The Worst Things About Being a Wedding DJ
(and what you can do about them!)

by Chris Brower
Last Updated: November 30, 2021

Being a wedding DJ isn’t all fun. 🙁

It can mean long hours, dealing with difficult guests, back-breaking equipment, and stress.

Luckily, there are several things you can do to make things easier on yourself and your wedding DJ business.

While these won’t eliminate all potential negatives of being a wedding DJ, these can help you focus on throwing a great party and making great money doing it.

Rude Guests!

A whole article has been devoted to this very topic: How to Deal With Difficult Wedding Guests.

While the couples you DJ for may be challenging, I’ve found wedding guests to be far far FAR more difficult.

The couple hired you, and you’re working for them. You also got to know them a little bit before their big day. You’ve built a relationship.

Guests, however, are totally unknown to you. And many seem to have little hesitation about being pushy, demanding you play their song request right now, arguing with you about the music, etc.

It’s shocking!

When this happens, it’s important to remind yourself of a few things:

You and the couple are in charge. Guests do not get to dictate what songs get played, the order of events, or anything. Nothing. They are not your boss for the night, no matter what they think.
It’s only for today. Guests are not like difficult coworkers or family members you have to see regularly. After the wedding is over, you most likely will never see these people again.
Some guests need reminders. If guests are continually pushy, it’s okay to politely remind them that your song selections and the order of events are based entirely on the couple’s wishes. Guests often forget this and think every song is picked solely by the wedding DJ. (Sure, some, but not all.) Sometimes a simple reminder that, “The couple asked me not to play any hard rock, so I can’t do that tonight” can get them to cool it.
You’re not alone in dealing with the situation. If guests get particularly unruly, you need to reach out to venue staff or security. At the very least, another guest can hopefully step in and escort away the rude guest.

Of course, you never want to get antagonistic with guests.

If they’re being pushy, it’s better to just grin and bear it or give them a polite reminder as to the plan for the night.

You don’t want the night to go totally off the rails or for the guest to tell the couple you were rude to them.

Try Song Requests by Text Message Rather Than Face-to-Face

I’ve found that most difficult guest interactions come from guests coming up to the DJ table to make song requests or voice their thoughts. Makes sense.

Early in COVID-19 times, I began asking guests to text their song requests instead so I could social distance more.

Rather than give everyone my personal phone number, I created a new phone number that forwards to my existing phone using Google Voice.

I put out a piece of paper with instructions on each table that says:

We’re so happy you joined us for the wedding today!
Our DJ, [company name], has asked that you text song requests rather than approaching the DJ table.
Please text any song requests to: [number]
If you have any special reasons for the song request (e.g., it was your first dance at your wedding, you and the bride loved the song in high school, etc.), please do share!
Note: There will likely be a LOT of requests, plus the DJ has to first and foremost fulfill the couple’s music wishes and selections, so if your request doesn’t get played, it’s not personal!
Thank you!

And not only did this cut down on people coming up to the table, it cut down on people being rude!

In fact, I’ve kept this up even after weddings during COVID-19 became safer again.

Of course, someone could harass you by text message, but I haven’t found this to occur much. Plus, a text simply feels so much less stressful than someone walking right up to you and breathing down your neck with complaints/pushy requests.

As well, if someone is harassing you by text, you could always block their number.

And, yes, some people still come up to the table anyway, but I find asking for requests by text message greatly reduces my stress.

Ready for the complete guide to becoming a wedding DJ? Here you go.

Physically, It Can Hurt!

Lifting Equipment

Wedding DJ equipment can be really heavy!

I say it in so many articles because it’s so essential: You need to get a cart to bring in your equipment.

It’ll make loading in and out so much faster and easier – and make being a wedding DJ so much less painful!

While, yes, you’ll still have to lift some, you’ll no longer have to carry each heavy item one at a time.

The Rock-N-Roller Multi-Cart* is a popular choice for a DJ cart (also known as a hand truck/dolly).

When lifting equipment, be sure to engage in smart, safe practices. This YouTube video provides some good basic practices.

I recommend using plastic tubs to carry a lot of your cords and other smaller pieces of equipment. However, that doesn’t mean you have to buy huge plastic tubs that are going to be really heavy when full. Instead, you could buy smaller plastic tubs, which will make each load a little less heavy.

Standing for So Long

Being a wedding DJ typically means standing at the DJ table the whole night. Not surprisingly, this can hurt your feet!

Luckily, there are a few things you can do:

You Don’t Have to Stand the Entire Night. It looks good when the DJ stands during dancing. This makes you look more engaged and like you’re running the show. However, standing seems less necessary during periods when you’re just playing background music, such as the cocktail hour or dinner.
Do Sit Down Occasionally. Sit down for a song or two every now and then. No reason not to. I usually pick a chiller song, such as a slow dance, as a good time to sit down for a bit. It’s less of a “party” time of the night. It’s okay to take breaks from standing.
Walk Around Some. Standing in the same place can get really tiring. Walk around and stretch out your legs every now and then. The song can play on its own for a few seconds. Plus, it’s good to walk around the room a bit and see how your music is sounding from different spots on the dance floor and in the room in general. Make sure it’s not too loud or too quiet. Or too much bass.
Get an Anti-Fatigue Mat. Instead of standing on a cement floor all night, stand on a softer surface. Get an anti-fatigue floor mat, like what people use with standing desks in offices. I use the AFS-TEX System 2000M Lite Ergonomic Anti-Fatigue Floor Comfort Mat, and it’s helped reduce the pain of standing all night.

You Work Weekend Nights!

The vast majority of your wedding DJ jobs will be on Saturday nights, with some Fridays and Sundays too.

This naturally means you’ll miss some weekend things, like social plans, going to concerts, dates, sports events, and more.

After all, much of the adult world involves people working jobs during the day Monday through Friday, with weekends free for other things.

Not so with a wedding DJ business.

It has been frustrating over the years occasionally having to miss concerts or other social events that take place the night of a wedding I booked a year ago.

I’ve even had some significant others be frustrated by this schedule. Saturday is the night they want to go out, but I can’t because I have yet another wedding booked! Eee!

If you’re in a relationship, being a wedding DJ may require some compromise.

Of course, you don’t have to work every weekend night or even every weekend.

If you find you want to do a wedding DJ business, but it’s messing with your social life or other things, you could limit how many wedding DJ jobs you book. You don’t have to work every Saturday night. And it’s rare you’ll be booked all weekend nights anyway.

You could make sure to schedule a free Saturday night or two every month, as many as you want.

Plus, a wedding DJ business is a way to make a lot of money in one night, potentially much more than you make in a single day (or week!) at your day job. So while you may miss drinks with the friends that night, next week you can treat them to a really nice night using the money you made working the wedding.

Money isn’t everything, of course, but your wedding DJ business can help you improve other areas of your life. The income can supplement your day job or help you even quit your day job.

So while being a wedding DJ may stop me from being able to take trips some weekends, the good money I make helps me then afford even more future trips.

There Can Be So Many Emails!

It can get overwhelming keeping up with all the emails coming in to your wedding DJ business.

Of course, that’s a good thing: People are interested in your wedding DJ services!

But it can feel like a never-ending chore when a bunch of emails pop up all day long, especially if your wedding DJ business is your side gig, not your main source of income.

Luckily, there are a few things you can do to help reduce this burden.

Batch Emails at Specific Times

You don’t want to let emails sit for days. And when dealing with prospective clients, DJs who respond quickly have a much better chance of booking jobs.

However, that doesn’t mean you need to check email 10 times a day or respond the second an email comes in.

You could batch email. Check just two or three times a day at intervals a few hours apart that still let you respond fairly quickly.

Check at 12:00 p.m.
Check at 6:00 p.m.

That right there will cover you pretty well. If that seems too long between checks, check at 10:00 a.m., 2:00 p.m., and 6:00 p.m. Whatever works for you.

Just try to be strategic about when you check rather than just constantly checking and responding. Turn off email notifications if they get annoying. I’ve never had them on.

Create Email Templates

There are certain emails and responses you’re going to send all the time. If you write them from scratch each time, you’ll create a LOT of work for yourself.

That’s why I recommend creating email templates for any scenario. That way when you get an email with a certain question, you can grab the appropriate response template, paste it in the reply, and make any adjustments as needed.

This will save you a lot of time.

I have email templates for pretty much anything that comes up. Over 30 such templates right now.

Response to initial inquiry.
Follow-up emails.
Booking instructions.
Reception planner reminder.
Asking for a review after the wedding.
Answers to common questions (how to book, “Do you offer a photo booth,” etc.).

And more.

This way, I can blaze through emails. I still give each email the personal attention it deserves, but I save having to draft every little part.

Email vs. Text Messages

Emails feel less urgent than text messages. You can respond in a timely manner, but people won’t be annoyed if you take a few hours (unless it is legit urgent).

With text messages, rather, people want a response more quickly. It’s also very easy to dash off text after text. To get a real time back-and-forth conversation going.

I generally prefer to talk with my clients through email. It feels more professional than how I chat with my family and friends.

Plus, email provides an easy-to-view written record of everything. It’s also easier to send links and things that might need some particular formatting in an email than a text message.

It’s not that text messages are bad, but I can find them annoying when being used for my wedding DJ business. (However, as a way to get song requests during weddings, I think it works great.)

Some clients like to send texts, and that’s okay. But if you find it too intrusive, and you prefer email, then it’s okay to say that.

You May Have to Play Music You Hate!

Chances are you got into being a wedding DJ because you love music. And you likely have strong opinions on what you like vs. what you don’t. What is fine vs. what you can’t stand.

Well, you have to ignore pretty much all of that when you DJ weddings.

You’re most likely going to have songs you think are awful. Songs that make you embarrassed to play. Songs you hate listening to.

But that’s just part of the job.

You will, of course, be called on to use your judgment as to what songs will do well at a wedding. That’s different than what songs you personally like.

I typically don’t like country music, for instance, but will gladly choose country songs that fit well with what the client has asked for.

Weddings are not about you! They’re about your clients and their guests.

When I started DJing weddings, I hoped I could play some of the indie songs I liked. I looked forward to “educating” my clients about “great” music. I hoped I could play Shout Out Louds, Vampire Weekend, Rilo Kiley, and Bloc Party rather than Justin Timberlake, Pitbull, Nicki Minaj, and Maroon 5.

Of course, I quickly learned that’s not at all what being a wedding DJ is. It’s about playing what the couple and their guests want, even if I personally don’t like it. They’ve come to hear songs they like, not necessarily be introduced to music that was previously unknown to them.

Additionally, a risk as you get older is looking down on current music as “all bad” or “not good like it used to be.”

Not to be ageist, but I see it with some DJs who’ve been doing it for decades: They sneer at current music and insist music hasn’t been good in years. That the only good music is what was popular when they were in their 20s. Current music is “trash.”

Of course, you’re entitled to dislike any music you want, but you need to check that at the door when being a wedding DJ.

To be a good wedding DJ, you have to become more selfless. It’s simply not about you and your tastes.

Conclusion

The positives of being a wedding DJ can greatly outweigh the negatives. Just remember some of the main reasons why you're doing this: to create a great party for other people (and make yourself some nice money at the same time!). It can alleviate the bad things quickly and help you stay focused on your mission as a wedding DJ.

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The Worst Things About Being a Wedding DJ (and what you can do about them!)