Lancaster, PA Wedding DJ, Eric Godfrey, was honored this week by brides and grooms with the 2015 Couples Choice Award from WeddingWire.com. His company is called All Party Starz Entertainment. Eric is originally from Hanover, PA and started DJ’ing weddings in the early 1980’s. The strange thing about this is while this is his first Wedding Wire Award in Lancaster, PA, his companies have won the award every year it has been given since 2009.
Godfrey moved from Pennsylvania to Arizona in the mid 1990’s and built Starz Entertainment, one of the most respected DJ companies in Arizona and across the United States. Missing family and having four actual seasons, Eric and his wife Lisa returned to Pennsylvania in mid-2013. 2014 was his first full year back in Pennsylvania and became his first year to receive the Wedding Wire honor. He left his old company, Starz Entertainment, in good hands as they were also notified and honored again (for the 7th consecutive year) with the Couple’s Choice award.
Upon questioning Godfrey, he stated, “It is always an honor to be recognized for your performance, but the true honor is when a couple chooses to allow me to help them in making their wedding day as special as possible. After all these years, every wedding still has it’s own unique qualities and there is no greater feeling for me than leading a great group of people to having the party of a lifetime. I started because I love music, but over time it has become about the great interaction with people.”
Wedding Wire is one of the second largest wedding planning and information sites on the Internet. The website, theknot.com has been around a bit longer, but Wedding Wire has come on strong and has prided itself on vendor reviews. They went over the 2 million review mark in 2014 and list articles, planning guides, vendor reviews and a myriad of items to help brides and grooms.
The holiday season is considered by many as the kickoff for engagement season. The period from Christmas to Valentine’s Day is when between 35% and 60% of all engagements take place. Wedding shows and venue open houses are everywhere this time of year. According to CostofWedding.com, the average wedding cost is now just over $25,000. This equates to big business and while it is one of the happiest and most fun times in a couples lives, it is also one of the most trying and nerve racking things to plan.
Godfrey stated, “Wedding days have become more and more expensive over time. Couples need to prioritize and determine which aspects are most important and set goals and budgets in accordance. The wedding reception and cost of the venue and the food are the most expensive factors and typically the availability of the venue often determines the actual wedding date.”
When asked if he had advice for couples, Godfrey added, “I would advise all couples to meet their vendors and to check reviews on sites like Wedding Wire. Also, make sure you are comfortable with each vendor. Always get a written contract with every vendor so it is clear how everything is being handled. Remember the DJ will be your representative to your guests, so make sure you are on the same page with them on how the event will run, but also make sure you choose a great photographer as their photos are going to help you in remembering that day for years to come!”
The full list of award winners and all other wedding planning information and resources can be found at: http://www.WeddingWire.com.
Information on Eric Godfrey and All Party Starz Entertainment can be found at: http://AllPartyStarz.com.