referrals are a bride's best friend

Okay, maybe not BEST friend since that role is probably already filled by the shiny diamond ring the bride wears, but referrals rank pretty high up there.

Gianfranco and I finally booked our DJ tonight. We officially signed a contract with Elite Sound Entertainment and I'm psyched. Before researching, I had thought this vendor would be easier to choose than photography but as we met with each DJ, I came to the frustrating conclusion that it was actually going to be harder.

Each DJ appointment followed the same routine. First we chatted a little about the wedding basics - the when, the where and the how many. Next, the DJ showed us all the packages they had to offer - the lighting, the screens, the snow machines, etc. Then the DJ would pop in a sample video in which people look like they're having a blast. Finally, we got a breakdown of what our package would cost us.

It doesn't seem like it should be so hard to choose one, right? WRONG. What made it easy for us to choose a photographer made it hard to choose a DJ. With photography, we were able to see the artist's work. We could look through multiple albums and get a sense of that photographer's style.

With recorded music, however, we weren't able to do that. While it's true that photographers can present their best work, you are still able to see a few FULL albums to get an idea of how they generally shoot weddings. DJs offer you snippets of their work and it usually portrays a great scene where everyone is dancing and waving at the camera. That just wasn't enough for me. For the most part, the DJs are playing the same songs. It's how the DJ mixes that music, however, is what could make or break a wedding. Which of course leads us to the topic of this entry - REFERRALS.

My first entry about DJs left me with recommendations from friends and family. And while I did take some advice during my photographer search, I found myself really listening to what others had to say about the DJs. Photography is a matter of style and taste. Picking a DJ, in my opinion, requires the opinion of someone who has actually seen the DJ in action.

We found our DJ company through Gianfranco's friend, who handles the videography for Elite Sound Entertainment on the side. Gianfranco's friend is also a great DJ himself and had we not wanted him to attend as a guest, we would have certainly considered him for the job as well. But knowing how great of a DJ he was made me confident in his recommendation of Elite Sound.

When we met with our DJ tonight, we weren't disappointed. Since our wedding DJ also has experience as a radio DJ, he knew that variety was the most important thing. He knew that new music should be mixed in with the recurrent music with the older music in a way that everyone likes something all night. My mother is 50 next week (Happy Birthday Mom!) and yet she loves dancing to Rihanna's "Please Don't Stop The Music." My 27-year old fiance loves music from the 1950s. I don't necessarily agree with the DJs who believe in playing current music later on at night, when they think the older people have dozed off. My grandfather stays up way later than I do and my sister tends to pass out at 9pm. Age shouldn't determine the playlist and our DJ seemed to recognize that. What did it for me was when our DJ told us he played off of the reaction he got from the crowd. If they responded well to one genre, he'd remember to play more of it. If he noticed people sitting down, he'd play less of that throughout the night. That's the kind of answer I like.

Now, unless you or someone you know has experienced the DJ firsthand, it's hard to know how that flow is maintained and even then it may be just hard to remember! Before our appointment, I checked out Elite Sound's reviews on Wedding Wire, a website where you can see how other customers rated various wedding vendors in your area. They received great marks.

So what's a bride to do? How are YOU picking your DJ? Or how DID you pick your DJ? Did you base your decision strictly off of referrals? Did you ask to see the DJ at another wedding? Did you attend bridals shows? I'd love to hear about it!