Planning guides
Planning guides
Practical help for the decisions that come before and after you book a DJ: what to ask, how the evening runs, what the venue needs and how to plan the music.
What these guides are for
Booking a DJ looks simple until you are asked what time they should arrive, whether the venue has a sound limiter, or which song you want for your first dance. These guides answer those questions in plain English, so you can have a better conversation with your DJ and your venue.
Each guide is written to be read in a few minutes and used as a checklist afterwards. They are written mainly with weddings in mind, but most of the practical points apply to birthdays, anniversaries and work parties too.
The guides
Questions to ask a wedding DJ before you book
The questions worth asking before you pay a deposit, grouped by topic: availability, music, equipment, announcements, the contract, insurance and what happens if something goes wrong. Each one explains why it matters and what a good answer sounds like.
Read the questions to ask a wedding DJ
Wedding reception timings
A sample UK wedding day running order, from the ceremony to the last song, showing where the DJ arrives, sets up and plays. It also covers evening-only receptions, Asian multi-event weddings and winter weddings, where the timings shift.
See a sample wedding running order
What a DJ needs from your venue
Space, power, parking, load-in, setup time, sound limiters, curfews, insurance certificates and haze rules. These are the things that cause problems on the day if nobody asks in advance, with a checklist to send to your venue coordinator.
Read what a DJ needs from your venue
Wedding playlist and first dance
How long your must-play and do-not-play lists should be, how to handle guest requests, how ceremony music differs from the evening, and the options for your first dance, from edited versions to choreographed routines.
Plan your wedding playlist and first dance
Not sure where to start
If you have a date and a venue but nothing else, start with the questions guide. If you have already booked a DJ, the timings and venue guides are the most useful next step. For budgets, our guide to DJ prices in Birmingham explains what changes the cost.
Let us find your DJ
When you are ready, tell us about your event. We read every enquiry and pass it to one hand-picked independent DJ near you who suits your music and your venue. It is free, and you book and pay the DJ directly. Get matched with a DJ.
In this section
How matching works
- 1 · Tell us about your event
The occasion, your music, the feel you want and what matters most: lighting, sound, the look of the setup, a DJ who is confident on the microphone.
- 2 · We pick one DJ
We read your answers and choose the local DJ who fits best. Your enquiry goes to that DJ only, never a list.
- 3 · They get in touch
Your DJ contacts you directly with availability and a quote, usually within 24 hours. You deal with them, and you decide whether to book.
Questions people ask
Who writes these guides?
They are written by DJ Hire Birmingham, a free matching service. We are not a DJ company. The guides cover the questions couples and party hosts ask most often before they book.
Are the timings and checklists fixed rules?
No. They are examples and starting points. Every venue sets its own rules on power, volume and finish times, and every DJ works slightly differently, so always confirm the details with your venue and your DJ.
Do I need to read these before I enquire?
Not at all. You can fill in the form first and come back to the guides when you speak to your DJ. They are most useful once you have a date and a venue.
Find your DJ
Two minutes of questions about your event, then we pass it to the one local DJ who fits.
Get matched, free