50 questions for wedding DJs and bands

Every wedding day has its own soundtrack. From the corridor to the first dance, from the bouquet of flowers to the final farewell, music sets the tone for the whole day – which is why your DJ or band plays such an important role.

To help you better screen the candidates, we have compiled this main list of questions to ask wedding DJs and bands before booking. The more knowledge you have, the better you can make the right decision and find the one for your wedding.

Catherine Song / brides

The basics

First things first, you need to figure out the basics. Is the DJ or band even available on the date you want? The answers to the following questions will help you get a feel for how experienced the candidates are.

1. Is my wedding date available?
2. How long have you been doing this professionally? Why You Need To Know: Obviously, there is a difference between volunteer appearances and legitimate, paid appearances. Make sure your candidates are experienced so they don’t have hiccups on the most important day of your life.
3. How many weddings have you played?
4. How long have you been performing together (when interviewing a band)?
5. How many weddings do you have on an average weekend? Why you need to know: If the band or DJ is playing 24/7 all weekend, their performance can suffer. If they are empty you should reconsider booking.
6. Are you performing at more than one event in a day?
7. Will you be the DJ / bandleader who plays in person at our wedding? Which band members should we expect? Why You Need To Know: Bands usually have a list of performers and can take turns who plays depending on availability.
8. Did you hold events at my wedding location?
9. What makes you different from your competition?
10. Can you describe your style
11. Are there other services that you offer such as B. lighting design or a photo booth?
12. Can you share current couples with me for references?

The music

You probably already know a little about the wedding band or the DJ since you were interested enough to interview them. Learn more about her and her style so there are no surprises on the big day.

1. Do you have a CD of your music or a video from a previous wedding you performed at?
2. Can you help me choose the music for my processional, recession dance, father-daughter dance, etc.? Why You Need to Know: When you’re having trouble choosing music for a first dance song or a father-daughter dance, etc., a DJ or wedding band usually knows a thing or two about choosing the right music. They can definitely be a helpful resource.
3. How extensive is your music library or song list? Which genres can you cover?
4. Do you have a list of wedding songs that you play or perform for weddings? Why You Need to Know: Ask them ahead of time if they have a list of songs they’ll recommend throughout the wedding. If they leave this list up to you, make sure you provide them with the songs you want to hear on the dance floor before your wedding swings around.
5. How do you keep your music collection up to date?
6. If for some reason the DJ or one of the band members scheduled for my event can’t perform, do you have a backup replacement ready?
7. Do you take any breaks How many and when?
8. What music is provided during the breaks?
9. How many band members will there be on that day?
10. Do you act as the moderator and do you make all the announcements?
11. How would you define your emcee style?
12. What do you do to motivate the crowd when no one is dancing?
13. Do you take inquiries from our guests?
14. Can we submit a “do not play” list? Why you need to know: You never know what your guests will end up requesting.

If you have a “don’t play” list, you won’t hear anything you and your new partner hate.

Pricing and Payment

The price tag is one of the biggest factors in choosing the wedding DJ or wedding band, but just asking for a price isn’t that easy. You need to find out exactly what that price includes. You definitely don’t want to discover any surprise fees after you’ve signed a contract.

1. What is your rate? Why You Need to Know: When you talk about the tariff, make sure you find out if the tariff changes depending on the day (or even time of day) and how many hours exactly that tariff is buying you. If the price is in the stadium (even if it’s over budget), great. If it turns out to be a DJ or wedding ring, you might be able to negotiate a discount or increase your budget to take advantage of that DJ or band.
2. Does this rate include setting up and sharing between ceremony and reception locations? What, if anything, is not included?
3. How much would you charge for overtime?
4. Are there any additional fees I might incur that I am not considering, such as travel expenses or fees for special musical requests?
5. When do I get a written contract?
6. How much of a deposit do you need and when is it due? Do you offer a payment plan? Why you need to know: See if you can pay for them before (or after) the wedding. Trying to pay wedding vendors on your wedding day is a mess – if you can pay for them ahead of time, it is preferable.
7. What is your Refund / Cancellation Policy?
8. How far in advance do I have to book you for my wedding?
9. What information do you need from me before the wedding day?
10. Are you insured? Why you need to know: Ideally, your wedding DJ or wedding band has liability insurance. It covers all damage that may occur to the performers themselves and the equipment.

Many venues require DJs and bands to have liability insurance, so it’s important to know if they have one in advance.

logistics

1. Now for the less exciting but still critical details like power supply and timing.
2. Can you provide wireless microphones for the wedding ceremony?
3. Does one of your devices need special sockets that I need to notify my wedding site about?
4. Are you bringing backup equipment?
5. What kind of room or stage do you need for the DJ or the band? If my website doesn’t provide what you need, will you make stage arrangements or am I responsible for the rental?
6. Do you put up a sign or banner with your equipment?
7. How much time do you need on the day of the event for setup, sound check and failure?
8. When will you arrive at the location and when will you leave? Why You Need to Know: You want to have a confirmed arrival time from them in advance of your wedding, and it should be early enough for the performers to get set up. Also, find out when to go. If you want them to stay for the after party, negotiate that in your contract before the night comes.
9. Will we meet again before the wedding?
10. When is our deadline for submitting our music requests and event details?
11. What will you wear to our wedding?
12. Do you (and each band member when you book a band) need a meal? Why you need to know: It’s something to add to your budget. This can be very costly, especially if you are booking a ten-piece band.
13. What is your policy regarding alcohol or smoking during the wedding?
14. Is there anything we should know about your services that we haven’t talked about? Why You Need to Know: By this point, you’ve probably got everything covered, but it never hurts to make sure. Cover all of your bases and see if anything has been left out from the perspective of the wedding DJ or the band.
15. Do you have any questions for us? Why you need to know: Now that you know everything you wanted to know, find out if the wedding DJ or wedding band needs additional information.