Know Your Wedding Vendors
Episode 2: Style Entertainment
Transcript:
Tommy
What's up, guys? I'm Tommy Kirkpatrick with Tommy Kirkpatrick Films, and I'm here with any more of style entertainment. Style Entertainment is one of the premier wedding bands and DJ companies in the Mississippi area. I've worked with them so many times over the years. They started in 2016 right around the same time I did. So I can't tell you how many times I've worked with them.
I've probably so much footage sitting on there and I know it's great. And that's because they put on such a great show every single time I show up and see that styles performing, I know I'm going to get a great reception video and that it's going to be a big party. So, Amy, thanks so much for being here today.
Amy
Absolutely. Thank you for having me.
Tommy
To start out, tell me a little bit about how style started.
Amy
Absolutely. So I've been performing live music for well, next year will be my 20th year and we started off in the college nightclub circuit. And then one day somebody that had seen us there asked us to do their wedding. And it was one of those things that was way out of our comfort zone. Like, you know, hey, this is not really what we do.
Amy
But I mean, if you really want us, yeah, we'll be there. So we went, we did it, and we fell in love with it. That first wedding, we I remember sitting there with my guys and I just I was like, looking around and I was going, This is what we need to do. This is it. And from then on, it was like full steam ahead.
Amy
Like I had to have it. I had to figure out how in the world to make this happen for us. And it was slow going for a little bit. But then something happened and bam. And we just we took off and we've been doing it ever since.
Tommy
That's awesome. So one of the things you all are known for is your brand, the way you dress, the way the stage is set up, the songs you perform, how you perform them, how did that develop along the way? Like from starting out, obviously you probably didn't know exactly how you wanted to do it, but then along the way, how did that style develop?
Amy
Well, you're exactly right. We didn't know for a long time how we wanted to do it. We were just up there doing our thing and and it was like the way you said developed because it was definitely developed and really it still is being developed. And then to, you know, like that, you said, Brand, I'm real big on branding.
Amy
You know, I love that most of the time you don't even have to wait and see our logo on the stage before you see our stage and you say, Oh, that style entertainment. And I really want the consistency of that brand to be something that our clients can depend on instead of having to play the guessing game. When you get any of the acts and sell entertainment, you know what you're getting because it's consistent, because it's our brand.
Tommy
Obviously with performing like you love performing and it kind of started with that. But what made you love the wedding industry more?
Amy
That first wedding that we did. I saw the couple on the dance floor together and I recognized because I was a newlywed and at the time I recognized how special that evening was for them. And they trusted me to help them make these memories. And these are memories you only have the one opportunity to make. And I couldn't believe what an honor I had been given.
Amy
I recognized that at their weddings they likely will never have the opportunity to have all their friends and all their family there in one room at one time on one night. Once you're married, you understand this will never happen for me again. And so I love that I get to be the one to help bring all those people on.
Amy
One dance floor. And I provide a lot of opportunities for them to interact with each other and with us and with the couple and build these wonderful memories that people like you get to capture for them.
Tommy
And I think that's what you hear a lot in the wedding industry. Whenever you kind of first see that moment of like, Oh, this is like an incredibly special moment and I'm getting to hear help facilitate this and like help this happen. And you feel just honored just to be a part of it, first of all. And then second of all that you get to play your hand in like kind of helping make it happen, helping make it better and more memorable.
Tommy
And what makes that job so much fun.
Amy
Absolutely. Absolutely. The memories made are just precious.
Tommy
Yeah, that's awesome. So let's talk about prep work and kind of how you prepare for a wedding and then also how you work with the couple to make sure the performance is not just a standard performance, but something geared towards them in their wedding. Sure.
Amy
So as far as serving the couples go, you know, there's a lot of communication and I'm sure you're familiar with that as well. So we have ways that we communicate to them what they can expect out of us, because that goes into their planning meetings with their coordinators and telling them, Hey, this is what you can count on us for now that you know what to expect from us, what do we need to do to fit into your day?
Amy
And in that we do include, you know, song choices and things of that nature because we don't want to give a standard performance because every couple's unique, every wedding is unique. Now, there are some things that seem to work well at every wedding, and we definitely advise our couples on those things. You know, like, hey, you know, if you will, you know, let us do these things.
Amy
I think you're going to make a lot of great memories. But ultimately they have the say so like, no, that's not for us. You know, we're really not that kind of couple. We really want this and this, and we do like to work together. You know, these are our strengths. These are your preferences. Let's see where we can find the crossroads of those and make that your day and make it perfect for y'all.
Amy
Yeah.
Tommy
And that's what I think is so special about vendors like you especially are those who can work with the couple to make it their day.
Amy
The way that I like to say it is, it's not just about creating music, it's about creating memories. And those memories are only going to mean so much to you if it's your day. So let's make it your day. How can we do that? You know, that's what I really care.
Tommy
That what's something you wish more couples knew before they even first reached out to you?
Amy
So, you know, I know a lot of times, especially in these days where you hear people talk about, oh, the big budget weddings and all the expense on weddings. And and it's true, they definitely are. But I feel like in the planning process, a lot of times what you're doing is you're looking at a piece of paper with numbers on it and you're not always thinking about what the value of each vendor is.
Amy
And so for me personally, what I wish that couples would think about before they even reach out to me for information is what what are they looking for out of me? What is the value? Your entertainment is the deciding factor on whether those people stay and enjoy the evening with you or whether they do cut out early. And so if that's what your goal is, then you should really consider that when you're making your entertainment budget and go do some research and find out what the national average cost is for your vendors before you say, no, I don't want to spend that, or yeah, that is worth spending that.
Tommy
I like the way that you put it as in what's your your goals for your reception? Because I've never really thought about it in terms of that. When you're thinking about planning a wedding, think about it in that terms of like, what do you want your reception to look like? And if you want it to be, you know, a party with like a lot of people on the dance floor and really engaging like that's, that's where you would want to say, Hey, look at style, because this, this we can help you achieve that goal.
Tommy
So kind of looking forward into the future, what are your plans for style as far as kind of keeping yourself established is like one of the premier wedding bands in the area.
Amy
What Premier I don't know that we are that, but that's a compliment. Yeah, thank you for saying that. But you know, I feel like one of the things that we do to continue to grow is that we never stop learning, you know? And I don't just mean that as far as like music, but just learning how to serve our people better.
Amy
Obviously, as time goes on, the couples that we're serving, you know, today are at a different place than the couples that we served ten years ago. And generations change and preferences change and music definitely changes. And so we continue to learn and grow. And then I think that I always try to come back to that heart of service.
Amy
And I do believe that when you serve your clients as if you're serving the Lord, that God will bless your business and that the days may not always be the best days, but the years will be great. And he will he'll hold you right there in the palm of his hands.
Tommy
That's awesome. That's a great note to end on, too, honestly, that it was really good to hear that. As much as we've worked together, it's really awesome to actually like hear you talk about your side of the business because I work with so many other wedding vendors on the wedding day and never get to hear like, Oh, what's your perspective on what it's like?
Tommy
I see you. We work together all the time, but never get to hear kind of what it's like for you on that side of the industry.
Amy
People don't understand how fast paced wedding days are and you go in and it is full steam ahead trying to get it all done. You're on a timeline and you're making it happen. And I mean, there's hardly any room to breathe, but I love it. I would have it no other way.
Tommy
I know. Yeah. It's always so nice to walk out, though, and see a familiar face to be like, Oh, yeah. Hey, there's Amy. Yeah, but then that's pretty much it until the end of the night. It's like, Well, see you in a month maybe.
Amy
Yeah, please. I'll see you next up. That's great. It has been great to sit here and talk for a second and get to know each other a little better. That's been awesome. Thank you for doing this. I think this is really cool what you're doing.
Tommy
So, yeah, I really enjoy and I really appreciate your time. Absolutely. Thanks so much, Amy.
Amy
Thank you.