Wedding Forum - Words Of Advice Before Booking A DJ......

Hi All,

After seeing some of the threads on here lately, especially the ones regarding how much some of you are paying for your DJ's, it is sightly worrying me.

I can't understand how any DJ, be it for a Wedding or any other event can go out for £120 or less, when there is so much more to running a disco, than just turning up on the night and playing music.

For your own peace of mind if nothing else, please check that your DJ has the following to make sure; a) You are covered should anything happen, b) You are actually getting a decent DJ - after all it's YOUR Wedding Reception!

Do they carry a Public Liability Insurance Policy?
Many venues now are asking for a MINIMUM of £2million. If your DJ doesn't have a PLI policy, 9/10 venues won't let them through the door. If your DJ doesn't have a PLI policy and something happens at your event, who's left to foot the bill?...usually the B&G!

Is their equipment Portable Appliance Tested annually to make sure it is safe?
Any reputable DJ company will get this done, as any faults with their equipment could be hazardous.

Do they carry a ProDub Licence, if required?
If a DJ is using a laptop or another form of equipment to play MP3's, that have been 'ripped' from a CD etc, your DJ MUST have purchased a ProDub Licence from the Performing Rights Society (PRS), otherwise they are operating illegally. The PRS do carry-out spot checks and if they happened to turn up at your Wedding Reception and the DJ didn't have a ProDub Licence when they should have, potentially both the DJ and yourselves would be in trouble.

Does your DJ use professional grade equipment and have photos for you to view of their set up?
Professional DJ's use Professional grade equipment for the simple reasons that it is more reliable, sounds better and the lighting effects look a lot better! Top brands are the likes of Bose, Pioneer, Martin, RCF, Mackie, ACME, Kam, NJD, Denon.
Cheaper brands tend to be unreliable, the sound quality is nowhere near as good and lighting effects can be really poor.
A professional DJ's website will usually have a 'Gallery' so you can view snaps of their set up and and also you can normally find snaps of people dancing and enjoying themselves... as this is what you pay us to do!

Do they have back-up equipment?
As an example, you are on the dance floor dancing away, when all of a sudden the music stops as the DJ's amp has blown up...what happens next? If your DJ is a professional, they will have back-up equipment with them, so the music will be back on in minimum time. If they're a cowboy, I think you can be fairly certain that that will be the end of your disco...

Is their music obtained legally or downloaded/acquired illegally?
This is a massive problem in the DJ world as wannabe's are downloading their music from torrent and other file-sharing sites etc instead of paying for it...this is illegal and there are big fines to pay should they be caught with illegal music. Also, the sound quality of the illegally downloaded music is usually pretty awful!

Will they provide you with a written contract when you decide to book?
Professional companies will provide their clients with a written contract and a copy of their Terms & Conditions which is usually signed by both parties. - Always double check it before signing and read it properly!
This is your (legally binding) guarantee and confirmation of the service you have booked and what is expected. Should anything happen with your DJ, you have everything in writing...but so do they! I have had an instance where a Groom found a cheaper DJ and cancelled me within 48 hours of the wedding, only then to re-read the T&C's, after I pointed out the cancellation clause. He soon realised that he owed me money...so it ended up costing him a lot more than just continuing with the booking.

As well as a contract, your DJ should also ask for a non-refundable booking fee (deposit) to secure the booking. This may be £100, 25% of the total cost etc. Both the deposit and the paperwork then make the contract legally binding in the eyes of the law.

Do they have testimonials from previous clients that you can view?
All professional DJ's I know, including myself, will display client testimonials on their website... after all everyone likes a compliment! ;-) This also shows that your DJ is up to the job and so has been praised for it.

Is their company operating legally? E.g. Are they registered, paying tax etc?
If they are a proper business, they will be registered as a business and/or self-employed, so as HMRC can claim their relevant percentage of Tax/NI etc...Please check your DJ is operating legally and is not just someone who is out to earn a few £££

Will your DJ meet with you face-to-face before your Wedding Reception?
Many professional DJ's will offer a pre-wedding consultation or meeting etc. - some will offer this included within their quote and some will charge a little bit extra to cover time and travel expenses.
The meeting gives both you and your DJ the chance to get to know each other as well as being able to go through your plans in greater detail. I've found that the best place to meet is at the B&G's venue as then you can talk your DJ through your day and how the room will be laid out, as well as showing them where you would like them to set up.

One question that I get asked from time to time is "Can I pop in and see you DJ at a Wedding before we decide to book you?"
Personally, my answer is no. If the shoe was on the other foot, would you like a stranger coming to your Wedding Reception just so they could have a look at your DJ, I know I wouldn't be too happy. As an alternative, I advise the potential client that asks this, that I will speak to the organiser of a party I am doing and see whether they will allow them to pop in for 5-10mins, so then it's up to them.

I don't mean to scare/worry any of you...too much lol, I just wanted to make you aware.

Since the recession hit, many people have been buying cheap, unreliable equipment from websites such as eBay and have been downloading illegal music and then calling themselves DJ's...All these cowboys are doing is dragging the DJ'ing industry down and making people think bad of us...and more importantly, ruining events by having equipment fail and having no back-up or in many cases, have not even bothered turning up at all! - I have had many phone calls this year from panicking Brides asking if I can help them out as the DJ hasn't shown up, so it does happen.

For DJ's like myself, it is saddening, as like many others, I take pride in my work and want to raise the profile of Mobile DJ's by running my business properly and delivering an excellent service, which all of you deserve.

I understand that many of you may be on a budget, but please don't let your Wedding Reception be ruined by a so-called 'DJ'...do your research and book a professional.
Your Wedding Reception is probably going to be the biggest/most important day of your life, so don't let some cowboy ruin it. - Studies have shown the part guests remember most is the reception and after the event when Bride's have been asked, many said they wished they'd allowed more of a budget for the entertainment... so make sure you get the entertainment right ;-)

...After telling you all of this, I personally, would be skeptical of any DJ quoting less than £275 - £300 for a disco and even then, for a professional DJ, there's not a lot of profit for them once they take off their expenses.

Right, lecture over lol.

Also, as always, if you have ANY queries regarding DJ's/Discos, please feel free to ask me in the "I am your UKBride DJ Expert" thread :-)


Regards,

Scott.

Great Post will be printing this and taking it with me when speaking to DJ's Thank you xx

my dj wanted £300 but i barted down to £200 i saw him at a wedding fayre and he was very good and as far as i know has the right paperwork and proffesional company (aardvark) should i be worried?!?!?

can i just add to this that you really need to have a long convosation with you potential DJ and see what vibes you get ....i was very lucky and got on with mine like a house on fire .....

you have to like your DJ dont you scott !!!!!

again anyone who is the coventry,rugby,tamworth,birminghan areas i would be more than happy to give you the details one the fantastic DJ we have booked and who i know will do us a fantastic job

Hi Scott, this is really interesting to read. I booked a 'wedding DJ' off the internet, he seems perfectly fine but just a bit worried as noone I know has ever used him before. He is £375, we paid £50 deposit, but he doesn't want the rest of the money until the wedding night, which makes me think he must be ok. What do you think? Should we meet him before the wedding just to check or is that not the 'done' thing?

Hiya Carla,

You are absolutely right about getting a good DJ and getting on with them, the reception's a very important bit of the day. Now you've recommended your DJ, I hope he's good...! ;-)

You know, quite a few months back I met this couple and I was talking to them for hours, how they didn't get bored of me I don't know lol.

Hope you're well btw? :-)


Hi Embbem,

I have replied to your post in the "I am your UKBride Disco Expert thread" :-)


Hi Helz,

£375 is a fair price - I assume it's 'standard' times i.e. 7:30pm - 12:00am or similar?

As for a deposit, £50 is fine. Mine is £100, but other DJ's I know use £75 or 20% of the total fee etc.

I would ask to meet your DJ, just so you can get to know them a bit and see for yourself whether they're the one for you. Most Wedding DJ's offer this service for free or for a small fee to cover time, fuel etc.

As for not paying the remaining balance on the night, he sounds honest enough. Especially as you know he's not going to grab your money and run! Usually, payment no later than 14 days prior to the event or cash on the night is the norm.


Hi Stormie,

I have just had a look on their website and can't see any mention of PLI, PAT, ProDub which is a bit worrying. Another thing I picked up on, which I forgot on my original post, was that many DJ's who regularly work in Nightclubs/bars etc still use CD's...but they make there own up from downloaded music. This still requires a ProDub licence as it is known as 'format shifting' - MP3 to CD.

£170 to me sounds VERY cheap and if I was you, i'd be a bit cheeky and say your venue has requested to see their PLI/PAT/ProDub documents and ask your DJ to send them to you...at least then you know they are covered.

I don't intend this post to worry you, but usually if a DJ is operating 100% properly, it is on their website telling you so.

I hope this has helped you all out.


Regards,

Scott.

Thanks Scott, thats great!

Hi Scott
We are looking at a DJ for our wedding thats only charging £220 for a disco from 19.00 - 1.00. We have checked that he has all the right licences and insurance as you stated, and he says he has 2 other DJ's and rigs and all spares incase something should happen. He has good recommendations and seems to do alot of parties/grand opening parties at large venues around the area. The deposit is £25 and he said to pay the rest on the night or before which ever suited us. Should we be worried? Or does he sound reasonable?

My dj was awful :-(

Hi Amy,

No problem, that is what i'm here for :-)


Hi xbeckix88,

Your DJ sounds like they are operating properly, but just seem quite cheap. £220 for 6 hours DJ'ing + approx 2 hours setting up/packing away seems low to me. However, if he is doing everything properly, then you've got a good deal. :-)

Just one thing, as I didn't notice it in your post, are you getting a full confirmation in writing and have you signed it? (I have edited the original post, which includes this).


Hi MrsL2Be,

It looks like you've got a good deal to me! At a rough estimate for that sort of service for 9.5 hours: DJ = £600, LED Uplighting £250, Start Cloth £100, so £800 total looks like a very good price. Enjoy! :-)

Hi Jillybean,

Sorry to hear about your DJ, doesn't sound good! If you just check for what I have posted above, then you should find yourself a professional and have a great Wedding Reception.


As always, when you come to look for a DJ, if you want me to recommend any to you, just let me know...my contact details can be found on the "I am your UKBride Disco Expert" thread :-)


Regards,

Scott.

Hey Scott,

Was reading through this, and im now a little worried after the disaster at engagement party where the dj was awful.

when talking to the venue that we are getting married at and having reception at, in our quote we paid £250 for the dj on top of everything else. The venue use an agency and near our wedding date they will talk to them and get us a dj as they use them regularly (the agency) i know they said they come pat tested and with public liability and what not as the venue demands that. However we just send the wedding co ordinator a list of essential songs/ genre's we wanting played and they will arrange it, but we never actually meet the dj till the day.

do we trust that the venue will get us a good a dj as they use this company all the time. the hotel and golf club are huge in plymouth for their weddings and its what they do and for the price i would expect them to know what they are doing. or do i cancel and get our own?

seems like a big risk as we booked a different venue for our engagement party few weeks back and as part of the price it included a dj, but he was well and truely awful, no one danced it played more ibiza club stuff than normal disco stuff, like chart and good old oldies, he even went as far as to place dance stuff, to which most of the older people left as they couldn't bare the noise. we did put in request and asked him to play the sort of music we wanted and he would for all of 2 songs before doing what he wanted again. the music really spoilt our night :( and dont want this to happen on our wedding day.

we made a huge mistake letting the venue deal with our engagement party music and now wondering if we are making the same mistake with our wedding venue.

Thanks Scott :-) xx

Scott, just read on another post that you should get confirmation of booking in writing, we only have that in email. Is that not enough?

Hi all,

I have tweaked my OP a little bit and added a couple of extra things in which had slipped my mind. I hope you find the post useful.


Rockabilly Chick,

Sorry for not replying to your post, completely missed it as I haven't been on here for a while...

In my OP, I didn't say the DJ had to carry spares of everything, I said they should carry back-up equipment. This could consist of spare leads, mixer, amp, fuses, lamps (not bulbs ;-)), extension lead - that's basically what I carry anyway.

You said "We recently did a wedding which we were paid £600 for and we play for 3 hours - set up and take down the gear and we play music between sets. It still only works out at £120 each."
I don't mean this to sound nasty, but If you're not happy with £120 for playing for 3 hours, plus playing music and setting up and taking down, then put your prices up and make them reflect what you think you're worth and what's acceptable to you.

Where I live isn't exactly one of the highest paying areas in the country, but even bands with 3-4 people in charge £750 - £1000 for 2 x 45 minute sets.


Hope you all had a good Christmas and Happy New Year!


Regards,

Scott

Bumped...

Please read the OP, I would hate for your Wedding Reception to be ruined by a cowboy DJ!


Scott.

Hi all,

Just giving this thread a little bump incase you've missed it.

Please do read the OP as it includes lots of information about what to look out for when booking a Wedding DJ - I would hate for you end up with a dodgy DJ and have him/her ruin your Evening Reception.


Regards,

Scott.