My advice 

I am going to put together a list of tips that I think are essential in order to guide you in your search for a DJ / Host.

These tips reflect my vision of this profession, and will allow you to better understand the attitude that I will adopt with you.

Preparations:

- The DJ you choose must be able to detail your entire installation. Whether you understand something or not, he must be able to explain to the bride and groom what he is involved in, both from a material point of view and at the level of the preparations.

- Your service provider must be able to offer you several hardware installation configurations if something appeals to him, but also several choices regarding the course of your evening.

- If the photos of the venue's site (or yours) are not enough, or if he doesn't know the venue, your DJ will come to the venue for the evening.

- There is an exchange and an email / phone contact between your DJ and the various providers, in priority with the room manager.

- Organizing a wedding is not your job, it is supposed to alert you in case of doubt or bad choice.

- Your DJ should not impose on you a number of appointments or phone calls. It remains at your disposal every day, from the moment you decide to work together, until the big day. The same goes for the witnesses / family.

- If you do not write him an email, or do not call him, he must be able to come back to you. You have a lot of things to organize, and the provider you choose will not have the right to rest on its laurels while waiting to hear from you. It is up to him to dictate the preparatory schedule.

- He will not have to inform you of a possible price increase between now and the following year, due to the cost of living or otherwise. Depending on his price of course, the work he will provide this year or next will be the same, so the price should stay that way. If his equipment changes from one year to the next, the DJ will be required to provide you - better - or equivalent than what he offered you during your first meeting. Concrete example: Two large lights break down a few months after your agreement, he replaces them by next year with two new lights, identical or equivalent ...  

- The DJ must know your musical tastes. He must know which artists you like, you will have to define together the few titles to broadcast during the key moments of your evening. For more information on this point, know that you will have all the details during a possible appointment.

- If surprises are prepared for you and that they have a link with your DJ (sound or video broadcast), this one must be able to satisfy the requirements of your guests as far as possible, But it is preferable to inform your dj in advance. More details during the appointment.

D-Day : 

- The outfit of the service provider must be impeccable

- His vehicle must be parked discreetly (depending on the configuration of the premises)

- The DJ installation must be 100% compliant with what has been proposed to you. Even if you probably won't focus on it on D-Day, your DJ will have to stick to what has been defined.

- Throughout the evening, the musical style, the type of animation and microphone interventions, must in no case be different from what could be defined together.

- The DJ is a service provider. He's not a guest. Therefore, it should not behave as such.

- He communicates. Do not hesitate to get in touch with the caterer and other service providers during the evening, in order to best fix what needs to be fixed, or to remedy any unforeseen circumstances.

- He does not hesitate to come and see you discreetly if he feels he has to come and talk to you about a detail that seems abnormal to him.

For quite a few years now, the world of DJ's has opened up.

You will therefore be spoiled for choice. You will find all types of characters and all types of prices.

It's up to you to identify your priorities and define your budgets. To estimate if for you a good DJ is essential, or if perhaps you prefer a very great photographer, Videaste, or caterer, or why not the 4?

In any case, know that for a wedding, a competent DJ, having at his disposal real turntables and reliable professional equipment in duplicate, offering you a complete post-wedding preparation, having experience and responsiveness, will necessarily be more dear as "the cousin of a friend's brother, who likes to spend time mixing on Virtual DJ".