Choosing your wedding DJ is one of the most important decisions you’ll make when planning your evening reception.
After all, the music can make or break the atmosphere.
Get it right and your guests will be dancing, singing and talking about the party long after your wedding day has finished.
Get it wrong, and it can be surprisingly difficult to recover.
So how do you find the right DJ for your wedding?
The good news is that it doesn’t have to be difficult.
Follow a few simple steps and you’ll be much more likely to find a DJ who understands your music, your guests and the atmosphere you want to create.
1. Start With Reviews
One of the best places to start is with genuine customer reviews.
Look for DJs who have a strong track record and plenty of independent reviews, particularly on platforms such as Google.
Don’t just look at the overall star rating, though. Read what previous couples actually say.
Are they praising the DJ’s choice of music?
Did they keep the dance floor busy?
Were they professional and easy to deal with?
Did they take the time to understand what the couple wanted?
These details can tell you far more than a five-star rating alone.
2. Arrange A Conversation
Once you have found a few DJs you like, arrange a conversation with them.
A good wedding DJ should be interested in more than simply knowing the date, venue and finish time.
They should want to understand you as a couple, your musical tastes and the sort of atmosphere you want your wedding to have.
This is also a great opportunity to ask questions about how they work.
For example:
- How do they choose the music on the night?
- How do they handle requests from guests?
- Can you provide a playlist or ‘do not play’ list?
- What happens if the DJ becomes ill?
- What equipment do they use?
- Do they have suitable public liability insurance?
- Will the person you speak to be the DJ on the night?
Most importantly, ask yourself whether you feel comfortable dealing with them.
You are potentially going to spend a large part of one of the most important evenings of your life with this person, so personality matters.
3. Ask About Their Music
It’s perfectly reasonable to want to know what sort of music a DJ plays.
Some DJs will be happy to show you examples of previous playlists or explain the type of music they regularly play.
If you see songs you wouldn’t choose yourself, don’t immediately rule the DJ out. Ask why those tracks were played.
They may have been specific requests from the couple or their guests rather than songs the DJ routinely chooses.
Remember that a wedding DJ isn’t simply pressing play on a pre-prepared playlist.
A good DJ should be reading the room, understanding what is working and adapting the music accordingly.
The best DJs know when to stick with a particular style, when to change direction and when to play the song that gets everyone on the dance floor
4. Don’t Leave It Until The Last Minute
One of the biggest mistakes couples make is leaving entertainment until everything else has been booked.
It’s understandable. There are venues, photographers, florists, caterers, dresses and countless other decisions to make.
But good wedding DJs can get booked a long way in advance, particularly for popular dates during the summer.
If you find a DJ you really like, don’t assume they’ll still be available six months before your wedding.
Once you’ve chosen your venue and confirmed your date, start thinking about entertainment sooner rather than later.
Most DJs only require a relatively small deposit to secure the date, so booking early can give you much more choice and peace of mind.
5. Don’t Feel Obliged To Use A Venues Suppliers
Many wedding venues have a list of preferred suppliers.
There can be good reasons for this. The venue may know the suppliers well, have worked with them before and be confident that they understand how the venue operates.
However, being a preferred supplier doesn’t necessarily mean that they are the right DJ for you.
Your wedding should reflect your personalities and your musical tastes.
If you don’t feel that the venue’s recommended DJs are right for the atmosphere you want to create, ask whether you are allowed to bring in your own.
It can also be useful to ask other wedding suppliers for recommendations.
Photographers, in particular, work alongside DJs at weddings all the time and can often give you an honest opinion about how a DJ performs on the night.
Social media can also be useful, but look for recommendations from people who have actually used the DJ rather than simply comments from friends or family.
6. Be Realistic About Price
Price is obviously an important consideration when planning a wedding, but it shouldn’t be the only consideration.
There can be a significant difference between the price of different DJs, and there are many reasons for this.
Some DJs work part-time or as a hobby, while others operate as full-time professional businesses.
A professional DJ may have invested heavily in reliable equipment, backup equipment, insurance, training, music, transport and other costs associated with running a professional business, such as VAT.
You are also paying for experience.
An experienced wedding DJ understands that their job isn’t simply to play music. They need to manage requests, work with the venue, make announcements when required, read the dance floor and adapt their music throughout the evening.
Ultimately, you should be looking at the overall value rather than simply choosing the cheapest quote.
Your wedding reception is likely to be one of the biggest parties you ever host.
Spending a little more for the right DJ can provide something that is difficult to put a price on: confidence that your entertainment is in safe hands.
7. Think About The Experience You Want
Before you book your DJ, think about what you actually want your evening to feel like.
Do you want a packed dance floor from the first song to the last?
Do you want a relaxed evening with a mixture of dancing and background music?
Are there particular decades or genres that are important to you?
Are there songs that absolutely must be played – and others that you never want to hear?
The more clearly you can communicate this to your DJ, the easier it becomes for them to deliver the experience you’re looking for.
But don’t feel that you need to choose every song in advance.
Part of the value of an experienced DJ is allowing them to use their knowledge and judgement on the night.
The Most Important Thing : Find A DJ You Can Trust
Ultimately, choosing a wedding DJ comes down to trust.
Trust that they understand your music.
Trust that they will listen to you.
Trust that they have the experience to read your guests.
And trust that they will do everything possible to make your evening reception one to remember.
Start your search early, read plenty of reviews, speak to potential DJs and don’t be afraid to ask questions.
Find someone whose approach matches yours, and you’ll be well on your way to creating the wedding party you’ve imagined.
Ready To Talk To About Your Wedding?
The Hampshire Event DJ Team LOVE talking about wedding entertainment.
If you’d like to find out more about how we approach weddings, the music we play and how we can help create the atmosphere you’re looking for, we’d be delighted to have a conversation.
Click on the orange button below and arrange an online consultation.
All the images in this article are by Tom Langford and the venue featured is Wickham Estate.