I own Seattle Wedding DJ, and I really like to write (I’ll come back to that in a minute). I started Seattle Wedding DJ a while back because I saw SO MANY weddings where friends and family shelled out big cash to ridiculously under-qualified, over-sold “entertainers” and… it goes without saying… got very disappointing returns on their investment (putting it mildly). AKA… They’re DJ/MC sucked. Bad. Of course, there are a few good DJ/MC pros around the Seattle Wedding marketplace. But how do you tell? Every website says the same thing (including mine!) …
We are the Best! The most professional, good equipment, help you plan, blah blah… Read our testimonials! I mean c’mon! The testimonials that are on MY website… that I EDIT… say it all. You should trust those!
If you go any search engine and search for any variation of “Seattle” “Wedding” “DJ” you get a LOT of results. Once you wade through all the junk, and repeats, and big huge “Wedding Wire” type sites that always come up first but are national companies and have no idea the temperature in the air in Seattle… I would guess there are between 30-40 actual, local companies doing real business. I might be wrong, but hey… it’s a guess. You could also pay money to attend a “Wedding Show” to see how many. I’m going to write a whole different article on that hullabaloo…
If I were you… knowing what I know from the other side of the table… and I needed to hire the BEST local wedding DJ at the Best price (this is called “value”…) here is what I would do: Talk to them on the phone. Listen to the tone of their voice, how quick on their feet they can think, react, etc. Do they sound like they know weddings and their role in a wedding? How well do they write? How someone writes on their website or in an email will tell you VOLUMES about their personality, their IQ, and their attention to detail.
Then… MEET! Ask questions… Trick questions. Get off the beaten path of typical Seattle Wedding DJ questions and throw curveballs at them. The whole time they are talking, ask yourself, “Is this THE PERSON that I want providing the entertainment for the biggest day of my life? Do they sound like they are worth the money? Are they JUST selling? Do I like their voice? What, if any, value do they include (NOT a la carte CHARGE for) in their service? Lights are a no brainer… If a DJ “includes” lights as their one huge included add on and treats it like you just won the lottery and you should be honored to hire them… no. We all do that. And it should be INCLUDED! Not nickeled and dimed.
Do I trust that this person will be kind to my guests? Will my guests and I “vibe” with this person’s personality and age? Have they had the same equipment for 10+ years or do they have modern technology that actually sounds good? Will they show up and just go through the motions because they have done this 100 times, or will they take the time to get to know me and add personal touches to MY wedding? Will they work hard, go the extra mile, pay attention to detail but also see the big picture of how my event will turn out?
And don’t just listen to the answers… this is more than an interview… It’s an audition! Listen to HOW they answer… You are looking for professionalism AND at the same time fun, good work ethic AND at the same time intelligent, will this person have a good time WITH us, or just set up equipment, push play and read a script FOR us for a fee?
I like to write. Writing helps me see what I’m doing… What others are doing. How I am faring in the marketplace. It clears my head and organizes my thoughts. I love my company and I LOVE the opportunities that I get to serve brides and grooms leading up to, and AT their wedding. I feel extremely blessed.
This process will make ALL the difference in the world. Period.
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