How to Choose a DJ

Whether you're planning an elegant reception, a corporate event, or simply a party for you and your friends; the atmosphere created by the entertainment you hire can make or break your event. Hiring someone who truly understands what you envision your event to be is one of the most critical decisions you will face while in the initial planning stages. You will want to make sure the company you hire has the experience to facilitate your event; while incorporating all of the elements, musically, that fit your preferences. Making your function unforgettable means doing some pre-planning research to guarantee your guests have a great time at your event.

Any DJ service can show up with the best equipment on the market, they can have all the special effects and lighting the industry has to offer, however, if they do not have professional DJ's employed by their service; you may be in for more than you bargained for. A flawless event consists of a DJ that knows all genres of music, facilitates to ensure a seamless flow, coordinates with all necessary vendors to keep communication lines open, and most importantly knows exactly what your expectations are, not only musically, but in the events you want incorporated into your function.

Before contacting any services, contact the Better Business Bureau, ask friends or relatives if they've used any services for events they've held and contact other vendors you've already hired for references. This will help you rule out companies that don't warrant a phone call and find those that do. From there, be certain you know what your expectations are. Do you want a disc jockey that bring along blow up guitars, performs skits and pulls guests from their seats? Or are you looking for more of a professional service that encourages heist participation through communication, knowledge of how to read a crowd and making the proper song selection choices, with an experiences MC who will control the tempo of the event? Once you have a solid idea of the type of service you want to hire, you are ready to move forward into the pre-interviewing stage, Contact the services on your list and get a good feel for the person you speak with on the phone. You want the initial phone call to make you feel confident in the service. If you feel rushed or uncomfortable with the initial conversation, you may want to mark that company off you're your list.

There are many important questions to have answered when seeking out the right service. Find out how long the company has been in business and ask for referrals. You want to make sure the service has a solid reputation with its past clientele and area vendors. Photographers & reception facilities are great references as these are the people that spend the entire evening working with you DJ. Be sure to ask about how experiences the DJ's are and what kind of experience they have. Many companies have several different DJ's working for their services; you want to be certain all of the DJ's are of the same caliber. Ask to meet and preview one or several of the DJ's so you can determine if you personalities are in sync with one another. You will spend a lot of time communicating in pre-consultation with you DJ and this is the person who will be interacting with your guests; you want them to be personable and someone you trust.

Another important factor is making sure the company you hire is fully insured and has emergency procedures in place for equipment failures and personnel. If your DJ has an emergency and cannot perform for you event, what will happen to you and your guests?

Finally, secure a company that's standard for customer service is above and beyond what you expect. You will want a service focused on understanding what you're tastes for music are, how much of the music you'd like to select, if you'd like to honor guest requests and whether you want to provide a do not play list. Ask about their music library and if they guarantee any pre-requested selections you choose; what they do if they don't have a selection you want and if you can provide it if you do. Look for a company that is willing to work with you. If you have a restricted budget; don't hire a company that undercut their competition, however, look for a company that is willing to give you options on cutting the cost; possibly by adjusting DJ play times or adding pre-recorded music for a portion of the event. "The DJ Service you hire if the most important selection you will make for your event; while on a per person basis, one of the least expensive services you'll hire. Remember, the DJ is the sole person responsible for making sure your guests have an unforgettable evening.