One option for the music at your wedding reception is to hire a wedding DJ. One of the main reasons that couples choose a DJ is price. A live band can cost you thousands, the price range is usually two thousand to ten thousand depending on the band, but it can be higher. A good disc jockey should not cost much over a thousand dollars and can costs as little as a few hundred.
When you are ready to interview DJs ask around to see if any of your friends, family, or coworkers have used one that they were satisfied with. Like any profession, there will be ones that are highly recommended and others that your friends will tell you to stay far away from. If you do not know anyone who got married recently talk to the managers of the facility that you are using for your reception. They should be able to recommend a few options to you. If you cannot find one this way then your only remaining alternative is to go through the yellow pages or check online. Once you have picked a few you will have to interview them to see what they have to offer and how much they will charge you. It is always a good idea to interview more than one. This is the case even if your friends all recommend the same DJ. Remember this is your wedding and you want it just right for your tastes.
When interviewing your wedding DJ make sure they are willing to sign a contract that specifies exactly what you are getting for your money. Any DJ who will not sign a contract may prove to be unreliable and you should not book them for your wedding reception. One of the things that you need to ensure is in the contract is how to deal with any overtime that may come up. Sometimes the wedding DJ will have a standard hourly overtime charge. It usually varies between one hundred and two hundred fifty dollars for each extra hour or partial hour after the agreed upon time. It is not suggested that you agree on a wait and see how long things go, that puts you legally liable to pay whatever amount the DJ decides at the last moment or risk that the end of your reception will be a silent one. Another contractual stipulation many couples include in is how they want the wedding DJ to dress. You do not want your DJ showing up in ripped jeans and a scruffy t-shirt if you are having a very formal reception.
A good wedding DJ will have some sort of form for you to fill out or at least request a list of preferred songs. You can simply give the DJ a genre that you want played and let them play a variety of music that falls into that genre. Still, there will be some special songs you will want played. These will include the music for the first dance between the bride and groom, the dance between the bride and her father and maybe the song you want the reception to end on. You may want a few favorite songs, like the first song you two danced to or the song that you consider yours, to be played at the reception. Just in case these are hard to find you want to make sure they are on some kind of music list. You want the music for your reception to be exactly right, just like every other moment of your wedding, so make sure the DJ knows what you want.
