Planning a wedding from another city is a different experience than planning one in your own town. You are making a lot of decisions without being able to walk into a venue, meet vendors in person, or get a feel for things firsthand. Most of it works out fine, but there are a few places where the distance creates real challenges. Hiring a DJ is one of them.
If you are not based in St. Louis and are planning your wedding in the Lou, here are some things worth knowing.
The in-person meeting is not required
A lot of couples assume they need to sit down with their DJ before booking. For local couples this is as easy as a cup of coffee after work, but for couples planning from out of town it can feel like an obstacle.
The good news is that a face-to-face meeting has never been a requirement for working with me. The planning process is built around calls, video chats, and a detailed questionnaire that covers everything we would talk about in person. Some out-of-town couples do make a trip to St. Louis to meet with their vendors, and if that happens, I would love to meet up and chat, but it is never something I expect or require.
How we get to where we need to be is pretty flexible. What matters is that the planning process is thorough and that you feel comfortable and confident going into your wedding day.
Vetting a DJ from a distance takes a little more work
When you can meet someone in person you pick up on a lot without even trying. Body language, how they carry themselves, whether the conversation feels natural. Over a call or video chat you are working with less.
A few things that help close that gap:
Read reviews carefully and look for specifics. Reviews that say “great DJ” are fantastic and reassuring, but reviews that describe how the person communicated, how the night flowed, and how they handled anything unexpected are way more helpful. These little details tell you more than ratings do.
Get on a video call before you commit. A phone call works, but being able to see someone changes the dynamic and the flow of the conversation. You can get a better read on whether this is a person you want running your reception or not.
Ask direct questions about their process. How do they get to know a couple before the wedding? What does the planning timeline look like? What happens if something goes wrong on your wedding day? A DJ who has worked with out-of-town couples before will have clear and comfortable answers to all of these.
St. Louis vendors talk to each other
One advantage of booking local vendors for a St. Louis wedding is that the vendor community here is relatively connected. Photographers, planners, venue coordinators, and DJs who work in the same market tend to know each other or at least know of each other.
If you are working with other St. Louis vendors, ask them who they have worked with and who they would recommend. A referral from someone who has actually shared a dance floor with a DJ is worth more than any review site.
The planning process works the same regardless of where you live
Once you are booked, the process looks exactly the same as it does for any couple. Questionnaire first, then a planning call about six months out, then a final call about four weeks before the wedding. Everything is done remotely if needed and the timeline is designed to give us enough touchpoints that nothing falls through the cracks.
If you have a specific timeline or need for how you want to communicate throughout the planning process, that is an easy conversation to have early. Some couples prefer to handle everything over email while some want to jump on a call whenever something comes up to talk it out.
A note on visiting St. Louis before the wedding
That said, do not feel pressure to make the trip just for vendor meetings. The planning process is designed to work without it.
If you are planning a St. Louis wedding from out of town and want to talk through what working together would look like, I would love to hear from you.
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