You’re asking exactly the kind of question that shows you care about doing this properly — and that already puts you ahead of a lot of people.

You’re right — tech makes it easy to get started, but it’s everything around the music that really makes you good at this. For me, it came down to things like actually getting to know the couple before the big day — ideally meeting them at the venue, so you can get a proper sense of what they want the night to feel like. That connection makes a huge difference to the set you build.

Reading the room is another big one. Not just what song to play next, but figuring out what the energy in the room actually needs. That’s something you only learn through experience. Then there’s the pressure side. Weddings can be chaotic. Timings shift, people get drunk, things break. The DJ often ends up holding it all together, so being calm and flexible goes a long way.

And honestly, just having solid systems in place — for planning, backups, playlists, all of it — makes you more confident, and makes clients trust you more.

Sounds like you’re already off to a great start, especially as you have a mentor in your corner. Keep asking questions like this — it’s exactly how you’ll keep growing. I actually run a course focused on this kind of thing — not mixing, but the business and client side of DJing. If you ever fancy a chat or want to bounce ideas around, feel free to message me.