The Fine Print When Hiring a Dee Jay or Band

Real life story: When I got married I thought the lead singer of this Motown band that we hired was awesome; his performance took the band over the top! I also knew that he was a working actor in Los Angeles, so I put in the contract that I had the right to cancel if that lead singer was not going to be the guy belting out the tunes. Sure enough, he landed a role on a soap opera!

Here's the thing...he got the role two weeks before my wedding so we went with the band as planned and it all turned out fine. (As you can imagine, booking a top-notch band or deejay two weeks before an event is beyond challenging.)

It's worth putting details that are important to you in writing in your contract or agreement with the deejay or band along with some of these other points:

• The price for the band or deejay's services and what that price includes.
• Agreed upon overtime charges should you incur them.
• The time they will arrive and the time they will depart.
• Their scheduled break times and how long they will be.
• Additional costs for rentals or fees that they may incur (i.e. an extra microphone, downloading certain songs, personalized props, etc...). Make sure you are aware of any and all fees up front.
• Their cancellation policy or procedure for a "force majeure" situation - meaning what happens if there is an unforeseen circumstance, natural or otherwise, on the day or leading up to the day of the party which makes it impossible for the event to take place.

I hope you have a great event and that these tips helped!