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As many occasions as there are to celebrate – pool parties, picnics, sweet sixteen’s, school dances, proms, anniversaries, christenings, birthday parties, Bar/Bat Mitzvahs and wedding receptions – there are just as many kinds of mobile disc jockeys. DJing a wedding reception is a highly specialized service, too important to entrust to a “jack of all trades.” Do yourself and your guests a favor – hire a master of the trade, a wedding entertainment director.

The role of disc jockey is only one of the five specialties of a wedding entertainment director. A wedding entertainment director is trained and highly skilled as an announcer, host, master of ceremonies, and event coordinator among other things. The most critical (and most often overlooked) of these responsibilities is that of the announcer, for it is he who sets the tone for the wedding reception with the first words he speaks through the PA system. Even though an event may be held in a glorious ballroom with vaulted ceilings, regal chandeliers, elegantly appointed tables and lavish floral decorations, the bridal party introductions will set the tone of the entire event. It should be stylishly classy and delivered with perfect inflection, diction and pronunciation. The intros should never sound like a World Wrestling Federation match.

Finding the right person to handle this pivotal role is the key to making sure your wedding reception fulfills your expectations. It’s very important to meet the actual DJ who will be at your reception face to face before signing any contract or sending a deposit. It’s very common for a company to secure a signed contract and receive the deposit without guaranteeing which of their DJs will be present at your reception. I encourage prospective clients to, during a preliminary consultation, ask to see a DVD of the DJ in action at another wedding reception. The video footage should show more than a crowded dance floor and should clearly demonstrate the announcer’s artistry in conducting the bridal party announcement, parent dances, cake cutting and bouquet toss. Keep in mind that a DJ who invites you to actually observe him at another wedding reception (rather than watching a DVD) will also be inviting prospective clients to watch him at yours. Do you want uninvited strangers attending your wedding reception?

It’s paramount that you and your fiancé’s personalities “click” with your DJ’s and that your DJ has a clear understanding of your tastes, styles and preferences. Naturally, you will want to ask for references that include the names and phone numbers of previous clients and the locations of their wedding receptions. If you’re having an elegant reception at an upscale facility and the DJ’s references are all from clients whose events took place at bowling alleys, pool parties and backyard barbecues, it’s unlikely that you have found a good match. If you are hiring through an agency, find out what percentage of the fee actually goes to the DJ. For example, you wouldn’t want to pay $1,600 for a DJ who is only earning $400.

Be sure that your DJ of choice is willing to adhere to YOUR music play list. The most popular songs that guests request are most often the same songs that my clients prohibit. A DJ with many years of experience DJing wedding receptions should know how to create an enthusiastic atmosphere on the dance floor without subjecting you and your guests to, heaven forbid, “The Macarena” or “Hokey Pokey”.

As a bride-to-be, you probably have a vivid picture in your mind of your wedding day that you may have dreamed of since your first crush. It is essential that your DJ be capable of interpreting that picture and then bringing it to life according to your precise expectations with the strictest attention to detail. Don’t just hire a DJ. Hire a master who specializes in turning childhood dreams into wedding day realities. Hire a wedding entertainment director.

-Frederick B. Hart | President | FHEntertainment