Things You'll Need:
- Internet
- Phone
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Step 1
The first step in hiring your DJ is to choose what purpose is he going to serve? Lets use a Wedding as a good example! Wedding DJ'S are hired to host a celebration of a married couple and play really great music as the night progresses... He is responsible for knowing what to play when to play and how to get the people on the dance floor. The role of a DJ in a wedding is probably the largest of 4 major roles which include Bride / Groom, Coordinator, DJ, Food / Drinks.
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Step 2
So the next step is how do we find our DJ? The first step you might want to look at is how much can you afford to spend on a DJ for your Wedding. A lot of DJ's have skills in many areas of entertainment. A lot of them usually have special fx lighting they can use at your Wedding to transform your room from ordinary to extraordinary. There is nothing like a good lighting setup to make your wedding have atmosphere. On average the normal Wedding DJ will perform your function for anywhere between $200.00 to over $1,600.00. Typically the DJ's in the lower aspect of the finance spectrum are usually amateur DJ's trying to build up they're reputation! The best thing to do when inquiring about a dj is to ask for some previous clients ask if its okay to contact them to see how good they did! Remember your event is important to you so its vital to make sure your DJ is a good one! So lets get to finding our DJ!
There are many sources I have compiled together to hire DJ's when I'm not DJ'N myself! I will share 3 main resources that work very well for me :)
1.) GigMasters.com
2.) Eventective.com
3.) CraigsList.org -
Step 3
I will start with the first. GigMasters.com is one of the largest entertainment vendor agency site on the net! The specialize in hiring many forms of entertainment for your wedding! From fire breathers, magicians, bands, to DJ's they're your one stop shop for any party or event! The great thing is all you have to do is log on its FREE! put in your information about your event go grab a coke... sit back and let the DJ's bid for you they will give you a sample of they're mixing ability a list of they're clients and a photo so you know what they look like they also bid for your event so you can see how much exactly it will cost you they're great and cost effective!
The second is Eventective.com They go above and beyond just hiring entertainment they even take it as far as finding a venue, coordinators, decorators, florists, even limos! They also can bid for DJ's as well they have so much to offer when it comes to planning your wedding or finding your wedding dj
Third is Craigslist.Org. Craigslist is a neat source to finding cheaper entertainment. Everybody is feeling the crunch of the economy squeezing every little penny out of they're pocket now and days so who wouldn't want to save a little money on they're wedding or event without sacrificing a lot of production value right? Well lately a lot of DJ's have listed they're services on Craigslist.org in hopes of building new clients! These DJ's are usually the high end DJ's just working a stimulus plan themselves! They usually come with a lighting package and will totally customize your event its great if your on a budget or just trying to find local DJ'S immediately! -
Step 4
Collect a list of a few DJ's maybe 10-15. Call them up, email them, get in contact with them find out how much they're going to charge you! Your going to always want to ask them the D.I.S.C. .J.O.C.K.E.Y.S. pre-requisite questions!
D. How long have you been a professional DJ?
I. What type of DJ'n do you specialize in?
S. Do you have insurance?
C. Have you ever missed an event or not shown up?
J. What is your best technique for getting people on the dancefloor?
O. Do you charge for setup and striking and if so how much?
C. How much do you charge per hour or for a 4 hour block?
K. Can you customize my playlist of do plays and don't plays?
E. Do you have a microphone or two to do toasts and announcements?
Y. Do you have any lighting packages that you have to offer?
S. What comes with my package that you have either customized or put together for me? -
Step 5
4.) After interviewing your Wedding DJ choose two from the list one as a backup and your primary DJ. Often Dj's will require you to put a deposit of anywhere from 25% - 50% (USUALLY 50%) to book the date and lock you in place! Once you have chosen your Wedding DJ stay in contact with him constantly check up to make sure everything is prepared and that your music selection is good to go! If you have a wedding coordinator make sure your DJ meets the coordinator so they are all on the same page!
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Step 6
Send me an invite to your wedding!
Comments
cindyscorner said
on 8/23/2009 Great article. This is really good information! It makes me want to have a party!! 5 Star