By: John
Shared by: Don Zilleri
(Bids By Pros Moderator)
CC: Image source
A wedding is not a wedding until the wedding DJ gets there. OK, I admit, the bride and groom are more important. But the wedding DJ is the one charged with the responsibility of bringing life to the crowd that attends the wedding and reception. So why is the DJ so important to the wedding? What does the DJ do and what should be his ultimate goal?
Keep the Guests Dancing
The one job a DJ has to do and do well is to keep the dance floor full of eager dancers whether it’s at a wedding or in a club. One of the DJ’s primary duties at the wedding is to play songs that will convince even great grandma Anne to jump on her walking stick and jiggle up a few moves. It is the wedding DJ’s primary duty to make sure the kids are dancing, if the reception is the kind that allows kids. A wedding DJ has to make sure he accommodates all the tastes and preferences of the different audiences at the wedding. Apart from the couple’s playlist, the DJ should bring along music that will make everyone want to express their enjoyment of the day in dance. Despite the different tastes in music, the wedding DJ should aspire to have everyone on the dance floor at the same time rather than in shifts. He or she should blend the music in such a way that the 80 year old man will be dancing alongside the 8 year old girl, with all other ages dancing around them.
Keep the Evening Flowing
If there is any single duty that is more important to the DJ than keeping the dance floor full, then it is to keep the whole event well coordinated. The procession should go along with music that suits it. The cake cutting, the recession, the first dance, the father-daughter and mother-son dances should all flow well and should be accompanied with the appropriate sounds from the DJ’s music equipment. A professional DJ should be able to work with everyone else involved in making the day a success. These include the person/people officiating at the wedding, key family members, the wedding MC, keynote speakers, best man and groom’s party, maid of honor and the bridal party, transporters, babysitters, other entertainers, caterers, and the wedding planner. The wedding DJ should be able to use some cues to signal transitions from one phase of the wedding event to another phase.
Keep the Couple Happy
The work of a DJ first and foremost is to keep the wedding couple happy on their big day. The first step towards doing that is to stay professional. Be courteous and respectful to all. Remember the names of important members of event such as the couple, the parents, and speakers. The second step is to follow orders. If the couple had given you their lists of dos and don’t, then stick to that. The third step in making the couple happy is to make everyone else happy. Keep the music playing and keep it fun, interesting, and appropriate.
Take Special Requests
One of the key functions of the wedding DJ is to take special requests from the guests. Of course, the DJ should ensure that none of the requests he or she plays appear in the wedding couple’s list of “Don’t Play”. Therefore, unless specially requested by the couple or part of the contract, the DJ should take and even encourage the guests to request songs they would like to hear being played at the event.
Master of Ceremony
The wedding DJ may have to double up as the wedding MC too. He or she should know when to speak and when to let the music speak for him/her. The wedding DJ should carry out the MC duties with decorum. In most cases, wedding guests will not appreciate profanity and foul language. Remember names and titles of people you may have to introduce or even mention. Even where the wedding DJ is not the official MC, he or she will be performing some of the functions of the MC or standing in when the MC has to take a short break.
Super Technician
One of the primary functions of a wedding DJ is to act as a technician. The DJ has to know how his sound equipment works and how to fix any problems that may occur. He should be in charge of the lighting, even when that is not part of his /her equipment. He needs to have a set of basic tools such as a screw driver just in case drunken Uncle John trips over the speaker wires.
Summary
The professional wedding DJ has many different functions far and above what his/her club counterpart has to perform. The DJ needs to be a coordinator, a chaperone, an usher, a guide, and an MC all rolled into one.
Author Bio: John is a wedding DJ works with Brian Davis from last couple of weeks as a trainee. He loves to write what he learned and experienced.
