Question 1

Will I know my DJ before the wedding?

Accepted Answer

With DJ-Chicago, definitely yes! We recommend that you meet or conduct a phone interview with your DJ when booking with us to make sure that you feel that he is the right fit. If you decide to hire DJ-Chicago, you will meet with your DJ again, in person, about 3-4 weeks prior to your wedding date to discuss the agenda for the evening, introductions & announcements to be made, and your musical preferences & song selections. After meeting with your DJ you can be confident that they understand your expectations for your special night. With many DJ companies you may not meet or speak to your DJ until your wedding date or, at best, a couple days prior. Unfortunately, at this point there is little that you can do if you do not feel they are the right DJ personality for you.

Question 2

How far in advance should we book our wedding DJ?

Accepted Answer

There is really no set timeframe for booking a wedding DJ. Some couples book us two years ahead of their wedding date and others hire us two months in advance. We recommend that you check out on-line reviews of Chicago DJs to narrow your search then schedule meetings with the 3-4 "finalists". You should then lock in your DJ as soon as you are confident that you have found the DJ who you feel is the right match to meet your expectations for your wedding entertainment.

Question 3

Can we read reviews or speak with references?

Accepted Answer

We encourage you to check out our reviews and, if you'd like, to contact our references. Upon request we will provide you with the contact information for several couples who can provide feedback on the quality of our performances at their weddings.

Question 4

How large is your music library and what songs will you play at my wedding?

Accepted Answer

The DJ-Chicago music library contains over 15,000 songs from the 1920's to what's currently hot on the charts. When it comes down to it though, it's not the number of songs in our library that matters most. Rather, it's the 100 or so songs that are played on the night of your wedding that will make it a great party. Because it is your wedding, you may have as much input into the song selections as you would like. In addition to providing Must Play and Play If Possible song lists, we recommend that you compile a Do Not Play song list as well. Also, when building your playlist, should you not be able to find certain songs in our database, just let us know and we will be sure to get them by your wedding day.

Question 5

Do you DJ ethnic or cultural weddings?

Accepted Answer

Having been in business since 2000, we have DJed weddings of just about every ethnicity. If there are specific ethnic songs that you would like played at your reception that we do not have in our music library, we would make every effort to get them through one of our sources. If we are unable to track down certain songs on our own, you can either direct us to where we can find them or you are welcome to provide them to us.

Question 6

Have you performed at our venue before?

Accepted Answer

Having been in business for over 25 years we have DJed at just about every venue in and around Chicago. If by chance you're hosting your wedding at a venue where we have not performed, we would make every effort to make a site visit to check out the space in advance of your wedding date.

Question 7

What will the DJ wear at the wedding?

Accepted Answer

Our DJs typically wear a dark colored suit for wedding receptions, unless other attire is more appropriate.

Question 8

What type of audio equipment do you use?

Accepted Answer

At DJ-Chicago we only use high-quality professional DJ equipment by well-known manufacturers such as Pioneer, Denon, Numark, QSC, JBL, and Mackie. We have sound systems that are suitable for virtually all size audiences. Additionally, in the unlikely case of an equipment failure, we always have back-up equipment, on-site, at every event.

Question 9

What type of lighting do you provide?

Accepted Answer

Our lighting set-up for weddings consists of two color-changing LED par cans which we typically direct toward the dance floor so they "wash" the floor with light. Our goal is to create more of a dance atmosphere for the open dance floor, and to help make the dance floor the focal point of the room, without taking away from the overall feel of the room. There is no additional cost for our dance floor lighting. We also offer room uplighting services. We can provide up to 20 LED fixtures which have an unlimited number of color options. The uplights include either black or white facades and are battery powered so they can be placed anywhere without concern for power cords or the location of electrical outlets. The cost for our uplights is $25 per fixture and includes set up and take down.

Question 10

Can you provide equipment for a video slideshow?

Accepted Answer

We do offer video equipment for presenting video montages. The set-up includes a projector, screen, and DVD player and the rental fee is $195.

Question 11

Can you provide sound and music for the ceremony as well?

Accepted Answer

If your wedding ceremony is being held at the same venue as the reception, it's no problem for us to provide the sound system, microphone, and music. The additional charge for ceremonies is $195 which includes all equipment needed and up to one hour of performance time (usually 30 minutes for ceremony and 30 minutes of prelude music beforehand). Also, if your ceremony takes place in an outdoor area or in a different room from the reception, we can provide a second sound system at no additional charge.

Question 12

What time will the DJ arrive for setup?

Accepted Answer

We generally arrive 90 minutes prior to our start time, to ensure set-up is complete, storage crates are hidden, and sound checks are completed so the DJ area will look as presentable as the rest of the room when your first guest arrives. We do not charge for our set up or take down time.

Question 13

What happens if our DJ becomes unavailable?

Accepted Answer

In the 26 years we have been in business, we have never missed an event of any type. If, due to an emergency situation such as illness, your DJ is unable to perform on the date of your wedding, we will provide a DJ from our staff who is the scheduled "on call" DJ for that day. The back-up DJ would arrive at the wedding prepared with all of the information from our planning meeting several weeks prior (timeline, playlist, announcements, etc.).

Question 14

Do you carry liability insurance?

Accepted Answer

Yes, we carry a policy that provides $2,000,000 of general liability insurance and we can provide your venue with a certificate of insurance upon request.

Question 15

What are your rates for wedding DJ services?

Accepted Answer

At DJ-Chicago our pricing is simple and reasonable, with no hidden costs. We only charge for our performance hours. We do not charge for travel time, set-up/take-down time, customer meetings, dance lights, wireless microphone, etc. Also, there is no sales tax on our service. Current rates for wedding receptions: Saturday Wedding — $1,995 for the initial 4 hours (minimum), $195 per additional hour. Sunday–Friday Wedding — $1,895 for the initial 4 hours (minimum), $195 per additional hour.

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Booking & Planning

Music & Customization

DJ Experience & Event Style

Equipment, Lighting & Production

Ceremony Services

Event Logistics

Reliability & Insurance

Pricing

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