You may have asked yourself “what does a DJ do at a wedding besides play music?”
There are many additional responsibilities that a DJ must perform well in order to make your wedding day amazing. We are going to cover all of these responsibilities in this blog.
What Does A DJ Do At A Wedding?
(Before The Big Day)
One of the most important duties of a wedding DJ is to assist the engaged couple in planning their music and master of ceremonies details.
This planning should begin before the DJ is even hired as they should listen to the couple about their wedding vision and share insight from their experience.
Once the DJ is hired, they will usually email the couple music and master of ceremonies planning forms.
These forms will help the couple record ideas for their music, special announcements and dedications.
The DJ should always be available to answer any questions the couple might have for their wedding.
About 30 days before the wedding date is the perfect time for the couple to send the DJ their planning forms.
Once the DJ receives this information, they will get in contact with the couple to review all of their music selections and MC information.
I always think it is a good idea to have this consultation at the wedding venue as it is helpful to look at the floor plan while reviewing all of the wedding details.
What Does A DJ Do At A Wedding?
Set Up Equipment In A Timely Manner
A DJ should never be seen or heard setting up equipment once the official start time of the wedding has begun.
I’ll take this one step further.
The DJ should have the equipment for both the ceremony and reception ready with music playing before the guests arrive.
In addition, they should have the entire DJ area clean and organized.
This means that all equipment cases, totes and anything else used to transport equipment should be out of sight before guests arrive.
Provides Wedding Ceremony Audio Services
A wedding DJ will provide ceremony audio equipment at the majority of the weddings that they service.
This includes speakers, audio mixer, wireless microphones, computer and music.
They will also operate the sound equipment to ensure the audio mix is clear and easily heard.
Provides Music and Equipment For Cocktail Hour
It is not uncommon for the cocktail hour at a wedding to be in a different area than the reception banquet room.
With that said, the DJ should always bring an extra speaker and digital playing device to provide music during this time.
You may also want to ask your DJ to prepare cocktail music that is specific to your tastes as many will be happy to do so.
What Does A DJ Do At A Wedding?
The Grand Entrance
After the cocktail hour, the wedding DJ will usually line up all of the members of the wedding party to prepare for the grand entrance.
While lining up the wedding party, they will do a quick review to ensure they pronounce everyone’s name correctly (also done weeks in advance at the DJ consultation).
He or she will give basic instructions to anyone giving a toast on how to hold the microphone and how to project their voice into the mic as well.
In addition, the DJ should use this time to review the order of upcoming reception events with everyone so they are prepared. For example:
- Grand Entrance
- Cake Cutting
- Toasts
- Blessing (if requested by the couple)
- Dinner
- First Dance
- Parents Dances
- Open Dance Floor
Finally, the DJ will make their way back into the reception area and cue the music for the grand entrance! Here we go!
Master of Ceremonies
After the grand entrance, the DJ will continue providing music and fulfill the role as the “Master of Ceremonies” in most cases.
This includes announcing all of the upcoming wedding events, introducing the guests giving toasts/speeches, occasional “story-telling” (just a few fun/brief sentences).
It is important that they speak with sincerity and refrain from making tacky jokes.
Although the DJ has the microphone, they must remember the wedding is about the celebration of the newly married couple.
DJs should never use this time to make the wedding about themselves. Too many of them do.
Get People Dancing!
(and keep them dancing)
We all knew this one was coming!
Yes! a wedding DJ must get as many people dancing as possible. I won’t go into all of the ways that a DJ can get people dancing in this blog.
(Click here for information on how to pack a dance floor)
However, I would be remiss if I didn’t mention they MUST interact on the microphone with the crowd.
It’s always nice if they occasionally get out from behind the DJ booth to take this interaction to the next level (they don’t want to over-due though!).
If the DJ doesn’t personally entertain in addition to playing music, then they are not doing their job in my opinion.
I will say some weddings have rowdier guests than others when it comes to dancing, however, the DJ must always take full responsibility for getting people to dance….it’s that simple.
Tear Down In A Timely Manner
Many banquet halls have vendor contracts. They especially apply to DJs during tear downtime.
Your DJ may need to sign a vendor contract or they may not be allowed to provide their services by the banquet manager.
Most wedding venues require DJs to have all of their equipment torn down and out of the building in less than an hour.
It is important that the DJ meets these terms as the banquet venue may charge the client, the DJ or both for this extra time.
Thank you for reading
What Does A DJ Do At A Wedding?
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Click the video icon below for more
Hello! My name is Tony Coppola and I’d like to take this time to tell you a little bit about myself and CC King Entertainment.
I began my musical journey when I was 12 years old as a singer and drummer.
Ten years ago, I built a home recording studio and named it CC King Studio. Shortly after, I DJ’d my first wedding and CC King Entertainment was born!
After DJing hundreds of weddings, my business allowed me to leave my 16 year career as an occupational therapist.
I ALWAYS go the extra mile to personalize my wedding services and have the honor to work with an amazing team of wedding DJs.
Contact Us
How To Find A Wedding DJ
If you want to know how to find a wedding DJ that is perfect for your big day, this blog is for you.
There are many different options that will help you find the right DJ with the right personality at the right price.
I have listed several resources and links to help you get a great start in your search for your wedding DJ.
How To Find A Wedding DJ
Online Wedding Publications
If you want to know how to find a wedding DJ in a very convenient way, I recommend you do a search on some of the more popular online wedding publications.
These platforms include everything thing from DJ bios, past client reviews, pictures and videos of the DJ in action as well as their website and contact info.
It’s the closest thing to a “one-stop-shop” for finding the wedding DJ that is right for you.
Some of the most popular online wedding vendor publications include:
Social Media
Who doesn’t love social media? If you want to know how to find a wedding DJ and have fun doing it, social media platforms are a great place for this.
What I love about social media, is you have a chance to see how the wedding DJs you are considering interacts with the people on their business page.
It’s always a good sign when a wedding DJ replies to comments on his or her posts. It shows that they are personable and approachable.
It’s also nice to see if the DJ posts regularly as this often indicates they are providing their services on a consistent basis.
In addition, social media platforms allow you to follow a DJ to see them in action before even contacting them.
The most popular social media sites for finding a wedding DJ are pretty obvious, but I will list them anyway.
Internet Search Engines
If you want to know how to find a wedding DJ in a more specific and filtered way, search engines are great for refining your search.
You can search for anything via search engines like Google, Yahoo or Bing. If you search for it, you will probably find something or someone that is related to your search.
Search engines provide both paid listings and organic listings.
It’s important to note that there is generally more competition to rank organically on the first page for popular keywords.
So if a DJ company is listed on the first page organically, then there is a good chance their website is a quality site with a good amount of traffic.
How To Find A Wedding DJ
Wedding Expos
If want to know how to find a wedding DJ or any wedding vendor for that matter, I highly recommend you attend wedding expos.
They are super fun and you can save a lot of time booking meetings with vendors because they are already present at the bridal show.
You can usually ask the most important questions for hiring your wedding DJ at the show.
If you’d like to go into greater detail about your wedding and the DJ services, you can also schedule a consultation right on the spot.
In addition, if you are looking to hire a wedding DJ, you can get a great feel for their personality while at the expo.
Many vendors also offer wedding show specials that can save you money as well!
Referrals
As the old saying goes “The best form of advertising is word of mouth.”
This also applies to being referred to a wedding DJ. A recommendation from someone you know is generally a very reliable and trustworthy source of information.
The person referring the wedding DJ may have already hired him or her and knows first hand if they deliver a great service and performance.
It is still important to do your due diligence and learn as much about the DJ as possible before hiring them.
The DJ may have been a great fit for the person who referred them, but he or she may not be a great fit for you.
Furthermore, be sure to take some time to ask your closest family and friends for wedding DJ recommendations.
They have your best interests at heart and want you to have a great DJ.
Local Listings
I love local listings like Yelp or Superpages. They are generally a little less cosmetic and get right to the information needed for contacting and hiring.
For example, when somebody contacts me via a local listing. I book that wedding almost every time.
If you don’t feel like sifting through hundreds of DJ profiles listed on online vendor platforms, then I recommend you cut right to the chase and contact a few of the highest-rated DJs in a local listing.
To be a little more specific in your search, I recommend you search for a local listing in the city where your wedding venue is located.
Not necessarily the city that you live in.
The reason for this is because the DJ is probably familiar with all of the most popular wedding venues in his or her area.
Thank you for reading “How To Find A Wedding DJ”
Please click the link below for more CC King Entertainment Wedding Blogs!
>
Click the video icon below for more
Hello! My name is Tony Coppola and I’d like to take this time to tell you a little bit about myself and CC King Entertainment.
I began my musical journey when I was 12 years old as a singer and drummer.
Ten years ago, I built a home recording studio and named it CC King Studio. Shortly after, I DJ’d my first wedding and CC King Entertainment was born!
After DJing hundreds of weddings, my business allowed me to leave my 16 year career as an occupational therapist.
I ALWAYS go the extra mile to personalize my wedding services and have the honor to work with an amazing team of wedding DJs.
Contact Us