Hiring a DJ: Points to Consider:

Written By Mainstream Music

Do you remember when you first started to daydream about your wedding? If you're like most brides, it was years before he asked you to spend the rest of your lives together. It may have been while you were watching Cinderella, or when you were playing Barbie and Ken, or one Halloween where you dressed as a bride and everyone said, "Ah, she's so beautiful!" The significant thing about all these memories is that they were so perfect.

Now you're all grown up - no more make-believe. You have a much clearer picture of what you want now than you did then. And, back then you couldn't possibly imagine how much work, how many decisions, and how much money it would take to create the wedding of your dreams. Well, reality time is here and it can be overwhelming!

Setting a budget is important. Unfortunately, when the money starts to run thin, one of the more common places couples opt to cut back is on their reception entertainment. This has often proven to be a disappointing mistake. One way to think about your reception entertainment is to consider it to be an insurance policy on the rest of your investment. The fact is, it won't matter how beautiful your decorations are, how delicious the meal is, how artistic the cake is, if your entertainment fails to meet your needs and expectations. The entertainment is the one factor that can "make or break" your event. While it's attractive to shop by price, just as with every other wedding service vendor, price alone is not the definitive factor in this decision. All DJ services are not equal. You don't want to rush into this important decision based simply on price. Here are a few things that you'll want to consider.

1.       Experience - The first thing to consider is experience, specifically with wedding receptions. A DJ who does primarily club work will most likely not have the variety of music that is necessary to perform at weddings, nor will he or she have the experience necessary to professionally emcee the reception events. A good reception entertainer has many responsibilities. He or she needs to be an event manager, know the kinds of music that will satisfy your guests, and how to work with other professionals. A reception is a coordinated effort between many professionals. You want someone who has had experience working with caterers, photographers, and videographers so that everything runs smoothly. One indication of an experienced reception DJ is that he or she will have a thorough event planner for you to complete or that will be completed with you during a planning meeting. This will cover everything from the names of your bridal party, songs to be played for your formal dances, special requests, songs to NOT play, and many other factors that will help things run smoothly.

 

1.      Equipment - Your disc jockey should have high quality, professional equipment that is designed for mobile use and that is neatly cased. Cordless mics are also a nice touch for the blessing & the toasts. This is another feature that you often don't find with a budget DJ. Although you might not be familiar with brands for professional equipment, it will not be the brands that you find at electronics stores. While it is highly unlikely that your disc jockey will experience any equipment problems, he or she should have back-up equipment readily available.

2.      Personality/Interaction - It is important for you to select a DJ who will provide the style and personality that you prefer. Do you want an energetic DJ who will interact with your guests, or do you prefer that the disc jockey provide a more low key approach and only make necessary announcements?

3.      Contracts/Reliability - The importance of getting a written contract from your disc jockey cannot be overemphasized. In a vast majority of cases where there have been last minute problems, there was NO written contract or the DJ was a "friend" of the family. You may have a very capable friend who has offered to provide you disc jockey services at a discounted rate. The most important social event of your life is NOT the time to mix business with friendship. What if the performance is not up to your expectations? Your reception is disappointing and a friendship is compromised. If you have no contract do you really want to take the chance of the DJ not showing up for your event, or canceling at the last minute? A written contract is imperative. You want it to clearly state who your DJ will be, what hours are covered, and what is included in the price.

4.       Music Library - This factor alone varies greatly amongst people who provide this service. Is their library all-digital or does it include cassette? Compact disc is the medium of choice for mobile professionals who keep their libraries current. In addition, while it can be expected that any DJ have a variety of music that includes several genres, are they really equipped to play the music that you and your guests want? How many selections does the DJ have? While 300-400 CDs may sound like a lot compared to your personal collection that will almost always be insufficient for a professional. Even if the DJ is using primarily compilation discs, they will most likely not be able to handle many of your guests' requests. For a reception you expect a variety of ages and music tastes. The budget DJ simply has not invested the amount of money necessary to provide you with a first class selection of music. Therefore, it is important for you to select a DJ who has invested in an extensive music library.

 

Here are some important events during your wedding and reception that you may need to choose music for.  There are a wide variety of songs to pick from so we have provided a website address to give you some popular song suggestions under each category.

http://www.ourweddingsongs.com/wedding-processional-music

Ceremony

Introduction

First Dance

Father-Daughter Dance

Mother-Son Dance

Bridal Party dance

Cake Cutting

Bouquet

Garter

Money Dance