How do you pick a dj?

Ask them can they send you a playlist of there recent work

Ask for videos. A few of the DJ’s I’ve been speaking to either have promotional videos or highlights from past events so you can see the way they engage with the crowd.

I went based on packages and price. My dj also had a photobooth so I wanted that too

Welcome to the WeddingWire community, Stephanie

This WeddingWire article lists different questions you should as a DJ before booking! This may help you decide between the 5 DJs - 11 Questions to Ask a Band or DJ.

Have they all already provided you with setlists? Do any have videos of weddings they’ve been a part of?

In addition to the above suggestions, I'd consider reaching out to a few to see if they respond quickly, and also ask if they're DJing any events you could attend or stop by to see them in action.

I would definitely ask for promo videos or things like that. Also, go and meet with a few of them in person and decide who you like best. Some may have a better vibe than others. We saw ours at a bridal show and they had such good energy and we won a door prize from them, so that was a plus. We spoke with the reps there then set up an appointment with them at their office. All the people there were so friendly and they also do photography, so we knocked two birds with one stone. We didn’t even look anywhere else.

I asked for videos. Also, I asked what their style is. Do they interact a lot with the crowd? Play games? We really wanted a DJ who would play great music, make announcements and otherwise, let us enjoy our reception without interruption. He told me that his style was to shut up and play good music. That sold me!

I read through all the reviews and emailed/called the top 5. The ones that seemed the most "us" with our style music and what we wanted, and the ones who had worked at our venue, we picked. We also had specific desires like wanting ceremony music, supplying microphones, etc.

I read through reviews on DJs and watched videos/looked at pictures they posted from events. A monogram gobo was super important to me, which a few didn't offer so that helped narrow down the list. The DJ we went with ended up being cheaper after the "extras" (dance floor lighting & monogram gobo) we added on.

We picked ours after getting pricing, reading reviews, then finding examples on YouTube. That narrowed it down a lot. When it got down to the last few, we either did a phone call or met in person, and went with the one that made us feel the most comfortable. It was an obvious choice for us, because we meshed really well with one DJ in particular. And we knew that if we get along with him this well, there will be no issues with him keeping our dance floor full - and he did! So I would definitely say to contact a few, schedule some phone calls or in person visits, and see if there are examples of past weddings on YouTube so you can see how they work.

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Yes, this is what I was going to suggest. If there are any public events where you could see the potential DJ in action, go for it. It's worth it to see how they are under real event conditions.

Hey Stephanie! Did you book a wedding DJ yet?