Elite Entertainment of the Carolinas Reviews
Reviews
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![Beth]()
Beth Sent on 06/12/2019Dj jim is the best!
The entire process with Jim was wonderful. He went far beyond his DJ duties to make sure our event would run smoothly (double checked our plans, made helpful suggestions, etc). He was extremely helpful. His set up was professional and the music he played was exactly what he wanted. He also had great planning tools which made the experience very easy. He also was a great value. I have 0 complaints! -
![Gloria]()
Gloria Sent on 02/20/2022First class all the way!
Jim was very attentive to ALL of our requests and needs !!!! He is also a great dance teacher !!!! He was early to our wedding, had everything set up early, gave the Pastor a mic for the ceremony and had all the details perfect !!!! -
![BeachpeopleWeddings]()
Margo Sent on 08/08/2013Jim and Donna are so knowledgeable, flexible and well equipped too. We are wedding planners and they are our favorite DJ service! They offer SO many different, cool services, always say yes, then deliver above expectation. Professional, fun, quick, smart, and our clients LOVE them! HIGHLY reccommend them to anyone for ANY occasion. -
![Maya]()
Maya Sent on 08/14/2023Unforgettable For All the Wrong Reasons
Jim, fellow couples, and online review readers:
We’d like to preface this review by acknowledging that it is long, detailed, and disappointing. This is not out of malice but rather out of hope that it may help others make an informed and better decision than we did when choosing a wedding DJ.
To start off, we did not hire Jim Sterner to DJ/MC our wedding. We had the misfortune of working with him as a result of our original vendor, Scott Shaw of Scott Shaw Productions, offloading our entire wedding day onto Jim, his apparent associate. Not only was this arrangement never discussed in any of our communications with Scott, but we were also notified of this change only less than a month before the event, making it impossible to hire another DJ in time. While this was a major miscommunication on Scott’s part, we decided to overlook it and trust that our wedding was safe in a professional’s hands.
How wrong (and perhaps a bit naive) we were. In their sloppy handoff of work, so many important details of our day got lost or were simply not communicated. This was most definitely not a lack of effort on our part, as I spent hours creating highly organized playlists on Spotify, which I had also translated into a written, color-coded spreadsheet. I clearly outlined the must-play songs as well as the banned songs. I explicitly stated that requests must be approved by us (the clients!). I even wrote out a detailed script and timeline, providing links & properly edited mp3 files for all of the special event songs.
Yet somehow, multiple songs that we banned were played on our wedding day, guest requests were taken without our permission, there were huge gaps of silence during our processional, incorrect mp3s were used (which messed up my parents’ dance choreography), the anniversary dance was entirely overlooked (the “rules” of the dance were never explained), and culturally significant announcements were changed at the last minute.
Jim, you were entrusted with the crucial task of making music a stress-free aspect of our wedding, but you achieved the exact opposite.
We had to come up to Jim multiple times throughout the night to tell him that the song currently playing was on our list of banned songs. This was not a matter of an overly restrictive playlist; in fact, the playlist that we so meticulously created had a wide and equal mix of hit songs from the 80s through today. For example, we banned “Single Ladies” by Beyoncé (a personal but reasonable decision), and it was still played despite having Beyoncé’s other hit songs “Love on Top”, ”Crazy in Love”, and “Cuff It” to choose from. He consistently misread everyone’s energy and preferences, selecting music that destroyed the vibe we worked so hard to curate. There was absolutely no cadence to his timing for any of the special event songs. And perhaps the most perplexing aspect of the entire performance was his insistence on inserting his own voice into our events. He felt the need to provide unsolicited commentary and attempted to make vulgar jokes at the most inopportune moments. The result was a cringe-worthy display that left our guests feeling uncomfortable and, frankly, embarrassed on our behalf.
No one wants to spend their own wedding day having to return to the DJ booth, which, by the way, was a single laptop connected to some standard backyard speakers. Where were the CDJs or DJ controller? As someone who has some experience in the music & entertainment industry, I am astounded that Jim has managed to operate as a “professional” DJ for this long with absolutely no knowledge of proper transitions, inadequate equipment, crude humor, and a blatant lack of basic competency. To add insult to injury, I was asked (minutes before the wedding started) by Jim about my involvement in the music industry and the important role it plays in my and my husband’s lives.
We believe what’s outlined above were basic DJ/MC services that we did not receive. At the end of the day, we were not asking for a DJ to know every obscure song that’s on a playlist or to have the most expensive equipment. All we wanted was someone lucid with proper knowledge of event coordination and attention to detail. In hindsight, it is evident that Jim lacked the professionalism, experience, and basic understanding of his role that one would expect from a wedding vendor. The resounding ambiance of confusion that has persisted in our guests’ minds beyond the event is a clear sign of his unparalleled incompetency.
Now, professionalism and respect are two-way streets. Maybe this would be a different story if I were a so-called “bridezilla” (which is a disrespectful and misogynistic term, mind you) that didn’t know what she wanted, but we had put so much effort into making this a positive client-vendor relationship by communicating kindly and consistently. Maybe we wouldn’t have been so immensely disappointed if he had so much as opened and read our email containing all of the pertinent information that we had tirelessly organized. Maybe if our wedding had been given the respect and due diligence that we deserved from start to finish, this absolute fiasco could have been avoided altogether. Unfortunately, we’ve experienced nothing but frustration as there has been a total shut-down of communication upon the conclusion of our event. While we understand that the art of DJ-ing is subjective, the profound contrast between expectation and reality cannot go unmentioned. Knowing what we want from a DJ doesn’t make us demanding or unreasonable. Listening to and implementing a client’s wishes is really the minimum requirement for any vendor.
Jim’s inability to create a cohesive and comfortable atmosphere left an indelible stain on what is otherwise a cherished memory. A wedding is an occasion where every element should contribute to the magic of the day, and it is disheartening to acknowledge that he not only failed to meet expectations but actively detracted from our joyous celebration. We implore anyone considering hiring this DJ to think twice and explore alternative options that prioritize competence, awareness of the crowd, and a genuine dedication to enhancing the overall event. Our hope is that our unfortunate experience will serve as a cautionary tale for other couples, sparing them from a similar ordeal on their special day. And lastly, we’d like this review to be a reminder for everyone that expertise, diligence, respect, and a genuine passion for one's craft are not optional when entrusted with such a pivotal role in an event as special as a wedding.
To end on a more personal note: Jim, in a world where excellence is often sought after, your unwavering commitment to poor taste and stubborn dedication to deviating from success is a truly remarkable feat. In the most respectful way possible—please retire as a wedding DJ.
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