First of all, while budget is key in the preparation for your big day, you don’t want to cut corners on the things that leave a lasting impact. So, while you can get a ‘cheap’ DJ are they the right DJ. 

1. Do they have Public Liabilty Insurance?

Any DJ working on your special day should be able to provide evidence of their Public Liability Insurance, this is a requirement to proctect you and your guests in the event that something goes wrong with the DJ’s equipment. We don’t ever want it to happen, but if a speaker falls over injuring the Bride’s mother, or a child, you want to be certain that they are covered. 

2. Have they offered to meet you to understand your personal requirements?

When your big day comes, the less you have to worry about the better, having to point your DJ in the right direction in terms of music or having to prompt them to speak is not something you really want to be doing.

Any professional DJ will offer to meet either in person or via a video call to get to know you both and understand what music you like and how you want the event to look, what colour lighting etc. 

We can also offer advise based on our years of experience, the pitfalls to avoid and things that work well. We aim to make sure we know who and how the photographer would like things on the day too. 

3. Can they really cater for the amount of guests?

Most DJ’s can run many different setups that they can tailor to your event, whether this is using gear they own or sub-hire in, they should understand what is needed and quote properly. Underpowered PA speakers or poor quality speakers can ruin a night. 

4. Do they have backups to allow them continue in the worst case scenario?

Running a DJ/Entertainment business is not cheap but making sure the night goes ahead when booked is more important than anything. Ensure your DJ has a backup plan, that may be taking extra equipment to the venue on the night, or they have access to another full setup should their’s fail.

5. Are you covered by a contract?

You would’t book the catering or venue without having a contract to protect you, the same is needed with a DJ. The contract should include details of their provision should they fall ill or have a family emergency that means they can’t turn up.  It will also outline what is needed at the venue for them to perform and will also outline the expected behaviour of both guests and the DJ themselves. 

PAY A DEPOSIT WHEN ASKED. 

If you do not pay the deposit requested, and the remaining balance in the times outlined in the contract, then you will not have a DJ. 

The most important thing is to make sure you are comfortable with the person you choose, they will make your event go with a bang and keep it trouble free for you.