Friday, August 07, 2009

Where to Place the DJ at Your Wedding Reception

Many times we see that the DJ table or DJ area at a wedding reception venue is in an odd place and we wonder to ourselves, "How is this going to work?" So coming straight from a few wedding DJs is our best advice where we can do the best job for your special day. One of the most important things is that the DJ can see "the crowd" and "read the crowd" since this is how we get a feel for whether people like the music we are playing. We get our cues from the wedding guests by watching them and how they respond to the music we are playing. If we are put in a place where we cannot see the crowd, it basically causes a huge disconnect with the audience. If you have a designated dance floor area, it would be best to locate the DJ as close as possible to the dance floor. If you want everyone to have a great time and get up and dance during your reception, please take the time to discuss this with your wedding venue coordinator because this is something that can make a big difference.

Wedding Reception Seating Arrangements for Your Wedding Guests

As you plan your wedding, there are some things to consider. Keep in mind the area closest to the DJ, like right near the DJ's speakers, is going to be the loudest spot in the entire room. With that being said, it is best not to seat your older guests, like grandparents, in an area near the DJ. We say this because they will be the first to come up and ask us to turn the music down. If you want to be able to hear the music when you crank up the dance floor, you want to seat them as far away from the DJ's speakers as possible. In turn, the older wedding guests should be more comfortable.

At a recent wedding reception, they had me located off in the back corner of the room. We didn't even get things rolling yet, at this point low key background music was playing, and as you may have guessed it, an older lady came over and asked if I could turn the music down and at this point it wasn't even loud yet. Many times people don't think much about this until it is too late, so just use a little bit of common sense as you design your perfect day and discuss these concerns with your venue because many times they don't think about this stuff either.

Questions to Ask When Hiring a Wedding DJ

Sure there are plenty of wedding websites out there that give you a list of questions to ask as you interview with your potential wedding DJ. Just remember as you ask questions, use a little bit of common sense and ask questions that are important to you. The latest question that came today was how long would we hold the date while the bride and groom-to-be interview other DJ's. The answer is "We don't". We will not hold your date for you until you make a decision to hire us, and your date is not put on our calendar until we receive your retainer fee, which is non-reundable. We also require a contract, it is between the two of you and us. Please know this is normal amongst wedding entertainers.