Eleven questions to ask any Jacksonville DJ before you sign

Booking a DJ is mostly a question of finding out, early, whether what you want and what they do are the same thing. These are the questions where the answer tells you something concrete.

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 clear answer is a number and a plain yes or no.

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

Larger companies book several DJs, which works well and is worth knowing about in advance. Either way, get the name of the DJ who will be there written into the contract.

A clear 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. It is sometimes included and sometimes priced separately, so it is worth asking rather than assuming.

A clear answer says 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 clear answer describes actual gear on site, in the room, for the whole event.

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

This is uncomfortable to ask and it is the one that matters most, because it is the scenario nobody plans for until they have to.

A clear answer describes a specific arrangement, who covers, and what it costs you.

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

You are finding out how much of the room they already have in their head.

A clear 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.

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

This is the single most common cause of a Northeast Florida timeline going wrong, and it is worth settling before anything else is booked.

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

Which ones are worth the most

Questions one, three and eight get asked constantly, so the answers come easily. Four, five, six and seven are the ones that take some thought, because they are about failure and about rooms rather than about the music.

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