"A DJ for your Wedding that
Guests won't be Dreading"
With so much going on
your wedding day, it is all too easy to overlook the
evening reception. With almost a year of planning
and all the effort you are taking getting the all
important guests, friends and family for your day,
it's paramount that you select a DJ that will fit in
with your needs and requirements to ensure you and
your guests at your wedding reception have a
memorable time.
The all important question - "How much?"
One of the first things that Bride and Grooms
look at for when choosing a DJ is what to pay when
it comes to price. It's tempting to choose the
cheapest you can find but it also depends on many
factors. In any profession, "you get what you pay
for" and you need to understand why the cheapest may
not necessarily be the best. Location, venue size,
timings etc. are all important pieces of information
needed for the DJ to quote you. Although it might be
cheaper to look at options involving friends and
family, they too want to be able to enjoy your party
and not end up cleaning up or packing away
afterwards. You need to hire someone who will work
100% for you and your guests interests, someone who
will be able to bond with your guests and pace out a
fun, entertaining and enjoyable evening. After all,
we don't want guests going home early do we ?
Before you look at prices however, think about
the total amount you are spending on your event (the
venue, the catering, photography, flowers, etc.) and
what it would mean to you if cheap entertainment
ruined your event. Entertainment is the one service
that by itself can make or break our event! The
entertainment will be the longest part of the day
that your guests will be involved in so you want to
make sure you've got a successful party.
Music - playing the
right type at the right time
All DJ's have vast amounts of music, the bigger
the collection, the likelihood of the DJ having the
songs you and your guests request. Entertaining a
crowd of people that has a significant portion of
different age groups from 10yr olds to older adults
demands a certain level of expertise. If both of
these groups had the same tastes in music then
entertaining this kind of crowd would be simple.
However this is not the case so you want to ensure a
DJ will be playing music that is just right for all.
While the specific tastes in music may vary amongst
the different age groups there are interactive
dances that both can enjoy together. More
importantly, the DJ is designed to work around you
and should be playing YOUR music and not theirs.
Lights and action -
Fun and Engaging
Colourful lighting and special effects are
available from many DJ companies. If you've seen
BBC's Top of the Pops and the lighting they use, you
can see that they add to the energy of the room.
Appropriate Lighting can transform an elegant dining
room into a trendy night club environment in a
moments notice, allowing your guests to let their
hair down
The DJ -
Personality & Confidence is key
The best way to understand the DJ is to simply
contact them and arrange to meet up. They say a
picture paints a thousand words and here you will
get a chance to engage with the professional.
Meeting up with the entertainer will allow you to
understand their enthusiasm, experience, passion,
professionalism and most importantly their
personality. Does it fit in with yours?. A meet-up
gives you the chance to interview them about what
you expect your wedding reception to be. You may
also want to ask how will they dress and act for
your event. Testimonials and references are
important and having them ensures validity and
trust. Always ask for these to see what others have
said about them. Most professionals offer pre-visits
at the venue and can give you further ideas with
your wedding co-ordinators to ensure a well prepared
and fun evening. Email and telephone communications
with your DJ are a good bet initially to see how
quick or often they are able to get back into
contact with you - this also will show how
responsive they will be to your on-gong requests.
All of this will be very important when your party
date arrives as a large portion of the success of
your celebration is resting on his/her shoulders.
You are their number one you're important to them -
you want personal service - demand it. Be sure and
ask questions about anything that is on your mind.
Services and
Options
Many DJ companies offer many other related
services, you may want these but then again you may
not. The reason why a company would offer those
services in the first place are that they have
worked at previous events and truly believe they
could work for your event. Again you need to talk
with them to see if they fit in your vision for your
party. The pricing for these should also have a
negotiable value to it so talk with your DJ about
them whether they are needed.
Bookings - Avoiding
disappointments
Many DJ companies are in great demand through
direct referrals, that is when guests have been to
an event, like what they see and start making
enquiries. As always this is the best way as you get
to see the performance of the DJ in person. However
with that the earlier you start the process and
enquires the better. It is common for some of the
more popular companies to have events booked almost
2 years in advance or more. When you have narrowed
your search, call to set up appointments to meet in
person and you will feel confident that you are on
your way to selecting the right DJ Entertainment.
It's best to book early for any DJ entertainment as
you don't want to be running around looking for
companies at the last minute.
Conclusions:
There are many Entertainment companies offering
DISCO Services and the internet allows you to "shop"
around, the best DJs are usually referred by guests,
some are good and excel at what they do, some have
just started and might need the experience. As you
look at the different entertainment companies,
compare them on the basis of the service they offer
you and how that fits in with your budgets and
needs. Prepare a list of questions to ask EVERY
company and note their answers.
The first and single most important thing to know is
this: When you pay for the services of disc jockey -
YOU ARE THE BOSS and THEY WORK FOR YOU.
Give the DJ as much information you can about
your event. NEVER ASSUME what the DJ should already
know. It's your event. You know what you want.
There are many great, professional DJ companies who
will work hard for you and give you a fun party. You
should expect to spend some time discussing your
party with them to get the best results.
Checklist:
Are they available for your date?
How long have they been a DJ and how many events
have they performed?
What type of music do they provide and will they
play requests?
What are they like?
What kind of equipment do they use?
Will they personally be the DJ for your event?
Are they reputable and will they provide you with
references?
Have they ever performed at your chosen location?
How much do they charge?
Do they require a deposit and a written agreement?
Do they offer lighting equipment if you want it?
How do they handle themselves on the microphone?
Are you comfortable with them?
