Heirloom Wedding Films

Meet a Wedding DJ in Chattanooga, TN: Keenan Daniels; MillionDollaMan DJPM

This week’s blog post is going to focus on one of the many amazing wedding vendors in the East Tennessee / North Georgia area; Keenan Daniels, otherwise known as The MillionDollaMan DJPM, based out of Chattanooga, Tennessee.

Keenan is not only a great vendor to work with at a wedding, but I consider him a good friend and he is always on my list of recommended DJs for upcoming brides.

Keenan Daniels – Chattanooga Wedding DJ doing his thing at a wedding at wedding venue The Barn At Drewia Hill – photograph by Chattanooga wedding photographer Rich Smith

WHAT WERE YOU DOING BEFORE YOU GOT INTO THE WORLD OF DJ-ING AND ENTERTAINING?

Like most men with a family I was working a job. One I had for over 14 years. During that time I got married, had kids, and I began to identify what I was good at which was interacting with people. Having graduated from the Center for Creative Arts, I was never the shy type but I didn’t know much about business and responsibilities. Working for that company helped me develop those skills.

WHAT INFLUENCED YOU TO TAKE THE LEAP AND GO FULL TIME INTO THE WEDDING AND EVENT INDUSTRY?

2011 was the year I started to get my DJ feet wet. 2012 only produced three weddings for me and out of those three weddings I knew I loved what I was doing. I continued working my full-time job until March 12th 2015. During that time I would have frequent conversations with other DJs but only one guy was full-time and that was Steve Lyles. We are such a “See First – Believe Second” generation so after I met one guy that was full time, I believed I too could be a full-time DJ. So after 14 and a half years, I decided to take a leap of faith and go full-time with my company.

WHAT DO YOU LOVE THE MOST ABOUT BEING AN ENTERTAINER?

Seeing people come together on the dance floor; laughing, smiling, and dancing just flat out does it for me. I gave myself the title of an Entertainer but in all honesty, I’m just being myself. Getting the opportunity to take people’s minds off the everyday problems of the world is definitely needed. Music is the soundtrack of life and regardless of what race you are, having fun is universal and I love being able to give people that.

WHAT’S YOUR FAVORITE SONG TO PLAY THAT WORKS FOR ALMOST ANY TYPE OF CROWD?

70’s funk music has got to be the most universal music that’s ever been made. Earth Wind & Fire’s ‘September’ is definitely respected by young people and loved by the more mature crowd.

WHAT’S THE MOST CHALLENGING PART OF YOUR JOB?

All the preparation that goes into every event that I do. Showing up for the event and DJing for 3 or 4 hours is extremely easy. It’s all the work I have to do off the clock that takes time from my family. Consultations, going out to different venues you haven’t been to before, mental wear and tear.

WHAT SETS YOU APART FROM MOST DJs?

I really don’t get the opportunity to go out and hear other DJs play. Over time I’ve gotten feedback and people have told me I’m different in the sense of how I interact with the crowd. No one taught me what a wedding DJ is supposed to act like and I think that’s worked in my favor. In my mind, if someone has paid me to render a service I should do it with 100% effort and do my best to try and connect with everyone in the room on a musical level. First, it’s important to create a party atmosphere and then after that, direct it: People need to be told what to do sometimes and after that, just stand back and let the magic happen.

WHAT ARE SOME THINGS COUPLES SHOULD LOOK FOR WHEN LOOKING FOR A DJ?

Of course they need to make sure he has his own equipment and can cater to their needs, however, find a guy that fits their style. Just because a client has a deposit in hand doesn’t mean I’m quick to take the event. They want to interview me and I want to interview them to make sure we have chemistry. Any DJ can stand there and play music but not all DJ’s fit every event. So clients need to do their best in researching the guy and not just book the cheapest or the guy that fits in their budget. Not to be insensitive, but you can’t put a price tag on a great experience.

MillionDollaMan DJPM warming up the crowd while at a wedding at the Tivoli in Chattanooga, TN. Photo taken by wedding photographer Ben Finch of Finch Photography.

WHAT WOULD YOU RECOMMEND FOR A BRIDE WHO DOES NOT EXPECT MUCH DANCING OR PARTYING AT HER WEDDING RECEPTION?

Brides know the people that they’re inviting to their wedding reception. They know in advance if the people they’re inviting are party people or if they’re more reserved. With that being said they shouldn’t be too surprised either way. However if I’m there she knows I’m going to do my best to ensure all her guests have a great time. If she invites 200 and only 50 are on the dance floor, then party with those 50. Guests have fun in different ways.

WHAT WOULD YOUR ADVICE BE TO THE BRIDE WHO EXPECTS A LOT OF DANCING AND FUN AT HER RECEPTION, BUT PLANS TO HIRE AN AMATEUR DJ?

If you hire an amateur DJ please expect to have amateur DJ results. That doesn’t mean that the experience will be bad, however this DJ may not be able to accommodate all your wishes. I was extremely thankful for the three weddings I had in 2012 but at that time I could only accommodate three weddings. I only had one set up so after the ceremony was over I had to tear down a reset in a different location with the same equipment. Some Brides wanted elaborate up-lighting and I wasn’t able to accommodate that or lapels for the Groom and the Pastor. This amateur DJ may turn out to be decent at the reception but his equipment may have complications or his song selection may be questionable. All in all, just be patient.

WHAT ARE SOME OF THE MOST COMMON QUESTIONS YOU GET FROM A BRIDE?

The way I market myself attracts a certain type of clientele. Most of the questions I get for my Brides are related more to what I’m willing to do versus what I can do. Will you travel? Will you stay past the quoted time in your contract? Will you make sure we acknowledge this person at the reception? When I first started it was more like… Do you have your own equipment? Do you have microphones? Do you play clean music? If any professional sticks with anything long enough, their reputation will answer most questions.

Keenan loves the camera! Photo taken by one of JBVFilm’s favorite photography teem in Chattanooga; Kenney Photography!

FOR THOSE LOOKING TO GET STARTED IN THE WORLD OF ENTERTAINING AND DJ-ING, WHAT ADVICE WOULD YOU GIVE THEM?

The biggest piece of advice I can give anyone is to make sure they remain true to themselves. Don’t be like everyone else – just be you. In doing that you will stand out. There were so many people that helped me in many ways when I first got started. Staff of A Silverware Affair, my mentors at Pneuma Christian Center, Shaun Cox, Leslie Bailey Mayfield, Staff at The Church on Main, The Venue Chattanooga, Kris Cobb at The Barn at Drewia Hill, Southside Social, Decor 1601, Pro Sound of Chattanooga, Darrell Strickland, and many more.

You have to network with people and you have to give people a product they are willing to refer. Many people start businesses but feel like they don’t need to reach out to anyone and they want to do it on their own. That’s a major mistake. It’s like my Pastor always told me, “Find someone that’s doing what you want to do – copy them and make it your own.”

You can contact Keenan by going to his contact page found here.

And before we end, here’s a wedding I shot where Keenan was the DJ. The party starts around the 4:12 mark!

Photos on this blog post were used with permission by some of the best wedding photographers in Chattanooga, Tennessee: Rich Smith Photography – Ben Finch Photography and Kenney Photography.

How Wedding Films Can Reshape The Future

Today I got some very depressing news.

Without going into it much, a documentary idea I had been researching and working on for nearly a year was crushed.

A production company with several documentaries under their belt had the same idea (Even the same title I had come up with) and produced a trailer long before I even started a single interview.

I went on a drive, called a good friend, moaned and groaned, angrily wondered aloud “Are wedding films all I will ever make?!?!” …and got it out of my system.

After my long and contemplative drive, God put something in my heart that I had to share.

I’m often blinded by editing, scheduling, making money, and spending money to realize what my wedding films are actually “doing”.

Then, 3 “What If” thoughts kept going through my head about what my films actually “accomplish.”

1) What if wedding films lower divorce rates?

The truth is, after most people are married for 5 or 6 years, the “spark” is gone.

Not to say the love is gone, but the butterflies and the excitement of the honeymoon phase is often replaced with duties of career, kids, and just life in general.

It’s no wonder that most divorces occur within the first 10 years of marriage and it’s where the term “7 year itch” comes from. After 7 years, some start looking around for that “spark” again.

When editing a wedding video, I sometimes think “What if, 6 or 7 years from now, this couple is struggling and has forgotten that feeling they had on their wedding day?”

I then imagine that one of them decides to re-watch their wedding video and they see that “spark” again and the excitement.

It’s like me with my kids; Sometimes they drive me and my wife nuts. Then, for whatever reason, I stumble across a home movie I made of them when they were 3 or 4 years old and suddenly that feeling of newness, and love, and adoration flood my emotions. By the time I’m done watching them learn to ride a bike or say “dada” for the first time in the videos, I’ve forgotten whatever was causing me and my wife so much stress. I want to wake them up from their sleep and tell them how much I love them.

2) What if this wedding film changes the definition of “Love” for future generations?

I have been doing this long enough now to have couples email me saying that they showed their wedding video to their toddler. They LOVED it and continually ask to watch it over and over. I think about these kids as they get into their tweens and teens. These kids will see something that most of us never saw growing up; our parents being crazy in love with each other. These kids will hear their parents say words that they may never hear them say to each other on a typical day.

These kids will grow up having an idea of what “love” is implanted in their subconscious. A definition of love created by their parents, not a TV show, a movie, or a book.

A daughter might now grow up looking for a man who reminds her of how her father spoke to her mother in their wedding video, and vice versa for the son who sees his mother’s love for his father as the quality he should seek in a mate.

3) What if my wedding films, and ALL wedding films made, change the way women and men choose a partner?

This may be a stretch, but I’m pouring out my thoughts here so bear with me (Plus, 3 points are always better than 2 points!)
20 years ago, we didn’t have social media, we didn’t see wedding films pop up on an Instagram or Facebook feed.

Girls today see more weddings of strangers now than in any time in history.

Brides are hearing men say some of the most sincere, and powerful words of love to their chosen mate.

The idea of what “The perfect husband or wife” is, could begin to shift just based upon the fact that people see “The best” of what an ideal bride or groom can be.

Once I started contemplating how my wedding films, or any wedding film, has the potential to reshape the future of relationships, I began to feel more rewarded by the opportunities I have to be a part of a couple’s most important day.