Tips On Hiring A DJ |
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By: Jenna Sondag
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| It’s your wedding day! Hair appointments and makeup exceeded your expectations, photos were taken at lightning speed, walking down the aisle was more than you could have imagined, the vows have been said – and now, it’s on to the reception! The most anticipated celebration of your life is about to begin and you are waiting for the DJ to begin announcing the wedding party as you all walk in to your reception… What any stressed bride has done for the big day was planned, planned, and planned. If you are lucky, the husband–to-be was a part of the decisions as well. I want to talk a bit about how to select your reception entertainment and what details you should have outlined with the provider of this service. The DJ is essentially the ‘Master of Ceremony’ (MC) of the evening beginning at the time when you and your wedding party are ready to cut loose after being pulled in every direction before and during the ceremony. It’s a time of celebration that can be stress free given that you’ve covered the basics. There are a handful of traditional dances before open dancing for all. These dances include but are not limited to: the bride and groom, also known as the 1st dance, the father-daughter dance, the mother-son dance, and then the wedding party dance. It is important to pick the songs for these dances carefully and go over this in detail with the DJ prior to your wedding night. Most importantly, get these directions in writing and the DJ needs to have a copy. From experience, I suggest to have someone who is not in the wedding party, such as your personal assistant, have a copy of this list in the event your DJ forgets his list the night of, which actually happened to my husband and I. The DJ will have a contract for you to sign, agreeing on payment and reserving the date. Read the contract very carefully before signing. Some request a deposit, but payment in full prior to the reception should be avoided, as this is a service that you have not received. Most importantly, the DJ needs to offer a back up plan if they are unable to perform the night of your reception. Hiring a self-employed DJ could leave you stranded if they do not have other employees. The contract should also include some form of guarantee that the DJ sticks to the game plan as agreed upon. Those will be moments in time that cannot be relived. As a bride-to-be, you can imagine it all ahead of time and any deviation from that could cause horrible grief. I envisioned the father-daughter dance for quite some time. I wanted the moment to be perfect and I had picked a wonderful tear jerking song full of meaning and love. What happened next is something that broke my heart. Our DJ failed to play the song I had picked, and instead played a song about two lovers. I was unable to stop the song as many pictures are taken during these special dances. Many people questioned the choice of song later that night and I had no explanation. It was embarrassing and saddening. Having another person be able to coordinate your DJ during the night will only help prevent issues like this. This person can be the liaison between yourself and the entertainment. DJ’s also need to know what songs are unacceptable to play during your reception. Depending on your guests, there may be specific genres that are highly anticipated and some that need to be avoided. Remember that while this is your reception, it is also a time of fun for your guests who have traveled to celebrate with you both. There should be a wide variety of family involvement songs, the usual ones are the Chicken Dance and possibly Hokey-Pokey. However, if there are songs that you know you do NOT want played – you need to have those in writing for your DJ to avoid. Requests will always be random from various guests yet you have hired the entertainment and essentially you are in control. Covering these basics can ensure you, your now spouse, your wedding party, and your guests all enjoy your reception to the fullest. |
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