Reception Part 3

Ok, I'm just going to jump right into it this time.  The first order of business is to play some background music for the guests at the reception.  On my worksheet, the music choices are classical, jazz, traditional, new age, classic soft rock, or contemporary soft rock.  Chances are, the bride and groom will pick a mixture of everything.  At this point, you're waiting on the bride and groom, and it's always good to coordinate with someone so that you can play their music (if they've requested music) the moment they walk in.  This may seem like simple common sense, and it is, but ALWAYS make sure you say the right names, and pronounce them correctly.  They will remember their introduction for life, but if you mess it up, the memory will be tainted forever.  I've never personally messed up, but heard a story of a DJ taking the wrong worksheet to a reception and actually calling the bride and groom by the wrong names.  Do you think they or anyone else in the wedding party forgot that?  Probably not.  Do you think the DJ ever forgot that?  I would bet a million dollars that if he's still DJing weddings, he sweats profusely when he's about to announce the newlyweds.  Next is the cake cutting.  This part of the reception is pretty straight forward.  I always like to coordinate with the photographer and videographer during this time just to make sure they don't miss any shots and I'm on cue as well.  It goes like this: play a funny song such as "Hit me with your best shot," tell the crowd to give them a round of applause, and let everyone know it's time for dessert!  Ok, so I'm running a little short on time here, but I promise to give you a detailed, in depth description of the rest of the reception in my next couple of posts! 

Recption Part 2

The most important thing about the reception music is making sure you have every song that the bride and groom want played.  The second most important thing is having enough music to play during the times when you’re not playing their songs.  Luckily, with wi-fi connections all over the place, and the ability to download music via cell phone, you should never have a problem fulfilling a request.  Never be so cheap that you won’t download a song for someone at the reception.  It’s going to cost you no more than a couple dollars and could reward you with someone else’s business.  My basic principle is to have as much music that I possibly can relevant to the occasion.  Make sure to have a good stock of love songs from every genre and time period, and don’t forget the new top 40 hits as well.  Once you make the announcement that the dance floor is open, anything goes!  

            My next entry will be about the traditional order of the reception and how to get the most out of your crowd.  I’ll also talk about variations such as the dollar dance and more, so keep checking back with me!

Reception Part 1

Wow, I just realized I gave you a double dose on wedding ceremonies.  I think they both had some good information though!  Today’s blog is part one on how to DJ the reception.  I really think this subject deserves more than one entry. 

If you’ve spent a lot of time in the planning phase, the reception should be a breeze for you.  As I mentioned before, I always send out a worksheet for the bride and groom to fill out that goes over every detail of their reception.  I also meet with them beforehand to discuss everything.  You should too.

First I’ll talk a little about setting up.  As a professional or even aspiring DJ, you should know how long it takes to set up your equipment.  Allow yourself at least a half hour more than that.  I prefer to get there as early as possible to set up.  There are a couple reasons for this.  The first reason is that it makes you look professional to the client.  The second, more important less obvious reason is this:  Being rushed will affect your general attitude during the reception.  It’s way better to be ahead of the game and on your toes than behind and unaware.  For me, it’s always better when I can get set up early and have a chance to walk around the venue a little and get comfortable.  Now, it’s time to play some music.

The next post will be all about preparation of music, the order of events, and more.  Check it out!   

The Ceremony

Ok, back to reality.  This post is about how to DJ the actual wedding ceremony.  This is a pretty subjective topic and I’m sure it depends on who you ask, but I’m going to let you in on how I do things.  As always, I think the goal is to find a blueprint that works for you, and evolve your own style around it.

Small budget weddings can be done with one person.  It’s pretty easy to set up a mid-size PA system and small lighting set up on your own.  If it’s a larger wedding and the bride and groom want all the bells and whistles, it’s probably better to have two people at the wedding.  It can be overkill at times to have two people, but when it’s time to set up and tear down, it’s a definite plus.  On a two person job, usually one person takes the role of DJ and the other, Emcee.  It’s better if both individuals are cross trained and can do both jobs, but not completely necessary.  

The ceremony is the most important part of a wedding with the least room for error.  If you make a mistake during this part, it better be because your laptop or other equipment spontaneously combusted.  Obviously, I’m really big on perfectionism when it comes to weddings, but let me just get something across.  If you do make a mistake, it’s not the end of the world, just don’t make another one.  People will forgive you, but it’s never a situation to be taken lightly.  It may just be another gig to you, but it’s a huge day in their lives, and every wedding needs to be treated with care.

If you are providing the music for the ceremony, it’s pretty simple.  Stay on cue, make sure the audience can hear everything, and make sure there’s no feedback in your system.  As I said in the previous blog about wedding planning, the more preparation that you do, the easier the actual ceremony and reception will be for you.