A Good Wedding Dj?

The mark of a good wedding dj is keeping the listeners listening and the dancers dancing!

I know it can sound obvious but being really prepared is a good place to start from. This always involves meeting up with the couple to establish musical likes and dislikes and to identify the mood which couples wish to create on the night.  Meeting up is also a good way to get some background information on the demographics and broad musical tastes of the wedding  party.
Sometimes couples might like to incorporate a guest’s talents into the musical choices – there might be an uncle who does a mean Elvis dance or a friend who was part of the Riverdance troupe in a former life.  From my own experience it is great if I know this in advance of the day so I can be prepared.

After a full three course meal and speeches it can be helpful to start gently from the meal and speeches into the dancing phase of the evening by gently warming up your guests with some easy listening numbers before the actual first dance. (I have written a blog about the first dance see this for more regarding this) This helps in setting the tone for the next part of the night.
Not all wedding parties need ‘warming up’ of course -  on occasion I have had the dance floor almost full with people in such good party form that they cannot hold themselves back from the first song that I play. A good dj will be an expert in guaging the mood of the crowd and act accordingly – part of the preparation involves having a few different options ready to suit the guests on the night.

On the night itself an excellent dj is relaxed and comfortable behind the decks and is always keeping an eye on the dance floor. I enjoy what I am doing and I engage with the people on the floor. By doing this I get a sense of what people want to hear. A good dj is never merely going through the motions, but  is constantly tuned into the reactions of the guests, ensuring that the energy remains high and the dancefloor full! I find its important to keep the different rhythms of music moving on the night. What I mean by this is not sticking with one genre for too long.
For example 80s music can be good as people in their late twenties and early thirties like the sound and it also helps that it is going through a revival at the moment. For people in their forties, fifties and even sixties it was the pop music for them in their day and it brings that nostalgia bonus to the dance floor as well. Having said all this if I was to play 80s all night it would become monotonous – its important to add some variety to the mix. ( On this point there are some couples who choose a musical theme for the night’s entertainment and this can work well with particular wedding parties – I will speak about this in a future blog.)

Having a list of songs of likes and dislikes from meeting up provides a good starting point and a handy point of reference to dip into as the dancing progresses, to blend with the dj’s own choices on the night. I also always throw in a few pleasant surprises based on my meetings with couples.  A good dj will ensure that the music on the night is tailored to the the couples own musical tastes and will work with couples to tease out their preferences. From my own experience, its important that a wedding dj has a sufficiently wide repetoire to cater to all musical tastes and has the necessary experience to adapt quickly to the mood of the wedding party on the night.
For instance, if for some reason a couples music choices are not working, I always have a plan B at the ready; with over twenty years of experience and an ear for a good tune I know how to keep your guests busy on the floor and having a great time on your day of days.  Now whats the next song…