DJ Client Questionnaire: Every Question to Ask Before the Event

Almost every awkward moment at an event — the mispronounced name, the song the couple hates, the toast nobody cued — traces back to a question that was never asked. This questionnaire is the asking, done once, in order. Send it two to four weeks out: close enough that the answers are real, far enough that you can act on them. Cut what does not apply, add what your market needs, and keep the pronunciation questions no matter what — they are the cheapest insurance in this business.

The basics

1. What is the event date?
2. What is the venue name and full address?
3. What time does the event start and end?
4. What time can we access the space for setup, and is there a time we must be out?
5. Roughly how many guests are you expecting?
6. What kind of event is this — wedding, corporate, birthday, school event, something else?
7. Who is our day-of contact, and what is the best phone number to reach them during the event?

Key people and announcements

Names said out loud are the highest-stakes words of the night. Collect them in writing, exactly as they should be spoken.

1. Whose names will be announced — couple, honorees, hosts? Please write each name exactly as it should be said.
2. For every name we will say on the mic: how is it pronounced? A phonetic spelling ("shuh-VON") or a short voice memo both work.
3. Is there a wedding party or a group to introduce? List everyone in the order they should enter.
4. Are there VIPs we should know by name — parents, grandparents, the boss paying for the party?
5. Who is giving toasts or speeches, and in what order?
6. Is there anyone or anything we should not announce or draw attention to?

Music

1. List your must-play songs — title and artist for each.
2. List your do-not-play songs or artists. These will not be played, even if a guest requests them.
3. What genres or eras should anchor the night?
4. What is your explicit-lyrics policy: radio edits only, fully clean, or anything goes?
5. What is your first dance song (or the equivalent key moment for your event)?
6. Any special dances — parent dances, an anniversary dance, cultural or traditional dances — and the song for each?
7. May guests make requests? Do you want veto power over them?
8. Is there specific music you want during dinner or cocktail hour?
9. Are there songs with special meaning we should work in — or memories we should avoid?

Flow and timeline

1. Is there a grand entrance? Who enters, in what order, to what song?
2. When are toasts happening, and should we cue each speaker by name?
3. Is there a cake cutting, and is there a song for it?
4. What other key moments should the timeline build around — bouquet, garter, awards, surprises, a live performance?
5. What is the last song of the night?
6. Is there a formal send-off, and what does it look like?
7. Who has the final say on timeline changes during the event — you, a planner, or a family member?

Logistics

1. Is the event indoors, outdoors, or both? If outdoors, what is the weather backup plan?
2. Where will the DJ set up? Is there a stage, a corner, or a dedicated space?
3. How close is power to the setup area? Are there dedicated circuits, or are we sharing with the caterer?
4. If the event is outdoors or the venue's power is uncertain, should we plan backup power?
5. What are the load-in realities: parking, stairs, elevator, distance from the truck to the space?
6. Is there a hard curfew or a local noise ordinance we should know about?
7. Does the venue have restrictions we should know — volume limits, no haze, proof-of-insurance requirements?
8. Will the setup need to move during the event (for example, ceremony to reception)? Moves take time — we plan for them.

MC and mic use

1. How much MC work do you want: full host, announcements only, or music only?
2. What tone fits your event — formal, playful, high-energy, minimal?
3. Who else will need the microphone during the event, and when?
4. Should we run games or interactive moments, or keep it strictly music?
5. Are there phrases, jokes, or topics to avoid on the mic?

Final confirmations — the week of the event

Do not resend the whole questionnaire. The final week is a short reconfirmation of the answers most likely to have changed — send it as a quick message and get written replies.

1. Has anything changed with the date, times, venue, or guest count?
2. Reconfirm the day-of contact and their phone number.
3. Reconfirm the timeline: entrance, toasts, key moments, last song.
4. Reconfirm the final must-play and do-not-play lists.
5. Confirm the remaining balance and how it is being paid.
6. Confirm our arrival time and exactly where to load in when we get there.

Running this without the paper

In OpsVue, this questionnaire lives where the gig lives. Save it as a reusable email template, and a workflow step can stage that email as a draft the moment a booking confirms — you review, approve, and it goes out through your own email, because nothing in OpsVue auto-sends to clients. The answers land on the gig's work record: notes for the narrative, custom fields you define for the operational facts (guest count, power situation, last song), files for anything the client sends back — and clients can send files through the same no-login link they used to view and accept your booking agreement.

Two honest boundaries: OpsVue does not turn this into a client-facing web form — the questionnaire travels by email, and the answers are recorded by you. And when your client confirms the booking through their document link, OpsVue records a typed-name acceptance with evidence — and calls it exactly that, an acceptance. OpsVue is in early access; the questionnaire above is yours either way, and it works on paper, in email, or anywhere else.