🚩#1
NO CONTRACT/DEPOSIT📃
The reason why all wedding vendors ask for a signed contract and some type of financial commitment or reservation fee is to protect both parties. A contract gives a wedding couple a guarantee that the DJ will perform at their wedding on the agreed date and for the agreed price. The deposit allows the DJ to have financial compensation for making such a commitment and acts as collateral in case of cancellation. Without a contract and financial commitment, a DJ can back out of the wedding last minute, change their price, or even skip the wedding altogether. This is a common occurrence, happening on a weekly basis.
🚩#2
KNOW WHO YOU ARE GETTING 🥷
Make sure the person you are communicating with is the same person who will be DJing your wedding. Do not hire a company that assigns a DJ at the last minute based on who is available. Weddings are a huge milestone event that require communication and years of planning. Some DJ companies may have a nice website, mixes, pictures, and videos, but these are usually not made or performed by the DJ you will actually get for your wedding. These companies may book every wedding that comes their way, sometimes without having any available DJs, and then sublet your event to the cheapest DJ they can find, while keeping a big cut of the profits. This is borderline criminal. When shopping for a DJ company, make sure all their DJs are listed on their website and that you can communicate with the same DJ who will perform at your wedding, not an impostor picked by a company with no integrity.
🚩#3
BAD COMMUNICATOR 🤐
This is one of the easiest issues to spot. A DJ who is really bad at returning emails or calls is a red flag. In an age where everyone has a smartphone and most people check it regularly, there is no excuse for not having the decency to return an email or call. Even during the weekend, a DJ should be able to email or text back and say, "Sorry, I am currently working an event, but I will get back to you first thing Monday."
🚩#4
GHOST DJS 👻
This is a DJ who claims to be a DJ, but has very little to no online presence. No website, no business page on social media, and may even have a generic email ending with Gmail or Yahoo. These people claim they don't need a website or professional social media account and always have an excuse for why they can't provide videos of their weddings or mixes to show their abilities. Stay away from sketchballs like this.
🚩#5 SOMETHING DOESN'T ADD UP 🧐 Did the DJ you just interviewed say they had 20 years of experience doing thousands of weddings, but only have 12 reviews? Did your DJ mention how they specialize in weddings, but all you see on their social media is pictures of them doing trivia or karaoke? Did the DJ advertise how they pack dancefloors, but all they show is videos of people doing the Cha Cha Slide or other group dances? Were the reviews on Weddingwire (or other review sites) very vague and generic (not using their name or just saying that they were great, but not specifically mentioning what they did that was so great)? If so, something doesn't add up.