First of all, you must find a professional and not a hobbiest with a home stereo and a pair of cd players. To many services today are made of inexperienced personnel only capable of pressing play on a cd player. Not only is professional grade equipment a must, but the people running it must also be competent professionals. There are no training or school requirements to become a DJ. It is important to locate a company with experience in handling your event and not just the company with the cheapest price.
"Surveys show that nearly 100% of brides would have spent more money on their entertainment in hindsight."
In fact, on average most brides spend 5% of their wedding budget on a DJ, but numerous articles in bridal magazines state that if they could do it all over again they would spend at least 10%-15% for a better Houston DJ. I know from experience that the DJ at your wedding must be an entertainer and an event coordinator. When I got married the DJ barely knew how to hook up the microphone, and could not even direct the events of the evening. Luckily my best man and my business partner was their to make sure it all went smoothly. My best man even had to handle all of the announcements and direct the event the way it should have been handled by the "DJ". Unfortunately I chose my DJ based solely on price, my mistake don't let this happen to you.
Most professional Houston DJ services rely on referrals and maintain a price that is equivalent to the quality of their service. A DJ that keeps dropping his price to get your business maybe new to the industry and may not be very good. If the cheapest DJ is all you can afford, then you have no choice, but the better DJs are often worth the extra money when it comes to having a quality event. For a wedding, choosing the right wedding DJ is essential and could be the most important decision you make.
My recommendations
1. Ask if the DJ uses professional grade equipment
2. Make sure you have a written contract with the DJ that outlines all the details of the event
3. For weddings be sure the DJ goes over the schedule of events with you and allows you to
make changes as necessary
4. Ask for references and how long the DJ has worked in the industry
5. Ask if the DJ will program your music and take requests on the fly
6. Ask about how the DJ will be dressed for your event
7. Ask if the DJ does more than just play music (ie Announcements, etc)
8. Ask how long it takes the DJ to setup
Hopefully this will help make any event a successful one.
