Let me start off by saying that this vendor came highly recommended by my daughter's close friend. And while there were some less than perfect reviews of Jason Canaan's DJ service - Infotainment - the recommendations and other reviews seemed to trump any negative feedback that I read. I should have researched Jason Canaan further prior to selecting him.
I want to share with you the facts at which point you can decide if you would want Jason to service your special event.
Fact 1: Jason did not send the schedule of events prior to the wedding. My daughter had been trying for two weeks to get this from him as she needed it for the other vendors. Despite multiple pings to Jason, only a few were answered where he claimed he had sent them, and/or would send again soon. Despite the persistence of the bride, MOB, and bridesmaids, we did not receive the schedule until the morning of the wedding. It was not correct.
Fact 2: The schedule of events he created had errors, which - due to the other facts you will read - had no time to be corrected prior to the ceremony.
Fact 3: Jason did not arrive at the venue prior to the ceremony time to set-up, as outlined in his contract. Instead, he texted one of the bridesmaids (not the bride or myself - who had paid him) to let her know that he had overslept for a 4 PM event and would be late .
Fact 4: We could not start the ceremony until Jason had set up--nearly 45 minutes late. The bridal party was ready and waiting. The guests were seated outside, in the cold.
Fact 5: Jason arrived wearing gym shorts, not dressed appropriately for a formal wedding. He then had to set-up in front of guests.
Fact 6: The catering staff relayed that they offered to help him set-up/carry things down to the ceremony site, which he declined.
Fact 7: After the bridal party walked down the isle, Jason failed to play the bride's music. Instead, the processional music cut off and Weird Al's song "Gump" cut on, which Jason quickly cut off.
Fact 8: Jason shouted over to me (Mother of Bride) that the bride had not provided him with any song choice. Nearly 10 minutes passed, with the bride waiting at the top of the aisle, while Jason looked for a song to play. The bridal party, groom, and guests began to serenade the bride at which point Jason turned on the song that they had been singing (not the song requested).
Fact 9: Half of the cocktail hour was without music because Jason was late and not set up in the dining area.
Fact 10 Due to Jason's tardiness, the sun set soon after the conclusion of the ceremony, limiting the pictures we were able to take.
Fact 11: Members of the bride and groom's party had to go into the reception to ask Jason (more than once) when we would be introduced as the bride, groom, and attendants were stuck waiting in the bridal suite.
Fact 12: Because of Jason's tardiness, the reception started over an hour late and could not be extended to make up for the lost time.
Fact 13: During the dinner time, members of the bridal party and catering staff attempted to locate Jason to ask that we move onto the next series of events (Father Daughter Dance and what not) so that the dancing could begin. Jason was not at the DJ table and could not be found for nearly 10 minutes.
Fact 14: During the dancing portion, the music cut off. Jason's equipment lost power--I can say that the rest of the venue was still with power.
Fact 15: Jason committed to refund my money in full due to the issues of the day. He is now refusing to do so.
Fact 16: Jason took payment IN FULL ten months prior to the event, upon contract signing. When I expressed concern about any possible issues/no-show, he assured me that not only would that not happen, but that he would have another DJ there with him due to the event requirements. He was the only DJ there that day. And he was very late.
With so much information available on the internet, it can be tedious to conduct a good evaluation of a vendor. There is a great deal of public information about a person and/or business one can find through meaningful searches, beyond the typical bridal and event review sites. While Jason - specifically Infotainment - has mostly positive reviews, I suggest all future potential clients utilize ALL of the available information to determine if he is right for you as only you can decide. Whether or not the events leading up to my daughter's wedding were isolated, due to extenuating circumstances, or something else is unknown. What is certain is that there are certain moments that one cannot do over--like the moment you first appear at your wedding on your dad's arm, and your groom and guests see you for the first time. Or the lost hour of celebrating with friends and family who flew across the country to be with you. I urge anyone planning a big event to carefully vet their service providers before entering into a contract, especially those who play such a key role. read more