How to Find a GREAT Wedding DJ

All DJs are NOT the Same!

Many people view DJs, as someone who makes a few announcements and plays music.  This creates the belief that all DJs are the same.  With this mind-set, most people believe this is an area that they can save money by shopping around for the lowest price.  Countless times, people will call or email and ask:

"How much do you charge?" or "Do you price match with other DJs?"

While price is a considerable factor in your decision making process, the real questions that should be addressed first are things like:

"How experienced is the DJ service?"
"Does the customer have input on what music to play?"
"What types of services, options, or upgrades do you offer?"
"What happens if the DJ gets sick?"
"Are there over-time fees or is everything included in the package?"
"Do you interact with the crowd?"
"Do you OVERact with the crowd?"
"Do you sing on the microphone?"
"What about setup and teardown time?"
"Do you charge for mileage or travel time?"

These are the questions that will help you determine if you are getting a quality disc jockey or someone who is just looking to make beer money on the weekend.  Remember the old saying ... "you get what you pay for".

 

Here is a question to ask yourself when you are hiring a DJ.  Is the DJ an entertainer, someone that just plays music, or a karaoke king?  Depending on your style and preferences, you may want someone who only plays music and makes no announcements.  On the other hand, you may want a DJ who can emcee and coordinate the entire evening.  A good DJ will be the "glue-person" that holds the entire evening together much like a day wedding coordinator.

Brides and Grooms will spend thousands of dollars on a location site for the reception, food and beverages, decor, and triffle items but will cut corners on the entertainment package (as well as photos and video).  The entertainment you select for your reception or special occasion is responsible for 80% of the memories you will have for the rest of your life.  People will walk away from your reception at the end of the night remembering what a wonderful time they had at your reception if they have good music and dance the night away.  They aren't going to remember that the food was superb or over-cooked or that the cake looked amazing.

Common complaints about DJs:

• · The DJ arrived late or didn’t arrive at all.
• · The DJ didn’t play what I requested to play.
•   Worse yet, the DJ played music or an artist I specifically said I did not want to hear.
• · The DJ spent more time drinking free beer at my reception than playing music.
•   I thought the DJ would dress professionally but showed up in t-shirt and jeans.
•   The DJ used a laptop and it appeared like it was on auto-pilot while he or she played computer solitaire.
• · The DJ that played our event was someone we had never met and didn't bother to introduce himself.
• · Their equipment sounded horrible and had a lot of static.
•   No attention was paid to the sound level of the music.  My guests left because they couldn't socialize.

 

You should EXPECT the following out of your DJ:

•   Common courtesy and respect for you and your guests.
•   Professional equipment
•   Professional DJs will listen to your requests and ideas as well as use his judgement to "read the crowd".
•   The Bride and Groom should always be the center of attention.  Not the DJ.
•   A written contract agreement with all terms, conditions, and options listed.
•   Professionally setup ahead of time so that everything is tested before guests arrive.
•   Your DJ may put out a small sign to promote his company name but it should not be a large and gawdy.
•   A meeting in advance so you can determine if the DJ personality matches your style.
•   A planning form should be used to list bridal attendant names, special dances, music preferences, etc.
•   Music that you want to hear.
•   Future clients should NOT be invited by the DJ to your event for a viewing of the performance.
•   References to be made available to you.
•   No sub-contracted DJ without you first being notified.

Of course, not all of these points may be of importance to you and there are those not listed that may be on top of you mind.  These are intended to give you a good base of questions to think about as you are making your decision on who to hire for your event.  Don't forget to ask your reception facility staff if they have heard of the DJ you are thinking about hiring.  After all, they would have an opinion of DJ's that are good based on seeing them every weekend at other wedding receptions.