In order to understand why this might not be a good idea, you need to know a little bit about the wedding entertainment industry. The goal of any small business, including the entertainment industry, is to make a profit. Wedding DJs earn a profit for providing entertainment at weddings. This sounds simple enough, doesn’t it? Here is where it gets tricky though. In order to get business, DJ companies may quote an incredibly low price to a bride and a groom to appeal to their wedding budget needs. Then, in some instances a DJ agency is left to try to find a DJ that will actually want to work the gig for that amount of money.

In some cases, a DJ service may be looking for djs for wedding as late as days before! While you may think you are getting a good deal, you may actually not be getting a deal at all. In fact, you risk not having the DJ show up at all for your event. Even if you do get a DJ to show up at the last minute, you will be faced with choosing any wedding DJ that is available. This may mean hiring a wedding DJ that isn’t very experienced, or even very good.

The good news is that you can take steps to make sure that your entertainment isn’t a disaster. First of all, ask questions about a DJ service before booking. Find out if the DJ works alone or with a group. In addition, do not rely on verbal agreements! It is important to sign a written agreement with the DJ when booking.

Finally, and most importantly, remember that if something seems to good to be true, it usually is.

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Recently there has been a significant increase in the number of calls I have got looking to make last minute bookings for a DJ for wedding or other similar function. They are often surprised and disappointed when they find out that we have none  available. Many of these people call up a month in advance  (although my personal shortest has been 2 weeks) before their wedding and have to resort to using the Yellow pages to randomly call to book a DJ. However, chances are they may find a few who may not have a good reputation, hence the reason for their availability at such short notice.

In the same way some people wait until the last minute to book DJs, some DJs are unreliable. Many people have expressed their fears with having DJs not show up for the event for varied reasons. Some DJs have no scruples cancelling or “no showing” because they can get more money on a job from another customer. This is unacceptable and even in short notice bookings we still would urge you to get a written agreement with your DJ for wedding

Another reason why we receive last minute DJ booking requests is using friends to do the event. This arrangement is usually low-priced with no signed agreement and possibly a lack of commitment on the part of the friend. It is no fun calling to book a DJ a few days before your function because your friend’s friend has backed out of the arrangement. The last minute booking is often beyond your budget and you are left with having to face embarrassment, disappoint the group or find an unsuitable substitute.

You should never leave the booking of a DJ to chance. Therefore, it is important to book the right DJ in advance for your wedding reception and avoid last minute headaches.

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Usually, this cannot be blamed on the type of guests you invite, your significant other or the wedding party. It is far more likely that the lack of celebration at your reception is due to the hired entertainment.

When you begin your wedding planning, hiring a DJ or a band is probably the last priority on the list, after the dresses, venue, guest list, food, and bachelor/bachelorette parties of course! Not all couples will even consider searching for a DJ at all. Perhaps they are more traditional, or classical if you will. But that is no reason that a DJ cannot be hired instead of that overpriced string quartet you were considering. Not all DJ’s are immediately super cheesy either, though some people find this type of reception entertainment enjoyable. Basically, a good DJ will be what you want them to be.

When choosing your wedding DJ, there are many factors to take into consideration. First of all, determine the budget that you have set aside for entertainment. A good DJ company, such as Party Events Unlimited, will not just have “off the shelf” pricing. A number of factors will determine your price and they will work with you to meet your financial needs.

Secondly, you need to research your DJ. Do they have a plethora of events that they work? The more occasions that the company can do shows that there is definitely more experience under their belts. The experience should be obvious if they offer customer phone numbers in order for you to get testimonials. Any mobile disco DJ should offer you customer reviews; if they do not, be leery.

A good wedding entertainment company should provide a variety of music; disco, pop, classical, blues, jazz, etc., and offer you an extensive playbook. All of this can be discussed and decided at the interview. Be sure to ask your DJ what other services they offer, including disco lighting and/or spotlights (in case they are not offered by the venue), dance floor decorations, and the opportunity to have a soloist.

Tasteful DJ’s will keep the most professional attitude, no matter how crazy the party gets. They will work with you to coordinate the speeches, the toasts, the father-daughter dance, the cake cutting and more! Their personal knowledge of music should be extensive and useful, without ever imposing on your preferences.

Your wedding day will be a day that you want to be memorable, not only for you, but for friends and family. The correct wedding entertainment can help make that happen, and create a feeling of enjoyment that when looked upon will never fade.

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It is important to remember that they’re a few types of DJ; Radio DJs, Club and Bar DJs, and mobile DJs. This page is referring to mobile DJs; The typical mobile DJ provides their own sound and lighting equipment together with music and often a charismatic host to entertain guests at weddings, birthdays, school prom, parties and all types of other events.

Spending the extra time doing your research into your DJ can help protect yourself from the cowboy DJ also known to many as £60 Sid… Sid is the DJ who is happy to perform for a night for £60, but of course we all know that a £60 mobile disco cannot be any where near the high quality standards of a mobile DJ that charges in the hundreds, after all you get what you pay for.

There are a few basic things that you should bear in mind when booking that the wedding entertainment, 18th birthday DJ or School Prom mobile nightclub Disco, that will ensure you not only you get a DJ that won’t cancel on you 2 days before the event (like Sid), but one that will in fact spend time with you planning your function and making sure your night is a special night for everyone to remember!

To start with Public Liability Insurance, or PLI, is an insurance policy which you should expect your DJ to have. This policy not only covers the DJ for any damages to the venue but also protects your guests if somehow there is an accident with equipment. In many cases these days a lot of function rooms require to see a copy of your DJs certificate, so don’t be afraid to ask about this and maybe do a quick check on the company it’s provided by, just to be extra safe (Our PLI can be seen here).

Electrical testing is one that goes along side with PLI, as most PLIs require equipment to be tested in order to validate the policy. This official test is called Portable Appliance Testing, or PAT testing for short. PAT testing ensures that the electrical equipment being used by your DJ meets a set of safety standards, leaving no room for mishaps. It is also perfectly acceptable to ask for a copy of this from your DJ, ours can be seen here.

Did you know that there any organisations and associations that represent DJs and mobile discos? One example of such a body is SEDA (South-east England DJ Associate), this is an organisation which we belong to. There are certain standards which members must comply with in order to join, all of which should help give you peace of mind knowing that the entertainer upholds a high level of professionalism. To have a look at SEDAs code of conduct click here.

To briefly summarise there are a few things which you should asking your DJ about;

• Public Liability insurance (PLI)
• Electrical Safety Testing (PAT)
• Any associations or bodies they belong to

Doing these few checks should hopefully help you in choosing the mobile disco DJ for your special event.

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