We had the honor of shooting the owner of Stumptown DJs, Matthew, wedding last year. It is always fun to shoot another wedding professionals wedding and get to know them better! Matthew has such great attention to detail which benefits not only his planning, but his clients for their big day! The DJ is a crucial part of the overall atmosphere and flow of the reception, and Stumptown DJs is a great company to look into to make the event a great success!
When were you founded?
Matthew Kurowski founded Stumptown DJs in January of 2008. When the economy took a turn for the worse that year, Matt realized there was a niche market that wasn’t being served properly in the mobile DJ industry. No matter what the state of the economy, people would always get married; however, he found that an ongoing problem for newlywed couples was that they were going into debt from wedding costs. Hence the formation of Stumptown DJs, an affordable and professional DJ service.
What do you specialize in?
Stumptown DJs provides customers with an affordable, professional, hip, and talented DJ service that’s simple, flexible and fun for everyone.
What sets you apart from other vendors in your category?
Stumptown DJs was created to provide real solutions for problems in the mobile DJ industry. We provide an online database for customers to create custom playlists, so they can hear exactly what they want at their events (not what we think they want to hear). We also provide day-of-planning materials, such as a timeline, for couples to keep their special day organized. These key products, along with a professional DJ and all of the sound equipment necessary for each wedding, make us stand out from others in our industry. Just check out our online reviews.
Why did you get into weddings?
It happened organically. We found that most engaged couples looked for us. It wasn’t until we started targeting corporate clients, or private parties, that we started to DJ other types of events.
What is your favorite part about weddings?
We enjoy being part of one of the most positive and memorable events in a person’s life.
What advice would you give to a couple planning their wedding?
Don’t skimp on the DJ for your wedding. Don’t hire a friend or family member to DJ your wedding unless they have plenty of experience DJing weddings. There is so much more to DJing a wedding than just being a DJ. In most cases, the DJ acts as the day-of planner, so you want someone who knows what they’re doing. Finally, read all the reviews on any DJ company you’re planning on going with, and meet with them in person to make sure it’s a good fit.
Note a favorite review from a couple or describe a favorite story from a wedding
This was a great review that we got recently:
Stumptown DJs exceeded our expectations with professionalism, prompt communication, flexibility and creativity. Being a same-sex couple and the issue of marriage equality heavily at play, my husband and I were very selective with every vendor we chose to work with and approached every consultation (with every vendor) semi guarded and mindful of where their stance was in the statement we were making on our day to one another and to our friends and family.
Our walls came down upon our first interaction with Matt (over the phone) as he made a point to assure us that he and his company’s values is to respectfully support and respect ALL couples regardless of their orientation, without my asking. Matt was incredibly responsive to all of our questions and needs from the beginning to the end.
Denis DJ’d our wedding and he was amazing. We gave Denis a few must-have songs (outside of the mother-son dance and grand entrance), and asked that he utilize his creativity and come up with the rest as he saw fit. The only requirement we gave him was that it needed to feel like a “gay dance club” without the stereotypical Madonna, Cher, etc. His skill in mixing high bass beats while remaining incredibly attuned to the crowd and our needs seemed effortless. Our guests had so much fun that we asked for him to perform longer than originally agreed upon. Denis was very responsive to both my husband and I as well as our wedding-day coordinator with high respect and professionalism. We certainly recommend Stumptown DJs to anyone looking for a company that provides the most bang for your buck while setting the bar for creating an inviting, highly entertaining and overall fun atmosphere! Thank you so much guys for being part of our day!
Best,
Tony and Cory
What is your average pricing (or a link to pricing on your site)?
We like our pricing to be very easy to calculate and understand. It ranges from $150 to $200 per hour depending on the DJ you want, and whether you need them to DJ only or to MC as well. You can check out pricing at the top of our homepage. Or if you need more clarity, you can always visit our FAQ page.
What discount do you give to Powers couples?
Stumptown DJs gives all Powers couples a 5% discount on our services. This discount adds up depending on the number of hours you hire us for (for weddings, there is a 4-hour minimum).
Best way for couples to contact you?
The best way to contact Stumptown DJs is via phone at 503-877-3357 (you can also text us at this number), email: stumptowndjs@gmail.com or on our contact us page.
Do you travel outside of PDX for weddings? If so, how far and is there a fee?
Stumptown DJs will travel virtually anywhere, as long as the client agrees to pay our travel fees. The fee is $0.75 per mile driven from Stumptown DJs HQ in Portland, and is calculated based on round trip to and from. If the venue is located more than 2 hours away, we request that you supply a modest accommodation for the DJ, as well. We’d love to fly somewhere to DJ, but as of now, no one has requested it.