Recommendations to Unearth a Professional Wedding DJ

If you're searching for the ideal wedding DJ for your reception, read on for five tips that will help you snag the best DJ pro for your special day.

Find an Local Message Board

One of the best resources for getting referrals and recommendations are online message boards or forums. Try accessing a local bride's forum for wedding DJ recommendations.

Popular sites include the Wedding Bells magazine website (weddingbells.ca), which has regional message boards, or - for example - the Edmonton Wedding Guide site (edmontonweddingguide.com), which is more localized, but less well known.

On these forums, you can talk to other brides in your area, hear their experiences and get recommendations and referrals for a local DJ and event companies.

Consult Your Photographer

A good wedding photographer will work at least one wedding a weekend - that's a lot of experience and interaction with wedding DJ companies.

So, if you trust your photographer, be sure to consult them on their recommendations. Alternately, if you already have a potential DJ in mind, ask them if they've ever worked with that person or company and what they think.

Go to the Bridal Expo

Edmonton is host to three major bride shows or wedding exhibitions. They are - the Edmonton Bridal Expo, a massive event that's held every fall and considered one of the best in the city; Bridal Fantasy, a twice-annual event that's held in both Calgary and Edmonton; and The Bridal Fair, a smaller event that's typically held twice a year.

While a Bridal Fair may be overwhelming, they can be a great place to not only check out multiple DJ and entertainment companies, but also to meet them for informal, impromptu interviews.

You can check out their gear, their music selection, their prices and their personalities. For many weddings, the DJ also performs as your informal MC, meaning you want to find someone that meshes with your personality and wedding style. So, instead of calling tons of companies or running all around town, you can get it all done in one place.

Stay Away From Do-It-All Wedding Factory Companies

You'll often see wedding entertainment companies that offer massive packages which include your limo, videography, photography and DJ services. But, the question is - do you want someone that does everything fairly well or someone that does one thing with particular skill?

Ideally, you want a DJ that knows how to DJ and is going to do the job well. You wouldn't hire a photographer to cater your food or a florist to officiate your reception, so why hire a limo company to handle your reception entertainment?

Consult With the Venue

If you're hosting your wedding reception at a popular venue, they'll likely be able to recommend a number of quality local wedding DJ companies.

Because most venues host numerous weddings every year, they get to hear and see a wide range of DJ's - meaning they often know who is good and who might be better to avoid.

For great information on wedding preparation tips - see weddingpreptips.com - a popular site providing helpful pre-wedding insights - such as finding a San Francisco wedding photographer - Sandals honeymoons - and many more!