Laying the Foundation for an Amazing Wedding Entertainment Experience
Depending on where one comes from, the things that are important for them when they choose their wedding entertainment are very different.
For instance, the entertainment at a Christian wedding might be starkly different from that of a Jewish wedding, and so on. A few years back, it would be literally unheard of to have a wedding reception DJ. Today, they are almost a necessity. Despite the numbers of DJs rising, not all are the same. The best ones are hard to find, but they are worth it in the end. Even after choosing a good DJ, a lot of what happens during the wedding will still remain in the hands of the couple; it is their big day after all. It is therefore important that they know how to get the most out of their wedding DJ. Here are some ideas;
Ground rules
Straight from the start, it is important to establish the ground rules for the ceremony. People are different and depending on one’s inclination, the music could be entirely up to the DJ to decide, tightly controlled by the couple and wedding party or something in between. Whatever the case, make sure the rules of engagement are clear to the entertainer. Do not be afraid to be aggressive. Some people go as far as putting things in writing and specifying playlists. A good DJ should be flexible enough and be able to provide an entertaining experience with whatever they are given.
Playlist
Do not leave anything to chance. It is recommended that one be as specific as possible about their playlist. Usually, the DJ, depending on their levels of experience handling weddings, will give some sort of form to follow. If they do not, then divide the wedding into two, the ceremony and the reception. If possible, switch up the songs for the different sections of the wedding ceremony, and have clear instructions for the reception afterwards.
The audience
Remember the job of the DJ is to live up to both the expectations of their client and that of the crowd. While guidelines are helpful to both employer and employee, give them some independence to work their magic. One of the most common areas of conflict is when dealing with requests from the crowd. Indicate to them what can be tolerated and what cannot in terms of specific songs and song types. Keep in mind any possible restrictions that the venue managers might have, like noise levels.
Planning and Timing
DJs are different, but for many of them, working with a playlist requires them to pull those songs from their master systems. If one is having a destination wedding at a place where the DJs might not be too up to date, then do not leave anything to chance. The safest thing is to have the playlist to the DJ as early as possible, so that they might work out how to involve it into the entertainment at the wedding.