seeing if your friend would be a good DJ....

schutzna

We have a friend that DJs as a hobby. He seems to have good enough equipment (as far as I can tell) and is very dedicated to his hobby. I've seen him DJ a house party and he did a great job.
We'd like to use him as the DJ for our wedding (especially because he should be really less expensive!) but how do we know if he'll be any good in a wedding setting? What questions do we ask to see if he's what we want?
I don't want to hurt the friendship if I find a professional is a better fit.

Please help!

Osterizer

Hire a professional.  It's easier to deal with a professional than a friend whose feelings you might hurt if there is an issue.  This extends to all areas of your wedding -- photography, catering, etc. 

If your friend's feelings are hurt that you didn't hire him, tell him that you want him to just be a guest and that you want to dance with him on the dance floor.  Drive the point home that you want him to join in on the celebration, not work at it.