A common question many brides and grooms have is “what food and drink we provide for the disc jockey?”
Over the past three decades, it has become quite common for hosts at most reception hall events to provide their DJ with a few essentials. Although you don’t need to spoil your disc jockey with all entities provided for your guests, it’s still important that you provide your worker with some amenities that help him or her remain functional through the night.
Provide your DJ with water. The most important resource to mankind is precious water, and we need eight cups a day to keep us healthy. With the excessive heat that builds up in the room, along with the prolonged standing, a DJ can dehydrate very quickly, and this could result in a very serious medical emergency. Most DJs are quite humble and won’t ask you for anything during the event. Because water is usually provided for free, the DJ might ask a waiter or waitress for water during the event, but be mindful and ensure that the reception hall is aware of his need for water. In most cases, reception hall staff are very willing to provide items to the DJ because of an ancient service industry union that exists between the groups; however, don’t assume that the reception hall will provide him with a holy grail. Make sure the disc jockey has this most basic resource and he’ll be gleaming the entire night.
Provide your hungry DJ with food. Although this isn’t mandatory, talk to your DJ about food. If you cannot afford to provide him with a plate, talk to the reception hall. If it is a family run place, they’ll usually cover the cost of the plate for the disc jockey. However, if you’re running your event out of a corporate structured reception centre, ask about the cost of club sandwiches for the disc jockey. If you truly cannot, or do not wish to, provide the DJ with food, be courteous enough to advise the DJ so he can prepare and bring a snack of his own. Some DJs will refuse food for various reasons. Some do not wish to burden you with the cost of his plate. Others feel that it is unprofessional to eat on the job. Neither of these are written in any sort of holy disc jockey bible, but they are both etiquette that some DJs possess.
In the end, it is up to you to determine what your DJ will be provided with during the proceedings. From personal experience, I can state that a happier DJ is one who is well fed and fully hydrated. Special drinks, appetisers, and goody bags are not necessary for the disc jockey. A little food and plentiful water will suffice. A happy, and focused, disc jockey makes for a much smoother wedding event. You should consider this when planning the event because the disc jockey is the centre of entertainment during the entire event. Keep him happy and you’ll be sure to have a magnificent evening.
