DJ Harsh

We hired DJ Harsh for our December 2015 wedding at Biagio banquets in Chicago.
DJ Harsh met with us prior to our wedding to discuss our song selections. Despite me being away in the military, we arranged a skype meeting. He has a great sense of humor and listens for what style of music you need. For our song choices that we were unsure of he gave plenty of great selections. His response time was always fast and he maintained open communication.
DJ Harsh was an integral part of our wedding. His personality helped to put the bride at ease and he was proactive in coordinating the events of the day. In many ways he felt more than just a DJ. Our ceremony was in the same venue as the reception with 120 guests. He took away any stress from the day. He did music, sound, and intros for both the ceremony and reception to include wireless microphones and additional speakers.
DJ Harsh was simply amazing. We would strongly recommend him for any future wedding or events.

We hired Harsh for our 11÷7÷15 wedding at Floating World Gallery. From our first meeting to the end of our wedding night we could not have been more pleased.
Although we had a few specific ideas, we were really looking for someone who we trusted to go ahead and make suggestions on the best picks. Harsh did just this and it was a major relief to put the day/​night in his hands.
He handled our ceremony and reception both held at Floating World. His talent with song choices and timing for the ceremony entrance, etc, made the whole thing come together and was magical.
The cocktail hour and dinner were filled with fun music but appropriate, not boring! He really has the best touch with timing and pacing for the music.
The dance floor was packed all night. He was sure to mix in our requests with his own choices that kept the party going. We are still getting compliments of what a great dance floor we had going! The night went just as we had hoped, with family and friends of all ages dancing with their shoes thrown off and having a great time.
We would recommend DJ Harsh to anyone. Whether you have super specific requests/​direction or, like us, are looking for trusting hands to put your party in, DJ Harsh will not disappoint!

I initially planned to do my own iPod playlist for my wedding, but thankfully someone talked me out of it. I’m very glad they did, otherwise I wouldn’t have met DJ Harsh. I searched Unilocal for about 2 minutes before I came across him and thought — yes, I must contact this man. 1. He was an independent guy and I think it’s a lot easier to deal directly with someone and 2. He lived in the next neighborhood over, so I knew he wasn’t going to be a douche-​y hipster transplant. It also helped that he had a 5 star rating, of course.
Communication with DJ Harsh was great — he always replied promptly to my emails. Meeting up with him was good too, he was very friendly and funny. We also met up with him a month before our wedding to go over songs we wanted to play, etc. He was really helpful with coming up with songs for certain parts of the reception (cake cutting, etc) that we hadn’t picked. He listened to us and also played us some of his suggestions. He definitely knows what he’s talking about and has a lot of experience.
I wanted to play a slideshow during the wedding, and was glad I mentioned it to him. He visited the reception venue the week of the wedding, and worked with the venue owner to make sure it would be possible. He even brought his own little table to put my projector on! He asked about the format, my computer, etc to make sure he had all the cables and everything we needed. He made it seamless!
As for the reception itself, DJ Harsh played all the songs I requested and the songs he added in himself were also great. He got a good sense of what we liked from the list of requested songs we gave him. I don’t think we picked the most traditional entrance songs for the bridal party/​bride and groom, but he actually listened to them and picked out the best parts of the songs to use. And once the dance floor was opened, it was never empty. There were people on the dance floor the entire night. At the end, people started chanting, one more song! My friends and family absolutely loved him and had a great time. A few people requested some songs and he actually came up to me first to make sure it was okay with me before he went ahead and played them. I really appreciated that because I am kind of a jerk that hates most peoples’ taste in music (but with good reason, right?!). Not only was the music he played amazing, but his sense of humor is great. He also kept things on track and was very organized. Everyone from my 11 year old cousin to my 60 year old uncle, to all my friends were on the dance floor.
I’m so happy I decided against being a cheap bastard and making my own iPod playlist. Because he didn’t only provide the music, but also the ambiance, which is something you can’t get off an iPod. He is definitely well worth the money, and really made our wedding reception phenomenal. So, if you’re not a basic bitch that loves listening to hours of Top 40 crap, you need to book DJ Harsh for your event!

Great DJ, all around nice guy. Gets people dancing and has a blast with his clients. Oh, I own my own DJ company and would vouch for Harsh any day! Class act…

Harsh made our wedding the best day ever, without a doubt! The music he played was on point with everything we loved and then some! He took the time to know us as a couple and was very attuned to what our guests seemed to like as the night went on. Truly professional, SO much fun, and just a great guy in general!

You know those magical moments in film where everything comes together in a scene and the music perfectly captures the essence and emotion of the moment? This is what Harsh will do for your wedding. He is your personal sound designer, and he is fantastic! He has a great sense of humor — could double as a stand up comedian really — and he was so patient during the planning process even though we were super stressed trying to plan a wedding in only a few weeks. We contacted him only a couple of weeks before the wedding unsure whether he would be available or able to help with such short notice. He responded immediately and gave us great ideas for music. He came to our home to deliver a custom CD and to talk with us more about what we liked. He listened to our ideas and offered feedback to help find the perfect songs for the ceremony and special renditions of songs for cocktails, dinner, and dancing. I left the wedding with a few new favorites! Save yourself one more decision and hire him now!

We hired DJ Harsh to DJ our wedding at the Floating World Gallery in Lincoln Park on 9÷19÷15 and couldn’t be happier with our decision! Originally, my day of coordinator recommended him but then our contact at the venue told us he would be the best decision we make for our wedding day — and he was right.
From our first meeting with him, we felt completely confident that he knew what he was doing — he gave us suggestions but didn’t push us and consistently gave us feedback on songs/​timeline/​logistics — which was really helpful for us since we had basically NO idea how to plan a wedding. We told him all we cared about was that people had fun and danced and he definitely delivered on that!
He kept us laughing throughout the entire stressful process and set us up for success at the Floating World Gallery, where we had both the ceremony and reception. He guided us through planning the sound for the ceremony and then helping us determine the best set up for the reception.
The guy know his music, and his puns, thats for sure. We would definitely recommend Harsh to anyone getting married in the Chicago area!

Wish I could give a sixth star!
Invaluable addition to our wedding: Harsh is an amazing DJ and an invaluable addition to your event. A true professional, Harsh was very helpful in advising us on important points about our wedding (having been through so many) and was very good in helping keep everything on track on the day. He was professional in every regard — supportive without being unctuous; direct but friendly when a task was at hand. The music was inspired and I couldn’t have asked for a better dance party than the one crafted by Harsh. Use this man for any and every occasion!

If you want the music for your wedding to be perfect, you need to hire Harsh. Harsh handled all of the music for our entire event – ceremony, cocktail hour, dinner, dancing. We could not have been happier. Every piece of music seemed personally tailored to our tastes, and our guests made several comments about how the ceremony and dinner music seemed very personalized. And then came the dancing… oh, the dancing. I was a sweaty, exhausted bride at the end of this epic dance party, and I couldn’t have been more thrilled about that! Harsh kept the majority of our guests on the floor for hours, busting sweet moves (ok, enthusiastic moves). Every time I thought I could take a break from the dance floor, the next song would come on and it was another «must dance». My husband had just has much fun, and was just as thrilled about Harsh. How did he do such a great job? Well, part of it is that the man just has outstanding knowledge about every aspect of music and his job. But just as importantly, he takes a lot of time to get to know his clients and he truly listens to what they want the event to be. He is professional, yet an absolute blast to be around. He made us feel that he had everything under control for our wedding, and then he absolutely delivered. He even made sure to make sure my husband or I were around when he was getting ready to play one of our favorite songs. I could go on about how great Harsh is for a few pages, but I want people to actually read this review so I’ll wrap it up: Harsh is amazing, and will make your event amazing and your guests happy. Hire him, and have fun!

We hired Harsh for our wedding in oak park. First off, we were super impressed by his passion for and knowledge of music. Secondly, he is very professional and has a great sense of humor. But where he really shines is with customer service. We had been chatting with Harsh about how terrible our venue coordinator was. When the day of the wedding came, Harsh had our back the whole way, even taking some of the pressure off by dealing with our crazy venue coordinator himself. He played all the music we asked, denied all the requests from family we asked him to, and his price is great. I would recommend DJ Harsh for any event!

I cannot say enough wonderful things about DJ Harsh! My son attends a non-​for-​profit preschool in Lincoln Park, and we booked him for the school’s annual gala and fundraiser. The event took place on 2÷7÷15 at Floating World Gallery. DJ Harsh was highly recommended by the gallery, and I can see why! From the moment we met him, he brought a really fun vibe and great energy (not to mention, he’s absolutely hysterical and kept us entertained throughout the months of planning). We knew immediately he needed to be a part of our «team.» Best decision ever! He was always available for questions, gave us lots of great advice, and even went above and beyond to find us a special projector and screen which worked out perfect for our live auction and slideshow. We had a tricky situation the evening of the event, with bouncing back and forth between rooms, and he was on top of everything. He would make announcements when we needed them, handled the AV perfectly, was happy to bounce between rooms… I can’t imagine doing this event without him. We received RAVE reviews after the event about the awesome music (he nailed it with the swanky background music at the beginning and great dance tunes at the end). Everyone had a blast, thanks to him! You won’t be disappointed… DJ Harsh is the BEST!

I have not only hired DJ Harsh for one of my parties, but I have also been to multiple events that he has worked. The music always makes me want to dance and working with Harsh is easy and professional. He brings a great energy to the event without overpowering it in any way. Without a doubt, DJ Harsh is the only DJ I want to hire for my events.

Harsh was our DJ for our Hindu ceremony, civil ceremony and wedding reception all onsite at Greenhouse Loft, and he did each component flawlessly! We had both an indoor and an outdoor ceremony at one venue, and one guest even said «Your sound system is fantastic. EVERY word of the readings was crystal clear!»
He had a lot of great song suggestions for us while planning, and he kept the dance floor packed all night, with all of guests commenting on how awesome he was. He was so fun to have at our party that night, with awesome suggestions that kept coming, and a fun attitude all the guests loved. Love Harsh! Highly recommend!

We booked DJ Harsh for our wedding on October 10, 2014 at Loft on Lake in Chicago.
He was wonderful from beginning to end! We met with him twice to go over details and logistics. He was a great balance of making sure I had everything I wanted, but also giving great suggestions. He was a hit with all of my guests as well. Everyone loved him!
We highly recommend him for any and all events!

We booked DJ Harsh for our wedding on October 11, 2014 at Loft on Lake in Chicago.
He was amazing! About a month before the wedding, we met with him to talk through some specifics. He provided fantastic suggestions for things like the processional, bridal party intros, father/​daughter dance, etc. We just told him the vibe we were looking for, what type of music we like and don’t like, and he did the rest.
DJ Harsh is also really great at keeping things on schedule. He did all the announcing for first dances, speeches, bouquet toss, etc to keep the party moving and organized.
We have gotten a TON of compliments on the music at our wedding. People were up and dancing the ENTIRE night because of DJ Harsh. We highly recommend him!

You should stop reading all these five star reviews and just hire him. Ok, meet with him first to make sure you jive, but he’s funny, very helpful, very easy going, and he will make everyone at your wedding dance. And have all your guests raving to you later about how great your music was and what a good hire that DJ was.
We had our ceremony and our reception in the same place, and he handled it masterfully. We even threw in a curve with a surprise (for the groom) string trio playing during the dinner. Then he went over and hooked them up with a microphone when he realized they weren’t being heard well enough.
An absolute pleasure to work with. He was the first vendor we hired after booking the venue (Loft on Lake), and he rocked. Couldn’t be happier.

After watching DJ Harsh at our friend’s wedding we knew we needed to consider him for our own. He was the first and only one we met with. He made every meeting fun and brought such energy. A pure joy to work with. He really listened to our requests but had suggestions that allowed us, a couple with little music knowledge, to have a great time without planning every second of the evening. We did our ceremony and reception in one spot and he handled everything, including the cocktail hour. Beautiful ceremony music, simple and elegant at our request, but fun and current as well.
If you get a chance to meet with DJ Harsh you’ll understand that he just wants you to have a good time and he’ll have a good time doing it. He does everything himself and will work with you through every step. The value and comfort you get with Harsh is irrepalceable when dealing with everything else that comes with planning a wedding and we can not recommend him enough.

Wedding Date: 05 — 25 — 2014
Wedding Venue: Park Hyatt, 800 N Michigan Avenue, Chicago, IL
There is a reason why Harsh has all 5 star reviews. He is that good. It was such a pleasure working with him. He is extremely involved and knows what he is doing. Few things that I loved about him.
— My husband and I moved to another city just few months before the wedding. I was nervous about communicating effectively with my vendors. With Harsh, it wasn’t a problem. He would email and call us whenever he had a question. After our first meeting with Harsh, 8 moths before the wedding, we never met him in person. But I can confidently say that no one else could have done a better job than him with the information he got from us through emails.
— He called up the venue manager months before the wedding and figured everything out. On the day of the wedding, I saw him at the venue early in the morning even though the wedding was in the evening. That’s how dedicated he is.
— I completely agree with the other review — He is not cheesy. You will not hear him making jokes or «shouting» on the mic. He was a thorough professional and kept things on time. He took care of all appropriate and inappropriate guest requests. :) His music made my friends dance, my in-​laws dance and my in-law’s friends dance too.
— We wanted some Indian songs to be played, since our guest list was a mix of Indian and American guests. Harsh delivered. Our guests absolutely LOVED the music. He has this amazing ability to read the crowd. We had a total of only 55 guests and the dance floor was occupied throughout the night.
Not to forget his sense of humor. If you want someone to make you laugh in the midst of crazy wedding planning, call Harsh. All of our conversations with Harsh ended with a huge smile on our faces.
As a bride, the only thing I clearly remember from my wedding was dancing for straight 4 hours. Harsh knows his music, he knows what he is doing, he keeps the couple and the crowd in mind and is a complete professional. Qualities that you would want in your wedding DJ.

wow, working with Harsh was amazing. He was actually the first vendor we hired after we met him at Loft on Lake when we were looking for venues for our 12÷21÷13 wedding.
Some great things about Harsh:
— he knows what he’s doing with logistics. He has worked in our venue before and was able to make everything work without us having to worry about anything.
— he knows what he’s doing with music selections. We went over to his house one morning about 3 weeks before the wedding and he showed us lots of different options for different parts of the evening that we hadn’t really thought about. He knew when we should have music without lyrics, when lyrics are nice, etc.
— he’ll work with the music you give him. we decided we didn’t really want to worry about our music going together and so played a huge classical piece right before the first 1:17 of a kind of emo piece for our processional. Harsh absolutely made it work including the timing and editing of the music
— he’s not cheesy. no «we are family» or «shout» for this crowd. He did not make any crazy jokes on the mic, just kept things on time and kept the focus on us
— he read our crowd and kept the dance floor going all night. seriously, I haven’t really seen a wedding this dancey maybe ever, and we’re not even big dancers. Around 1030 he found me and remarked that we were having so much fun he hadn’t played any slow songs yet, but could if we wanted. he also kept my friends from making obscure requests that would be good but people wouldn’t know
people actually commented on how great our dj was. I don’t think I’ve ever noticed or commented on a dj at a wedding.
He’s also pretty funny and just generally fun to work with! He told us we could drunk text him the week of the wedding if we changed our minds about our ceremony mic setup.
yes to Harsh a thousand times over! book him. and have the funnest wedding ever.

I am a wedding officiant and I’ve worked with many DJs over the years. Harsh is by far one of the very best — and a favorite! He is great at what he does and his clients love him.
I can tell you that he is the ONLY DJ to ever contact me before the wedding to introduce himself and go over the details of the ceremony. He is very conscious of the importance of his role in his clients’ weddings, and wants to make sure that everything runs smoothly.
He really cares about his clients and listens to what they want.
If you’re looking for a fantastic (and FUN) DJ, Harsh is the way to go.