Golden Rules for Wedding Couples & Disc Jockeys

Golden Rules for Wedding Couples & Disc Jockeys

Weddings are always an exciting gig for a disc jockey, but the bride and groom hiring them should take some things in consideration too. After being a disc jockey I found my best advertisement was word of mouth, and my reputation grew to where I was booked every weekend. Knowing how special someone’s wedding day is makes every wedding unique, and a day for the wedded couple to remember for all time.

Always have a contract and down payment, it is security for the disc jockey and the wedding couple. The time of the contract signing make sure all the information needed is written down, and if you have a good disc jockey they will have a proper contract.

Questions to ask the bride and groom are:

1. What music the bride and groom like, and if they have something you don’t have in your library they can provide it, and then you should return it back to the best man at the end of the wedding.

2. Ask what time you can setup the equipment and light show, allowing enough time for everything to be done before the first guests arrive.

3. What color theme is the wedding, so your table drop matches

4. What sort of dinner music do they want, because many couples have different ideas on dinner music.

5. How and when they want to be announced coming in as husband and wife, and what names to use, since some brides aren’t traditional and keep their maiden name.

6. You need the specific spelling and annunciation of anyone being announced, and know the order of announcing them.

7. Get the best man and maid of honor’s names so you’re familiar with them to give the microphones to for toasts.

8. You will need the time they want to allot for dancing after the cake is cut and what song they want when the cake is cut. 'The Bride Cuts the Cake' is a little past tense, but some couples still want it.

9. Scratch the idea of using programmed music, since requests will be coming in during the dancing; it just isn’t good taste to refuse requests even though it means more work for the disc jockey.

10. Depending on the crowd, ask beforehand if anyone is going to sing for the reception and if so who, and what they are using for accompaniment. You may have to play a CD to accompany the singer.

11. Don’t be shy tell the bride and groom to provide you and your staff dinner, after all the two hours to set up and take down are usually not an additional charge, but it does add to your work day. Most good disc jockeys have equipment and lights which adds 2 hours to their bill at no charge. Program your dinner music so you can eat when guests are, and be the first to be served so you are ready to play dance music before the guests are done eating.

12. Be prepared to stay extra hours than the contract has in it. If you have done a good job as the wedding disc jockey there will always be someone that will chip in and pay for extra hours. Explain if you use a compact sound system like Bose speakers, the quality is excellent and you don't need huge speakers, that's the luxury of being a modern DJ.

13. Keep in touch with the restaurant owner to make sure what time they close so you don’t keep his staff waiting. Everything must coordinate and always remember a drunken disc jockey reflects on their business, soda and coffee is all you should be drinking. This is not –your- party it’s a special day in two people’s lives.