Eleven questions to ask any Jacksonville DJ before you sign

Most wedding DJ questionnaires online are useless, because every question has an obvious right answer that anyone can give. These are the ones where the answer tells you something.

Ask all eleven. Ask them by email, so you get the answers in writing.

1. What is the total, all in, for my date at my venue?

Include travel, ceremony sound, all microphones, setup and the hours you need. Then ask directly: is there any circumstance in which I would be invoiced more than that number?

A good answer is a number and a plain yes or no. A good answer is not “let’s set up a call to discuss your vision.”

2. Are you the person who will be at my wedding?

Multi-DJ companies sometimes sell you on the owner and send whoever is available. That is not automatically bad, but you should know before you sign, and you should get the actual DJ’s name in the contract.

A good answer names the person and puts it in writing.

3. Do you MC as well, or is that separate?

The MC work is what holds a reception together. Some DJs do not do it, some charge extra, and some do it badly.

A good answer is clear about who is on the microphone and what that costs.

4. What backup equipment will physically be in the room?

Not “we have backups.” In the room, on the night.

A good answer describes actual gear on site. “Backups at the office” is not a backup during your reception.

5. What happens if you are ill or in an accident?

This is uncomfortable to ask and it is the one that matters most. Every DJ will tell you it has never happened.

A good answer describes a specific arrangement, who covers, and what it costs you. If the answer is vague, that is your answer.

6. Have you worked at my venue, and what do you know about the room?

You are testing whether they think about rooms at all.

A good answer mentions something concrete: the reverb in a stone room, the wind at a marsh pavilion, where the load-in is, what the sound cutoff does to a timeline. “Yes, great venue, we love it there” tells you nothing.

7. What is the sound cutoff at my venue, and how does it change my timeline?

If they do not know, they have not looked. This is the single most common cause of a Northeast Florida timeline going wrong.

A good answer knows there are usually two cutoffs, the city’s and the venue’s, and that the earlier one governs.

8. How do you handle requests from guests?

There is no universal right answer, and you need to know theirs so it matches yours.

A good answer explains their actual approach and asks what you want, including whether you want a do-not-play list honoured strictly.

9. Can I give you a do-not-play list, and will it be followed exactly?

A good answer is an unqualified yes.

10. Will you talk to my planner, my venue and my photographer before the day?

Coordination is most of what makes a reception feel smooth. The DJ, the photographer and the caterer all need the same timeline.

A good answer treats this as routine, not as a favour.

11. What does your contract say about cancellation, postponement and the deposit?

Ask to read the contract before you pay anything. Read the cancellation clause specifically, and ask what happens if you need to move the date.

A good answer is a contract you can actually read, in plain language, with clear terms.

What the answers usually reveal

Most DJs will answer questions one, three and eight well, because those get asked constantly. The ones that separate professionals from hobbyists are four, five, six and seven, because they require someone to have thought about failure and about rooms.

If you would like ours in writing, they are on this site already.