Hiring a Wedding DJ? Interview in person, ask the following questions, get references, and trust your GUT!!

Hiring wedding vendors can be a very daunting task.
Hiring your Wedding DJ should not be so frightening. After all, the DJ is supposed to be the fun part of a wedding! Certainly there are a lot
of things you need to know before you hire, but perhaps the most
important thing you can do is to interview your DJ before you make a
decision.
In my vast experience, I have found that clients who meet their DJs in
person have a far better experience in choosing/hiring the DJ. Brides
and grooms tend to get better pricing and more detailed explanations of
what the DJ provides with his services when a meeting is held in person
rather than over the phone or worse, through a series of very impersonal
emails. When you take the time to meet in person, you have the
opportunity to get to know the DJ up close and personal, and you should
be able to make a much more informed decision based on his presentation
or “pitch” as well as his appearance, his demeanor, and the all
important “Vibe” or gut feeling you get from him.

Logistics and Location can be a problem for meeting in Person.
Many of our clients are located out of the area and cannot meet us in person before they hire, however we offer alternatives to in person
meetings such as conference phone calls between the DJ and the bride and
groom. If technology allows we also offer live Skype or video chat
sessions where you can actually see the DJ as you interview. And as a
final alternative, with our services if the client cannot meet us before
they hire we do everything we can to schedule a meeting in person prior
to the event.

Think of it this way, if you’re going to have surgery you might hear good things about the surgeon but you would want to meet the doctor before they perform surgery on you. In some cases when you meet said
Dr., you don’t get a good vibe from them and no matter how good a
surgeon the doctor is, you simply don’t want them to cut on you. In the
same way, wedding vendors are working with you on one of the most
important days of your life and you really should make a good connection
with them. You may not get a warm and fuzzy feeling from your florist
or your catering director and that may be okay as long as their work
speaks for itself, their personality does not have to carry them as
professionals. But, your wedding DJ/MC is a different story. If you
don’t get a great vibe from your wedding DJ it’s safe to say he may do
an okay job at your event but he won’t WOW you. The role of the DJ
requires his personality to be likable, friendly, and upbeat. But at the
same time, you don’t want your DJ to be overly excited which can
sometimes be described as “cheesy” or corny. The DJ must also help to
execute your timeline, entertain your guests, and act professionally at
all times during your event, you’ll know if he’s capable of this when
you meet him.

So, here’s the $6 million question: how will you know anything about the DJ if you don’t have a lengthy phone interview or in person meeting?
Answer: You WON’T!

I can’t tell you how many clients come to our website, fill out our contact form, send us an e-mail or respond to an e-mail we have sent them and the client asks one question: “how much do you charge?”
Immediately this tells me the prospective client either doesn’t know how
to hire a wedding DJ or doesn’t care about making a real connection
with their wedding entertainment. But, you are reading this article and
you do care so I’m going to say it again: Schedule a meeting with a few
DJs and get to know them before you commit to putting this person in
charge of the entertainment of your wedding.

If I meet in person or via Video Chat, How will I save Money?

If a perspective clients contact me via e-mail and simply asks me how much I charge with no regard for the type of service I provide, I’m far more
likely to charge them a premium. However if the prospective client
takes an interest in what I do, the level of expertise I possess,and the
service I provide, it tells me that they are interested in having a
successful event and they care about making a strong connection with me.
When I make a good connection with the client I’m far more likely to
offer them a discounted rate, because I like them and want to earn their
business. When a DJ and the bride and groom like each other, it seems
that the wedding goes much more smoothly and the guests in attendance
will always recognize the magic of that connection, they will respond
favorably to it and your event will be a smash!

We strongly encourage clients to meet with us before they hire, we feel this is the best way for you to make an informed decision about the person who will be in front of all of your friends and family on your
most important day. Remember, the DJ is responsible for running your
entire reception and entertaining your guests. If you interview them
face to face, you will feel better about the decision that you make one
way or the other. Best Wishes to you and Happy Planning!

Here’s a list of Questions to ask when Hiring a Wedding DJ:
Are you available for my date?
Will you be the DJ for my event?
Will you also Emcee my event?
Do you provide all the sound equipment needed?
Do you provide a written contract?
Is set up and tear down included?
Do you charge for travel?
How early do you arrive for setup?
Can you provide music for the ceremony and the reception?
Do provide a wedding ceremony and reception sound system if I need both?
Do you charge by the hour or do you build packages?
What type of equipment do you use, is it professional equipment?
Do provide backup equipment?
Are you licensed and insured?
To provide online event planning and music requests?
Can we pick the music we want to hear and do not want to hear?
Do provide wireless microphones for toast or speeches?
Do you arrange and execute the timeline at the event?
What do you wear to my event?
Do you take requests?
Do provide lighting? Does it cost extra?
How many years of experience do you have? How many weddings have you DJ?
What is the total price for the package?
How much is the deposit?
How is final payment arranged?
Are there any additional fees I should be aware of?