What Wedding DJs Wish You Knew About Choosing One
Couples pore endlessly
over the venue, the flowers, the caterers.
But when it's time to choose a DJ, they shop like they're walking down
the aisle at Kmart instead of preparing for their wedding. Why does
your average couple shop by price instead of professionalism when it
comes to this one item in their budget? Wedding couples are frustrated.
DJs are frustrated. There's a disconnect here. But what exactly is the
problem?
It depends on whom you ask. DJs continually wonder why brides and
grooms treat the mobile DJ as a commodity. In other words,
couples price-shop ruthlessly, as if any given DJ were interchangeable
with the rest. They go out and hire a DJ because he's ten dollars
cheaper than the next one. Or he's a friend of their brother's, or he
does Tuesdays at the local bar. They might never even see him work,
check out his equipment, or meet with him personally to make sure he's
suitable.
Most couples handle every other major item in their budget differently.
You don't choose one venue over another because it costs a hundred
dollars less. Few brides with a budget to work with buy their cakes
from the discount grocery store, even though that cake (slathered in
tubs of "BetterCream" frosting) would be much cheaper than one from the
designer bakery downtown. Instead, they investigate. They take
pictures. They taste-test amaretto fillings and hors d'oeuvres and
eventually, they settle on the vendor who seems poised to deliver the
best experience to their guests.
Why Is It So Different With DJs? Part of the answer is an image problem, says DJ Pat. "People perceive that most mobile DJs will show up fifteen minutes ahead of time, with a couple of speakers and some cheesy circa-1970's light screens, and play 'Agadoo' all night." (For we lucky few who haven't heard it, the 1984 song Agadoo frequently charts as "the worst song of all time.")
We all feel confident identifying an excellent meal or a sublime dessert. But few of us feel comfortable evaluating DJs in the same way. We know that a good one can "get the party started," but we're not sure how to tell a good one from a bad one. Some people think so poorly of DJs, they prefer to eliminate them entirely, soundtracking the dance portion of the night with iPods or laptops. This isn't easy -- it requires you to rent expensive sound equipment, find someone to mind the iPod, possibly buy insurance, and somehow get around or ignore the technical issues, like the inevitable three second delay between songs you get on an iPod. And yet some people find that preferable to risking the "Agadoo" or "Chicken Dance" scenario on their Big Day. An iPod might well be better than a bad DJ. But the DJ is a key part of your five-hour reception, and some of them are very good indeed.
Perhaps it's hard for the average bride and groom to grasp the difference between a green DJ with low-end equipment, and a seasoned one who knows how to transform shy and retiring Clark Kents into dance floor superheros. The first may be nothing more than a glorified CD changer. He may or may not have a firm grasp of the different musical needs that accompany standard reception rituals, like the cake cutting or the father/daughter dance. He may lug in his home stereo subwoofers and arrange his sound system in ways that ignore your venue's peculiarities.
The second may have emceed hundreds of weddings. Along the way, he's developed something subtle but important known as voice and personality -- not an imitation of some radio host's, but his own. He doesn't practice on your wedding; he brings his skills to it, along with a top-of-the-line sound system, which he'll arrange differently depending on factors like whether or not your venue is broken up into several areas (the cocktail lounge and the banquet area, for example).
Other skills a good DJ will bring to your wedding are a formal-friendly image, and an absolute mastery of what gets crowds on their feet. Okay, so you get it. You understand that not all DJs are alike, and that a good one brings as much to your wedding as any premium florist or baker. So how do you find him?
Choose DJs that Take Their Jobs Seriously
Skip the part-timers -- they're still learning the ropes, and they'll be practicing on your wedding. A professional DJ will have a web site (a REAL one, not a 'personal' page on Yahoo) or at least an e-mail address, and will respond to your requests within a reasonable amount of time. Get the right KIND of DJ! A club DJ is NOT a wedding DJ. A radio DJ is NOT a wedding DJ. Any type of amateur or 'fill-in' DJ is NOT a wedding DJ. Make sure his equipment is in an audio rack or facade and not strewn all over the table with wires dangling onto the dance floor. Ask if he owns (and will wear) a tux. Your wedding will not be very elegant if your DJ is wearing a hideous green sweater with a hole in it or a wrinkled clip-on tie with a gravy stain. Meet with him in person, and take a gander at his sound systems. You might not be an audio pro but anyone can spot the difference between pro sound speakers (you know, with the black fuzzy covers and the metal corner protectors) and stereo gear (can you say 'walnut veneer'?). While you're there, take a look at their promotional photos. Does their setup sport garish self-promoting signs, or do they keep things discreet?
Everyone has what it takes to pick a great DJ. You simply have to meet with them in person, and absorb what they have to offer. Talk to them -- their personality should shine through. The DJ should be happy to meet you, seem interested in the specifics of your event, and ask questions. If your DJ seems bored or reluctant, or gives you the sense you'll be just another date on their calendar, they're not the one. It's true with the cake, it's true with the dress, and it's true for your DJ -- the final word is quality, not price. As DJPat puts it, "When you look back on your wedding reception in years to come, do you want to remember what a fantastic time everyone had? Or do you want to say, 'Well, at least we saved some money on the DJ?'"
Good DJs see themselves as part of the larger picture. They expect to work closely with your coordinator, photographer and videographer, and to custom-fit their setup to your venue. So hire a good DJ -- one who can help you tailor the night's entertainment to your individual dream!
Why Is It So Different With DJs? Part of the answer is an image problem, says DJ Pat. "People perceive that most mobile DJs will show up fifteen minutes ahead of time, with a couple of speakers and some cheesy circa-1970's light screens, and play 'Agadoo' all night." (For we lucky few who haven't heard it, the 1984 song Agadoo frequently charts as "the worst song of all time.")
We all feel confident identifying an excellent meal or a sublime dessert. But few of us feel comfortable evaluating DJs in the same way. We know that a good one can "get the party started," but we're not sure how to tell a good one from a bad one. Some people think so poorly of DJs, they prefer to eliminate them entirely, soundtracking the dance portion of the night with iPods or laptops. This isn't easy -- it requires you to rent expensive sound equipment, find someone to mind the iPod, possibly buy insurance, and somehow get around or ignore the technical issues, like the inevitable three second delay between songs you get on an iPod. And yet some people find that preferable to risking the "Agadoo" or "Chicken Dance" scenario on their Big Day. An iPod might well be better than a bad DJ. But the DJ is a key part of your five-hour reception, and some of them are very good indeed.
Perhaps it's hard for the average bride and groom to grasp the difference between a green DJ with low-end equipment, and a seasoned one who knows how to transform shy and retiring Clark Kents into dance floor superheros. The first may be nothing more than a glorified CD changer. He may or may not have a firm grasp of the different musical needs that accompany standard reception rituals, like the cake cutting or the father/daughter dance. He may lug in his home stereo subwoofers and arrange his sound system in ways that ignore your venue's peculiarities.
The second may have emceed hundreds of weddings. Along the way, he's developed something subtle but important known as voice and personality -- not an imitation of some radio host's, but his own. He doesn't practice on your wedding; he brings his skills to it, along with a top-of-the-line sound system, which he'll arrange differently depending on factors like whether or not your venue is broken up into several areas (the cocktail lounge and the banquet area, for example).
Other skills a good DJ will bring to your wedding are a formal-friendly image, and an absolute mastery of what gets crowds on their feet. Okay, so you get it. You understand that not all DJs are alike, and that a good one brings as much to your wedding as any premium florist or baker. So how do you find him?
Choose DJs that Take Their Jobs Seriously
Skip the part-timers -- they're still learning the ropes, and they'll be practicing on your wedding. A professional DJ will have a web site (a REAL one, not a 'personal' page on Yahoo) or at least an e-mail address, and will respond to your requests within a reasonable amount of time. Get the right KIND of DJ! A club DJ is NOT a wedding DJ. A radio DJ is NOT a wedding DJ. Any type of amateur or 'fill-in' DJ is NOT a wedding DJ. Make sure his equipment is in an audio rack or facade and not strewn all over the table with wires dangling onto the dance floor. Ask if he owns (and will wear) a tux. Your wedding will not be very elegant if your DJ is wearing a hideous green sweater with a hole in it or a wrinkled clip-on tie with a gravy stain. Meet with him in person, and take a gander at his sound systems. You might not be an audio pro but anyone can spot the difference between pro sound speakers (you know, with the black fuzzy covers and the metal corner protectors) and stereo gear (can you say 'walnut veneer'?). While you're there, take a look at their promotional photos. Does their setup sport garish self-promoting signs, or do they keep things discreet?
Everyone has what it takes to pick a great DJ. You simply have to meet with them in person, and absorb what they have to offer. Talk to them -- their personality should shine through. The DJ should be happy to meet you, seem interested in the specifics of your event, and ask questions. If your DJ seems bored or reluctant, or gives you the sense you'll be just another date on their calendar, they're not the one. It's true with the cake, it's true with the dress, and it's true for your DJ -- the final word is quality, not price. As DJPat puts it, "When you look back on your wedding reception in years to come, do you want to remember what a fantastic time everyone had? Or do you want to say, 'Well, at least we saved some money on the DJ?'"
Good DJs see themselves as part of the larger picture. They expect to work closely with your coordinator, photographer and videographer, and to custom-fit their setup to your venue. So hire a good DJ -- one who can help you tailor the night's entertainment to your individual dream!
