Questions to ask your wedding DJ

1. Who will be playing our wedding?

Why it matters. Some DJ companies run several DJs on a Saturday, so the person you meet, or the name on the website, may not be the person in the booth. Your DJ is the one reading your room for hours, so ask any company exactly who will be playing your wedding, and talk to that person before you book.

2. How long have you been playing weddings, and where?

Why it matters. Years alone don't make a good DJ, but weddings are a specific skill. A wedding DJ has to handle a ceremony, an entrance, toasts, a first dance and a dance floor that runs from age two to ninety-two, all in one night.

Our answer. Dave Menzo has been performing since 2001 and has played Michigan weddings for more than a decade. He's played ballrooms like The Masonic Temple in Detroit and Laurel Manor in Livonia, farm and barn venues like Zingerman's Cornman Farms in Dexter, and weddings up north. The full list is on the venues page.

3. Have you played our venue, or one like it?

Why it matters. A DJ who knows a room knows where the sound bounces, where the power is, and where the dance floor really ends. If they haven't played your venue, ask how they'll prepare: a site visit, a call with the coordinator, or photos of the space.

Our answer. Maybe. Our venue pages cover the places Dave has played, from Revel Run in Chelsea to Hotel Perry in Petoskey. If yours isn't there, tell us about it and we'll go through the space together.

4. Can we see you working at a wedding story?

Why it matters. A studio demo mix tells you about someone's taste. Photos and film from a real reception tell you how the floor responds.

Our answer. Yes. The weddings in our portfolio are photographed by the couples' own photographers, and two of them, Tom & Ellen and Genna & Frank at The Oakley, have wedding films.

5. What do past couples and their families say?

Why it matters. Reviews tell you what people noticed. Look for specifics, like reading the crowd, keeping the floor full or the time spent planning, rather than general praise.

Our answer. There's one from a bride on this page, and more on the homepage, all quoted word for word.

6. How do you read a room?

Why it matters. This is the whole job. A prepared playlist can't see that the grandparents just sat down or that your college friends finally arrived on the floor. A good answer sounds specific: watching who's dancing and who's about to, changing direction when a song isn't landing, and saving the big songs until the floor is ready for them.

Our answer. It starts with watching. We follow the room from the booth all night: who's dancing, who's about to, and when it's time for the song you've waited all night to hear.

7. How do you handle our must-play list?

Why it matters. Some must-plays belong at the peak of the night; some belong to one table of old friends at 9:15. Ask whether the DJ plays every song on the list or uses it as a guide, and whether you can say where a song should land.

Our answer. We plan them together, song by song, including roughly when each one should happen.

8. How do you handle our do-not-play list?

Why it matters. The do-not-play list protects you from the song that reminds your mother of her ex, or the line dance you swore would never happen at your wedding. A DJ should treat it as a firm rule, not a suggestion.

9. What happens with guest requests?

Why it matters. Requests can make a night or derail it. Decide in advance whether you want them, and ask the DJ how they handle a request that's on your do-not-play list or doesn't fit the moment.

10. Can you edit songs to length?

Why it matters. A five-minute first dance feels very long when everyone's watching. Entrance songs often need to start at the chorus. Ask whether the DJ can trim, fade or start a song at a chosen point.

Our answer. Yes. Your first dance can be edited to the length you want, and entrance songs can start where the energy is.

11. What does dinner sound like?

Why it matters. Dinner music sets the mood for the toasts and the rest of the night. It should be at a level where people can talk across a table. Ask how they pick dinner music and how they keep the volume down.

Our answer. Pitched for conversation. Your guests should be able to hear each other, and the room should feel full without being loud.

12. Do you play any live music?

Why it matters. Most DJs don't, and that's fine. But if you love the idea of live music and don't have the budget or space for a band, it's worth asking.

Our answer. Yes. Dave sings and plays guitar and piano. With DJ plus live music, a hybrid package built on the DJ booking, live musicians play over chosen songs in the DJ set, in any combination of drums, guitar, sax and violin, so guests hear the recording they know with live players on top. The DJ, live band or both guide explains how it fits with a band.

13. Can you cover our ceremony, and is it live or recorded?

Why it matters. Many DJs cover the ceremony with recorded music through a second speaker. That works. Live music works differently: it can slow down, stretch or end exactly when you reach the front.

Our answer. You can add ceremony music played live on acoustic guitar and vocals, or piano. For song ideas, see our ceremony songs guide.

14. How will our officiant and readers be heard?

Why it matters. The vows are the reason everyone came, and they're the part most often lost to wind or distance. Ask what microphones the DJ provides for the officiant and readers, and whether they're wireless.

Our answer. It depends on your ceremony site, so we go through it with each couple rather than list it here. If your ceremony is outdoors, read outdoor ceremony sound in Michigan first.

15. What happens if the ceremony and reception are in different spaces?

Why it matters. If cocktail hour and the reception are in separate rooms, the reception has to be set up while the ceremony or cocktail hour is happening. Ask whether the DJ needs a second setup or a gap in the timeline.

16. Will cocktail hour be live or a playlist?

Why it matters. Cocktail hour is often the longest stretch your guests spend together before dinner, and many couples miss it entirely while they take photos. Ask what it will sound like.

Our answer. You can add a live cocktail-hour set. At Zingerman's Cornman Farms, Dave sang through cocktail hour, then DJ'd the reception. There's more in the cocktail hour guide.

17. Will you MC, and how much will you talk?

Why it matters. At most weddings the DJ is also the MC. Some couples want a host who works the crowd; most want someone who says what's needed and gets out of the way. Ask for an example of how they'd announce your grand entrance.

Our answer. Yes, MC work is part of the Wedding DJ and MC booking. Clear, warm and short. Read what a wedding MC does for the details.

18. How do you work with our planner, venue and photographer?

Why it matters. The DJ is usually the one holding the microphone when the timeline needs to move. The best ones check in with the coordinator and photographer before every key moment so nobody misses the first dance.

Our answer. We work from your planner's timeline and keep the venue and photographer in step with it. There's more on working with planners and venues.

19. Will you practise our names?

Why it matters. A mispronounced name during the grand entrance is the one thing everyone remembers. Ask how they collect pronunciations.

Our answer. Yes. Names and pronunciations go into the plan, and they're said out loud before the day.

20. What happens if the night runs late?

Why it matters. Dinner service runs long, a toast goes ten minutes over, the sunset photos take longer than planned. A good DJ adjusts the order of the night with your coordinator without you noticing.

21. What equipment do you bring, and what's the backup?

Why it matters. Speakers sized for your room, microphones for toasts, and a plan for when something fails. Ask what happens if a speaker or laptop dies mid-reception. You want a calm, specific answer.

22. How much space and power do you need?

Why it matters. Barns, tents and small private rooms are tight. Your venue will want to know how much floor the DJ needs and how many outlets, especially outdoors.

23. When do you arrive, and how long does setup take?

Why it matters. Setup has to finish before guests arrive, and some venues have strict load-in windows. If the ceremony is in the same room as the reception, a quiet setup during a room flip matters.

24. Do you carry liability insurance, and can you provide a certificate for our venue?

Why it matters. Many venues require vendors to show proof of insurance. Check your venue's vendor rules first, then ask the DJ directly.

25. What exactly does the quote include?

Why it matters. Two quotes can look similar and cover very different days. Compare hours, ceremony and cocktail-hour coverage, MC duties, microphones, lighting and travel line by line. Our wedding DJ cost guide lists what moves the price in Michigan.

Our answer. We don't publish prices, because every quote depends on your hours, your venue and which parts of the day you'd like covered. Tell us about your day and we'll quote yours.

26. What's needed to hold our date, and when are payments due?

Why it matters. Know what it takes to hold your date, when the rest is due, and what happens if your plans change. Get it in writing.

27. What happens if you're sick or there's an emergency?

Why it matters. Everyone gets sick. A professional has thought about it before you ask. Ask what their plan is.

28. Can we extend on the night, and are there travel costs?

Why it matters. If the floor is full at 10:55, you may want another half hour. Ask whether that's possible, how it's agreed on the night, and whether your venue allows it. For weddings away from home, ask about travel and overnight costs up front.

• No questions about you. If they talk about their equipment for twenty minutes and never ask how you met, that's how your night will feel.
• A vague quote. If you can't tell what's included after they know your date, venue and hours, ask again in writing.
• "We just play what's popular." Your guests aren't a playlist. Every crowd is different.
• No real-wedding photos, video or reviews. Everyone starts somewhere, but you should be able to see or hear something from a wedding story.

If you only ask eight

1. Who will be playing our wedding?
2. Can we see you working at a wedding story?
3. How do you read a room?
4. How do you handle our must-play and do-not-play lists?
5. Will you MC, and how much will you talk?
6. How will our officiant and readers be heard?
7. How do you work with our planner and venue?
8. What exactly does the quote include?