Planning the Wedding

September 24th, 2009 | by admin | Tags:

Selecting the right DJ is critical to your wedding as it ensures whether or not your guests will ultimately have a great time at the reception. Here are a couple of factors to consider when choosing a wedding DJ:

1. GOOD EXPERIENCE IS A MUST: First and foremost, make sure the DJ you select has a good deal of wedding experience. How much is a good deal of experience? That’s your call, but we suggest hiring a DJ whose worked in at least 40 weddings in the past. Also be sure to hire someone who is a full-time DJ with lots of wedding entertainment experience (i.e., someone whose heavily in the wedding entertainment industry), not a DJ who simply works part-time (weekends only) or who simply entertains as a DJ as a hobby. Choose a DJ who acts professional – you’ll be able to judge the level of his or her professionalism by seeing whether he/she: (a) answers or returns your calls promptly, competently addresses all your questions and concerns, shows up on time for your meetings together, and generally presents himself/herself in a professional manner, etc.

2. CHOOSE A DJ WITH A GOOD SELECTION OF MUSIC: You should also aim to choose a DJ with a good selection of music (include slow romantic , fast modern, and some classic songs which are sure to go over well at your reception) – song variety is key as your reception will take place over many hours and you don’t want your guests to be bored. Most DJs have a list of songs a couple can choose from, so obtain his or her song list and begin selecting all the songs that you wish to hear on your special day! You can also provide your DJ with a list of songs of your own and see if he can play those too.

3. HAVE A WRITTEN CONTRACT IN PLACE: Believe it or not, some DJs book a wedding reception then never show up at the event – leaving the bride and groom shocked on the day of. One way to combat this problem is to have a written contract in place with your DJ. That way if he or she doesn’t show up for any reason, you have something to fall back on from a legal perspective. A contract will also make things more official and will encourage a DJ to act responsibly and to follow through on his/her promises to you. Otherwise, that DJ will suffer the legal consequences of failing to perform according to the written contract. So have a written contract in place that includes all the things you’ve verbally agreed to. Read your contract carefully, and make sure all the DJ’s costs, obligations and services to you are listed completely and accurately. Also make sure the contract states any hourly rates for overtime – in case your wedding guests are late partyers and you need the DJ to stay an extra hour or two. Simply put, read your contract carefully, beginning to end and make sure you are comfortable with all its provisions. And be in contact with your DJ, up until the date of your wedding reminding him of your event and reiterating the details (reception time begins when, address for your reception place, etc.) he/she will need to know. That way you’ll better ensure that your DJ will actually show up on your special day and perform beautifully.

4. KEEP YOUR DJ REGULARLY INFORMED OF YOUR PLANS: Chances are when you hire your DJ, he will be in charge of making sure your reception runs according to plan. With him/her at the microphone all evening, he/she will be the one announcing when special toasts will take place, calling you and your new husband out to the dance floor to to have your first dance together, etc. You need to first sit down and create a schedule for your reception – detailing when certain key events should take place and when they should take place: (a) the entrance of the bride and groom into the reception hall; (b) when the first dance will be; (3) when appetizers, dinner, and the wedding cake will be served; (4) when the bouquet will be tossed; (5) when certain toasts will take place; and (6)when the dancing portion of the night will take place (these are just a few items on your schedule, your schedule should be detailed according and organized according to time – ie, “6:00-6:45pm: Dinner will be served” ). Once you’ve completed a detailed schedule, provide a copy to the DJ and make sure all parts of the schedule are clear to him/her. Also, be sure to keep him/her constantly informed about any changes or updates in your wedding plans, especially if you change your wedding schedule from time to time.