The DJ at a wedding reception has the ability to turn your special day into an event to remember. You have to ensure that the memories will be positive, which means seeking out a DJ whose approach to wedding receptions matches your expectations. Different DJs have different styles, and clashing styles result in the wrong type of memorable event.
No Vinyl, Please
DJs who travel to wedding receptions and other gigs should not use vinyl records or turntables that play them. Records skip and warp, and you don't want that kind of interruption during a great dance tune. If you have a special song that you want to be played and it is only on vinyl, see if the DJ can legally copy it into digital format (or you can digitize it yourself for backup purposes) so they can play it at your wedding reception. These receptions can be so busy behind the scenes that there is a good chance of records being dropped or hit, which could break them. Digital formats are better for a wedding.
Picking the Playlist
You're going to want a few songs of your choice in the playlist, at the very least. As for the rest of the playlist, who do you envision choosing the songs? Does the DJ want you to put the playlist together from a list of songs they have, or does the DJ want some creative freedom? This is actually very important because you don't want to inadvertently annoy the DJ by insisting on planning the whole musical selection when they have some preferred wedding playlists. Ideally, the two of you would work together to craft a mutually satisfying playlist that holds no surprises for you.
Sentimental Narration
Wedding DJs may speak during parts of the reception—making announcements and encouraging people onto the dance floor. They may also talk about the happy couple and act as an emcee for the entire reception. You need to be comfortable with how sentimental they might get and what type of tone they might take. Some couples really want to be announced when they're brought out to the dance floor, while others just want some music with straightforward announcing, and no sentimental narration of their lives intruding on everyone's meal.
You and the DJ need to speak with each other for a while about what both of you want for the wedding reception. Don't be discouraged if the first few aren't a match. This is business, and you're not going to click with everyone. Keep at it, and you'll find a great DJ.
Contact a local DJ service, such as They're Playing Our Song, to learn more.
