Thanks to recommendations from couples on The Knot
Kısmet is for couples who want an actual dance party at their wedding. ✨ We focus on allowing couples and their guests to share joy and love through music. If you’re a true music lover who wants a DJ that pays close attention to your taste, knows how to read a room, and can take your party on a musical journey, you've come to the right place.
~~~ What makes us different? ~~~
NOT THE SAME OLD SONGS
Most wedding DJs take a lowest common denominator approach, with the mindset that if everyone knows a song, it is therefore a good selection. We’re here to say we can do better! We firmly believe that there is no shortage of actually great music that will keep the whole dance floor moving all night long.
IT'S ABOUT YOU
Your wedding should sound like you. We curate our selections to fit your taste and the unique energy of the day. In addition to your specific cues, we take care to get a general feel for music that resonates with you, carefully incorporating your taste into the digital crate of music we build for each wedding.
READING THE ROOM
Our prep process allows us to know we’re hitting the right notes while maintaining the freedom to play what’s right for the moment. If your families want to hear some music they know, we have the hits on deck. When your friends are ready to turn up, we’ve got the bangers to get the dance floor going.
INTENTIONAL AND AUTHENTIC
We strive for our DJ sets to be inclusive & approachable, yet joyful and spontaneous. Our philosophy is to bring experience, preparation, thoughtfulness and authentic presence to the table, then let the night evolve on its own.
EXPERIENCE AND PROFESSIONALISM
We are proactively prepared for anything the night might throw our way. We come equipped for every scenario, so you can relax knowing we’ve got it covered. We stay calm under pressure and always keep our focus on the guest experience.
A STREAMLINED PROCESS
Planning a wedding is stressful. Our goal is to give you one less thing to worry about. We spent years honing a form that streamlines the process of gathering your music selections and proactively thinking through logistics. This single one-stop form is due two weeks before your wedding, making it easy for you to thoughtfully deliver your preferences on your time.
HUMILITY AND GRATITUDE
Sharing joy with your loved ones on the dance floor is the best way to say everything that words can’t. We truly consider it a privilege to provide an essential service to couples on the most important night of their lives. That perspective drives everything we do, from our customer service to the energy & passion we bring to the night.
We can't wait to discuss your wedding!
*** We're excited to announce that as of July 2025, DJ Kerem is now Kısmet, reflecting our growth from a solo practice into a tight two-man operation! We're looking forward to offering the same personalized, quality experience under this new brand.
Kerem grew up in Istanbul, where he was pretty sure he was the only kid listening to The Promise Ring and Explosions in the Sky. He graduated from New College of Florida in 2010, moved to New Orleans in 2012 and started DJing in 2014.
When he’s not busy on the dance floor, Kerem enjoys playing guitar & hanging out with his chihuahua.
Toren Hardee
Partner
Toren Hardee is a musician, DJ, producer, audio engineer & sound artist creating and residing in Bulbancha/New Orleans since 2015. He has been DJing professionally for 10+ years at parties, weddings and a variety of other events.
A lifelong music obsessive and firm believer in the transformative power of music, he brings a massive music library and an acute knack for reading the room to your function, ensuring that the vibes are immaculate and things go off without a hitch.
Reviews
5.0
out of 5.0
31 reviews
Your trust is our goal. Our community relies on honest reviews to help you make those big decisions with ease.
Review Summary
This AI-generated summary is a snapshot of this vendor's ratings and feedback.
DJ Kerem has consistently received rave reviews from multiple clients for his services at weddings in New Orleans. Clients appreciated his ability to understand their vision, detailed intake forms, and flexible approach on the wedding day, accommodating sound checks, song adjustments, and spontaneous changes seamlessly. The music selections were described as spot on, creating the perfect ambiance from pre-ceremony through the dance party, ensuring guests were engaged and dancing all night. Kerem's professionalism, energy, and MC skills contributed to making weddings unforgettable and highly recommended.
Review photos
Showing slide number 1 out of 5
Teresa K
5.0
1/12/2026
DJ Kerem played all the best songs, bridging the gap between age ranges, background, and dancing style. Music is super important to us, and Kerem delivered. On time, prepared, nice...
, and great taste in music and ability to read the room. We had a great time!
Anna Kathryn H
5.0
12/27/2025
We booked Kerem for our wedding in New Orleans and I cannot recommend him enough for wedding DJ services. From the first phone call, Kerem made sure he understood our vision, and h...
e even requested sending an inspiration playlist so that he could create the perfect vibe for the wedding celebration. His intake forms are very detailed, which brought peace of mind knowing he knew the exact timing & queues for announcements/playing certain songs. He was SUPER accommodating and flexible on our wedding day: from sound check before the ceremony, to shortening our first dance song, to a spontaneous time change for the cake cutting. Pre-ceremony through dinner, the song choices were spot on and further enhanced the ambiance of our spaces. The after-dinner dance party set list was fantastic (we requested pop, rap and some classics) and people were dancing & singing the ENTIRE night. I’ve had many people tell me how much they enjoyed the music & the dancing at our wedding, and it was all thanks to Kerem – kind, personable, and an incredibly talented DJ! HIGHLY RECOMMEND!
Any questions?
Anna T
5.0
5/03/2025
We couldn't have been happier with DJ Kerem and his services for our wedding in New Orleans. He provides a great tool to help understand his clients, and he took our "sample playli...
st" and made an incredible mix. We could have (and would have!) danced all night! We'd highly recommend DJ Kerem; he was so easy to work with and has incredible music expertise. From the ceremony to the last song of the night, the music vibes were on point for our group. Our night was truly unforgettable.
Elizabeth D
5.0
4/22/2025
I cannot recommend DJ Kerem enough! He shared a super helpful "taste primer" sheet that made it easy to understand the genres he typically plays and to communicate our own preferen...
ces to him. He completely got the vibes for every part of the evening, from our ceremony itself to the last song of the reception, the vibes were immaculate and there was something for all our guests to enjoy. He made the whole process easy and worked very independently. I would trust this man with my life!
Casey B
5.0
4/13/2025
Best DJ ever!! Kerem understood the assignment. The vibes were perfect and he was such a joy to work with. He really made our wedding day so much fun. Thank you!
Sidney T
5.0
1/08/2025
We couldn’t have asked for a better DJ than Kerem! He absolutely nailed the vibe we wanted for our wedding—nothing too overplayed, but still fun and energetic enough to keep everyo...
ne on the dance floor. His song choices were spot on, and he did such a great job reading the room and keeping the energy high all night.
Kerem was also an incredible MC. He kept everything running smoothly and ensured the transitions between moments were seamless. His energy and professionalism really helped make our wedding feel like the perfect celebration. He even helped us figure out the best way to structure first dance/parent dance songs so that they happened seamlessly.
If you’re looking for a DJ who truly understands how to create a fantastic atmosphere and keep the party going, Kerem is your guy. We can’t recommend him enough!
Rebecca J
5.0
10/02/2024
DJ Kerem was such a delight to work with at our wedding. He was very professional and organized, providing a form to submit to better understand our music taste. This was so import...
ant to me, as I get tired of the same over played wedding music, and I wanted the dance floor to better reflect what we enjoy! I received so many compliments about his song selection, catering to both our American and Indian family and friends. Also, the added lights were a hit. I can't wait to get the photographer pictures back just to relive the dance floor!
Ernesto A
5.0
7/29/2024
Kerem was on point for our wedding. It was a short notice, and he handled it amazingly, we had great communication with him, he was attentive to detail before and during the event...
, and really understood what we were going for. His info form was great for that purpose. We got compliments on the vibes of our wedding and much of it was thanks to Kerem. It was a great time, highly recommended.
Kaity C
5.0
5/20/2024
Kerem did a fantastic job at our wedding. We gave him a short playlist of our favorite artists and complete freedom on what to play, he had everyone on the dance floor all night! W...
e also added an impromptu live performance and a song-specific outfit change, he was super flexible and handled it very well, highly recommend.
Alison H
5.0
5/07/2024
We absolutely loved Kerem! He made our wedding day so special in every way! He was always open to phone calls to go over everything beforehand and got our wedding playlist down per...
fectly! All of our guests had the best time on our day because of Kerem. Do yourself a favor and hire him, you won’t regret it!!!!
Nicole N
5.0
4/29/2024
DJ Kerem helped ensure that both our wedding ceremony and reception went super smoothly!! For a couple that was DIYing a lot of aspects of our wedding, it brought us so much assura...
nce to hire a professional DJ that was willing to share his experience and provide a level of structure to the actual day-of logistics through MCing / general music cues. There is no way our dance floor would have been as packed without Kerem and we highly recommend working with him for your special day.
Alexis H
5.0
3/12/2024
We loved Kerem! He brought the best vibes to our intimate wedding. Absolutely nailed the brief for cocktail hour/dinner and crushed it on the dance floor! He asked thoughtful quest...
ions beforehand and ensured he had all of the important information prior to our big day! Not to mention the fact that he is just plain cool! Highly recommend him for all events, both large and small!
Claire D
5.0
10/24/2023
Booking Dj kerem was one of the best decisions we made for our wedding. One of our biggest fears for the wedding was no one dancing, and he had every single guest at our wedding on...
the dance floor most of the night. He listened to us in terms of the kind of music we wanted, he played songs that complemented the playlist we gave him perfectly. He was super nice, engaged, checked in with us a few times during the night and made sure the process was going the way we wanted in terms of song lengths for first dances etc. If you want a dj that actually likes music and can get ppl dancing BOOK HIM
Mary Grace L
5.0
5/06/2023
Kerem DJ'ed our wedding and everyone loved it! He was extremely easy to work with and had alot of patience with us as we tried to narrow down and 18 hour playlist to 30 ish songs. ...
I would 100% recommend DJ kerem for any event small or large if you want to have everyone up and dancing away the evening (or day)! He was awesome!
Malorie P
5.0
1/13/2023
Kerem dj'd my wedding this past Sunday and he truly couldn't have been better! Throughout the planning process, he asked me detailed questions about what music I liked and wanted s...
o that he could deliver a perfect experience for us and our guests. I stressed that I wanted everyone to get involved and that we wanted it to be a party, and that's exactly what it was! A true New Orleans style party. Everything was played perfectly on cue and exactly how I wanted it, and he even MC'd as well. He also came up to my husband and I to introduce himself which I thought was super thoughtful. It is because of him that our wedding day was PERFECT. I can't recommend Kerem enough, and if I ever need a dj in the future, I know who I'm calling!
Joseph G
5.0
8/07/2022
Kerem killed it! We'd have him play for our wedding all over again and highly recommend him. He knows how to set the vibe for any occasion. Even the New Orleans summer heat couldn'...
t keep us off of his dance floor.
Lizzy M
5.0
8/06/2022
Kerem is an incredible human and DJ! We had a tough time selecting a DJ and feeling comfortable in terms of being in control with the type of music we wanted to be played. We were...
kind of on the path of a more un traditional celebration. We curated a spotify playlist of a handful of songs that we hoped would set the vibe. KEREM DID AN UNBELIEVABLE JOB WITH PERFECTING THE PLAYLIST FOR OUR SPECIAL DAY!!! Everyone at the party came up to us and said it was the best music they had ever danced to at a wedding. Not only were his song compiling skillz on fire but he was such a genuine, kind, human being. Really made the night so special. Making sure we were happy and not allowing crazy song requests to be made. He was so great. I can't say enough amazing things about him!
Stephanie H
5.0
8/05/2022
Kerem did our wedding in May 2023. He made the reception vibe amazing! No weird songs or microphone take overs, just hit after hit! The owner of our venue, who has been to hundreds...
of weddings over the years, even said Kerem was one of the best he’s seen.
Janice M
5.0
7/27/2022
Our guests continue to tell us that DJ Kerem made our reception amazing! I have a large hispanic family and I requested a mix of latin music along with fun disco/hip hop throwbacks...
. DJ Kerem delivered with every song and transition. Communication was clear, professional, and prompt during the entire process! I'm so happy we booked him for our wedding, I couldn't recommend him more!
Molly H
5.0
7/27/2022
Kerem was amazing!! I have to admit I was nervous about hiring a DJ for our wedding, because we didn't want the typical wedding DJ that plays the same stuff for every couple. We wa...
nted just a really high-energy, fun, cool wedding and Kerem totally understood the vibe we were going after. He kept the entire party on the dance floor the whole night (our one request!). We also last-minute decided we wanted him to DJ our ceremony, which was across town and entirely outdoors at a public park. He immediately said he could make it work, and did! Would hire him again in a heartbeat. The music 100% makes the wedding and I'm so happy we went with Kerem!!
Ann L
5.0
7/25/2022
DJ Karem was an outstanding addition to our wedding team! He was a joy to communicate with leading up to the day and he hit all the right vibes we were going for on the day. He mad...
e our wedding after party unforgettable. We would highly recommend him!
Nicholas R
5.0
7/23/2022
DJ Kerem was the best part of our wedding. He was easy to communicate with and fun to be around. We gave him a list of our favorite songs and he was able to add some of his own cho...
ices that complemented the vibe. We basically stayed on the dance floor for the whole reception.
Esther L
5.0
3/27/2022
We hired DJ Kerem for our wedding at Maison Lafitte in Mandeville. We scheduled a zoom and immediately noticed a few albums hung on his walls that we also loved from there we knew ...
we were in perfect hands. We made a playlist of a couple of songs for different moods: dinner, ceremony, dancing etc. and in less than 20 songs he managed to get us to a T. It was so spot on that at one point a friend asked me if I had made the playlist. We danced all night and it was an absolute BLAST. Hire DJ Kerem, he is great.
Thomas R
5.0
3/22/2022
DJ Kerem created by far the most fun experience I have ever had. Everyone at our wedding could not stop talking about how great the music was, how great the energy was, etc etc, an...
d Kerem facilitated all of that. Outside of the event itself, Kerem was incredibly thoughtful and professional when it came to communicating with us. We were asked to just send in some music that we felt reflected us, so we went with about thirteen songs that we felt represented the many aspects of our life and then five more songs for our first dances, exits, entrances etc etc. With all of this info, DJ Kerem absolutely nailed it. We loved every second of our event and none of that would have been possible without him. Hire him!
Ryan C
5.0
12/11/2021
DJ Kerem was amazing to work with for our wedding reception. We were originally going to play a self-curated playlist but realized this would not allow us to be as present with our...
friends/family during the reception. We wanted someone who would be able to "read the room" and DJ Kerem did just that. He looked over our playlist and was able to match the vibe we were looking for. Received multiple compliments from the guests on how great the DJ was. The highlight of the night was when everyone was out on the dance floor for Whitney Houston's "I Wanna Dance with Somebody". So. Much. Fun. We highly recommend hiring DJ Kerem for any party!
Alixe R
5.0
11/15/2021
DJ Kerem was absolutely a dream to work with for our wedding "late night" DJ set. I reached out to him only a few weeks in advance of our wedding, and he was extremely responsive a...
nd flexible when it came to coming up with a plan for what I'd envisioned. It was so nice to be able to give him very little direction (i.e. just a playlist of some of our favorite songs) and to let his creative expertise handle the rest. We ended up with an absolute blast of a set from him and it was such a fun cap on our wedding night. Everyone raved about him and he engaged with the crowd just enough (and not too much!). I can't say enough positive things - I was pretty type A / particular when it came to anything wedding planning related, and working with DJ Kerem was just SO EASY. He has a very calm way about ensuring that your dream will be brought to life, and he is a wonderful person to boot. If you're considering hiring him - DO IT!
Michelle B
5.0
8/16/2021
We booked DJ Kerem on my sister’s recommendation, and he did not disappoint! We kept the evening pretty simple, and it basically ended with a 4 hour dance party that had EVERYONE g...
etting down. 10/10, would book again for any other New Orleans event in a heartbeat. -Michelle and Jeremiah
Emily T
5.0
7/07/2021
Kerem was SO much fun. Even my crotchety old dad had an awesome time and couldn’t stop complementing the music. He played a few things we requested and we let him do the rest! Kere...
m was there well before the event and ready to go. He was super sweet to all of my guests and one even hung out with him the entire time. We were so happy with our experience, that when I got pregnant I asked him to make me a playlist for my labor. YES HE DJ’D MY LABOR! The midwives asked several times “what is this playlist!? I love it!”
Amanda H
5.0
6/23/2021
Kerem was recommended by a friend of a friend and he really wound up making the dang thing happen. He spent a long time planning the music with my wife, stepped up with improvising...
and making announcements, etc when necessary, even lent a hand around the venue when we ran into crises. I’ve since booked him for multiple parties in town! I really cannot recommend him enough! You will 100% not regret booking him!
Ricky O
5.0
6/10/2021
When it came time for me and my wife to choose a DJ, we weren't sure where to turn. A friend recommended Kerem and, boy, are we glad he did. DJ Kerem had the whole party shaking fo...
r hours and hours. We requested a bunch of songs and even when my mother-in-law INSISTED on Shania Twain for our first dance, Kerem came through and even mixed it in to the play-list later. To think, we were going to put on a iTunes playlist and call it a day! No way! Thanks again Kerem, you are the best DJ ever!
Daniel S
5.0
6/07/2021
DJ Kerem was simply great! Very professional, easy to work with, and accommodating. He worked with my wife on picking out the right songs, and he really brought a great dance-y ene...
rgy to our whole wedding. He also provided some tasteful lighting, which was a nice touch.
