Choosing the Right DJ for your Wedding or Event
Your DJ’s job is to set the tone and atmosphere throughout your entire event. Whether you’re hosting a corporate function, formal wedding or looking to have a wild party the DJ is a deciding factor on whether or not your event will be a hit. By playing the right music, at the right time, your guests should feel like the playlist was curated for that special occasion. So choosing who’s in charge of this can definitely seem like a daunting task. That’s why we’ve put together a checklist of questions you should go over before deciding what DJ you should work with for your next big event.
1. What styles/genres of music has the DJ played before?
This is an important question for anyone booking a DJ but is especially important if you have specific genres that you want played during the event. It’s important that your DJ can, not only “DJ” the genre you want, but can understand the genre and know what’s going to work on the crowd at that particular event.
An experienced DJ will ask you about this before you book them. This way they know whether they can handle the music and provide you with the service your event needs.
2. How much experience does your DJ have?
An experienced DJ can predict what songs will work on which crowds with impeccable accuracy. They’ll give your guests nostalgic feelings and create an atmosphere curated specifically for your event. Be sure to check how long your DJ has been working and how many events like yours they’ve been a part of.
Ensuring you have an experienced DJ will give you the peace of mind and confidence to know that your event has the right atmosphere at all times.
3. How much crowd interaction does your DJ give?
Whether you need your DJ to be the MC, you already have an MC, or don’t want your DJ to say anything over the mic. Your DJ should be interacting with the crowd by dancing along, adding special touches to songs, showing enthusiasm and creating a fun & welcoming dance floor for your guests. Crowd interaction goes a long way when it comes to keeping your guests entertained and dancing. So ensuring you have an optimistic and energetic DJ that will do their part to interact with your guests is very important!
4. Will your DJ take requests?
Requests give your DJ insight into what the crowd wants to hear and lets them read the crowd at an even higher level than they already were. A DJ should always be open to requests, however they should also know when to politely veto requests as well. Sometimes what one person wants to hear just isn’t the right style to play for everyone else. Along with taking requests throughout your event, your DJ should ask for a list of songs that you specifically want to hear. This will give them the opportunity to cater directly to your tastes and build off your requests into a full playlist of songs.
Pro tip… If you have songs you absolutely don’t want played at your event be sure to let your DJ know. A good DJ will be more than happy to take a “do not playlist” of songs that they need to avoid during your event.
5. Does your DJ have reviews you can read?
Reviews about your DJ can be a great way to decide whether they will work well for your event. Be sure to ask your DJ where they have reviews posted so you can read through them before booking. Knowing your DJ has done a great job at other events is a fantastic way to ensure they’ll do a great job at your event. Look for reviews from similar events, whether it’s a school dance, wedding, corporate event or other function & see what those reviews have to say.
Another great place to checkout your DJ is on Social Media. Are they actively posting about events? Do their photos display clean and tidy setups that won’t be an eyesore at your event? Be sure to look into your DJ before booking to really make sure you have the right person for your event.
It’s understandable that choosing your DJ can become a worrying task. The soundtrack for your night is extremely important. However if you go through the questions above and couple them with any questions you already have, picking the right DJ will become a lot less work. Remember to be forward and ask your DJ everything you can think of prior to booking, this way you can be as confident as possible with your choice.