The Popularity Of The Adagio With Dance DJs
Tips To Pick Your DJ
Finding the right DJ is imperative to ensure your wedding happens just as you planned. A great DJ can take your wedding to a level you never imagined. However, a bad DJ can make it a nightmare. Below are 5 tips to guide you through the process of finding the perfect DJ for your wedding
Experience/Professionalism
One of the single most determining factors in the decision making process should be experience. You can plan every detail to the exact second, but no wedding occurs exactly as planned. There is a flow to weddings and an experienced DJ will make any change or delay appear like it was planned and rehearsed. In fact, a proactive DJ will anticipate common situations and prepare accordingly. You spent hours upon hours planning, scheduling and stressing about every single detail, the last thing you want is to do is spend your entire wedding worrying that something will be missed. A great DJ can put you at ease because he or she has all the necessary details and the ability to improvise should things change or fall behind.
Price
Deciding a budget for entertainment can be very challenging because prices can range anywhere from $300 to $3,000. Many DJ companies offer various pricing packages along with a la carte options, travel fees, and/or per hour add-ons. Similar to buying a car, you have to be aware of what the overall price will be after all the add-ons, extra time, additional audio system (for the ceremony, cocktail hour etc…), and additional fees.
You also have to consider you get what you pay for. Although often overlooked as not being one of the most important vendors, the DJ/Emcee controls the flow for the entire wedding. With all that responsibility, you need to know that he or she has what it takes to make your day perfect
Meet with the DJ and make sure he or she will actually be you DJ
Make sure to meet with your DJ before you book. You want to get a feel for his/her personality and mannerisms. Especially if you want your DJ to also emcee the event, overall appearance and professionalism is key. You should feel comfortable having conversation during the consultation.
How to Select Songs As a DJ
The true mark of a quality DJ is his/her ability to satisfy the crowd and keep people engaged. To be able to truly connect with one’s audience entails much more than playing records or doing fancy tricks. Playing the right songs and stringing them together in a cohesive fashion is the most important thing for a DJ and can be the difference between an event’s failure success. Here’s a little guide on how to choose the right songs when dj-ing an event.
Set the tone. Remember that you are creating the mood and atmosphere of the event, so think about what is appropriate. To set the tone, you should take a few things into consideration
Feel out the crowd. Now that you’ve found your starting point and have determined what genres might work best, it’s time to start honing in on what the crowd wants. The first few songs you play for a new audience are like an introduction, so it’s smart to play it a little bit safe until you get better acquainted. Depending on the crowd, top 40’s music is usually a safe bet, since most people hear these songs on a daily basis. Once you get a sense of which jams they respond to, you can decide what to play next to really satisfy them.
Build up the energy. Get them to crawl before they run. If you start off an event with too much excitement, there’s nowhere to go after that and everything else will seem a little disappointing. Also, people might not be ready for craziness right away. More often than not, folks are a little more reserved at the beginning of a party, so it’s important to use your music to stretch their social muscles and get them fully loosened up. As a DJ, you are in charge of bringing the party to its climax and sustaining it as long as possible. Make sure to build up the energy first so they have something to look forward to.
Experiment and don’t be afraid to disappoint. Once you’ve managed to figure out what works with the crowd, you can start digging deeper into their musical tastes or even get them to fall in love with something they didn’t realize was missing from their lives. But, when you are attempting to expose people to something new, it’s important that you build a foundation of trust first. That way they’re more likely to accept something unfamiliar. If that has already been achieved, then its time to really make your mark and separate yourself from the pack. Remember that you will not always please everyone, but at the same time you can’t be great unless you take chances
How To Choose The Right DJ For Your Wedding
What do you think your guests will remember most when your wedding is over? The first thing most guests say when asked about a wedding is whether they had fun or not. That means the atmosphere of your wedding is what will impact yours and your guests’ memory of your big day. Guess who controls the environment? The DJ!!
Choosing the right DJ can make or break your wedding. Hiring the first DJ available for your wedding is far from the best way to choose the right DJ for your wedding. Once you have the right DJ booked for your wedding, you can really have some fun focusing on other parts of your wedding planning.
Prepare Interview Questions
Hiring a DJ is like hiring someone for any position at any business. You want someone who is qualified and the experience you’re looking for. Would you hire a baker to make your wedding cake if they’ve never made a cake before? Probably not. This means you should come ready with interview questions
Ask Your Recommendations
If you have married friends, they are the first people you should ask for recommendations. You can even use your friends to expand your network for finding the right DJ for your wedding. Some wedding venues have a preferred vendor list that includes DJs, so you can be confident you’ll be in good hands if your venue is recommending a certain company or individual.
Read Reviews
Just like with other wedding services, there are likely reviews and testimonials online for a DJ you are considering. You may have to do some digging to find any reviews on one-man-shops. If you can’t find any reviews, that might be a cause for concern.
Tips To Choose Good Djs For Your Party
Experience/Professionalism
One of the single most determining factors in the decision making process should be experience. You can plan every detail to the exact second, but no wedding occurs exactly as planned. There is a flow to weddings and an experienced DJ will make any change or delay appear like it was planned and rehearsed. In fact, a proactive DJ will anticipate common situations and prepare accordingly. You spent hours upon hours planning, scheduling and stressing about every single detail, the last thing you want is to do is spend your entire wedding worrying that something will be missed. A great DJ can put you at ease because he or she has all the necessary details and the ability to improvise should things change or fall behind.
Price
Deciding a budget for entertainment can be very challenging because prices can range anywhere from $300 to $3,000. Many DJ companies offer various pricing packages along with a la carte options, travel fees, and/or per hour add-ons. Similar to buying a car, you have to be aware of what the overall price will be after all the add-ons, extra time, additional audio system (for the ceremony, cocktail hour etc…), and additional fees
Meet with the DJ and make sure he or she will actually be you DJ
Make sure to meet with your DJ before you book. You want to get a feel for his/her personality and mannerisms. Especially if you want your DJ to also emcee the event, overall appearance and professionalism is key. You should feel comfortable having conversation during the consultation.
Personality/Emcee-ability
You need to make sure that the emcee you hire for your wedding fits the style of wedding your looking for. One of the best clues to discovering the right person is the first impression you get when you meet. Some DJ’s try to be too outgoing, over the top and end up sounding “cheesy”. Other DJ’s are more DJ’s than anything and have a hard time making announcements and speaking in front of large groups. A good DJ/Emcee will find a healthy balance between the two. For most weddings, the Bride and Groom just want their guests to have a great time so the DJ has to know how to use the microphone effectively.
Equipment
You can find a DJ with great personality, experience, talent, affordable prices, but it is imperative he or she uses the proper professional equipment. Beginning with the sound, professional speakers make all the difference in the world. Professional mics are also important. You don’t want microphone to cut in and out of signal because of insufficient range. There are also many different types of microphones for different applications. Make sure your DJ has the right type of mic for your event. A DJ should also have backup equipment in the event of technical difficulties
How to Choose the Right DJ for Your Wedding
The DJ you hire for your wedding reception sets the tone for the whole event. They will act as the emcee, make announcements, and be responsible for organizing your guests as well as mixing the music at the right time. It goes without saying that you want a DJ with superb social skills and a great personality. Of course, they’ll need to know a lot about music. They need to entertain tastefully, and not overpower your celebration. But will they be a good fit for you? We’ve put together some tips on how to choose the right DJ for your wedding.
Get a Feel for Their Personality
Experienced DJ companies will have bios of their DJ staff on their websites. They will also have DJs of all styles, so whether you want trendy or traditional, rowdy or conservative, the more you research and communicate your personality preference with the DJ company the better. The best DJ companies will also have options for hiring specific DJs who are very popular and highly sought-after. You may find it money well spent to upgrade to reserve a specific DJ if that personalized service is important to you. Ask if they have a package that allows you to reserve one of these more popular DJs which includes a face-to-face meeting with the DJ in person before your reception.
Know Their Style and Music Preferences
The online bios from a DJ company’s website will also help you select DJs who like the same style of music as you. A great DJ company will have DJs who specialize in any music genre. Ask the DJ what kind of music they personally like. Hiring a DJ who has a similar taste in music to yours will make things easier. If you’re a fan of country music, having a DJ that also likes country will ensure that great songs are played all night. Having a similar interest allows the DJ to suggest songs that you might not know about and provide a deeper playlist to create a richer experience on your big day
Have the Freedom to Customize Your Reception
Make sure your DJ company has the option to customize your entire reception with current software. The best DJ companies have designed proprietary Online Event Planners that allow you to customize every aspect of your wedding reception. Take the time to log into a company’s sample Online Event Planner and see for yourself if it is interactive and easy to use. There is a big difference in quality in these planning tools and a little research is well worth your time. You should be able to customize all crowd participation, announcements, and music. Ask the company if you can select as little or as much music as you want. View their online music database and see if it’s organized and has tons of music you want. Ask if there is an extra charge for music that isn’t on their Online Event Planner database. Finally, make sure you have the ability to ask the DJ to stick to your custom online event planner as you have put them in writing, and they reflect what you envision for your wedding reception.
How Well Do They Communicate?
Before the big day, you should have the opportunity to speak or meet with your DJ and let them know what you expect from the night. This is an opportunity to verify that they are receptive, listening to your wishes and offering suggestions to make the night run smoothly. Playing your custom song list is only part of the job for a wedding DJ. The other part is emceeing the reception and other service providers, like your photographer and venue staff. They will give verbal cues to the guests about what’s going on and what’s coming next, where to direct their attention for the cake cutting, when it’s time for speeches, and the first dance.