What Wedding DJs Wish You Knew About Choosing
One
Wedding couples are frustrated. DJs are frustrated. There's a
disconnect here. But what exactly is the problem?
It depends on who you ask. DJs continually wonder why brides
and grooms treat the mobile DJ—the type who lugs around his
equipment to show up at big events and weddings—as a commodity. In other words, couples price-shop ruthlessly, as if
any given DJ were interchangeable with the rest.
Paul Arnett (http://www.mybigdaydj.co.uk), a Yorkshire DJ and
NADJ (National Association of Disc Jockeys) member who organizes the UK's Mobile DJ Show North event
(http://www.djshownorth.co.uk), puts the problem like this:
"Well, your average couple spends hours deliberating over the
dress. You hand-pick the caterers. You pore over flowers and
sweat over the florist. You spend hours choosing just the right
venue and church—not to mention the time spent on favors.'
"But then, you go out and hire a DJ because he's ten dollars
cheaper than the next one. Or he's a friend of your brother's,
or he does Tuesdays at the local bar. You might never even see
him work, check out his equipment, or meet with him personally
to make sure he's suitable."
Most couples handle every other major item in their budget
differently. You don't choose one venue over another because it
costs a hundred dollars less. Few brides with a budget to work
with buy their cakes from the discount grocery store, even
though that cake (slathered in tubs of "BetterCream" frosting)
would be much cheaper than one from the designer bakery downtown. Instead, they investigate. They take pictures. They
taste-test amaretto fillings and hors d'oeuvres. And eventually, they settle on the vendor who seems poised to
deliver the best experience to their guests.
Why Is It So Different With DJs?
Part of the answer is an image problem, says Paul. "People
perceive that most mobile DJs will turn up fifteen minutes
ahead of time, with a couple of speakers and some cheesy
circa-1970's light screens, and play 'Agadoo' all night." (For
we lucky few who haven't heard it, the 1984 song Agadoo frequently charts as "the worst song of all time.")
We all feel confident identifying an excellent meal or a
sublime dessert. But few of us feel comfortable evaluating DJs
in the same way. We know that a good one can "get the party
started," but we're not sure how to tell a good one from a bad
one.
Some people think so poorly of DJs, they prefer to eliminate
them entirely, soundtracking the dance portion of the night
with iPods or laptops. This isn't easy—it requires you to
rent expensive sound equipment, find someone to mind the
iPod, possibly buy insurance, and somehow get around or ignore the
technical issues, like the inevitable three second delay
between songs you get on an iPod. And yet some people find that
preferable to risking the "Agadoo" or "Chicken Dance" scenario
on their Big Day.
An iPod might well be better than a bad DJ. But the DJ is a key
part of your five-hour reception, and some of them are very good
indeed.
When She Was Good, She Was Very Very Good
Perhaps it's hard for the average bride and groom to grasp the
difference between a green DJ with low-end equipment, and a
seasoned one who knows how to transform shy and retiring Clark
Kents into dance floor superheros.
The first may be nothing more than a glorified CD changer. He
may or may not have a firm grasp of the different musical needs
that accompany standard reception rituals, like the cake cutting
or the father/daughter dance. He may lug in his entry-level
Peavy subwoofers and arrange his sound system in ways that
ignore your venue's peculiarities.
The second may have emceed hundreds of weddings. Along the way,
he's developed something subtle but important known as voice and
personality—not an imitation of some radio host's, but his
own. He doesn't practice on your wedding; he brings his skills
to it, along with a top-of-the-line sound system, which he'll
arrange differently depending on factors like whether or not
your venue is broken up into several chambers (the cocktail
lounge and the banquet area, for example).
If he's a gearhead, he might even offer specialty lighting
abilities you might not think of, such as the ability to shine
gobos on the dance floor—gobos being customized templates
that display things like your wedding monogram. Some DJs even
offer giant video screens and live replays of key points in the
reception.
But the most important skills a good DJ will bring to your
wedding is a honed personality, a formal-friendly image, and an
absolute mastery of what gets crowds on their feet.
Okay, so you get it. You understand that not all DJs are alike,
and that a good one brings as much your wedding as any premium
florist or baker. So how do you find him?
Choose DJs that Take Their Job Seriously
Skip the part-timers—they're still learning the ropes, and
they'll be practicing on your wedding. Instead, look for
full-timers who show their commitment to the profession by
belonging to professional DJ associations such as CPDJA,
ADJA, & NAME, or NADJ in the UK.
Paul adds, "Ask if they have public liability insurance (in
case Grandma trips over a speaker wire) and PAT electrical test
certificates (to insure their equipment is safe). This also
shows they're professionals and not cutting corners." Meet with them in person, and take a gander at their sound
systems. You might not know your Geminis or Peaveys from your
Mackies or QSCs, but even a casual glance should tell you
whether the DJ or company invests in good equipment. In fact,
most will be delighted to run you through their top-of-the-line
systems if you give them the slightest excuse.
While you're there, take a look at their promotional photos and
videos. Are they wearing tuxes? Do they look sharp? Does their
sound stage sport garish self-promoting signs, or do they keep
things discreet?
Turn on Your X-Ray Vision
Everyone has what it takes to pick a great DJ. You simply have
to meet with them in person, and absorb what they have to
offer.
Paul says, "Talk to them—their personality should shine
through. While you're there, ask them what special qualities
they can bring to their wedding. Ask how they're prepared to
work with you to make your day extraordinary."
The DJ should be happy to meet you, seem interested in the
specifics of your venue, and ask questions. "Any DJ who seems
phased or reluctant by any of this—they're not the one. If
your DJ seems bored, or gives you the sense you'll be just
another date on their calendar, they're also not the one."
A Coda for the Couple
It's true with the cake, it's true with the steak tartar, and
it's true for your DJ—the final word is quality, not price.
As Paul puts it, "When you look back on your wedding reception
in years to come, do you want to remember what a fantastic time
everyone had? Or do you want to say, 'Well, at least we saved
some money on the DJ?'"
Good DJs see themselves as part of the larger picture. They
expect to work closely with your coordinator, photographer and
videographer, and to custom-fit their setup to your venue. So
hire a good DJ—one who can help you tailor the night's
entertainment to your individual wedding.
"And see what they can offer to make your wedding function
unique," adds Paul.
Blake Kritzberg is editor at "FavorIdeas.com." Stop by for tons of unique wedding favors,
Bridezilla's weekly adventures, free resources for brides, and
ideas for your Vegas theme wedding. http://www.favorideas.com
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