So you’re getting married!! Congratulations!! Its time to start booking all the vendors to make your wedding day special. Lets start with the important ones first. The venue, the catering, the open bar…. But hold on, you may be forgetting one of the MOST important parts of your wedding night. The DJ!! Yes, the DJ is not only one of the most important parts to a wedding, the arguably might be THE most important choice of your wedding. Think about the most recent wedding you have attended. What do you remember most? Is it the venue, the food, or was it how much fun you had? Did that wedding reception go smoothly? Did the DJ get all the names correct in the announcements? Were the photographers and videographers all in place to capture the first dance? Did the reception start on time?
Well all of these things are the responsibility of the DJ. The DJ maintains the timeline. The DJ coordinates with the venue, and the photographers, and the Bride and Groom to ensure that the reception keeps moving without a hitch. The DJ is the glue that holds your entire reception together and most of all, the DJ is the one responsible for keeping the party fun and energetic. Choosing the right DJ can make or break your wedding.
So how do you choose the right DJ? What are some things to look for? Well, As wedding professionals in the business for almost 20 years, we at Memory Makers Entertainment are going to share with you the things you should really pay attention to and look for in a DJ.
1. Is your DJ willing to put his mouth where his money is? – What does that mean? Well its simple. Many DJ’s offer a meet and greet of some kind to meet new brides. Many Djs will meet with you in person, and many Djs will even have you tag along at a wedding to see them perform. First of all, NEVER tag along at another persons wedding to see a DJ. Would you want some stranger at your wedding? We didn’t think so. Meet and greets are good because you get to at least meet the guy who will be djing your big night, but the BEST way to pick a DJ is to see them perform. We at Memory Makers accomplish this by putting on a “DJ Showcase”. What we do is we perform fake wedding introductions in order to see the DJ’s and get a sense of their style and personality. It gives you the opportunity to meet, see, and hear them in a public setting and on the mic so that you know what you are getting on your wedding night. Now we realize that the DJ showcase is a very unique thing that we do, but at least insist on meeting your DJ in person. That alone is very important so that you can see what type of person he really is.
2. Try not to use a “Friend” or “Family member” as your DJ – We understand that if you are going to give your money out, why not pay somebody you care about. We are sure your cousin Bob who spins at “The Thirsty Turtle” club is probably an excellent club DJ. The question you need to ask yourself is, “Is Bob a wedding DJ?” Many times the answer is “No”. Club and bar DJ’s are very skilled professionals at what they do. They are excellent music mixers, but they many times have NO mic presence. They have NO idea how to stick to a timeline for a wedding or run an event. They have NO idea that they need to wait for the photographer before playing the first dance. Wedding DJ’s are detail oriented. They take the time to plan the entire evening out to make sure your event runs smoothly. Another reason not to use a friend or family member as your DJ is because as DJ’s we can assure you that we would much rather attend a good friend or family members wedding than work it. Friends and family should be given the opportunity to be a part of your big day as a friend or family member. Leave the work to the pros.
3. Is your DJ willing to play what YOU want to hear? – This is YOUR big night. This is not a night for us as DJ’s to show off our new scratching techniques or house beats. This is YOUR party and you should be able to hear whatever YOU want to hear. Your DJ should be willing to play whatever you want. If you want to hear the entire Beatles compilation for the entire night, that is your choice and your DJ needs to play it with a smile. Now, what we do at Memory Makers Entertainment is give our brides a DJ planner months in advance to ensure that our Bride and Groom have all of their favorite songs listed and ready to go. We will also meet with our brides on a one on one basis or via Skype or phone call to go over the planner. We WILL give suggestions and that is not a bad thing. Lets face it, as professionals we have been doing thing for a long time and we know what works and what doesn’t, but you in the end have final say over the music because it is YOUR night.
Well there you have it. We wish you well on your search for your wedding DJ and hope that a few of the tips we provided are very helpful for you. On behalf of all of us here at Memory Makers Entertainment we would like to congratulate you on your big day.
Until next time.
