Top Mistakes to Avoid When Hiring a DJ for Your Wedding

Searching for the perfect DJ for your wedding can be a daunting process. For most brides and grooms, this is their first time hiring a DJ and there are so many factors to consider.

Here’s our List of Common Mistakes Made by Brides & Grooms when Selecting a Wedding Dj:

DJ playing music at mixer on colorful blurred background. The hands close up

1. Thinking that a DJ is someone that just plays music

So many people realize after their wedding just how much a DJ does behind the scenes… even with a wedding coordinator, the DJ is the Ringmaster for the entire event and is always prepared. For example, there’s nothing worse than having a photographer changing batteries right when the toasts are announced.

A professional wedding DJ brings the organizational skills and the experience of knowing how to bring a cohesiveness and a smooth flow to your Big Day so you don’t’ have to think about anything but enjoying yourself.

2. Hiring an Amateur or Part Time DJ

Don’t put the most important day of your life in the hands of an amateur offering “amazing deals”, or worse, your “friend that has been DJing as a hobby for 10 years”.

Don’t have your reception ruined by someone that is not qualified or equipped to entertain your guests or provide a variety of great music. Leave this to a reputable professional that can back up their work with solid recommendations.

3. Hiring the DJ at the last minute

One of the biggest if not the biggest mistake couple make is to lag behind when planning the wedding. They decide very late to find the vendors that will work for the success of the wedding and also put the entertainment part at the very last position.

Most of the best DJs with good reputation are already booked well in advance, and most couples choose Saturdays in the summer to celebrate their wedding with the family. Your choices are limited and when the best DJs are already taken, you might end up with the amateurs. Finding the DJ you want is not as easy as you think, don’t believe they’re all the same.

4. Not Seeking To Identify the DJ’s Personal and Professional Skills

Once you took the first step searching for your DJ don’t think that’s enough to have a great reception. If you enjoyed the DJ’s mix, this does not mean that it will be the perfect DJ for your wedding. The next steps would be to learn to know the professional skills of your DJ. It could be either on the telephone or through e-mail.

The first interaction with your DJ should give you an idea on his personality. How the DJ talks on the phone, how and when he replies or send you e-mails and when you meet. To ensure how he come across punctuality appropriate manner and if he carries themselves professionally during your consultation.

The music preference could also play a major role in the choice of your DJ. He may be perfect for the club, and not good enough for a wedding.

5. Skimping on entertainment budget just to save money

A wedding cake lasts about ten minutes once it’s cut… the food lasts maybe half an hour at best…the champagne is gone in seconds… and yet, many brides spend more money on each of these than they do on the entertainment that lasts all evening and is the one thing that people remember longer than any other part of your wedding reception.

You really do get what you pay for… you will quickly forget the pleasure of low cost while enduring the pain of poor quality entertainment! A good rule of thumb is about 1-3% (no kidding!) of your total wedding budget on a professional DJ, or 8-15% on a live band.

6. Not Guaranteeing Who Your Actual DJ Will Be

Ensure the DJ you want to work with and are meeting is the actual one that shows up to do your wedding. Some companies book your business then send a “fill in” DJ to perform at your wedding that may or may not be qualified to do so.

7. Forgetting to ask if the DJ has liability insurance

The last thing you want to do is spend your Honeymoon budget on Attorney’s fees, just because a friend tripped and fell on the dance floor… a professional DJ service will have liability insurance to cover the event, and it’s ALWAYS OK to ask for a printed copy of their coverage.

8. Not Having a Plan B with Your DJ

As we already seen at your Wedding Day, incidents which you nor the DJ has control over could happen! To be on the best side it’s better to prevent than to repair.

You don’t need to have a clue about DJ’s equipment to make sure the music will play all night. But don’t forget to ask for a back-up equipment that’s it! An Equipment’s failure could be the end of your great party.