Guest post by Charleston Wedding DJ, Mike Bills Entertainment
Being a great wedding DJ is actually one of the hardest things I have done in my entire life. But, truth be told, when you truly love what you do, it doesn’t really feel like it’s all that hard. When I step into a couple’s wedding day, “their” day becomes “my” day. For me personally, the music that a couple needs to hear on their wedding day should be a perfectly tuned and mixed soundtrack that is about “them”. Now, we’ll get some of the things to consider when beginning to create your Charleston wedding playlist in a bit, but first a few of the qualities you need to be looking for when selecting your DJ.
What To Look For When Selecting Your Wedding DJ
- The Best Wedding DJs Listen: They listen to a bride and groom’s likes and dislikes about music, and are eager to meet with them as many times needed for comfort and peace of mind. They respond to emails in a timely manner. They listen to a couple’s wedding planner or coordinator to determine how the couple’s evening will go and coordinate with other important wedding vendors.
- The Best Wedding DJs Pronounce Names Perfectly: Pronouncing a member of the bridal party’s name incorrectly in front of 200 people is the quickest way to completely ruin the day. It’s been my experience there are always at least one or two names on a bridal party that need explanation and to be spelled out. Life would be easier if everyone had a last name with one syllable, but of course that is not always the case.
- The Best Wedding DJs Conduct Site Surveys: Charleston has risen to become the #2 wedding destination in the world, and due to that distinction, more and more wedding venues continue to open. Simply put, if I’ve never been to a venue before, I like to take the initiative and touch base with that venue and do a site survey to determine where I’ll be set up and whether or not I have adequate power. Even if it’s a venue I’ve been to, there might be a different location where I’m going to set up inside which might be different from a previous wedding. It’s best to be prepared.
- The Best Wedding DJs Puts The Bride And Groom First: My personal style to DJing a couple’s wedding is to “compliment” their big day, not take it over. This means no overzealous announcing or cheesy jokes.
- The Best Wedding DJs Dress For The Occasion: A wedding DJ should check with the bride and groom and ask them what their preferred dress code should be. Black tie? Semi-formal? The best wedding DJs will dress for the occasion and blend in, not stand out with bright or vivid colored clothing.
- The Best Wedding DJs Have Extensive MC Experience: These days with so many getting into the wedding DJ industry, you almost not only need to see a video of the DJ, but you also might need a voice sample too. Brides and grooms want a pleasing voice with great quality, that is also confident, but certainly not cheesy or overbearing or corny.
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A Quick Start On Selecting Music For Your Wedding
The music you choose for your Charleston wedding will either make your day or having everyone running for the door when the DJ plays the first song. It has to be chosen perfectly and mixed perfectly so that all your guests get a dance in on the dance floor. Your wedding is going to most likely have a wide range of different types of guests, all with different tastes of music. It’s up to your DJ to put together a playlist that will satisfy all guests.
Classic Wedding Songs Are A Must
Your guests are ready to party. They might have travelled a long way to Charleston to see you. That being said, consider some wedding classics like “Sweet Caroline”, “My Girl”, or even “Shout”. There are lists online at The Knot or Wedding Wire outlining some of the most popular requests that folks will really know and respond to.
The Musical Flow Should Be Upbeat, But With A Few Slower Songs
While you’ll want to keep your dance floor nice and full all night long, there will be some guests who might not want to get all crazy and would be satisfied with a slow dance song. It’s ok to add a few slow songs in, but don’t go overboard with them.
Current Top 40 And Urban Hits
For my company personally, I do subscribe to a legal music service and are kept up to date with what’s at the top of the Top 40 and Urban charts. Before each wedding, I like to make sure I have at least the Top 5 of those charts with me, and if possible mix those songs into the night if they work.
Cheesy Line Dances Are Becoming A Thing Of The Past
More and more brides and grooms in recent years are opting to leave off the cheesy line dances from their playlists. By leaving the line dances off their playlist, they make the soundtrack to their special day more about them, and less cliché. They were fun 10 years ago, but have gotten very old in recent years. Bring them out ONLY if your party needs a jolt.
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2 Comments
When I step into a couple’s wedding day, “their” day becomes “my” day.
Nice post! I agree, I can’t stand the cheesy line dancing I’m glad it’s becoming a thing of the past. Also, keep it upbeat and keep ’em dancing. Wedding DJs ROCK!