Key Steps To Picking The Perfect Wedding Dj
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Now your wedding is around the corner, it slowly dawns, that the show must be perfect. Nothing should be compromised. Having checked all other boxes like venue, outfit, flowers, it’s time to let the music play to the high heavens. Music is one of the intricate fibres that make up a near perfect wedding. Guests may easily forget that the dessert didn’t get to their corner of the hall but will not as easily forget how the music you played made them feel. Music and entertainment are very important in determining what kind of memory the guests will leave with.
While the most important part of the day is the exchange of vows between two lovebirds, music comes next quite closely. Interestingly, statistics show that about 72% of brides say they wished they had spent more time carefully choosing their music vendors. 65% of couples that chose a band to entertain at their wedding, said, if they had to do it all over again, they would have chosen a disc jockey.
–Investigate– Take your time to search them out. Go out to some events and get the contacts of the DJ’s behind the parties you enjoyed. Ask friends and family to recommend a few and then create a list. Carry out some level of research on those on your list. What equipment are they using? What attitude do they exude when on duty? Read reviews and then decide who to pursue.
Meet With The Dj Beforehand
Just like the other key players in your wedding day like your photographer and celebrant, its a good idea to meet with your DJ beforehand.
Not only is it the best way to ensure all bases covered but you want to make sure you actually gel with this person wholl be largely responsible for the atmosphere of your wedding reception party.
Meeting your DJ gives you the opportunity to ask them anything and everything youve been thinking about and there are no stupid questions. Your DJ should be professional, experienced, happy to answer any questions you have and know exactly how to put your mind at ease.
Ask what other services they can provide in their package, many DJs offer all the sound, lighting, microphones for the celebrants and speeches as well as other optional extras like photo booths, disco balls, smoke machines and more for hire. Ask your DJ what extra services they have that could add the finishing touches to your big day.
This is also the chance to establish if there are any special requirements you need to know about like logistics of power, set up, what kind of space they need and any equipment they need you to provide. Also youre most likely required to provide food and drink for the DJ so be sure to clarify that so you can factor it into your catering budget.
Dont forget to ask them what information they need from you, such as a wedding timeline and a playlist to help them get to know your likes and dislikes.
What Are Your Most Requested Wedding Songs Of All Time
There are some absolute classics out there that get requested, but here are my top 5 most requested tracks:
Some of these may surprise you, but the stats dont lie! A wedding simply wouldnt be a wedding without most of these songs, which is why everyone requests them!
- Stand By Me – Ben E King
- Signed, Sealed, Delivered Stevie Wonder
- Yeah! – Usher
- Ive Had The Time Of My Life Billy Medley, Jennifer Warnes
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Tip #2 Know The Music Style You Want For Your Wedding
- Before you meet up with the DJs youre eyeing, you and your partner should have an idea of what music style youd want for your wedding
- It would be best to hire a DJ that has performed in many different weddings, so they already have the experience of whats expected with such an occasion
- Some weddings are non-traditional, so keep this in mind when discussing your wedding music with the DJ
- Its ideal to have a DJ that is easy to talk to rather than someone imposing their style on clients
- Keep the crowd youll have in the wedding in mind so the DJ knows the genre and era of what they can play
Find A Dj That Does More Than Just Play Music At The Reception
You have a playlist. You also have a do not playlist. You hire someone who knows how to mix music well. How hard can it be? The truth is, its not. Music should be the easy part for the best wedding DJs. Most brides and grooms today are looking for a lot of dancing at their wedding, and while youll want a legit DJ spinning your music, the secret isnt all about the mix.
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How Would You Describe Your Style
First, you need to figure out if the band members’ type of music will work with the vibe you’re going for. If you want a low-key cocktail party with lots of casual conversation, a band that specializes in hard rock may be a music mismatch. Get to know the group’s style by chatting about their favorite wedding songs to see if they’ll be a fit for you.
Why Should I Choose You
If your DJ identifies key attributes that mesh with your wedding vision, theyre the right person for the job! Whatever your taste in music, your age or the overall theme of your wedding, a DJ should be able to fit with that.
Good DJs arent necessarily showmen or rock stars. Wedding DJs are professionals who are there to do a job, and do it to the best of their ability, so talk to them and let them know what you want.
Remember, a wedding DJ isnt there to stand out. Theyre there to make sure the bride, groom and guests have a good time. Dont hire someone who is too big for their boots or only wants to play certain music. If you want the Grease soundtrack then thats what you should get.
However, a DJ also needs to know how to act and what to play at any given situation. They should be a safe pair of hands for sound tracking your party. Make sure that when you hire a wedding DJ, they have all of these skills.
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How Flexible Are You On The Playlist
You probably already got a taste for the DJs music, but who knows what your preferences will be closer to the date? In which case, do ask if they have a set playlist or if its completely customizable. And if you have specific song requests, either beforehand or on the day-of, will they be able to accommodate? Unfortunately, due to licensing requirements in certain situations, some music may be limited, in which case its better to find out sooner rather than later.
This is also important if you plan to have your guests put in requests throughout the day or if you have a do-not-play list. Ideally, a DJ might let you go through their plan a week or so prior to the event so that there will be no surprises.
Ask What’s Included In Your Dj Package
The first thing you need to understand is what you are going to get for your money. You’ll want to know:
- How many hours of music do I get? Many DJs charge an additional fee if you want them to stay longer than your contracted time.
- Do I get lighting packages or other add ons. Do they cost extra?
- Will they play during cocktail hour?
- Do I need to pay travel expenses?
These are all very important questions that the DJ should be able to answer for you.
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Question : What Do Wedding Djs Actually Do Besides Play Music
This is honestly the best place to start. As with each of your wedding vendors, if you dont know what youre paying for, its hard to know what youre actually looking for. To summarize: wedding DJs do much more than just play music.
The Emcee Aspect
As a big music fan myself, when I hear the word emcee, I immediately think of MC Lyte, a popular rap artist from the 1990s. It makes sense because emcee and MC are synonymous: they refer to a master of ceremonies. This is really the main function of your wedding DJ
Sal explains in the video, Theres so much more involvement that DJ should have when at your wedding. There the one whos kind of going to direct traffic for doing special events at the weddingThey should be able to use a microphone.
If youve ever been to a wedding and did NOT hear the DJs voice throughout the day, that should be concerning. Regardless of style or personality, you should definitely be prepared to ask prospective vendors in this area how often they are on the mic when you consider how to choose a wedding DJ.
They Should Also Help You Plan
You should be meeting with all of your prospective wedding vendors. Along with your wedding planner and , your DJ is the next vendor who should play a significant role in planning your day with you. From the get-go, feel your prospective DJ out from this aspect. Ask them about how they would help you plan, handle last-second meetings, and interface with the others on your wedding vendor team.
Wedding Venues In Connecticut
4/2/21: The ongoing Covid-19 pandemic will be mentioned quite a bit in this post. In Connecticut, things are getting much better. As of about a couple weeks ago, the wedding industry is closer still to getting completely back on its feet. Im keeping close, current tabs on the pandemics effects on weddings in Connecticut over on the Wedding Planning Tips resource page.
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Wedding Dj Pros And Cons
- Pros: Less expensive than a band, a DJ can keep the party going all night long, with endless music, and absolutely no dancefloor rules.
- Cons: The wrong DJ could kill the tempo of your reception just as fast as a good one would get it going.
- Are weddings your primary focus? At what locations have you performed before?
You want to be sure that they are primarily focused on weddings and they know what it takes to properly entertain a wedding party. You want a wedding DJ, not a club DJ those are completely different types of events.
Even if they dont only perform at weddings, you want to be sure that they are well rounded enough to cater to different types of audiences.
- How do you customize your song list for each couple? Can you provide new wedding songs?
Find a DJ who is attentive enough to understand your wants and the style you aspire to achieve for your wedding. With this, he can create a playlist that will work for each stage in your wedding reception without missing a beat.
He would know how to work around your do not play song list, to figure out which type of songs will be best for your event.
- Can you make a visit to our chosen venue beforehand?
The size of a venue and even the location of the DJ widely impact the sound, and so a visit to the venue is important before the big day. You need a DJ who already knows how important this is and agrees off the bat to make a site visit beforehand to check out and understand the rooms acoustics.
What Is Your Best Piece Of Advice For Anyone Looking To Book A Wedding Dj
The best advice I can give you is to ask about anything you are unsure of.
If you book through an agency such as Warble Entertainment, your agent will be able to answer most questions straight away and if not, pass on questions to us DJs so you know help is always at hand.
Also, be precise with your enquiry, as your agent can then pick which DJs will best work for you.
Once youve given your agent all the information you can, let them worry about finding the right act for you. They are industry experts and do this on a daily basis, so you can trust them do all the hard work for you!
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What Does The Rate Include
Theres nothing more annoying than a surprise bill at the end of a fun day, so go over what the DJs rate includes and if there will be any extra fees on top. Things like travel expenses, parking, etc. are often forgotten at first glance. Dont forget gratuity, either. Unless stated in the contract, expect to pay anywhere from 10-20% on top of their rate.
Inquiring about the rate is also important because youll verify what they will or wont do. Set up and take down is especially worth double-checking. Although DJs will often take care of everything themselves, in some venues, that may not be possible for one person to do alone or the venue may require their own staff to hook up any electric or sound equipment .
Do Wedding Djs Also Provide Lighting
87 percent of wedding DJs offer lighting services as well as music, with the starting price for uplighting averaging around $250. If youd like to have your wedding DJ provide lighting, there are a few questions you should ask before adding this service to your package:
- Have you provided lighting at my venue before?
- What types of lighting can you provide?
- Can I see photos of your past work?
- How much will lighting cost?
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Ask Around For Recommendations
The easiest way to narrow down any vendor search: word of mouth recommendations. Ask your family, friends, colleagues, whoever if they hired a DJ they loved. Even if theyre not engaged or married, they may have recently attended a wedding with a DJ that really wowed.
Of course you can also always trust the Internet to help you start your search, too. We recommend starting with a vendor search from a reputable wedding source. Were biased but Zola makes the vendor search process basically seamless. You can read vetted reviews from real couples, find out what services each DJ specifically offers, and more. Its an easy way to taper your search to at least a handful of options.
As you conduct your Internet search, pay special attention to any trends you see in reviews. For example, look out for any mentions of tardinessyou dont want anything to hold up your reception once youre ready to party.
