Wedding Planning | Event Coordinating | How To
When you are hiring a DJ for your wedding, you can start with these questions to ask a wedding professional. To find the best specific questions to ask a wedding DJ, I polled my DJ friend
s (and wracked my own brains, since I'm an entertainer myself.) Here is the list of the best 14 questions to ask a DJ so that you can choose the very best for your big day.
Do you have a demo I can view or references I can contact?
Many entertainers may have a video of their performance that you can watch to get an idea of their style and personality. CAUTION: they will likely give you a video that has been edited to look good, so take this with a grain of salt. An unedited video clip is actually a better indicator of their performance.
Photo by Allan Levine Photography
If the DJ does not have a demo, ask for some recent client and/or professional references. Ask them questions such as, “Did he/she deliver everything that was promised?” “How was the DJ’s communication?” “Are there any areas where you were dissatisfied?”
Who will be the DJ at our wedding?
Make sure you know exactly who will be performing at your wedding. Some DJs are agencies with multiple disc jockeys and entertainers. If it is important for you to have a particular performer, make sure their name is written on your contract.
“The words ‘surprise’ and ‘wedding’ rarely go together well,” explains DJ Bri Swatek of Spinning With Style. “You should know exactly who your wedding DJ is and you should have the opportunity to be totally comfortable with him or her well in advance.”
What happens if you get sick?
Make sure the DJ has a backup plan in case they are physically unable to perform for your wedding. This might be another DJ who works for their company, a local network of DJs or a national association they can call for a replacement. Whatever their backup plan, make sure they have one and that you are comfortable with it.
What does your equipment look like?
You spend a lot of time designing the look of your wedding. Make sure the DJ’s setup compliments the setting. If you don’t want a flashy sign announcing the company name, make sure they don’t use one.
Do you use lighting?
This is a matter of preference. Find out the different options available, what is included in the cost and what is extra.
Will you act as our master of ceremonies?
Make sure your DJ is prepared to make any announcements you want during your reception or work with the master of ceremonies you choose to coordinate events.
Do you take breaks? Is there music played during this time?
The flow of music should be uninterrupted through out the night; a DJ can take a break without stopping the music. Make sure you know how this is handled and when these breaks will occur; you don’t want your DJ leaving the room when the rest of your guests is ready to get up and boogie.
Can we give you a Must Play list and a Do Not Play list?
If you have particular songs you MUST have played, make sure you know how many “must plays” the DJ allows and if there are any limitations. Most entertainers also ask for a list of songs you do not want played. This helps them customize the entertainment to your likes and dislikes.
Will you take requests from our guests?
Generally DJs are happy to take guest requests if that is what you like. If you have concerns about what happens if someone asks for a “bad song” or a song on your Do Not Play list, ask the DJ how they handle it.
What will you wear? 
Do we provide a meal for you?
What will you do if our guests aren't dancing?
This is my favorite question! There really isn’t a right or wrong answer here. Basically, the DJ’s response gives you an idea of her preferred style, flexibility and whether they tend to low key or highly interactive.
The best answer will probably start with, “First, that depends on how you would like me to handle it…”
Why did you choose to become an entertainer?
Andrew Nikola of Enriquez Entertainment explains that the DJ’s answer should reflect that he is doing it because he loves people, NOT for the money or some other reason. You want to hire someone who is passionate about what they do.
Do you do this full time?
DJ Bri Swatek suggests that a full-time DJ will likely be the most responsive to your emails and phone calls. You can be confident that your wedding will be the most important event on their calendar that day.
“Imagine doing your own job as a part-time, weekend sideline,” he says. “Would you be able to do it effectively?”
Sue Meloun of Sue the DJ agrees. “Professional entertainment companies work 40-50 hours per wedding including the performance time…Planning meetings, conference calls, meetings, itineraries, planning forms, love story introduction scripts, MC scripts, music coordination and purchasing, equipment purchases, maintenance and storage, and much, much more.”
For some of these questions, you won’t be looking for the “right” or “wrong” answer. You want to hire a wedding DJ you feel comfortable with and asking these questions makes figuring that out much easier. David Nazario of A Perfect Blend Entertainment says their answers should demonstrate that they are flexible and able to adapt to the constant changes that happen at a wedding celebration.
Since then I've been intimately involved in the planning of over 500 Hudson Valley weddings. I've seen couples make a lot of mistakes. Some of them were pretty big ones. A few mistakes in particular can lead to an absolute NIGHTMARE.
I put together a special report revealing the 7 Common Mistakes couples make that can ruin your wedding day. Whether you've just started your wedding planning or whether your big day is right around the corner, please learn from these mistakes so that you can avoid them.
Taking just a few moments to read this report can save you time, money and STRESS. Skipping over it...well, you'll run the risk of making these disastrous mistakes on your own wedding day.
Inside this "special wedding report" you'll learn...
- Why the first thing most couples do immediately when they get engaged that can lead chaos on your wedding day, guests who refuse to attend the wedding and blowing your budget...and what your should do first instead to avoid that pain and headache.
- The hidden resource you already have that virtually guarantees everything goes smoothly on your wedding day when you ask this critical question.
- WARNING: Don't believe the wedding day timelines you find online! Why they almost always lead to a stressful, miserable wedding day where you feel rushed and don't get to enjoy being a bride.
- The "wedding gift" that can turn into a nightmare on your wedding day and how to steer clear of this well-intentioned but disastrous guest.
- How one unfortunate couple was forced to choose between postponing the wedding and losing a costly deposit or facing angry parents and guests...all because they waited too long to plan this crucial element of the wedding.
- Most brides think that imagining their day going perfectly is the best way to remain calm and stress-free. This is NOT true! Why imagining the Worst Case Scenario actually saves you from making a choice that can ruin your entire wedding.
- How to avoid making a mistake with the "harmless" activity ALL brides do that can end up making you late for your own ceremony!
- And much more...
I'm not saying this to scare you. Knowing the most common wedding planning mistakes makes it easy to avoid them so that you can have the fun, unforgettable wedding day of your dreams.
Why risk it? Enter your name and email below so I can send you that free report and get on the road to smooth sailing on your wedding day right now.
If you've been to one, I don't have to tell you how overwhelming and confusing it can be. There are so many vendors to speak to that it can be hard to know where to start!
So how can you get the most out of a bridal show...without going into cardiac arrest?
Photo of bride and groom in the street
I called on the Hudson Valley's bridal show expert, Kenneth Rabasco aka Bosco of Bosco's Bridal for help. Bosco has been leading bridal shows in the northeastern US since 1997 and he specializes in bridal expos for the New York City, Westchester and Hudson Valley area of NY.
If anyone knows how to survive a bridal show...and get the maximum benefit from it...it's him.
15 Bridal Show Survival Tips From Bosco
1. Bring the Groom. Don't leave your fiancé at home! If you find the perfect wedding vendor, you'll probably want his input before making the arrangements. With your FI at your side, you can take advantage of those special bridal show deals and promotions. (P.S. He won't be the only guy there. I promise!)
2. Register. There may be a line, but make sure you register and sign up at the door. Why? You'll be eligible for great door prizes and will receive exclusive offers and discounts from wedding vendors after the show.
3. Wear that bride-to-be button. Yes, it's a little cheesy, but it's FUN! People will be congratulating you all night and asking to see your ring. Plus, it lets the vendors know who you are so you get the star treatment.
4. Bring a pen, notebook and clipboard. You'll want some paper to take notes and jot down any ideas that come to mind. If you've got a wedding planning binder, bring it with you and add business cards and brochures right on the spot. It will save you tons of time.
5. Bring your appointment book. If you meet a vendor you like, having your appointment book, iPhone or Blackberry handy makes setting a date easy. Why play phone tag later on when you can connect on the spot?
6. Write notes on the vendors' literature. If possible, take notes right on the vendor's business card or brochure. Things to write down: services, prices, whatever you talked about. It will help you connect the vendor with the conversation later on.
7. Bring pre-printed address labels. In addition to the door prize, you can also enter to win giveaways 
and raffles at most of the booths. Instead of scrawling your name, address, email and phone on every single contest entry, make up address labels beforehand. Your writing hand will thank you!
8. Ask about availability FIRST. As soon as you meet a wedding professional ask, "Are you available for my date?" If not, move on. Don't be afraid to cut to the chase; it saves both you and the vendor time.
9. Ask TONS of questions. A bridal show is a great place to get ideas for your wedding and there will be dozens of wedding professionals you can use as resources. Be bold. Ask their opinion. Taste the cake. Smell the flowers. Have fun with it!
10. Bring along your color swatches. This makes it easy to ask for flower, dress and cake suggestions to match your color ideas.
11. Bring along your bridal posse. There might be hundreds of vendors to visit. With a group you can divide and conquer to find the coolest wedding professionals and the best deals.
12. Take lots of information. Even if you aren't looking for a violinist or a calligrapher that day, you might want one later on. Save it to sift through later on in your planning.
13. If you are planning from out of town, send your mother or bridesmaids to scope out the show for you. They can collect information and report back on their findings.
14. Stay for the fashion show. It's one of the highlights of the bridal expo, so make sure you get a good seat!
15. Wear comfortable shoes! You'll be on your feet for a few hours; don't use the show as an opportunity to break in your new heels. If you're comfortable you can get more done and have more FUN.
Got a question about a bridal shows? Leave a comment.
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