When hiring a dj for your wedding reception or party, you need to make sure they have a lot of experience and are professionals in what they do.
If they come with an attitude of ‘this is just another gig’ it will show up on the night and can spoil the way the reception goes, especially if the dj is to also be the Master of Ceremonies.
Here are 5 reasons why experience really does matter in your dj.
- You should look for at least 3 years of experience in playing at a variety of functions to ensure your dj knows what he is doing and can handle any situation that pops up. Without this experience there could be awkward pauses that can ruin the evening.
- The dj should have plenty of the latest equipment and know how to work it to the max. – not just rely on the automatic features available. Can the dj beat match or do they just fade songs in and out?
- You want your dj to exude professionalism. He needs to dress appropriately, arrive an hour before the function to set up, liaise with the venue managers, find out what you want played and be able to interact with your guests in a way that helps them feel at ease and have fun.
- Punctuality is especially important. If the dj is late the whole evening gets off to a bad start. They also need to have a plan to deal with delays or anything else that might interfere with them doing their job.
- Equipment is an important part of the djs offerings. You can’t have top quality sound without top quality equipment. While most will tell you they have, it doesn’t hurt to ask around and find out exactly what is considered the best equipment so you’ll know ahead of time if they actually do have it.
It’s a good idea to book a dj from an agency so that there will always be another one ready to step in if the first choice can’t make it for some reason.
In addition, the agency usually screens the djs they have on their books to ensure they are professional and experienced with many recommendations.
If you ask a friend to do it, even if you pay them, you can never be sure they will take it seriously enough to do a really professional job.
They are likely to have an attitude that anything goes and you won’t care because they are friends with you.
It can end up destroying the friendship if they show up late or don’t have all the songs they said they had and that you wanted.
Don’t let anyone spoil your wedding reception, but choose a professional for the best result.
What Music do Your Friends Like?
The next step, once you find a DJ that is professional and experienced enough for your event, is finding out what music your friends like!
The answer to the above question is usually found to be not just one style, but many. Wherever a group of people are gathered there will be as many music styles and tastes as there are people.
That’s why when it comes to a wedding or party, you need to consider DJ hire, simply because the disc jockey will be easily able to cater to a wide variety of music genres.
Of course there are several other good reasons to hire a pro dj, but the fact that he or she has an eclectic mix of songs so everyone will be satisfied is the main one.
Everyone likes to hear their favourite music and so if you want to please all the guests at your wedding reception it is essential to have someone who can play many the different styles and songs needed.
This is one reason a live band is often passed over in favour of the dj. While it might seem really romantic to have a live band, you have to remember that their music is limited to what they can play.
And even if they can play many of your favourites you might still be disappointed because they may not do it as well as the original band did.
Not only that, but a live band usually costs a great deal more, since there are several musicians in it and all have to get a decent amount of money for their time.
With a dj, you only have to pay one person. But in fact, that one person often does double duty, as a musician and as an MC. This is one of his skills, to provide the whole room full of people guidance so they know what to do when.
He can also set the mood with his tone of voice, what he says and the music he chooses to play at any one time. If you need specific songs to be played, the dj will usually take requests. He can switch music genres too, from lively and fun to slow and intimate.
The dj is skilled at reading the crowd and getting them to do just what needs to be done.
This is important at a reception because there are many different traditions and things to get through, from speeches to cutting the cake and more.
And there is a time limit at the venue, so it’s important that everything gets done on time without any apparent rush.
Once you have the dj for your event, whether it’s a wedding reception or a party, you’ll realise just how valuable they are and that they are really worth the cost.
Having a dj who is MC as well takes a lot of pressure off the host and allows him to relax and enjoy himself too.