Becoming a Wedding DJ: 4. How to get work.

It may seem like a very easy thing to do - advertise in the local paper, turn up at a Wedding Fayre or two but in actual fact it is probably the most difficult aspect of becoming a Wedding DJ.

WHERE TO START LOOKING FOR GIGS

Here are a few things you can do to help you get started and gain some experience as a Wedding DJ:

Contact local Hotels and enquire if they need a resident DJ: If you have just started you will need to offer yourself out cheaper than most, sometimes for free! I know this sounds bad but would you want an inexperienced Wedding DJ supplying music at your Wedding? Certainly not. Also if the hotels have their own resident DJ why not offer your services as a stand in or emergency measure? That way you can show your reliability and gain their trust.

Attend Wedding Fayres: A Wedding Fayre is a great place to start showcasing your talent and it acts as a wedding couple central. Choose wisely though as they can be expensive and you could be advertising next to an established Wedding DJ. You may want to offer your services as a Compere for the event. This will help with your business advertising and help get you noticed but may mean that you could get a discounted stall rate - Always a bonus!

Advertising: There are a number of ways you can advertise and it really doesn’t have to be expensive. Get a basic website built and register with online directories such as Welsh Brides. Register your business details with the good old Yellow Pages too. If all else fails you can always place an ad in the local paper.

Join an Entertainments/ DJ Agency: This is probably the cheapest way to get started and a good way to gain experience. Again exercise caution! Some entertainment agencies are very good and will keep you working 7 nights a week if you want it, but some (As with most industries) can be rogue. Just be sure of their terms and conditions as agency fees can sometime be very high.

I Hope these starting points prove as a useful tool when looking for DJ work. There are a lot of us Professional Wedding DJ’s out there so be patient and persevere.