Most people have very little experience in wedding coordination and therefore don’t often know what to look for when hiring DJ/MC entertainment for their wedding. Since your wedding day is not the day to take any chances, we would like to make some of the unknowns about hiring a DJ/MC known.
Let’s begin with a couple important points to keep in mind. First, you must know that your wedding DJ/MC is going to play a more crucial role in your wedding day than you may realize. His/her performance will directly affect the outcome of your wedding reception. Second, remember that you are hiring a service, not a product, and no two DJ/MC’s are ever the same. There are a number of DJ companies out there, and with this being a talent-based industry, it can be a difficult task to find the right DJ/MC for you. Therefore, we recommend scheduling an interview with at least three licensed and insured DJ companies. Please note that you should be able to meet with the actual person that will be the DJ/MC and not just someone representing them or the company they work for. In addition to interviewing prospective DJ/MC’s, another factor to consider in choosing your DJ is reviews. You can tell a lot about a company based on the feedback from its past Brides and Grooms.
I would like to offer you some information in regards to some of the less desirable strategies used by some in the industry including money back guarantees and/or an over-reliance on their equipment or the size of the music library they use. The bottom line with companies offering a money-back guarantee is that this guarantee doesn’t guarantee that they won’t ruin your wedding; it only guarantees that they will give you your money back if they do. In terms of equipment, all professional DJ/MC’s will use only high quality, commercial grade equipment that is adequate to handle your event and most have a more than adequate music library. Therefore, if “equipment, music selection and lighting” are the main focus of the sales presentation given by the DJ you are considering, they may not possess the skill and experience necessary to DJ/MC your wedding.
A wedding DJ/MC will often have three very important roles. He/she will coordinate the wedding events, act as the Master of Ceremonies, and “DJ” the wedding. If any one of these three important roles is lacking in experience or skill, the wedding will fall short of your expectations. Therefore it is important that you choose a wedding professional who is detail-oriented and has the skill and experience necessary to fill these three roles.
Coordinating the wedding: Your DJ/MC should help you to create and execute a customized timeline or, if you’ve hired a coordinator for your event, he/she should work closely with your coordinator to plan and execute your timeline. Your custom timeline should accommodate for specific times for dinner, your specialized wedding events, photographs, video, and any other added events. You will also want your DJ/MC to be ready and willing to give assistance to ALL other wedding professionals on location. The timing of your food service and the quality of your photographs and video will depend on it. As Master of Ceremonies, the DJ is ultimately responsible to make certain every event/moment is captured. Therefore, in addition to extensive experience in creating and executing customized wedding timelines, it is important to choose a DJ/MC who is detail-oriented, able to multi-task and willing to work closely with your other wedding professionals in order to make your event as successful as possible.
Master of Ceremonies: This is about presentation. What is most important to know about Master of Ceremonies is that the DJ/MC will be there representing you, and is hired to speak on your behalf. It is important that the DJ/MC is appropriate, and presents in a style that you like. Some DJ/MC’s will make only the necessary announcements, while others tend to say things on the microphone that do not need to be stated, thus, unnecessarily drawing attention to themselves. It is up to the DJ/MC to execute events smoothly and tastefully, with the level of interaction and excitement that you have pre-determined with them during the planning. Unfortunately, poor presentation can make for a disastrous wedding reception, and can be embarrassing to you. Therefore, it is important to meet with your DJ/MC to get a feel for their overall style and judgment, and to determine if you think they will represent you, to your family and friends, in a way that you are comfortable with.
Playing the music (DJ): This is what people generally think of when hiring a wedding DJ/MC, but, there is much more to it than just playing music; it’s about creating moments that will have a lasting impression on your guests. While some DJs may pride themselves on having a large music library, it is more important that they are able to help you select the right music for your wedding. Though music selection can be a daunting task, your DJ/MC should be there to assist you through it all. From the beginning of your ceremony (if applicable), to the Grand Entrance, through to your departure song, a couple will select, on average, about 15 songs just for these specialty dances/events. You should also be given the option to select as many or as few songs as you would like for play during cocktail hour, dinner, and open dancing as well as the option to create a “do not play” playlist to ensure that undesired songs are not played at your wedding. Though, truth be known, if you select enough songs on your playlist, a “do not” playlist would never be needed. Also, your DJ should not only be willing to draw on the songs you have chosen, but be able to read your crowd, and select music accordingly.
I hope this article has helped to provide you with a few things to think about when hiring your DJ/MC for your wedding. At DJs TO YOU, we are committed to providing you, the Bride and Groom, with the most unique DJ/MC services available, while maintaining the highest quality of service and preserving the level of tradition you desire. We believe that every event throughout the reception can and should reflect your personal taste and style. On average, our company will spend 20-30 hours of planning for every wedding we do. We include very unique and personalized options that your guests will have never seen before. We create moments such as personalized dances with voice recordings, a Love Story of the Bride and Groom, and a biographical Grand Entrance that will never be forgotten. We also offer well-wishes cards, and the option for your family and friends that can’t make it, to call in and leave their well-wishes message by voicemail that can later be played during your reception. We have created entrances that have been unique to the taste of our Brides and Grooms such as a James Bond themed entrance, basketball themed entrance, and a Vegas Style Grand entrance where the entire bridal party entered together. We even offer our hand-drawn carriage that can make your Grand Entrance/Exit even more Grand! These are just a few options that we offer. All you have to do is tell us a little about you, and we will help create an incredible reception that is personal and unique to you, yet fun and entertaining for all.
Kevin Cordova
President – American DJ Association Las Vegas
Owner – DJs TO YOU
702.266.6900
Kevin@djstoyou.com
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