When the wedding ceremony ends, the real celebration begins – the wedding reception. This is where food is demolished, music is blasting, and dancing is mandatory. A lot of your wedding day memories will be made at the reception, surrounded by all your closest friends and family.
Aside from the food and venue, the reception is absolutely nothing without a quality wedding DJ. They’re the ones setting the tone with the music and getting guests on the dance floor. They’re often the life of the party and they control the mood from the start of the reception to the end.
Of course, that’s what makes finding the right wedding DJ so difficult – they play such a crucial role in the wedding reception, so they need to be the perfect fit. If they aren’t, your dream wedding could take a turn for the worse – which is something none of us want to see happen.
Professional Wedding DJ vs. Club DJ
Before you start searching for a professional DJ, also known as a disc jockey, it’s important you understand the difference between a wedding DJ and a club DJ. They both have unique skills and talents that make them who they are, but they usually only succeed when put in the right environment.
A wedding DJ is a disc jockey that specializes in wedding entertainment. They understand how to read the room and take on-demand song requests from the crowd. They also do a great job with crowd work and getting guests engaged – they bring out the best in everyone.
A club DJ is a disc jockey that specializes in a club-like atmosphere. They usually have their own playlist, have their own style of music, and they rarely venture outside of that genre. They don’t always have the interpersonal skills and personality to engage with guests in the crowd.
How to Find the Right Wedding DJ
For the most part, you’re going to want to find a DJ that specializes in wedding receptions – unless you’re interested in a club DJ, but that’s not usually the case. A wedding DJ knows how to get the most out of the crowd and they understand how to maximize the fun all night long.
Let’s be honest, there’s never a dull moment with a wedding DJ. They play songs from every genre and every timeline, always keeping the crowd on their toes and the dance floor packed. When you find the right wedding DJ, they’ll turn your reception into a memory-filled evening.
Let’s take a look at five of our most prominent and crucial tips when hiring a wedding DJ:
1. Recommendations, Reviews, & Testimonials
Before you hire a wedding DJ, you’ll want to vet them and make sure they’re as good as they say they are. That means deep-diving into their customer reviews, testimonials, and any samples they have of past performances. The better the reviews, the more reliable they are.
This is also a good time to take any recommendations from family and friends that might’ve found a good wedding DJ in their search. There are also a ton of websites, blogs, and venues that can help point you in the right direction when finding an awesome wedding DJ for your reception.
2. Don’t Be Afraid to Ask Questions Before Hiring
This is your wedding reception and you deserve to have it go exactly as planned. For that reason, you should never be scared to ask questions when looking for the right wedding DJ. No one knows what you want more than yourself, so don’t think you’re being pushy or picky.
Ask them about what drives them to be a good wedding DJ. Ask them why they got started in this industry. Ask them if they’ve performed at a similarly-themed wedding before. Make sure you feel comfortable about the wedding DJ – not just as a DJ, but as a human being as well.
3. Experience, Familiarity, & Preferences
Experience is extremely important when looking for the right DJ. The more experience they have, the more comfortable they are in a reception setting. This translates to more fun, more excitement, and a better night with your loved ones – which is the end goal for everyone.
You also want someone who’s familiar with your theme and knows the genre of music well – they’ll know all the right tracks to play. It’s a bonus if you can find someone that has similar preferences as you – that way, you can rest easy knowing they’re as comfortable as possible.
4. Additional Services & Specialty Packages
Some wedding DJs solely focus on providing music, some of them include crowd work in their service, and others might include add-ons to enhance the guest’s experience. Before you hire a wedding DJ, make sure you understand what’s included in the service and what’s an add-on.
For example, some add-on services might include a photo booth, a light show, dance floor lighting, video projections, karaoke setups, disco balls, and spotlights when cutting the cake and during the first dance. Some wedding DJs even take personal requests, so don’t forget to ask!
5. Attitude, Personality, & Overall Vibe
The final tip we have for you when finding the right wedding DJ is paying attention to the DJs attitude, personality, and overall vibe. You want to make sure this is someone you want at your wedding reception. You don’t want them to cause problems, ruin the mood, or even worse.
When in doubt, it’s always best to follow your gut feeling. If you feel they’re not the right fit or have any doubts, then it’s probably best you continue your search. Again, this is your wedding and it’s important that it goes as planned – avoid anything that might get in the way of that.
Have You Started Looking at Wedding Venues Yet?
Finding the right wedding DJ is an important step in the wedding planning process, but it’s just the start. One of the most important factors to consider when planning a wedding is the location and the venue. It needs to fit the theme of the wedding, but it also has to have that ‘wow’ factor.
If you’re looking for a versatile and affordable wedding venue in Colorado Springs, then you’ve come to the right place. Secret Window Events has a number of packages for couples to choose from – for example, our all-inclusive wedding package comes equipped with a DJ and wedding planner!
Contact us today to learn more about our wedding venue or to schedule a tour – we can’t wait to welcome you!