Advice On a wedding DJ

[Yeah_Baby]

+1 for the band.

My sister was a bridesmaid at a wedding last year and they had a live band. She said it was awesome.

[Envitro]

Ummm yeah.. good luck finding a decent professional band for $1000....

[Ace]

The DJ is the absolute last place you should skimp on at your wedding. Chances are you will remember one of two things about your wedding:

Wow that was such a great night, everyone had a good time.

or.

I can't believe everyone sat on their hands all night and the dance floor was empty.

A good DJ is also going to give you a professional MC for the rest of the night. IMO your pary will be only as good as your DJ is. If you're looking to skimp, cut this crap out instead:

-Flowers
-Cake
-Decoration

...nobody will remember that stuff, they will remember if your party was lame and they had to waste a whole saturday.

On the issue of Bands, I've seen them work okay, but keep in mind Bands play in sets, and take breaks. This often results in a loss of flow (guests will leave earlier). A DJ plays non-stop for 4 hours minimum and has access to 10,000+ songs for whatever your guests like. I worked a wedding once where they hired a band, and had a DJ play in between sets, this kept the flow, but the dance floor was twice as packed during the DJ sets as compared to the Band. People viewed the Band as a show rather than a celebration.

[Stormy Lancer]

Hi Everyone,

In this environment many DJ's have had to lower their rates. Three years ago i could easily Charge 850.00 for a night but I have had to back that down to 650.00 in order ot maintain a dcent client base. The big advice I have for everyone is to make you meet the DJ. I have no problems meeting any of my clients prior to wedding and it puts them at ease once they see who they are dealing with

Cheers!

[Pastiche]

-Flowers
-Cake
-Decoration

...nobody will remember that stuff, they will remember if your party was lame and they had to waist a whole saturday.

This is so true. The wedding industry and all the bridezillas out there think this is the important stuff. Wrong. The party is what's important. That's why people are coming because they want a good party. They could honestly give a flap on how elaborate the cake or flowers are if they had a great night. And rest assured, no matter how amazing the cake was or how beautiful the flowers were, if the party that night stunk that's what your wedding will be known for.

[Ace]

Tips for a good wedding DJ:
-Make sure they are not shy and regularly use a microphone (in the ipod world i've seen many DJ's not say a word all night)
-Hire from a larger company with at least 5 mobile units, this allows them to sub equipment out quickly if something fails.
-Tell them you will have a younger crowd - This is important because many DJ's don't have all the latest music for each unit, they will send the newer music (and all the old hits) to younger shows, while sending just the older hits (and a fraction of newer music) to older crowds. So regardless of your crowd state that they are young to get more music selection. I suspect this has probably changed a bit with digital files assuming most DJ's are walking the fence on proper licensing, but still worth mentioning.
-Ask for an experianced DJ. Larger companies send DJ's to different shows based on their strengths and weaknesses. If you are getting married on a busy summer weekend this simple request can prevent you from getting the Newbie that doesn't know how to work different demographics.
-Send a request list in, but don't be too specific - give the DJ flexibility. Remember the DJ is the expert and while you may like Lady Gaga's unreleased track 5, your crowd is likly going to take a bathroom break when the DJ plays it.
-Ensure the DJ sets up before your dinner - This is important because it prevents distraction during dinner, and also ensures a sound check was done with enough time to fix any technical problems.

Hope tht helps

[csnarpy]

As a club DJ, sometimes i wished I went the wedding route except i prefer to play more house than anything else.

At anyrate - if your looking, a buddy of mine, who used to be a club dj, owns a mobile dj outfit and imo is one of the best out there doing weddings.

give me a pm if you like.

[yads]

Have you tried putting up help wanted signs at Marlborough Mall foodcourt?

Serious response, 3 things you should not skimp on at a wedding:

Food,
Booze,
Music

[Jimmy Stang]

Originally Posted by Ace

Tips for a good wedding DJ:
-Make sure they are not shy and regularly use a microphone (in the ipod world i've seen many DJ's not say a word all night)
-Hire from a larger company with at least 5 mobile units, this allows them to sub equipment out quickly if something fails.
-Tell them you will have a younger crowd - This is important because many DJ's don't have all the latest music for each unit, they will send the newer music (and all the old hits) to younger shows, while sending just the older hits (and a fraction of newer music) to older crowds. So regardless of your crowd state that they are young to get more music selection. I suspect this has probably changed a bit with digital files assuming most DJ's are walking the fence on proper licensing, but still worth mentioning.
-Ask for an experianced DJ. Larger companies send DJ's to different shows based on their strengths and weaknesses. If you are getting married on a busy summer weekend this simple request can prevent you from getting the Newbie that doesn't know how to work different demographics.
-Send a request list in, but don't be too specific - give the DJ flexibility. Remember the DJ is the expert and while you may like Lady Gaga's unreleased track 5, your crowd is likly going to take a bathroom break when the DJ plays it.
-Ensure the DJ sets up before your dinner - This is important because it prevents distraction during dinner, and also ensures a sound check was done with enough time to fix any technical problems.

Hope tht helps

While I think that's all good advice, I respectfully disagree about the microphone part. The only thing anyone should hear is the music, not the DJ himself. I respect a guy who can gauge the crowd and keep the party going without having to say a word.

I do agree, however, that setting the computer or iPod to play a playlist is definitely not good DJ-ing.

As an aside, even though I'm not a big fan of "new country", nothing gets people moving, particularly in Alberta, like a little bit of country music. But that's when I head to the bar.

[fundmark19]

Again to the people saying dont cheap out on food DJ and bla blaa about what they will remember of the wedding..The wedding is a week before in Vegas. Noone is going to forget the wedding. This is a seperete reception for everyone who doesn't want to make the trip to the actual wedding. It is just going to be cocktails and snacks and dj!

[calumniate]

Last wedding I was at had the Dino Martinis. They were awesome way better than a dj in my humble O. They'll take requests from the bride etc and can play anything. They've done weddings a million times.. top drawer.

[Bill Bumface]

Paging dj_patm...

*thump tsss thump tsss thump*

[Flames_Gimp]

get enough booze into everyone and it wont matter how bad the music is

[REDVAN]

Shawnski is a DJ too... send him a PM to see what his schedule is like.

IMO he is excellent!!

[chalms04]

Deadmau5

[RedMileDJ]

Originally Posted by GreatWhiteEbola

PM Red-Mile-DJ,

He's one of the best. IMO.

huh, thanks dude!

I've been DJing for over 9 years now. I've done everything from hosting Karaoke and Name That Tune, to DJing soft-ball wrap-up parties and weddings. I've worked for a few different companies and I can tell you what you SHOULD look for and what you SHOULD NOT for in a DJ.

Rather than give a rambling list of DOs and DON'Ts you can PM and I'd be more than happy to help.

DO NOT book through TNT Pub Games or Krazee Toonz. These are my former employers.
- High prices
- scratched discs
- unprofessional DJing (just kids that the owner finds in bars, thus not trained)
- NON-licensed
- equipment that is not kept up to working order, thus is run-down and ruins shows.

I can't tell you how many times my shows were ruined because of the poor equipment.

I currently work for Wild Bill's DJ Services: http://www.wildbillthedj.com/
- Licensed
- TRAINED PROFESSIONAL DJs (like me)
- Perfect CDs for perfect audio
- Maintained equipment in perfect working order
- American DJ / American Audio equipment with powered Mackie Speakers
- and I could go on and on. I love working for Bill.

We meet with you to get a feeling of what type of music should and should not be played. We ask for a DO NOT PLAY list and a top 20 list what you would like to hear. And above all: WE PLAY REQUESTS. We read the crowd and tailor the show for you and your guests.

Ok, I'm done. PM for more details.

ps. I am only a sub-contractor for Bill. So in regards to price for the DJ, I've seen invoices (for weddings) anywhere form $600 to $850.

Don't quote me on those prices, but it gives you an idea.