How much faith can you put into someone judging only their website and perhaps a Facebook or instagram account, its a tough choice. When I was married in 2013 our Dj came from a referral, a friend of a friend had the same Dj so we didn't hesitate to contact him and give him the booking. While he did a good job, he wasn't dressed for a wedding, his speakers blew mid dance which he did replace and our song list wasn't played as requested.
You only have one chance at a wedding so its extremely important to communicate all your expectation and have a plan. I take partial blame for the fumble, we didn't know him personally, he had no reviews or a proper website which is by no means required but provide piece of mind.
The challenge now for me on the opposing side is to somehow provide piece of mind, meeting with couples is STANDARD. We talk about your goals for the evening, how you would like your wedding to feel and generate a proper timeline for events. Overkill you might think but having a night laid out on paper eases tension across the board, from bride and groom to MC and Dj. Everyone will be thankful day of, trust me!
I've been through some struggles, doing events short notice or poorly planned and its a terrible feeling knowing a bit of hindsight would have saved the day and made for a happier couple. So now I take it as my responsibility to provide a clear and concise plan. To GIVE people that piece of mind and help them along the way. I am not here to plug in play and collect a cheque, I am here as your assistant, your coach, your friend. Service at a wedding cannot be left to chance, there is far to much at stake.
Thanks,
Felix