how soon should i book my wedding dj, how far in advance should i book my wedding dj

Booking Your Wedding DJ: How Far in Advance Should You Plan?

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Unsure when to book your wedding DJ? Learn why timing is crucial and how to find the perfect DJ for your special day.

Right now you’re probably googling the hell out of looking for wedding vendors for your upcoming wedding. Maybe you were engaged on valentines day of this year. Maybe it was during Thanksgiving break, Christmas, or New Years Eve. Either way, it’s time to start looking for the perfect wedding team to help you celebrate your special day.

Most people book a DJ on average 2-3 times in their life. Graduations, Corporate Events, and of course, Weddings.

Have you ever been scrolling through a website and you saw the “LIMITED TIME OFFER” verbage? The same can be said for when it comes time to book your wedding dj.
Now you might look at the price tag and get a little sticker shock. (Which is perfectly normal) But, why do DJs charge what they charge for weddings? It’s more than just the 6 hours that you spend with them that you’re paying for.

A seasoned wedding DJ will spend roughly 25-30 hours on each wedding they host. From meetings, to planning, to music gathering, practicing, loading, unloading, performing the wedding, and then loading back up, driving home, and unloading again. Are you tired just reading that? That’s what we do EVERY weekend and in many cases, a few times per weekend.

The first thing many people will tell you is, “Don’t rush. You’ve got plenty of time.” And that may be true however, the GOOD DJs that EVERYONE wants are typically booked a year to 18 months in advance. Think about how challenging it was to find the venue you wanted. I’m willing to be that there were quite a few that were already booked with the date you had in mind. The same can be said for your wedding dj.

We’re not just selling gear to play music and lighting to brighten your room, we’re selling time and experience. If you’ve ever booked a hotel or vacation, you know exactly what I mean. Go to any hotel or airline website right now and try to book the exact room/flight/package with the exact amenities that you want for next week. You might not get exactly what you want but you may find, “good enough”.

When you think about the amount you’re investing in your wedding experience, leaving it to chance by booking the wedding DJ that is “good enough” should never be an option. The truth is, we make or break your celebration.

So if you’re asking the question, “How soon should I book my wedding dj?”, the answer is as soon as possible. Don’t settle for anything less than your wedding deserves.

2024 wedding, wedding advice, how to plan a wedding, what do i need for my wedding

Wedding Advice from a Real Bride: Tips and Tricks for a Stress-Free Day

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Wedding Advice from a 2024 Bride – 6/27/24 From the Connecticut Brides to Be Facebook Forum

I got married Sunday(!!!) and while it’s fresh in my mind, I wanted to share some thoughts from the planning process and the day itself. Some are budget related, some are just general planning tips, and some are for those who are just generally anxious or “stressy” about things. 

**This is a long one just FYI,**

Starting off strong…

1. Splurge on the things you truly want to enjoy on your day and save on everything else.  

    This one is super common, but I feel it’s worth emphasizing. We went all out with the venue, music (live band), and photo/video, and kept everything else more conservative. Our centerpieces were simple and minimal, including our decor, and we have no regrets. To be completely honest, we didn’t even have time to notice most of anything. The day goes by so fast that you really only are able to take in so much. Prioritize what you want to enjoy on your day!

    2. If you have family contributing monetarily, you still can stand your ground on decisions.  

    Every family/support system is different, but in the end it is a day for YOU and your future spouse! As someone with a “high-maintenance family”, what worked well for me was having family focus on things that really didn’t make-or-break the day. Think flip flops for the dance floor, bathroom baskets, etc. If you give them something they can control completely, you’d be surprised at how easily things will go.

    3. Choose a venue with a legitimate rain/weather/indoor plan.  

    One of the main reasons we chose our venue was not only was their outdoor ceremony area incredibly beautiful, but their indoor plan was also just as beautiful. I am a very anxious person, but I had no anxiety regarding the weather that day because I knew that whether it was outside or inside it would still be beautiful. We toured some other venues and way too many places have a less than ideal option or no option at all if there’s inclement weather or it’s too hot/cold. 

    4. Pick a venue that suits your personality and tendencies.  

    I get anxious about a lot of things, so what was important to me was the following:

    * Having the venue all to ourselves for the day

    * Having everything in the same place (getting ready, ceremony, reception)

    * Having a solid weather option (see above)

    * All inclusive – no need to worry about catering/bar/tables/linens/etc

    All of these aspects were important to me but may not matter to you! Think about how you may feel on the day and use that to your advantage when choosing a venue and vendors.

    5. Pay vendors in cash for a discount.  

    This may not work for all vendors, but we were able to save 10% on photo and video by paying in cash. Ask your vendors if this is an option!

    6. Seriously consider going digital, especially for RSVPs.  

    We used The Knot for our whole RSVP process. I created our invites on Canva and included a QR code for RSVP. No return cards or tracking needed. It made that piece so much less stressful. 

    A few notes on what I think made things easy for us:

    * In the RSVP form, we also asked for email addresses. This allowed us to send reminder emails about our wedding day as we got closer.

    * About a month after sending invites out, we reached out to folks to make sure they received our invite (very politely). I think this made a huge difference down the line with having to only chase down a handful of people after the deadline.

    * Nobody complained about the digital RSVP, and if there were issues, they reached out or we sent them the link directly.

    It may feel like too much communication, but we had full attendance day of, which surprised both of us!

    7. If you want to make time for you and your spouse alone, do a first look.  

    We went into this wedding fully expecting to pop into cocktail hour. Instead, after the ceremony and family photos, we had about 30 minutes to ourselves up in the bridal suite to process and decompress. It was extremely worth it after being in “go mode” for the first chunk of the day. I also was grateful to have most of our pictures done before the ceremony. There are many reasons to do a first look, but I just wanted to share my perspective on how motivations can change! Obviously, this only really is helpful if you haven’t seen your spouse all day prior to, but you do you!

    8. If you are Type A/like to plan, make time once a week to work on “wedding stuff”. Also delegate stuff to your non-Type-A partner.  

    There is no need to think about your upcoming wedding every single day. Especially if you have a longer engagement (we had about 2 years), allow yourself the space each week to really hone in on anything that needs to be done. Pick one day a week for you and your partner to look through the to-do list (yes I know you have one) and see what can be taken care of. And if there’s nothing pressing to do, make it a date night!

    Also, please delegate certain things for your partner to work on/manage. It will save you so much stress.

    9. If you are walking down the aisle, nothing will prepare you for how that will feel.  

    I was basically crying the entire time from stepping out of the suite to the aisle and even walking down. It is a surreal experience and feeling, and very hard to describe. All of your closest people standing there supporting you and envying you. Honestly not much to say here except that there is really no way to prepare for this.

    10. There is such a thing as too much partying.  

    My single regret is not telling our band to have a set with more laid back/jazzy vibes in between the dance sets. They were still incredible, but the general tip is make sure your DJ or band knows to slow it down a bit for those who don’t want to jump around and dance hard. I’ve even been to weddings where the DJ was just all high-energy music the entire night and it became super tiring and un-exciting.

    11. Have non-dancing activities for your reception.  

    I made a crossword puzzle that was at each guests seat and it was a big hit! When we made our rounds, we constantly had people asking us what the answers were (to no avail obviously) We also had a photo booth too! Not all of your guests will want to or like to dance, so it’s definitely worth catering to those folks.

    12. And lastly, you can literally do what ever you want! It’s YOUR DAY!**

    Do or don’t listen to me, an internet stranger. Do what feels right to you! You (ideally) only get married once and will probably never have as many people from so many parts of your life in one room again. Make it your own and I promise that all the little things you are worried about won’t matter as much on the day. It’s really about the people and the incredible human you are choosing marriage with!  

    If you made it all the way through, I hope these thoughts and tips help those who are still planning!

    We hope you enjoyed reading this very detailed entry to offer wedding advice from a 2024 bride.

    Do I need to provide my DJ with all of the music for my wedding?

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    The short answer is, “No”

    It’s story time.

    About 7 years ago at a country club wedding in Simsbury, I had a couple that was very difficult to work with. As was the mother of the bride.
    The bride had expressed that she wanted ALL gangster rap and twerk music for her wedding. We’re not talking about the benign “Hypnotize” by Biggie. We’re talking about strip club music in the depths of the streets you’d never drive down during the daylight in Waterbury. We opened the floor with her requests and she and 1 bridesmaid hit the floor and were grinding and putting on a show.

    The rest of the guests sat and didn’t move a muscle. After 10 minutes of dancing with her BFF, it was time to cool off and they both walked outside. I quickly got the floor full with some favorites and the guests were smiling and really enjoying the reception. But then… just as I was getting things warmed up, the bride and BFF came back and scolded me for veering off of her playlist. So, of course, seeing how it’s out job to make sure our clients are satisfied, I obliged her requests. The guests walked off the floor and quite a few grabbed their coats and purses and headed for the door. It stayed that way the rest of the night.

    What was I supposed to do? Make a choice between my client or the guests. That’s not an easy position to be in.

    So that begs the question, Do I need to provide my DJ with all of the music for my wedding?

    On average, I have the privilege of working with between 40-60 couples per year. And of those couples, about 80% can tell me about a wedding experience that they did not like and do not want to repeat for their wedding day.

    The number one objection would have to be that the DJ could not get people to dance or that the wedding they attended was boring. And because of that, they really feel that the music played by the DJ was to blame. Now, if I wasn’t a DJ, I might agree with them. However, as a DJ, lots of couples that hand in a complete 7 hour playlist and only want their music played don’t fully understand the concept of a DJ. Our job is to cater to the entire audience. Weddings are like a family reunion of sorts. You’ve got grandparents, parents, aunts and uncles, co workers, college friends, and your best friend Becky and her 6th grader that absolutely loves the cotton eyed joe. By taking control of the entire day’s worth of music, you assume FULL responsibility for how the day turns out. If you’re a huge folk music fan, chances are you’re not gonna see a lot of movement on the dance floor. Especially from the people that don’t enjoy that style of music. You and your wedding party might be a huge fan of trap music. And though your parents will undoubtedly smile that their son or daughter just got married, they may be a little hesitant to get out on the floor to Lil Uzi Vert for 3 hours.

    Historically, the weddings where the couple puts in some input and trusts their wedding DJ are the weddings that are the most enjoyable to everyone in attendance.

    As a rule of thumb, I encourage my couples to send me a list of 10-20 MUST HAVES that they absolutely need to hear on their wedding day so I can understand what their preferences are, and then fill in the gaps with whatever is going to have the best end result for a dance floor full of happy, smiling, and dancing guests.



    Why should I hire a DJ for my wedding?

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    It’s 2024. Traditions are running their course, and couples are giving weddings a fresh start with new trends! Today’s couples are very thrifty and trendy. They make their own style with what they have. And that is just fantastic. But even with new trends being curated daily, one thing remains. Whether or not to book a DJ for your wedding.

    Here are the top 10 reasons why you should hire a DJ for your wedding.

    1. Let’s talk music.
    Whether you’re looking for throwbacks or the latest trending hit on TikTok, DJs have a keen ability to almost always find EXACTLY what you’re looking for. And when it comes to the general public, most people want to hear the original song or at the very least original artist for their music selections. Hiring a DJ for your wedding has its perks. Generally, most DJs carry between 20,000-500,000 song titles with them at all times. They’re literally prepared 90% of the time for whatever the party calls for. Ensuring the music you need for your wedding is as easy and sending over a playlist or a Spotify link to a wedding playlist you’ve created. It’s literally that easy. In addition to expansive music libraries and keeping up to date with wedding trends, you can rely on your DJ to also double as your master of ceremonies.

    2. The difference between your Friday night bar DJ and a professional wedding DJ.
    While the club/bar DJ typically makes between 200-300 per night, a wedding DJ will generally charge much more. Reason being, in the club setting, there is a low margin for error. But with weddings, we only have one opportunity to get it right. It’s that important. So be sure to invest in the perfect celebration with a wedding DJ that is as reliable as they are talented.

    3. Experience counts.
    Experienced wedding DJs have seen it all. We could literally write books about the celebrations and situations that we’ve come across with every wedding we host. That’s where experience really comes into play. Have you ever wondered why it might take a little longer for your meal to arrive, but you ended up doing a 15-minute impromptu dance set before dinner? It’s more than likely because the kitchen needed just a few more moments to ensure that your meal comes out perfect. So, as a distraction and to keep your guests in a celebratory mood, we get them out there until it’s time for your meal. That’s just one example of what an experienced wedding DJ can do for your celebration. We are the keeper of the keys when it comes to your timeline. We are your peace of mind.

    4 Reliability
    Reliability comes in many forms when it comes to hiring a DJ for your wedding. Backup equipment, backup DJs, and the ability to seamlessly adapt to a broad variety of guests music preferences are just a few of the hallmarks that make up a reliable wedding DJ. As for references from your other vendors about the DJ you’re hiring. They know first-hand who’s reliable and who isn’t because they work with a variety of DJs every single weekend.

    5. Equipment Quality
    Lots of DJs have adopted the line of thinking that clients and couples don’t care about what you use when it comes to gear. But as an experienced wedding DJ, I can tell you that couldn’t be the furthest thing from the truth. It ABSOLUTELY matters. Safety is a HUGE priority. Having equipment that has been rigorously tested, built to withstand the rigors of the road, and working flawlessly weekend after weekend are pertinent to the success of your wedding celebration. You should hire a DJ for your wedding that invests in quality.

    6. Emcee Skills
    An experienced master of ceremonies or MC or EMCEE will be able to command an audience appropriately for the event they are hosting, they will clearly communicate with class to your friends and family the happenings of your wedding celebration and work with the rest of your creative team to make sure the day goes smoothly.

    7. Flexibility and Customization
    The best wedding DJs are highly adaptable to change and have a flow to them that will roll with the ever-changing requirements for each and every wedding they are a part of. In terms of customization, the best wedding DJs will be able to help you achieve your goals and have resources at their disposal to help make that happen.

    8. Reviews & References
    Be sure to look for reviews on google and other sites from real clients that have used the DJ you are considering for your wedding. The reviews you are looking for should be consistent with the type of service that you can expect after booking them.

    9. Cost
    There is a DJ for every budget. But remember, the bitterness of poor quality will overshadow the sweetness of savings. Think about the investment that you’ve already made with your venue, photographer, dress, and many other details. Your DJ can and will make or break your celebration. This is a fact. Every year, we get at least one phone call from a couple or co-vendor scrambling to find a DJ to save the day because the low budget option either did not show up, showed up un-prepared, or intoxicated. Make sure you sign a contract with the DJ that you’re booking. It protects you and them. Most professional wedding DJs in CT will run between $1500-3000 respectively. Anything below that, you’re probably working with a beginner that does not have the appropriate experience to host your wedding.

    10. Personality
    Finding a DJ for your wedding is like finding a marriage partner. Once you commit, you have to be confident in your decision. Above all else, be honest with yourself and make sure that the DJ you’re considering is a good personality match for you and your fiancé.

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    Aaron & Angela DeMarestAaron DeMarest

    Getting married made me a better wedding vendor.

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    Weddings are exciting times for many couples. They can also prove to be very stressful during the planning process. That’s where having a great wedding vendor comes in to play.
    I’ve been married once before and I’m about to get married again in just 3 weeks and the Mrs and I are VERY excited to start this new chapter in our lives. We were both married before, have kids, and have plenty of experience between the both of us with weddings. Angela was a pastry chef specializing in wedding cakes and I have had an amazing 28 year career as a wedding dj. But even with our “industry insider” knowledge, we were still just a bride and a groom planning their wedding. Of course, there are some nuggets we gained over the years to help us plan out our wedding. And we of course have our past experiences from our previous marriages to go on. The great part of getting married a second time is that you learn really quickly what your priorities are and get to plan the wedding you always wanted.

    My first wedding was 21 people at a country club in Watertown. We didn’t have a formal photographer and our DJ was thrown in with the venue as a package deal. (Not my first choice but, it was a compromise I made to keep the peace) Our DJ was terrible, unprofessional and un prepared. So much in fact that I walked to my car to give her my book of CDs I was using for my own weddings at the time for her to use. Our invitations were designed on the computer and printed at staples. Dinner was a buffet with staples like pasta, salad, and roast beef. There were grocery store flowers on the tables and standard table cloths. The wedding turned out this way because my then wife insisted she didn’t want a big celebration because in her previous marriage, money was no object and she had a big wedding. Also, her dad paid for the wedding which meant all of his colleagues, friends, etc were invited leaving her and her ex husband with just a few close friends.

    My fiance’s first wedding was also a lavish affair with lots of detail and a couple hundred people in attendance. They had a DJ, Videographer, Photographer, 4 course meal, a massive cake, and many guests that they did not know that were invited by her parents because, you guessed it… they paid for the wedding. As a result, some family feuds took place and created some tension. Never a fun ordeal to deal with when you’re planning the happiest day of your life.

    Fast forward to our wedding. We are paying for our own wedding. Which means we get to make choices that are important to us. Choosing the right wedding vendors was important. We both know that it is very easy to rack up a massive bill with all of the trimmings but as we both learned, the majority of guests remember the venue, cuisine and of course the DJ the most after a wedding. We talked about just eloping. We talked about a private ceremony in the middle of a field with just a few family and friends. But at the end of the day, we both agreed on a Christmas themed wedding. Why Christmas? It’s usually the holiday where everyone gets together. A family reunion so to speak.

    Our guest list was 120 people which by our estimation left about 20 people who might not be able to make it. We were right! We’ve got just under 100 guests attending our wedding. Choosing a guest list was not hard at all. We learned from our previous weddings to invite only the people that are near and dear to us and be selective with colleagues and acquaintances. This not only lightened the bill but ensured that everyone in attendance were the people that we really wanted to be there.

    The first step was finding a venue. We thought about renting a space and having it catered. But then, we’d need to clean up after. When you’re wearing a fitted dress and tux for 12 hours on your wedding day, the last thing you want to do is roll up your sleeves and clean. We decided on a traditional venue. Grand Oak Villa was calling our name. We had visited several other venues which were nice but they really had everything we were looking for.

    When it came to the food, we both understood that all of our 100 guests don’t all like the same thing and some had dietary restrictions. To alleviate the stress of trying to appease everyone, we elected to do hot hors devours and food stations for dinner. We have a wide variety of options for everyone to enjoy and they can have as much or as little as they would like. Plus, for the venue, it’s a lot easier to serve a tray of food as opposed to plating 100 three course meals. This allows their staff to be more relaxed and have an easier day. Happy staff equals happy guests!

    I had been asked probably a hundred times in the last year and a half of planning, “Are you DJing your own wedding?” I’m happy to announce, I took the day off and leaving the music to the professionals. But how does a DJ choose one of his peers to host their wedding? The same way any couple would. By making sure they are a good fit. We happily chose Todd from Jock in the Box entertainment. Todd has been a DJ just as long as I have and has the experience and diversity to keep a captive audience across all genres and walks of life. As an added bonus, we both have a knack for the 90’s and Y2K so seeing as how the Mrs and I are 43 & 45, it just made sense to have Todd. Another feature we love about Todd is that he puts his personality into his weddings. Todd is a very outgoing, positive, and energetic DJ. Being a daytime wedding, having the right DJ for the job is even more important because regardless of the time of day, they can execute the vibe you’re shooting for. Sidenote, we told Todd that even though he’s working that day, to please sit and enjoy a meal, have a beverage, and if possible, come on out and dance with us. His job is so very important that I wanted to give him every opportunity to feel his absolute best and have FUN! Because a happy DJ equals a happy dance floor.

    When it came to a photographer, we chose a tried and true photographer. My good friend and sidekick Corey will be shooting our wedding. Corey is a professional wedding photographer and 2nd shooter for Fritz Photography. His eye for detail, fun personality, and willingness to think outside the box were just a few of the reasons we love Corey. Much like Todd, we encouraged Corey to relax and enjoy the day.

    For a cake, we chose Sweet Marias. My fiance used to work for Maria as a cake decorator and with her extensive experience working along side her, we knew that she’d make a cake for us that was not only beautiful, but absolutely delicious as well. We went to her bakery in Waterbury for a tasting and tried all of the flavors. And there were so many to choose from. We decided on a simple yet flavorful cake. This way, no crumb would go wasted.

    Our justice of the peace is Eva-Torres Luciano. Eva is a bilingual JP that is very passionate about her job. She took the time to really get to know us and is creating a custom short ceremony for us that we can’t wait to see!

    And now that you’ve met our wedding team, you can see why we chose the people we did. They had all of the qualities we were looking for and they felt that we had similar qualities that they like to work with. Now more than ever before, I am a firm believer of finding people who are a good fit for your special day. They all know that they are working with a peer (which also can cause anxiety) but they also know that we want them to not only work our wedding, but to be a part of it with the creative freedom to really let their talents shine. When you pick your dream team, your event will be everything you want it to be and more.

    We invested in what we felt was most important, and as a result, we need or want for nothing. Every single one of our vendors made us feel very comfortable and took the stress out of planning our wedding. They reminded us about meetings, tastings, payments, and more which helped us keep on track and ease a lot of the stress for us during our planning. We are truly grateful that we did things this way and can’t wait for the big day! I learned more about how to make my meetings more fun and helpful to my couples. I learned more about the importance of follow up and being choosier in who I work with to ensure we’re a good fit. And lastly, I learned to relax and let the process happen naturally. We’ve got 5 hours to celebrate. Instead of counting the moments, we’re going to make the moments count!