Skip to main content

6 Charleston Brides Speak Out About Wedding DJ Nightmares

18 January 2018

If I could narrow things down to one thing that is needed between brides and grooms and DJ in regards to the hiring and execution of their Charleston wedding it would be "communication". It is absolutely imperative that the bride and groom communicate what it is that they want when it comes to the creation of their soundtrack for what their wedding DJ will provide to them. Brides and grooms need to feel comfortable about who it is they are hiring too. As I've discussed previously and actually did some podcasting about, meeting your DJ is essential to the success of your upcoming wedding. When you meet your DJ (either in person or online via Skype-Facetime), you can begin to get a good idea of their personality, and it's important that you are on the same page. Brides and grooms need to remember that they are the boss of their wedding when it comes to the music, as they are the ones doing the hiring and writing the checks. When it comes to creating the perfect soundtrack for your wedding, when the bride and groom say "Jump", the DJ should pretty much say "how high".

No bride or groom should ever be strong-armed by any DJ who has pushy sales tactics, does not listen to their needs, and just fails to conduct themselves as a true professional wedding DJ. Over the past several years, I've met with couples and during our initial meetings and consultations I've notated some of their greatest fears expressed to me in selecting their Charleston wedding DJ. Perhaps their brother or sister or best friend, or even a co-worker had a bad experience with their wedding DJ. After they happen, these stories tend to go viral and spread like wildfire.  These types of experiences generally leave a bad taste in their mouths and I've always found it interesting how easily that these prospective clients that I sit down with can easily recall them.  They can recall them easily because it's these very events that couples remember right after they get engaged and fear could ruin their own wedding day.  Down below you'll see some excerpts from some comments made to me from prospective clients about some of the nightmares they've heard from friends and relatives and why hiring their wedding DJ is a bit of a scary task. After each set of comments, you'll see my comments as to how to avoid these situations when searching for your wedding DJ.

"The first 2 or 3 DJs that we sat down with had hardly any personality at all.........." -- [Charleston Bride Jenn] - If you are lucky enough to only sit down with 2 or 3 DJs and can narrow the search down, then you are one of the lucky couples!. However, since there are lots of wedding DJs out there, you need to meet as many DJs as it takes for you and fiance to feel 100% comfortable.  This person will be in charge of the entertainment at your wedding. There is no room for error when making this decision.

"The DJ For My Sister's Wedding Started The Dancing With The Electric Slide!... I despise that song!!......." [Charleston Bride Sarah] -  And you know what? Sarah told me her jaw dropped when the DJ started out with that song too. It's sort of easy to see what happened here. Sarah's sister and her DJ did not "communicate" effectively about the music that was to be on her playlist. If a bride and groom do not like The Electric Slide, then it's up to them to tell their DJ to leave that record at home. The Do Not Play List is equally as important as all the songs you "want" to hear at your wedding.  Part of your costs with Mike Bills Entertainment are as many consultations needed to get the music perfect for your wedding. Whatever it takes!

"My Best Friend's Wedding DJ Was Trying To Get "Everyone's Hands In The Air" And Making Cheesy Comments On The Mic......"[Charleston Bride Brooke] -  You know this happens all too often. DJs try to get the crowd motivated by making crude and sometimes embarrassing comments on the microphone. Your wedding DJ is there to simply "compliment" your wedding day, NOT take over your day. The music you choose (if done properly) should do more of the talking during the night than your DJ. Mike Bills Entertainment will make as little or as many announcements as you need and will under no circumstances crack any stupid or cheesy jokes.

"The DJ My Co-Worker Hired Was Supposedly A "Club DJ" And Practically Had No Experience On The Microphone........" [Charleston Bride Heather] - And as a result of this, Heather actually went on to tell me he was not used to making the traditional announcements at the wedding. Things are ALOT different at a wedding and some club DJs simply don't have the proper finesse in working a wedding venue. It's a huge difference than your club downtown. Some try to break into weddings because of the more lucrative payback, but some lack the proper demeanor and fail miserably, thus continuing that trend of the "bad wedding DJ".

"My Brother's DJ Mispronounced The Names Of Two Of The Bridesmaids In The Bridal Party....." [Charleston Bride Danielle] - When Danielle told me this unfortunate story, the first word that came to mind was "amateur", and then I thought that this DJ lacked detail and precision as well. Hearing your name pronounced wrongly through a microphone in front of 200 of your guests is one of the most embarrassing things that can happen and will pretty much ruin your wedding day. Professional wedding DJs will go over pronuniciations numerous times before your event to eliminate the risk of any embarrassment.

"The DJ Who Worked My Sister's Wedding Ended Up Not Having The Song For Her First Dance....." [Charleston Bride Lisa] -  Lisa told me that her sister was in tears just as her and her bridal party were getting ready to be announced into their reception. Her and her fiance had actually rehearsed a dance for this song too. It turned into a very emotional experience for Lisa's sister, but could have been avoided by hiring the right DJ. The right DJ would NEVER forget something as crucial as a bride's first dance. That DJ actually told the bride that he did not have the song because he ended up not being able to find it. The real professional wedding DJs will bring all music, generally in multiple copies to safeguard against a nightmare like this.  

CONCLUSION

Wow. I may not be able to sleep tonight after putting this blog together for you. Wasn't this pretty scary? These stories continue to pop up all the time when I meet with couples looking to hire me. It's up to the top wedding DJs in Charleston to get the word out about these potential nightmares so that they can be avoided at future weddings. Being a professional wedding DJ is not for the faint of heart. It takes special dedication and focus to give you the amazing time you deserve at your wedding. Make sure you read over this blog for even more tips and playlist ideas as you begin to search for the right DJ for your 2018 or 2019 wedding. Click HERE to tell me a little more about your big day.