Picking your wedding DJ is a big decision! During the wedding reception, your DJ is in charge of pushing the night forward while simultaneously energizing your guests and pulling them to the dance floor.
That’s a big responsibility, and their success will have an enormous impact on your big night—and on the way people remember it.
But by properly vetting your wedding DJ before you hire them, you can ensure you pick a DJ who’s perfectly suited for the vision you have in your head!
25 Questions to Ask Your Wedding DJ
When you’re choosing a wedding DJ, be sure to ask these questions:
1. What does your planning process look like?
This question will give you insight into how seriously they take their job as a DJ.
How long do they meet with you ahead of time? How hard do they work to really understand you, your fiancé, and your vision for your wedding day? How do they put their music together?
By understanding their planning process, you’ll have deep insight into how much attention to detail they’ll put into your wedding!
2. What is included in your packages and other services?
Your DJ may have multiple DJ packages and other services available—and there could be more options available than you realize!
On the DJ end, they could have packages with flexible hours or additional team members. And on the services side, they may also offer Photo Booths and special effects like sparkler fountains and uplighting.
3. How do you price your services?
This question will likely be answered when you ask about services, but it’s important to cover.
As we discussed in our blog about how much the average wedding DJ costs, you can likely expect to spend somewhere around $1,400 and $1,500 for a wedding DJ in the Pittsburgh area.
But this price may increase or decrease depending on how many hours they perform, the gear they have, their experience level, travel to the venue and any last-minute requests.
Asking now will help you budget later!
4. Do you require a deposit?
This question is important because it helps you gauge how much money you should prepare to spend right now, which is especially critical as you work to manage your wedding budget and expenses.
In some cases, the deposit is non-refundable. So if you have any last-minute changes or ultimately choose a different DJ, that deposit could impact your budget!
5. Do you emcee as well as DJ?
At most weddings, the DJ works as the emcee in addition to the DJ, meaning they’ll introduce the wedding party and work the microphone for announcements.
Although this is typical, you shouldn’t necessarily expect it to be included!
If it’s not, you could wind up scrambling for additional support on your wedding day!
All of our DJs are also your emcee. Package deal!
6. What types of weddings have you performed in the past?
Ideally, your DJ should have experience performing at the type of wedding you envision for yourself.
For example, if you’re planning a fun, rowdy wedding, you want someone with experience getting people excited!
7. What sort of reviews do you have?
Public reviews are a great place to gauge whether or not someone is a talented, experienced DJ.
Check out Google, Yelp, The Knot, WeddingWire—everywhere you can dig up reviews!
8. Do you have any references?
While reviews are useful for gauging overall skill level and performance ability, references allow you to ask specific questions about their performances. For example:
- How did this DJ sound?
- How did this DJ interact with your guests?
- Did this DJ make any last-minute accommodations for you?
9. How much experience do you have?
An experienced DJ can likely put on a better performance, but there are other benefits as well. They’re also more likely to better manage unexpected requests, problems, and hiccups on your wedding day—helping them create a smooth, seamless experience for your guests!
10. Where have you performed in the past?
This question gives you a few different (and important) insights.
First, this question shows you how flexible they are. If they’ve performed everywhere from converted barns to elegant art halls, they’re likely familiar with how to produce the best sound in different settings.
In addition, this will also indicate whether they specialize in one type of venue—and whether or not they’d be a good fit for you.
11. Have you performed at our venue before?
If they’ve performed at your venue before, they know all about its nuances, like where to plug in for power, how the architecture impacts the acoustics, and where to load in their gear.
If they’ve never been there before, ask if they’d be willing to visit before your wedding day so there are no unhappy surprises or hold-ups on the day of.
12. What is your style like?
Every DJ has their own persona, and that persona should match the mood you want to establish during your wedding reception.
13. What is your background?
This gives you a deeper look at their professional experience.
Have they worked in radio? Have they worked in entertainment? Have they worked in the music business?
Although these aren’t DJing activities, they can assist in teaching how to deliver a great performance!
14. Is DJing your full-time gig?
If someone is a full-time DJ, they think about it all day long, and they’re working on a daily basis to get even better.
If someone is a part-time DJ, they might still be capable of putting on a great performance, but they might lack the experience level you’re looking for.
15. Will you help me develop a list of songs for my wedding day?
An experienced DJ has a wealth of knowledge and insights into what songs are best for your specific wedding day and relationship.
If the DJ is willing to sit down to get to know you and develop a list of songs, they’ll likely provide a similar level of attention to detail through the rest of their work as well! That’s a great sign.
At Moxie Events, we love working with the Vibo app, a great tool for organizing song requests and creating a timeline for your wedding day—ensuring you cover everything from the cocktail hour to open dancing to cake cutting.
With the Vibo app, you can also:
- Create a custom wedding timeline
- Add and remove songs for your wedding day
- Search for custom song mixes
- Develop unique playlists
- See what’s trending
- And more!
16. Will you take pre-wedding requests?
Building your wedding reception playlist is incredibly important for capturing the mood during the first dance, cake cutting, and other moments. Talk to your DJ about song selections and ensure they can play your requested songs!
17. What is your request policy during the wedding?
This is an important question to ask, especially if you want your guests to have the ability to ask for songs they’d like to hear on your wedding night.
18. Will you take a no-play list?
This question is important to ask if there are certain songs you don’t want to hear—especially if you’re giving guests the ability to ask for songs.
If you’re unsure if there are songs you don’t want to be played, ask your DJ what other couples are requesting not to hear.
19. Where can we watch you perform before your wedding date?
Seeing a DJ in action ahead of time might give you better peace of mind before picking them.
Although you likely won’t be able to watch them at a wedding you don’t have an invite to, they may have public events coming up you can attend!
20. Do you perform overtime upon request?
Your DJ likely has a set time that they perform at weddings, and they base their price around this timeframe.
But as you likely know, sometimes you want the party to last longer than scheduled! Ask your DJ if they’re willing to perform a little bit longer if requested on the night of. Just make sure your venue is ok with the added time!
21. Do you coordinate soundchecks on the day of?
This is incredibly important. Soundchecks ensure your DJ can produce a great sound in the reception space—which might not have been designed with acoustics in mind. If your DJ regularly sound checks, you’ll likely get a better overall sound!
22. What is your cancellation policy?
You probably have your wedding day circled and underlined on your calendar, but issues could pop up that delay your date. In a worst-case scenario, it would be good to know how much time you have to cancel your booking with the DJ!
23. Are there other people on your team?
Sometimes, like at Moxie Events, your DJ will come from a wide team of DJs.
That could become important. If your chosen DJ has a sudden family emergency or health issue, they could have to cancel your wedding at the last second. But working with a company that has multiple DJs improves your chances of finding a great replacement on short notice.
24. How do you get the crowd excited?
You know your guests better than anyone else. If you’re worried about how energized your guests will be on your wedding night, this question will help you determine whether or not the DJ will be capable of getting people out of their seats and onto the dance floor.
25. Do you have insurance?
This is an important question to ask if you’d like to make sure your guests stay safe on your wedding night.
Although injuries are unlikely, tripping on a cord or knocking over a speaker could cause a serious injury! Insurance will help pay for any unforeseen medical costs.
Pick A DJ Who’s Right For You
To find the right Pittsburgh DJ for your wedding, check out our wide selection of Pittsburgh Wedding DJs available right here at Moxie Events!
If you have questions, contact us!