10 Questions Your Wedding DJ Should Be Asking You
A good wedding DJ/MC will cover their bases during pre-event planning and make sure they’re ready to rock your event! We utilize an Online Wedding Planner to gather the important info, and then a series of personal meetings to fill in the gaps. To help you ensure you’re getting the DJ service you expected here are some good examples of questions your DJ should be asking you if they’re really an events professional:
1. How did you meet?
Before any wedding specifics have been discussed your DJ should make an effort to get to know you! Actually knowing and liking your DJ goes a long way to a successful event, and if your DJ isn’t offering to meet, you should be a little worried. Find someone you like and whom you’d feel comfortable having run your event and talk with your family and friends, you’ll be happy you did. At Peaks ProEvent Services we normally setup your first meeting with your DJ as a more casual, get to know each other meeting.
After you have gotten to know your DJ, and they are getting a good idea about your personality type and what your tastes are, then and only then we move into the planning stage.
Here are some questions your DJ might ask during this time.
- How and where did you guys meet?
- How long have you been together?
- How did you propose?
- What is your guys favorite TV show? Movie? Song? Date Night? Thing to do together?
What questions your DJ asks is really up to them and their style and read of the most important details. The main point, is that your DJ should start by getting to know what makes you guys unique as a couple.
2. What kind of music do you like?
Your DJ is in charge of setting the tone for your whole event, and choosing the right music is a big part of that. No two people have the same taste in music and a good DJ will know how to choose music that fits with what YOU want. You should have the option to add as many of your favorite songs to the event playlist at no extra charge, and the DJ should ask for good examples of your favorite artists and genres as well. If you’re not a music expert and want the DJ to take the lead that’s fine too, but they should always have a good understanding of what you’re looking for.
3. What kind of music do you not like?
Just as important as the music you love is the music you’d rather not hear. Make sure your DJ knows the songs or general areas of music that are not for you so they can avoid making any major pitfalls. Any good DJ knows that one person’s favorite song can be another person’s most hated, so it really makes sense to ask.
Your DJ should also ask about what type of music your friends, family, and guests will and will not like.
4. What is the tone of your event?
Each event is unique and a good DJ/MC will want to match the mood you are going for with his announcements and music. Are you having a classy and formal wedding, a laid back barbecue wedding, or something in between? Knowing the style of the event will help the DJ ask you the right questions about what structured events you’d like during the party (i.e grand introductions, meal blessings/toasts, special dances), and gauge his level of involvement to your needs. Regardless of tone your MC should know how to keep the guests informed and involved so they can share your special moments with you, and have a great time doing it!
Remember, there are lots of different styles of weddings. Some are more traditional, and some are more laid back. Some couples want their wedding super modern and different, while others prefer to keep it traditional. Your DJ will ask questions to gauge where you sit as a couple, to help plan out their involvement and strategy for your particular wedding.
5. What is your event venue?
Knowing the event venue means a lot more than just being able to get directions. Each venue has specific sound and setup requirements that a DJ should be aware of well in advance. Your DJ should ask about your ceremony and reception locations, have a plan for exactly how many speakers/microphones etc. they’ll need an idea of how they’ll wire the setup as well. Improper planning can result in un-audible microphones, portions of the evening with no music, and a DJ who is running around trying to play catch up instead of running your event.
We get it, some of these questions are technical and no fun. Just trust that your DJ is asking questions about your venue and setup for a reason.
Don’t know? Are you drawing a blank on most of the venue related questions? Maybe you can put your DJ in touch with your wedding planner or venue contact. This way they can hash it out, without you getting stressed. You have enough to worry about.
6. What are the names of your family and bridal party?
The first thing your DJ did was get to know you. It is just as important for your DJ to kn ow the names AND proper pronunciations of your family and bridal party. These brief introductions are important tools to a smooth event. Let your DJ know if the best man has a special nick-name, or the Mother of the Bride hates it when people mispronounce here name. This information will allow the DJ to prepare guests if they are giving a toast or being announced, make for easier coordinating of grande introductions and events like the money dance and anniversary dance, and generally allow the DJ to create a nice rapport with you guests. People are more responsive with a familiar DJ and by the end of the night you’ll notice the difference.
7. What style of dinner service will you be having?
In many cases the wedding timeline will be centered around the food. Especially for larger crowds the DJ can play a vital role in facilitating the dinner process. A good DJ will ask for table numbers or names, talk about the order you’d like to release guests, and come the day of ready to control the flow of guests through the buffet so there isn’t a long line. For a plated dinner the DJ will need to coordinate toasts around the service, and should know the best time that will avoid any conflicts. Your DJ should be talking with the catering staff to coordinate efforts. Your catering staff and or wedding planner should be communicating the plan with your DJ so they know what announcements to make and when.
At many weddings there will be someone else handling the crowd for food. Many of the Peaks ProEvent Services packages come with a DJ Team. This means your DJ will have an assistant there as well. In most cases the DJ will utilize their assistant to help with the guests during dinner. This may mean releasing tables or communicating with your guests when dinner will be served.
Your DJ will ask questions about dinner service. Now you can understand the importance of these questions.
8. Are there any special announcements that need to be made throughout the evening?
If you have a guest book or photo booth, special gift bags for guests or even a sparkler send off, ask your DJ to inform your guests throughout the evening. This will help increase involvement and decrease any transition/organization time, and makes this feel polished and easy when added in with the other structured event announcements.
9. What are your special songs?
Whether or not you ultimately decide to pick songs for you first dance, Father/Daughter,Mother/Son, Bouquet/Garter toss etc., you should have the opportunity to personalize your event and show your personality through your music choices. Your DJ should ask you for any songs you might want, and also give you suggestions and examples upon request. In the event you decide to leave it up to their judgement, at least ask them what kind of song they usually pick to make sure it will be appropriate to what you envision.
10. Who is your photographer and will you be having a videographer?
Your DJ should be familiar with your event staff in general, but knowing the photographer is especially important. A good DJ will communicate with the photographer/videographer throughout the event so they can be ready to capture any special moments, lack of preparation can result in missed shots and unnecessary stress.
How they utilize the planning portion is really what makes the difference between a skilled Wedding & Events DJ, and just a DJ. As you can see from just some of the important questions we mentioned in this article, knowing the right questions to ask is key. Your Peaks ProEvent Services DJ wants your wedding to be all about you. By asking the right questions they will get to know your personality as a couple, what you envision for your wedding, and what suggestions they can make to help.
