DJ Selection! What should I be looking for?

Re: DJ Selection! What should I be looking for?

• ishandwhatnot member

  

  September 2010 edited December 2011

  For me it was budget costs.  I'm lucky enough that there are only 3 local where I am at. One was not available, and I asked about costs, and then arranged to see how they performed as a d.j.  of the othe 2.  They both rocked, and in the end the budget is what won me over.  I also talked to other brides and guests who have used the previous djs.  That helps a lot too.  Good luck

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• Tdancin45678 member

  

  September 2010 edited December 2011

  We used 1, 2 Step Entertainment they are based in Michigan and New York they were great and didn't charge to travel. They sent us this list which was helpful when we were interviewing djs....
  
  

  1. Do you offer a written contract?
  Yes, we offer a written contract which is given to you when decide to use 1, 2 Step Entertainment
  
  2. Will you be the DJ at our wedding?
  You meet with the person who is handling your wedding only. When you inquire with our company we select one of D.J.s who is available, and they are the only one to meet with you throughout the process.

  3. May we meet with you in person before we sign a contract?
  We love to meet with our clients before we sign contracts. We feel getting to put a face with a client’s name, and getting to know their personalities is one of the most important thing. The more our DJs get to know you and your likes and dislikes, the more your wedding is going to be one you won’t forget!

  4. How long will you hold our date for us?
  We hold the date for 1 month, as we know schedules are busy and we want to make sure that we get to meet in person, so you can see the demo reel of some of our weddings, and make sure that it is a good fit!

  5. Do you work exclusively for this company?
  Our DJs work exclusively for our company. We do not use DJs that work for various companies, so that we do not have them canceling last minute because they got another gig.

  6. How long have you been a DJ and how many weddings have you done?
  All of our Wedding DJs have a minimum of 10 years of experience, and have done more then 25 weddings a year.

  7. How many other types of events do you do per year?
  Our DJs categorized, we have Wedding Djs, Party DJs, Bar and Bat Mitzvah Djs, etc… We do this so that our DJs focus on their area of expertise, and are not bouncing around doing various gigs unless requested by their former client.
  
  8. Do you perform for more than one event in a day?
  Our DJs are only allowed to do one gig per day, so that they are entirely focused on only that event and are not scrambling around to get from one gig to the next.

  9. What makes you different from your competitors?
  We offer powered speakers instead of amped speakers, so that sound is clearer and you don’t get any high pitched squeals or run the risk of the equipment blowing. We also offer various lighting packages and ambient lighting which allows us to take any room and make the walls light up in your wedding colors. We also have an online party planner so you can fill out your timeline, information, song requests, and do not play from the convince of your home. That way when you meet with our DJ you can go over everything and not walk away going “oh wait I forgot to tell them….”
  
  10. Do you act as the “emcee” and make all of the announcements?
  Our DJs are all comfortable with acting as the emcee, we also offer an emcee separate for those who want even more interaction with their guests, an emcee can get grandma out of the dance floor and dance with her, or do follow along dances, a DJ can do this as well but can leave the DJ for long periods of time where the emcee can.
  
  11. What do you do to motivate the crowd if nobody is dancing?
  We either switch up the music style, get on the microphone, or use of mix of both!
  
  12. What if something happens to you and you can’t make it to the wedding?
  We always have a back-up DJ incase something unforeseen comes up. We make sure that they back-up DJ is familiar with the event, and has all requested music prepared 2 days before the wedding just incase.

  13. Will we meet again before the wedding?
  We meet with the bride and groom as many times as they want until the event, as we said before we love seeing you in person so that we can get to know you better.
  
  14. Can we visit you at a performance?
  Unfortunately, no. We like to keep our clients events personal and not use as a showcase of us. We do offer a demo reel where you can see our DJs in action from the comfort of your home.
  
  15. How involved can we be in selecting music for our event?
  The more involved you are the better, which is why we offer the online party planner. We want to play everything that you want to hear at your wedding.
  
  16. Do you take requests from our guests?
  That is up to you, some couples prefer no requests while other want requests. We always watch when requests come in that they are not on your DO NOT PLAY LIST.
  
  17. When do you arrive to set up for our wedding?
  Our DJs arrive 2-3 hours before your event to make sure that they are all set up and that everything is working correctly. The time depends on how elaborate your set-up is.
  
  18. What will you wear to our wedding?
  Our DJs attire typically is a suit, but they whatever you want them to wear! Our DJs have dressed in 1920’s themed apparel, in Hawaiian wear, as this was how the couple had themed their wedding.
  
  19. What will you wear when you set up and break down your equipment?
  Our dj’s stayed dress in their attire for the wedding. You wouldn’t want your guest coming late or early and catching them in their gym shorts and t-shirt!
  
  20. What do you require from us?
  The only thing that we need is electricity!
  
  21. Are you insured?
  Yes we carry full liability insurance up to $1 million.
  
  22. Do you take any breaks?
  No, well a quick restroom run does happen occasionally.
  
  23. What is your policy on alcohol or smoking during the wedding?
  We do not allow our DJs to smoke or drink at receptions!
  
  24. Do you have a “light show”?
  Yes, we have various items that can be used for light shows; equipment that we use is at the sole discretion of the bride and groom and what they envision.
  
  25. Do you set up a sign or banner with your equipment?
  No. We are not there to advertise our company!
  
  

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• Beat Crazy DJ member

  

  September 2010 edited December 2011

  Start with referrals! Hall, florest, party planner, dress shop, etc... Make sure they have seen a particular DJ. Hire based on the DJ, not the company. A perfect DJ for the party should never be about the $. Just dont overpay.

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