What a DJ needs from your venue

The short answer

Before the day, your DJ and venue should agree five things: where the DJ will set up, where the power comes from, how equipment gets in, how long setup and pack-down will take, and what rules apply to volume, finish times, insurance and effects. Most problems on the night come from one of these being missed.

Space

A DJ needs a clear, level area, usually at the edge of the dance floor, with room behind the booth to work.

• A compact setup may need roughly the space of a large table, with room behind it. A larger setup with speakers on stands and lighting needs more. Ask your DJ for their actual footprint.
• The booth should face the dance floor, not a wall.
• Speakers need space either side and should not block fire exits or walkways.
• If the meal and the party are in the same room, agree where the booth goes before the table plan is final.

Power

• The DJ needs sockets close to the setup position. Extension leads across walkways are a trip hazard and many venues will not allow them.
• Lighting and sound can draw more power than people expect. Some venues provide a dedicated circuit for entertainment, so a kettle or urn on the same circuit does not trip the supply.
• Ask the venue which sockets the DJ should use, especially if there is a sound limiter, because limiters are usually wired to specific sockets.

Load-in, parking and access

Equipment is heavy, so access matters.

• Is there parking close to the entrance, and can the DJ unload near the door?
• Is the room on the ground floor? If not, is there a lift, and is it big enough for equipment cases?
• Are there stairs, narrow corridors or gravel paths between the car and the room?
• Is there a separate service entrance the DJ should use?

Historic houses and rural venues can have long walks from the car park. Let the DJ know so they can bring a trolley and allow extra time.

Setup and pack-down time

• Ask when the room is available. At many weddings the DJ sets up during the wedding breakfast.
• Ask your DJ how long their setup takes, then add time for loading in.
• Pack-down takes time too. Make sure the venue’s closing time allows for it after the last song.

Our sample wedding running order shows where this usually fits.

Sound limiters

A sound limiter is a device fitted by the venue that measures the volume in the room. If the music stays above a set level for too long, many limiters show a warning light and then cut the power to the DJ’s sockets, sometimes for a short time before it can be reset. Venues fit them to meet licensing conditions or to avoid disturbing neighbours.

What to do:

• Ask the venue whether there is a limiter and what level it is set to.
• Tell your DJ before the day. Experienced DJs set up their speakers to fill the room at a lower volume and stay under the limit.
• Ask which sockets are on the limiter, and whether lighting can run from a separate supply.

A limiter does not mean a flat party. It means the DJ has to plan for it.

Curfews and noise rules

Most venues have a time by which music must stop, set by their licence or their neighbours. Some also have rules about doors and windows being closed, or outdoor music finishing earlier than indoor music. Ask:

• What time must the music stop?
• Can the evening be extended on the night, and at what cost?
• Are there different rules for any outdoor areas?

Insurance and PAT testing

Many venues ask the DJ for documents before they can set up:

• Public liability insurance. Cover for injury or damage caused by the DJ’s equipment or work. Venues commonly ask for a certificate, sometimes with a minimum cover level.
• PAT testing. Portable appliance testing checks electrical equipment is safe. Venues commonly ask for recent records.
• Risk assessment. Some venues ask for one, especially larger hotels.

Ask your venue what it needs and get the DJ to send it directly, well before the day.

Haze, smoke and fire alarms

Haze and smoke machines can set off some fire alarms, which may mean an evacuation or a call-out charge. Many venues ban them; others allow them only with advance permission, sometimes with the detectors managed by venue staff. Never assume they are allowed. Ask the venue first.

Outdoor weddings and marquees

Marquees and outdoor spaces bring their own questions:

• Is there mains power nearby, or will a generator be needed?
• If there is a generator, who supplies it, and is it big enough and quiet enough for sound and lighting?
• Is the floor level and covered, so equipment stays dry and stable?
• Are there separate noise rules for outdoor music?

Ask your marquee supplier and DJ to talk to each other directly.

Checklist to send to your venue

• DJ setup position agreed, with space for the booth and speakers
• Sockets near the setup, and whether there is a dedicated circuit
• Parking and unloading point
• Access route: stairs, lift, distance from car park
• Time the room is available for setup
• Music finish time and venue closing time
• Sound limiter: yes or no, level, and which sockets
• Insurance and PAT certificates: what is needed and by when
• Haze or smoke: allowed or not
• Outdoor or marquee power arrangements

You can find notes on local venues in our Birmingham wedding venues section.

Let us find your DJ

Tell us your venue when you enquire. We factor in its access, power and volume rules and pass your enquiry to one hand-picked independent DJ who can work with them. You book with the DJ directly. Get matched with a DJ.