Setting the standard...
Friday, 31 July 2009
One thing that every couple tells us is that they don't want a 'standard wedding.' Which is lucky really as it's clear that there's no such thing!
Everybody has a differing opinion of their perfect wedding and sometimes even the bride and groom don't agree! It was not easy keeping everyone happy at a recent reception when half the guests wanted trance music and the bride and her maids insisted on Take That and Girls Aloud. Still, with a bit of compromise, blows were avoided and the dancefloor stayed full. It's our job to mix your requests with other great tunes and ensure everyone has a good time, not always a simple task!
Living TV have a new show called Four Weddings which has been described as Come Dine With Me featuring weddings instead of dinner parties. It features a similar sarcastic voice over and has brides rating their competitors' weddings in an attempt to win a honeymoon. Every week features four weddings (hence the title) and they couldn't be more different. From a fairy inspired civil ceremony to a Greek Orthodox service, it certainly reflects the sheer number of options that couples have for their perfect big day. Some choose intimate dinners with no music whereas others hire troops of pipers or Irish dancers to keep their guests (and the TV audience) amused.
If you manage to catch it, it may just inspire you to book one of the venues featured or even wear a similar outfit. After all, your big day is about you and what you enjoy. A word of warning though, not everyone's tastes will match yours exactly. If you request a night of unbridled rock for your wedding disco, it may well lead to the DJ receiving death stares from older relatives who aren't big fans of Pendulum or Metallica!
It would create a far better atmosphere if you arranged a rock section (perhaps later in the evening) and gave the DJ a bit of freedom to play other genres. By all means create a Do Not Play list (some suggestions from me would be the Cha Cha Slide and Barbie Girl) so you don't have to suffer anything you hate, but a good DJ will guage the reaction to the music and play songs suitable for everyone. That way, every guest will have a great night and hopefully remember your big day as fondly as you will.
So, for a successful disco there are a few things that you should definitely do:
1) Create a playlist and get it to your DJ before the wedding
2) List your favourite genres as well as individual tracks
3) Pick a first and last dance, so you can end on a high
4) Give the DJ (a little) freedom to use his skill and entertain the audience
We can now download requests during the gig, if someone asks for a track that we don't have. This service relies on a phone signal, so if you're getting married in a basement room (or cellar, or cave or in the middle of nowhere) it's even more important to get the list over to us in advance. We can then arrive with everything you want to hear.
The evening reception is a major part of the day, so it pays to give it plenty of thought. Just don't forget to choose a professional entertainer (instead of a cousin or an ipod!) and rely on their experience.
Labels: four weddings, living tv, playlist, reception discos, rock music, song requests, wedding dj
posted by James McCann @ 20:40,
