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Wedding Computer Help

Getting started as a DJ or band

Entertainment vendors have a tight technical schedule on a wedding day: you need a specific setup window, a soundcheck before guests arrive, defined set times, and a clear end time. If the venue bumps your soundcheck by 30 minutes, your whole day shifts. Getting your requirements into the shared run sheet — and protecting your time in a contract — is the most important thing you can do before the first note plays.

Step 1 — Complete your profile

Section titled “Step 1 — Complete your profile”

Go to Settings → Profile and fill in:

  • Business name — your DJ name, band name, or entertainment company
  • Category — select DJ or Band
  • Location — your base city
  • Bio, website, Instagram — link your demo mixes, live footage, or EPK (electronic press kit)

Why: When a couple is looking at their wedding workspace, they see every vendor’s name and profile. A link to your demo or live footage is the fastest way for a couple — or a planner recommending you — to understand what you sound like before they commit.

Step 2 — Build a music-specific enquiry form

Section titled “Step 2 — Build a music-specific enquiry form”

Go to Settings → Enquiry form and customise the questions. For DJs and bands, key questions are:

  • Wedding date
  • Venue name and address (you need to know the stage area, power availability, and load-in access)
  • What parts of the day are you covering? Ceremony music / cocktail hour / reception / all of the above
  • Set times requested — what time do you start, what time do you end?
  • Dance floor size (relevant for PA sizing)
  • Style preferences: top 40 / classic hits / 80s-90s / RnB / country / open format
  • Are there any must-play or must-avoid songs?
  • Do they want MC services?
  • Do they want a photo slideshow or tribute video displayed?
  • Expected guest count at reception
  • How they heard about you

Why: Venue and set time information determines your equipment needs before you quote. A reception for 200 guests in a large ballroom needs a different PA than a cocktail hour for 50 on a terrace. Getting this information at enquiry stage means your quote is accurate and there are no surprises when you see the venue for the first time on the wedding day.

Step 3 — Set up your contract with equipment and timing protections

Section titled “Step 3 — Set up your contract with equipment and timing protections”

Go to Settings → Contracts and create a services agreement. For entertainment vendors, critical clauses include:

  • Set times — the contracted start and end times, with overtime rates if the reception extends
  • Soundcheck window — the time you require for setup and soundcheck before guests arrive (typically 1–2 hours for a DJ, 2–3 hours for a band)
  • Equipment provision — what you bring vs. what the venue provides (PA, microphones, stage, lectern for MC duties)
  • Song request policy — do you take requests on the night, or is the playlist set in advance?
  • Force majeure — what happens if you’re ill or unavailable (substitute, refund policy)
  • Cancellation terms — especially relevant given lead times involved in securing equipment and travel
  • Noise curfews — acknowledge any curfew the venue has set, and that you’re not responsible if the venue enforces an earlier end time than contracted

Why: “The reception ran over and the DJ stopped at the contracted time” is a common source of conflict. Setting overtime rates in the contract before the wedding means everyone knows what happens if speeches run long — the client opts to extend and pays the agreed rate, or the music ends at the contracted time. No surprises, no arguments.

Step 4 — Set up invoicing

Section titled “Step 4 — Set up invoicing”

Go to Settings → Invoices and create invoice templates.

A typical DJ or band invoice structure:

  • Deposit (25–50% at booking)
  • Balance — due 2–4 weeks before the wedding, or on the night before you start

Attach your contract to the deposit invoice using Settings → Contracts. The couple signs when they pay the deposit — your terms are confirmed before the date is secured.

Why: Entertainment deposits are often non-refundable once you’ve turned away other enquiries for that date. Your contract terms need to be signed before that commitment is made.

Step 5 — Add your timing requirements to the run sheet

Section titled “Step 5 — Add your timing requirements to the run sheet”

When you join a wedding workspace, go to Timeline and add your critical items:

  • Load-in / setup start — the time you need to arrive and begin setting up
  • Soundcheck window — when you need the room cleared or quiet enough to set levels
  • Soundcheck complete — when you’ll be done and the room is ready for guests
  • Ceremony music start (if you’re covering ceremony)
  • Cocktail hour entertainment start/end (if applicable)
  • Reception doors open
  • First dance — the couple and their planner will likely add this; confirm the timing aligns with yours
  • Key reception moments — speeches start/end, cake cut, formalities end
  • Dance floor opens — when the floor opens for general dancing
  • Last song — your contracted end time
  • Pack-down / load-out start

Set your load-in, soundcheck, and pack-down items to vendors visibility. The venue and planner need to see these; the couple doesn’t need to.

Why: Soundcheck is the single biggest source of on-the-day tension for entertainment vendors. The venue needs a cocktail setup done, the florist needs access to the reception space, and you need 90 minutes of quiet. All three of those need to not overlap. A shared timeline makes the conflict visible before the day — and solvable with a two-minute rearrangement — instead of discovering it at 3pm when everyone arrives at once.

Step 6 — Add song and playlist notes per wedding

Section titled “Step 6 — Add song and playlist notes per wedding”

Use the Notes section of each wedding workspace for that wedding’s specific music brief:

  • Must-play songs (with the specific version if it matters)
  • Must-avoid songs or genres
  • First dance song and any specific version
  • Father-daughter / parent dance songs
  • Bouquet toss or cake cut songs
  • Any cultural or religious considerations
  • MC script notes if you’re doing the announcements

Set these notes as Private so only your account can see them — the couple doesn’t need to see your working notes.

Why: When you’re juggling multiple weddings, having the specific music brief in the workspace means you’re not searching through email threads on the morning of the wedding. It’s in the workspace next to the run sheet, venue address, and your timeline items.

Step 7 — Set your availability

Section titled “Step 7 — Set your availability”

Go to Settings → Availability and block every booked date. Most entertainment vendors work one wedding per date — if you have multiple acts in your company that can work simultaneously, manage that manually.

Why: Enquiries for booked dates cost everyone time. An accurate public availability calendar routes enquiries to dates you can actually take.

Step 8 — Subscribe to your calendar

Section titled “Step 8 — Subscribe to your calendar”

Go to Settings → Calendar and copy your iCal feed URL. Subscribe to it in your phone calendar.

Why: Each calendar event includes the venue address and a link to the workspace. Navigating to a venue you haven’t been to before — especially for a late load-in at an unfamiliar location — is faster when the address is already in your phone calendar.

You’re ready when:

Section titled “You’re ready when:”
  • Your profile has links to demo mixes or live footage
  • Your enquiry form asks about set times, venue, and coverage scope
  • Your contract template includes soundcheck window, set times, overtime rates, and cancellation terms
  • Invoice templates have deposit/balance structure with contract attached
  • Stripe is connected
  • Your availability is accurate and Public
  • Your iCal feed is subscribed

What to do right now

Section titled “What to do right now”

Open your next booked wedding workspace and add your setup window, soundcheck time, and contracted set times to the shared timeline. Then check the timeline for any conflicts with the venue’s other setup requirements. A five-minute check now prevents a phone call at 3pm on the day.

Go deeper

Section titled “Go deeper”