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| Image Credit: annasweddings.com |
Wedding DJs should be expected to do more than just play
music. They keep the party atmosphere going, make important announcements
throughout your reception, and are a key element in setting the mood of your
celebration. They should be someone you feel listens to you and understands
your vision for the day, someone who is professional and reliable (not amateur
DJ-for-the-weekend), and have a personable demeanor and experience with quality
equipment. Some DJs even offer additional services such as lighting and video
or projection screens as part of or in addition to their wedding packages. Ask
to find out what is included in the price you pay.
To find a DJ, ask for referrals from friends, family, your
wedding coordinator/planner, or the venue where your wedding will be held. You
could also inquire of other vendors you’ve selected and trust; they work with
other wedding professionals regularly and should be able to give you some
suggestions. Once you’ve accumulated a list of referrals you can begin to
narrow them down by doing a little research. A professional website that
includes video samples of them at work and client testimonials, pictures of
their equipment, and a list of their available DJs will help you deice who to
call to inquire of their services. We found a great website of questions to ask
a wedding DJ with a free downloadable ebook for more in depth information on
how to find the wedding DJ that is right for you: http://mydeejay.com/wedding-advice/questions-to-ask-a-dj-wedding.
A brief summary of things to look for:
1) A written contract is a must and should describe the DJ’s
obligation to you and what service(s) he will provide.
2) Make sure the DJ you speak with, interview, and select
will be the DJ at your wedding. Some DJs hire additional DJs to work for them,
or they may be representing an agency.
3) Find out how long they’ve been a DJ and how many events
they’ve worked, and/or will work the day of your wedding. You want a DJ who is experienced,
committed and skilled in his profession. You also want your DJ to have the
energy to make your celebration awesome from beginning to end.
4) Ask if the DJ has worked at your wedding venue before and
when they will arrive to set up their equipment. Also ask about how much they
charge for overtime. It is important for a DJ to be prepared for the acoustics
of a room, the electrical outlets, and also where to set up his equipment. If a
DJ has not worked your site make sure he has a contact for the site who is
knowledgeable of these things, or that he visits the site. Most DJs will need
an hour to an hour and a half to set up their equipment, so to be clear make sure this set up time is
included in the price and find out beforehand what the charge is for overtime,
most weddings do not run perfectly on schedule.
5) Finally, you want to make sure the DJ will work with your
input. You should be able to provide a must play or definitely do not play
list. You want to make sure they are capable and willing to make announcements
and transition between songs seamlessly to keep the dance floor occupied and
the party going. You should be able to work with your DJ to select songs for
the cake cutting and father daughter dance, first dance, etc. You also want to
make sure your DJ has professional grade equipment and wireless microphone with any backups necessary to do
his job. Check out the website we mentioned, mydeejay.com, for more tips like
these: “the top brands for DJ
equipment are Pioneer, Denon, PCDJ, Traktor, Serato, Electro-Voice (EV), JBL,
Bose, Mackie, RANE, QSC, and Shure.”
VW geting the party started!
Sites and articles
referenced:
“Questions to Ask a DJ.” mydeejay. MyDeejay, Inc. 2002. Web. 19 May 2015. < http://mydeejay.com/wedding-advice/questions-to-ask-a-dj-wedding >
Sainato, Stefania.
“10 Questions to Ask Before Booking Your DJ.” Bridal Guide. Web. 19 May 2015. < http://www.bridalguide.com/blogs/the-budget-guru/wedding-dj >
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