves, we would have immediately called them on it.) This was uncomfortable for our guests that did take notice and it was extremely unprofessional of the DJ.

9) We let Powerhouse know that our wedding would have moments of bittersweetness, as the bride's mother had passed away a few months before the wedding. Despite our reminding them only a week before that the bride's father would be introduced by himself, Powerhouse began to announce 'Mr. and Mrs. _____' before correcting themselves. Given the recent passing, this was an awkward moment for the father, our guests, and our wedding party overall, and could have easily been avoided.

On the plus-side, the volume was at an appropriate level throughout the evening. They can also play music - they do that well. And there were certainly people on the dance floor having a good time. I would however note though that the halves of the evening were unintegrated. Our party was primarily a younger crowd similar to our age, yet almost exclusively older music was played for about the first three to four hours of our reception. Our handful of older guests appreciated this and enjoyed themselves, but the majority of guests then did not get out on the floor until close to the end of the night. As a result, we felt our party didn't really start until about the time it was set to end.

The part where I think they fell short was their level of preparedness, professionalism, and polish. Powerhouse Sound will get it done, but I would not consider their services again or recommend them, as they overlook the finer details.