Good Questions to Ask Wedding Djs before You Hire Him/Her  (and better answers from Bay Area San Jose based DJ)

Can you provide a wireless microphone or multiple microphones?

Yes, I do have a wireless microphone and can connect multiple wired microphones if needed.

Can you provide sound for our ceremony also?

I do have multiple sounds systems and have done multiple events for the ceremony and for the reception.

Do you have mixes online or on cd we can listen to?

Please check out www.mixcloud.com/wingmansj

Can we see your song list?

We do have over 70 k songs. We help you make your playlist.

What is included in your quote?

We do one to two consultations to talk about the wedding and playlist.  The dj actually performing at the wedding and set up and take down. It includes the use of top of line equipment.

Are there any genres of music you feel that you specialize in?

I do love playing the old school. I am a child of the nineties so I love to play R&B and hip-hop of that time. I also listened to what my older siblings listened to in the 80s so I have an ear for that. When I first started spinning records it was the music of the 00’s.

How can we collaborate on the playlist together?

I want to the wedding to be a soundtrack of the couple’s life. I can make suggestions but they have the final say. Usually we use a google document to add and take away from the list.

How many breaks do you need?

What are breaks? I may need 10 minutes to eat but I am always on the clock. 

One of the first items on the to wedding to do list is to book a venue. Once that is established, then next on the list is to find the dj. Often times, we can select a dj that you seen perform at a wedding that you liked. It is recommended to book your dj 9 months to a year in advance to secure the dj of your choice. Most weddings happen on Saturday but if another day such as Friday or Sunday is selected then there is a better chance that your dj maybe available.  A lot more weddings happen during wedding season during the summer months. The temperature is better suited for the wedding and some weddings can be held outside without it being too cold or rainy.

For me, it would be good to have the booking 6 months ahead. In that time, there is not a rush to meet and go over logistics and gives the dj and the couple time to work on the playlist together. Then once the date is around the corner the list is already done and the plan is already established so there is less to worry about.

It is beneficial to pick your number 1 dj since he will not be booked that day and also for peace of mind. There is so much going on for the wedding that it is one less item to think about.

The dj will most likely ask for a nonrefundable deposit to secure the day. The reason for the nonrefundable deposit so the dj will not lose business in case the original customer cancels on the event and the dj turned down other events since he was booked for that prior event. 

These days everyone and their mom are a dj. With technology advances, many folks can play music and make legit transitions.

Do you truly like the dj you hired based on his or her skill level or just the price that the dj gave you.  For the sake of your wedding reception, please make sure the dj has experience to play at a wedding. The Dj makes or breaks the wedding with his music and microphone presence.

If a dj is charging 200 or 300 dollars then they are a beginner dj and its best to get a family friend to play music off their ipod since it will be the exact same experience.

You get what you pay for.

Djs that charge 400 to 600 are part time djs who have full time jobs.  They do have some experience and can have a good experience with these djs.

Djs that charge over 1000 to 2500 dollars are the real deal. They can really talk up the wedding and 9 times out of 10 a full time dj. Since djing is their full time gig, they can spend more time preparing for the wedding.

On average the wedding couple spends 700 to 1400 dollars on a dj. Especially now couples are spending more money now than in the past to ensure a good wedding experience.

Take the time to interview djs to get a feel of what kind of wedding you want.  Also take a glimpse of their reviews to get a sense of the quality work of the dj. A common question would be can we see you perform a wedding. That makes it difficult since weddings are usually made for private events.

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I like to set up multiple microphones during a live P.A. event. I have one microphone on the stand plus one for the dj booth.  I spread out the speakers as far as I could to cover more ground.  I do not put the speaker at full volume. I typically put it at 50 percent and max out at 75 percent.

More often than not there are different people who speak at different volume levels. Every time someone speaks, you may have to adjust the volume based on how loud they talk into the microphone and how close they have it to their mouth.

Also it is a good idea to tape down the cabling and wires. I always do a sound check before I tape anything down in case I have to use different cables or a different microphone.  It is good to have more than one extension cord in case one needs more cord to reach the power.

I use microphones that are always on, but I am able to turn them on or off from the mixer I use. It is good to turn them off when people are talking to each other before the ceremony not knowing it is on, because the audience can be able to hear them talk other business.

Also it is good to be aware of how hot it is. Certain speakers may have issues since it is really hot. It is good to keep speakers in a shaded area and if not some speakers have weather proof covers. It is good to take an extra speaker, since the elements may cause the speaker to overheat or get wet.  Heat can be an enemy, but also rain can be a party pooper. 

Bad DJ Habits

I read an article titled The Bad Habits That DJs Grow Out of and would like to share my thoughts on the topic.

1)   Overusing FX

How many backspins can a dj do till it becomes too much? FX can be fun here and there but can easily be overused. They can be used for transitions of different music genres and/or different music speeds. But if someone gets FX happy then it just sounds overwhelming.

2)   Playing All the Best Tracks First

This can be tempting. Play all the jams right off the bat but after that what comes next? The energy in the room would be off the charts in the beginning then it would deflate after the hits are gone. One has to build up their set and keep the heaters till the end.

3)   Planning Every Track and Mix

There was one wedding that I had to play every song in a particular order. I am pretty sure the groom did not take notice if I put a song out of order since he was truly enjoying his wedding but I did follow the order. But at other events I do create a playlist and from that list I play music at the event. Everything depends on the crowd and what they are feeling.

4)   Drinking To Excess

There is a time and a place for everything. As a guest, it is fun to partake in the dancing and the activities. As a dj, you have to be responsible. There is a timeline to follow and one has to be alert incase there is a situation such as equipment malfunction or there is a change of events. 

A few weeks ago, I did a prom in downtown San Jose. The Tech Museum was the venue. When you think of the Tech Museum, one thinks of hands on activities of interesting concepts. Every few months they do change the theme so if one goes a few times a year then they do not see the same exhibits twice.

If you do not know, the Tech Museum can be an event venue that can be rented out. Three floors were used for the prom. One floor had the appetizers and fantastic food and drinks. The middle floor was the dance floor. And the top floor, prom goers could get their hands on the Tech toys, which drew lots of interest.

I was in awe of how helpful the staff was.  They helped me secure VIP parking and were very accommodating with the logistics with the location. I even got a phone call from the events manager to get important details. 

CARDI B  SHE BAD

CAMILLA CABELLO  NEVER BE THE SAME

 DRAKE  NICE FOR WHAT

ZEDD  THE MIDDLE

ANNE MARIE MARSHMELLO  FRIENDS

NICKI MINAJ  CHUN=LI

SEAN PAUL DAVID GUETTA BECKY G  MADLOVE

CALVIN HARRIS  FAKING IT

BAZZI MINE

LIL DICKY CHRIS BROWN  FREAKY FRIDAY

CARDI B BAD BUNNY J BALVIN  I LIKE IT

DADDY YANKEE  DURA

DJ KASS  SCOOBY DOO PA PA

RAE SREMMURD  FT JUICY J POWEGLIDE

SOB RBE KENDRICK LAMAR  PARAMEDIC

BLOCBOY  DRAKE  LOOK ALIVE

MIGOS DRAKE  WALKIT TALK IT

2 CHAINZ FT YG AND OFFSET  PROUD

Mixers are the brain of the PA system. A forty-dollar mixer can work but at the same time people get what you pay for. The professional mixers I recommend is the Yamaha MG06X and his bigger brother Yamaha MG10XU.

The MG06X is the size of an ipad. You can connect multiple microphones to it and have so much control of the gain, highs and lows. Also it has buttons to mute out a microphone if needed.  A 2 dj setup can be connected with this mixer. The beauty of this mixer is it can be added with another music system and it gives you more headroom to add more volume if needed. Each channel has a gain and then the master gain can be increased. If a dj decides to just play music and use microphones off his dj set up it sounds a certain way. Most controllers do not focus on the clarity of the microphones. They have other attributes it focuses on. But if the microphones are connected to the Yamaha mixer, it is so much clearer and it gives the option of multiple microphones. The mixer can be purchased for 120 dollars.

The older brother Yamaha MG10XU is a force of nature. Four microphones can be connected with the mixer. The highs, lows, and mids can be manipulated plus it has 24 effect programs that can add to the channel such as delay, flanger and echo. This mixer is so much bigger than his little brother so you would need more space for it.  This mixer can be purchased for about 200 dollars.

Both can do the job and it depends on how many microphones are needed and how fancy somebody wants the effect to be.