DJ: What Are Good Interview Questions?

The most important thing to us was the DJ's personality. We met a couple that were totally inadequate for our wedding: they were just too loud, did not understand the concept, and wanted us to use fog and stuff. We had an elegant affair with a smaller crowd. One kept on mispronouncing my name, despite me correcting him for 5 times. Nixed both.

So the one we ended up hiring had many years of experience DJing at weddings. But more importantly, he was a perfect personality match for us. He was energetic and upbeat, but understood what we wanted to do. He made music suggestions and we loved them all.

In other words, lol, I think it's more important to see if the DJ you're interviewing understands what you want your wedding to look like, and if you in fact LIKE him. We asked questions about their experience and the worst thing they ever had to deal with, but that was actually less important. I know this sounds vague but I hope it helps!

I'm not married yet, but we do have our DJ booked...some things I would make sure to mention/ask

-Will they be available to stay later (for a cost) if you choose to extend your reception (some venues sometimes offer another hour at a small cost if the party is going well- you don't want your DJ to have to quickly leave for something else)

-What is their policy on people requesting songs (we discussed with our DJ we don't mind if people request songs, but we will have a "Do Not Play List" of songs we don't want, and if a song is on there he will simply say he doesn't have it)

-Will they be the actual person announcing your names AND doing the music at your wedding

-How many weddings have they done?

I'm a DJ in Rhode Island. I figured it might be nice to hear from our perspective.

Critical Points:

1. Make sure your DJ is FULL TIME. You do not want to hire a part-time DJ because you will get part-time attention. Chances are a part-time DJ will not be as experienced as someone who is full time. Just ask and see how they respond.

2. Ask to see videos of the DJ MC'ing a wedding. You want to make sure your DJ/MC is comfortable in front of a crowd and won't be "stealing the show". The day should be about you and the MC'ing should reflect that. It's also good to know that you want have a cheezy MC or someone who is going to fumble their words or mispronounce your name.

3. Ask the DJ if he/she uses playlists while DJ'ing weddings. A professional DJ will never play the same set at more than one wedding. Simply put, every couple is different, every crowd is different. They should be able to read the crowd when selecting songs

Send me a message if you need anything else! Hope this helps

Mrs. S and Rachel G. - these are AWESOME! Thank you so much! I will make sure to incorporate what both of you have said... VERY VERY HELPFUL!

WW Ladies (and Gents) Keep 'em coming...married or not!

Thanks!!

Patrick W. - wow! just saw your response... this is awesome - thank you so much for chiming in!!! This is great info... Rhonda R

Another thing, don't be afraid to ask about their experience. One of the DJs we met was advertised on their website as having "extensive experience with DJing weddings". It turned out she DJed exactly - two. Her prices were in line with more experienced pros in the area. I don't have anything against people getting experience, but a) not at our wedding, and b) not at a price that we could get an experienced DJ for.

I second the videos suggestion, and ask them what they'll do if there's a lull (i.e. people aren't dancing). Leave it to the DJ to answer that question without suggesting things he might do (deviate from the playlist, etc.) so you can see how accustomed to this s/he is.

What happens if he/she gets sick?

I am a DJ in the Dallas/Ft. Worth area and I agree with Mrs. S. Personality is everything! I tell my clients I am not everyone's DJ, and that is ok.

Ask about experience and to see reviews and if you want to take it step farther ask to personally speak to few of their previous clients.

Ask if they have liability insurance, a real experienced DJ will.

If you have any questions just ask and good luck.