Ok, so I’ve been a bit slack on my Wedding Diaries since publicly exclaiming that I was going add more editions to the series. Honestly, wedding planning is so hectic, and with the number of guests we are having (around 350 to give you a rough ballpark figure), everything needs to be extra meticulous.
Forget things being meticulous for the couple that are actually getting married, but when it comes to Asian Weddings your shindig needs to top the previous one you’ve attended. Whilst I’ve been busy planning the wedding, which is just over 8 months away now (eek!), I’ve had to do endless amounts of research. Top of my priority list from the beginning was researching as to how to pick a wedding DJ for the reception. This being top of the list, as to me, the one thing I wanted to not restrict myself too much with a budget on was the DJ.
My fiancé and I have always said that we’ve wanted our guests at the wedding to feel like they are truly celebrating the start of our life together. We didn’t just want it to be a day full of religious ceremonies, which, let’s face it, due to our upbringings we weren’t really going to understand too well anyways. Don’t get me wrong, there would always be the religious element to the Wedding, but just not so full on, though I’ve already fully touched upon my thoughts on that aspect.
To us both, to really have that full on party and celebration effect, the starting point was the entertainment. We’ve both never really been into the whole live band, boho style wedding, it just wasn’t for us. Judging by the type of music we listened to (think Fetty Wap, Drake, The Weeknd mixed with Fuse ODG), a live band was just going to clash with our personalities. Our guests having similar music tastes. With a large budget in mind for the DJ, we also didn’t want to go too crazy or over the top on what the DJ could provide us – we would much rather create a party atmosphere for our Reception, and injecting all our budget into a wedding DJ meant the atmosphere may not be created too. If you have been struggling, like I did at one point, with how to pick a wedding DJ, here are my top must-ask questions when looking for quotes, and shopping around.
1) So first things first, you always need to ensure that you are offered a contract when hiring out any sort of service, and this should not be a verbal contract, this should be one that is written. When it comes down to it all, and if there are disputes (which, touch-wood there aren’t), the contract terms and conditions should be your go-to in deciding what you are liable for, and entitled to.
You can also tell a lot about the DJ and whether they are really taking your enquiry seriously, if they can offer terms in writing. This is generally the first and foremost indicator as to whether the DJ is not only professional, but also reliable. They should really take the time out to produce a contract for you, listing out what they will offer on the night, and what they will not offer – as a legal obligation.
2) When looking at how to pick a wedding DJ, you always want to enquire about the background of the DJ. There are a lot of major DJ companies that use independent DJ’s that are subcontracted to the business, you want to know where there priorities lie within the company. There may be cases where DJ’s are subcontracted and may not give 100% to these companies. You also want to be clear as to what their obligations are to the company, just in case they accidently double book for your chosen date.
You also want to look for a DJ that has a good enough track record and experience. Your wedding day and reception is THE most important day of your life, and you certainly wouldn’t want your DJ to be using your wedding day as a training session. You want someone who knows their stuff and knows there way around the decks. If anything, feel free to ask the DJ where they trained, a good DJ should always have some sort of formal training being undertaken – not just training on the job.
3) Just remember to be clear as to what the DJ expects from the point of making an enquiry to going ahead and booking. Some DJ’s if you contact them early enough, are happy to hold the date for you provisionally without the need of booking or transferring money. They will then contact you as and when they receive another enquiry for your chosen date. You should not ever feel pressured into making a booking with a DJ, and they should not expect you to make a decision without a reasonable time limit.
4) You want to know that the DJ suits the theme of music you want played at your wedding. There’s no point hiring a DJ who plays mostly at school discos for a wedding, because it’s not going to work. However, you also don’t want a DJ to claim to be a jack of all trades, because that’s usually not the case. Don’t pay for something that you’re going to be disappointed with; find a DJ who suits your style and work with them.
5) Selection of music for your wedding and reception is also important. There are so many wedding DJ’s who just want to play the same set over and over. At the end of the day, it’s YOUR wedding day, not the DJ’s. It’s YOUR celebration. Make sure the DJ is flexible when it comes to selecting the music you want at your event, and having a “no play” list. Most DJ’s are more than happy to accommodate to this, and it doesn’t cause them any extra work then what they are being paid for. A good DJ will have experience working in different types of music together.
6) It’s always worth double checking that your DJ has played at your wedding reception venue before. At least this way they would know what the acoustics are like within the venue, and whether they need to bring any additional equipment, or recommend a different type of service. They are also likely to know what works and what doesn’t. There are so many different and unique types of function rooms, your DJ should really know what challenges they are likely to face, and how to overcome each of these challenges.
If you hire a DJ who knows the ins and outs of the venue, they can alternate their sets to cater to your function room. If the DJ has not been to your venue, they should always be more than happy to at least visit the venue, AND research about the venue by looking at floor plans. It’s not either or, they should do both.
7) Double check with the DJ whether they will need a meal during the function, and how many members of the team they will bring with them, and who requires what. Sometimes the DJ requires the same type of meal as your guests, or at least an equivalent. This is something that you need to take into account when completing your budget.
Bear in mind you will also need to take into account expenses, such as travel expenses. Though this should be incorporated within the quote.
What are your top tips for how to pick a wedding DJ?
