Choosing The Right DJ/Entertainer For YOU:
20 Questions To Ask
written by: Jim Casey
It is estimated that between 60 and 75 percent of brides and grooms are now opting for Disc Jockey Entertainment at their wedding receptions. The underlying reasons include the fact that DJs are overall less expensive than bands, most professional DJs have an extensive repertoire of music covering the past 60-100 years, and since they are at many wedding receptions each year from start to finish, they generally will have a very good idea of the flow necessary to make your wedding reception a memorable one.
However, there are many differences among Disc Jockey companies. One misperception is that all DJs have a day job outside of DJing. While this does ring true for most, there are many excellent Full-Time Disc Jockey Entertainers across the country. There are also some very good to excellent Part-Time DJ Entertainers, and unfortunately many more that are "human jukeboxes" out for a fast buck (i.e. hobbyists)
Choosing your Disc Jockey is one of the five biggest decisions you will need to make for your wedding reception. A Great Disc Jockey will make the party memorable while a Bad Disc Jockey can also make it memorable, just for the wrong reasons.
Use this questionnaire when interviewing potential DJ/Entertainment choices. This should help you find Disc Jockey Entertainers that are knowledgeable, courteous, and most importantly are willing to listen to you as you paint the picture to what is YOUR perfect wedding day.
- How many wedding receptions have you performed at?
- Do you have references I can speak with or email?
- May I see you perform at a wedding reception?
a. No. This should be a major red flag for anyone. Would you want a complete stranger crashing your wedding reception, even for just five minutes?
- How much do you charge or better - What kind of value will I get for my Entertainment dollar?
- Are you limited to only 4 or 5 Hours because you have another wedding?
- How early will you arrive for my wedding reception?
- Are you a "High Strung" DJ? Or do you make yourself the "Center of Attention"?
- How early do you arrive prior to a wedding reception?
- What do you wear to a wedding reception?
- I've heard horror stories of drunk DJs, DJs that smoke like a chimney. Do you do either of those?
- Will the DJ act as a Master of Ceremony?
- How much music do you have?
- Do you customize music and evens to my tastes?
- Can I control the Volume (i.e. If I ask to turn it up or down, will you?)
- What is the payment schedule?
- What is the cancellation policy?
- What happens if you get sick or some tragic event happens in your life, do we have a backup?
- Do you Sub-Contract your work out? - Are you going to be the DJ at my event?
- Do you charge travel fees?
- Do you charge for overtime?
About The Author: Jim Casey has been a DJ/Entertainer for over 20 years in the state of Maine. He has been featured in the three major Disc Jockey publications (Mobile Beat, DJ Times, and National Entertainer) and is the owner of djmaine.com, LLC which includes Jim Casey Entertainment www.djmaine.com and the Maine Wedding Planner.
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