Tips For Hiring An Awesome Local Wedding DJ
Tips For Hiring An Awesome Local Wedding DJ: Need to find an amazing DJ for your upcoming wedding? If you are looking for an awesome local wedding DJ in your area, here are some great tips to find that perfect wedding DJ for you.
1. Figure out what you really want from your DJ
Is there a particular style of music that the two of you are looking for? If so, you need to see if the DJ you are considering has experience with your style of music. If you are Indie Rock fans, getting a wedding DJ who does not know your music is going to be a problem. If you need someone that is familiar with Portuguese music or you are big EDM fans, then your wedding DJ needs to know your style music. Make a list of your important styles of music so you can ask any potential wedding DJ about their music experience with your music.
2. Check Online Reviews
The great thing about looking for a wedding DJ nowadays, you can use websites like The Knot, Wedding Wire, Facebook and Google to check out your DJs ahead of time. Read through their online reviews and testimonials. If you really read a series of their reviews and read between the lines, you will soon be able to distinguish a shortlist of local wedding DJs that you want to contact and get further info and pricing from.
Rob was able to set the perfect tone of our wedding through music.
The lighting and music were perfect. Rob helped make our day look and sound just the way we wanted. He was professional and kept everything moving on time and in a seamless fashion. – Danielle
3. Social Media Stalk Your Potential DJs
Go find their Facebook pages, Blog, and Instagram accounts. By looking at their posts, you should be able to see which DJs have experience in the style of wedding you are looking for. If all their posts look like they work at a local pub doing trivia nights or karaoke, then unless you are looking for at your wedding, move on. If their posts are sporadic or there is nothing new in the past 6 months, then they probably don’t have enough experience as wedding DJs. You should be looking for someone or a company of DJs that have frequent posts and similar to the style you are looking for.
4. Now It’s Time To Get A Wedding Quote
Pick your top 3 or 4 DJs from steps 1-3 and it’s time to reach out to them for a quote. Be sure to let your potential wedding DJ know whether you need the following services: Ceremony support (music and microphones) Outdoor Cocktail Hour Music Wireless Microphone For Toasts Uplighting To Add To Your Wedding Decor String Lighting (Tent and Barn Weddings)
BEST. DJ. EVER. (and best photo booth and uplighting)
BEST DJ EVER. People dancing the entire time, which is what we wanted. We had multiple people ask who the DJ was the following day. He is super professional, but also laid back and just so nice! – Julie & Ian
5. Review Your Wedding Quotes
Make sure that all the quotes cover the same time frame. You want music before your on-site ceremony starts (normally 30 minutes prior) and all the way until guests leave. Most DJs will have a 5 or 6-hour package that should cover most wedding couple’s needs. Check to see if all the quotes have all your wedding needs covered from ceremony to lighting options.
Check their cancellation policy and their force majeure policy (think Covid19 pandemic). Compare their overtime rates and make your DJ is specified BY NAME in the contract before signing.
6. Don’t Hire The Cheapest Wedding DJ
Hiring the cheapest DJ you find will only guarantee that you get a DJ worth less than the other. Think about it – if you were better than someone else in your field of work – wouldn’t you expect to be paid more than them? The same goes for wedding vendors – the best wedding DJs and Photographers will cost more than the AVERAGE PRICE in your area. What is the AVERAGE WEDDING DJ PRICE IN YOUR AREA? For the MA/CT/RI areas that we cover, an average wedding DJ might charge $1200 for 5 hours. Check your area pricing. If you spend less than average, you are going to get less than the average value at your wedding. If you spend more, you should expect to get a better quality service.
What Do You Do Now?
Contact DJ Rob today to find out pricing and availability for your upcoming event. We offer wedding DJs, Custom Lighting Design, and Photo Booth Rentals.
Describe your wedding in 3 words so we have an understanding of what you are looking for.
Send us an inspirational image of what you are trying to create for custom wedding lighting.
Tell us the style of music that gets you up and shaking your booty.
Let us guide you through the planning process.
Our stomping grounds are The Berkshires and Hartford CT areas, but we travel from Hudson Valley NY to Boston MA, and Southern VT to the CT Shoreline frequently. Get started today.
Listen Now
Tips For Hiring An Awesome Local Wedding DJ
7. Read The Fine Print
Look over your wedding DJ’s contract. Do not hire a DJ for your wedding without having paperwork that covers both you and them. Expect to pay a 10 – 25% non-refundable deposit to secure your wedding date. Most reputable DJs will accept all major credit cards, Paypal or Venmo. Some DJs might run specials for First Responders or Military, so be sure to ask. You might even check whether they run special pricing for off-season weddings (Nov – Apr) or for non-Saturday weddings.
8. Plan Your Wedding
Your wedding DJ will want to meet with you. Some will want to do a site visit with you at your wedding venue. Others will want to meet at their office or a convenient coffee shop or hotel lobby to talk details in person. For long-distance couples or couples that want to stick to “social distancing” protocols, you can do your final meetings via phone, Skype, Facetime Google Hangouts, or Zoom. What is your preference? Your wedding DJ will probably have online planning tools to help you through this process. They might have you fill out some online forms or send them your Spotify playlists to help customize your wedding day. Be sure to tell them about the song you DO NOT WANT to be PLAYED at your wedding. Sometimes that is more important information to relay to your wedding DJ. They will go over name pronunciations and the order of events. They should review the logistics and timeline for your wedding day. This will include when guests arrive, all the way through to the last song. What space are they in at each section of your wedding? What equipment requirements will they need to cover to make sure everything flows smoothly on your wedding day.
What Do Past Clients Say?
Tips For Hiring An Awesome Local Wedding DJ
240449 We worked with DJ Pat. We couldn’t have been happier. From the start Rob was quick to respond and got us set up with a DJ that fit our style. Pat then was great about keeping us on our timeline and meeting us on days that worked for us ( we were out of state) to checking in the week before the wedding, sending samples of songs we requested to make sure they were the right versions. – Alicia
9. Wedding Timeline
Your DJ should prepare for you a typewritten timeline for your wedding day. This will show all your music choices, the time for each event, and the order in which they will occur. Your DJ will also want to know your wedding team – what is your photographer’s name? Who is your contact at your wedding venue? It’s also great to have their Instagram handles, emails, and websites listed so we can tag and link to them in our social media posts about your wedding.
10. Have A Great Time
Don’t forget that it’s all about you and your wedding guests having a great time at your wedding. Be involved. Get out on the dance floor. Set the tone for your party by your actions. If you are not involved, your guests will follow your lead. Lead them right to the dance floor!
It’s up to the two of you to help be the flame at your party. You are, after all, the HOSTS OF YOUR OWN WEDDING. Your DJ/MC is there to help facilitate the fun for you and your guests. A professional luxury wedding DJ will not be out on your dance floor or screaming and yelling constantly on the microphone. You should always be the center of attention at your own wedding.
240449Excellent – easy to work with and professional throughout
Working with Rob for our wedding was a pleasure. He was easy to get in touch with in the months before the big day, asked all the right questions to figure out what our preferences were, and generally made the weekend much less stressful than it could’ve been. – Peter
What Do You Do Now?
Contact DJ Rob today to find out pricing and availability for your upcoming event. We offer wedding DJs, Custom Lighting Design, and Photo Booth Rentals.
Describe your wedding in 3 words so we have an understanding of what you are looking for.
Send us an inspirational image of what you are trying to create for custom wedding lighting.
Tell us the style of music that gets you up and shaking your booty.
Let us guide you through the planning process.
Our stomping grounds are The Berkshires and Hartford CT areas, but we travel from Hudson Valley NY to Boston MA, and Southern VT to the CT Shoreline frequently. Get started today.
More Blog Posts Like
Tips For Hiring An Awesome Local Wedding DJ
Cassidy & Garrett OceanCliff Newport RI Wedding
Cassidy & Garrett Ocean Cliff Newport RI Wedding Cassidy and Garret had their wedding at OceanCliff Hotel in Newport, RI. It’s a beautiful venue that over looks the water. They held their ceremony in Wrentham and then headed down to Newport for their reception. They had a harpist playing to great the guests for their…
Planning Your Corporate Event
Making Your Next Corporate Event a Success If you’re planning a networking event that will have a speaking or presentation portion for your company there are a few good questions to ask yourself. What type of tech do you need? How many people will be speaking over the course of the event? Will they be…
Boston Marathon Gala 2023 BAA – Boston Athletics Association
Boston Marathon Gala 2023 BAA – Boston Athletics Association We were brought in last minute (only a week prior) to this year’s Boston Marathon Gala at Fairmont Copley Place where 150 of the whos-who were in attendance for this fundraising event. We teamed up with Suffield Sound (they provided the band sound support and uplighting)…
Weddings At Station 97 Essex CT
Weddings At Station 97 Essex CT – Station 97 On Main Weddings At Station 97 Essex CT: We had the opportunity to tour the newly opened Station 97 banquet facility. With guest count capped at around 100, it makes for a unique intimate wedding venue. They have an outdoor deck for your ceremony onsite or…
Weddings At The Mount
Weddings At The Mount – The Berkshires Lenox, MA Weddings at the Mount: Did you see seasons 1 & 2 of “Ginny & Georgia” on Netflix? When Georgia got engaged at the end of season one, they 1st referred to “Wedding At The Mount”, I nearly launched straight off of my couch and hit the…
What Is The Importance Of Lighting Design For Your Wedding?
What Is The Importance Of Lighting Design For Your Wedding? When it comes to weddings and special events, one of the most important elements to consider is lighting. Great lighting can transform an ordinary space into something extraordinary, set the tone for an evening, and even contribute to the overall atmosphere of the event. While…