DJs are in a service profession where the first contact comes in the form of sales. They have to sell their ability (or their company’s ability) to you. This means they put their best foot forward and omit any facts that might tarnish their pitch. Don’t get me wrong, this is the same for any service provider, and the majority are good people that will bend over backwards to make your wedding special. This doesn’t change that fact that it’s your job to make sure you know exactly what you’re getting when booking your DJ. This is also your time to weed out any inexperienced DJ that should be practicing their trade under a veteran, and not at your wedding. For this reason I want to give you the tools that will help you find the great DJs in the sea of amateurs.

1. Are you available for my wedding?
2. What is your starting price and what does it include?
3. Am I guaranteed to have the DJ I meet with?
4. What insurance do you carry?

1. Tell me about your training/experience. (Where did they learn to DJ?, what got them started?, how long have they been a DJ?, What types of events do they DJ the most?)
2. Tell me about a typical wedding reception for you.
3. When was the last wedding you preformed at? Can I call them as a reference?
4. Do you bring back-up equipment? (This is a must. Equipment fails from time to time)
5. Is your music “radio edit’?
6. Do you take requests?
7. How early do you arrive on site?
8. Will you have an assistant? (this doesn’t mean an assistant makes a better DJ, but you will want to know if you are feeding the DJ(s))
9. What is your standard attire? (if the standard attire doesn’t fit your theme ask if they can wear something more appropriate. i.e. cowboy wear instead of a tux)

Professionals are happy to answer any question you think of. It gives us a chance to reassure you that you are making the right choice, so ask away.

Most of these questions have a straight forward answer to them. Always ask for guarantees in writing and make sure the contract mirrors what was agreed upon. This includes what equipment they are bringing (you don’t need the exact brand, just the general terms i.e wireless handheld mic, lighting setup).

Insurance is a question that should always be looked into. Many amateur “DJs” I’ve met say they’re insured, but all they have is a home or auto policy that covers there equipment from theft or damage. True event insurance will allow for the venue to be covered for your event date. Make sure that the DJ you choose can add that venue to his policy for your wedding day. This is standard practice and a professional will not mind.

The detailed questions will help you feel out how comfortable the DJ is with preforming at a wedding. The more experienced they are the easier the answers will come. There isn’t an exact answer you should hear but you should feel comfortable after the Q&A is done. Some questions will be less important to you, but this will help get you thinking about what type of DJ you want.

I purposely omitted “Can I attend an upcoming wedding to see you DJ?”. As a DJ I do not think it’s professional to invite future brides to a wedding I’m DJing. If I’m working then I want 100% of my focus on the event I’m at, and I can’t do that if I’m trying to coordinate with a new bride at the same time. In addition to that, would you want a stranger at your wedding? This is not the feeling of every DJ so you’ll have to use your own judgement on this.

I hope this helps with your search for a DJ. There are a lot of great people out there that want to make your wedding as special as it can be. DJs play a big part in letting your guests have a memorable time. If you ever need a Phoenix DJ I would love for you to ask me these questions.

Thanks for reading and congratulations.