Help! My DJ bailed on me!

Picture it. October 20th, 2023. 2:30pm.

A DJ was just wrapping up in the office for the day and about to walk out the door to his wedding that day when the phone rings. On the other side of the call is a frantic best man begging anyone that would pick up the phone to help his brother find a wedding dj for their wedding TOMORROW. He said, “My brother called me an hour ago and told me, Help! My DJ bailed on me!”

If you’ve already booked your wedding services for October of 2024, you already know how difficult it was to find a wedding vendor with availability. October is the BUSIEST month for weddings in Connecticut. It has the best weather, the most beautiful foliage for pictures, and the days are just long enough to get a beautiful sunset ceremony before the lights go out and it’s time to party. It’s literally the best time of the year to get married.

After taking this call and listening to his pleas for help, I had remembered that I had heard this conversation before. Many times in fact. In 2023 alone, we were the emergency DJ for couples, schools, & corporate events not 1 time. Not 2 times. Not even 3 times. Can you guess how many events we raced to cover an event because their DJ bailed? 6 times. And each time, those clients paid dearly. Not because our prices were out of reach, but because they had already paid money to the DJ that bailed and now have to pay us on top of that at a cost 3X what they were quoted by the missing DJ.

Let me explain something about DJs that you may or may not know.
Not all DJs are created equal. Some are really talented music programmers, scratchers & blenders, and really know how to get your local bar going every single Friday. You’ve seen their work and thought to yourself, “God, this guy is good. I want him to rock my wedding.”

Now don’t get me wrong, there are plenty of DJs that do weddings and nightlife events but the ratio of those who don’t do both is much larger. FUN FACT. Most club/bar DJs get paid between $150-400 per night and may also receive as an added bonus, free drinks. They also (and rightfully so) will bail on a lower paying bar to play at a venue that pays and treats them better because they KNOW that the bar will just find another person to fill the void for the night. It’s a very casual situation and sadly, the norm. But unlike the nightlife scene, weddings are a once in a lifetime event. We literally have one opportunity to nail it. So why would your DJ bail on you?

For one, they may not have the business experience or desire to have good business practices because it’s too much responsibility. No bar or club has signed a contract and everything is booked with a handshake. It’s all they know. But would you really trust your expensive wedding to a “I got you” and a Bro Hug?” We didn’t think so either.

But let’s not bash the bar DJs. We know quite a few amazing, responsible, and reputable nightlife DJs that are excellent at what they do and are invited back to your favorite Saturday night spot time and time again because they are masters of their craft, show up ready to work, and command a respectable wage for their work, reputation, and experience.

Let’s however talk about the “family friend” or “that dude from college”.
If you’ve ever been let down by a friend, you know how hard it is to recover from that. Maybe they had something better to do that day or simply just forgot… because it wasn’t a priority. Either way, not a fun situation. And what would your family friend charge you for your wedding? A couple hundred dollars as a favor? Again, I ask you, would you trust your expensive wedding to a favor? We didn’t think so either.

At the end of the day, who you hire is up to you. But knowing what to look for when booking your wedding DJ is so important.

Professional Wedding DJ services in CT average between $1250-$4000 respectively. Figure those numbers at a minimum into your wedding budget.

An experienced DJ will ask you to sign a contract. You should READ the contract fully and ask questions if you need clarification. The contract should not only protect the DJ, but you as well. It’s a legal binding contract that can be upheld in a court of law.

Read their reviews. Not every review is going to be a 5 star review and that’s ok. How they respond to all of the reviews is what’s important. It speaks to their character and should offer you peace of mind in knowing that you’re booking someone who has the best end result at heart for each event they host. You should also look for consistency in their reviews and in what their past clients found most important and enjoyable for their events. If the DJ you are considering is consistent, you’ve got a really good chance that they are going to provide stellar service for you as well.

Pay a deposit and make sure that your DJ gives you confirmation in writing (email works) that your date is officially booked with them.

Ask them about their contingency plan should an emergency arise. (Vehicle accidents and sickness happens. We’re humans too!)

Start looking for your DJ as soon as possible and ask the vendors you’ve already booked for references. They have the opportunity to work with thousands of different vendors every year and can tell you from experience whether the DJ you’re considering is the right fit for the job.

Follow these steps, and you will never have to call us because your DJ bailed on you. Best wishes and happy planning!