Every DJ website looks good. The photos are sharp and the promises all sound the same.
The real test comes in the questions you ask before you sign. Good answers tell you who can run a reception in Port Huron or anywhere in St. Clair County. Vague answers tell you to keep looking.
I am Tony with Sound Love Entertainment. Here are the seven questions I would ask any DJ before I trusted that person with my own reception.
1. Who will actually be there on the day?
Ask if the person on the call is the person who shows up. Some companies book you with one voice and send another. That second person may be fine. You still deserve to know.
With me the answer is plain. You talk to Tony. Tony plans with you. Tony plays your reception. One person learns your names, your family, and your do not play list, and that same person stands in the room that night.
2. What do you do when the dance floor thins out?
Every floor dips at some point. Dinner runs long. A song misses. Guests step out for air. What matters is what the DJ does next.
A playlist cannot fix a dip because a playlist cannot see it. I watch the floor all night. If the energy drops, I change the tempo, the era, or the direction. If a song lands big, I stay near it a little longer. Ask any DJ how that person reads a room. Listen for a real answer, not a promise that every song will be a hit.
3. What does the total price actually cover?
Get the full picture before you compare quotes. How many hours of music? Does setup time count against those hours? Is planning help included? Who handles the mic?
My wedding bundles start at $1,000, and the pricing sits on my site where you can read it before we talk. Uplighting in your colors is an option you can choose if your room needs it. Ceremony audio is available as an add on if you need it. You pick what fits your night. Nothing gets pushed on you.
4. What is your backup plan?
Gear fails sometimes. A speaker can quit. A laptop can freeze. It happens to honest people, so ask what the plan is when it does.
I bring backup gear and a backup music source, and setup finishes before guests arrive so problems get found early. Ask about power too. An outdoor reception in southeastern Michigan needs a clear plan for cords, weather, and where the sound will live.
5. How do you run the timeline and the mic?
Somebody has to welcome your guests, bring in the wedding party, hand off the toasts, and call the first dance at the right moment. Ask who does that work and how it sounds.
I keep announcements short and clear, and I stay in contact with your venue and your photographer so no big moment gets missed. Dinner can run long and speeches can run short. My job is to adjust the night as it happens and keep your guests with the party instead of wondering what comes next.
6. How do you handle requests and a do not play list?
Ask this one straight. If a song sits on your do not play list, it should stay off the speakers all night, even if a guest asks with a big smile and a good story.
Guest requests need judgment too. One request can lift a room. The wrong one can clear a floor you worked all night to build. I weigh each request against the room in front of me. Your list and your crowd come first, in that order, every time.
7. Do you know my room?
A DJ who knows your venue knows where the sound carries, where the floor should sit, and how the load in works. That knowledge saves stress on the day.
If a DJ has not played your room yet, ask what the plan is for learning it. Room size changes the sound a reception needs. A small hall in Marine City and a big ballroom in Port Huron ask for different setups. Either can work great with the right plan.
Ask the questions, then check your date
Bring these seven questions to every DJ call in St. Clair County. The right choice usually gets clear fast.
CHECK YOUR DATE. Head to the Start Planning page at soundloveent.com and tell me about your reception. I will let you know if your date is open and answer every one of these questions myself.
