Have you ever heard of a bride or groom having their DJ cancel on them? And sometimes with only weeks to go before the big day?

As you can probably imagine, the stress this causes ahead of the largest party someone has (probably) ever planned in their life is terrible. This happens more often than it should and for a variety of reasons. The primary reason though, is one you can protect yourself from:

Have a signed agreement or contract with the DJ company you hire.

In most cases where a DJ has reportedly cancelled on an event, it happens where there was never a signed agreement, thus making it very easy for a DJ to back out of their commitment. Often times it was a family friend or a friend-of-a-friend who said “Sure, I can DJ your party!” only to have them back out when the pressure of the event began to draw near or another fun weekend opportunity presented itself. It isn’t always friends-of-friends though, in some cases, DJ companies don’t use agreements. That needs to change and you can do something about it.

Anyone hiring a DJ should always request an agreement that both parties (you and the DJ company) agree to. By ensuring you work only with a DJ that uses an agreement, you will be saving yourself from a lot of potential headache.

A proper and fair agreement is designed to protect both parties. The agreement should protect the interests of the DJ AND your interests as the client. It should have balance to it and safeguards for both, the person hiring the DJ, and the DJ themselves.

At a minimum, quality agreements should always include your full name and the DJ company name along with some sort of identification information for each (often through an address, phone number or email address). It should also include the precise date and location of the event. This ensures your DJ will show up on the appropriate date and at the proper location of your party.

Detailed cancelation information should also be listed. For example, what happens if you have to cancel on the DJ or what happens if the DJ can, for some reason, no longer fulfil the agreement? The agreement should detail out appropriate protections for both you and the DJ around this topic. Many agreements also include the name of your DJ written on the agreement so that you can be sure you’re getting your favourite entertainer.

Lastly, the agreement you sign with your DJ should state the services being hired and the total fee for those services. All payment terms should also be clearly stated so as to avoid any unpleasant surprise bills.

There are many other topics that can and will be listed in a quality agreement, but simply having one is a start. A DJ has the ability to impact a party in such a massive way, do not hire one without a written and signed agreement.

You don’t want to be that person, weeks away from one of the most important events of your life, struggling to find an entertainment replacement, do you?

Sign an agreement with your entertainer. This is a huge step toward ensuring you throw the celebration of your dreams!

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To find your next event DJ, search the Canadian Professional Disc Jockey Association Find a DJ member database. Basic searches can be completed by region/city or advanced searches by event, music, performance and spoken language specialty can also be performed.