Obtaining a Job as a Wedding Disk Jockey

The Wedding Spinner: With a tuxedo and a smile, the wedding DJ plays “Superfreak” for the happy couple, the crowd of drunk twentysomethings and their parents.

Forget the bride and groom. At a wedding reception, the DJ runs the show.

If your musical knowledge predates “Ice Ice Baby” and you have a game show host’s personality, working as a wedding DJ can be a great way to pick up extra cash between classes or after you’ve graduated.

The simplest way to break into the business is through a local DJ company. They provide the music, equipment and planning; all you have to do is pick up the equipment, put on a show, return everything intact and pocket some cash. DJ companies typically charge couples $450 for a four-hour reception. The DJ gets about $25 an hour, plus tip.

Interviewing at DJ companies is more casual than corporate interviews. A wedding entertainer wannabe will be tested on musical knowledge ranging from your parents and grandparents’ generation to the latest My Chemical Romance release. DJ companies want people with quirky and exciting personalities. It makes it easier to do the “Hokey Pokey” with a group of 6-year-olds.

Wedding Party Tales

Being a wedding DJ gives you entry into some of the strangest weddings you’ll ever see.

At a Goth wedding, the groom wore an ornate 15th-century style suit to go with his half-shaved head. Earrings ran up and down his ears. The music was a mix of disco and standards (picked by the parents) and Goth dance re-mixes (picked by the bride and groom). For the first dance, the couple requested the “Dark Garage Mix” of the Sneaker Pimps’ “Spin Spin Sugar.” Startled guests watched in disbelief as the bride and groom whirled like Goth dervishes for nine achingly long minutes.

At a traditional Italian wedding, the groom’s parents and their friends danced a frenzied polka to “The Tarantella.” After an hour, the groom was plastered. He stumbled around with his vest and coat off and his shirt untucked.

Another fringe benefit: the free meal. While most are rubbery stuffed chicken dinners, the occasional nine-course traditional Vietnamese wedding banquet makes it all worth while.

A DJ’s gig starts an hour before the reception, when he or she sets up the equipment and changes into formal wear. Receptions are meticulously planned, and the DJ works with the wedding coordinator to make sure there are no last-minute surprises. The DJ’s job includes announcing the parents and the couple by name, introducing the ushers and bridesmaids and making sure the caterer and photographer are doing the right thing at the right time.

Most music is chosen by request, but the bride and groom provide a list of songs they don’t like. Selecting songs is hard because the audience ranges in age from 5 to 95, but here’s a secret: everyone loves Motown. Big band and jazz is great for cocktails and dinner, but after dessert the DJ must lure people to the dance floor with lively music. Selecting the right time to play cheesy crowd favorites such as the “Macarena,” the “Electric Slide” and the dreaded “Chicken Dance” is a skill best acquired over time.

Working as a wedding DJ is a great side job while you’re trying to start your entertainment career. You’ll lose some weekend social time, but you’ll get paid to attend happy parties filled with dancing, drinking people. You’ll also feel better for not selling your soul as an investment banker or a consultant though you might have to DJ one of their weddings.

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