Not everyone can DJ, but with these tips you'll save a lot of money. (Source: dubassy)
1. Create a master list of local DJs.
Don't be surprised by how many people skip this all too obvious step. Search your area for a wedding planning or bridal association. If you are in a large city, you should even be able to find an association for wedding DJs. Peform a search for "wedding DJ (my city)". Search weddingwire.com and theknot.com. Then spend a half day calling them all. Leave a standard voicemail that asks for their price range on a few chosen (or one) specific dates and a set length of time. The ones that get back to you are worth it, and don't bother with the ones that don't. This list will give you a great starting point for your price range.2. Ask them what makes them different from their competitors - make them justify their price - and ask for 2 references.
Yes, it seems like a barrage, and it's meant to be. Make sure your DJ is competant by turning up the heat a little bit. They have to sell themselves to you, not the other way around - at least at first. Listen for key pauses and don't accept excuses. If they don't have much experience, ask for a video or recording (mixtape) of a recent performance, and subsequently, a lower price. Disk Jockeys with less experience warrant a lower price. That's how life in a capatilistic society works, and you need to take advantage of it.After they've put their "spin" on their resume, ask them for 2 recent references and the dates they performed their service. Someone with references too far out might not work the DJ circuit as much as they say, so ask them for more recent references and see how they respond.
3. Do you also act as the "emcee" and make all the announcements?
This sometimes costs more, and experienced DJs are good at keeping the tempo of a wedding where it should be at all times. Slowing it down around the time of the first dance and speeding it up at the end of the night for the big finale are just a few things inexperienced Disk Jockeys might "drop" (yes, another pun!). This is all done with music and breaks for announcements. If you have someone with experience, you can consider using them to emcee the party.4. Ask if you could pay up front in full (reputable DJs only) for a discount instead of paying a deposit.
This, of course, assumes that you won't be changing the date. If you have this luxury, why not ask them for 15% off their quote if you pay in full as soon as you make a decision? All they can say is no and then try to meet in the middle. Vary the discounts you ask for with every quote from a reputable DJ you receive and you'll start to get an idea about how much wiggle room there may be in each price.5. Promise that there will be no overtime.
That is, unless, your DJ wants it. If you go over your quoted time limit, you pay more, plain and simple. But if you can guarantee the DJ they will be done when time is up, most will surely appreciate it.6. Have your wedding celebration at an off peak time or date.
Like we discussed about in our previous post Save Money With A Sunday Wedding, vendors can be up to 40% off on days besides Friday and Saturday. If you don't want to ask people to come hang out on Sunday with you, try a morning or early afternoon wedding ceremony, have the DJ work while most of the crowd is there, and then transition into using a playlist off a friend's .mp3 player or phone.7. Ask them if they require a meal.
If they do not, offer them the wedding meal for a bundled discount to create good favor, or if you prefer, to quite literally butter them up.8. Get quotes for specific days, and plan in advance.
The further in advance you can plan, the higher the discount you should be able to ask for. Telling them you can write them a check on the spot is a great way to push them to a discounted yes.9. Consider hiring a college student that DJs.
Ok, so we've come to this. That's right - what if you need to save even more than the quote's you received? Well, 1) college kids usually need money, and 2) Communications Major students usually need things to put on their resume, so add this up on the 1's and 2's and you have yourself a deal. Call the Communications Department at your local University and ask for a list of students who DJ. Check them out beforehand and make sure they have what you're looking for. As long as you make sure the deposit is refundable, hiring a student DJ for your wedding could be music to your ears! If the student hasn't done a wedding before, make sure you have someone that can emcee for you (like a family member or a friend), but again make sure that someone has experience.10. Skip hiring one at all - have a friend rent a 2 speaker sound system with a microphone for $200.
Let's be honest, the gap between the technology a DJ used and what a young adult uses in their daily lives has significantly closed. Getting a quality sound from a great mix of music is easy to find, given that you have a motivated friend. Just make sure they are good at reading the crowd to determine what they want to hear. As long as you have a plan in place (and a back-up plan should the equipment fail), there's no reason you can't have your wedding played off a computer or .mp3 player. If you are ok with the higher possibility of a hick-up, this is a great alternative. Make sure they practice a decent amount with the equipment beforehand, just so they don't "mix" it up!M5QGZCRNGEMC
