1. Broad musical knowledge
   Sure, you love your EDM. You love flawless mixing, sampling, beat-juggling, and creating new sounds out of old songs. But in order to be a good wedding DJ, you need to understand and appreciate (if not like) every genre of music. Yes, that unfortunately includes horrible “new country”, the cheesiest pop fluff hits, mind-numbing line dances, and love ballads so saccharine they can put you in a diabetic coma.
2. A likeable persona
   From your initial meeting with the bride-and-groom-to-be, you need to be responsive and attentive to their wishes, but also take charge. The couple will lay out their ideal music mix and structure of the event. Unfortunately, their ideas will sometimes be unrealistic and unwise (“We only want heavy metal all night” or “No Macarena, no matter who requests it”).

Microphone
If you’re scared of using the microphone, it’s something you should practise, because you’re going to need to use it when DJing weddings.
You need to reassure them that they are in control while also explaining to them the dynamics of pleasing a crowd and the requirements for a successful evening of dancing. You’re both an employee and an educator. You’re also an MC. You need to get comfortable with a mic. You will be called on to introduce people, to make announcements, and to help choreograph the action.

3. Organisation skills
Weddings can be complicated affairs. Most involve the introduction of the couple and the wedding party (by you), but also include prayers, toasts, special requests, traditional rituals (garter toss, apron dance) and other things you’ll need to know how to choreograph and narrate.

4. Foolproof gear with backup
This is a lesson you’ll only need to learn once – always have a backup plan for any possible emergency.

Having a backup system is essential for the wedding DJ.
Having a backup system is essential for the wedding DJ.
When a mobile DJ company sent me to a ritzy wedding gig with bad cables, I discovered the sound coming from the speakers was the equivalent of an old transistor AM radio. I almost fled the scene. There’s nothing more excruciating than realising that you – and only you – are responsible for turning someone’s wedding into a colossal mess-up.

5. The ability to market yourself
Wedding gigs generate future wedding gigs. You’re likely to be approached by other couples looking for a fantastic DJ like you for their upcoming wedding. Or someone planning a private or corporate party. Sometimes the event manager at the venue is looking for a high quality and dependable DJ they can recommend (I landed a regular gig that way).

You’ll be asked for your business card – so make sure you always have plenty of them. And here’s the great part – you’ve already auditioned by playing a terrific four-hour set and packing the dancefloor, so the selling part is over. Handing over your card usually seals the deal. It’s the easiest sales job in the world.

6. Adaptability
Every wedding presents its own challenges. The drunk guy who keeps demanding “Wonderful Tonight” so he and his wife can slow dance despite the fact that you’ve got a seriously packed, grooving dance floor. The elderly woman complaining about the volume being too loud and the younger folks asking you to turn it up, and room acoustics turning your sound into an echoing mush.

Wedding DJing
You need to be flexible and adaptable to keep a wedding dancefloor happy. Pic: Wedding Window
Because wedding venues and wedding guests are diverse and unpredictable, you need to be flexible and adaptable, making quick decisions on the fly.

And when Donna Summer belts out the final “Hey hey yeah!” of “Last Dance” and everyone starts applauding for you, it’s a damn good feeling. You’ve taken one of the biggest nights of their lives – maybe the biggest – and made it a resounding success.
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