Are You Ready To Start Out As A Wedding DJ?
The joys of working for yourself doing something you really, really like doing, while making decent coin, makes the draw for becoming a Wedding DJ an attractive one.
Behind the decks, you are your own boss and can set yourself up for some decent paying gigs. But be warned; it is not a viable option for the work shy or for those who do not have the right people skills.
To make it as a seasoned Wedding DJ, you’ll need to put some hard graft and a ton of practice, because you will be a critical part of the couple’s special day.
Get this wrong and you will be an unpleasant memory on their future fireside chats and anniversary get togethers.
But, if you can deliver the goods then you, my friend, are on to a lucrative winner and will be flooded with accolades and more referrals for work than you can shake a stick at.
Why is this?
Weddings are a (hopefully) once in a lifetime event, where declarations of love are made in front of the nearest and dearest of the betrothed.
As such, they are a celebration event, so the hosts will want the best time they can afford for themselves and their guests.
This means there’s a large part of the budget put aside for catering and entertainment.
(This is where you come in).
Being a really good Wedding DJ means that you can charge a premium for your services.
“Excellent food, cracking venue and best of all the DJ really made the night special.”
That’s the type of feedback that you want to be responsible for, not only for guaranteeing future work, but also for your ego (go on, you know you have one!)
If you are good with people, have the ability to engage with the wedding party and liaise with the other wedding contactors (photographers, videographers, catering staff) then you’ve ticked some of the right boxes.
What Will You Need?
Your journey to becoming an acclaimed and well sought after Wedding DJ will include full days on weekends setting up equipment and performing your DJ services.
Also you’ll spend many hours during the weeks running up to the big day in planning sessions with the clients.
So first and foremost, you’ll need dedication, a good work ethic, negotiating skills and a the ability to listen.
You also need to understand that this is a business and will need to be treated as such.
Music
It goes without saying that your music collection needs to be front and centre of your business. As a Wedding DJ you will be playing all sorts of genres that might not be on your personal playlist.
You are employed to provide the wedding party a mix of what they want and what you know works best for a varied crowd of young and old.
You’ll need to drop guaranteed floor fillers from your repertoire as well as being able to play current tracks that get the crowd moving.
If you are not a music buff, you will find it difficult bringing positive energy to the main event once the novelty starts to wear thin.
Equipment
If you’re an aspiring Wedding DJ, then you will more than likely have your dream list of kit with your favorite speakers, decks, microphones and CD and digital players.
To the ordinary punter, this all seems very technical, but to you it is DJ Nirvana.
However, if you are a fledging Wedding DJ, you may not have the required capital at hand to purchase your ideal rig from the get go. Moreover, if you are starting out, it would be prudent to test the waters with either second-hand, leased or loaned equipment.
So the idea of your Wedding DJ equipment is not so much about which brand of speakers do you need to get, or do you need that expensive lapel mic right now.
When approaching the subject of equipment, you need to be realistic about what you can afford and avoid the temptation to jump in and overcommit your working capital that could be better spent promoting your services.
Admin
As mentioned earlier, this is a business venture, not a hobby. So you will need to get your admin and business affairs in order.
Depending on which part of the world you reside in, there will be a few legal and tax based formalities that will need some attention. (I know, I know. Yawn, yawn.)
If you omit this bit, then you may find yourself falling foul of the revenue authorities (Not good.) On the plus side, you may be able to use the costs of running this venue against your tax. (PLEASE, PLEASE talk to a qualified and grown up tax expert about this and do not take what I say as any sort of financial advice.)
Marketing and Promotion
If all the world knew what an incredible Wedding DJ you are without you having to tell them, then your life would be a lot easier.
Unfortunately, the market for wedding entertainers is a crowded one and getting the word out beyond your friends and family is a tough, but doable, challenge.
In order to stand out, you will have to engage in some off and online marketing which will be a constant part of running your business – even if you only plan to have it as a weekend side gig.
A lot of “How To Be A Wedding DJ” advice focusses on concentrating your building awareness efforts through word of mouth (an excellent suggestion) and using social platforms like Facebook.
While having an active Facebook and/or Instagram account will benefit you, you need to understand that you do not own these platforms. As such you could fall foul of their playbook rules.
As you would expect, I strongly suggest you invest sometime in getting your own Domain Name and Website, which of course you can do here.
Owning your own website means you get full control of your brand and provides you with your own platform to showcase your services.
Did I mention you can get this Premium Domain Name is on offer?
Resources and Links
I could go on and on about but there’s some qualified contributions in the sidebar from other DJ’s with their spin (excuse the pun) on what you need to get started in the Wedding DJ business.
Enjoy and good luck.
Don’t forget, this website www.purerhtyhmdisco.com is up for sale.
The Domain Name has been around for over 10 years, which makes it a vintage digital asset.
It’s brandable and keyword rich. So if you are serious about your Wedding DJ dreams then click here to make your offer.