Those wedding forums on facebook are great inspiration to write blogs from. I get to see first hand what couples are looking for, their preferences, their inspirations and muses, and the value that they seek for when it comes to looking for wedding vendors. The words “affordable dj” and “reasonably priced dj” get thrown around quite often.

Unfortunately and unknowingly, many couples are getting duped by their decisions and the excitement that comes with bargain basement pricing. But the discrepancy does not only lie with the affordable DJ, it lies with the fact that we are programmed to look for the best price. Marketing companies are always looking to push “value” to their client base. For some, it’s the end result, the emotions of the client base, and in many cases, the lowest price possible.

When you make a purchase and you get a good deal, you feel GREAT! You feel SMART! You might even feel like the person you did a deal with offered great value and are SHOCKED at just how much you got for such a low price. But I’m here to tell you. It’s a smoke screen.

On recent calls with couples on the hunt for high end wedding services, they didn’t realize just how different DJs really were. They were under the impression that all DJs are created equal. They thought the job entailed, “Press the buttons that we ask you to press and stand there til it’s time to go home.”  Nope. Not even close. And that’s what many couples are finding out too late in the game.

They found that great deal and locked it in. They ghosted anyone other than the lowest bidder because they thought, “This is awesome! I only paid $680 for my wedding DJ! Those other couples are CRAZY for paying thousands. HA! I gotta tell my bridesmaids about this DJ. I’m sure they’d LOVE a good deal.”

And that’s how it begins. Now 5 or 6 couples have been exposed to the great deal. And those same 5 or 6 couples weddings hang in the balance at the mercy of whether their Great Deal DJ has what it takes and possesses the professionalism and courtesy to pull it off.

3 months before the wedding, the couple begins to get worried. She hasn’t heard anything from her DJ since their phone call to book the date. She already paid a deposit and locked it in. She doesn’t have a contract with anything on it. Just an email saying that the DJ will be there and a single line that says “DJ – $680” She shrugs it off and waits another month. With no contact, she emails the DJ and he replies with, “I got you!” Then it’s just 10 days before her wedding and the DJ calls with a “Hey, yeah. Sorry. I messed up. I can’t DJ your wedding. Sorry about that.”

This happens HUNDREDS of times per year. It’s gotta stop.

Here’s 6 pro-tips on how to reduce your stress when it comes to booking not just ANY DJ, but the RIGHT DJ for you.