Three birds, one stone

Jan. 23, 2011

Three Birds, One Stone: Mike Staff ‘s one-stop wedding service
By Erin Crowell
Aside from the all-important “I do,” no other moment of your wedding
day brings forth the culmination of such hard work and preparation
than when the bride and groom enter the reception.
It’s both a crescendo and a sigh of relief.
Mike Staff of Mike Staff Productions knows it takes a serious
professional to get this moment right – the music must be cued, the
photographer must be ready and the camera should be rolling.
“Sometimes you have a DJ who sees the couple ready to enter, so he’s
ready to go,” said Staff. “Meanwhile, the photographer could be out in
the hallway taking pictures of mom and dad.”
Staff believes it’s moments like these that prove communication is key
to a successful wedding celebration – and why having a team of
professionals is essential in that execution. As a Michigan wedding
service provider, his business supplies individual DJ, photography and
videography professionals to make sure your day getting hitched goes
off... without a hitch.
“We have a group of individuals who can focus on what they love to do
and do it right. The client just has to call one number and contact
one place. It saves time and money.”
Doing so also allows each vendor—whether it’s the DJ, photographer or
videographer—to focus on his or her craft, versus the logistics of
booking, payment, etc.

CHECK YOUR EGO
“The people we get love to do what they do… and they do it well,” said Staff.
Mike Staff Productions allows clients to connect with 35 DJs, 25
photographers and 12 videographers – some of which work the wedding
circuit as a part-time gig.
“I have a president of a pretty large company doing DJ gigs, a couple
bankers, a guy from a TV station…” Staff begins to list, “and these
people love doing it.”
Having a passion for their craft is key in a DJ, Staff points out –
clarifying he tends to avoid those who use the name “DJ” as their
first.
“It tends to be an ego thing,” he said, adding that those types of DJs
will ignore the request of the bride and groom in order to maintain
their own reputation.
“They figure if a bride and groom’s song list isn’t getting the place
jumping, they should change it to save face,” said Staff. “Our DJs
know it’s about what the client wants.”

GETTING STARTED
Staff knows a thing or two about being behind the soundboard. He
booked his first DJ gig in 1986.
“I started out DJing for beer money,” he says, sitting behind his desk
in the company’s corporate office, located in Building 50 of the Grand
Traverse Commons. “It wasn’t until that year that I started getting
serious.”
Originally from Detroit, he moved to Traverse City in 1989 and worked
for WKLT during the week while spinning for weddings on the weekends.
It wasn’t until 1996, after moving back to Detroit (where he spent
time at 101 WRIF interviewing top rock bands and celebrities), that
Staff began booking his friends to DJ weddings.
“I got really busy and kept giving clients recommendations,” he said.
That time serving as the middle-man between other DJs and clients is
when Staff connected the dots.

HIGH STANDARD
Today, his business has grown to include other wedding amenities, a
collection of recommended photographers and videographers throughout
his 20+ years in the business. Each department is independently
staffed by an industry professional, including Wally Spice, director
of photography; Jason Chevatewa, director of video services; and
Staff, himself, overseeing the DJ & entertainment division.
All DJs, photographers and videographers must have a minimum number of
years experience in their field and complete certain guidelines
expected of them in their department.
“We’ve heard so many positive things about our professionals,” said Staff.
The company’s website boasts a hefty list of positive reviews and
recommendations from clients, and includes a slew of banquet
facilities (in the hundreds) that refer Mike Staff Productions,
ranging from Ann Arbor to the tip of the mitt.
“We’re really looking forward to working more in Northern Michigan,”
said Staff. “When I moved back four years ago, it was hard not to be a
part of something that has so much going on.”

If you’re looking to book your future wedding DJ, photography or
videography service, visit MikeStaff.com. Seasoned professionals
interested in working with the company may learn more by visiting the
website.