A great wedding DJ is one of the most crucial aspects of a reception. After the couple books a venue, hires a caterer and chooses a bartender, DJs must be interviewed. It is not as simple as just hiring someone based on word of mouth or an Internet search. A DJ sets the tone for the entire reception. Since the reception is the part of the wedding that is scheduled with guests in mind, the quality of the DJ will factor strongly into whether or not people have nice things to say about the wedding after the fact.
Don’t hire a hobbyist
A good wedding DJ is going to be expensive, but he/she will be well worth the cost. Many couples try to save money by hiring hobbyists or music fans with large record collections, but they risk having receptions that are not as enjoyable as they could be. All of the money that is spent on the other aspects of a reception will have been wasted if the DJ is not up to par.
A DJ is a musician
A DJ is a musician in his own right. A live band is fun to watch and has a special kind of in-the-moment energy, but it will not be able to play the broad range of music that a DJ can. Since a DJ is only one person, he will be less expensive than a full band. He will be able to switch up his pre-planned playlist based on requests, which he will know how to seamlessly integrate into the playlist. He will also sense when the crowd wants to hear songs in certain tempos. A good DJ knows how to keep a party moving so everyone enjoys himself.
A good DJ will set the tone
The wedding DJ will do more than just play the songs that the couple wants him to play. He will craft a playlist that ebbs and flows along with the crowd’s energy level. This is why it is so important to hire an experienced professional. A DJ who has worked at a lot of weddings will have a good sense for when to play fast dance music and when to play some quiet songs. He may even compose some original interludes to connect the individual songs. He will have to do some live mixing to slow down or speed up songs that bleed into each other. A DJ does not just play a string of songs; he builds a singular piece of music that lasts for the entire duration of the reception.
Choosing your DJ
When looking for a DJ, the couple should start by asking friends for recommendations. It is perfectly acceptable to contact prospective DJs and ask for demos of their past work. The right DJ will know how to cater to the tastes of everyone in the room while maintaining a high level of consistency. He will be able to listen to what the couple wants and interpret those instructions so that the music goes along with the wedding theme or a certain genre of music that is popular among the couple’s friends.
The right DJ is the one who rightfully and respectfully treats the reception as the best night of the couple’s new life together. He is not going to treat it like just another night of work. He will aim to capture the shared spirit of the couple in the music he plays.
