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How to Hire a Wedding DJ

April 1, 2020 | olivia

photo by Meraki Weddings

Music is the soundtrack of our lives. The music—or soundtrack—of your wedding is an important choice and an important reason to opt for a wedding DJ!  Hiring a wedding DJ for your style and mood comes down to the details. 

Most couples dream of having everyone on the dance floor, fist-bumping in their seats, or lip-syncing while they drink champagne. We are firm believers that weddings are a unique expression of couples and your music should stay true to you. We asked a few Junebug Wedding vendors to give us their best tips on what to look for when you are hiring a wedding DJ. If you’re on the hunt for the perfect wedding DJ, scroll down to find out what you should be looking for and how to add them to your vendor team.

Find Your DJ Personality And Style Match

Not all DJs will play the same songs, which is why you should choose one that knows the songs that speak to you. Whether you’re into 80s throwbacks or ethereal EDM, your music should be what you want and what your guests will enjoy. Meet with multiple DJs, chat with them about music, and make sure that they are a good personality and style fit for your wedding. Here’s what one of our vendors had to say about it: 

We love Benjamin T Warner Events’ suggestion for finding the best DJ

Finding the best DJ for your event begins by finding the person who best matches your personal style and vision for the event. Picking the right sound and mix of entertainment for your event will help set the tone and ensure that your guests have a night to remember. When you contact your DJ, be thinking about what type of music you like and what kind of experience you want your guests to have.

Lean On Their Experience And Professionalism

While it may be tempting to take an offer from a friend whose cousin is a DJ, hiring a professional makes a difference. When looking for a DJ, don’t feel pressured to pick one because the pricing is the lowest—unless they are absolutely perfect for you. 

Wedding DJs can seem expensive, but the last thing you want is music that’s all over the place. Not only that, but you want your DJ to be professional when it comes to your wedding. You want to be able to request from the DJ a specific song without them completely vetoing your decision because of their ego. Don’t just take our word for it, here’s what one of our expert wedding DJs said:

Benjamin T Warner Events‘ Advice

It’s important to keep professionalism and passion in mind. Find someone who loves their work and that passion is sure to show. It is also crucial to hire a DJ that is personable, reliable, punctual, has excellent communication skills, and a system to handle potential emergencies. 

Years of wedding experience will equip your wedding DJ with the ability to seamlessly direct the party throughout the evening with customized music and non-cheesy emcee skills. It will also allow them to efficiently and gracefully address weather emergencies or last-minute changes. In addition to the years, finding a DJ who has experience as a musician, sound engineer, lighting designer, or even in standup comedy will add greatly to their service and your experience. 

Share Your Do And Don’t Play Playlists

The great thing about hiring wedding DJs is that you can work with them ahead of time to make sure they play all the jams you want to hear on your day. Because of their experience, they’re also able to give feedback on some songs that may not match the vibe or tone of your wedding. Take their advice into consideration. You should also provide your DJ with a “don’t play” playlist so your DJ can make sure that they don’t play those songs you love to hate.

The Stars Inside Says Trust Your DJ

The search for your perfect DJ should also include time listening to their sets and getting to know their style. When it comes to getting to know your taste in music, it’s also really helpful to give your DJ a list of not-to-play songs, so they know what to avoid! Having said that, overwhelming them with a huge list of requests or vetoes isn’t very productive, because the smoothest and most fun dancing experiences come from hiring someone whose taste and judgment you trust.

Haute Wedding Suggests Adding Meaningful Songs

Pick songs that mean something to you. Find a few that are classic enough to randomly hear and that will make you smile when you hear them. Work on that playlist along the way! To get your guests in on the fun, have them RSVP with a song they want to hear.

Find A DJ That Connects With Your Audience

While searching for your wedding DJ  keep your guests in mind. A great way to do this is to check out their previous work, their samples, and look for someone who is just as excited to be the DJ at your wedding as you are to hire them. You want to find one that is a good emcee, who will tell you when there’s a father-daughter dance, or a conga line coming up! 

The Stars Inside Says Listen To Their Sets

Asking to listen to their sets and to see videos of events they’ve DJed will reveal more about what their set-up will look like, how they handle crowds, and whether their overall style aligns with yours.

Eichar Photography Says Find Someone With Great Energy

Our advice is to find someone who has great party energy and who wants to connect with you as a couple and to get to know what you want the dance floor to feel like. 

With all these tips in mind, we know that you are going to find the perfect DJ for your wedding. If you’ve got a few DJs in mind, find out more about them. You want to be certain that the DJ you choose is going to understand you, your guests, the venue, and the vibe! Once you’ve narrowed down your search to one, make sure they fit into your wedding budget, request a quote, then contract, and sign when you’re confident you’re ready. 

Finding the perfect songs for each part of your wedding can be tricky, which is why we’ve got tons of playlists you can go through to get your own playlist started. Check out these mother-son dance songs, these unique processional songs, and these first dance songs. Stay calm and boogie on—hiring a wedding DJ should be fun!

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48 Comments

  1. Oh, I LOVE this one. The party, the decor the photography are all unique and perfect!

  2. A good DJ not only fills the dance floor but has everyone leaving on a high, thank you for sharing!

  3. This is amazing! All the tools to make the right choice for wedding DJ. It’s a scary big choice to make as they can make or break the vibe of the party! Here are some other tips if found, maybe they’ll be useful to you guys… http://www.functioncentral.co.uk/blog/2015/09/booking_a_wedding_dj_tips_guide/

  4. Great thoughts here! Having a fun and skillful DJ can really enhance the atmosphere of a reception and pull together the events of the night.

  5. Wow ! wonderful party with their decoration . Looks very gorgeous .

  6. These are some great tips, and I appreciate your advice to find a DJ that will allow you to create a playlist for your event. My sister is getting married soon, and she’s pretty particular with her music. I’m in charge of finding a DJ, so I’ll definitely try and find someone who will allow me to create a custom playlist for her. Thanks for the great post!

  7. I like that you don’t plan all of the music you are going to play before you get to the wedding. I know that it is perfectly OK for DJ’s to plan everything in advance. However, I think that the dances are more fun and entertaining when the DJ can pick the songs based on how people are reacting. It is a good way to make sure most of the people are enjoying the music.

  8. Wow Thanks for share us that info about before hiring a wedding DJ.

  9. Thank you for the help. My fiance and I are trying to find a DJ for our wedding, but we had no idea what questions to ask. I love your last question about how to make the reception fun for everyone. That is very important to us and really does rely a lot on the DJ. I will be sure to ask that before we make our decision.

  10. I love party when happy new year we make a party with great Dj

  11. I like that you pointed out that DJ’s can really ensure that you guest will have a fun time at your wedding. After all, they will be able to tell and select music that fits your crowds wants. With a set playlist you only have the ability to play through song and that might not be very fun for your guest and yourself.

  12. The dancing scene very charming and the bride is so superb .

  13. I really like that you mention getting together with your DJ to plan some of the songs before the wedding. I can’t imagine what it would be like showing up to a wedding where the couple didn’t plan with the DJ. When I get married, I’ll be sure to sit down with my future wife and the DJ to plan which songs we would like to have on our special day. Thanks for sharing these tips!

  14. This is wonderful advice… thanks for sharing with all your followers!

  15. Thank you for the tips. My fiance and I are trying to choose a DJ for our wedding reception. I am glad that you shared questions to ask. How early should we expect the DJ to arrive at the venue?

  16. A very interesting and resourceful article, both for the bride and groom and for a professional DJ service provider. There a number of wonderful nuggets and checklist questions that can be added to my consultation form when engaging my clients. Hiring a professional wedding DJ who is in tune with your tastes and preferences both with the music and MC skills is such a core piece to ensure that your guests have a good time. At the end of the day, I am believer that it is not only about having the capability to play the right music but also having those skills to build a relationship with your client so that there are no surprises on the day of the event.

    Thanks for putting this article together – an enjoyable read.

  17. Too rich information. Every couple should read this before selecting their wedding Djs. I suggest my friends to refer your guide before their planning.

  18. A good professional DJ should ALWAYS cater the event to the clients and guests. HE/SHE is not there to show off their musical tastes. Yes, a good DJ will add their own style and flavor to put the night together musically, but in the end the clients and guests are the ones the DJ is playing for and any and all appropriate requests or ‘do-not-plays’ should be honored in the long run.

  19. DJ plays an important role on your big day so it is necessary to ask some questions before hiring them. Thanks for sharing the article.

  20. Hey really nice article very informational.

  21. Great Information about Wedding Djs

  22. I agree that you would want to find out how early a DJ or band will arrive when you are hiring them for your wedding. It would seem that you would want to find someone who is able to arrive early because it would help you get everything in order. I’m looking for a band for my sister’s wedding so I’ll be sure to find someone who arrives early enough.

  23. That’s so true what you said about how important it is to do your research and homework to be able to choose the perfect DJ for the big day. I’ve heard that some DJs will be able to create custom mixes for you based on the theme of your wedding, so that’s pretty neat! I’ll be sure to keep this great info in mind and share it with my daughter as she searches to find the perfect DJ for her reception.

  24. Hey really nice article very informational.

  25. Wow thanks for your writing, I like the question of “what do you do if your computer is broken during the event”, of course it will I ask later when I planned the wedding by hire dj. I plan to use the services of ambitious.nl, complete dj rentals and can accommodate all types of events. please check the official website ambitious.nl , i hope this will help you all

  26. Thanks for writing such a good Blog, I stumbled onto your blog and read a few post. I like your style of writing…

  27. Great tips. Totally agree on them all. Even something as simple as sharing a relevant piece of content every day will do wonders.

  28. Great stuff and very true. I’d also like to point out that DJs need to understand that not every event/venue/night is about dancing and loud music. Case in point, I played a few times for some cocktail lounges and European-style cafes…mainly deep jazzy/soulful house. My role was more or less “background”. Even many times I’d lower the main volume so I’m not drowning out the conversation. You’d be surprised how much patrons liked that. The tips here are pure gold, and apply to most instances… And hey, I’d like to share that while DJs can manage to create music, it;s always better to be prepared with a backup plan. I got this app called Spark DJ and it’s worked pretty well for me. It works like a real DJ and I love how it’s easily operated.

  29. I appreciate you providing some tips when planning to hire a wedding DJ such as asking questions if the DJ is flexible when it comes to playing the songs the hosts would want him to play and not to play. It is important to choose a DJ who can grant the couple’s request since this is their special day. Hence, a DJ should be able to make sure that the couple and the guests are comfortable with the music he’s playing. This can be done if you can create a playlist of your own or list down songs that you prefer and those that you would want the DJ to avoid playing. If I were to hire a DJ for my wedding, I would make sure to take this into account. Thanks.

  30. Great tips how to find a DJ for every event. And love the question “How can a couple ensure that their wedding reception is fun for everyone attending” for me that’s the main point and important. I would create unforgettable moment for them and hire the best wedding DJ. So I found the best one at djfeetback.nl/bruiloft ; they are really experienced in this field.

  31. Awesome article! very informative

  32. I totally agree that one should choose a wedding DJ that caters the event to the clients and guests, and they are only adding their own style and flavor to make the night better. I want our wedding reception to be fun and festive, which is why I’m hiring a DJ. I’ll make sure to follow your tip and choose a DJ known for respecting what the clients want for their event.

  33. Super great list to keep in mind, both for DJs to study and for customers to keep on hand. Awesome work! Thanks.

  34. Very helpful list. A professional DJ is very important. You go to great lengths to plan out every detail of your wedding, and a bad DJ can put all that other hard work to waste by not keeping the party happy.

  35. Wow Thanks for share us that info about before hiring a wedding DJ.

  36. When it’s your wedding day, you definitely go for professional DJ they make your wedding day more memorable and special.

    Great tips to share, thanks a lot.

  37. Good Music is the mediator between the spiritual and the sensual life. So choosing DJ for your wedding event is actually not a easy task. Thanks for sharing such an helpful information.

  38. We hired a DJ on our wedding on January and it was a perfect decision. From wooing our guests during canapes and dinner with some jazzy tunes to absolutely breaking it down on the dance floor, He made the night incredibly memorable. to this day people still comment on his performance. I would really recommend hiring one if your budget fits.

  39. Very informative Content!

  40. Picking a great DJ is the key to having a memorable experience at your wedding. Thanks for the great tips!

  41. Entertainment is key to a memorable wedding. I total agree that one should book a DJ who focuses on your wedding and make it memorable. Your tips on how to hire a wedding DJ will definitely help to those who are deciding to get married.

  42. Really nice article. Thanks for sharing these great tips.

  43. I love your tip about sharing a playlist with every song that you don’t want with your DJ. I am hoping to find a good DJ for my wedding because I want my guests to be able to party. I love DJs who know unique music and can really surprise the guests.

  44. We have recently started our new wedding dj company, Wedding DJ New Brunswick, and came across this article. Really appreciate you taking the time to educate us on this. I’m glad you mentioned going over your playlist and giving your DJ a strict “do not play” playlist. The last thing you want on your wedding day is for the DJ to play an inappropriate song or a song that you dislike. Hiring a good wedding dj is not the most exciting topic to write about, but you did an excellent job keeping it entertaining and not boring. Thanks a ton.

  45. Great info. Very helpful. Our DJ helped us finding a great vendor for wedding favors too.

  46. What a great guide! Too many people don’t give this the thought it needs.

  47. I thought you made a good point when you explained that it is a good idea to chat with a DJ about music before hiring them. My sister is getting married in a couple of months, and she is wanting to find a DJ that can coordinate her first dance. I will have to tell my sister that she will have to take some time to talk to different DJs so that she can learn more about them.

  48. Thanks for sharing. Excellent information. Very beneficial. Our DJ also assisted us in locating a fantastic supplier for wedding favors.

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