When it comes to making a wedding special, a DJ is a big part of it. While you likely have lots of experience under your belt, you still may get a little nervous when the big day rolls around. Here are four things you can do to properly prepare yourself for your next wedding music gig.
You should ask the wedding party to meet you at the venue for an on-site tour. Many times, the happy couple will already have planned on meeting up with all their vendors on a certain date at the chosen facility. This allows everyone to get to know each other. You should take your time and really get the layout of the facility. Look for where you can best set up so that everyone can hear your music.
While touring the wedding venue is a must, being able to go through a trial run is a plus. Talk with the wedding party and venue manager to see if there is a time you can bring some of your equipment to test out particular setups. This will allow you to determine what’s your best position when dealing with different acoustic circumstances like wedding ballrooms and outside gathering areas.
You’ll need to schedule a sit-down meeting with your clients to discuss the particulars of the service. The obvious topic will be your rate and the amount of time they want to hire your services for. After this, you’ll want to hash out the details of the type of music that they want to be played, the particular songs they’ll want for the special events, and so forth. In addition, you’ll need to know what cues you’ll need to know for introducing them into the room.
You must ensure that you arrive on-time the day of the wedding. You don’t want to be late and risk ruining the wedding. It’s a good idea to take a test drive to the venue to see how long it will take you. Consider the time it will take to load up all of your equipment and to unpack it at the venue. Always schedule yourself some extra time so that you can be assured you’ll never be late to the gig.
Preparing for a wedding gig is essential to ensuring that you contribute to a great wedding experience for your clients. The above are four great starter tips on preparing. As you do more gigs, we’re sure you’ll add more items to your preparation list.