Just how good your wedding DJ will be is directly proportional to how well prepared he is. His great song spinning at your party represents the final six hours of multiple hours of behind-the-scenes preparation. A professional DJ gets ready for your Big Day by understanding exactly what it is you want. He taps into your dream by asking specific questions about the many details of your wedding reception. As he learns about your plans, he defines his role in the “Big Picture” and makes certain you understand the scope of his responsibilities, too. When a Bride and her DJ are on the same page, they can re-write the book on fantastic weddings.
Great DJs Listen to YOU
In addition to detailed conversations about your wedding plans, agenda and music favorites, a truly awesome DJ will closely listen to your instructions and make sure he understands your every wish. Great DJs realize that you have spent months planning the perfect night; and you are trusting him with the incredible responsibility of making it flow for you. Professional DJs will be well prepared on your wedding night with your detailed plan and the ability to execute it flawlessly.
Professional DJs Practice Formal Announcements
Professional DJs & Master’s of Ceremonies take the responsibility of your formal announcements seriously; taking great care in pronouncing the names of your Bridal Party and family members correctly. There’s nothing worse than being at a great party with your intimate friends and closest relatives and hearing your DJ, who is supposed to be part of your inner circle, mispronounce their names. It immediately brands him as a stranger and an amateur. A great DJ will practice his announcements and his pronunciation several times a day, everyday leading up to your wedding day, until any names sound just as natural to guests’ ears as when their best friends say them.
Pro DJs Bring All of Your Requested Music
If your DJ is a professional, he knows that there is never, EVER an excuse for not having the Bride’s and Groom’s favorite songs to play at their wedding reception. However, it’s not enough to have the right song; a great DJ also finds the right artist. Any DJ being paid to spin songs should create custom playlists and CDs based on your favorites and his knowledge of songs that make a party buzz. A professional DJ performs quality control by listening to all custom CDs before bringing them to your reception.
Considerate DJs Call the Hall
A good DJ is always thinking ahead, and an important part of his checklist includes contacting the hall before the Big Day to inquire when the doors will be open for sound system set-up and take-down. He also asks where he may unload, which door to use, where he can park, which elevator or set of stairs to take, and what the hall’s rules might be.
Smart DJs Always Never Assume
A competent DJ never assumes he knows where he’s going! He always asks for directions and brings a map with him to the reception hall. In metro Detroit, an inexperienced or uninformed DJ, for example, could easily mistake Barrister House with Barrister Gardens, as both banquet halls are on Harper Avenue in Saint Clair Shores. This sounds elementary, but you’d be surprised by how many amateur DJs show up to events late because they don’t know exactly where they are going.
Conscientious DJs Test Their Gear
Professional DJs arrive at least 1 ½ hours before the event begins to unload his equipment and set-up his sound system, which has been thoroughly tested prior to his arrival. An awesome DJ takes his time adjusting his sound levels, checking his microphones, and positioning speakers to take advantage of the room’s acoustics. For outdoor events, the sound is adjusted to the size of the tent and the changing conditions of the weather. Should any component of his sound system fail, the awesome DJ always has a back-up system set-up ready to play. All DJs neatly secure their power cords to the floor or ground in consideration of others.
Professional DJs are Poised
Common sense tells us that if guests at a party are dressed in their best, then vendors (including DJs) ought to follow suit. Professional DJs wear freshly-laundered and pressed tuxedos with crisp, clean shirts. Their personal grooming is impeccable, and they appear well-rested and relaxed. They arrive in plenty of time to set up equipment, change their clothes, and spin some cocktail music as guests enter the hall. They are relaxed and in-control at all times, due to their diligence and proper preparation.
Caring DJs Create an Onsite Team
One essential duty often overlooked by amateur DJs is synchronizing their efforts with those of the hall staff, wedding photographers and videographers. An experienced DJ knows that any deviation in the evening’s agenda will directly impact the bride & grooms wishes. Logistics and timing are just as important to photographers and food service staff as they are to DJs. By forming a team with these vendors, the DJ leaves less to chance and brings much more to your table than his ability to spin a good song.
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“We went back to the house and I barbecued aged New York strips. We had champagne, a cake, some ice cream. It was a great night. I think you always have this idea that weddings need to be 200 people and you invite everybody, and I’m all for it if people want to do that, but I think there was really something special about just having our parents there.”
begins. If the majority of your reception time will be spent listening to music and dancing, it makes sense to allocate a proportionate amount of your budget to the vendor responsible for your entertainment. Whether it’s a band or a DJ, the key idea here is QUALITY.
emcee, coordinator, DJ, and predictor of an audience’s mood & tastes. A great wedding DJ constantly thinks on his feet and is able to provide the best music for the moment, has a professional attitude and offers years of experience entertaining at weddings.
original, recorded versions of the music. A great DJ will have a repertoire of 78,000+/- songs to enable him to switch between music genres…or stop in the middle of a song that isn’t working. A wedding DJ is a better Master of Ceremonies because he works closely with the bride and groom; knows their timeline; and coordinates the night’s events with other vendors in attendance. Most wedding bands say they will do this, but often fall short of the mark on your wedding day.
appeal to all generations. Additionally, great DJs will keep the volume of the music at a reasonable level, so all guests can enjoy conversation.
with bouquet and garter rituals isn’t as relevant today, when many wait longer to marry and some choose to remain single. A Bride and Groom may prefer to spend their party moments visiting with beloved guests and dancing to the music, instead.
friends wearing spontaneous smiles and their Sunday best. The camera will capture their laughter and looks of surprise, embarrassment and goofiness, as they carry out the traditions of the bouquet and garter toss.
others are distracted, guests who aren’t caught up in the moment may take this opportunity to leave.