Breaking The Mold: What To Look For In A Wedding DJ...

What do you need to look for in a wedding DJ?  What are the characteristics of good DJ and what is necessary for your wedding reception? What questions should you ask when searching for a DJ and how do you know when you have found the right one? These are all the questions that most brides will ponder during their search for the perfect disc jockey for their wedding reception. This blog post is aimed to help you in your decision to find the right DJ for your event and hopefully point you in the right direction toward a successful event. Because in the end, what will make or break your event will be.... your DJ!

The reason I became a DJ was because many of the DJ's I saw around Albuquerque were not "very good" (of course in my opinion). So, what is a "good DJ?" This is very subjective of course, and everyone will have a different opinion based on their personal preferences. Is it the music they play? Is it their ability to emcee? Is it both? What about how they interact with the crowd? Or, is too much interaction "cheesy?" For me, I saw club DJ's in Albuquerque that could mix music or scratch, but never interacted on the microphone. I also saw wedding DJ's that seemed very "cheesy" in their approach and made a reception seem like a tryout for American Idol. These wedding DJ's also seemed to play music like an Ipod, Country song... stop... Top-40 song... stop... Motown Song... stop, you get the idea. So, where was the balance? Why couldn't these DJ's find a happy medium that mixed the likes of a club DJ and that of a wedding DJ? My mission was on, to see if we could break the mold of the mobile disc jockey!

Our mission at Cutmaster Music is to break the mold of the stereotypical mobile disc jockey in Albuquerque. We try to bring our customers "something different" to their event. We have spent plenty of time in various clubs around New Mexico. We have played in dance clubs, top-40 clubs, Latin clubs,  country dance clubs, and just about every type of club you can think of. We feel this experience is imperative to our ability to read and play to the vibe of our crowd. We also have the ability to mix and even scratch. How many mobile DJ's have you seen bring this style to a wedding? But... who wants a club DJ at their wedding, right?  Well... what if that club DJ could actually mix your reception music! That's what we at Cutmaster Music bring to the table, the ability to play music clubstyle at your event! We feel that this keeps good flow and allows us to build a dance floor without having to play all the "cheesy" music you hear at EVERY SINGLE WEDDING! There's nothing like seeing people two-step right into a top-40 song... yes, it's possible!

What about interactivity? It's very important for your DJ to be able to interact with the crowd in a manner that suits the clients needs. What if your event is a 6 year old's birthday party? Then it might be necessary to be very "cheery" and act a little like a "cheeseball." But, this may not be appropriate for a wedding. Too many times I've seen DJ's at a wedding act like the spotlight is on them all night long. They constantly talk during songs, introduce every song, or maybe go out into the crowd and try to pry people from their seats against their wishes to dance, or even make fun of people in the crowd. These are the things that give the wedding DJ a bad name. A little interactivity is never a bad thing, but our approach is to get your from one event to the next with brief introductions and even a little humor. We never want to overstep our boundaries of our clients needs. We like to let the mixing of the music do the talking for us. In my opinion, people are at your event to listen to music and have a good time, not listen to some guy stand in the front of the room and talk all night long. I also feel that a good DJ does not need to constantly play the "cheese," like the Macarena, the Electric Slide, the YMCA, etc... I'm not saying these songs are bad, but how many weddings have you heard these same songs played over and over? Once again, we are trying to break the mold. Do we have the Macarena? Yes! Will we play it if our client requests it? Yes! Will you hear us play it at every single wedding? NO! In fact, I can't remember the last event we played the Macarena. Why? Because we can play everything else you want to hear and make you forget about the Macarena. Many DJ's use these songs when their dance floor is empty. We use these songs within the mix of our sets and only use them sporadically since our dance floors are already hoppin'!

So, how do you know which DJ is the right one for you? I think there needs to be a common ground between both the client and the DJ. The DJ should have the Bride and Groom in mind, and not their own personal agenda. We provide a planner that gets you pointed in a direction, but in the end, you make the decisions. We are here to facilitate and guide you along the planning process. You need to be able to meet with your DJ and not a company manager or contractor. Do you really want someone showing up to your event that you have never met or talked with? I think you also need to have a good rapport with your DJ. Does the DJ's personality fit the needs of your event? Maybe you actually want a lot of interactivity and a lot of talking through out your event. You need to make sure your DJ is comfortable with your needs and wants. Make sure you ask your DJ about his experience and make sure it matches your expectations. I know I would not want my wedding to be the first a DJ has ever done. This is an industry where unfortunately price will usually reflect many of these values. In essence, you usually get what you pay for. A DJ that charges $250 may sound like a great deal until you find out he's bringing a boom box and has only DJ'd for his fish in his bedroom. This brings me to my next point, that if a DJ talks more about his gear and equipment than his services or performance, I would throw up a red flag. Although gear is of great importance, most brides and grooms don't know what speakers are good or bad and probably don't know a good mixer from a bad one. Any quality DJ will have great equipment (and backup) and will try to sell you on what they as a DJ bring to the table (and we're not talking about their turntables).

In the end, your DJ will always put your needs before theirs. Cutmaster Music has your vision in mind when planning your event. This is why every reception we do is unique and memorable. We always bring our ability to read a crowd and mix the music, but we always have our clients needs in mind... making us one of the top DJ companies in New Mexico!

--Cutmaster Music