Wedding Tips | Booking Your DJ
At Rustic Elegance, we L O V E working with great vendors. Throughout our time as wedding coordinators, our paths have crossed with some A M A Z I N G ones! As a part of our Tips + Tricks blog segment, we decided to reach out to a few of our favorite DJ’s to ask for their Tips + Tricks on Booking a DJ for your S P E C I A L day.
DJ’s can be present just for the reception, working the dance floor and engaging the guests in the “after-party”, or they can come to the ceremony to run the mic // sound system, and then head to the reception with the group for the M A I N event. We reached out to some of our favorite DJ's and they provided some great T I P S + T R I C K S, which we outline below:
MEET WITH THEM
You will want to make sure to feel comfortable and relaxed around your DJ, so make sure to meet with them prior to your wedding day. Pay attention to the way that you feel when you meet this DJ in person, and even on the phone. Keep in mind that you’re shopping for a DJ’s personality and talent vs. just the cheapest option! You want someone who will E N G A G E your guests, and make it a night to remember. JD Fischer from Ignite Event Group stated, “Essentially, you are handing a live microphone to someone you barely know in front of all your closest friends and family on one of the most important days of your life!” [we L O V E how he put this - so true!]. He also noted that for larger DJ companies that may have multiple DJ’s, you will want to make sure that you meet the person who will be performing at your wedding, and have their name written into your vendor contract. Also, don’t assume that all companies offer the same things in their regular DJ package. They are usually priced different for a reason, so you will want to understand the difference between what you are looking at between the different companies.
BE UPFRONT
Another great tip that we learned from one of our favorite vendors, Adagio DJ Entertainment, is to make your expectations known at the beginning of your search, and remind the DJ of these expectations closer to your wedding date. Take into account the way you see your day happening - do you need a microphone for your ceremony officiant, music in a separate cocktail area, music at the reception, etc.? Making sure that your DJ knows exactly what you want can make less room for mistakes on your S P E C I A L day! Once you’ve selected your DJ, you’ll want to make sure you understand their process for getting your requests and event information. This also leaves small room for error, and allows the DJ to excel and make your night S H I N E! Also, you’ll want to be upfront with your DJ about their involvement on interacting with the guests, and how often you’d like them to engage the audience during the night. Some couples may prefer that the DJ simply play music, while others may prefer that the DJ says a few words here and there to break up the music playlist. You may also want your DJ to initiate or emcee different wedding games, such as the shoe game, dollar dance, married couples dance, bouquet // garter toss, etc. Make sure you P R E P your DJ for these items ahead of time, so they are comfortable with their announcements!
WEDDING DAY SET UP
One thing not to forget to talk with your DJ about is the S E T U P on the wedding day! You’ll want to confirm what the DJ is bringing for equipment [T I P: Don’t forget to ask about their back up equipment // what happens if their items don’t function properly on site!]. Does your DJ need a table [or two?!] for all of their gear? Or, does the venue provide or the DJ bring their own table? Once you figure this out, you may also want to consider a linen for these tables so that they match the rest of your tables // decor. Another item to touch base with your DJ about is power - will they need extension cords? If so, how many? Who will provide? For backyard // outdoor weddings, power is A L W A Y S a concern - check with your DJ to see if they offer low power options! For their microphone system - do they have a cordless microphone for the ceremony or a corded microphone with a stand? Does your DJ have clip microphones for your officiant so they won’t have to hold onto a mic? Lastly for set up, you may want to check with your DJ to see if they will bring in speakers // lighting for the reception. Ask to see a picture [or a few] of previous wedding set ups.
DON’T FORGET
The T I P - ask if this is included in their pricing ahead of time so you’re ready the day of with the correct amount. And last, but not least, and our favorite piece of advice from these two G R E A T vendors [who we highly recommend, by the way], is to be O P E N to suggestions from your DJ! They are at weddings A L L - T H E - T I M E and have great insights to the in’s and out’s of wedding DJing. If you’re in the process of booking your vendors now, check out these companies below who were S O gracious in sharing their tips with us!