Hiring Your Wedding Dj Made Easy with These Must Ask Questions

Indian weddings are a loud affair with lost of music, dance and Dhol. But to get the party started, you need a DJ in the house. Regardless of whether it is your Sangeet, Mehndi or cocktail night, a wedding DJ is a must. After all, who doesn't like to shake to the beats of some Bollywood wedding anthems!

A good wedding DJ has the power to bring everyone on the dance floor. In no time they will have those aunties hitting Thumkas after Thumkas and those uncles taking over the floor doing Nagin dance. But how do you ensure that things turn out as planned with your wedding DJ?

It simple, ask them questions. You should have a clear set of requirements in mind before you meet your set of wedding DJ and ask them to lay down all the conditions they might have before you finalise one of those many wedding DJ's. 

1. The Basics you need to ask your wedding DJ

Ask your DJ about his/her experience performing at wedding parties. You’ll also want to know whether he or she performs more than one event a day and his style. Check if you can get references and also get an idea of the kind of venues he/she is comfortable performing in.

You can also ask if there any other services are available and what makes him/her different from his competitors in the business. Check if you can get CDs of previous performances or attend one, if possible to get a better idea of his working style and see whether it’s a good fit for you.

These are some of the basic things you must figure out before you hire a wedding DJ. Figuring them out in time will help you take a relaxed stance when it is finally time. Clearing out all these doubts right from the start not only help you, but the wedding DJ as well to perform their best.

2. The Music

Ask whether you can get help while choosing music for special events such as the sangeet performances. To find out how the DJ keeps his/her music collection updated and how many genres he can cover. Look for variety in the music library and check if he/she will be willing to take song requests from guests. Wedding guests tend to request songs of their choice a lot, so if your wedding DJ is not down to do that, then that might lead to a conflict on the day of your function, which is something you must avoid at all times.

You’ll also want to know whether you can give him/her a list of songs you want him/her to avoid playing and whether he’s okay with making announcements too. Look for backup arrangements in case there are problems and find out what kind of strategies he uses to get people on the dance floor when they’re hesitant. Also, you must inquire about the number of breaks he/she needs to take and what kind of music will be played during those breaks. So, for such a scenario it is wise for you to get a team onboard rather than just one single artist. If one needs to take a break then at all times there will be a second DJ who will spin music in the first one's absence. 

3. Logistics

There are many more details you’ll have to get into while talking to your DJ such as equipment. Do you need to make arrangements and ask someone at the venue to help the wedding DJ with anything? What about the speakers and mics? Will you need to provide any kind of information such as a list of your preferred songs, crowd favourites from your wedding party, and more? Remember one rule: when in doubt, ask. This can range from questions about the dress code to equipment setup time and more.

4. Payment details

What is included and not included in the overall package? Check if he/she needs any kind of advance payment and whether there are overtime charges. You need to find out about extra charges such as wedding transportation costs and written agreements along with refunds and cancellation policies plus charges if there are any. Equipment loss or damage should not be pinned on you. Be clear and straightforward in order to avoid any kind of confusion and make sure you figure out an available package plan that works well for you and your partner. Can you imagine running around in your bridal lehenga or wedding sherwani negotiating the payment with your wedding DJ? Of course, not! 

5. References

Ask them to provide you with the contact details of their previous clients with whom you can confirm the details they just committed to in front of you. Better safe than sorry. A good online rating can be created by buying reviews. You wouldn't want to become a victim of that frenzy. Learn from other people how their experience of working with the DJ has been. If they are nice and have time to talk to you, they might also give you some wise tips and hacks which they learnt at their own wedding.

Only after you've asked them about all of these things and have received satisfactory replies, should you go ahead and book them as your wedding vendor. And you should have such detailed business discussions and negotiations with all your vendors, whether it be your wedding venue, the photographer or makeup artist. That's a wise way to manage your wedding budget as well. After thoroughly researching your vendors, you will be assured that booked them for the right prices. 

Now you can go ahead and make playlists to share with your DJ or simply make selections to play at some epic moments as the bride's entry or Jaimala ceremony. You can even plan songs to play as comic relief. Imagine Joote Lo Paise Do playing in the background while all the bridesmaids gather around the groom.

Tell us your tricks about cracking the right deal with the wedding DJ, in the comments below.