How To Hire The DJ of Your Dreams | Guest Post by Rhiannon Owen

Today our blog post is written by Rhiannon Owen of 413 Weddings and Events! She’s here to provide us with some excellent advice on hiring your dream DJ and not getting stuck with someone who doesn’t fit your vision. Enjoy!

xoxo, Markie

The FIRST THING I ask the prospective Bride or Groom is: When is the Wedding?

With the average engagement period in the US being almost 15 months long, I highly recommend beginning the search for this piece of your puzzle around 9 months to a year out from the Wedding date. So many people don’t realize how quickly the truly great entertainers book up. The wedding industry advice is dead wrong when they suggest 3 – 6 months out. I speak for many of us when I say, the majority have just a few dates open for 2018 still. So many couples are left high and dry, when they start searching for DJ’s this late in the game. Skip the frantic, last minute insanity and book early!

While the PERFECT DJ may not be a reality, I firmly believe that the “perfect for you DJ” truly does.

What bride or groom to be doesn’t dream of their “Big Day”? From the emotion filled moment when you join your lives officially as one, eating the most amazing meal, jamming out to the best tunes with all your loved ones; to the sparkler tunnel or firework ceremony exit with your most special person, in that quintessential memory of one of the “Best Days Of Your Life”. When you have that perfect dream wedding in your head, a huge part of that involves the perfect DJ.

Before hiring someone, consider the aesthetics and style of your event. If you want a club atmosphere dancing to the hits, a digital turntablist might be right up your alley. If it is a more family-based event with a wider age range, an Open Platform DJ is probably your best bet.  Is it an adult Black Tie, candle lit affair; filled with romantic ambiance, overflowing with boozy, custom cocktails and people dancing the night away? Or more like a sweet, family-oriented party; celebrating the two of you with all those near and dear your hearts? Now, that I have you thinking, I want you to imagine those very different scenarios. Not every DJ is going to be a “one size fits all” for that scene. You probably wouldn’t want a club style DJ mixing Bad N’ Boujee for your 100-year-old grandmother or 3-year-old niece in all its’ explicit glory at the family party; any more than listening to smooth jazz instrumentals from the 1980’s all night at your dancefloor filled soirée. As a DJ, we strive for “one size fits most”. Please realize that if we specialize more in one area, that is our comfort zone. Consider asking prospective music entertainers what their style is and ask them how that may compliment your vision of the day. An experienced Pro will listen to what you have to say and incorporate that into their style. If that is too far of a stretch from your vision, it would probably be best to move on to the next option. It’s your Day, not ours. We are excited and thankful to be part of it, but completely understand that not every DJ will be the right fit for you.

Having a Firm Idea of What Your Reception Entails CAN SAVE YOU MONEY!

Know the difference between a suggestion and an upsell. A dancefloor lighting package for someone who would like a nonstop party all night long, would be a legit suggestion. For a sunny daytime Brunch wedding, you say? Probably not necessary, unless your reception is in a darker room without much natural light. So many couples come to me in a panic, totally unsure of what they need or want in a reception plan. Do I really need to mic the officiant or the couple during vows? Do we need custom monogram lighting, a digital storyboard of our romance, or an A-List Concert act? We want to keep people around until we leave. How can we do this without paying an arm and a leg?

I would say one step at a time. A mic’ed Ceremony ensures quality mixed sound so that a videographer gets a great recording; and in turn, your guests can hear you clearly above the tears. It’s a beautiful emotional moment and you want every bit of it captured. Custom lighting is a definite plus to create certain ambiance in a sundown, evening wedding- monogramming the dancefloor for a first dance or the wall during the reception dinner is a beautiful personalization, but not required by any means. A-List Concert acts like Ed Sheeran, Maroon 5 and Carrie Underwood, actually do appear at weddings (believe it or not). Understand that, without a seriously large budget, that most likely won’t happen- this doesn’t mean that there aren’t other great local or upcoming artists that may be able to make an appearance, for your date and price point. From mild to wild, a good DJ or entertainment company can help you craft this plan together. Placing a few key touches, here and there, to make your day uniquely yours is our pleasure!

Budget! BudGET! BUDGET!

The UGLY B word of the wedding world. No one likes it, but it is the VERY IMPORTANT “UGLY B” of a word that keeps things real. My advice: DON’T SKIMP ON YOUR ENTERTAINMENT!!! I can’t stress that enough. Just like with photographers, you typically get what you pay for. Not to say there aren’t good deals, but for the most part, ask yourself if this is a risk worth taking? Sure, your cousin Ed has Spotify or Pandora, but is he capable of mixing the sound on a sound board so that grandma Josephine’s hearing aid won’t blow up? Yes, it may be cheaper, but after spending thousands on this day, do you truly want to leave it to him to learn on the fly at your most important day? I strongly suggest leaving the mixing to the professionals. Everyone may think they know what it means to DJ, but what you are paying for is the sound mixing experience, music knowledge, and being able to keep the event (and music) flowing smoothly from cocktail hour to the grand exit- and troubleshoot in between. I bet cousin Ed doesn’t have backup equipment in case a disaster strikes. We, the professionals, certainly do.

A Good Rule of Thumb: the 2017 AVERAGE price in the US, spent on a DJ is $1250. Expect to spend from $600 – $800 for reception only and $1000 to $1600 for a packaged Ceremony and Reception. The High End can touch $10,000+ for a destination wedding. P.S. You can fly your DJ of choice anywhere you choose to go; provided they can obtain a passport, and you can accommodate travel fees. Many high-end budget couples opt to buy services locally and transport, as opposed to finding last minute vendors, or trusting resort staff, sight unseen.

Asking the right questions will separate the Best from the Rest

The top questions I get asked from couples (and my answers)

1. How long have you been a DJ? 15+ years
2. What is your style of mixing? I am an Open Platform DJ (kind of like what you would hear on the radio- top 40 hits from 1930’s- current)
3. Are you an actual sound technician or sound engineer? Yes, with large concert venue experience.
4. How many weddings have you done? A few over 100. I kept track until 100.
5. Is this your side gig or a full time job? I co-own a Event Entertainment company. So yes, it’s a full time job, and I LOVE IT!
6. Is your retainer/deposit non- refundable? Yes, because my time, like yours, is valuable- but changes in date may be accommodated, as I have many wonderful DJ’s who work for us who may be available, if I am not.
7. What is included in your package price and what is extra? This is an important question. I have base prices for Ceremony ($400) or Reception ($800) only ; for Ceremony & Reception Packages, we charge $1100 to start. You are paying for a sound technician and a DJ team. The sound tech will set everything up and tear everything down. Your DJ will run the event, and is also a sound tech, (just in case anything goes wrong- both of us will be there- with back up equipment).
   A LA CARTE Menu includes everything from uplighting (starting at $300+) to a full blown concert appearance ($20,000 +). Depending on your budget and vision, let’s look at some cool options to make this day YOURS.
8. If you are busy, can you refer me to someone amazing? As I work with a ton of DJ’s, I can most certainly refer you to several amazing ones. I also have many who work for us, who are equally as talented, if you would like me to select one who is in line with your wedding reception dreams.

WHAT TO TAKE AWAY FROM ALL OF THIS:

Every wedding day and couple are completely unique. Know that DJ’s are versatile and have many skill sets to accommodate you. Seasoned Veterans in this industry want your rave reviews, so WE WILL LISTEN to your wishes. Every aspect can be tailored to your desires. Please listen to our opinion- we have done this before many times, in most cases. We promise to do our best to make you thrilled with our services and earn that 5-star referral.

Remember to address: What style of host you want for your event? What price point can you manage comfortably? Trust your gut, book early and stick to your budget. Most of all, don’t stress on the Big Day! Just relax and enjoy it. It will be over before you can blink. I promise.

Rhiannon Owen
DJ/KJ, 15+ Years
DJRhi.com, 413events.com
413 Weddings & Events