They're professional.

For those who have decided to have their friends DJ at their wedding, we would think they would also get to act like a guest at your wedding - drinking, hanging out with other guests, walking away from their DJ table, etc. However, professional wedding DJs are the opposite- they are professional, they come with a change of clothes and sometimes even a sandwich, so they don't have to get up to eat dinner (although we recommend feeding them a hot meal for all of the hard work that they do!) 

They remain professional, relaxed and in control of any situation that may arise; you'll never see a good DJ sweat even if they make an honest mistake and play the wrong song at the wrong time. Instead, they will make the job more serious than you could imagine, and you can allow your talented DJ friends to sit back and relax - they got this!

​They're ready + efficient.

A professional wedding DJ has their equipment and doesn't need to rely on the venue to provide it. They know their equipment like the back of their hand and come ready to set up. They will test the sound with the microphones, adjust as needed, ensuring you get the best sound possible from all angles. Some provide lighting, backup equipment and will have everything covered even when it comes to the "what ifs." 

They'll come with your timeline, have your list of songs loaded, the names of those who will be introduced (they even come with name pronunciations!), their table and linen, and even lights (if included in their package). To create the ambience of your dreams! Background music will be on before your guests arrive, reception speakers will be set up will be all set, and they will just wait for the wedding planner's cue for go time.

They listen to make it stress-free for you.

After all, it is your wedding day, so a good DJ should listen to your wants and needs, as well as your wishes and expectations, to help create your perfect reception. Not only should they listen and engage in providing the sound to your vision, but they will ask questions and even make recommendations if need be. Weddings are stressful enough, and once you hire a professional DJ, a huge weight WILL be lifted off your shoulders. 

It's your big day, one you've dreamed about for so long, and honestly, you shouldn't have to worry about trying to fit in the first dance, father/daughter, mother/son, anniversary dance, and announcing cake cutting after the words I do. Instead, it's your turn to hang out with your favourite people, enjoy your marriage, and let them take control of all of the important events in the evening. It's time for you both to mingle with your guests and not worry about timing and who's going to get everyone's attention for what's next.

A Great Wedding DJ Listens to You

A great wedding DJ will listen to your wants and needs. He understands this is one of the most important days of your life and that you trust him to help make it great. If there's something you want that the DJ doesn't quite understand, he should ask questions until he knows exactly what your wishes are and how to make them come true.

A Great Wedding DJ Is a Great Master of Ceremonies

Chances are you need more than wedding music from your DJ; you also need him to be a fantastic master of ceremonies. This includes engaging the wedding guests with the formal announcements and ensuring he gets everyone in the bridal party's name right. A great wedding DJ is also in charge of the timeline and flow of events for the reception, keeping things fun and running smoothly.

A Great Wedding DJ Knows What Music to Play

The music at your wedding sets the reception's tone, and it takes experience and preparation for a wedding DJ to be able to read the crowd. A great DJ knows this and understands how to incorporate the bride and groom's favourite songs, as well as music that gets your guests up and onto the dance floor. He plays the right combination of fast and slow songs to ensure everyone has fun, from your 7-year-old niece to your 90-year-old next-door neighbour.

A Great Wedding DJ Works with the venue

We believe that when you hire a DJ for your wedding, he should work with the venue, not just the bride and groom. By taking on the responsibility of contacting the reception hall before the wedding and making arrangements for setting up and logistics, a great wedding DJ reduces the bridal couple's stress and takes added worries off their wedding to-do list.

A Great Wedding DJ Is Ready When You Are

A wedding DJ with experience knows that it can take hours to prepare for a wedding reception. That's why he arrives well before the bride and groom to get everything set up and ready to go. He'll have his equipment tested and set up to maximise the venue's acoustics, ensuring you get the best sound and that all your guests can hear what's going on no matter where they're sitting. A great wedding DJ also has backup equipment on hand just in case something goes wrong.

A Great Wedding DJ Is Professional

A great wedding DJ acts like a professional in all manners. At your wedding, your DJ should be well-dressed and well-groomed, as well as relaxed and in control of any situation that may arise. He should not be drinking during your ceremony or engaging in any type of inappropriate behaviour with your guests. If something goes astray, a good wedding DJ knows how to advertise wedding disasters and act accordingly.

A Great Wedding DJ Is Invested

When you're looking for a wedding DJ, you want a professional, not a hobbyist. Professionals always do their best, not only because they want to make your wedding memorable, but because they have a reputation for holding up. Any professional wedding DJ knows that one bad wedding performance can ruin a good reputation and cause years of havoc with their business.

A Great Wedding DJ Takes Stress Off the Bride & Groom

While your wedding day should be filled with excitement, it's also a time of great stress and anxiety. A great wedding DJ knows this too and works to help reduce the bridal couple's stress by arriving ahead of schedule, taking care of the venue and helping your guests have a good time. As a result, you shouldn't have to worry about anything after the ceremony except having fun and enjoying your new marriage with a good DJ.

How To Pronounce The Names

When it comes to the grand entrance, one of the most important is pronouncing the couple's first and last names. Sometimes this can be challenging. That's why you might want to give the DJ the spelling of your name phonetically.

Don't forget to communicate with your MC to let them know exactly how and when you want to do the grand entrance. This will be the first time the new couple is introduced together, and getting the names right is not an issue you want to overlook. This will also be an opportunity for memorable photos and videos. Check out these past events on our wedding videography page for examples.

Style Of The MC

You must communicate with your DJ how you want them to handle announcements and such. For example, do you want someone who is funny and telling jokes, or do you want someone who is more of a fly on the wall and just there to help make sure everything runs smoothly?

As the master of ceremony, the DJ's job is to communicate information between the day-of coordinator and planner to the rest of your guests. Here in Portland, I find most of our couples would like a person who has a strong MC style and interjects as needed, but not an entertainer trying to be the star of the show.

We like all the guests to be informed of everything happening to be ready for upcoming events and know when things will happen before they happen. I feel having a confident MC is a lot more important to the flow of the wedding than actually playing the music. This is one part of our job that is overlooked but is very important to a successful event.

Style Of Music And Mixing

When it comes to the style of music, some DJs are radio mix DJs, also known as nightclub DJs, and they can mix songs back to back very quickly. This doesn't always work at weddings, and you probably want a DJ who will play an entire song. Communicate this with your DJ beforehand.

Another thing to look out for is DJ mix songs. Typically, at a wedding or similar event, guests want to hear the original versions of classic songs they are familiar with, not some new version of the song.

Also, most DJs will have a play if possible, and I must play, and a do not playlist. Make sure you communicate what type of music you would like your DJ to play and what music you would like him to stay away from. When it comes to different genres and styles of music, the more communication you have with your DJ, the better off your overall experience will be.

You probably don't want to pick out all the music that the DJ is going to play. You want to give them some flexibility and freedom. They are the professionals, after all. But make sure to give enough input, so they know what kind of direction you want during different parts of the evening. You'll be picking out most of the songs for the reception and the ceremony, and a portion of the dance party. But trust your DJ to fill in the rest of the songs and take requests from guests to make sure that your event is successful.

Length Of Special Dances

When it comes to the bride walking down the aisle, the father-daughter dance, the mother-son dance, and the first dance, these are all songs that can be played at a specific time and cut off at a specific time. The bride and groom often pick out a 5-6 minutes long song for the special dance. If this is too long for a one-on-one dance, the DJ can always cut down the song at a specific time.

It's important to communicate which songs you want to be cut down and where you would like them to cut down so that you guys are on the same page on the wedding day and you're not standing in the middle of the dance floor waiting for the song to end. A typical slow dance at a wedding should be between 1 to 3 minutes long, so don't let the song's length determine which one you choose for the special dances.

Use the DJ's expertise, and he'll be able to smoothly transition out of the songs at whatever length you feel is appropriate.

Ask For Reviews And Testimonials

It's always good to research if your DJ is a professional or just getting started. You want to know if they are a fraud before it's too late. You get one shot at this on your big day. Doing a little bit of research can go a long way.

One of the best places to find DJs is through your venue. Your venue should have a preferred or recommended list that they like to use. Other places to find good DJs are through The Knot and Wedding Wire. These are great resources for finding vetted vendors who are known to be reliable.

Once you've narrowed your DJ search down to a couple of companies, it is then time to set up a consultation meeting to get a feel for their personality. Before making that first phone call, you will want to go online and read some of their past reviews to get a better idea of the company you're about to hire. You can also ask for testimonials from past weddings so you can get a good idea of their reputation in the wedding industry.

Does Your DJ Need Wi-Fi?

Ask your DJ if he needs access to the internet to play music. This is a good indication that your DJ is a rookie, and he hasn't done many weddings because Wi-Fi is not reliable for events. On the other hand, YouTube, Spotify, and other online streaming services have made it very easy for people to get vast amounts of music for next to nothing.

For me, this is a big red flag and a sign of somebody that has not been in the industry for very long. As a professional company, I would never rely on the internet or Wi-Fi when playing music at someone's event. Imagine a scenario where the bride and groom are getting ready to do their first dance, and right in the middle, a commercial comes on or the song cuts because the wife goes down.

As a professional, that is not something that I want to rely on when it comes to offering a professional service. As a customer, I'd be very disappointed and embarrassed. Streaming services may make it easy for anyone to act as a DJ, but it's not something you should trust for an event that is supposed to be once in a lifetime.