Need some tips for hiring a wedding DJ? We’ve got them for you in this post!

You probably have a specific vision in mind for how you’d like your wedding reception to play out. You might be imagining having your bridal party being introduced in a really high-energy imaginative way before you make your grand entrance as newlyweds. From there you’ll either share your first dance or take your seats while the toasts roll out before dinner. You may or not want to add parent dances to your timeline, before moving on to any traditions such as an Hora or a money dance before the dance floor is officially open for the night. You’ll need a skilled professional that can bring your vision to life! And that takes hiring a wedding DJ that can follow a timeline, make the transitions smooth, take song requests, and keep your wedding guests celebrating with a dance floor that is lit!

You don’t just need to hire a wedding DJ, you need to hire a professional party starter!

But, that will take some leg work on your end. It’s more than just googling DJs in your area, and of course in your budget. It’ll take digging through their website, looking at their offerings, and scouring their social media pages for clips of recent weddings or events they’ve worked. Sidebar, if they haven’t posted videos of a recent wedding, ask them about it during your call! There may be a privacy clause that prohibits them from sharing other clients on a public platform.  A wedding DJ is an experience-based vendor, so the things you’ll want to look for on their website will differ greatly than when you sourced your venue or photographer. Does their site convey an energy? Is it all about fun and activating party mode?

Aside from just scouring their website, it’s important to set up a Zoom call or meeting with them so you can get a sense of their personality before making the decision to hire them! And, it kinda goes without saying, but you’ll need to see if you get along as well. The other big factor in determining if they are the right DJ for you is if you feel like they are “in your head” about the type of wedding reception experience you want them to convey!

After your conversation with them, you should leave feeling confident that they are the person to bring the party on your wedding day! Here are some questions to ask, when hiring your wedding DJ!

“How Would You Describe your Style”?

This one is big. HUGE, even! Their style as a wedding DJ and a professional party starter has to match the vibe you want to bring to your wedding. If you’re looking for a dance all night until your feet hurt kind of energy, asking a wedding DJ this question will give you some insight as to whether they are the person to bring the vibe, or they are more of a cookie cutter, “I work 200 weddings a year” kind of DJ. You can ask them what kind of music they typically play and what their style of mixing is. You’ll also want to find out what their music recommendations are to match the vibe you want to bring to your reception. A seasoned DJ should have all genres of music at the ready and be able to match the energy of a crowd, on a whim!

“How do you make sure everyone is having a good time”?

The biggest way to find out is by asking how they grab the attention of guests that haven’t yet gotten up out of their chairs for the night. Ask the wedding DJ you are thinking about hiring how they involve those guests in the party. Aside from just being a pro-party starter, a wedding DJ should also know how to keep the party going! And that takes some skill. Ask your DJ how they handle lulls on the dance floor, how they feel out the crowd, and how they keep the momentum high throughout the night!

“Will you be the person DJ’ing our wedding or do you have a team”?

This one is so important! If you felt a connection with your DJ during your initial call, you’ll want to know if they are the person showing up on your wedding day, or if it’s someone from their team. Typically, most wedding DJs are solo business owners and you’ll be working with the person who is the face of the brand and on the other end of your call. But if the company you’ve reached out to has a name or information on their website that is unclear, then there is no harm in asking if they are a full-on team of DJs. Because, if that’s the case, it’ll be important to find out exactly who will be showing up on wedding day, and talking to them beforehand as well! 

“My guests will be submitting song requests through my Guestie Event, how will you work those in through the night”?

Your DJ will love the idea of having all of your song requests before your wedding day. Your wedding guests will be submitting song requests to you via your Guestie Song Request page on Spotify. Ask your DJ how they plan to work these songs in throughout the evening while shouting out the guests who requested them! Doing this in advance of our wedding day will free up some time on their end from having to collect and work through song requests throughout the night.

“I have a unique idea for introductions, can you tell me how we might plan this”?

Experienced wedding DJs have seen it all, on repeat. The same first dance songs, the same introductions, the same newlywed games. Unique, fresh ideas are always welcome. If you have a specific idea in mind for how you’d like to be introduced at your reception, ask the DJ you’re thinking of hiring how they can take your idea and kick it up a few notches! They should openly welcome your unique ideas while also providing feedback on how to make your idea as fun and interactive as possible!

“What add-on services do you offer”?

Hiring a wedding DJ usually comes with the perks of being able to put together a complete entertainment package. DJs are the ones that can create a specific vibe at your wedding reception by including uplighting, disco balls, rows of cafe lighting, fog machines, and even the wireless mics needed for your bridal party to make their toasts! All of these elements come together to bring your wedding to life. The right wedding DJ for you will have endless options on how to create an experience-based dancefloor that your guests will be talking about forever!

A final note! Why not to hire a friend or a friend of a friend

You may have a friend or  “friend of a friend” that has offered their DJ services to you for your wedding. While it can be tempting to take them up on their offer as a gift for your big day, it may not be the best idea. The first reason why may be obvious. You want your friend to enjoy your wedding as a guest, not a vendor! Secondly, your venue may require your other wedding vendors to carry insurance (typically liability) in order to work on their property.

And lastly, there is so much more to a wedding DJ than just “playing music” Does the friend know how to work with other wedding vendors on a constructed timeline? Do they know how to transition songs with no awkward silence in between? Are they a master at getting the other guests on the dance floor and enjoying the festivities? Those are all things to consider before taking the easy option of hiring a friend or a friend of a friend to DJ your wedding!