Wedding DJs: More Than Your Average Service Vendor

A wedding is no small task. Sure they vary in size and scale, but a wedding is always a big deal. And it is to us DJ’s too. It takes a lot of one’s personality to be a good Disc Jockey and Master of Ceremonies for a wedding. And it’s totally different than any other style of DJing. When you’re DJing a wedding, you can’t just roll-in the day of the event, bury your face inside your headphones, spin your set, and call it a day. No, being a wedding DJ means being part of the wedding day itself.

I’ve always said that the Wedding DJ is the vendor who must wear the most hats and has both knowledge AND skill. It is not possible to sleep walk through a wedding day on an auto-pilot routine as if it were ‘just another job’. It requires investing a piece of your own heart in soul. In order to do a good job, you must get to know the clients personality.  Here is a small checklist of DJ responsibilities before and during a wedding:

• Work out schedules with other vendors

• Conceptualize the flow of the day

• Understand the layout of the venue

• Adapt for changes and problem solve on the fly

• Acquire and test all custom music

• Make sure the tempo and key has been mapped out for proper mixing of custom dance songs

• Catch anything that seems out of the ordinary before anyone else does

• Make all the necessary announcements

• Introduce guests for speeches and toasts

• Let guests know what’s happening and where to go

• Coordinate bridal parties, and keep them (relatively) on time for announcements and toasts

• Be TALENTED as an MC AND DJ!!!

• Be a sound technician

• Act as a coordinator

Its a small sampling, but you get the idea.  Often times, The DJ becomes an anchor for the entire program. Think of spinning plates… It’s not enough to simply be present- you must be transcendent.

Most of the time Weddings are immensely rewarding. But it’s not uncommon, at least on a personal level, to feel at least some sense of under-appreciation when clients or venue operators simply regard you as just another service vendor and nothing more. DJ egos aside, the truth is, we are more than just vendors or ‘the day-of staff’. When we’re planning an event with clients, we often end up asking a lot of questions. That’s because we are trying to get to know clients, and the experienced professional will know the right questions to ask. As DJs, we don’t get paid anything extra to ask the right questions. We do it because we know we can make your day easier. We do it because we want your wedding to be flawless just as much as you do. Almost everything we do as mobile DJs…is for the client.

The great thing is, it’s a symbiotic relationship, because we happen to do this everyday!.. and we can help you along in the process. Besides, it’s not like you are out going to weddings every weekend, right? So give us a call, ask a few questions, and let us ask you questions! We are happy to share our experiences with you to help take the guessing game out of it. And who knows, you might make a connection with a great DJ!