Questions To Ask A Wedding DJ

So you’re tying the knot. It’s both an awesome time in your life now but also a bit overwhelming at the same time. Now is the time to start to research and secure various wedding professionals. Here are some of top questions to ask a wedding DJ to help narrow down the field.

I have answered these questions on my FAQ page which you can check out HERE, or you can reach out to me directly HERE and ask.

Is My Wedding Date Available?

This one is pretty obvious. Be mindful that many wedding DJs book 12 months out and sometimes even two-plus years in advance. So if you have a particular DJ in mind you may want to consider checking their availability before locking in dates.

What Venue Have You Chosen?

This is a important bit of information to let the Wedding DJ know where you have selected. These locations could incur additional fees or logistical information to give you a proper quote, and some venues have preferred and required vendors and don’t always inform the clients of these details.

Cancelation Policy

This is a very important question to ask, what is their cancelation policy, a lot of DJ’s require you to pay the remaining balance of the contract when canceling their contract( not sure that is entirely legal in some states), and others just keep the date retainer fee( perfectly legal) its just better to know this before signing the contract.

How long have you been a wedding DJ?

It is good to know if someone is new in the business or has been around for a while. Someone new may still be a great wedding DJ, but it would be wise to vet their capabilities a bit more to see if they’re up to the task. Naturally, those with deep experience will likely give you the best results, so be mindful of your choices.

Are you a “single-op” or a “multi-op”?

Time for some industry jargon. Some DJ’s are solo operated meaning its just them, so the person you communicate with when booking will be the same person that shows up to pack your dance floor, while a multi op is DJ company/booking company that has many DJ’s that work for them and the person you book your date will not be the one you that will be packing your dance floor.

What happens if you become unavailable?

This is one of those critical questions to ask a wedding DJ, and they really should have a solid answer to this. If they become unavailable (sick, injured, etc.), how are you going to cover my event? I have a lot of quality DJs I have great relationships within the area and I happen to take meticulous notes. So if the need ever arises the bases are covered. Knock on wood, I have never missed an event. As for a multi-op, they tend to have enough DJs available to be able to cover an event in case their assigned DJ becomes unavailable.

Have you performed at my venue?

It’s nice to have a DJ that has experience with members of that venue and knows the lay of the land. I’ve certainly have been to many in the Hudson Valley, Catskills, and beyond. That being said, a quality DJ will perform some kind of reconnaissance with the venue prior to your wedding. So don’t automatically discredit a DJ that has not been there before, just ensure they know what they are doing. Personally, a good 30-40% of my events per year are at venues I have not performed for in the past.

What is your personality?

Now we are getting into some questions to ask a wedding DJ that people never think about. Some people want a hype DJ to get everyone going, some want games, some want lots of interactive elements. some a laid-back style. Be sure to pick one that matches what you are looking for. 

What services do you provide other than music?

Music is very important. However, some DJs also include things like lighting, photo booths, and other services you may be looking for.

Do you MC and DJ the event?

There are some DJs that put the mic work on a separate MC. Be sure if they do that to get to know both individuals.

Do you stream music or have it locally?

This is probably one of the most important question to ask, there is a growing group of DJs that are not buying their music and instead have opted to stream it, and this can cause some serious issues on the day of your wedding. A DJ that curates and stores their music locally gives you a sense of mind that they have all the important music there

Do I get a contract?

If you don’t, RUN! Seriously. This is the most important day of your life. Don’t chance it.

Are You Insured?

Most venues make it a requirement for their vendors to have insurance. Ensure that your DJ is insured.

How do you help me plan the wedding?

Some wedding DJs will have a pretty thorough set of forms to cover all the major pieces of your special day and will meet with you via face to face, Skype, or phone to ensure everything entertainment is hashed out. If they lack this kind of planning capability then the responsibility really needs to be covered by a wedding planner or even yourself (and you don’t want that). Now, not every wedding DJ does this, but it’s certainly one of those questions to ask a wedding DJ to at least know if some kind of planning is offered.