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OMG I KNOW EXACTLY HOW YOU FEEL!! (especially when it comes to DJs-- took me months to find one) Anyways... my cake vendor isn't in the baltimore area-- she's in frederick so that's probably too far away but her business is called Sweet & Savory.

I was lucky enough to book my DJ through Bailek's Music (there are reviews on here). They are VERY reasonable for a DJ in the area and since you are booking through a company you don't have to worry about insurance, etc because they have all that taken care of. I booked Bobby Walters-- met with him and he was a really nice guy. However, they have plenty of DJs to choose from so I am sure you could find one with the personality you want! Good luck and breath-- I was in your shoes for awhile and I was ready to just up and quit... I FINALLY found the DJ and felt SOOO much better afterwards!

Charm City Cakes of course! LOL Duff can make you a kick ass cake! ;)

and what style of DJ are you looking for? Mine was in Philly but I'm pretty sure he travels as far down as DC. He was perfection!! So clear, elegant, professional, and helpful. He gave me so much more advice than I thought a DJ could. He even talked me out of something that would have meant more money for him but he knew it wasn't a good idea and he was right. So he really cares about the event being RIGHT, not just about making more money. Some people like those crazy DJs who have props and play games etc but if you want total elegance this is your guy. Here is a video clip from a wedding (obviously Spanish) he did where you can hear his announcements and how clear they are. It was a wedding from my venue too!
http://www.tangerine.tv/theatre/FHE1106/

For DJs in the Baltimore area, I know John Carr - DJ Cyro - will do a phenomenal job of entertaining your guests. He has all the up to the minute hottest mixes and a great range of classic oldies too!

I know he's on WW and his number is 443-570-3014, so give him a call - you won't regret it!

for the dj, you gotta go through a personal reference if you have one. for the cake, i think it depends on your crowd, i overestimated the cake needed at my reception, especially when i had an overabundance of entrees and a couple of other minor but much lusted after desserts. so i could have saved money there by ordering half of my guests. the bakery usually thinks you will cut a generous portion for each person and then the actual cake cutters cut it a lot smaller. and i feel like a lot of commercial bakeries can design and decorate an amazing looking wedding cake but when you taste the cake (they bake it a few days earlier in order to decorate?), it doesn't taste so fresh. when you go tasting, of course it's the fresh cake they just baked. maybe a solo entrepreneur would be better there.

Most of the cake vendors I know bake on Thursday, decorate on Friday and deliver on Saturday. I would be sure to put in your contract that no frozen cake may be used. Some bakeries do that if they know they will have a busy weekend. Stick with simple flavors. Get a smaller cake and supplement with sheet cakes. Every wedding has leftover cake. I've never, ever seen a wedding run out of cake!
DJ's are a very personal choice because every DJ has his own personality and his own way of running the wedding. DJ's are very important. They don't just play music, they coordinate the timing of the wedding. Don't just pick one with great music, although that's important. You need somebody who can be organized and who is paying attention to your timeline.
Ask your venue, your friends, and past brides to narrow it down. You get what you pay for. Be willing to pay a fair price! Cheap is not always better!

I gotta say Sugarbakers was just fab!! WE loved our cake choices. (no it was not a homemade taste) so you might lose interest there. but I know what you mean. If I could have had my grammy make some butter pound cake and then have a decorater come and finish it...OMG HOWEVER, I must say we are still getting compliments on how good the cake was. Amaretto raspberry all the way!!! French buttercreme of course!

Have you heard of Jus-Deez cakes? She did my friends wedding. Don't have her contact info, but they had a sweet potatoe pie wedding cake. Believe it or not it tasted pretty good and it was cake not pie.

Nothing tastes more like a home made cake than a home made cake! Is there somebody in your family that is a gifted baker that might be willing to make one for you as a wedding gift? I could name 2 of my friend on facebook that do this all the time and get some great things out of it. It never hurts to ask anyway. A pro will always be more guaranteed quality, though, so I hope you find what you are looking for.
I wish I knew more DJ's, but the only fella I know lives in northern Minnesota, and he is on WW.

There not in Baltimore but not that far, Occasional Cakes is great. I actually cancelled my contract with Cake Plus after I went to a Bridal Show and taste Occasionals Cake. So many flavors to choose from. I never even heard of a no-pink strawberry cake but it is delish!

Thanks for the help. I appreciate it. I actually like cakes plus but I am not impressed with the designs on their website and sugar bakers is just to commercial tasting to me. Ideal I am the baker in my family!!! Maybe that is why I am so picky. As for the DJ I don't want to spend an arm and a leg but I do want someone decent. No light shows, just good music for a fair wage. I'll keep you all posted.

I think it's hard to find a homemade tasting wedding cake because the recipes have to be altered to make the cake dense enough that it holds up to be stacked, frosted and decorated. Nice moist light homemade cakes just can't be stacked and decorated. =(
I actually really liked the cake I tasted from the bakery I went with. We went with a french vanilla cake (simple and classic and hard to mess up) with fresh strawberries and champagne filling. The fresh strawberry pieces in the filling really added a nice fresh flavor to the cake!

I'm interested to know - how much is an arm and a leg these days? Different people have different arms and legs I guess!

DJ's are a hard thing to figure. They all say they are the best and you won't find a better one for any price. While that may be true with ONE DJ, they all can't be true. DJ's run the entire gamut of folks, just like everything. There are rank amateurs... and stellar Pros.

The best bet is to ask for references and check them out. Professional DJ's have web sites with lots of information and pictures posted. If your DJ doesn't have a web site or blog or FaceBook page where you can check them out... I'd pass on that one.

Beginner DJ's typically work for weddings in the $400 to $500 range. And that's if you get a good one... anything less, you're going to be disappointed at the end of the night. They're so cheap, because they're new and "green" and don't know the craft yet. Spend a little more and get a Pro, that you'll be satisfied with. You should be able to get a great DJ (continued)

...if you're willing to spend $600 to $700 and check out all of the references and information sources on him/her. That's probably without any special lighting, but you may find a vendor who has a few lights in that price range. Do your homework, in order to get a good vendor. Read everything you can get your hands on about them, and you'll do OK.

WE PROVIDE GREAT MUSIC AT AFFORDABLE PRICES! OUR PRICES VARY BASED ON HOURS AND EVENT. IF YOU WOULD LIKE A QUOTE PLEASE FEEL FREE TO CONTACT ME DJ GOOK OR MY SCHEDULE COORDINATOR SHAY @ 443-226-4748 OR SHEABUTTER7@MSN.COM. HOPE TO HEAR FROM YOU SOON.