Wedding promptness

Another important question to ask your wedding or event disc jockey is "When will you be there to set up?". It sounds innocuous but having the proper amount of time to set up our equipment and deal with any possible issues is important. As a professional mobile DJ with a focus on weddings I always arrive an hour and a half to two hours before any wedding I do with a similar time frame for any bigger event. This allows me the time to set up in an orderly and unrushed manner.

Overly talkative DJ's

This is a point that I have heard various sides too over the years. Some people, they seem to be the minority, don't mind and actively encourage their disc jockey to be as garrulous as can be at their wedding or event. Other people, seems to be the majority, want a DJ to talk only when needed and keep vocals to a minimum. Often people are somewhere in the middle too so there is not a black and white answer to this issue. My biggest concern with this as an issue are the DJ's who decide unilaterally what they should do. As a professional this should be one of the things brought up during our multiple meetings with the bride and groom. The decision belongs ultimately with them as it is THEIR day. A disc jockey should NEVER decide he knows best in what to do. He can try to speak with the bride and groom about any decisions made but it is not his decision to make ultimately. The wedding day is one of the biggest days of a couples life and we are their to guide them and learn their dreams and desires not vice-versa. This also applies to any event we do.

Alcohol and Smoking and your disc jockey

A professional DJ will never consume alcohol or take cigarette breaks during your wedding. If while you are interviewing a DJ he or she tells you they need or like to have a few drinks to “loosen up” while working, you should probably look for a DJ with higher standards of professionalism. If he or she tells you they have to have a 5 or 10 minute cigarette break every hour you should, once again, perhaps look for someone with a little more of an idea what our responsibilities are.

Think of everyone who will be attending your wedding reception.

This is just some thoughts on picking the music for your wedding reception. Why is this important? Because it if not done carefully you can end up with a lot of stuff no one will dance too. Before making your song choices, I suggest looking over your guest list and consider who will be attending and who is likely to dance. Early on in the reception, I recommend playing wedding reception dance music that will appeal to as many of your guests as possible. Get that dance floor packed early. Once that happens your dj will have more leeway to play songs that might be a bit more “off the beaten path”.

Benefits?

I have recently completed being the entertainment and emcee for a number of benefits, the Black & Blue Ball for the Muscular Dystrophy Association and the Boo Run for SafeNet are two that come to mind specifically. I have had other DJs say to me that doing benefits rarely does us any good business-wise and only helps the benefits. "You almost never get a real paying job" from doing a benefit is a common utterance. This may be true but I have thought about this over the years and decided, who cares? If it is a legitimate non-profit (not a stag and drag or something like that). If it is legitimately helping people who need help then why SHOULD it benefit us. It is not about us. Giving some help to local non profits is something we should all set some time aside for. If, by chance, we get a wedding or a party due to our donated time or reduced price then that is just a bonus but it is a bonus earned through helping others. Those kids at the MDA benefit who it costs $800.00 just to send them to camp for a week. Who are stuck in a wheel chair and to whom this week is the ONE week they wait for every year. The women who are abused. Who are in horrible domestic situations and that need SafeNets help. I intend on giving back when I can to help groups like this. Will you?

Dinner Music - Some thoughts

The music to be played during the cocktail hour and dinner should be discussed ahead of time. The focus should be on the food and pleasant conversation. Music should be a background feature that enhances but doesn’t overwhelm, which is why most couples select a variety of easy listening or jazz pieces for the dinner interlude though this is not written in stone and other musical styles can be used.

A good blend is to play three selections from one generation grouped together, then move on to three from another era and so on; it makes the transition less jarring and gives everyone a chance to really enjoy “their” music. In most cases, vocal music is played, but if you are having an extremely formal black tie affair you may want to opt for instrumental music only and steer toward classical or instrumental jazz music.

The key to successful background music during dinner is volume control. The DJ should have a clear understanding of what you expect. The music should be loud enough to provide some atmosphere, but should not make conversation at each table difficult. If people at each table need to shout at each other to be heard, the music is too loud.

Incredible Satisfaction

Another GREAT wedding this last weekend with Mr and Mrs Matt and Jessie Hubert! What a crowd and what a party! One of the best moments was when 6 year old Jake wanted a rock and roll song and him and I picked him one and I dedicated it to him. He was vibrating to "Shook Me All Night Long"! Great time.