In-Depth Interview with Finer Touch Entertainment -Munaluchi Bride

When it comes to DJs and event entertainment MunaLuchi Coterie member Harold Johnson of Finer Touch Entertainment brings a lifetime of experience. With a wedding industry resume spanning twenty five years, Finer Touch Entertainment is sure to make your most special of days absolutely unforgettable. “Upscale and elegant” while “electrifying and fun,” with Finer Touch you’ll find the perfect balance at your next event…

Read all about Finer Touch Entertainment in this inspirational and informative in-depth interview, and see them in action here!

Name: Harold Johnson
Business Name: Finer Touch Entertainment
Founded: 1992

Describe your business. We are a full service entertainment company that provides DJ entertainment, live music, lighting, photo booths and more.

What did you do before starting your business in the wedding industry?
I have been a DJ my entire life. I did it part-time while working in Sales and Marketing Operations for several Fortune 500 companies. My passion however kept bringing me back to the entertainment world. In 2013, I had an opportunity to leave my corporate job to do what I love full time. It was a leap of faith that I am happy to have taken.

How long have you been in the wedding industry?
I have been doing weddings for almost 25 years believe it or not! I learned the ropes from a very successful man whose company was the leader in the wedding entertainment business in our area at the time (Westchester County in NY).

How would you describe your style? Our style is described as upscale and elegant while be electrifying and fun at the same time. I think we strike the balance between all of those things. Furthermore we take our clients, their family and friends, on what I would describe as an emotional ride through each aspect of a couples’ special day. We are responsible for the soundtrack of the day which many times, starts at the ceremony itself. We then progress things to the cocktail hour and the culmination of the celebration takes place at the actual wedding reception. We work to provide services that help make this day truly memorable…and that’s what our clients say we do for them all the time.

What motivates you? I have always had a passion for music. It is in my blood. From the time I was a child I found joy in expressing myself through music. I could not sing, and I was an average dancer, so I found an outlet that would allow me to express myself without saying a word…and that was truly it for me. After discovering this outlet, being a DJ that is, I decided that I wanted to share this with the world. Two decades later, here we are…bigger, better, and more popular than ever!

Why should brides/grooms choose you? Our clients choose us because because we are good at what we do, but more importantly, because it becomes very obvious that we care about them. I try to get to know my clients in a way that allows them to feel comfortable with us. We go to great lengths to ensure that our aspect of their day is as stress-free as possible. I have had more than a few brides tell me that while looking for the right wedding vendors, they would pray on it and as a result, after meeting us, they would feel good that they were making the right choice with FTE. This is something that always makes me feel good when I hear it. Oh, and did I mention that our talent is second to none?! Seriously though, I have a team of some of the most talented entertainers in the wedding and event industry. Most importantly, they look forward to coming out on the weekends to entertain our clients and their guests.

How does your company define and measure success? We measure success by a few things. The first is what our clients say about us. Our reputation is everything to us so we let them tell us if we are doing it right. We also strive to make an impact on people’s lives. While it may not seem like what we do can have an impact, I must say that there is no better feeling than to have a client look you in the eyes and tell you that they are so grateful for your work and that you made their wedding everything they ever hoped and dreamt it would be (this is an actual quote from an FTE bride). That to me is the true measure of success.

What do you enjoy most about your work? I enjoy the party, but I think I enjoy making people happy more than anything. We all have talents and special little gifts of our own and we as a team feel this is ours. We just really appreciate it when others can feel it and it helps to bring them a little happiness.

Describe a proud moment while working in the wedding industry. So many proud moments… I have had the pleasure of playing events for people like the legendary Tony Bennett, members of the NY Jets, New England Patriots…the list goes on and on. And it was not so much about playing celebrity events as much as it was about how far the shy young guy from the suburbs of NY was able to take the “thing” that he enjoyed so much. I have had experiences that I never dreamed I would have because of this thing we called music.

What’s the best compliment you’ve received for your work? I mentioned before, a bride told me how she was so grateful for us and how we made her wedding everything she hoped and dreamed it would be. That stuck with me and really meant a lot.

What are your business goals? I hope to continue to build the business and grow to a place where we can continue to offer music and entertainment, but we can also become a leader and provide complete event production services. We do some of this already but we can only go up from here. I would also like to do weddings internationally.

What’s your favorite part of the wedding industry? I love formal events. Presentation is everything and I love to see “grown folks” all dressed up celebrating love. There is no better reason to get together in one place. Then of course there is the fact that the day ends with a good old fashioned party!

What’s your least favorite part of the wedding industry? While I love this industry, it has become harder and harder to reach people and to help them understand the importance of working with a professional entertainment company. Let’s face it, EVERYONE knows a DJ, and for many people, they do not always understand that there is a difference between a “DJ” that does this as a hobby and an entertainment company that does this every day. You only plan a wedding once in a lifetime, these decisions can determine the success of your event. So, we fight the good fight every day to continue to try to provide quality entertainment to everyone willing to give us a chance.

Describe your vision of the “perfect” wedding. The perfect wedding is working for a client that trusts us to do what we do best. They allow us to help make their vision a reality and we come in and make it happen. We provide tons of services, so those events that allow us to stretch our wings are always the best in my mind.

Where do you find the most inspiration? My parents have always been my inspiration. They both worked hard to overcome huge odds and they have been successful in both business and in life. They inspire me to work toward my dreams and they gave me the fuel to make it happen.

Is there anything else you’d like our readers to know? I would just like everyone to know that while this is our business, it is also our “love.” We get up every day and go to work because we want to be there for our clients. I often describe what we do as an “Unforgettable Entertainment Experience” and that is what we strive to provide. Whether the party is 50 or 500 guest, they will receive the same treatment from start to finish. We have had a great track record so far but we feel the best in yet to come!