Their Answers Will Tell You A Lot

Couples need to find and work with the wedding DJ they are meant to. It is our intention is to arm you with the right questions so that you can find yours. We’ll be the first to tell you we aren’t the right fit for everyone. We have a lot of experience and we plan on continuing to offer our services for years to come. That means we don’t make a lot of compromises when it comes to anything that could affect our client’s weddings or our reputation. We are not risk takers.

Everyone has different sets of values but if what we just described sounds like values you share, we can tell you the right questions to ask prospective wedding DJ’s and MC’s in order to determine how aligned you are before you sign a contract. These are ten questions we feel will get to the heart of the question “Is this DJ the right fit for our wedding reception?”

1. How Long Have You Been DJing Weddings?

Weddings are fast. In a few hours a room goes from being empty to hosting a family’s biggest day and empty again. There’s not a lot of room for errors and there are no do-overs. The more “shows” under the belt of a performer is what separates competent from great. To be great, you have to have a focus. Wedding DJ’s have to be able to collaborate with vendors, motivate a dance floor, and make sure all of your important moments happen exactly how you planned. Each venue has quirks, some vendors have different requirements of those they work with and situations arise that no one could have foreseen. These are all reasons why experience matters. Besides, if you are looking for a wedding DJ to create a unique experience for you, it helps if have they can draw on many examples of what worked and what didn’t.

2. What’s your backup plan if you get sick or something happens to you on the day of our wedding?

We have nothing against “solopreneurs” (who are often called “single-ops”, as in singular operators). The amount of employees you have or don’t doesn’t determine how much passion you have or how good you are as an entertainer. It is, however, a riskier proposition for weddings. As we mentioned, weddings aren’t a corporate monthly meeting. You don’t get another chance to get it right.  There is a reason there are so many ways to say “Stuff happens” and “The show must go on”. Event professionals are real professionals when they have Plan A, B, C, etc. People get sick at their jobs every day but when your job is to provide entertainment for someone’s wedding, you don’t just get to call off. Our company has wedding DJ’s and MC’s on call at our warehouse every weekend to help eliminate risks. If something happens, we’ve already planned for that possibility.

3. What is your insurance policy?

The bride and groom who rent the venue for the night are techically responsible for anything that happens inside that venue from your guests. This means that if the DJ is rolling equipment in and breaks the $6,000 glass front door from being carless – YOU, THE CLIENT, are technically responsible. The client can technically get into legal trouble if someone trips and falls over a tripod or light stand and gets hurt. If the DJ or entertainment company has insurance, it is a buffer to protect them. That all said, $1,000,000 in liability insurance should be the minimum for anyone you hire.

4. Why do you love performing at wedding receptions?

Asking this question will tell you if the entertainer is passionate for weddings or if this is just a profit center for them. There are a lot of ways to make more money than being a wedding DJ. We don’t want you to be scared of sharks trying to take you for all you have, but there are varying levels of passion for this type of event. We love changing peoples perspective the second they get to a wedding. Most think that they’re going to eat some cold food, have a few drinks and listen to the same music they hear at every other wedding. This isn’t the case with what we do. We change the atmosphere through the right music choices, and keep the evening moving so guests are never bored. If we build the atmosphere they will dance.

5. Could you show us third-party reviews from your clients?

Reviews on pages like WeddingWire and The Knot can give you insights from couples who have worked with the DJ you are considering. Look for genuine reviews that truly look like you would have written them and not a DJ company “faking a review” after reading a dozen or so reviews from other companies, you will know which ones are real and genuine. Everyone has their own scale and ranking system so make sure the company you are looking for has enough reviews that it all balances out.

6. How many meetings will we have leading up to the wedding?

Asking this question will give you insights into their processes. Do they have automated reminder e-mails, questions you need to answer before your wedding day, systems, checklists, etc. A lot of what you are looking for in a wedding DJ is preparedness and organization.

7. What will you be wearing during the reception?

These questions exist to help you find the right entertainer for your sensibilities. There are a lot of options for attire for entertainers at weddings. We don’t believe there is a right or wrong answer for everyone. There just needs to be communication and a clear understanding. That’s why you should ask! We generally wear black formal wear like a suit, not a penguin suit or colored vests, as we don’t want to be the centerpiece or stand out. We’re very open to other options, however. We have even worn toga at weddings before as well as Halloween wedding costumes. It’s your party, we’re just there to compliment your vision.

8. How many hours are included in the reception package?

Being told the price for another hour of reception entertainment during your wedding is definitely not a surprise any couple wants to deal with on their special day. Negotiate how many hours your reception entertainment price will cover up front to eliminate bad surprises later.

9. What’s the plan if there is a technical issue with your equipment during the reception?

Technology is the best…when it works right! When it doesn’t, it can really ruin the fun. Like with the single-ops, having back-up plans separates the risk takers from the prepared. We have backup equipment onsite. Packed backup speakers and computers are standard protocol for teams on-site. We also have runners at our warehouse standing by for any issues. When a company charges a little more for their services, these are the reasons…they have done their due diligence to ensure you get what you paid for – no excuses!

10. What are some of the ways you motivate a dance floor that hasn’t loosened up yet?

This question is once again about sensibilities. Every veteran wedding entertainer has tricks to get energy on the dance floor at the beginning or during any lulls. Entertainers may teach dance moves, we’ve heard of a few who get on the microphone and sing, while others might go out and find grandma for a dance. Asking this question lets you know more about a DJs strengths and also prepares you for what they might be doing on the day of your wedding.

There are some tasteful ways to get guests to the dance floor that work EVERY SINGLE TIME. We’re confident that we can get 80% of the guests to dance the first open dance song of the evening every time. GURANTEED! To learn more, schedule a call or meeting.

We hope these questions provide you with a resource you can use to find the right wedding entertainer for your wedding. Regardless of who you choose, asking the right questions now can make your entire planning process much less stressful.

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