To book a DJ for a wedding, start as soon as you have a date and a venue, shortlist DJs who regularly play weddings, and ask each one the same questions about availability, experience, equipment and exactly what the fee includes. Check your venue's rules on volume, power and finishing time before you sign anything, agree a short must-play list and a do-not-play list, and put every arrangement in a written agreement with clear deposit and cancellation terms. Booking directly means you deal with the DJ yourself, with no agency in between and no commission on the fee. The same steps apply anywhere in Europe.

When to start looking

In much of Europe, summer Saturdays are the most sought-after wedding dates, and experienced wedding DJs are often booked well ahead for them. Start your search as soon as the date and venue are fixed. A Friday, a Sunday or a date outside the summer usually gives you more choice.

Before you contact anyone, write down the basics:

the date, the venue and the town
the approximate number of guests
the start and end time of the day
which parts the DJ should cover: ceremony, drinks reception, dinner, dance floor
the languages your guests speak

You can start with the overview of wedding and party DJs or search by city and category on Discover.

What to ask before you choose

Send each DJ on your shortlist the same set of questions, so the answers are easy to compare.

Is our date available, and will you play yourself or send someone else?
Do you play weddings regularly, and can we watch videos or speak to a couple you have played for?
What exactly does the fee include: playing time, set-up and pack-down, travel, sound, lighting and a microphone for the speeches?
Can you also act as master of ceremonies and make the announcements?
What happens if you are ill or your equipment fails on the day?
Do you need a meal and a place to change?
How are overtime and travel charged, and is the quote all-inclusive?

For a sense of typical fees, look at the DJ pricing guide before you enquire. The prices there are indicative ranges in euros, not the going rate in any one country; the final fee is always the one you agree with the DJ.

The playlist: guide it, don't script it

A good wedding DJ reads the room. Your job is to point the way, not to choose every song.

Choose the music for the key moments: your entrance, the first dance, the cake cutting and the last song of the night.
Keep the must-play list short, so the DJ can still follow the dance floor.
Add a do-not-play list. It is often more useful than the must-play list.
Agree how guest requests are handled during the evening.
At an international wedding, ask for songs from both families' countries and in their languages.

If you would like live vocals during the ceremony or the drinks reception, you can book a wedding singer for that part of the day and the DJ for the evening. Ask them to agree in advance who brings which equipment.

Equipment and venue limits

Venue rules decide what the DJ can do on the night. Ask your venue and share the answers with the DJ before you sign:

Is there a sound limiter, and at what level does it cut the power?
When does amplified music have to stop?
Where are the power sockets, and is the supply enough for sound and lighting?
How does equipment get in: stairs, a lift, a long walk from the car park?
How much time is there for set-up?
Are smoke or haze machines allowed, or will they trigger the fire alarm?
For an outdoor wedding: is there cover and power if the weather turns?

Some venues ask for proof of public liability insurance and safety-tested electrical equipment; ask what they require and ask the DJ for copies. Rules on music licences differ by country, so check with the venue whether anything has to be arranged.

Contracts, deposits and cancellation

This is where you need to be most careful. EuroActs is not a party to the agreement between you and the DJ, so make sure everything important is in writing:

the date, the venue address and the start and end times
what is included, and the total fee
the deposit, and when the balance is due
how overtime is charged
what happens if you cancel, or if the DJ cancels
whether a replacement DJ is possible, and whether you have to approve the replacement
what happens if the event cannot go ahead

Pay a deposit only once the agreement is signed, and keep every receipt. If the DJ is based in another country, agree the language of the agreement and the currency, and ask how VAT will appear on the invoice.

Booking directly with the DJ

On EuroActs you contact the DJ directly, through the booking form on their profile or the contact details they show there. There is no commission and there are no booking fees: the DJ replies to you personally, and EuroActs adds nothing to the price you agree with the DJ.

Booking without an agency also means doing the checks yourself. Watch the videos, read the reviews where there are any, have a phone or video call, and ask for a reference from a recent wedding.

How searching and contacting work is explained in the FAQ. A week before the wedding, send the DJ one final message with the timings, the venue contact, the key songs and the do-not-play list, so nothing depends on memory.

How to book a wedding DJ in Europe: a checklist