Want to hire a Wedding DJ? What questions do you need to ask?

When hiring a DJ for your wedding your first question will invariably be how much? But before you ask that question you need to find out if the wedding DJ is suitable for you. Here are some questions you should be asking to find out.

Is the DJ suitably experienced? There are many different types of DJs and it is vital you ensure that the DJ is a suitably experienced wedding DJ, a DJ who can rock an 18th birthday party disco may not have the required experience to handle the formalities of a wedding and play the appropriate music for you guests.

Is the person you are talking to the DJ who will be performing at your wedding? There are many DJ companies out there that are known as DJ agencies or multi operators that will quote for providing wedding DJs and you may not get to speak to your Wedding DJ before the night. Make sure you will be able to speak to or meet your DJ before you book – not all DJs are the same – everyone has a different personality – some have more personality than others – and it is important you find the right DJ you can make a connection with to ensure they are right for you.

Is how much the DJ is charging reasonable? Get at least 3 quotes from potentially suitable Mobile Discos to check that the price they are quoting is reasonable. Price might be an important factor for you but you should also consider the service and experience of the DJ that will be provided. A very low quote may save you money but you have to ask why is that quote so low when others are higher? If you only get one quote how will you know if that quote is high or low when you have nothing to compare it to? You do invariably get what you pay for (sometimes you can find a bargain though).

Can your DJ provide you with references? Ask for relevant, up to date references to be provided, copies of hand written letters are best rather than typed ‘feedback forms’ that some DJs provide. Maybe ask for telephone numbers of previous clients – most people will be happy to discuss with you how the DJ performed at their function – getting information direct is the best policy.

Does the DJ belong to any trade associations, guilds or similar bodies? Ask if your DJ belongs to organisations such as the National Association of Disk Jockeys or South Eastern Disk Jockey Association (in the UK). Membership of such organisations indicate that the Wedding DJ in question will follow quality standards and ethics of those organisations and mean that they network and learn with and from similar professionals – it indicate they take their work seriously.

Are they insured and is their equipment tested? Many venues require DJs to have suitable Public Liability Insurance, some government and stately homes require a minimum of £10,000,000 of cover – if your venue requires such cover make sure your DJ has it. Similarly many venues require electrical equipment to be tested as being safe to be used and will require evidence of this (a PAT certificate) before allowing a DJ to set up his equipment – make sure your DJ can provide this if required – you can hire the best DJ in the world but if they are not allowed to set up their equipment they are not much use for your entertainment are they?

Asking a few simple questions will help you chose the right DJ for you and ensure yours is a night to remember.