FAQ’s

Kalifornia Entertainment is a true wedding and private event specialty business, experienced with all types of wedding celebrations and protocols. Weddings are our passion and make up over 75% of the business booked through us.

The other types of events we do are high-end corporate functions, adult social functions (rehearsal dinners, anniversaries, retirements), school events, fashion events & shows, fraternity & sorority college events, store events, gym & fitness events, teen nights, bar & club events, and Bar/Bat Mitzvahs which all typically require a similarly high class approach and attention to detail.

Absolutely! We do not care what your orientation is. In our eyes, love is love! We give you the same exact type of care and quality that any other type of wedding or event gets. There is no discrimination from us. We do a handful of LGBT weddings and events every year and always get excited when we are booked for them. There is always a ton of energy and fun at them!

Mixing is a pretty important skill for professional DJ, but how a DJ does it says a lot about his or her style.

We come from a nightclub ad headliner background so mixing music with the purpose of creating seamless transitions between songs and maintaining the energy and momentum on the dance floor is of the an important factor.

Mixing for us is something we do on the spot, based on the tempo and “feel” of the songs and the reaction of the crowd. We don’t treat your wedding or event like it’s our personal nightclub appearance, and we don’t use your wedding or event to test out remixes that no one recognizes. But we do believe there should not be any dead air between songs and no strange clashes in music transitions.

Also, all of our music is radio friendly (don’t want to scare grandpa and grandma). We use clean edits but if you prefer us to use edgier or dirty versions later in the night, when it’s a younger crowd then we can do that at your specific request only.

Generally speaking, you will always be dealing with DJ Kalifornia (the owner). If he is unavailable due to a prior booking, we have a list of other DJ’s that we recommend and have worked with that will offer you world class DJ services. We NEVER overbook and only focus on doing a single event per day.

Short answer? Rarely. We may bring someone to operate our photo booth from time to time but generally, you will only have one person there…DJ Kalifornia!

We see it as DJing a wedding is a one-person job. DJs who always bring an assistant do so because they don’t want to carry the equipment, or they want someone to fetch them drinks, or they want to break down and get out of there faster at the end of the night. Many times they will charge you extra for this additional person, and we DO NOT believe that’s something you need to pay for or have to incur the extra costs.

We provide top of the line lighting for all events, including uplighting, wash lighting and intelligent software controlled club lighting at no cost to our clients. We use software to control what our lights do and where they are pointed. This is important because it creates an elegant and professional lighting design appearance. Amateur DJ’s will usually turn their lights on all night without controlling them properly and this is extremely unprofessional.

We also leave all lighting off until it’s time to party! Any important formalities means the lights will be turned off so that it does not interfere with your photographer or videographer. We do not, however rent out our lighting to people for their own usage.

We also strongly believe in not nickel and diming our clients for uplighting. Many companies will charge you per light or a large fee for a group of them. We include them in all of our packages as an added value to our clients.

Kalifornia Entertainment owns an enormous library of music in all formats, including international music for many different cultures and nationalities. We update our collection constantly, ensuring that we are able to provide the songs that our clients and their guests are currently enjoying.

Furthermore, we work closely with our clients in selecting the music for their event, and will gladly acquire any commercially available song that we don’t already own, at no additional cost. Because of this, we can virtually guarantee that we will be able to accommodate any request.

We subscribe to 4 different professional and most important, LEGAL, DJ audio pools so that every song we own is legit, has the highest quality and is the correct version.

Yes, DJ Kalifornia is fluent in Italian as a 2nd language and is also very experienced with Italian wedding traditions (announcing the Bomboniere, or making sure there are expressions of good luck such as “Per cent’anni,” Evviva gli sposa,” “Un bacio per la sposa,” and “Auguri.”) and music of many other cultures.

Kalifornia Entertainment is sought out for this differentiator and does between 10-15 Italian weddings every year.

We like to arrive 3 hours before the event to set up, do sound check and make sure everything is ready to go with no problems prior to the contracted start time of the event. We are extremely OCD about how everything looks and sounds. We hide all of our cables and make sure everything is polished and professional since we are representing you at your event. So making sure everything is 100% looks incredible, sounds incredible and ready before the first guest walks through the door is something we feel strongly about.

We’re proud to have one of the most rock-solid emergency backup plans in the DJ industry. We take the responsibility of performing for a wedding or other private event extremely serious, and we are both contractually and ethically obligated to do everything possible to avoid emergencies.

We have a group of 6 different on-call DJ’s that we work with and formed a collective with. These DJ’s all have the same skill set as Kalifornia Entertainment and have the same experience. They have the ability to show up at a moments notice and are prepared with appropriate attire, equipment, the music and paperwork for each wedding or event if need be. It’s a security blanket that we use so that our clients are ALWAYS taken care of.

In addition, Kalifornia Entertainment has a full set of backup equipment in case of problems. We believe our system is the most comprehensive emergency backup plan in Rochester, NY, and we are fully insured to cover any mishaps or issues that may arise — a worthwhile investment into our clients’ peace of mind.

Yes! We will come prepared with multiple copies of the contract guaranteeing our presence at your event, and an accurate and inclusive price. We feel that providing you with a professional legal contract is respectful of your time and presents the opportunity for you to review its terms and ask questions if necessary.

It also gives you, in writing, the terms of our offer, which is something that may not be guaranteed with other companies’ who give only verbal promises. You also receive a digital scanned copy of the contract, with all signatures, dates, and deposit info for your record keeping once the meeting is over with.

We are more than happy to provide you with references upon request, who are more than happy to discuss the quality of our performance and customer service. You will not be asked to “cold call” people to check our references; we will be sure to let them know to expect your call. We want you to feel completely comfortable in researching our services.

Out of respect for the privacy of others on their special day, Kalifornia Entertainment does not permit prospective clients to “drop in” on a wedding. However, our references, online reviews, and the information we provide you in our initial meeting will speak volumes of our experience, style, and professionalism. You can always come see us also at any bar or nightclub events and residencies that we DJ at.

Our presentations are polished and marked by artistic mixing and a professional “cheese-free” approach to announcements and microphone work. So cringey jokes or comments during MCing. We also strongly believe that the spotlight should not be on us because it’s YOUR day and all attention should be on you.

Many DJs think that it is their job to put on a show and be the center of attention at the reception or event. We believe firmly that your wedding is your show, and we have no interest in taking that spotlight from you.

Of course! We’re not at all attached to tradition – we’re here to incorporate the music you request, and to mix it in a way that will create the kind of wedding or event you’ve envisioned.

Somewhere along the line, the phrase “wedding DJ” became a bad word, synonymous with cheesiness. We couldn’t be any further from that image and we believe your event should be one big party with A LOT of dancing!

No! No! No! Absolutely not! We do not dress in any type of costume or distribute funny hats and inflatable instruments.

We do not harass your guests into joining us on the dance floor, nor do we teach people to dance, although the owner (DJ Kalifornia) is a long time BBoy and hip hop dancer that dances along side a local dance group, called Ground Control BBoys (pic of them together). He also teaches people outside of events how to do popular TikTok dances that you see on that platform.

So, if you are looking for some dance tips, he can help you out but only if you specifically request it or ask. The only props you would see at your wedding or event are the ones used for the photo booth, if you chose to have that option.

Our rates for weddings range in costs. We base our pricing on an objective structure that factors in what all you would like to have at your event without breaking the bank, and ensures consistency and fairness to all of our clients.

We are not in the practice of subjectively pricing events based on our estimation of your budget — for example, we don’t price events higher if a client is using an expensive reception site or if they were referred by a well-known wedding planner. Some local companies will do this in order to get as much money as they can from you.

Specific information on our pricing structure and services can be found on our Services page and we DO NOT believe in hiding that information. It should be stated that we strongly believe that you should not have to chase companies to find pricing.

Performance time, setup time, breakdown time, any applicable taxes, and ALL equipment (including sound systems, wireless microphones and lighting) for weddings.

Our flat-rate pricing is refreshingly easy to understand — there are no hidden charges, and all fees are clearly stated on the website and in your contract.

Note: Pricing is extra if you need sound & audio for a ceremony or if you would like a photo booth, or for any other private event other than wedding receptions.

Just as you pay a caterer for his or her expertise in food, you are paying Kalifornia Entertainment in large part for our expertise in music. We are more than willing to provide you with a multitude of suggestions based on your preferences, and we’re perfectly comfortable selecting most (or all) of the music if you aren’t interested in doing so.

Our extensive knowledge of music enables us to work with your requests and create a mood that reflects your tastes while creating a great atmosphere for all of your guests.

In addition, we specialize in addressing music “challenges,” whether combining multicultural musical styles or adapting unique or eclectic music tastes to the formality of a wedding or other type of event. We are also always available to answer questions or assist you in choosing the songs that will reflect your vision of your special day.

We encourage you to be as involved as you would like to be! Most of our clients place great value on music and probably have very specific ideas about what they want to hear. If you would like to select every song, we are happy to accommodate you. The majority of our couples, however, prefer to discuss with their DJ, in depth, their preferences and at least a few specific requests.

We pride ourselves on listening to our clients and respecting their input and wishes, while providing additional suggestions and guidance when appropriate. Rest assured, you will never hear songs you have asked not to be played, or genres you’ve told us you don’t like.

Our  typical “uniform” is a formal dark business suit with a shirt & tie with appropriate accessories. If  other attire would be more appropriate for your event, simply let us know your preference. All visible tattoos are hidden from public viewing as well.

We ONLY use the highest quality professional-grade equipment available, from companies such as Pioneer, Reloop, Native Instruments, Korg, RCF, Bass Boss, Martin, Chauvet, and American DJ. And we are all about using turntables at our events. It’s very rare to find a DJ that uses them in their setups, and we hear time and time again that this is something our clients absolutely love about us. Plus, we always let our clients rock out and have fun on the turntables while their guests go absolutely crazy with excitement when they see it happening!

Kalifornia Entertainment holds a full three million dollar liability insurance policy and a $25,000 equipment policy from a well known professional national insurance carrier. We are happy to provide you or your venue with a copy of our insurance policy and certificate upon request.

We always bring our own table to set up, but there may be times where one 6-foot banquet table, with linens, will be needed for the photo booth, in order to hold the props and photo printer. We also require adequate power near where the DJ will be set up.

Our equipment and lighting draws a lot of power, so having proper outlets that can handle this is suggested. No one wants a power outage or popped breaker in the middle of the most important day of their lives! If the venue does not have proper power outlets, then we will need to know before hand so that the right type of equipment is brought that will not cause issues.

Simple: We are a values-based company and operate using a very specific standardized set of protocols, from communication to event preparation. We have a strict amount of core values that we follow. Because we’ve placed such a high emphasis on having an ethical business or working one-on-one with clients, we’ve been able to grow without sacrificing any of the quality for which we’re known for. The diversity of our reviews and references is a testament to our company’s consistency and being able to offer quality services on a level that you will not receive elsewhere.

Simply put, we provide exceptional entertainment and the most accommodating and attentive customer care found in this industry. We give a certain element of uniqueness and professionalism that others try to copy but never are able to replicate.

We set the bar very high in the wedding industry and offer something that others can not mirror. We treat every client as family and make sure there are zero doubts about choosing us as your DJ entertainment company.