Finding a DJ for a destination wedding is one of the more difficult endeavors you will come across when planning your special day. Not only are the vendors thousands of miles away, selecting the wrong one will ruin your entire wedding reception.
In this article, you will learn how to select the right DJ for your destination wedding. Someone who is both reliable and reputable, providing you the necessary peace of mind before your big day.
Let’s start at the start.
Where to find a reputable DJ for your destination wedding?
No matter where you are looking to get married, finding dozens of DJs is not very difficult. The hard part is narrowing down all the choices so you are left with someone who you can count on to do a great job at your wedding.
The fastest and easiest way to get a list of reputable DJ’s in another city/country is to call the sales manager at your wedding venue and ask them for recommendations. They see dozens of DJs every year and can point you to at least a half a dozen that have proven to be reliable over the years.
If your wedding venue has no recommendations, then start looking online. Start by doing a simple search for a DJ on Google. As an example, if you are getting married in the Bahamas (Lucky you!), then search for the term “Bahamas DJ” and you will have dozens of vendors at your fingertips.
Once you have a few DJs to research, start digging a bit deeper.
Take a look at how big each DJs operation is (one man show or a team), what kind of music they play, their setup, and their overall demeanor. Check out their websites and see if they have any of their videos posted online.
Once you have done the initial research, select three DJs that you feel are best qualified and call each one to ask some questions.
Questions to ask DJs for a destination wedding
- Are you available on my wedding date?
- How long have you been a DJ? How many weddings do you do each year?
- Is this a full time living for you?
- Do you charge by the hour? Do you offer packages?
- How many hours as your price include? What is your overtime rate?
- Do you perform for more than one wedding a day?
- Have you performed at my wedding venue before?
- Do you charge any additional transportation fees to play at my wedding?
- Are you comfortable being the emcee at my wedding?
- How large is your music collection?
- How much time do you need for setup? Resorts will multiple weddings run very tight so it’s better to know how long set up is so you can create a more accurate timeline.
- How many hours can you play? How many breaks do you take and how long is each break?
- Will you be the DJ at the wedding? Who subs for your if you can’t make it due to an emergency.
- What will you be wearing?
- Can you provide me a typical list of songs you have in your library?
- Can I select music to play at the wedding?
- Do you ask for special requests at the wedding?
- Do you have videos (Youtube.com) that I can see so I can better assess your style?
- How do you get people moving if no one is on the floor dancing?
- What is your policy on drinking at the party?
- Do you offer a written contract? Having one signals professionalism.
- Can i have a list of references? Ask for brides specifically?
- Do you belong to any professional trade groups?
- What is your deposit? When the final payment due?
The answers to the above questions should help you narrow your choices down to two or three choices. To make a final decision, see how many of the following qualities they have.
The qualities of a good destination wedding DJ
There are at least a dozen qualities that a good DJ should have but no one has the time to assess all of them. Instead, we selected the top three qualities that will help you finalize the DJ that is right for your destination wedding.
Experience
How long have they been doing this? Are they new to the business or have them been around for five or ten years. The longer they have been doing weddings, the better job you can expect them to do for you. Plus, if they have been around that long, then they will have a certain level of professionalism and reliability that you may not see in less experienced DJs
References
Get at least three wedding references that you can call and ask questions. If the DJ cannot provide three wedding references, you need to look at someone else. Questions you should be asking are
- Was the DJ on time?
- Was he professional in his/her appearance?
- Was he easy to work with? Easy to contact?
- Was he able to get the party going?
- Was the music exactly as he promised?
- Was the billing correct or did you end up paying more than you expected?
- Would you use him again?
Videos
No matter how many technical terms the DJ uses to sway your opinion, ask to see videos from past weddings. Seeing the event live will let you know immediately if this is the right DJ for you. Not only will you get a better sense of their style, you will also be able to see their music collection, and their demeanor. If the DJ is not able to provide a video, we would suggest looking elsewhere.
The wedding party is what most wedding guests look forward to when attending so make sure to take some time before deciding on the DJ for your destination wedding. By following the advice in this article, you will be able to select a good DJ that provides the right atmosphere, and the right balance of music to keep all the generations of your family on the dance floor.
What should you read next?
If you’re looking for vendors for your destination wedding, read our article on how to negotiate with wedding vendors.