How do you choose your DJ?

I think word of mouth / recomendations is the best way to go. Have you asked your reception who has played their before?

Our band is a friend of OH & we went to a local hotel one night to let me hear them - and they were great. So def maybe try to see them in action?

We thought we'd found our perfect one yesterday, checked and he's not bloomin available!! this is the one thing driving me mad!! We've just been put in touch with a friend of a friend who apparently is very good but only charges £160 - £200 so either we get a good bargain or a bum deal! This guy is doing a couple of gigs soon though so we're gonna have a look.

My friend suggested we go pub crawling and check out the ones they have, so that will be an option for us!

The problem we have is that I'm getting married in my home town which is 65 miles away from where we live now & because we have an 11 month old son it isn't easy to get out in the evenings locally, let alone disappear back to Cheltenham to go bar crawling. I don't want to blow lots of money on someone who is naff but at the same time how can you tell if the cheaper DJ's are any good or not Arggggghhhhhh!

Is there anyone in your home town whos opinion you could trust and send them out on a scouting mission for you??

I wish there was! Most of my family/friends who still live around Cheltenham are much older (60's) so they would probably think something that we'd hate is great. Don't understand why DJ's aren't able to stick just a short clip of themselves at work on Youtube as it would make life so much easier!

I went on price! I chose the cheapest and they were fine!

We got married in a different town to where we live so just sent off a load of emails and decided to book the cheapest.

Thanks for that GB. OH is happily emailing lots of DJ's & we are getting their quotes back in but without seeing them it is pretty much impossible to tell who is good & who isn't. It's a bit reassuring to hear that the cheaper DJ's can be ok ?

It is a tricky one, I play in bars and at weddings and my set is different in each occasion.

So if you do get to see a DJ, it is important to understand what his brief is for the night and judge him on that and his ability to deliver what the clinet on the evening has requested. If he is doing that then you stand more chance that he will provide you with what you want.

I didn't go fpr the cheapest, it was one of the more expensive ones I have booked. I had a good look around all websites, any naff websotes that didn't offer much information on their services were knocked off the list straight away as I can't be bothered with the hassle of calling/emailing and waiting for replies. It came down to two DJs in the end, one had Youtube footage plus a breakdown of all his equipment and what you get (And what it is for!) and the other had a big gallery of pics from previous events (Everyone on the dancefloor!!) and lots of music sample playlists to give you ideas, as well as the option to upgrade to more lighting, uplighting and projections etc.

Paul, it's a shame that you are a bit too far away from Cheltenham!

Hi, its not that far, have a look at my website and send me an e-mail with times numbers and date and venue, so i can give you a quote.

I am having a video made that should be finished in the nexy week or so that you can have a look at if you want

Where do I start...

Firstly prices.... There is a vast difference between a £150 DJ and a £700.....mainly in the quality of service you receive. Imagine...If a DJ charging £700 wasn't worth it, he'd soon be out of business. Talking generally here, many of the cheaper guys do DJing as a second income, so they work all day, quickly change and off out to press play. The more expensive guys tend to be full time so obviously put more time into preparation and making your evening unique to you. Personally, I think nothing of spending one or two whole days preparing for a wedding, including home visits (as many as my brides feel they want)

A lot of the top wedding DJs can't be viewed performing. If they are wedding specialists, you're not going to see them in a local pub! Also, it is inappropriate to invite a potential client to someone elses wedding when your focus should be purely on the bride. I would strongly advise asking to meet with a DJ prior to booking. From a face to face meeting, you'll soon determine whether he/she is right for your day. Ask to read testimonials, especially the originals. Most of us have got a few past brides that have offered to give verbal testimonials if needed, so do ask.

There are lots of things that set us DJs apart. Its not all about good DJs and bad DJs.....its more about finding the right one to suit your remit. Me personally, I tend not to do 18th and 21st birthdays if they're wanting a specific style of music because I know I'm geared up for a mixed bag and my forte is as a personality DJ and getting 9 to 90 year olds on the dance floor and entertaining them, not mixing the latest club hits. You've also got to bear in mind that a wedding is a different animal to a general party,so knowledge and experience in this field is essential.

I've written copy for a few websites on this subject. These pages might help.... https://partydjdisco.co.uk/selecting_a_mobile_dj.html https://www.weddingdja.co.uk/bookingadvice.html https://mobiledjdisco.co.uk/booking_a_dj.html

Fab, thanks Sandysounds! You are saying pretty much what I think but I need to convince the OH! He is very much into 'getting a bargain deal' whereas I want to find a DJ who is going to make our wedding really special. It's just so hard to know who to trust! Anyone got any DJ recommendations for Gloucestershire/Worcestershire?

I can't add much to Sandys post, the links contain very useful information that should put you in good stead for your search.

I would suggest you look at the DJ hiring in much the same way you do for other wedding suppliers.
This should mean not relying on email alone. Look at websites, but also call them - just as you spoke and viewed your venue.

I would expect for such an important day, that you'll need an experienced DJ, used to performing at weddings.

You may find one for £150, but this is very close to "pub rates" (in my area), so you may find yourself hiring a DJ that may not be used to providing the service required for a Wedding, so ask how many Weddings they have provided, and if they have played at your venue.

Looking at the last few weddings we've provided, the total work for the day is in excess of 12hrs, normally for a 5hr evening party.

We would not be comfortably charging our rates without this important prep - and it really helps the evening go much smoother. So, for a "pub gig", a DJ can mainly just turn up with no prep (unless its a special party), so the 4hrs work is much easier.

For a wedding, they should know the venue, be prepared to visit, or an absolute final option, make contact and chat about access/restrictions etc.

This does take time and effort, but part of what is required to be absolutely reliable.

As ever, word of mouth really helps - so looking for good reviews, and calling the DJ should point you in the right direction.

It should go without saying that you should expect to pay a booking fee to reserve the date, and should get some kind of booking confirmation. Treating them like any other service provider should help avoid problems.

I'm happy to help with some advice - you're welcome to call me. I don't cover your area, but do know of DJs that cover the area you mentioned.

Best wishes,

Jason

Even disco only, nearly all my brides opt to have a meeting with me. At a meeting I find out the names of all the wedding party, so during the evening i can refer to 'the brides father Frank' or 'Mary, the brides mum'. I also find out more about the B & G, what they do, where they're going on honeymoon, any snippets of information that can help me make their evening personal and unique to them..... and ultimately more fun for everyone. I find out the mix of ages, where people will be coming from etc. it all helps to make a memorable night. Any guests from abroad get a song from their homeland dedicated to them. We discuss when the buffet is, when they want the bouquet toss (if at all) how they want their finale and final song. We discuss in detail what first dance and other special dances they want and whether they want other people invited up to join them or songs shortened or lengthened. Phew....I could go on.... but if you want your evening to be personal to you, then a meeting or very lengthy phone call is essential.....else it will be a disco just like the DJ did for his last wedding!

Come on Jason....I must have forgotten something there!

Also I hope that ramble gives people some ideas of things they might want to discuss with their DJ.

I DJ in ibiza and often do weddings & private gigs alongside my bar and club work.

there's plenty of good advice from some more traditional wedding DJs and i just thought i'd add that a youtube clip wouldn't be much use. even a live mix wouldn't necessarily be an accurate representation as first of all every gig is different, and secondly, a mix/clip or whatever would only cover a very small part of the night.

if you saw me DJing at Space then you might not want me DJing at your wedding but you'd have no idea of how i play outside of that very specific type of club gig!

similarly, i know plenty of people that have picked a DJ on the strength of a set in bar, but then been disappointed when that DJ can't adapt to their wedding and get the party going.

as mentioned before, the most useful things are testimonials - if you can't find someone that a friend has used then you should at least try and find someone with a long list of satisfied wedding couples....

good luck choosing.

b.

beeZwax Ibiza