How to Hire a Disc Jockey for Your Wedding
Get all your needs sorted with respect to the wedding., Determine how much to budget for your reception entertainment., Establish the theme of the wedding., Compile a list of possible DJ choices., Be sure that your choices specialize in wedding...
Step-by-Step Guide
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Step 1: Get all your needs sorted with respect to the wedding.
Establish the venue of the wedding, the date on which the wedding will take place and the length of time the disc jockey will be expected to play.
This information is crucial to knowing the costs involved.
In terms of the venue, it is always preferable to know the estimated size of the venue. -
Step 2: Determine how much to budget for your reception entertainment.
Expect to spend anywhere from £600.00 or equivalent in your currency to £1,500.00 or equivalent for an experienced wedding DJ with good equipment and decent references.
You can get a good idea of what you may require by making inquiries about the cost of booking a room in local hotels.
An allowance has to be made for meals and a few other requests as well.
Another cost that will have to be factored in is the airfare for the DJ and this is before you can even think about the booking fees for the performance.
You will also need to establish the arrangements that are in place with regards to a PA system for the wedding.
DJs can come with their own Public Address systems although this will cost you more especially if the DJ has to be flown in.
A good arrangement is for the DJ to bring only his or her turntables, consoles or laptop and simply plug into an available PA system. , If possible, get some input from the wedding couple and planner on the theme, mood or intended feel of the wedding.
This will give you an idea of the preferred DJs. , Use the internet, yellow pages, bridal shows, or get the names of some DJs who performed at your friends' or relatives' weddings who did a good job. , A good club DJ can be an awful wedding DJ unless he or she is an experienced wedding DJ also.
Same goes for radio DJs:
Unless you have wedding experience, the shows are very different from radio and club DJing.
A good DJ can match his or her crowd.
Some things to consider include:
Try to work with DJs who are local to your location.
The closer the better.
You will find literally hundreds of DJs within 60 miles (97Â km) of your home in many cases.
The fact that your DJ is part-time or full-time is not as important as how many weddings that DJ has performed at and their references.
DJ brokers/agencies and large DJ companies:
They can offer usually two levels of quality, one being high-quality DJs (but you need to see a video performance and check references prior to hiring them and make sure that is the DJ guaranteed in contract), and two: the ones that do not tell you who the DJ will be are usually the ones that sub-contract low quality DJs, but if you don't care about the low price then maybe you don't care about the quality too.
Be careful hiring friends and family unless they are true professionals in the industry and you have reviewed their references, contract and performance live or on video, just as you would someone you did not know.
A contract is especially important for hiring friends or family.
When you begin to contact possible DJ companies, ask to speak directly with the DJ who would be at your wedding before you agree to anything or put down a deposit.
The person on the phone may be outgoing and experienced but your actual DJ may be a dud.
If the company says they will assign you a DJ, then you probably only care about low price and it will be probably a DJ who matches that price and quality that you will get. , In making this selection, the overriding consideration must be for a DJ who is capable of complementing every other aspect of the wedding to bring out an event that will be talked about for many years and remain etched in the hearts and minds of the guests and wedding couple.
Go online to the bbb.com (better business bureau) and check your town to make sure there are no complaints or how their company handles complaints, if there are any.
They need not be a member but should not have any negative comments or major issues.
Check videos of prior shows.
Video clips of a company in action are okay but multiple clips of your exact DJ is what you want.
Some companies "fake" a party to get good video but 90% of the companies are legit video clips.
Always contact the last five events references by phone to make sure you are getting a good DJ.
You can tell if the crowd is naturally reacting to the DJ or if the whole thing is "faked". , This is a wedding, not a mosh pit. , You can do this by going through celebrity booking agents in Washington who are easily found on the internet and have a wide selection of disk jockeys of all calibers.
To make a successful booking you must always endeavor to be realistic and stick within your budget especially if it is not very flexible.
As a general rule, it is always wise to ask the agent to include the airfare in the booking charges so that you are left with the obligation of booking the hotel, meals and any other requests. , It is a wise idea to always have a look at the terms and conditions shown on the website and, if possible, to make a hard copy of the page.
Some of the things to watch out for include:
Make sure the DJ you consider hiring has on-site back ups of everything.
Get it in writing.
They must have a back up of every single cord in their system as well as a back up amp, computer or CD player.
This is so important and you should not even consider a DJ who will not indicate the back up equipment in writing.
Watch out for add-on costs.
Weddings should include lighting and it should not be an add-on cost.
Additional legitimate charges for extras would be for something like video screens, spotlight, projectors, karaoke etc.
If your DJ uses banner advertising at your event, make sure you are okay with that.
The best option is to have business cards on the corner of the table.
Deposit requirements.
Typical deposits are non-refundable and about $200.00 or equivalent, or 25%, whichever is higher.
Payment expectations.
Full-time professional companies will ask for the balance paid one week in advance.
Collecting the money the night of the reception can be tricky especially after alcoholic beverages are served. , After you're sure you're satisfied with your choice and the costs involved, the next best thing is to enter into a written contract with the agency to secure a booking and make the necessary payments.
Make copies of your contract and avoid getting verbal commitments that are not reflected in the written contract.
If there are any verbal commitments or variations from the written word they must be conformed in writing through an email or otherwise.
The contract must indicate date, times, promises, when they will be set up by, and things important to you.
A DJ should always be set up completely at least 30 minutes prior to the first guest arriving into the area they are performing within. -
Step 3: Establish the theme of the wedding.
-
Step 4: Compile a list of possible DJ choices.
-
Step 5: Be sure that your choices specialize in wedding receptions.
-
Step 6: Make a shortlist of at least five qualifying disc jockeys.
-
Step 7: Make sure that the DJ/MC is clean cut and has excellent verbal skills.
-
Step 8: Make contact with the disc jockeys.
-
Step 9: Check the terms and conditions of hiring the DJ.
-
Step 10: Sign a written contract (written agreement).
Detailed Guide
Establish the venue of the wedding, the date on which the wedding will take place and the length of time the disc jockey will be expected to play.
This information is crucial to knowing the costs involved.
In terms of the venue, it is always preferable to know the estimated size of the venue.
Expect to spend anywhere from £600.00 or equivalent in your currency to £1,500.00 or equivalent for an experienced wedding DJ with good equipment and decent references.
You can get a good idea of what you may require by making inquiries about the cost of booking a room in local hotels.
An allowance has to be made for meals and a few other requests as well.
Another cost that will have to be factored in is the airfare for the DJ and this is before you can even think about the booking fees for the performance.
You will also need to establish the arrangements that are in place with regards to a PA system for the wedding.
DJs can come with their own Public Address systems although this will cost you more especially if the DJ has to be flown in.
A good arrangement is for the DJ to bring only his or her turntables, consoles or laptop and simply plug into an available PA system. , If possible, get some input from the wedding couple and planner on the theme, mood or intended feel of the wedding.
This will give you an idea of the preferred DJs. , Use the internet, yellow pages, bridal shows, or get the names of some DJs who performed at your friends' or relatives' weddings who did a good job. , A good club DJ can be an awful wedding DJ unless he or she is an experienced wedding DJ also.
Same goes for radio DJs:
Unless you have wedding experience, the shows are very different from radio and club DJing.
A good DJ can match his or her crowd.
Some things to consider include:
Try to work with DJs who are local to your location.
The closer the better.
You will find literally hundreds of DJs within 60 miles (97Â km) of your home in many cases.
The fact that your DJ is part-time or full-time is not as important as how many weddings that DJ has performed at and their references.
DJ brokers/agencies and large DJ companies:
They can offer usually two levels of quality, one being high-quality DJs (but you need to see a video performance and check references prior to hiring them and make sure that is the DJ guaranteed in contract), and two: the ones that do not tell you who the DJ will be are usually the ones that sub-contract low quality DJs, but if you don't care about the low price then maybe you don't care about the quality too.
Be careful hiring friends and family unless they are true professionals in the industry and you have reviewed their references, contract and performance live or on video, just as you would someone you did not know.
A contract is especially important for hiring friends or family.
When you begin to contact possible DJ companies, ask to speak directly with the DJ who would be at your wedding before you agree to anything or put down a deposit.
The person on the phone may be outgoing and experienced but your actual DJ may be a dud.
If the company says they will assign you a DJ, then you probably only care about low price and it will be probably a DJ who matches that price and quality that you will get. , In making this selection, the overriding consideration must be for a DJ who is capable of complementing every other aspect of the wedding to bring out an event that will be talked about for many years and remain etched in the hearts and minds of the guests and wedding couple.
Go online to the bbb.com (better business bureau) and check your town to make sure there are no complaints or how their company handles complaints, if there are any.
They need not be a member but should not have any negative comments or major issues.
Check videos of prior shows.
Video clips of a company in action are okay but multiple clips of your exact DJ is what you want.
Some companies "fake" a party to get good video but 90% of the companies are legit video clips.
Always contact the last five events references by phone to make sure you are getting a good DJ.
You can tell if the crowd is naturally reacting to the DJ or if the whole thing is "faked". , This is a wedding, not a mosh pit. , You can do this by going through celebrity booking agents in Washington who are easily found on the internet and have a wide selection of disk jockeys of all calibers.
To make a successful booking you must always endeavor to be realistic and stick within your budget especially if it is not very flexible.
As a general rule, it is always wise to ask the agent to include the airfare in the booking charges so that you are left with the obligation of booking the hotel, meals and any other requests. , It is a wise idea to always have a look at the terms and conditions shown on the website and, if possible, to make a hard copy of the page.
Some of the things to watch out for include:
Make sure the DJ you consider hiring has on-site back ups of everything.
Get it in writing.
They must have a back up of every single cord in their system as well as a back up amp, computer or CD player.
This is so important and you should not even consider a DJ who will not indicate the back up equipment in writing.
Watch out for add-on costs.
Weddings should include lighting and it should not be an add-on cost.
Additional legitimate charges for extras would be for something like video screens, spotlight, projectors, karaoke etc.
If your DJ uses banner advertising at your event, make sure you are okay with that.
The best option is to have business cards on the corner of the table.
Deposit requirements.
Typical deposits are non-refundable and about $200.00 or equivalent, or 25%, whichever is higher.
Payment expectations.
Full-time professional companies will ask for the balance paid one week in advance.
Collecting the money the night of the reception can be tricky especially after alcoholic beverages are served. , After you're sure you're satisfied with your choice and the costs involved, the next best thing is to enter into a written contract with the agency to secure a booking and make the necessary payments.
Make copies of your contract and avoid getting verbal commitments that are not reflected in the written contract.
If there are any verbal commitments or variations from the written word they must be conformed in writing through an email or otherwise.
The contract must indicate date, times, promises, when they will be set up by, and things important to you.
A DJ should always be set up completely at least 30 minutes prior to the first guest arriving into the area they are performing within.
About the Author
Jerry Walker
Committed to making pet care accessible and understandable for everyone.
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