7 Questions to Ask Your Wedding DJ Before Booking
I have DJ'd a ton of weddings with my company, Michael Rock Music. Thanks to the Fun 107 Wedding Show, I've met with hundreds of SouthCoast brides and grooms to talk about their weddings. After an initial meeting at the Wedding Show, I thoroughly enjoy sitting down with brides and going over the hopes and dreams for their big day.
Over the years, there have been a number of great questions asked by brides and grooms at these meetings. I'm going to share 7 questions that you should ABSOLUTELY ask your wedding DJ before you book.
1. "How long have you been DJ'ing weddings?"
The importance of wedding experience cannot be overstated. It's one thing to be a DJ at a club or a party, but DJ'ing a wedding is a completely different animal. There are some very concrete reasons why there is such a wide gap in the pricing of DJ's. Experience is the main one. Experienced wedding DJ's are a hot commodity. There are only so many weekends between June and October. If your wedding DJ is only charging $800 or $900, there may be a reason why. Your DJ's lack of experience is probably not something you'd like showcased in front of all your guests on the day of your wedding. It might not be worth having your cousin or your friend's teenaged son DJ your wedding for free, or for a big discount.
2. "What happens if you get sick on my wedding day?"
I'm knocking on wood as I type this, but I've never missed a wedding due to illness (or any other reason). But life happens. What happens if your DJ is dreadfully ill with the flu? What if there is a death in his/her family? What if something unexpected happens that prevents him/her from getting to your wedding? What then? You'll want to make sure you pick a DJ that has a backup plan. For me, I'm lucky enough to work here at Fun 107, which is stocked with capable DJ's at all times If I was somehow hit by a bus the day before your wedding, Gazelle or one of the other DJ's here would be more than capable of pinch-hitting on short notice.
3. "What will you wear to my wedding?"
Personally, my default setting is a suit and tie. I like to dress as if I am a guest at the wedding. If you are having a more casual wedding (perhaps at a beach), you may want to share that info with your DJ. If your wedding party is going to be in shorts and Hawaiian shirts, you may not want your DJ in a suit. Even worse, you probably don't want your DJ in shorts and a tank top at Belle Mer in Newport.
4. "What happens if your equipment fails?"
This is a big one. You'll want to choose a DJ that has backup equipment ready to roll if something fails. You just can't have 150 guests standing around in silence if your wedding DJ's sound system fails. There needs to be redundancy with the equipment.
5. "What do you usually do on the microphone at weddings?"
This is strictly a matter of taste. There are some DJ's that will be on the microphone all night long at your wedding. They'll be pulling people out of the crowd and giving them blow up hats and props. They'll be out on the dance floor dancing with stuffed animals, they'll be talking in and out of every song. There are also others that will barely get on the microphone. Personally, my radio training has made me a big believer in the "less is more" philosophy. If guests aren't dancing for some reason, there's probably nothing you can yell into a microphone that will make them want to dance. A better strategy is to put on a better song. Again, it's a matter of preference. Some brides are looking for a wedding DJ that never shuts the microphone off, while other brides are looking for something a little more low key. You'll want to know which brand of DJ you are hiring before your wedding night.
6. "Are you affiliated with any other wedding vendors?"
Your wedding DJ can be a great resource for choosing other vendors. He/she has probably worked with a number of other venues, photographers, videographers, florists, etc. Very often, the top-tier wedding vendors in an area will establish a rapport because of working together so often. This can be a big advantage for you because they will know each other's style and will watch out for one another. For example, I'd never start the Father/Daughter dance before making sure the photographer and videographer are in place and ready to shoot. The ideal situation is to have your wedding vendors working in synergy.
7. "What genre of music do you consider your specialty?"
Whether it's Top 40, Rock, Country, Urban, or anything in between, you'll want to make sure your wedding DJ can handle the music that you are hoping to feature at your wedding. Any DJ worth their salt should be able to handle a few requests from other formats without a problem, but you need to be sure your DJ is a good overall musical match for your taste. If you are looking for a night packed with salsa and merengue, you might want to avoid the country DJ. There will be SIX different DJ's to talk to at the Fun 107 Wedding Show--each with our own brand and style. There's sure to be one that is the PERFECT match for your big night!
Don't miss the FUN this Sunday, January 28, at White's of Westport.