Things You Should Know Before Selecting a Disc Jockey

This article is written by a DJ:Plus! Mobile Disco Entertainment
Selecting the right disc jockey for your wedding reception is one of the most important decisions that you can make and can be a very bewildering and daunting task. Everything else can be perfect, but if the music is not great, the reception will not be the success it deserves to be. Selecting the right Disc Jockey can be confusing. So how do you pick the right Disc Jockey? The intention of this article is to provide you with enough information so that you will be able to select the perfect disc jockey that will make your wedding a success.
There are many avenues that you can take in your search for that perfect DJ. The Yellow Pages lists many disc jockeys, friends, relatives or function venues may recommend someone that they have seen or used previously. They will all promise that they will do a fantastic job for you – and some will do just that. It is important to know however, that there are many different types of disc jockeys;

Disc Jockey Agencies / Multi System Disc Jockeys:

Give the impression of being the leaders of the industry by use of high profile advertising. They have many disc jockeys on their books with equipment predominantly owned by the agency. These agencies also at times sub-contract work to other disc jockeys.
Using Disc Jockey agencies and Multi System Disc Jockeys can be a bit of a lottery in that there is very little training or quality control. They may have some very good DJs working for them, however there is the potential for a large variation from DJ to DJ. Some might not even see their DJ staff for weeks or months at a time as staff are often allowed to keep very basic style equipment in their own homes. Further, while some firms supply some CDs to their staff, the music is largely supplied by the DJs themselves from their home CD collections.
These DJs have little or no experience and are generally paid poorly (as low as 25% of the fee) and find it hard to afford to maintain and expand their music collection. Some, in an effort to cut costs, will even resort to illegally copying music onto tape, compact disc or mini disc. This being the case, they find it hard to keep motivated and interested enough to deliver a superior level of service and entertainment, often only lasting 2 to 3 years before becoming disillusioned, realising that it is hard work, expensive and that they are actually losing money.
Disc Jockey Agencies and Multi System Disc Jockeys have also been known to forward a list of songs to the clients so that the client may select the music they want. However, due to the reasons mentioned above, this can bear little resemblance to the range of music the DJ will actually have at the function, potentially leaving you at the mercy of the DJs own personal tastes.
You should also ask yourself, that even though you may speak and deal with the owner of the Disc Jockey Agency or Multi System service, how much personal attention can you expect from an owner who has ten or more functions going at one time.
Overall, Disc Jockey Agencies and Multi System Disc Jockeys concentrate on domestic functions and appear to be more interested in putting as many DJs as they can on the road, rather than striving to provide the best possible service to the client.

Night Club Disc Jockeys:

Have very little experience at functions and use very different techniques and programming styles to mobile DJs. Further, they often have to hire equipment, adding to their already inflated price due to their status as a Club DJ.
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Single Unit Disc Jockeys

This includes many freelance and hobbyists as well as truly professional disc jockeys. Hobbyist DJs may be keen, but do not usually have the music range to satisfy all clients, sufficient experience or back-up equipment if things go wrong. These DJs are usually only in the business with the hope of making a quick buck.
There are however a number of single unit disc jockeys that provide a totally professional experience, have a wide variety of music, sufficient experience to handle any situation, have back-up equipment and contingency plans in case of an unforseen event.

Now that you know about the various types of disc jockeys your task has been made somewhat easier. Upon finding several disc jockeys that you like, how do you tell which one is best? Remember that you want to choose the entertainer that offers the specific package that matches what you desire. It is important to create a rapport with the DJ over the phone. Pay attention to their manner of speaking and attitude, their personality tends to spill over into their DJ style. How are they at returning phone calls? Were they prompt in sending the information you requested? If you have that “feeling” in you gut someone is wrong for you, trust your instincts and move on.

Here are a few questions you may want to ask a prospective disc jockey

  • Do you use professional equipment and provide back-up equipment in case of an emergency?
  • Do you belong to a professional trade group or association? (gives you an indication as to how serious a DJ is about his business)
  • How many years experience do you have? (knowing common situations/problems can help keep your wedding running smoothly
  • How will you be dressed? (if you are having a formal affair, do you want your DJ showing up in jeans)
  • How early will you be there to set up? (typically 30-60 minutes, prior to the guests arriving should be allotted)
  • Will you allow requests? (a flexible DJ will keep you and your guests happy)
  • Do you offer a written contract? (helps avoid potential disputes as to your and the DJs obligations)
It is YOUR wedding day, why take unnecessary chances when there are professional DJs who will take that extra step to offer exceptional service and ensure that your wedding runs smoothly no matter what happens!!

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    Glenn and Jen

    You’ll Love Us As Your Marriage Celebrant

    When you book with PartySound, Glenn will be your first point of contact and will be with you all along the way. We don’t sub out events to other DJs as some companies do. DJ Glenn will be the person planning your wedding with you and will be the person who will be there on the day as your marriage celebrant. Guaranteed!

    Based on 63 reviews
    Michelle Willcocks
    Michelle Willcocks
    2023-04-10
    We used Glenn as our wedding celebrant and Jen for the photography. I cannot recommend them both highly enough! From our first meeting we were comfortable with them both and knew they would be great for our wedding. Glenn listened to what we wanted and created the perfect ceremony with every detail exactly how we wanted it. They are both so reasonably priced as well and go above and beyond. We wanted casual but serious when needed and relaxed and Glenns banter and jokes beforehand and after were just right! Jen was amazing with the photography and she had a few sneak peak pics to us the same night! We absolutely love these first photos and cant wait to see the rest but we're confident they are going to be amazing! My husband and I highly recommend both Glenn and Jen, they are an awesome team but you'd better get in and book them fast as they are so amazing I'm sure they'll be snapped up for upcoming events very quickly!
    Belinda Black
    Belinda Black
    2023-03-19
    Thank you Glenn and Jennifer for everything. Our night was perfect. You went above and beyond what was required or expected, from Celebrant to photographer to DJ and MC. Outstanding service and always adapted to our crazy crowd. Highly recommend the full package. John and Belinda
    Nyissa Seivers
    Nyissa Seivers
    2023-03-18
    We hired Glenn for our wedding 23.11.22 to MC and DJ and could not have been happier! He was absolutely amazing, so easy to work with and great at reading the crowd. I was really nervous about the night as it was on a Wednesday but he kept us all on the dancefloor the whole night, played exactly the music we were hoping to hear and easily merged in guest requests. It was SO fun and really completed our night. He was an amazing MC as well which added so much to event especially between speeches, didn't even realise just how important a good MC is until then. Highly recommend!!
    kelly w
    kelly w
    2023-03-11
    We hired Glenn to be our MC and DJ at our wedding. The night went great and it was a relief having a professional look after the MC'ing so our guest could enjoy themselves. The music was as asked and kept the dancers on the floor. Thanks for helping make our night memorable.
    Rhaizza Mae Golez
    Rhaizza Mae Golez
    2023-03-07
    Glenn and Jennifer did such an amazing job at our Gala. Everything went smooth and everyone was enjoying. The photobooth was elegantly put together with props. Glenn was the best DJ/MC, both of them accomodated our requests and made the event stress free, memorable & enjoyable. We will definitely get them both for our future events
    Reanna Gant
    Reanna Gant
    2022-11-30
    We had Glenn as our Celebrant, DJ and MC, and Jennifer running our Photobooth at our wedding, and could not be happier with the services they provided. Glenn was funny and witty, knowledgeable in what he does, knew how to read the crowd, played great music and was so easy to converse with during planning and execution. Jennifer was great with the children, organised, lovely to talk to and the photobooth was a great hit. Despite being seriously behind in schedule (thanks mostly to me, the bride haha) everything still ran seamlessly and we received so many compliments on how great they both were. It was awesome having a number of vendors rolled into one business and their website was excellent, easy to navigate and helpful with tracking everything from time lines to music requests. Both Glenn and Jennifer are beautiful down to earth people. We highly, highly recommend them both to anyone planning a wedding!
    Kay O'meara
    Kay O'meara
    2022-11-22
    Party sound Weddings and events are all rounders and a one stop shop! They made our wedding day go so smoothly and their set up for the DJ booth and photo booth were perfect! We absolutely loved these guys and would highly, highly recommend them!!!
    Daniel Grasso
    Daniel Grasso
    2022-11-08
    Glenn from Partysound was our MC and Dj for our recent wedding. Nothing was too hard for Glenn during the lead-up to our big day. He was so easy to work with and on the day, his MC and Dj skills were superb. He was witty, funny and had all the perfect songs lined up for just the right moments. Our guests all commented on how great he was. I highly recommend Glenn, and thank you so much for being a part of our special day.
    Cat Cupitt
    Cat Cupitt
    2022-11-06
    Glenn and Jen are both absolutely amazing. We had the best wedding and could not have wished for better and that was due to the absolutely awesome work from both Glenn and Jen. The pre meetings they held with us covered everything and made a smooth and perfect day. Glenn has such a great personality and is the best MC, celebrant and music man anyone could ask for. All my guests commented about how good he was. And Jen was easy to get along with, calm and organised. She put in such a big day with us and captured it all. The photo booth was so fun too. Could not rate these guys high enough. Xxx
    Ben Langtree
    Ben Langtree
    2022-10-28
    Could not recommend Glenn & Jennifer enough! They took care of our entire wedding as the Celebrant, DJ, MC and Photobooth vendor all in one! Our day would not have been possible, or as seamless and amazing as it was, without PartySound. Glenn was so professional and well spoken, with the perfect amount of personality and humour to keep our guests engaged from the start of the ceremony all the way through to the end of the reception. Nothing short of 5 start service, I'm so glad PartySound was our vendor for our wedding!