Signs of a Great DJ!

Just how good your wedding DJ will be is directly proportional to how well prepared he is. His great song spinning at your party represents the final six of multiple hours of behind-the-scenes preparation. A professional DJ gets ready for your big day by understanding exactly what is important to you. He taps into your dream day by asking specific questions about many details of your wedding reception. As he learns about your plans, he defines his role in the “Big Picture” and makes certain you understand the scope of his responsibilities, too. When a bride and her DJ are on the same page, they can rewrite the book on fantastic weddings.

In addition to detailed conversations about your wedding plans, agenda and music favors, a truly awesome DJ will listen closely to your instructions and make sure he understands your every wish. Great DJs realize that you have spent months planning the perfect party and you are trusting him with the incredible responsibility of making it flow for you. Professional DJs will be well prepared at your wedding reception with your detailed plan and the ability to execute it flawlessly.

Professional DJs take the responsibility of your formal announcements seriously; taking great care in pronouncing the names of your bridal party and family members correctly. There’s nothing worse than being at a great party with your intimate friends and closest relatives and hearing your DJ, who is supposed to be part of your inner circle, mispronounce their names. It immediately brands him as a stranger and an amateur. A great DJ will practice his announcements and his pronunciation several times a day, everyday leading up to your wedding day, until any names sound just as natural to guests’ ears as when their best friends say them.

If your DJ is a professional, he knows that there is never, EVER an excuse for not having the bride’s and groom’s favorite songs to play at their wedding reception. However, it’s not enough to have the right song. A great DJ also finds the right artist. Any DJ being paid to spin songs should create custom playlists based on your favorite songs and his knowledge of songs that make a party buzz. A professional DJ performs quality control by listening to all custom playlists before your reception.

A good DJ is always thinking ahead, and an important part of his checklist includes contacting the hall before the big day to inquire when the doors will be open for sound system setup and take down. He also asks where he may unload, where to park and other specifics to the hall’s rules and regulations.

Professional DJs arrive at least one and a half hours before the event begins to unload his equipment and setup his sound system, which has been thoroughly tested prior to his arrival. An awesome DJ takes his time adjusting the sound levels, checking his microphones and positioning speakers to take advantage of the room’s acoustics. For outdoor events, the sound is adjusted to the size of the tent and the changing conditions of the weather. A prepared DJ always has a back-up system setup and ready to play. All DJs neatly secure their power cords to the floor or ground in consideration of others.

Common sense tells us that if guests at a party are dressed their best, then vendors should follow suit. Professional DJs wear freshly-laundered and pressed tuxedos with crisp, clean shirts. Their personal grooming is impeccable and they appear well-rested and relaxed. They arrive in plenty of time to setup equipment, change their clothes, and spin some cocktail music as guests enter the hall. They are relaxed and in-control at all times, due to their diligence and proper preparation.