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Hire a
professional Disc Jockey
Your
entertainment is key to your events success! After hearing some of the
horror stories of Disc Jockeys (DJs) who are boring, or a no-show for an
event, I decided it was time to offer some professional advice on hiring
a DJ.
There are 30 essential questions to ask a potential DJ: 1. Are you available for our date & time? 2. Do you DJ full-time? 3. Will you personally be the DJ for our event? 4. Do you have references? 5. May we plan to come and see you perform? 6. Will you help plan our event? 7. Do you also Em-cee the event? 8. How many consultations do you provide in your package prices? 9. Do you provide a wedding reception agenda? 10. Can you come to my home or business to go over the entertainment agenda? 11. Do you carry insurance? 12. Do you take breaks, how many, and for how long? 13. Are we required to provide you with anything special? (ex. Dinner / Drink) 14. Do you drink alcohol while Djing? 15. Are you a member of your local Chamber of Commerce or BBB? 16. Have you received any formal classroom training as a DJ? 17. What time do you arrive to setup your equipment? 18. What will you need provided for setup, and how much room is required? 19. Do you wear a full tuxedo? 20. How many songs do you have in your library? 21. What formats is your music in? (ex. records, cassettes, CD) 22. Do you provide cocktail/ dinner music? 23. Do you provide a wireless mic for speeches? 24. Do you bring backup equipment with you? 25. Is basic effect lighting included? 26. Do you offer lighting and sound upgrades? 27. Are there any additional charges, for instance for travel? 28. Do you have direct phone number, or e-mail, or website? 29. Do you provide a written contract? 30. What type of deposit do you require to hold the event date? We believe your DJ should meet all of the above criteria and more. A career DJ has much more at stake when it comes to providing professional service, full-time. A DJ company with a solid reputation will not want to send another DJ to represent them. Once a DJ has gained experience and confidence, being an Em-cee will come naturally to them. Before getting in front of your guests however, a meeting will be necessary to go over all the details in the wedding reception agenda. It is common for the DJ to meet with you in your home a few months before the wedding to go over the agenda, and to call you at least a week prior to the wedding. A good reception planner will have all the details of the reception including names of the bridal party; times of events happening throughout the evening; type of music to play; and all other details that will ensure the evening's perfection. A good DJ will be known in their own town, so ask the DJ if they are members of a Chamber of Commerce or the Better Business Bureau (BBB). If so, contact the Chamber of Commerce of BBB and inquire about their standing. Also talk to the other services that are taking part in you event, these people will know, and recommend other quality services. To be sure your DJ will not be unloading and setting up after your guests start to arrive, ensure they will be there at least two hours before the event is scheduled to begin. This gives time to setup and test all equipment, and to replace any defective cables or components. It is normal for a DJ to setup the equipment in street clothes, then to change to appropriate attire shortly before the reception gets underway. Music is very important at your wedding reception - you have thought about the music you would like and probably imagined the evening, as you would like it to be. Should the DJ not have a sufficient music library, you may find your guests aren't going to be on the dance floor as much as you would have like them to be. As a minimum, 5,000 songs is a reasonable library for a professional, and 10,000 songs is a very good-sized music library. Records scratch, cassette tapes are recorded in a specific order and the tape stretches over time. The best format is of course Compact Disc (CD). Songs on CDs are digitally recorded, so they are perfect virtually every time they are played. A new emerging format is called MP3. MP3 music is digitally recorded then 'compressed' to sound similar to a CD recording with slight degradation. As the guests begin to arrive, and as they enjoy their meals it is nice to have dinner music playing. DJ packages generally include at least one hour of dinner (or cocktail) music. At this time, it is customary for persons seated at the head table to make speeches or to offer advice or good wishes to the new couple. For this, a wireless microphone is a necessity. A wireless microphone enables everyone to be more relaxed and comfortable, as they do not have to stand up and go to the front of the room. And maybe an elderly or handicapped guest may have something to say - a wireless microphone reaches places a standard microphone cannot. After you have determined that a DJ has the right music, to ensure your guests are going to be up on the dance floor you may want to have some effects lighting. Basic lighting is generally included in any entertainment package. If the dance floor is large enough, adding effects lighting will generate a good deal of excitement on the dance floor. When operated correctly it also sets the mood for the song. For instance a mirror ball effect is great for the slow dances. Lighting upgrades are usually packaged together with sound upgrades. The most common sound upgrade is bi-amping. By separating the lows (bass) from the music and amplifying it separately then playing it through bass bins, there are two benefits. First, the sound will be very crisp and clear, and second, the music is louder. For large venues accommodating over 300 guests, a bi-amped sound system is optimal. Professional DJs charge accordingly. If you find a DJ charges more than their competitors, ask them why. And of course if you encounter a DJ charging significantly more or less than their competitors, I anticipate you will know why. One or more of the aforementioned 30 questions will tell you why there are price differences. During the time that you book a DJ, you will need to reach them. Knowing they are available full-time without additional costs to you is comforting. A direct telephone number, e-mail and other on-line services such as a website will enable you to send them questions or information anytime - day or night. A well designed website may provide extra benefits such as on-line planners, pricing or upgrade information. It is a good place to begin looking for the right DJ. Last but not least, remember you get what you pay for!
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