Tell me what you like in a wedding DJ, please?

[Papa Deuce]

Very unscientific, but I am curious.

Do you like interactive DJ's? How about how much he talks or doesn't talk? Do you like whne they play "cheese"? ( We refer, as do many brides to certain songs as "cheese".).... for instance.... Chicken Dance, Shout, YMCA, and all the rest?

Do you like it better if a DJ has a light show? If so, how much?

What don't you like in a wedding DJ?

Thanks.

 

[Stacerita]

I dont need a light show, or fog, or anything like that. What I like is a DJ who plays good music and can read the crowd. One that can feel what the room is like and what they want and go with it. I hate when a DJ has a set list of what they are going to play and sticks to it even when the group isn't up for it.

A little cheese is ok.....ymca, yes....shout, yes......chicken dance, hell no. I also dont like any dances you have to follow along with.....no conga, no slide, and no macarena.

I also like a DJ who isn't afraid to take requests. I know some brides and grooms tell the DJ not to do that. But I like it when they do.

A DJ with a little interaction is great. Like when they announce a song or try to get the group going. But I hate when I know more about the DJ's life than those sitting at my table.

A DJ can make or break a reception. IMO

 

[Disney Doll]

I enjoy some "cheese"...love the Electric Slide, love the macarena, like the dance that goes with that song "Strokin'", HATE, HATE, HATE the chicken dance. Hate "Celebrate"...I actually told our band that if they played "Celebrate" that I'd go and kick in their big drum!!!!

I like the YMCA and I like the DJ to be interactive a bit, but I have been to wedding where the DJ got a little too "look at me" and kept putting himself into the spotlight, and that I find annoying.

I like them to do a good mix of fast and slow music, and old and new. Love a little Sinatra or Bobby Darin.

 

[sweet angel]

I like the Chicken Dance, but hate YMCA and Shout.

I think the DJ should be versatile, listen to the bride and groom (or whatever) and not try to control how THEIR shindig should be. The DJ should not put himself in the spotlight. He's there to provide entertainment, but not necessarily to BE the entertainment. I hate pushy DJs.

I've never seen a wedding DJ with a light show -- I'd think that's a bit over the top.

Also, never, never talk about barbeque....

 

[Papa Deuce]

I like the Chicken Dance, but hate YMCA and Shout.

I think the DJ should be versatile, listen to the bride and groom (or whatever) and not try to control how THEIR shindig should be. The DJ should not put himself in the spotlight. He's there to provide entertainment, but not necessarily to BE the entertainment. I hate pushy DJs.

I've never seen a wedding DJ with a light show -- I'd think that's a big over the top.

Also, never, never talk about barbeque....

How about scrapple?

 

[sweet angel]

I'm not even 100% sure what scrapple is, but I seem to recall it being a large pile of greasy stuff. Probably not a good topic for weddings.

 

[laurajetter]

What I like is a DJ who plays good music and can read the crowd. One that can feel what the room is like and what they want and go with it. I hate when a DJ has a set list of what they are going to play and sticks to it even when the group isn't up for it.

My thoughts exactly. We actually had a very specific list we gave to our DJ of carefully selected music, and we had certain instructions, like no country music.

Our DJ mostly followed our list, but we noticed he was playing other music here and there. At one point, he started to play some slow countryish song and we got kinda upset, stormed up there and my DH said to the DJ, "Why are you playing country? We specifically said we didn't want country." He said, "I know, but take a look, the entire place is on the dance floor." We looked, and sure enough, the dance floor was packed with everybody. It suddenly dawned on me that even those this was our day, we wanted to please the guests and make sure they were having a good time too. We realized that not playing country really didn't matter in the scheme of things, especially because for the most part he did follow our list.

I never knew about 'reading a crowd' until that experience, but it's a good quality in a DJ to have, I think. There's nothing worse than attending a wedding reception with only 3 people on the dance floor all night, with everyone else stiffly looking on. Not to mention, we hardly had time to dance anyway since we were making rounds, getting photos, etc... at least the people who were able to dance could enjoy themselves with music they liked!

Laura

 

[Papa Deuce]

My thoughts exactly. We actually had a very specific list we gave to our DJ of carefully selected music, and we had certain instructions, like no country music.

Our DJ mostly followed our list, but we noticed he was playing other music here and there. At one point, he started to play some slow countryish song and we got kinda upset, stormed up there and my DH said to the DJ, "Why are you playing country? We specifically said we didn't want country." He said, "I know, but take a look, the entire place is on the dance floor." We looked, and sure enough, the dance floor was packed with everybody. It suddenly dawned on me that even those this was our day, we wanted to please the guests and make sure they were having a good time too. We realized that not playing country really didn't matter in the scheme of things, especially because for the most part he did follow our list.

I never knew about 'reading a crowd' until that experience, but it's a good quality in a DJ to have, I think. There's nothing worse than attending a wedding reception with only 3 people on the dance floor all night, with everyone else stiffly looking on. Not to mention, we hardly had time to dance anyway since we were making rounds, getting photos, etc... at least the people who were able to dance could enjoy themselves with music they liked!

Laura

Ahhh, if only the "bridezillas" could see this. Thanks for posting this!

 

[barkley]

we have left a couple of weddings because the dj did not maintain an appropriate sound level. the music was way too loud for the venue it was being held in, and despite several requests to tone it down nothing happened.

i think it's a good idea to get their wedding playlist and make your own changes to it-tell them in no uncertain terms songs you don't want, and insist on songs you do (and clearly designate which songs are to be reserved for certain moments in the ceremony).

as a side suggestion-when i did a class reunion several years ago, the rsvp invites included a space for the respondant to indicate their favorite song. we provided a list to the dj who then incorporated the bulk into the evenings dance music. i think the same could be done, and if you have some special guests (grandparents, people with long happy marriages) having the dj announce that a particular song they've indicated a love for is dedicated to them-it could make for some magical memories.

 

[The Mystery Machine]

Every wedding I go to there seems to be a lack of current music which includes Techno, Rave, and Hip Hop.
That is really fun music to dance too.
I would say listen to the "teen" stations and keep an eye on the "Billboard" list.

I am 40 and love my 70' & 80's but I think new music is fresh and fun.

 

[mickeyboat]

I love the cheese! Bring it on! My wedding DJ played a gigantic amount of cheese, and we had a blast!

Don't have a huge sign in front of your table advertising your services. I didn't really notice it until it was in almost all of our reception pictures.

Be open to the requests of the bride and groom. And if you don't have the specific music they would like, get it, unless it's way out there.

Denae

 

[Bob Slydell]

Someone who plays music, stays in the background and doesn't try to make themselves the center of attention.

Oh, and make sure to learn how to pronounce all the members of the wedding party's names -- I've been to too many weddings where people's names (including the bride and groom) were butchered.

 

[clori]

I think it is important to read your audience not just go by bride/groom likes/dislikes. For example at my bil/sil's wedding they only wanted slow dances like waltzes done as couples. Now that would have been fine if other than bride/groom, dh and I and groom's parents people weren't all single and their without dates etc. At this particular wedding the dance floor was empty almost the entire time but would probably have had many people on the floor if they did some fast songs, cheesy songs etc. I like it when the dj tries to get crowd involvement, takes request within the framework talked about etc. For instance I didn't want rap played but didn't mind most other songs played. I don't think I would want a light show

 

[DisneyJen0504]

I think a good DJ can read the crowd and work it accordingly. When we got married in 2004, we hired a DJ that not only played what we wanted but made adjustments based on the crowd's responses. This, imho though, has little to do with the DJ being good, bad or whether or not they play "cheese". It has to do with the bride and groom. I have attended weddings where the the music was not to the guests' liking but that is what the bride and groom chose, that is not a reflection of the DJ...it's the couple.
If you tell a DJ you dont want the chicken dance or YMCA, and you want all slow dances, or swing music, that is what the DJ will play. I think a good dj will do exactly as the couple is paying him to be, but also make suggestions if he feels what they have chosen is not working.
As a side note, strobe lights and such are for sweet 16s and such. Not a wedding.

 

[caitycaity]

as someone who had a bad wedding dj experience - i'll tell you what i like in a dj:

i want a dj who listens to what i have to say and does what i ask. if there is a problem with complying with any of my wishes, he should tell me upfront, not just go ahead and do whatever he wants to do.

problems with our dj:
1) we told him we were not going to do an initial dance or dance with our parents. he announced us, said we were going to do an initial dance and dance with our parents. we then had no choice because i wasn't going to stand there and say no. he picked out a song i hate on top of everything else. and the parent dance (we had avoided due to divorce and remarriage issues on dh's side) ended up causing a lot of hurt feelings and issues we needed to smooth over.
2) i told him absolutely NO PROPS! guess what he had lots of - props.
3) i had given him a short list of songs we really wanted played at some point (about 10 songs)and a cd with all the songs on it. i also gave him a list (again very short - maybe like 10-15 songs) that he should not play under any circumstance. he played several of our do not play songs and did not play ANY of the songs that were important to us - including "our song".

my wedding was perfect in every other way, so in the long run it wasn't a big deal, but i actually did file a complaint against him with fairytale weddings.

 

[Disneynutbsv]

Some "cheese" is ok, kids love the chicken dance and YMCA. I really like it when they mix all sorts of songs anything from country to AC/DC (you shook me all night long got a huge crowd on the dance floor, lol) to oldies from Frank Sinatra...