Paying DJ upfront?

wowand135

I found a DJ on Craigslist. He's super cheap and we're meeting tonight to sign the contract. He wants 50% as a deposit. It's not that much (the total is less than 400). Is that normal to pay half so far in advance?

calliopeia2013

It's relatively normal, yeah- a lot of vendors require pretty substantial deposits.  I mean, does the contract explain what happens to the money if he, say, didn't show up to the wedding?  As long as your bases are covered in the contract, you're probably fine.  Did you check references and stuff?  If there are no red flags other than this, should be okay.

tpender13

Ditto PP -- just make sure you look at the contract closely. Make sure you'll get your money back if he doesn't show up or if he has backup people/equipment if he were to get sick or say, his speakers fail; know what the cancellation policy is; know when the balance is due, etc. If you like him when you meet him and the contract looks okay, you'll probably be fine.

Also, you could try asking the ladies (and possibly men) on the Reno local board (links in blue column on the left) if they are familiar with this specific DJ and if anyone has reviews.