Hiring A Wedding DJ The Easy Way

When a bride starts to plan her wedding, for most it’s the first.
It may also be the first time a bride has ever needed to hire a DJ.

Therefore brides are not sure what questions to ask a potential wedding DJ
other than for a price quote.
Many assume all DJ’s are the same and the cheaper DJ is the better value.
A DJ is just the music… right?   Well…..No!

A DJ has much more responsibilities than playing music for a wedding.

Hiring A wedding DJ The Hard Way

In the process of searching for a wedding DJ, the common bride will turn to the
internet then call or email several DJ’s for a price quote or pricing packages.
Some DJ’s are happy to quotes their prices over the phone, others will not
because they don’t have all the details they need about the wedding.

Once a bride contacts few DJ’s that quote pricing up front over the phone or by
email, the bride believes she has an idea of about how much it will cost for a
wedding DJ.
When she finds that DJ she believes has the most reasonable price,
or the cheapest price out of the group, will then set up a day & time to meet.
Only to find out latter on the day of the meeting that the DJ forgot about it,
and left the bride hanging around waiting and wasting her time at the local
coffee shop for an hour.

A few days latter after the frustration has worn off she sets up another
appointment with the second DJ that quoted her just a little more than
the first one, only this time the DJ, even though he was 10 minutes late,
made it to the meeting. However this the DJ pulls up on a motorcycle
wearing jeans, a tee shirt and worn out shoes. This DJ spends the first
hour talking about how good he is and how he can pack a floor with
his incredible sound system and killer lights, yet never asking her what
style wedding she wants.

Since the second DJ’s appearance was poor and he showed up late, so
she didn’t feel too comfortable with that DJ for her wedding.
Days latter she agrees to meet with a third DJ that quoted her a little
more than the other two.

Now the third DJ had a nice office where they end up meeting, dressed
well and was very friendly.
He begins to ask the bride about the details of her wedding. He asks
about hours of time needed, how many invited guests, if she wants music
for the ceremony too, dance lights for the reception etc… Photo booth is
another service they provide and convinces her that this is a must have
for any wedding. At the end of the meeting the DJ shows the bride the
price that is $1,000 more than the low price quoted in the email. The price
is much more than the bride wanted to pay for a DJ and by this time she is
really to exhausted to meet with more DJ’s agrees to pay the difference.
During the contract signing the bride notices a different DJ name on the
contract and realizes that a another DJ is assigned to her wedding day and
not the guy she spent the last 2 hours talking about her wedding details.
The fact is this guy she had been talking too is just the sales manager and
not a DJ at all.
A stranger she has never met will be the one representing her on one of the
biggest days of her life. At this point the bride feels tricked and is hoping
this DJ is experienced, and won’t embarrass her on her wedding day.

This method is called bait and switch, a very common practice with many DJ
companies.
Disc Jockeys are not the same, and you shouldn’t have to hope for a good DJ
on one of the biggest days of your life.
These scenarios happen every day to brides everywhere because these brides
have never had to hire a DJ before and these DJ’s know it.

A DJ is just one of many vendors a bride will have to meet with, and the whole
process of planning a wedding  is very time consuming enough.
There is nothing wrong with asking about price, but you should make it
your last.
You can save yourself a whole lot of time finding the right DJ to meet
with by asking the right questions up front.

A bride should always meet with a DJ (the one that will be at your wedding)
first before making any commitment. Because the DJ you choose will be the
one representing you in front of your family & friends for the first time
on one of the biggest days of your life.

Hiring A Wedding DJ The Easy Way

The best way to find a good wedding DJ is to get references first, mainly form
other wedding professionals since they work together with many different DJ’s
i.e. photographers, coordinators, videographers.
If you contact a wedding DJ and he is interested in your wedding details, your
style and the type of wedding you want to create, set up a meeting with him.
There is a good chance you won’t be disappointed. Find out what that DJ has
to offer then he will be happy to provide a more accurate price.

If a DJ gives you a quote before knowing all the details of your wedding, to
me, that DJ cares more about your money, than your wedding details, and
most likely will do the same cookie cutter performance he does for every
wedding.
Not all weddings are the same.

It won’t matter how much you pay for a DJ if he is not the right DJ for you.
Ask the right questions and save yourself a lot of time.
If the price sounds to good to be true 9 times out of 10 it will be.

Right Questions to Ask A Wedding DJ
The Truth About DJ Pricing
The 7 Costly Misconceptions About Hiring Wedding Disc Jockey’s

Mark Sanchez
www.PhoenixDJ.net

The Cheese Factor

The cheesy wedding Disc Jockey.

I’ve heard the stories from wedding vendors and I have
spoken to hundreds of people who have attended weddings
as a guest, but until the YouTube sensation I did not fully
realize how many cheesy wedding Disc jockey’s there really
are out there.
I don’t ever get a chance to be a guest at a wedding myself
simply because I’m always working them, but today because
of YouTube and other on-line resources you can find an endless
amount of what used to be private wedding receptions videos.

I constantly study the wedding industry, and keep up with the latest
trends. One trend I have noticed in the past year is that more & more
brides are choosing a band over a DJ for their wedding. If a band is
out of the budget, brides & grooms will provide their own music using
an Ipod or computer. When I ask why? The number one answer is…
“I don’t want some cheesy DJ at my wedding.”
For the most part I don’t blame them.
I would rather have a band or use an Ipod at my own reception than
have some cheesy DJ embarrassing me on my wedding day.

What do you mean by cheesy?

When I talk about a cheesy DJ, it’s just that, the DJ himself, not so
much the music the DJ plays. Sure there are numerous songs you
may consider cheesy. YMCA, Chicken Dance etc.. Keep in mind
there are also Brides & Grooms that like cheesy music.
After all it is their wedding and I don’t think you would want to deny
them of the music they want for their reception.
I will play whatever type of music the Bride & Groom wants, and if it’s
cheesy music so be it. But does that make me a cheesy DJ? If a DJ plays
the same common cheesy reception songs for every wedding, you could
label that DJ “cheesy”, but in all reality, that is someone who really isn’t
professional and someone who does not know music, know how to read
a crowd, and had never learned music programming & formatting.

When I speak of a cheesy DJ I mean the DJ’s mannerisms, personality,
and the way they present themselves on the microphone in front of guests.

The Cheese Factor

Why are so many cheesy wedding DJ’s?
There are a few factors why wedding DJ’s are cheesy. Going by what
I have seen in over 20 years in the business, DJ’s would rather spend
money on new gear and lighting than on education and training.
Most DJ’s do not have the time or take the time to get proper training &
education they need. (I’m talking real education & training, you know
the kind you have to pay for and not mimicking what other DJ’s do).
The biggest problem is DJ’s do not take the time necessary to get to
know the couple that they are representing on their wedding day.
A DJ should know much more than the couples name, favorite songs
and the date of the wedding.
How can a DJ represent a Bride & Groom on the mic without
getting to really know them first? i.e. their style, hobbies, interests,
how they met, etc..
Nearly 80% of all mobile DJ’s have full time day jobs.
They don’t have the time to get proper education, properly plan,
and prepare for the weddings they perform at on the weekends.
Therefore the average wedding DJ will perform the same cheesy schtik
and play the same cheesy music for every wedding. These DJ’s may
seem to appear very normal in meetings. But when they pull that
microphone up to their face at a reception in front of a hundred plus
guests (strangers) for the first time, the DJ turns into DJ Super Cheese
with the Weekly Top 40 Countdown radio voice. Even worse, possibly
wearing some silly costume.
In some scenarios the Best Man would make a better MC than the DJ
simply because the Best Man knows the couple well.
Most importantly people tend to forget that DJ/MC entertainment is
a talent based business, where most should just stick to what they
know best and not attempt to be the weekend wedding warrior.

How do you find a DJ won’t bring the cheese factor to your wedding?

You need to find a real professional Disc Jockey / Master of Ceremonies.
This can be somewhat difficult but they are out there.

1. Ask for referrals from other experienced knowledgeable wedding
professionals, coordinators, photographers, videographers, the vendors
who work directly with DJ’s.
2. Ask for proof from a potential DJ. Video of a wedding performance,
mainly MC performance of the introductions, toast, 1st dance, cake cut.
Be aware of repetitive phrases like “At this time” or screaming on the mic.
Look for appearance how their dressed and how their sound system looks.
Ask for credentials of paid education & training as a Master of Ceremonies
and other DJ education.
3. Ask a DJ if this is their full-time career or just a weekend hobby.
4. Ask for the names, dates, locations, and emails of the last 10 weddings
they performed for, not just a select few from a potential DJ.

Bands can play live music well and bring a lot of energy, but a fantastic
professional DJ / MC can add personalization, direction, custom craft your
wedding to your style and add so much more to a reception than just music.

By all means, leave the cheese for the crackers.

Mark Sanchez
PME DJ Service

Mark has performed over 1,200 weddings since 1990 and has attended
numerous educational seminars and workshops on DJ / MC performance.
He is currently the President of the American DJ Association in Phoenix,
and also serves on the advisory committee for the fist ever DJ degree
(Disc Jockey 101) at Scottsdale Community College.