Eric was phenomenal to work with. He provided his MC and DJ services during our wedding reception. Planning: We planned our wedding from a long-distance, so we primarily met with over the phone. It was amazing how he read our tastes in music from our discussion. My fiance (now husband) and I were a challenging couple in that we didn't really have a great idea about what we wanted in music, timing, etc until VERY late in the planning the process. Eric was very flexible-- never pushy, but provided great suggestions and planning tools that helped us better articulate what we were looking for! During the Reception: Eric was a great MC-- he was never cheesy or intrusive, but very clearly communicated everything. He coordinated with all our vendors on the timing of all the events-- gave us warnings on upcoming toasts and decisions that were coming up so that we wouldn't be caught by surprise! For instance, when we were running a little behind, he gave us the head's up that the photographer would be leaving so that we could extend our photographer's time and start the events like cake cutting and speeches! He set a great pace for the night, and everyone had a great time. The music was a good mix of everything-- there was something for everyone. Our guests had so many compliments on the music selection! The music was so fun-- we danced all night! Once the music started, the dance floor was always full-- it was blast. Our venue was slightly challenging from an acoustics standpoint-- there were several rooms, and Eric set up speakers so that each room had a speaker and that everyone could hear. Many of our guests had been to wedding receptions at our venue before and had previously been challenged to hear the toasts and speeches, but we heard many comments and compliments on the work that Eric did to make sure that everyone felt included. We would recommend All Around Raleigh DJ to anyone. Eric made our wedding reception a great time for everyone, especially us. read more

I believe that the success of a wedding is largely dependent on the performance of the vendors. All Around Raleigh DJ had a big part in making our event a success. We started planning the wedding over a year before the event and at that time reached out to several vendors, All Around Raleigh DJ being one of them. We then bought a house and got a little distracted from planning. Eric at All Around Raleigh DJ checked in frequently to see how plans were progressing and even offered his assistance with questions without ever being pushy. When we finally got around to signing a contract, he put us in touch with his DJ, Michael (as Eric was already booked). Michael was awesome to work with. He met us at a convenient location for us several times throughout the planning process. From the first meeting, we were confident in Michael's ability to make sure the music at our wedding was exactly what we envisioned. He was accommodating with our unusual song requests and was enthusiastic throughout the whole process. He was very responsive and helpful. During the event, he kept us on track with the timeline he planned out for us so that I didn't have to worry about the time - this was especially helpful because I did not have a wedding planner. The dance floor was full all night and he was able to assess the crowd and play music that would keep people dancing. I will recommend him and All Around Raleigh DJ to my friends and family. He and Eric were an absolute pleasure to work with! read more

My fiance and I signed with Eric when we first met him at a wedding show. We are not the impulsive type, but having priced out DJs and learned what to look for, his pricing was fair and we had a feeling that he knew what he was doing. He educated us from the beginning but also made some correct assumptions about what we would like and what would work for us. As it turned out, my wife and I made an excellent impulse decision at that wedding show. Eric met with us and walked us through what to expect. He also gave us some important tips both regarding the DJ component of the wedding as well as other wedding considerations. Next we met with Tim Stanley, who carried the torch from where Eric left off until the moment we made our grand exit from our wedding party. During the reception, Tim kept the party going with games, lighting, time management, and even dance choreography. I was especially impressed with his ability to entertain guests of every age. And he did this all seamlessly and while checking in with my new wife and I to ensure we were happy with the process. In the end, we enjoyed a worry-free and fun filled night for our friends and family; which was what we hoped to achieve when we selected them. While I can't speak for other members of the All Around Raleigh DJ crew, the work that Eric and TIm did gives me confidence that the whole outfit is run professionally and to the highest standards. Expect the best and go with All Around Raleigh DJ! read more

We were rockin'! My now wife and I were referred to All Around Raleigh Dj by our venue to be our wedding DJ. Everyone there was absolutely fantastic to work with from the first moment that we talked to them. We weren't really sure what to look for in a wedding Dj but after we made a few phone calls to other Djs the choice to hire them was a no brainer. Before the wedding: They were quick to respond to e-mail and offer good suggestions for the timing of all of the events and song choices. We didn't really want everything to be just like every other wedding and our Dj really helped make that happen. Our song choices definitely weren't typical and they assured us that everything would be good to go. At the wedding: He made us a very organized planner and shared it with the other vendors, showed up on time, looked professional and... oh yeah .... had an AWESOME vintage microphone! The whole day was absolutely amazing and everything flowed so well until, all of a sudden, it was the end of the night. I really wish we could do it again! After the wedding: A LOT of our guests raved about how much fun it was and how good the Dj was. We just got a nice thank you card in the mail after we got back from the honeymoon. I know that I read a ton of reviews to pick our wedding vendors so if you are reading this then GO FOR IT! Hire these guys and you won't be disappointed! - Alex and Andrea read more

Eric was referred to us by a local caterer in our area. She had been to a wedding (as a guest) that he DJ'd and was really impressed so we decided to meet with him. The first thing we noticed about Eric was his promptness and professionalism. During the planning process, he did things when/how he said he would and was always quick to answer our calls and emails. He was always flexible and even met w/ us at our venue a few times to make sure his setup was ideal for our specific needs and wants. Although planning a wedding can be super chaotic and stressful, we knew that on our wedding day the last thing we had to worry about was our DJ. Eric's music knowledge is vast but we think what sets him apart is how he uses that knowledge for the job on hand. He took artists/bands/songs we liked and mixed that with more popular songs and kept our guests on the dance floor all night long. He has super cool equipment too! Classic stand mics (for speeches and toasts) that look straight out of the '50s and an inconspicuous DJ table w/ his computer and mixing equipment. All of our guests raved about Eric and his abilities and we've already referred his company to multiple friends and family members! Overall, we couldn't have asked for a better experience from a musical perspective and we wouldn't hesitate a second to recommend Eric for your DJ-ing needs! read more

Michael with All Around Raleigh DJ is incredible! Leading up to the big day, we had as many meetings and calls as needed to finalize all of the details - which there's so much more a DJ does than just playing music for the reception. He had the organization down pat. Day of was seamless. We had our whole wedding at the same venue, but in three different areas. Michael had each area set & ready to go with zero interruptions to get from one to the other. The first, F/D & M/S dances were timed perfectly and faded out when needed - seeming like the song always sounded this way. For the dancing portion of the evening, Michael created the only problem you'll ever want to have at a wedding - not having rented a big enough dance floor. We had many discussions about type of music leading up to, and he always was on the same page. Michael created an incredible environment for fun. The dance floor was packed all night! Periodically, he'd check in with us if there was anything he could specifically play, and neither my husband nor I could think of anything better! Michael was truly killing it. Receiving a thumb drive of all of our music was the icing on the cake! It will help us relive the day over & over for years to come. read more

From the start, Eric was - more than anything - interested in ensuring my daughter's bat mitzvah party was exactly what she wanted. This was the first time I had hired a DJ and didn't know what to ask or what to expect. Eric adeptly managed the fine line between making suggestions and leaving it up to me vs telling me what I should do. Each time we talked he assured me he would take care of everything and he definitely did. He was responsive, detail oriented and always pleasant. I am pretty sure this might have been the first time my daughter's cohort of Jewish friends had been to a bar/bat mitzvah with All Around Raleigh DJ because so many of the parents made the effort to let me know how great they thought Eric was and to ask "Where did I find him?" He was fabulous with the kids, kept them dancing, engaged, involved in a variety of games and knew.the.hora. He facilitated the evening beautifully. read more

My husband and I got married on May 25, 2019 and hired Michael from All Around Raleigh DJ to DJ our wedding. To say Michael went above and beyond is an understatement. It's almost 2 months since our wedding and I am still hearing from guests how great Michael was. From the beginning Michael was attentive and offered great suggestions. We met multiple times throughout the wedding planning process. Our dance floor was packed from the moment Michael started playing music until the very last song. Michael listened to everything we said, offered great suggestions and had everyone dancing non stop. My husband secretly communicated with Michael about a surprise dance he had practiced and included all the guests in, Michael communicated with Jared and wow did they surprise me. We cannot say enough good things about Michael. Thank you Michael for making our day the best day of our lives. read more

When my daughter and I were searching for a DJ for her wedding, we interviewed several. Eric stood out to us and we connected with him immediately. At our first meeting with him, we all stepped out the door, conferred for two seconds, and then dashed back in to tell him he was the one for us! He is warm, caring and genuine. He listened to our needs and wants, took the time to get to know my daughter and her fiance, and was so upbeat and positive in every dealing we had with him. He accepted our suggestions for music (me being the control freak I am to ensure a perfect event for my daughter), listened when I expressed concerns that I had requested music that might not get our guests dancing, and inspired complete confidence. The result was an unforgettable wedding that got raves from our guests and had them dancing until the very end. In a word, Eric is AWESOME!!! read more

Our wedding reception was perfect. People often have that "just one thing" they wish had gone differently- that isn't the case for us. A big part of what made it perfect was Eric. He communicated very well leading up to the day of- via text and email which was *my* preference. He was always available to call as well. During the reception, he kept everything going so smoothly it was incredible. He was adaptable, and there was never a dull moment. My mother actually got up and danced. Which I don't think I had ever seen before. From the very first communication with Eric, to meeting him, through the reception and even beyond, he was wonderful. I don't just recommend All Around Raleigh DJ- I'm telling you that if they are available, you NEED them. Eric isn't just good, or even great- he is the absolute best. Thank you so much for everything!!! read more

Eric from All Around Raleigh DJ was the best DJ we could have imagined for our reception! He did an awesome job understanding the type of music we wanted to play, and the song choices matched the flow of the reception perfectly. Our dance floor was packed the entire night, and he played the perfect combination of songs that appealed to our entire range of guests. Later in the night, he even let my husband and I guest DJ at the turntables--it was a blast, and something we'll always remember! Eric was very thoughtful all night--my dad referenced a Blake Shelton song during his speech, and Eric noticed that small detail and played the song a few moments later! He was also an awesome emcee and helped with transitions throughout the reception. Every wedding reception needs a DJ like Eric--and it was true, we did need a bigger dance floor! read more

We worked with Eric at All Around Raleigh DJ for our wedding in August 2015, and he was awesome! Not only did he do a fantastic job on the night of - getting everyone dancing (including grandparents!) throughout the entire evening, he was also really easy to work with throughout the planning process. He always responded quickly and professionally to messages we sent him, and he was great about coming to us to verify guest requests when they seemed to go against our "do-not-play" list. He played every song we asked him from our must-play list, and did a great job adjusting the music to suit the crowd. Eric was very professional and hard-working, and I would highly recommend him to anyone looking for a DJ in the triangle area! read more

Having All around Raleigh DJ was one of the best decisions we made for our wedding. Eric Hodgden was our DJ and he did an amazing job. He was always willing to help and answer all of our questions we had during the planning of our wedding. He met with us a couple of times and followed up with emails fairly quickly. The day of the wedding, Eric did an incredible job by keeping everyone entertained with great music and announcements for our events in the reception. We couldn't have been happier how our wedding turned out, thanks to the music provided by Eric. As some people said, our wedding was lit! We highly recommend booking All around Raleigh DJ for your wedding day! Thank you so much, Lauren and Renato read more

A friend of our recommended Eric for our recent wedding, and I'm so glad she did because Eric was fantastic! We didn't have a wedding coordinator, but it turns out it didn't matter because Eric did a great job of keeping the evening flowing and working with our other vendors (caterer, photographer) to make sure everything was handled. He is very personable and our guests loved him! We gave him some guidelines on music but obviously he's the authority on what music will have people out there dancing. Our dance floor was packed for the entire 3 hours after dinner, and we all had to be told to leave...that's how much fun we were having! read more

Eric is FANTASTIC! He recently DJ'd our wedding/celebration (5/17/14) - his first for 2 women :o) We met Eric in person and right away knew we had found our DJ...he is personable, knowledgeable, and good looking - the whole package! All of our guests commented about him and the music that evening...he helped us find our first dance song, made announcements and ensured the flow of the evening went flawlessly, incorporated music videos, toasts, and even 'changed things up a bit' to make the entire evening special. We would recommend Eric to anyone for any event. The evening was magical - we are still smiling :o) read more

My husband and I chose Eric to help us with both our wedding ceremony and reception. We really enjoyed working with him. He was especially helpful in the planning process. His planning tools made it simple for us to decide what songs we wanted to play and when. We are big music lovers so we had a very broad array of songs we did and did not want to hear and he was very understanding. We felt comfortable turning the controls over to him on our big day, and he kept the day rolling smoothly from beginning to end without seeming too robotic. We are big fans of his and would recommend him to anyone! read more

Eric from All Around Raleigh DJ was DJ at our wedding reception. He was amazing!! He worked with us to create the type of event we were looking for. He got to know members of the wedding party and guests and really personalized the event. He kept the party going until the last glass of champagne was finished. All Around DJ has high quality equipment, including a retro microphone that looked great in pictures. We highly recommend the up light package, it really added to the event. We received first class service all the way through planning and the event! read more

Eric was great! He was super professional, communicative, and did everything we asked for! We also loved his microphone- it's so cute and retro. He had just the right amount of presence for us- made a few announcements, some cute comments here and there, helped give guests info, but otherwise faded into the background and provided excellent music. He even gave my dad a body mic for his speech before the cake cutting! He has a very upbeat and crowd-pleasing personality too! We loved the service we got, and the price was very reasonable. read more

All Around Raleigh DJ Company came highly recommended to us by a couple that had just gotten married. We were thrilled with the service and quality we received from this company!!! Eric was very professional, organized, and did a wonderful job of catering to all our needs both before the wedding and during the wedding ceremony/reception, not to mention, our guests were THRILLED with him. I would highly recommended this company and Eric for any event as he truly made wedding planning and our big day stress free and wonderful!!! read more