#1) Meet your vendors
More specifically meet your Dj. There are a lot of offers out there for lowest price, best in business and highest quality. Some of this verbiage is only designed to attract customers and monetize your wedding, beware of these typical offerings. If you do go the route of the big company with low cost be sure to meet the person who will be at your wedding. Meet the person who will be at your most important event and make sure they are a good fit for you, has the right style and will be dressed appropriately for the task at hand. A recent story about a Dj dressed in Flip-Flops and shorts left a bride frustrated with his too cool demeanor. A person you've met, a personality you like and the relationship becomes better and ultimately so will your wedding day.
#2) Iron out your musical preferences and profiles early
Preferences are genres, songs and styles of music you, your family and your friends gravitate towards. Understanding these dynamics makes for a more fun filled night. If your unsure, I've created a simple 10 question online survey you can send to guests to collect that information (No email sign up required).
A profile is a more personal assessment of your personal style and each of you (the bride and the groom) will have their own. This is a more specific view of your own taste, songs and artists you might be into this week, month or year. This also includes music from your past that has influenced your life and that you just have to hear at your wedding. Pair this information with your key event songs like first dance, cake cutting and bouquet toss and you have a night tailor made for you and your guests.
#3) Trust the choices you have made
Let the Dj do his work. Sometimes the best laid out plan can go sideways. The crowd can be fickle and its up to the Dj to be able to read that crowd and change course when required. Its about having the best night you possibly can and a professional will be able to pump your party up when needed, change gears when required and slow it down when requested. You've created a friendship, you trust the choice you've made and its time for the Dj to hold up his end.
The best weddings have been couples who invested in their night. Who cared about their music and the entertainment they brought their guests. Who wanted to know the people who would be there, the people who would go the extra mile, go to rehearsals, set up early and stay late for that last dance.
Choose wisely, meet often and trust your instincts.