DJ'd my wedding more than 7 months ago. That is how long it took to get the guts to write anything negative about this guy. He'll find me I'm sure, and sue my socks off and I'll have to take it down.
Negative Stars. Everyone has their own opinion on people, services, what is acceptable and what isn't. So this is based solely on my personal experience. BUT me and my entire family agree I should have just played music from the ipod.
When I complained he called me a Monday Morning Bride. I didn't even know what that meant... he was glad to explain to me what it meant... and then went on to say I had too much time on my hands (I was on vacation from work after my wedding, so yes, I had time on my hands to think about what a disaster he was). I only complained to him (I wasn't going to say anything) though because HE wanted to talk to me. A weird twist of events happened where my cousin was using him 2 weeks later for his wedding. They must have said something to their wedding planner about him and I think their wedding planner and this DJ knew each other.... that is what I think at least. Either way he wanted to know about what he was hearing, things I supposedly said. I didn't tell anyone anything about my negative experience with him. I couldn't help there were people with brains and ears at my wedding. I felt like a fool paying him so much and I am the one that convinced my husband we should use him after my husband said "he seems pushy" upon their first meeting. I assured the hubbs that was just because he knows what he is talking about, it sounded pushy because he is all ready for the next step to be decided. Husband 1, Wife 0. So no, I wasn't going to go running about talking to random people about how dumb I was to hire this guy. But I couldn't control that most people that were close to me noticed something major was up this guys rear. Want specifics? I've got them but you'll have to message me. After the wedding and after Zach and I had a horrible conversation which I actually cried after, wa wa (it was a very horrible conversation in my defense) I wrote like a 10 page review about everything that went wrong and quoted all the things he said and and did. Including what he did right. NOT SPECTACULAR but correct I'll admit. I'll spare you the ten pages. It wasn't so much the music he did or didn't play (he did play most of it), it was everything else. Pushy pushy, rude, rude, rude. 2 weeks later, at my cousins wedding he was yawning over and over, he looked miserable. Or maybe I was miserable just looking at him.
More to say, more to say... he'll probably sue me with this alone!
I notice no negative reviews for him especially on Wedding Wire... sadly, that is what struck me and why I hired him in the first place. But I fear the bad ones are taken off somehow or the people that write them are threatened or sued to take them off. The only reason I think this is because he threatened me... but this is the only way to describe the discrepancy between the awesome reviews and the product that I received. He did actually threaten me on the phone when I said I'll be writing reviews on him, I'm not kidding. That is why I will say, EVERYONE HAS THEIR OWN OPINION. MINE IS THAT I WISH I HAD PLAYED MY OWN MUSIC AND SAVED MONEY ON THE ATTITUDE. IN MY OPINION HE WAS PUSHY AND RUDE TO ME AND MY WEDDING PARTY AND WAS OVERPRICED FOR SERVICES RENDERED. If he had saved the attitude, did the kids song like I asked, and didn't get pushy and later rude with me when word got around he wasn't super freaking awesome I wouldn't have written a review at all. I think reviews are only worth the time when you've had a really awesome experience or a really bad one.
If you can respond to these reviews, he will probably say some horrible things about me. Just imagine him saying it about you whatever it is, because he would.
If you are considering him, I have several e-mails and one very interesting phone conversation I would be happy to share with you. It might save you some $$$.
Or you might like him, who knows! Just thought I'd share my overall impression. My actual experience does take 10 pages.
To anyone that had an awesome experience with Zach Downing, GOOD FOR YOU!
UPDATE: For some reason this was flagged for review, I think because I didn't put my real name in my account so I put my name in there and hopefully it wasn't because I gave a bad review. If we can review positive experiences, we should be able to review negative experiences. read more