On this page we are going to give you advise on hiring the right DJ for your event. We have been in the industry for over 20 years and we have heard all the stories on people booking the wrong person for their party.

Just like any trade you have the good companies along with the so called ‘cowboys’. We believe that it doesn’t matter if your party is a child’s birthday or a large wedding. The people you hire to do the entertainment should be professional, polite and of course time keeping is very important.

Below is just some pointers to help you make a decision on hiring the right people. Remember the cheapest is not always the best way to go.

Like anything you purchase or hire, the is so many ways to find what you are looking for. From the local paper to the Worldwide Web you can find suppliers easily. What you need to remember is the more you see the name the better its likely to be. Its easy for anyone to place an advert in the local paper and/or the local phone book. We recommend you speak to friends who perhaps have hired a mobile DJ or even look through the internet for companies who have a checkable history of previous clients. A company who has several marketing sources are more likely to be professional as they reinvest their money into sourcing more work. Look also at their web addresses. The is so many free website builders only deal with companies who own the domain name.

With the www and the co.uk with the name in between means that the domain name is owned by the company and not bouncing off a free server etc. This costs money and once again a company who invest in a good website are more likely to be a professional company rather then ‘DJ Part Time’ who works somewhere else in the week.

Also approach with caution to agencies. Many agencies deal with more then just DJ’s. Along with this they take commission for taking the booking and passing it to a DJ. Most agencies take as much as 25% of the price they quote for their own pockets. The is a governing body for Entertainment Agencies and the contracts should state all the details from the clients to the artiste. Also it should show the agencies details and a breakdown of charges.

Celebrations Entertainment only works for one agency and we are the main contractor to them. This agency supplies all types of acts and are running to the strict rules required by law to govern their acts and clients. Look at our links page to view their website and acts. We highly recommend this company. We have dealt with many Agents in 20 years and we feel that our commitments remain with them as we have never failed to have a problem.

Once you have spoken to several companies on booking a DJ narrow the list down to two. These two companies should meet the following criteria :

If the companies meet all these requirements then its time to negotiate the prices. All DJ’s which require your business will negotiate with you on prices. Many DJ’s charge per the hour. Unfortunately some also charge for setting up and waiting around. Celebrations Entertainment will not do this. We find it highly unfair to make charges for anything other then entertainment. We have done many events where our DJ’s have setup in the morning and then returned in the evening to perform. In many cases if it’s a wedding we prefer to set up prior to the guests arrival as it means we don’t have to walk through crowds of people with our flight cases. As well as this looking un professional it also carries the risk of injury to your guests.

Along with this we don’t charge mileage to the gig. The only extra charges are for things like toll roads or ferry crossings. Celebrations Entertainment also offer a price promise, this is if you can find a company of the same level of service as us and supplying the same lighting and sound etc. We will match their price as long as you have proof of the prices they have quoted.

This is the important part of booking a DJ. Once you have choose the DJ for your event, then the next stage will be the contract. The contract is legal binding and is a safe guard for both you and the DJ. The contract should be drawn up with your name and home address. The DJ’s name and address should also be clearly displayed. Along with all this the contract should also show the venues details including postcode, emergency contact number for both yourself and the DJ, the times of entertainment (Start and Finish). Along with this it should have a setup or arrival time. Many DJ’s need between one to two hours to setup and around 45minutes to dissemble at the end of the night. Make sure that the venue knows this as this should be added to your booking with the venue.

Along with these details in the contracts it should show the date in which the contract was drawn up and either an area which is terms and conditions or stating you have read and understood the terms and conditions. The contract needs to be signed by both yourself and the DJ. You should retain one copy and the DJ keeps the other. All advance payments should be stated on the contract and signed for or a receipt issued. Many DJ’s will take a security deposit which is not refundable if YOU cancel and either ask for payment 14 days prior to the event or cash on the night. At Celebrations Entertainment we have a policy when booking which is clearly stated in our terms of business. We will take a deposit of nothing greater then 25% prior to the night and request that any payments are either made 14 days prior to the event or the balance is paid in full on the night by clear funds. Clear funds mean either Cash, Credit Card or Bankers Draft. All bankers draft must be made out to Celebrations Entertainment and crossed account payee. We do not accept cheques on the night unless covered by a guarantee card to either the value of the cheque or greater. If card payment is made this needs to be notified to our offices prior to the day as we do not have the facility to set up card transactions on our vans. These transactions are done via paypal manager and carries a 4.6% surcharge. All our contracts are sent via either email or post and attached is full terms and conditions.

It is however advisable to make all payments prior to the night, as the DJ’s who work on Cash on the Night bases may be hiding their income levels or may not be working direct for the company you have hired. Also carrying cash on the night is not only a risk to the DJ but also a risk to yourself. If however you have no other option then cash, make sure the DJ is handed the money at the start of the night and it is signed on the contract by the DJ and counted and checked in front of you.

  So, whoever you choose for your party we hope this guide helps you to select a company who will supply you with all your entertainment and it’s a safe and enjoyable experience for you. Celebrations Entertainment are not an agency. As of the end of 2009 all our DJ’s are employed by us. We no longer use other agents or companies for your entertainment. Our DJ’s are fully trained, operated and maintained by our staff in New Milton, Hampshire. We are a professional company who are nationwide. Our vehicles are regularly maintained, our equipment is serviced regularly by our own engineers and updated on average every 6 months. We are one of the only companies who carry a complete service backup at all our events. Our team at every event carries a DJ and also a Sound & Lighting engineer.