Meeting with DJs - Why? (dumb question)

Shand18

Please excuse me if this is a dumb question, but I'm clueless.  FI and I are going to set up appointments to meet with DJs, but I'm really not sure what we're supposed to be discussing/asking in these meetings.  We don't want any giveaways, or video screens, or lighting, etc...  We just want someone to be there, play music, and make the necessary announcements.  So other than finding out  their prices and just picking the cheapest person who has good reviews, what am I supposed to go on? 

TIA!

rlb81

Personality? I went to a DJ showcase for Elite Entertainment based out of Eatontown and each emcee had a few minutes to showcase their abilities and we were able to make a decision. I've heard nothing but positive reviews on many of the elite emcees so you could probably check out one of their upcoming showcases- http://eliteentertainment.com/bridalShow.php

ffbride_0813

I think personality and cheese factor.  You want to make sure they fit with their style.  I have been to wedding where the DJ played music that wasnt my style and talked and sang through the wedding.  I wouldnt want this from my DJ so i would at least want to meet with them and check them out and make sure they fit with me and my style of wedding. 

I didnt meet with any DJs because I was terrified of DJs.  I used the same one my MOH used because the music at her wedding was awesome, he could say my name (its a hard name) and he didnt say anything except for announcements. 

peaches85

I agree with pps.  Someone could sound totally normal via email or phone, but in reality could be a total cheese-ball or a skeezoid!

You'll just get a better feel for who you're dealing with and what his/her style and personality are like if you meet in person.

jrgoogrl

I agree as well. Even though you already know what you want, you want to meet who you'll actually be dealing with the day of your wedding. You don't want any surprises.

FI and I were looking for pretty much same as you, minimal announcements and to keep the party going. We didn't want a DJ who dances with the BM's, sings or is just overall chessy!

Once you go, you'll have either a good feeling or a bad feeling. Luckily for us, the first DJ we met with was perfect for us!

jaimelody

Just play the music? Or play music and try to get your guests on the dance floor? Sometimes just music isn't the cheapest option. You want to make sure your personalities mesh and you actually like your DJ - not just some random person. They can show you some videos where they are getting the guests on the dance floor or some sample playlists. You'll need to discuss how many hours are involved, if they'll be doing your ceremony/cocktail hour as well.

demarcosjd

We met with several DJ's and found it to be very beneficial. You want to get an idea of the type of music they normally play and personality fit. If you are looking for more of today's music and they mainly play 80' etc let them know that is not your style.

You also want to make sure you find out what their attire is for the day. We met with one guy that had a sparkly vest! So not us.

I would see if they come with an assistant. If the main DJ needs a bathroom break who will cover the music etc.

I would ask how far in advance they set up. If they are not doing your cocktail hour make sure they will not be bringing equipment in during your cocktail hour and making a scene in front of your guests. HTH!

mbcdefg

I actually never met with any DJs. I contacted a couple for some information and pricing since they got good reviews on this board, and I hired the one who was more within our budget.

We were not disappointed at all, but the DJ was admittedly not something we were horribly concerned about when planning our wedding (photography was a different story - we researched the hell out of photographers and spent a lot of time thinking about who to hire). As long as the person we hired didn't make any glaring mistakes and played decent music and stayed away from our Do Not Play list, we would've been satisfied. Luckily we felt that our DJ went above and beyond that.

Tracyc617

I also went with a DJ (Platinum Entertainment) that I saw at a friedns wedding.  I still met with him when we got engaged to see about prices.  It was nice to talk to him, see his personality.  I also saw him at a showcase.  There was some things taht I saw at the showcase that I wasn't crazy about (ie. smoke machines) so we were albe to go over exactly what I wanted and didn't.  I am meeting him the month before my wedding just to go over important songs and the timeline of certain things. 

Pink7781

We met with 2 DJs and one salesperson totally sold us while the other one was more annoying and assumed that we would be booking their company because we met wtih them off a referral. So, I think a lot of it is personality, we watched a clip of our emcee at a wedding to see what he was like.

When you meet with the different companies, you can also try and negotiate a lower price if you want to, we got ours down by a few hundred and cocktail hour included.

Also, just FYI, our DJ handed out maracas among other things and I will tell you that people I have never seen dance in my life were tearing it up on the dance floor with maraca in hand. I'm not sure why but that stuff tends to serve as an ice breaker and got everyone out on the dance floor.

Shand18

Thanks, guys!  That's pretty much what I was thinking/expecting.  I just wasn't entirely sure.  Meeting with all the other vendors just seemed a lot more straight-forward in my mind. 

Jbelange06

Did you go with Elite and if so who?  We're just researching DJs now and I've heard good things about them.  Were you happy?
Thanks,
Jen

carlaspeed

I asked myself the same question, after speaking to Bob over the phone and in person, his 15+ years of experience showed right away! 973-887-7126, he's italian!

momod130

I'm just getting into the planning and meeting with a few vendors while I have time over the summer.  Tackling the DJ now that we have a venue.  A few other girls recommended Starry Night in Manhattan & Aria Melody in North Jersey so I'm starting there.  Both sites seem to be very non-cheesy.  Spoke with Jon from Aria Melody on the phone and he seemed very cool & laid back.  Not a salesman or lame.  We talked about music for a while - nothing even wedding related.  Now starting to get ideas for florists!