Do you have a written contract?

Yes we do.  All of the details are spelled out in writing, which protects you as well as us, and reduces the odds of any confusion over the expected services.

Do you require a deposit?

We do require a non refundable deposit and signed contract in order to block out the date on our calendar.  The balance is due 14 calendar days prior to the event, unless you are on one of our payment plans.  Our deposit is typically $175 for weddings and $100 for other events.

Do you have payment plans?

Yes we do.  We can custom tailor a payment plan to fit almost any budget.  If you don't have all of the money up front, call us and see what we can work out.

What forms of payments do you accept?

We will accept cash, check, or credit cards.

Do you offer pre-payment discounts?

Yes we do.  We will deduct 10% of the total contracted price if the entire amount is paid at the time of booking. (Must be booked at least 4 weeks prior to the event)

Why are your rates not listed on your website?

We quote every event based upon the amount of time and work that will go into the specific event.  The type of event and location, the length of time of the event, the amount of planning required, whether lights are needed, time of year and day of week, etc. are all factors that are considered when preparing quotes.  Most weddings that we do cost between $600 - $900.

Do you charge for travel or set up time?

We do not charge for set up or tear down.  Travel will be calculated into the cost of the quote that you will receive.  If we run into excessive tolls, or need to stay overnight, which we run into when we do events on the Lake Erie Islands, those charges will be added to the cost of the event as well.

Do you help with planning the event?

Yes we do!  Depending on the event, there are planning meetings held where we will help with making the final arrangements for your event.  We also work with the other vendors, such as the photographer, videographer and caterer, to make sure that everyone is aware of the plan.  All vendors receive a timeline so that there will be no surprises the night of the event.

What type of music do you play?

This depends a lot on you.  At most weddings there is a good mix of people ranging from young children to senior citizens.  Because of this we try to mix things up as much as possible, taking into account everyone's interests.  Let us know what you do and do not want to hear, and we will do our best to get all of your requests in.

Will you take requests?

Definitely!  Let us know what you want to hear in advance, and we will play it.  If we don't have it, we will get it.  We will take requests at the event as well, unless you instruct us otherwise.  Also, if there are any songs that you do not want played, we will honor that as well.

How loud do you play the music?

During dinner and other early events, the music is kept low and in the background.  Once the formalities are over we will increase the volume level to a more festive level.  We will monitor the music levels throughout the event.  Everyone's opinion of a good volume is different, so if you feel that we are playing too loudly, or not loud enough, let us know and we will adjust it accordingly.

Do you offer games and interaction with the crowd?

This depends on what type of event you are looking for.  We will do anything from low energy shows (just announcements) all the way to high energy shows (includes games and a lot of interaction).  You get to choose the energy of the show.  Regardless of the level of the show, we work to maintain the focus on the guests and the bride and groom, and will never steal the show and focus on us.

When will you arrive at the event?

We will arrive at least 1 1/2 to 2 hours early to set up our equipment for most events.  It is very important for us to be completely set up and ready to go before the first guests arrive so that we will not be disruptive.

If the event is going well, will you play past your contracted time?

The majority of the time this will not be a problem.  If we do play past the contracted time there will be an overtime charge based upon the overtime rates in the contract.  Some of our packages offer unlimited overtime, so there would be no additional charge in that case.

Will you personally DJ my event?

Yes we will.  You will get either Chef or Murf, in most cases both, for your event.  Many of the larger DJ firms hire non professionals to perform at their events.  You can be assured that when you hire Chef and Murf that you will get Chef or Murf.

Will you let us observe you performing at another event?

If we have a public event scheduled we will certainly allow you to observe us.  However, the vast majority of events we do are private, and we are being paid to perform, not sell our services.  At the same time, you can be assured that we will not invite any potential customers to your event.

 Do you use professional equipment?

Yes we do.  Our system consists of a laptop computer, a professional BOSE sound system, and professional lighting.  You can be assured that we will be able to fill even large venues with quality sound.

Do you use digital equipment?

Yes we do.  All of our music, except karaoke, is stored on a hard drive and played through a laptop computer.  This enables us to quickly search for requests, and also allows us to better pre-plan the song lists.  This also allows us more time to tend to the details of the event because we do not have to be at the system the entire time changing CD's

Is all of your music legal?

Yes it is.  There are no songs in our collection that were illegally downloaded.  We do not use music that is obtained through P2P networks, or any other illegal sources.

Do you take breaks during the night?

We provide continuous, non stop music throughout the entire event.  There are no breaks in the entertainment.

Do you offer video montage services?

Yes we do.  We can do a video montage to your specifications.  You supply the pictures and song selections and we will take it from there.  Each picture will be scanned, color corrected and edited before we use them.  The montage can then be shown on a video screen at the reception, or can just be for you to keep.  Either way you will get a copy of it on DVD.  Additional copies are available for an additional fee.  Many DJ's offer this service, but few take it to the level that Chef and Murf does.  Please contact us for pricing.

Do you have clean edits of music for school dances?

You can always be assured that Chef and Murf will play appropriate songs for the situation. We do indeed have clean edits for popular songs, and will make sure that the event is kept clean and appropriate.

Why do DJ's cost so much money when they perform for such a short time?

There is a lot of behind the scenes work that goes into making an event successful.  We have initial customer meeting, preplanning meetings, event coordination, travel, set up and tear down, and the time of the performance.  This is on top of all of the time we put into keeping current on songs, marketing our business, and all of the other administrative tasks as well as the cost of the equipment and music.  We probably average 20-30 man hours of time invested into each wedding that we do, even though we may only play for 4 hours.