HOW TO CHOOSE A WEDDING DJ | TIPS FOR HIRING THE BEST WEDDING DJ
The best DJ for your wedding
Want to choose the most appropiate DJ for your wedding? Be sure to check out these 6 tips.
Are you stressed when thinking about choosing a DJ for your wedding? Do you want your guests to have a great time? It’s completely normal. After all, you want to pamper every aspect of this special day. A well-chosen wedding DJ will not only make everyone dance, but above all he will make sure that you are the center of attention that day. In addition, he at the right moment proposes a break so that everyone can eat and drink. I don’t have to tell you that in the end, choosing a good DJ affects the entire course of the wedding. So how do you choose the only and best DJ? Learn the 6 rules that will help you make the right choice!
1. Start by meeting your DJ candidate.
They say you can’t make a good first impression twice. There is something to it, which is why it is so important to meet the DJ you have chosen live. You can get to know him not only as a service provider, but partly also as a person. Ask questions, see how he reacts to more sensitive issues. Talk to him about your vision of the wedding, tell him what kind of music you like. You will see for yourself that such an ordinary meeting can really tell a lot about a person. Note what catches your attention.
And after meeting the DJ…
When you get home, talk about what each of you noticed or wrote down. Be critical. It’s your day and it’s really not worth making any compromises. In addition, when meeting a potential DJ, he is no longer just a “photo from Facebook” for you. In this way, you can check whether you get along with him, whether you think similarly and his style of work simply suits you. I’m sure it’s worth spending a few hours of your life meeting with a DJ so that you can enjoy a wedding that will be hard to forget.
Why ask all these questions? Or maybe it’s better to let go and not provoke a potential service provider? Perhaps such thoughts are occupying your head right now. However, I can assure you that you are the ones who dictate the terms here. Don’t be afraid to ask and share your doubts. You will see that this way you will immediately reject several DJs. In order to help you as much as possible, I have prepared 10 sample questions that you definitely need to bring to a meeting with a DJ:
1. Can we see a sample playlist/block of songs?
2. Does the DJ have a replacement in case of illness/other unforeseen events?
3. What games will be conducted at the wedding?
4. How will the party be carried out?
5. Does the DJ provide heavy smoke/lighting/(enter the attractions you are interested in here)?
6. Will guests be able to come up and order songs?
7. How many hours does a DJ play at a wedding?
8. Is the DJ also the ringleader?
9. How much does the wedding service cost, and how much does the after-party service cost?
10. How much time do we have to make a decision about the choice?
Maybe something else comes to mind? Or do you have issues that you really care about? Go ahead, the list has no limits! 🙂
2. Don't go without a list!
3. Check what your wedding DJ has to offer
Contrary to appearances, the DJ has an extremely important function at your wedding. It really is a real challenge and a lot of work to create a magical and unique atmosphere in your wedding hall. How will he do it? This is where your role begins. Be sure to discuss all the services that a DJ offers for your wedding. What do I mean here? From the very beginning of this unique event, guests should feel taken care of. In addition, at the entrance of the bride and groom to the hall, the DJ should do everything to make it effective and at the same time really suited to the situation and the entire wedding style. Your wedding DJ should provide you with a complete list of songs before the wedding. Then you will be sure that nothing will surprise you.
Should the DJ listen to the bride and groom completely when it comes to song selection?
Yes and no. I’m already explaining and explaining what’s going on here. Each DJ, ringleader or band has a specific repertoire. It is impossible to play everything and have fun with every song. A good DJ will offer a varied list, where everyone will find something for themselves. grandpa and grandma will be happy to dance to old school hits from their youth. If there will also be young people at your wedding, the DJ should make sure that the speakers play songs from the top charts of radio stations. The balance of genres will provide you with great fun, and each of the guests will praise the excellent choice of a DJ for your wedding. To sum up: let the DJ present his vision of the party. However, don’t be afraid to make suggestions and try different solutions. I am convinced that if you come across your DJ, then you will definitely know that you should choose him.
Maybe you don’t have much time to spend hours scrolling through the “Best Wedding DJ” rankings. After all, no one is looking for them that way. It’s completely normal! However, remember to give yourself the opportunity to choose from at least a few potential service providers. A DJ is like a stuffed pie, not everyone has much to show on the inside, despite looking good on the outside. It is worth conducting “recruitment interviews” and getting to know people from the industry. Ask them questions and let them talk.
4. It's not a race. Not always the first DJ will be the best.
Each meeting will bring a new perspective to your wedding.
Perhaps DJ “X” will not be the only one for your wedding, but he will drop an interesting idea that you will use? Be careful, though, because you can fall into the trap of looking for the perfect DJ here. Such certainly does not exist! There is no point in searching endlessly, hoping “that the dream ideal is waiting somewhere.” Before you know it, the wedding day will come and you still haven’t made your final choice. Just don’t search forever. If you and your future husband feel that you have caught the thread of agreement with the DJ for the wedding, then trust your intuition. In this way, you will surely guarantee yourself unforgettable memories of your wedding reception!
5. See for yourself how your DJ plays.
If you have already managed to choose a DJ for the wedding, it is worth going to the party that he is currently hosting and supporting. Have fun with the songs he plays. Of course, if possible, you can also take part in a party organized by him. Why is it so important? Well – I’m sure you want to have a great time on this special day. Dance, laugh and enjoy your holiday as much as possible. Every bride and groom dreams about it! In the end, such an important day, unfortunately, will not be possible to repeat. Testing the capabilities and skills of a live DJ will make you sure of the right choice. You will be convinced that you made the right decision.
Thus, on the day of your wedding, you will not be additionally stressed whether the DJ will lead the whole event according to your expectations. What if you don’t have that opportunity? This may also happen. Some service providers only play at weddings, and it’s hard for you to get invited by strangers. Trying to break into such a party just to see a DJ is unlikely to be the best idea either. What to do then? My advice – ask your loved ones for help. Ask if anyone had the pleasure of being at a wedding hosted by your DJ. If so, you are in a really good situation. You have first-hand information and immediately verify the decision you have made. However, when no one can tell you anything about the selected DJ, ask for opinions from previous married couples. Read reviews on the Internet and see if your DJ really is as great as he told you.
We all love informal ways to collaborate. If we can get something without unnecessary paperwork. This is understandable, especially in the era of ubiquitous signatures, confirmations and authorizations. Unfortunately, if we switch with the DJ too soon to be friends, it may turn out that he will not want to sign any contract with us. He will say that in principle you already know each other, perhaps you even have him by recommendation. Then he will inform you that it is enough for him to “get along” with a word. You will surely be delighted at first.
Such a DJ will certainly not want to deceive you. Ba! He treats you as his good friends. It wouldn’t surprise me if he added to his offer that it would be cheaper without a contract. And who doesn’t count wedding expenses? Believe me, everyone at this point in their lives counts penny for penny. Well, maybe not everyone, but definitely most. Don’t fall for it! A contract written with a DJ for your wedding protects your interests first and foremost.
6. "We don't need a contract for your services" - a straight road to disaster
What do you gain by signing a contract with your DJ?
If the DJ fails to fulfill the contract or fails to comply with all the arrangements that have been made there – you have the right to claim your rights here. In this case, with the appropriate provisions of the contract, you will not only recover the advance payment. In addition, you will be able to hold the DJ responsible for the damage he caused you, e.g. by not appearing in the hall on your wedding day. However – coming down to earth and wanting to talk about rather real things – such an agreement is very important for another reason. The detailed written framework of such a document will make you know exactly what to expect. The entire amount you declare to pay will be written in black and white, and you will also be sure that the date of your wedding will not be occupied by another couple. Therefore, listen to the photographer’s uncle’s advice and write down everything in this contract. Every little detail you care about. Thanks to this, you will be sure that your event will be a dream and successful.
You already know how to choose the best DJ for your wedding!
Phew, we somehow got through this difficult topic. Although, was it really that hard? I am sure that after reading all these tips, you surely already know how to prepare for a meeting with a DJ. You have learned the specifics of the work of these service providers and you are aware of what to pay special attention to. I’ll be really happy if at least one of the tips I’ve given will help you make the best choice. Remember that in addition to applying rigid rules, you should also give yourself room for your own intuition. Let your heart take over. Sometimes we forget that we as humans really know what is good for us. Talk about your expectations, confront them with the DJ and don’t let yourself be pushed with “extras” that you don’t need at all. I am convinced that you will choose a DJ who will perfectly lead your wedding party. In the meantime, all that’s left for me to do is wish you great fun until dawn!
My Top 3
Here you are my recommendations: The 3 best DJs you can find for your wedding in Poland
It is a selection made based on my personal experience as a wedding photographer in recent years. They are all DJs with whom I have had the pleasure of working and I can recommend them with the certainty that they will do an amazing job at your wedding.
Salto Events
Marcin Kudrewicz – Salto Events:
Sometimes we get questions at meetings “will we get all the guests to dance from the very beginning of the party?” To the surprise of those asking, our answer is “No.”
We are in a hurry to answer!
Our overriding goal in organizing events is that their participants, after waking up the next day, think to themselves “it was a really good party!”. For one, it will mean dancing all night on the dance floor. For someone else, conversations over drinks until dawn, and for someone else, a mix of these activities in different proportions.
To sum up, we give opportunities, but we never force your guests to do anything. Besides, especially at the beginning of the event, people need time to talk, get to know each other, spend time in a beautiful garden. Sometimes after 5 minutes we have wild fun on the dance floor, sometimes after 2 hours … There is nothing wrong with that, because each party has its own dynamics.
It’s the same with our animations. Confident souls of the party will certainly have the opportunity to prove themselves. On the other hand, we recently heard that we are “introvert friendly”.
We want you to not worry about anything on the day of the event and unfasten your roller skates! We will take care of everything in terms of organization, music, animation and entertainment!
Kordian Baran – Baran in public:
Why alternative weddings?
2018 was a breakthrough. After visiting the alternative wedding fair Silesia Wedding Day in Katowice, I decided that it was time to leave the club to the people to play the best parties in the country. I fell in love with the first dances, with the touching vows of humanist weddings, with the sunrises at the end of the wedding. I love when he packs the motorhome with music equipment and goes on a journey to the other end of the country to meet you in this one of the most important moments of life.
Baran in public
Why Baran in Public?
I’m definitely not one of those people who sit quietly in the corner. I have a lot to say and even more to show. I love what I do and music fills every day of my life. I’m not afraid of challenges, I’m open to the world, and looking for adventures is no stranger to me!
I love talking to people and learning new things about them, that’s why I’m not a cliche DJ – my job is my passion, and next to camping, the most pleasant thing that happens to me every week. I don’t just stand behind the console, I dance, I have fun with you, and above all, I prepare from scratch for every event, every couple and every order. After all, each of you is different, and each event is unique and one of a kind. I always try to make this day the way you dreamed it up, full of ideas and fun. I try to do everything with great ease, and my musical knowledge gives me room to show off. I do not limit myself to “standards”, I try to meet your tastes and expectations in 100%, although I also do not rule out surprises 😉
DJ Ogniomistrz
Eryk Bałdowski – DJ Ogniomistrz
WHY ARE YOU A DJ?
I absorbed the craft from my dad, a DJ from the times of reel-to-reel tape recorders, vinyl records, and then compact discs – so I have been playing music from an early age. The computer from the first communion had a lot of games installed, but my favorite was… Winamp. 🙂 And I quickly screwed the speakers and the walkie-talkie to the bike I received then. It was 1997. (Yes, I used to be a noisy cyclist, but I’ve grown out of it.)
The first serious lesson in playing was at the turn of the millennium, when my mother forbade my father to play and I was assigned to perform his duties at the New Year’s Eve ball so that my parents could dance freely. I’ve been preparing for this for months putting together a black and green Winamp playlist, yet the task turned out to be more difficult than the light school discos I’ve played so far. For the first time in my twelve-year-old head, the thought processes trying to keep and please the audience on the dance floor started.
Voice, microphone and English.
At the beginning of the junior high school, the music teacher (Ms. Barbara, I cordially greet) summed up the carol I sang with the words: “Eryk! TO THE CHOIR!” From then on, I joined several choirs, not only school choirs, and the short solo that fell to me in high school was a very stressful public performance, and only the then wide-cut trousers masked my trembling legs. (Today I still feel stage fright, but it’s kind of motivating, without the devastating stress.)
A year and a half worked just after graduation in the beautiful Newick Park Hotel allowed me to regularly watch English weddings, quickly get used to them, and in the future dream of a fusion of the advantages of Polish and English weddings, which together give a fantastic effect. Of course, I came back to Poland with my dream DJ console, on which I worked every Saturday, and my longing for England pushed me to polish my language while studying English philology. (That’s why I like international weddings so much, where Felix and I met.)
And when, as a fireman on duty in a shopping mall in Koszalin, I called the owners of cars parked nearby or payment cards left in shops through the radio, the jeans saleswomen sighed: “You have such a radio voice!”. Emboldened by the feedback, I bought the last missing piece of the hardware puzzle, the device I was most afraid of – a microphone. I had regular opportunities to get used to it, and soon I was asked to play at a wedding for the first time. It was 2009.
Why DJ Ognimistrz?
Because grandpa was a passionate (sic) fireman! In 2000, I joined the local fire brigade, and in 2009 I joined the state fire brigade, where I currently have the rank of fire master.
My dream is to fill my calendar as long as possible with just word of mouth and without the help of social media, which I don’t like. So far, I think it’s not too bad, since even Felix de Vega invited me to his article. I have amazing photos from him, he can capture the fire on the dance floor!
Book your date
Just drop me an email. I would like to hear about your plans
Félix de Vega
info@felixdevega.com
tel. +48 511 579 346
Warsaw | Poland
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