Choosing A Wedding DJ

  There are a lot of things to consider when you’re planning a wedding. It’s one of the most important days of your life and something that you and your significant other should be able to look back on together, smile, and have great memories that will last a lifetime. Planning can be tedious; you have to find that perfect wedding venue and spend hours, if not days or months, picking out a wedding dress. Not to mention the decorations, flowers, cake, invitations, catering, photographer, just to name a few. On average, couples hire 14 vendors for their wedding. The average wedding in Houston, TX ends up costing upwards of $30,000. Often times entertainment can get pushed to the bottom of the list. After the fact, most couples surveyed would have given a lot more thought and  budget priority to their entertainment. 

  Here are a few things to consider when picking your entertainment: there are a lot of wedding DJs in Houston and prices can vary. You can always find someone willing to do it cheaper, but does that necessarily make it better? A common misconception about a wedding DJ is that we just play music. While this is part of our job, even that is not as easy as it may sound. Being able to keep people dancing by reading their body language is something that is developed over time and a skill that great DJs possess. Making a good transition from one song to another to keep the vibe going is also a skill that takes time, experience, and lots of practice.

  A good wedding DJ has a lot more on his plate than just music. Most wedding DJs have the task of keeping the timeline running smoothly, coordinating the events and formalities, working with other vendors, and managing the guests. A lot of times they double as the day-of coordinator. They are also the MC of the event and make all of the announcements and introductions. Most quality and experienced wedding DJs will spend many hours prior to the day of your wedding getting prepared. Meetings with the couple, procuring special songs, building playlists based on your personal tastes, and creating timelines. We spend hours before the event starts setting up and testing sound equipment and lighting fixtures. We also ensure it doesn’t distract from your decor and we haven’t created any trip hazards or other safety issues.

  Think of your Wedding DJ as the glue that holds it all together. Out of all the vendors involved with your wedding day, the DJ has the most potential to make or break your day. The food might be average, the cake might not taste great, and most people won’t remember or care much past dinner. No one will know except you if the photographer did a good job until well after the wedding day. What the guests at your wedding will remember is if the DJ pronounced names incorrectly or stammered through their words. Most importantly, did everyone have fun or not! It’s the difference between whether your guests stay and enjoy the night or leave shortly after dinner.

  How well a DJ prepares for your wedding day can make all the difference in the world. Getting to know a couple on a bit more personal level can make announcements and introductions sound less “cookie cutter” and maintain your guests’ interest throughout the evening. Personal touches like dedicating a song to your favorite uncle, or other special persons, is a great way to generate excitement and create a memorable experience.

  Over the years, I have learned to ask more questions in advance that only an experienced DJ would think to ask as well as make changes so mistakes don’t happen again. For example, I worked at a wedding venue as one of the two resident wedding DJs. One night, I was announcing people who were making toasts. The best man had just finished, people were clapping, he was hugging the newly weds, smiling and laughing with them and the guests about his thoughtful, comedic speech. As he sits down and hands the microphone off, I announce, “Now a few words from our maid of honor, Julie.” Julie stands up and exclaims, “It’s matron!”  While no one else likely even noticed, she did and called me out on it right there in front of all the guests. It is small details like this that can make a big difference. Bigger disasters can happen and thankfully for me they have not, but small things can add up as well to an unhappy couple.  

  Planning is essential and takes time. This is an important thing to consider when shopping around for your wedding DJ. The sooner in the planning process you choose your entertainment, the better chance you have of finding the right DJ. A lot of wedding DJs book out months in advance and may not have availability if your date is close or is a popular day to get married.

 There are a lot of sites out there advertising cheap wedding DJs. Thumbtack and Craigslist generally represent less experienced or less qualified DJs, mostly individuals who are part-time or this is a hobby to them. With sites like Thumbtack, vendors pay a fee to bid on gigs and usually the lowest price gets the job without any consideration for anything other than price. There is a great selection of reasonably priced DJs in Houston to choose from who have made this their full-time job or career. It’s helpful for both the DJ and the lucky couple to take the time to get to know them and their personal style. In the end, you will feel better that you have one less thing to worry about so you can relax and enjoy your wedding day.