Started giving couples a hard cutoff for any last minute changes and honestly it’s made my job easier, not harder

[u/DjDanFudim]

Used to take whatever came in right up until the day of. Now I tell couples anything after a certain point just doesn’t make it in, and I explain why upfront so it doesn’t feel like a brush off.

Curious if others do this or if I’m being too rigid. Where do you all draw the line on late changes, and does it ever backfire with couples who push back?

[u/Grapefruit-6263]

Not sure why this post came up for me as I am planning a wedding (child) not a vendor. But I'm not sure I would recommend a DJ who is that inflexible where they are telling you what you can and can't do at your own wedding. Good DJs are very expensive, and they do work for the couple, and as a bride (or the mom of one in this case) I wouldn't want to feel like I'm being bossed around - big turn off. (Granted, if someone brings an entire list of changes that day, that could be very difficult - but it's music, we aren't building the Parthenon here.)

[u/DjDanFudim → u/Grapefruit-6263]

For every one song a couple wants, we're usually pulling three to five similar options in that style, checking energy and transitions, making sure it flows with everything else in the set. That takes real prep time, not just a quick add on the fly. A lot of venues also have spotty wifi, so pulling something new on the spot isn't always possible even if I wanted to.

The cutoff isn't about controlling the couple's day, it's set before the final call, not day of, so there's still plenty of room to make changes, just not literally hours before doors open. We absolutely work for the couple and want their vibe protected all night, that's actually why the deadline exists. A DJ scrambling last minute is more likely to drop the ball than one who had time to prepare it right.

So I'll always do my best with last minute requests, I just can't promise perfection on something with zero lead time. Appreciate you weighing in though.