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

Table of Contents

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.

July 17, 2017/by Chris Abell

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9 Reasons Why Hiring an Amateur Wedding DJ Is a Huge Mistake

What most couples who are planning a wedding don’t know is that saving money by hiring an amateur DJ for your wedding comes with a high price tag. Before you make a decision you regret, here are some things you need to know.

1. There’s a high probability that a cheap (or free) DJ won’t be in business by the time your wedding arrives

Many low-priced DJs aren’t charging enough to support their own businesses for the long term; you’re just financing their hobby. Meanwhile, your wedding is 6-12 months away or more.

We’ve received those calls from desperate couples who had a “friend of a friend” DJ cancel on them last minute. It’s not pretty.

Do you want to risk the possibility that the cheapie DJ is bankrupt and out of business before your big day?

2. Amateurs are less invested in their performance than a wedding professional.

The amateur DJ is doing it “for fun,” and if something goes wrong, it’s not a big deal. A wedding professional, on the other hand, risks his entire reputation and livelihood with every performance. One bad review can destroy his business and he knows it.

At one wedding, the DJ brought along his wife and newborn. Their table was littered with McDonald’s bags and his wife decided to breastfeed the baby during dinner.

Would you rather have an entertainer who is 100% invested in his business and performance on your wedding day or someone who does it as a hobby?

3. A wedding is a unique event that require the skills and experience of a wedding specialist for a smooth, flawless ceremony and reception

It’s about more than just playing music. Your wedding DJ is responsible for coordinating the timeline, orchestrating the introduction and flow of events, working with your other vendors, managing the guests, reading the crowd and making sure the right song is played at just the right time.

Even a DJ who is quite experienced in the club setting will be at a loss because she simply isn’t familiar with the flow of events and how to prevent disasters when something goes awry.

One inexperienced DJ mistakenly announced a special dance with the bride and her grandfather because he forgot to update his notes. The entire family started crying because Grandpa had passed away two weeks earlier.

Are you willing to place the outcome of your wedding in the hands of someone who doesn’t “do” weddings for a living?

4. Your guests won’t dance without an experienced entertainer who can read the crowd and keep the momentum going.

You have to play the right songs at the right time and in the right order to maintain dancing. Oftentimes, the mood changes and your entertainer needs to change the program to maximize the dancing along the way.

If she can’t mix from one song to another, you’ll have gaps of “dead air” or awkward rhythms that will frustrate your guests and clear the floor.

Many couples think that providing an amateur with a set list of songs they love will be enough to make a fun wedding. It’s not. You need someone with experience to work with your requests and what your guests are responding to in order to avoid an empty dance floor.

One bride regrets hiring her DJ because he played “Unforgettable” five times during the wedding because he didn’t know any other slow songs.

Are you willing to sacrifice the fun at your wedding to save money on a cheaper DJ?

5. The MC (the guy or girl on the microphone) has a huge impact on the mood and outcome of your party, for better or worse.

An obnoxious DJ with an abrasive voice will irritate your guests and dampen the mood of the entire party. Professional DJs invest in vocal training and practice to optimize their performance.

I personally witnessed one DJ and embarrass everyone by making suggestive comments to the bride over the microphone.

Do you want just anyone acting as your wedding host or do you want a professional speaker you can trust?

6. Your special events may not happen if you don’t hire a specialist who’s experienced in channeling the flow of events.

Who will direct your bridal party and guests at the ceremony? Who’s going to line them up for introductions? Who’s in charge of making sure the toasts, special dances and dedications go without a hitch?

Just having the equipment and knowing how to push play doesn’t guarantee the people wrangling skills you need for a fun, smooth reception. In most cases, your entertainer is the one who makes sure your special events are executed as you’ve requested.

One inexperienced DJ forgot to bring the couple’s First Dance song; they were forced to dance to Barbra Streisand, who they can’t stand.

Will you risk leaving your special events to chance or do you want to ensure that everything is done according to plan?

7. An amateur doesn’t have the experience to include your unique requests in a way that truly expresses your personality AND keeps people dancing.

You can’t make your guests dance to the songs you like if they don’t feel the same way. Your DJ needs to read the crowd and have the experience to build sets of music around your preferences.

An amateur DJ can play the songs you request, but lacks the experience necessary to make it work.

One bride told us her DJ played the unedited version of Sexxy Back during dinner and had five minutes of dead air while he queued up the next song.

Do you want your guests on the dance floor all night or is it acceptable to have large chunks of time with no dancing?

8. An amateur DJ has inadequate or non-existent backup equipment, which means that if something fails you have no music at your wedding.

A fully functional backup system on the premises is essential to making sure you have music at your wedding no matter what. Most amateur DJs won’t have a backup plan if a speaker blows or a laptop crashes.

We were approached at the end of one wedding by a DJ in the next room who asked if he could “borrow our speakers” because his were broken.

Are you willing to takes your chances without a backup on your wedding day?

9. DJs who charge less invest less into their equipment, which means you have inferior sound and performance at your wedding.

A stereo system that sounds great in your living room doesn’t sound good in a spacious wedding venue. Professional speakers and equipment are necessary for clear sound that has impact at low volumes, so your guests can speak at the tables even while the dance floor is thumping.

If you want your guests to actually hear your exchange of vows at the ceremony, you’ll need professional equipment and an onsite tech to make sure that happens.

One DJ showed up at a venue for the first time without ANY speakers or mixer because he’s been told that he could, “use the venue’s sound system” and he didn’t call ahead to verify.

Are sound issues like blasting music or impossible to understand audio acceptable on your wedding day?

If you’re not planning to have any formal events at your wedding, and you’d like a cocktail party more than a dance party, it may make sense to save money by hiring a non-professional. But if you’re investing thousands of dollars on creating the perfect day, please don’t jeopardize it by hiring someone who doesn’t know what they’re doing.

Your wedding day only happens once; make sure you hire a DJ who gets it right.

Shared from: Book More Brides

June 7, 2015/by Chris Abell

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8 Questions You Must Ask a Wedding Professional Before Hiring

Hiring the right team is critical to planning your dream wedding…and can also be quite stressful. How do you find the right match for you? How do you know who to trust? Where do you go for advice?

First, this is not an easy task, and it’s normal for couples to feel overwhelmed, frustrated, or confused. It’s not like you plan a wedding every day! This is all probably brand new to you, so be patient with yourself.

Tips for Choosing the Right One…

Table of Contents

Do Your Homework

You’ll get much more out of a meeting or conversation with a wedding professional if you do some background homework first.

Spend some time on the internet or talking to friends recently married. Find out the average prices in your area and what services are available.

Get an idea of what you like and don’t like. Wedding websites and chat rooms can be great resources. This way, when you meet with a wedding professional, you’ll be able to ask better questions and have an idea of what to look out for.

Meet With Them

An in-person meeting is the best way to interview a potential wedding vendor. It lets you get the whole experience of their personality, style, and professionalism. If that’s not possible, have a phone conversation.

Ask Questions

There are no stupid questions! Make sure you get clear, specific answers to your questions. If you aren’t sure what something means, ask them to clarify. Keep asking questions until you completely understand.

If a wedding vendor has a problem with you asking questions, they probably aren’t the one for you. The best wedding professionals are patient and understanding and take the time to help you make the best choices for your wedding.

Listen

Don’t just hear the words they say; really listen. Watch the vendor’s body language. Are they confident and comfortable with their response? Do they look and sound nervous?

Do you get a “funny feeling” about them? Take all the sights, sounds, and feelings into account, along with their responses; if your gut tells you something isn’t right, it probably isn’t.

References & Reviews

Portfolios are hand-picked to show the best work but may not represent the “average” wedding performance. Videos are edited for optimum presentation. But actual referrals from satisfied clients are complex to fake. Call up both client and professional references.

Ask questions and use those listening skills. Even if they give a rave review, you’ll often be able to “read between the lines” if there are any issues or problems. Question about and search the internet for reviews. Check the Better Business Bureau for any outstanding complaints against the business. Weigh all of this information into your choices.

Wedding Planning Made Easy: 8 Questions to Ask Your Vendors

1. How many weddings do you do per year? How much experience do you have?

This is an essential question. Ideally, your wedding professional should have ample experience, specifically with weddings. Not only will they be more skilled in their craft, but this also makes them a valuable source of information and ensures that your wedding day goes smoothly.

2. How much do you cost?

Price is often relative, especially when you factor in experience, reputation, and expert skill. Generally, the most talented professionals have a higher price tag because they are worth it.

3. How much is the deposit?

This will help you plan your budget. Be extra cautious if the vendor does not require a deposit to reserve your date.

4. What specifically is included in that cost?

Because packages often vary, likely, you won’t be able to compare one vendor exactly to the next without doing a little figuring. The lowest cost isn’t necessarily the best deal; some higher quotes include services you must pay extra for in other packages. Make sure you take this into account.

5. What happens if I cancel? What happens if you cancel?

Find out if your deposit is refundable under any conditions. Does the wedding professional have a backup plan if something happens to them?

6. Do you use a contract?

Suppose the answer is No; RUN! A contract is designed to protect both you and the wedding professional. Don’t settle for a verbal agreement that won’t hold up in court.

7. Are there any additional fees?

Taxes, service charges, and travel fees can add up quickly. Make sure you understand exactly what is included and if there are any other fees you’ll have to pay. This should be clearly defined in your contract.

8. Do you carry liability insurance?

The answer you’re looking for here is Yes. This protects you in case an unfortunate accident should occur on your wedding day. It’s also a sign that this is a reputable business since most “fly by night” operations don’t invest in insurance.

BONUS: Do you do this full-time?

You may see many wedding vendors do this only part-time, which can only mean they have higher priorities other than your wedding, such as a full-time job. What if they get called into work or get sent out of state for work?

You may find yourself looking for a replacement, and sometimes it might be last minute.
If chosen wisely, with the right wedding vendors, you get expert help and advice…for free!

Conclusion

In summary, asking the right questions is essential when choosing the best wedding professionals for your big day. Using our guide of 8 must-ask questions, you can ensure that you find the perfect vendors to bring your wedding vision to life.

From determining their availability to understanding their experience and style, these questions will help you make informed decisions and streamline the planning process. You can enjoy a stress-free and unforgettable wedding day with the right team of professionals.

May 25, 2015/by Chris Abell

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