Top 12 Things The Best Wedding DJs Should Be Talking To You About
As you read through my blog, you'll find out really fast that the entertainment you hire for your wedding will either dictate lasting memories or nightmares for many years to come. In this post, you'll find out some of the important questions that your wedding DJ should be talking to you about. These questions are an excellent way to determine their level of professionalism.
1. How Did You Two Love Birds Get Together?
If this is the first time you've hit my website, check out my blog and see how many times you find that I tell you that you need to meet with your wedding DJ. You know your Charleston wedding DJ is a true professional if they offer to meet with you. Your DJ should show some desire to get to know you a little bit so that you can feel comfortable as this person will be in charge of orchestrating the most fun party you'll have experienced in your life up to this point. Questions like this are a good way that I break the ice with my clients.
2. What Types Of Music Do You LikeTo Listen To?
This is probably one of the most important questions that your DJ will ask you. What do you have in your Ipod? What do your Pandora or Spotify playlists look like? It's a basic question that when asked should have your DJ taking notes. No two couples have the same musical tastes and no two weddings will have the same kind of music. Maybe you are like some of my clients who aren't into music, but want the DJ to lead the way? That's awesome! Letting your DJ know what direction to go in terms of music will go a long way in getting the right music together to create the perfect vibe so that everyone can have fun.
3. What Types Of Music Would You Rather NOT Hear?
Let's face it. There are some songs that when we hear them we feel like screaming. They are songs that might conjure up a bad memory in your life, or frankly might just be so cheesy that you do not want them played at your Charleston wedding. Creating a Do Not Play List is a must when working with your DJ to create the perfect playlist for your wedding. Not everyone want those corny and cheesy line dances played at their wedding. Be sure you let your DJ know this.
4. What Type Of Wedding Reception Are You Having?
Is your wedding a formal (black-tie optional) affair? Is your wedding going to have more of a "beach chic" vibe? Maybe you are going to be more laid back? Your DJ should ask this question so that they know what to wear and what the tone is going to be for your big day. Whatever the mood, your DJ should always blend in and not stand out. Will be you be doing all the special dances? Will there be a bridal party introduction? These are a lot of the details that you need to go over with your DJ. Will you be hiring a wedding planner? If you are hiring a wedding planner, you'll want to introduce your DJ to them and get a dialogue going there. Regardless of the mood of your wedding reception, your wedding DJ should be masterful on the microphone with a clear and polished voice.
5. Which Wedding Venue Are You Having Your Reception At?
Charleston has so many beautiful wedding venues and more and more continue to pop up as the wedding industry boom continues. Your wedding DJ will want to get a good idea where they will be set up. Even if I have been to a wedding venue before, there is always a new and creative way for the DJ to be setup. Sometimes floor plans get drawn without knowing where power is located. It's been my experience that it is worth a trip to the venue to get a handle as to where those power hookups are so there are no surprises when the day arrives. Doing a site survey is definitely a necessity when it's a venue that the DJ has never performed at before. Your DJ will be eager to set up a site survey. Plus, this gives the DJ a chance to do a quick meet and greet with the wedding venue manager and get to know them.
6. How Do I Pronounce The Names When I Introduce Your Bridal Party?
We could probably incorporate this question into Question 1 when the DJ is getting to know you as a couple. It's actually been my experience that there are at least a few names that require the DJ to say them and jot down some notes as to how the names are said. One way to create a "forgettable" wedding for you and your guests is to have a name mispronounced on the microphone. You'll want a Charleston Wedding DJ with a clear voice that leaves no doubt for any mispronunciations. Not everyone has a name like "Jones" or "Hughes", that is easy to say, but there are some complicated names out there. If your DJ is able to pull off the introductions flawlessly, it'll create a more fun atmosphere inside your reception because your guests will take notice of the DJ's professionalism and they'll be more comfortable with who is in charge of your wedding reception.
7. What Type Of Dinner Are You Going To Be Having?
Will you be having a formal "plated" dinner? Will you be having buffet stations? Will your guest count be enough where you'll have table numbers? Your DJ will need to know these details so that the dinner portion of your evening goes smoothly. When will you be having your toasts? Your caterer and bar service will need to coordinate with the DJ if champagne or any other special drinks need to be served prior to your toast, and any other pertinent details.
8. Do You Have Any Special Announcements You'll Need At Any Time During The Evening?
First and foremost, all DJs are not created equal. Some DJs are meant to be on microphone, and some should get out of the business right now. You'll have to trust me on this but you want a true professional wedding DJ with a clear voice that sounds good and is pleasing to the ear. It's been my personal view as a professonal wedding DJ that "less is more". No DJ needs to be on the microphone cracking jokes and making stupid comments that offend your guests and put the spotlight on them. It's hard to believe that I still have to warn my clients about these types of DJs, but they still exist. Maybe one of these days they'll go away, but until then, you need to know about them.
9. Have You Made A Decision As To What Your First Dance Will Be As Well As The Other Special Dances?
Ah yes! The special dances of the evening. All three of these dances, the first dance, the father-daughter dance, and the mother-son dance are all very special moments of your wedding reception. When you meet with your wedding DJ for the first time, it's not expected for you to have chosen these songs at that time. You might have a difficult time making a decision. Your wedding DJ will be able to point you in the right direction of links to lists of songs or maybe some blog posts like these : Modern First Dance Ideas and Best Father-Daughter Dance Songs and Best Mother Son Dance Songs
10. Can I Get The Name Of Your Photographer And Videographer?
Your wedding DJ and your photographer / videographer need to be having excellent communication during the entire wedding reception so that you get all the photos of all the special moments. Those special moments include the introductions, the special dances, the bouquet and garter toss (if you are doing these), cake cutting, and the send off. And speaking of photos, if you are employing a photo booth, be sure to let your DJ know you have one so that they can make announcements through out the evening to get your guests in there using it to it's maximum worth.
11. Do You Need Me To Also Provide Wedding Ceremony Music?
If you are having your wedding ceremony at a church, then this is mute point. If you are planning to have your wedding reception out your wedding venue and need your DJ to assist with this, this is even more preparation that the DJ needs to put into your wedding day. If you'd like your DJ to provide ceremony music, they'll be sure to point you in the right direction of ceremony music ideas.
12. Are You Ready To Have The Time Of Your Life?
The DJ that you eventually contract to be at your Charleston wedding should stop at NOTHING to ensure you and your guests have the time of your lives. Weddings have a tendency to bring a lot of stress into our lives, especially during the planning process. This can be amplified if you are planning your wedding from a distance. You might even find yourself losing some sleep during the days and months leading up to the big day. But, if you hire the right wedding planner and wedding DJ and have an excellent "Dream Team" of other vendors that support you totally, you shouldn't feel one ounce of stress. When your wedding day arrives, it should be the biggest "stress reliever". It should be a day where you don't lift a finger, and where everything is perfect and just the way you began to dream the moment you said "yes" and you both laid together and held each other thinking and talking about your new future together. You should wake up on the morning of your wedding and be so relaxed.
Interested In Speaking To Mike About Being Your Charleston Wedding DJ?
These questions are just some of the important questions that your wedding DJ should ask you. Thank you so much for making it to the end of this blog post. It truly means a lot to me because I believe all wedding DJs should be impassioned about being the best wedding DJ that they can be for their clients. You might have read on my "Weddings" page on my main website that "your wedding is NOT just another gig to me". None of my weddings are ever to be thought of in that way. Your wedding should be thought of nothing less than an amazing celebration of "your love" with all your friends and family there with every song you hear coming from the speakers having you smiling. As I've mentioned in previous posts, you need to go with your gut instinct when it come to hiring your wedding DJ, and don't make it a hasty decision. If you'd like to see about scheduling a time to meet with Mike to begin talking music, please click HERE to tell me a few brief details about your big day here in Charleston.