How a DJ Can Make or Break Your Wedding Day
If I could only offer once piece of wedding reception advice to a couple, it would be:
Be careful when you choose your wedding DJ.
Hire a recommended professional DJ with great reviews and lots of referrals.
Your wedding DJ or band’s emcee is in almost full control of your guest’s experience during your reception. They are also often responsible for the music and sound during your ceremony. Your guests will remember your food and the entertainment above everything else.
While they might not vividly remember a fantastic DJ, they will remember every aspect of a terrible one. And so will you.
I have way more DJ horror stories than I would care to admit. Without droning on and on and being really depressing… over my career, so far I have experienced:
A DJ calling the couple by the wrong name(s) repeatedly
A DJ whose entire goal was to embarrass us (the photography team) during the reception and announced to the crowd how he “loved to make photographers look like idiots”
A DJ who deliberately played songs off of the couple’s “Do Not Play” list even after the couple addressed it with him face-to-face during their reception
A DJ who played none of the songs on the couple’s request list
A DJ who didn’t have the correct song for a first dance and couldn’t download/have access to it
A DJ who didn’t have the correct songs for parent dances
A DJ who was late and showed up 5 minutes before the ceremony started
DJs who make fun of guests or call them out
A DJ who was wearing jeans and a tee shirt
Several DJs whose microphones were all dead or died with no backups
Many DJs who couldn’t read the room and couldn’t keep guests on the dance floor
A lot of DJs who let their egos get in the way and have no social awareness
DJs who drone on about themselves and their emcee style is extremely self-centered
A DJ who was still using CDs in 2019.
A DJ who could not figure out how to get the speaker feedback under control the entire evening
A DJ who made very crude, sexual, inappropriate comments to the crowd into the microphone
A DJ who tried to follow me to the parking lot at the end of the night… and made very inappropriate comments to me
And of course… DJ who was an admitted, convicted murderer
Seriously guys, you cannot make this sh*t up.
Choosing to work with a professional, highly recommended DJ who can both read a room and customize their routines to fit each couple is absolutely key to planning your reception. You won’t know how vital having a wonderful DJ is until you have one that is horrendously terrible and that’s just not an experience that I want anyone to have.
“The best part of being a wedding DJ, is not just the soundtrack I create throughout the night, but the opportunity to foster the emotions and vibe of everyone in the room”
How can you be sure that you’re booking a great DJ?
Ask for recommendations and referrals from your other wedding vendors. Wedding professionals work with DJs on a repeated, consistent basis and we know both who is professional and who is great. Look for DJs who are recommended by your photographer and venue. If they recommend the same person/company, chances are that’s a very smart choice! I have only 4 DJs that I ever recommend and I’ve probably worked with over 100.
Budget matters and generally cheaper isn’t better. Please, do not choose any wedding vendors simply based on price. Just like photographers and videographers, there are huge reasons why professional wedding DJs charge what they do. It speaks to their reputation, their abilities, their experience and their equipment. For 2020, expect to pay $1,400 - $1,700 on average for a great and qualified DJ.
If you’d like to work with a specific DJ but you’re inquiring with a company, you have to specify that you’d like that particular DJ right off the bat in your first communication.
Be willing to pay a little bit for a great DJ to travel to you. Don’t limit yourself to someone in your immediate vicinity. Most DJs are willing to travel a certain range of miles. The best way to know is to ask.
Read their reviews but do your research thoroughly.
Bigger doesn’t always mean better. It’s 2020. We basically walk around with a super computer in our hands every day. Just because a DJ has a massive setup with tons of equipment doesn’t mean they are great. My favorite DJs have insanely simple setups that are amazing quality!
Massive entertainment companies aren’t always the best idea. It can be hard for those huge, 50+ person companies to maintain a level of consistency. Not all of their DJs are created equal.
Vibe with your DJ! If you can, ask to meet with them before booking and just see if you get along! You want to find someone who respects your wishes and wants, can customize their program and doesn’t talk about themselves too much.
Check out their social media and look to see their level of professionalism. Watch any hype videos that they have for marketing purposes.
“Hiring a professional DJ is so important because we know what music to play and when to play it ensuring that ALL of your guests are entertained. We also understand the importance of clear announcements and professional level equipment. ”
My number once piece of advice for choosing and booking a wedding DJ is to go with someone who your other vendors strongly recommend! There are dozens of reasons that we so passionately sing the praises of our friends in the industry and one of them is how well we know that they’ll serve our couples!
I want to thank two of the DJs that I highly recommend to all of my clients. Adam of Soundfactor Entertainment (my own wedding DJ!!!!) and Titus of Titus Touch Music are two of my very favorite DJs. I know that when they’re at a wedding reception, it’s guaranteed to be a great night. Adam and Titus are expert, talented, wonderful DJs. They are stellar in every single way! They both helped me with pricing information and advice for this blog post.