Morning Sunday Lovers…
Now you know I love a party and a dance and that can’t happen without good tunes….therefore you need to really consider who will be rocking the mic/dance floor at your wedding. Your entertainment can either be a huge hit or a huge fail.
I’ve known many couples who, if they had a second chance, would take more care when booking their band/DJ. It’s one of the things guests remember the most so lets give them a night they won’t forget!
I’ve invited Jon Beck, owner of wedding entertainment company RedLine DJs, to share his tips on how to make the most of your wedding DJ.
Over to you Jon……
Everyone wants their wedding day to run smoothly, and a lot of that comes down to the entertainment.
You’ve done your research, weeded out the amateurs, discarded the chancers, laughed at the downright terrible (there are a lot of them out there) and found yourself a reputable and professional DJ – that’s great! But what next? Here are a few tips from me on how to get the very best out of your wedding DJ, once you’ve made your choice.
1. Give them as much guidance as you can
The more information that you can give your DJ ahead of the wedding day, the better they can deliver on your brief. Your wedding DJ should ask to be provided with a playlist as well as general guidance on the music for the evening, which is a great starting point.
However, added pieces of information, are important. For example, consider what songs are on your ‘no-play’ list; the Mother of the Bride’s favourite song; whether you would like your guests to be able to make requests; and your thoughts on which tracks will be the big songs of the night. These details are often overlooked but are really important. As with everything, knowledge is power!
2. Trust them to do their job
While it is a good idea to give your DJ as much guidance as you can, it’s also important to allow them the space with which to do their job. After all, there’s a reason you chose to book a quality DJ rather than plug your iPhone into the sound system – they know what they are doing.
A good DJ will be able to pull together all of your playlist requests, take all of your guidance onboard and put together a set that keeps the dancefloor happy all night. And while it can be tempting to provide your DJ with an exhaustive playlist with enough songs to cover their entire set, this is often a mistake. Too restrictive a playlist can leave your DJ without enough options to keep a diverse dancefloor happy and not enough latitude for them to do their job to the best of their ability.
3. Consider spending a little more money for a lot more support
A commonly held assumption is that the shorter the DJ set, the cheaper the price will be. This is wrong. The truth of the matter is that it doesn’t make any difference to the DJ if the set is three hours or six hours, the price will be the same. What you’re actually paying for (amongst other things) is the date in their diary, as opposed to the amount of time they will be playing music.
However, while this sounds like a bit of a pain for you, it also comes with an upside – you are in a strong position to negotiate additional extras. Once your DJ is booked to play, they are likely to be much more flexible on price when it comes to providing support throughout the day. This can mean that for as little as an extra 20% you can get music and sound system support for your ceremony, microphone and PA system support for speeches and background music for your breakfast. Have a chat and see what they can do for you.
4. Ask them for their advice
A good DJ is more than just someone who can read a dance floor and keep the party going – they will also be veterans of almost every kind of wedding you can imagine. They will know which things really work (anything to do with Beyoncé) and which things really don’t (wedding Karaoke. Do not do it) and will be able to advise accordingly.
They will also have links with a multitude of other cool suppliers and will be able to give recommendations on everything from great wedding bands through to the best wedding photographers around. Make sure that you use their broad knowledge to your advantage.
Have a great day, dance and enjoy!
Thanks Jon! Do check out everything that RedLine has to offer….For more information on RedLine DJs head to redlinedjs.com
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