Questions to Ask
Your Wedding DJ!
The Important
Things to Know Before You Hire a
Wedding DJ
By Nina
Callaway, About.com Guide
A wedding DJ is
probably the one vendor who can
truly make or break your reception.
If they’re great, the dance floor
will be packed and your wedding will
be remembered as the most awesome
party. But a terrible wedding DJ can
not only bore your guests to tears,
but also shock and offend. So before
you sign that contract, make sure
you’ve asked these important
questions:
•Do you have a
written contract?
As with the rest
of your wedding vendors, do NOT
proceed without a written contract.
If they won’t provide one, it’s time
to look elsewhere.
•Can we meet the
person who will be actually working
my event before we sign a contract?
You definitely want to make sure
you're comfortable with the actual
person who'll be at your reception.
Do they seem cool, fun, and also
respectful? Are they listening to
the questions you're asking, and
giving you thoughtful responses? Do
they seem like someone you could
have a fun time with?
•Will you work
with my playlist AND my do not play
list?
Wedding DJs love
to have autonomy and play whatever
they want to. But since it’s your
wedding, you should get to have
input about what gets played and on
what doesn’t.
•Will your
equipment allow you to mix one song
into another so that there are no
breaks in between songs?
One of the top
reasons to hire a wedding DJ rather
than just using an iPod is that they
should be able to provide a seamless
flow of music. If they can't, it's
time to look elsewhere.
•Will you take
breaks? If so, what happens during
the breaks?
Again, unlike a
band or an iPod, a DJ should be able
to have a seamless flow of music
with no breaks.
•Will you take
requests during the wedding?
Some wedding DJs
love requests, while others don't
like having to hunt for an obscure
song or interrupting their playlist.
•Will you act as
emcee and announce the cake cutting,
first dance, toasts, etc? Can
someone else act as emcee?
Most DJs are
used to making these types of
announcements, but if you want a
more personal touch you may want to
ask your father or another
charismatic person to act as emcee.
•Can you give us
an example of how you will make
these announcements?
Wedding DJs
usually use a big Vegas-style voice,
but you might want something more
refined or elegant.
•How many
weddings do you DJ each year? Will
you have another event on the same
day?
Since DJs work
corporate events, bars, bar mitzvahs
and birthday parties, you want to
make sure he or she is comfortable
with weddings and the higher level
of sophistication they require.
•Have you worked
at our reception site before?
If he or she
already knows the setup and staff
there, it can make things more
seamless on the actual day. It's not
necessary, but it's nice to have.
•Do your prices
include the sound system, speakers,
wireless microphone for the toasts,
etc?
Each of these
extras can add up quickly. Your
event space may already have them
available, but it's good to have
backups in case of equipment
failure.
•What do you do
if nobody is dancing?
•How current is
your music collection?
•What if we
really want to hear songs that
aren’t in your music collection?
