Your DJ is in charge of the mood for most of your wedding day, so it's worth a proper conversation before you book. These are the questions to ask a wedding DJ, why each one matters, and what a good answer sounds like.
Where it's relevant, we've said how DJ G Beats handles it. For the business side, like insurance and contracts, the right move is simply to ask every DJ you're considering and compare their answers.
The questions to ask a wedding DJ
1. Are you free on our date, and what will it cost?
Why it matters: there's no point going further if the date is gone or the price is miles outside your budget.
A good answer: a clear yes or no on the date, and a quote based on your actual timings and venue, not a vague "it depends". Irish wedding guides put a wedding DJ at roughly €600 to €2,500, so you'll want to know where a quote sits and why.
DJ G Beats is based in Athlone and covers the Midlands and all of Ireland. Most 4-hour events cost €400 to €600, and weddings are quoted per event because hours, lighting and ceremony music vary. Our guide to how much a wedding DJ costs in Ireland explains what drives the price.
2. What exactly is included in the price?
Why it matters: two quotes can look similar and cover very different things.
A good answer: a list. Sound system, lighting, microphone, hours of music, set-up and anything that's extra, such as ceremony music or travel.
Every DJ G booking includes a professional sound system and dance floor lighting. Extra lighting, ceremony music and longer hours are quoted on top.
3. How do we plan the playlist together?
Why it matters: you want your night, not the DJ's standard set.
A good answer: a planning conversation well before the wedding, covering your first dance, the songs you must hear and the ones you never want to hear, plus a feel for your crowd.
DJ G plans the playlist with you beforehand: first dance, must-plays and do-not-plays. If you're starting from scratch, our wedding do-not-play list is a useful prompt.
4. Do you take requests on the night?
Why it matters: guests love hearing their song, but you don't want the floor emptied by one request.
A good answer: yes, with judgement. A good DJ takes requests, fits them in where they work and respects your do-not-play list.
DJ G takes guest requests on the night.
5. Will you make the announcements and provide a microphone for speeches?
Why it matters: someone needs to call guests in for the meal, the cake and the speeches. If nobody does, things drift.
A good answer: a confident yes, plus an offer to go through names, timings and pronunciations with you beforehand.
DJ G makes the announcements (calling guests for the meal, cake and speeches) and can provide a microphone for speeches.
6. When do you arrive to set up?
Why it matters: the DJ needs to be ready before your guests walk in, and your venue needs to know when the room is in use.
A good answer: a specific time, with a buffer built in.
DJ G sets up 60–90 minutes before guests arrive and allows an extra 30 minutes for adjustments. It's also worth asking any DJ how much floor space they need, and passing that on to your venue.
7. Can you cover the ceremony and drinks reception as well?
Why it matters: if your ceremony is at the venue, you'll need music for the walk down the aisle, the signing and the exit, and the drinks reception needs a soundtrack too.
A good answer: yes, with a clear explanation of how it's set up and what it costs.
A typical wedding with DJ G is 4–6 hours of music: 30–60 minutes of arrival or ceremony music if you want it, about an hour of drinks reception, then 3–4 hours of meal, first dance and dance floor. Our Irish wedding music timeline walks through the day.
8. Do you have public liability insurance?
Why it matters: many venues ask suppliers for proof of public liability insurance. If something goes wrong, you don't want it landing on you.
A good answer: yes, and they can send you or your venue a copy of the certificate.
Ask every DJ this directly, and check with your venue whether they need to see the certificate.
9. What happens if equipment fails or you can't make it?
Why it matters: speakers and laptops can fail, and people get sick. A wedding can't be rescheduled.
A good answer: a clear plan. Ask whether they bring backup equipment to the venue, and what would happen if they were ill on the day.
There's no single right answer, but there should be an answer. Be wary of anyone who hasn't thought about it.
10. What are your booking terms?
Why it matters: you need to know what you're agreeing to before you hand over money.
A good answer: a written agreement that sets out the date, venue, hours, price and what's included, plus the deposit, when the balance is due and the cancellation terms.
Ask each DJ to put this in writing, read it before you pay anything, and keep a copy.
A few smaller things worth asking
- How will they dress on the day?
- Have they played your venue before, and if not, will they check access and parking?
- Will they coordinate with your band, photographer or venue manager on timings?
- How late can they play, and what does an extra hour cost?
How to judge the answers
The best DJs are easy to talk to and ask you plenty of questions back. They want to know about your crowd, your timings and the songs that matter to you. If a DJ answers everything in a sentence and doesn't ask about you at all, keep looking.
Write the answers down as you go, so you're comparing like with like when the quotes come in. More on what DJ G offers is on the wedding DJ page.
Check your date
If you'd like to put these questions to DJ G, check your date using the enquiry form, or ring 087 355 7696.
