There are so many things to consider before Hiring a DJ for your Wedding. We could go on and on about this topic but for today we are going to focus on the Top 5 Things you should consider before Hiring a DJ for your Wedding.
1. Experience : We are not only talking about how long a person has been a DJ but how many events they have performed for and more importantly how many weddings they have performed for. Weddings are very different from most events. There is a lot of structure and special events that need to be planned and handled with care. However, the DJ needs to be ready for anything all the time. A great DJ can make a wedding seem like it is running perfectly even if the train is coming off the track behind the scenes.
2. Personality : The DJ is the person that you are putting in charge of the entertainment for your special day. You want to make sure that your personalities fit with one another. If not it could make for a very long and not so fun day. This doesn’t mean you have to be best of friends but a good personality will help the DJ engage and connect with your guests at your wedding.
3. Price : This is always a factor when hiring any wedding vendor and the entertainment is no different. However, there are lots of different things to consider when looking at DJ pricing for weddings.
a. Amount of time your DJ will be working. In a lot of cases the DJ is one of the few wedding vendors that will be at your wedding hours before and after the wedding to make sure everything is set up and perfect for your wedding. In a lot of cases this means they are on site for 8 to 12 hours or more the day of your wedding. This does not include travel to and from the venue.
b. Consider what equipment they will be providing for your wedding. This is where it gets tricky because most couples do not know the differences, but the idea is when comparing prices take this into consideration as every DJ brings something different to the table.
c. Consider the staffing that your DJ will have for your event. Is it just one DJ, are they also going to MC your wedding? Will there be an MC and another person that will DJ. In some cases they may just be a DJ and you may need to hire someone else to MC your wedding. I am not saying that any one way is right or wrong but you want to understand what they will be offering so you can evaluate their price.
d. Most importantly don’t focus solely on the price. Your Entertainment is not something you want to skimp on as “81% of wedding guests say that the aspect they remember most about a wedding is the entertainment”. So use pricing as a factor but look for the best DJ not the best price.
4. Music : This seems like a no brainer right, well this is a bigger issue then does the DJ have my favorite songs. In today’s DJ Industry there are lots of different ways to obtain and store your music. This brings about some potential issues that couples probably wouldn’t think about. Now before I dig into these, yes you do want to make sure the DJ knows the type of music you would like played at your wedding and that they have your favorites available. But, let’s dig a little deeper now. In the DJ world it is not as easy as downloading music and pushing play on your iphone. DJ’s must procure their music from reputable music sites for DJ’s so that the proper royalties are paid to the artists for their music. DJs that use illegal music can face huge fines and imprisonment for copyright infringement. Another big potential issue is how a DJ Stores their music, some DJ’s stream their music from the cloud, where other DJ’s use Vinyl, or CD’s, etc. I do not want to weigh in on the best way as this has a lot to do with their style and needs. However, as a couple you should understand that different ways of storing music brings about different challenges at your wedding.
a. DJ’s using vinyl need lots of space to store the vinyl in their booth and may not be able to have a song ready for play in a few seconds. This also fits for DJ’s using CD’s.
b. DJ’s who stream their music rely on a stable internet connection as well as the server of the service they are using for their music. Some venues may not have wifi or cell phone service which can be a big problem for these DJ’s.
c. DJ’s using hard drives and computers to store their music can have hard drives or computer failures. While these are rare these things can happen.
No matter which way your DJ is storing their music it is good to know their situation and most importantly ask them what their back up plan is. If they do not have one I would suggest looking elsewhere for your entertainment.
5. Professionalism : Not all DJs understand the importance of your wedding day. Lots of DJs are all about the party and don’t care if it is a wedding or a nightclub. This does not mean that someone that DJs at nightclubs is not suitable for a wedding. However, the importance here is does the DJ take this seriously? Are they serious about their skills as a DJ, will they show up at your wedding dressed appropriately for your special day? Will they take the proper care with your special events like your introductions and first dance? Will they work well with your other vendors? Will they try to steal the show or keep the focus on you the couple? After all this is your wedding day and it should be about you and your love for each other.
I could go on and on about horror stories I have heard or seen from other DJs but my goal is to inform couples so that they do not have horror stories of their own. I have been a DJ for 20 years and am also a Professionally Certified Wedding Planner. I hope you find these 5 Things helpful as you look for your Wedding DJ and if you have any questions please feel free to contact me.