It’s your big day and, naturally, you want everything to be perfect. In a county with so many options, how do you choose your ideal Essex wedding DJ? It’s a very important choice to make, given that their services could be taking up six to eight hours of your wedding day. Your DJ shouldn’t just be musical wallpaper, they should be the very heartbeat of your celebration, turning moments into cherished memories and creating a soundtrack that lives on whenever you recall your special day. Experience is absolutely key when looking for your ideal Essex wedding DJ; someone with confidence who can read a room and understand the tastes and energy of your guests, combined with vast personal music knowledge and the technical skills to play a seamless set. The role of the DJ cannot be overstated on your wedding day…they are the creators of atmosphere and the memory-makers for years to come!
Essex Weddings – The popular choice
My home county Essex is currently one of the most popular wedding counties in the UK. Its’ accessibility to London (and the major airports), its’ reasonably temperate climate and its rich history all provide a perfect place to get married. There are a wide variety of historic venues to choose from, such as ancient barns (Cressing Temple), Tudor palaces (Layer Marney Tower) or even castles (Hedingham Castle). Of course, for those wanting a more modern approach, there are a number of top country house hotels in Essex catering for the whole wedding day and accommodation under one roof (Orsett Hall, Parklands Quendon Hall, Gosfield Hall) and they’re all within reachable distance of public transport but still maintain that countryside feel. Being a county with so much choice, Essex wedding venues cannot afford the complacency of some more remote destinations, and therefore the standard of their services is generally very high. This is of course reflected in their choice of in-house DJ too, although bear in mind that you do not have to settle for the venue’s own act if you’re not confident or happy with them. Essex really does offer a diverse array of top quality venues and talent and the difficult choice is yours!
The role of the wedding DJ
As stated above, the role of your wedding DJ cannot be taken lightly. Each and every top professional DJ treats a wedding reception with extra special care. It’s not just another birthday party or corporate gig, a wedding is way more important and unique. For starters, they will want to get to know the bride & groom before the big day itself; their favourite genres, their music dislikes, popular family tunes and other personal info that a club DJ or a party DJ wouldn’t require…an essential insight before the wedding day. Taking a handful of requested songs and playing them at perfect points throughout the evening is the M.O. of a skilled wedding DJ, carefully maintaining the energy on the dance floor. Most contemporary DJs keep microphone use to a minimum, however an experienced wedding DJ should be able to hold the attentions of all the guests at any given point if the need arises, particularly when introducing the First Dance and the finalé. And there are many ways in which a Essex wedding DJ could personalise your event using traditional and modern techniques. A common addition is the ‘Mr & Mrs’ game, which can be played before the dancing begins. The DJ acts like a TV host, questioning the happy couple in turn (having already received their answers separately) and this usually creates a brief but welcome interlude for the assembled guests. Other personalisations can be achieved via LED lighting technology (huge letters spelling out their names on stage) or projected images onto a blank venue wall depicting their names and the date, etc.
What should you look for when seeking your perfect Essex wedding DJ?
- Experience. There really is no substitute for specific wedding reception experience. Your local pub DJ may be nimble in the mix but if they don’t understand the wedding etiquette and format of the day, there could be trouble. A wedding DJ of many years will know most pitfalls and be able to deal with them professionally.
- Multi-genre music knowledge. It’s very, very rare that a wedding reception party is based around just one or two styles of music. It’s nearly always a family affair of wildly contrasting ages and tastes, so your DJ needs to know when and what to play from an encyclopaedic knowledge in his head! And flexibility is key…if something isn’t working on the floor, there should be no shame in changing it up.
- Professionalism. This comes in many forms. You will find that the full-time professional DJs will usually be more attentive and focused than those who do the job part-time. Look for things like liability insurances, terms and conditions, timely regular contact, written contracts, back-up contingencies and willingness to meet face to face beforehand. Condition of the DJ kit is also a good indicator of how serious they are, plus of course their personal appearance. And a friendly, understanding manner.
- Recommendations. The holy grail for all DJs is to be recommended. It is the single biggest source of gigs that doesn’t cost a penny in advertising! Listen to your friends’ comments of DJs they’ve employed & enjoyed in the past. Sometimes the music styles may not suit, but it could be worth a chat with the Essex wedding DJ anyway. Check out the various wedding forums online too, but beware of fake reviews (it’s really a thing!) – if someone has commented positively, try getting in touch by private message, they’ll probably be delighted to share their stories!
- The Fee. I’ll discuss this in more detail below, but to the couples who are booking their once-in-a-lifetime wedding DJ, the variance in pricing is mind-boggling. No matter what the DJ is charging, always ask exactly what you’re getting for the money. Whilst some of the more expensive acts will justify their fee with their vast experience, others may pump up their prices with technical add-ons such as LED letters and photo pods, which take little skill to set up and operate but generate better profits. Always remember what the core requirement of the DJ is….to play the right music at the right time to the right people.
How much does a wedding DJ cost in the UK?
As there are no official or regulatory bodies and 99% of mobile DJs are sole traders, the cost of a wedding DJ could be anything at all. Some part-time hobbyists might be happy with £150, whilst a DJ with a proven radio or nightclub background may well demand in excess of £5,000…it really is that different. The good news is that there is a DJ out there to suit every budget. According to various wedding service directories (Hitched, Bridebook, etc), the average price in the UK for a competent wedding DJ was roughly £500-£600, based upon a 6pm til midnight timescale. Many wedding DJs will offer extras such as dance floors, photo booths, dry ice machines and pyrotechnics but it’s best to clarify the breakdown of costs with your DJ for each element to make sure you’re getting good value (and also to ensure they’re not hiding a cheap Essex Wedding DJ act amongst clever add-ons and visuals!) In my personal opinion, a fee of £500-£800 for a six-hour service is a good price to pay for a DJ who satisfies all the professional criteria above. Beware any acts charging less than £300 (they might be good but there’s a strong chance they’ll take a better paying gig if it comes along) and also those DJs who start their pricing at £1,200 for the same service…you’ll definitely need to ask them to justify their fee!
Is it worth having a DJ at a wedding?
Of course I am going to say yes! But here are my reasons, all based upon my 35 years of experience…
- The evening reception becomes unstructured and although there may be background music playing, the encouragement and the music continuity are lacking, leaving the dance floor sadly empty.
- “We will put a Spotify playlist together for the evening.” Well that’s great if you possess the powers of a gifted psychic, because in my 35 years of hosting parties and receptions, I’ve never been able to judge the direction in which the music will go before the party starts. The playlist will also be largely personal tastes of the author, something a Essex Wedding DJ cannot afford to do!
- “We’ll use Spotify and guests can select their own tunes.” Disaster! You’ll spend the evening listening to half-songs until someone else changes the track to something they like instead. And repeat.
- “We’re booking a band instead.” Ahh, now this one is always tricky. Bands at weddings are largely very good, especially if they are experienced in wedding receptions. The problem arises when they stop for a break (or two) – often they’ll use Spotify (see above) to fill the gaps, thus sapping all the energy they’ve just worked hard to create. Always book a band AND an Essex Wedding DJ. That way, the party can continue seamlessly.
- “We’re not having entertainment after the meal, just evening drinks at the bar.” That’ll be an early night for everyone, then. You won’t be surprised to learn that without music and dancing, parties end pretty quickly!
Top Tips for finding the perfect Essex Wedding DJ
The definition of the perfect wedding DJ is entirely personal to you, musically speaking. However all the other information above should be considered when seeking your host for the big day. The most important thing, however, is your personal interaction with the act of your choice. Do you feel reassured when you ask them specific questions? Do you have confidence in their technical abilities and their music knowledge? Do they make you feel at ease? Essentially….do you like them as a person? A basic human instinct but still the strongest one! Once that is sorted, here’s some brief pointers to finding your DJ:
- Reviews and Testimonials – check out as much as you can online, including Trust Pilot and Google Reviews, etc. Even their own website should have some of their favourite ‘thank you’ letters (it’s great for the DJ’s ego!)
- If they have videos on YouTube or their social media pages, check them out. Most photos are normally just rig pictures of pretty lights so videos provide much better evidence.
- Use simple Google search terms such as ‘Essex Wedding DJ’, ‘Wedding DJ in Essex’ or enter your venue name and add ‘DJ’ after it.
- If they are recommended suppliers to a specific venue, give that venue a call and ask for their honest opinion of the DJ. Most venue staff will be happy to help.
- Follow up any recommendations on social media by messaging the originator and asking for more details about why they were so good. Again, people are always prepared to share happy experiences.
- And….go see them in action if you can! There are some venues that will sneak you through a discreet side door at someone else’s wedding to take a look!
Here are a few glowing reviews that I have received over the years, proving that we really can make a difference to someone’s very special day…
“We could not have asked for a better wedding reception. Ian played our guests’ requests on the night and kept everyone happy and dancing throughout.”
“It was a fantastic night & everyone thoroughly enjoyed themselves. (Not being bias but it was the best wedding I’d ever been to)”
“On a professional note, you were damned good last night. Loved the way you judged the crowd. Everyone was rocking !!!”
Such comments are hugely rewarding, and on many occasions I have gone on to host their family member’s parties and weddings and engagements for years to come – from one wedding to becoming a family friend, having provided lasting and treasured times!
So….now to begin your search for your perfect Essex Wedding DJ … Professionalism, integrity, knowledge, skills and reliability, that’s what to look for. With a warm and friendly nature too. And some twinkly lights!
