4 Great Tips When Searching For A Wedding DJ
In your search for the best wedding DJ, there are many resources available online. With a quick Google search, you can find a vast world of wedding DJs with various styles and techniques. Wander aimlessly and you’ll risk losing time and energy that could've been spent on the more intricate parts to planning your wedding. Since you know where to find a list of wedding DJs, the goal of this article is to show you “how to look” and “what to ask” when reaching out to these entertainers. The following steps will help you trim your final list down to a minimum. Here are 4 Great Tips To Searching For A Wedding DJ.
1) Ask For Samples
If you are hoping for a packed dance floor, one of the first questions to ask a wedding DJ is where you can hear examples of what they spin. Many wedding DJs have mixes readily available on streaming services such as Mixcloud or Youtube. Throughout the COVID-19 Pandemic, professional wedding DJs stayed sharp by performing live DJ sets on Instagram and Facebook. Many of these videos are still available to go back and watch. In addition, they will give you an indication of a DJ’s personality and how they sound on the mic, which you’ll learn in the next section, is important to the energy of the room.
2) Look For A Wedding DJ Who Is Also A Wedding Emcee
The top rated Wedding DJs do more than just play music. A professional wedding DJ is also a professional wedding emcee. Using the microphone, they will guide your guests through the event. Prior to the dance floor opening, the level of attention and energy in the room directly correlates to the DJ’s experience and confidence on the mic. If you want the overall wedding to flow well, the DJ's ability to also emcee is a must.
3) Ask The DJ How They Would “Solve for X”
Have you been to a wedding where the entertainment played the incorrect song for the first dance? How about a reception where the power went out for about 3 minutes? What about that wedding where the DJ played EDM the entire time, despite the majority of guests being older relatives and guests from overseas? When you sit down to meet with your DJs, ask them how they would solve unexpected problems. Tell them about a bad wedding you’ve been to and ask how they would have handled it differently.
4) Ask Your Entertainer What They Do For A Living
If having a fun dance floor is one of your top priorities, then you’ll want a wedding DJ who spends most of their clock hours in entertainment. In this day and age, many people have two or even three jobs. When you ask your DJ what they do for a living, they will either answer A: DJ, B: DJ and other work related to entertaining, or C: DJ and something unrelated to entertainment.
A wedding DJ that answers "C" may still be a great DJ, but they will surely rank lower compared to others in the following:
- Their experience as a DJ.
- How up to date they are on DJ technology, trends, and new music.
- How invested they are in your wedding. Furthermore, how accessible they will be when you need them. If you, your venue, or wedding coordinator has DJ related questions, will your DJ respond in a day, a week, or will YOU have to follow up?
Pro Tip: You should never have to follow up with any of your wedding vendors about an unanswered email!
Using the tips above, you will be able to tailor your list of wedding DJs for hire down to a solid 5. From there you can use reviews, word of mouth, and ultimately your gut feeling to decide who will be the one to make your wedding reception the best there ever was.
Enjoy this beautiful time planning your special day. Best of luck with your search!
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- DJs: DJ Will Gill
- Photographers: Erin Marton
- Photographers: Tracy Rinehart