Welcome to our “don’t box us in” five part series about your wedding vendors!
Your DJ will want to know what kind of music you expect/like to have at your wedding. They don’t want to play gangster rap when the your favorite music and most of your guests are country lovers. The following is based on our experience at watching many wedding receptions and hearing input from guests, clients and DJ’s.
Before your wedding day, your DJ will discuss with you what kind of music that you like to listen to and determine your style (and what you anticipate your wedding guests liking as well). We encourage this meeting! Your DJ does not want to fail nor have an empty dance floor.
Often the bride and groom is encouraged to create a list of songs that they would like to hear and what they would not like to hear. This is NOT a bad idea, all by itself. But we have seen this morph into a bride and groom making a strict playlist for the DJ to play. This is not a good idea for many reasons, as you will read below.
Tips for the best outcome working with your wedding DJ:
1. Don’t tie your DJ’s hands. They are there to please you and your guests (you do want your guests to have a good time, right?).
2. Your strict playlist may be too darn long. There are so many minutes in an hour and hours at a reception. You cannot possibly give 60-80 songs and expect them all to be played within a 4-5 hour period.
3. Try not to create a strict DO NOT PLAY list. Such as, old classics such; Chicken Dance, the Polka, Electric Slide, etc. I understand, these songs do not motivate me personally to dance. However, what happens if approx 45 guests WANT to hear one of these songs (whatever the song may be). Why do you want to put your DJ in a difficult situation by having to tell your guests “No, I cannot play that song for you”. Really? What do you care if your dance floor is packed and your guests are enjoying themselves and you hate the song? Use this opportunity to go to the bathroom. Instead, tell your DJ that unless requested by your guests (and by more people than the sugar-induced 12 year old), then please don’t voluntarily play these songs.
Instead give general guidelines to your DJ. You’re hiring a professional, let them do their job by playing to the crowd, taking some requests and making everyone happy.
Your rented dance floor will thank you for being constantly used. Trust your DJ.
featured photo credit: pfe iPhone
Tomorrow, part 2 of this “don’t box us in” vendor series …
plan on!
Love this!!! Can’t wait to see the rest of the series!