Become a Wedding DJ
A wedding DJ isn’t just someone who spins records, plays music from CDs or puts on a light show. Instead, a skilled wedding DJ knows how to draw the guests out onto the dance floor, help encourage them to interact with each other, be playful and actually entertain the crowd, making the wedding reception as memorable an event as possible. This article outlines what music knowledge and business decisions are necessary to become a wedding DJ.
Steps
- Build an eclectic music collection to make yourself more marketable. Unlike being a DJ in a specific type of club, people hiring you to entertain at weddings and receptions will have widely varied musical tastes and needs.
- Familiarize yourself with traditional or popular “father/bride” dances (“Isn’t She Lovely” by Stevie Wonder), first dances as a couple (“We’ve Only Just Begun” by the Carpenter) and group dances (“The Hokey Pokey”). Realize that dance music that’s popular at weddings may be quite dated compared to parties or club dance music.
- Learn the difference between dance beats for those wedding guests who request a foxtrot, a meringue, a cha-cha-cha, a tango or a waltz.
- Gather a variety of games and types of dances to encourage people onto the dance floor.
- Dances such as the chicken dance and “good luck dance” will encourage people to get involved. (The good luck dance entices people onto the floor, as you tell them that for each person on the dance floor, the newly married couple will enjoy that many years of good luck.)
- Take a course on how to become a wedding DJ or in radio production so you can learn about mixing, fading, lights and other necessary DJ skills.
- Download free or inexpensive forms such as Protect Yourself Against Bad Music Contracts or disclaimers for use as binding agreements with brides.
- Develop an entertainer’s “schtick” so you are comfortable speaking to groups of people.
- While the majority of your time will be spent playing music, you also need to be able to make jokes and tell stories to make your routine more interesting and appealing.
- Surf the Internet for speeches you can have on file for “impromptu” toasts and other announcements so you don’t have to speak on the fly and to make you appear very organized and prepared.
- Invest in or borrow DJ equipment.
- Start with used equipment – turntables, CD players, speakers, headsets, lights and disco balls - if you can find it through Craigslist or estate or going-out-of-business sales.
- Ask the event venues if they have any equipment you can borrow as you’re getting started. Often they’ll have lights or sound systems built in.
- Upgrade your equipment once you have started making enough money to be able to afford the upgrades.
- Market your wedding DJ services to local businesses.
- Join your local Chamber of Commerce so you can take advantage of the networking functions, member advertising rates, website listings and such.
- Introduce yourself to the directors of popular wedding venues in your area and offer your services, so they can hear what you can do. They can then recommend you to their brides who book there.
- Contact local restaurants and hotels about getting on their list of preferred service providers, especially those who cater to brides and wedding planners.
- Meet with your area Convention & Visitors Bureau as they work with meeting planners and other local venues to help brides when planning their weddings.
- Join area or regional meeting planners groups so that you can get to know even more wedding and meeting planners in your area with the goal of being listed in their meeting planner guides.
- Take a look at entertainment agencies in your area and see what kind of work they can secure for you
Tips
- Offer yourself as an apprentice or assistant to a wedding DJ in your area to learn whether you even enjoy this work before investing too much in equipment.
