When you spend a significant portion of your wedding budget on a DJ, this agreement should come with more than a few great dance songs. Your DJ, if an experienced wedding professional, should be a go-to reference for any wedding reception questions you may have. A big difference between hiring a club dj and a professional wedding DJ, is the experience factor. Obviously getting a great party going is a key skill you should look for in your DJ, but a working knowledge of the wedding day should be just as high on your list.
1.UNDERSTAND JUST HOW IMPORTANT THIS DAY IS TO YOU
This is your once-in-a-lifetime day. We want you to look back at this as the best event you’ve ever attended. You put a lot of yourselves into your wedding and it is our job to keep your priorities front and center. Staying in communication with you, at your pace, is paramount to our service. If you can’t get a hold of anyone holding the keys to the success of your biggest day, well that is simply unacceptable. We strive to be as in-communication with you in the months leading up to your big day as you want. If you live a hectic life or you have dedicated the next two years to your wedding day, we want you to feel our commitment to the two of you. Your day is far too important to be treated casually. (Unless that is the approach you want.) Hiring a DJ who respects you, your decisions, and your wedding day desires should be at the top of your list. Not just a flashy smile and a few sales one-liners.
DJ Kevin Prepares a Maid of Honor for her Speech
2. KEEP THINGS IN ORDER
Taking our practices as an example. In the month leading up to your wedding day, We always meet/speak with you to finalize the agenda. We plan how you would like the day to happen, interjecting our experienced opinions when asked, and we keep meticulous notes for the wedding day. When the big day arrives we want nothing more than for you, your bridal party, and your family to have an incredible time without a worry in the world. It’s our job to keep the day flowing as you dreamt it. It is also our job to keep the other vendors aware of what is happening all the time. Trusting your DJ to suggest and execute changes as the day unravels is a crucial act of faith, one you need to feel completely comfortable doing.
3. ASSIST WITH YOUR WEDDING ITINERARY
There are many moments of your day that should be carefully planned and scripted for the maximum attention of your guests, comfort of both you & your fiancé, and efficiency of your venue & catering staff. DJs, more than just about anyone else, should have a working knowledge of when is best for these important events to take place. When is the best time to do the first dance? The Cake Cutting? Parent Dances? An experienced DJ knows the best time for these memorable moments to occur and can give you great reasons why, thus giving you enough information to make great planning decisions.
4. BE A GREAT MASTER OF CEREMONIES
DJ Andy Miller | 8 Year Team Member | Redford DJs
Keeping you and your fiancé on track is great, but keeping your hundreds of guests aware of the events of the evening is incredibly important as well. I always say that I spend a minimal amount of time on the Microphone, because the day is all about you two, but it is a huge element of what I do to keep guests informed and feeling in the loop, without overdoing it.
5. PROVIDE SONG IDEAS FOR ANYTHING
There are many events that come up in the wedding process that you may or may not have chosen specific songs for…this is a primary reason to hire a professional DJ. Being able to select the perfect song for those moments is what we do! Birthday, Anniversary, Dance with a step-mom…these are things you can rely on your DJ to help you choose the perfect song.
6. KNOW TRENDS FOR THE YEAR
Are Bouquet tosses still happening? Are Dollar Dances making a comeback? Does anyone do the ‘Shoe Game’? When you hire a professional DJ you can expect him or her to have a working understanding of what is, or is not, happening at weddings this year. While family traditions play a HUGE part of many of these decisions, its nice to go back to mom or your aunt with confidence saying ‘nobody does that at weddings anymore’ or ‘it’s the new big thing!’
DJ/MC Kevin Redford
7. KEEP THE BRIDAL PARTY IN ORDER
Wedding days are a blast! Especially for the bridal party. Not surprisingly, there have been times that a bridal party has loosened up a good bit before the reception. It is the job of the DJ to keep them somewhat in line until they are successfully introduced and at their seats. Its not as bad as it sounds. We love excited and engaged bridal parties. Keeping them actually ‘in line’ to be introduced requires a unique set of skills that an experienced DJ will possess.
8. CHOOSE MUSIC THAT KEEPS EVERYONE ENTERTAINED
Finding one genre of music that keeps a good bit of people happy is not as hard as you might think. Finding a selection of songs over a 3 hour period that keeps everyone entertained is a little different. Your DJ should be comfortable mixing genres of music from styles, to decades, mixing in slow songs, and fast songs alike, all the while mixing in requests and always staying true to your personal preferences.
Redford DJs Crowd
9. STAY COOL UNDER PRESSURE
Every wedding vendor experiences pressure and we all handle it in own own way. Obviously the more weddings, the more comfortable a DJ feels. There is no way to simulate the pressure of knowing that every 2 minutes you are required to make a decision that will affect 100-200 people and knowing that you will be judged for that decision instantly. Some DJs, like we here at Redford DJs, love it. Some DJs lose sleep over it. You definitely want to know that your Wedding DJ loves what he or she does and feels completely comfortable with the biggest day of your life in their hands.
It is the honor of our lives to be a part of weddings. So few professionals can say that there job is to be a part of the biggest day in so many lives. We hope you choose to look into our services. Give us a call (724-288-4584)or email (kevin@redforddjs.com), I promise you won’t regret it.
Hope this Helps,
Kevin Redford
Kevin Redford is the owner and lead DJ for Redford DJs of Pittsburgh. Having spent the first ten years in the wedding industry as a photographer, Kevin transitioned into the entertainment field in 2003. Now one of the most sought after and heavily booked DJs in Pittsburgh, Kevin still finds time to photograph a select few weddings each year. Kevin is married to April Redford, on location undo stylist and owner of Happily Ever Up Do. Together Kevin and April live in Southwestern Pennsylvania with their three children.
I like that you mention that a wedding DJ should be able to stay calm under pressure regardless of what happens. Sometimes things can happen at a wedding that you can’t expect so it’s good to hire someone who can handle that. My sister is getting married next year, so this is a helpful list that I think she should read before hiring someone.