How do you pick a Dj?

DJ's do a lot more than "push the play button on a bunch of pre-recorded songs." They read the room to decide what songs suit your crowd and keep the party going, they keep the reception events on track and make sure that guests know what's happening next, they emcee the event, often times they provide lighting, microphones, etc. No matter how great your Spotify playlist sounds at home or in your car, there's no way for you to pre-determine what songs your guests are going to dance to.

We picked our DJ based off of price, package, reviews, and videos. He has videos on social media and his website of his events, which was his biggest selling point for us.

DJs often have 10-15 minute sound clips of the music they play to get people dancing that they can send to you or offer on their website.

The way I selected my DJ (who is also my MC) is by speaking with him over the phone, getting a sense of his vibe (relaxed/excited/etc) and asking him some questions like: how do you know the crowd isn’t liking the song in the first few seconds to know to change it. Reviews also help a lot. It’s true that the DJ will play the music you want but he can tailor the songs, tempo, sequence to you and your crowd when the day comes. He also provides a lot of the sound equipment you need.

Selecting the right DJ is very important. Some have videos, reviews and even invite you to check out a set. When I looked at a venue in NY before deciding to do a DW in Jamaica I went to a hall during a wedding where the DJ was playing and the manager walked me and my groom in the back and we listened to his set how he kept the party going , how personal he was with the family.

Daughter started with some DJ recommendations from her venue, then made appointments to talk with them on the phone. She immediately "knew" who she wanted based on that conversation -- he put her completely at ease (was friendly, but not too "on" -- she hates that), super organized (like her), and had tons of experience (including at her venue, so he knew exactly what to expect regarding set up/noise ordinance/etc.). He had links to videos on his website that she watched to see him in action. Then we met with him in person, and he was even better than on the phone. Throughout the process he was super easy to work with and provided tons of resources and suggestions for daughter & SIL regarding the music, but at the same time, stayed completely true to them and their tastes. About two weeks before the wedding when another vendor was making daughter crazy, he immediately stepped in and reassured her that everything would be fine -- and she BELIEVED him and calmed down. As others have said, he both helped daughter set-up her timeline (along with input from the venue coordinator and photographer), but most importantly, he was really the one who had the most to do with publicly keeping the GUESTS on track. As an MC, he was fun and engaging (with guests ranging from 4-95 years old), and through both the music and his announcements, he helped guests know what the plan was and where they were supposed to be, and he kept the dance floor full all night. I completely understand that financially some couples have no choice but to do a playlist, but if at ALL POSSIBLE, I'd have a DJ because they will have a tremendous impact on your event. Good luck!

I was between two DJs. One was cheaper aha and the other had a package with a photobooth. I went with the other because it was just less for me to deal with rather than two separate vendors.