Can I Have A Sample Of How You Mix Transitions From Song To Song
This is a VERY important question! Transitions are everything, and they can be kind of like a signature for each DJ ask to hear a sample to make sure things feel perfect to you so that you can rest assured there will be no awkward moments on the dance floor! AJ Williams, Founder & Creative Director, AJ Events
Heres What You Need To Do
Study your music library, create playlists of mainstream songs by genre so you can easily jump to them.
Spend time getting to know all of your DJ gear well. Mic inputs, line inputs, every fader and dial there is so that you can confidently work it even in high pressure moments. Id recommend turning the lights off and getting some muscle memory for every control in a dimly lit situation .
Run some scenarios in your head. Get your partner or a friend to simulate some requests and then deal with them in a test environment. See if theres ways to make performing those tasks easier.
Discuss The Business With Other Djs
The first step to becoming a wedding DJ is learning what makes other wedding DJs successful. Discussing the total expected audio equipment costs with other DJs can help you decide whether taking classes or investing in equipment is right for you.
Delving into the high-pressure culture of weddings will play a significant role in deciding whether itâs right for you. As a wedding DJ, you have responsibility for one of the most important occasions in a personâs life. Because of the stress of planning a wedding, becoming a DJ depends on whether you feel comfortable with high-pressure situations. Talk to other DJs to discover the challenges they face and how they rise to the occasion.
Also Check: How To Plan A Wedding Under 5000
Wedding Ceremony Contract Form
Use this generic wedding officiant contract to draft or finalize a contract between you and your client for their wedding which can also be selected in the form. This wedding officiant contract template can be used if you have previously sent out a contact to your client and you or they would like changes to be made. In this wedding ceremony contract, your client can request changes to the date and venue of the wedding which you can then process beforehand if necessary. This wedding officiant contract offers a way for you to list down the available officiant for your clients to select from.
Pros And Cons Of Djing Your Own Wedding
Before you start shopping the aisles of Best Buy, take some time to really consider whether DJing your own wedding is the right move for you. Here are some pros and cons of being your own wedding DJ:
Pros:
- Saves a lot of money.
- Offers ultimate control over your ceremony, cocktail, dinner, and dancing playlists.
- Allows you to control the mood and vibe .
Cons:
- Might have to work at your own wedding.
- Potential poor sound quality or lack of amplification.
- Guest might want to overtake the playlist.
- Theres no professional to deal with any technical difficulties.
- Must know how to build a good wedding playlist that flows, encourages dancing, and matches the right moods.
Recommended Reading: How To Have An Elegant Wedding For 5000 Or Less
Mix In Key When You Can
This isnt really required but definitely adds a nice professional touch whenever possible. Pick two tracks in the same key or complimenting keys and transition over a longer period maybe 32 to 48 beats making it clear the tracks work sonically well together.
This blends the tracks beautifully and shows off your DJ skills a little better. Itll also create a whole new track where sounds from both now work perfectly together. Definitely something to try at your next wedding gig.
Harmonic mixing is an artform in itself and can have great positive effects on the mood of the room too. Weve written the ultimate guide to DJing in key here which is worth checking out. If you dont know the keys of some songs too you can check out services like SongKey which we reviewed here.
I personally love mixing in key. Its creates something new and interesting and may surprise and delight your wedding crowd too making you sound much more professional and worth every penny youre charging!
How To Become A Wedding Dj
This article was co-authored by wikiHow Staff. Our trained team of editors and researchers validate articles for accuracy and comprehensiveness. wikiHow’s Content Management Team carefully monitors the work from our editorial staff to ensure that each article is backed by trusted research and meets our high quality standards.There are 7 references cited in this article, which can be found at the bottom of the page. This article has been viewed 62,297 times.Learn more…
A wedding DJ isnt just someone who spins records, plays music from CDs, or puts on a light show. In addition to being the Master of Ceremonies, a skilled wedding DJ knows how to transition from one part of the wedding to the next, and how to draw the guests out onto the dance floor if theyre stuck in their seats. By carefully planning your business, marketing yourself effectively, and putting together great playlists, youll make the event a day to remember!
Also Check: Average Cost Of Wedding Welcome Bags
How To Dj A Wedding When It Slows Down
This is a good tip on how to DJ a wedding for everyone whilst keeping things flowing.
If you start to see the dancefloor emptying a little after being packed for a while then dont panic. Generally, this is because people either just need a break or need to top-up their drinks.
This is an opportunity to give some people a rest while bringing others onto the floor who havent danced yet.
Play some slow songs and youll find more than a few couples getting up. Including the husbands who dont normally dance being dragged over for the obligatory shuffle around the dancefloor.
Read The Crowd And Event
As mentioned before, you want to check in with the wedding coordinator throughout the event, but you also want to take time to notice how things are going as a whole. As the poet John Donne said, “No man is an island,” and that’s totally true when working a wedding. Take time to look around to see how things are going. Are there people on the dance floor? If not, make sure to play songs that will get people on the dance floor. Does the waitstaff look calm, or are they scampering around for something? If so, check in with the coordinator to see if the cake cutting will still be on time. This will help you see your place in the big picture, and help you think of some tweaks to keep things moving smoothly rather than just rushing to cross off items from the timeline. A great DJ pays attention to see how things are running, and adjusts his or her sails accordingly.
Read Also: When Do You Break The Glass At A Jewish Wedding
A Great Wedding Dj Knows What Music To Play
The music at your wedding sets the receptions tone, and it takes experience and preparation for a wedding DJ to be able to read the crowd. A great DJ knows this and understands how to incorporate the bride and grooms favorite songs, as well as music that gets your guests up and onto the dance floor. He plays the right combination of fast and slow songs to make sure everyone from your 7-year-old niece to your 90-year-old next door neighbor has fun.
Read The Room And Play Accordingly
Keep an eye on the crowd as well as the running time and play in context. For example, if you are 10 minutes before the cake-cutting then it is probably not the time to start smashing out bangers
Likewise, keep an eye on people and see what they are reacting well to. Weddings tend to be a huge mix of people, with many generations so not everyone is going to love every song. However, you might find that things like 80s classics get the biggest reaction for example. So you can always use that to bring people back to the dance floor if they start to filter off for example.
That said, you will want to play a broad range of genres, styles, and artists. That way you cover the spectrum and everyone feels like they have heard something that they like.
It is this attention to detail that will make them remember a great party.
Recommended Reading: How To Have A Wedding For 5000
The Average Cost Of A Wedding Dj
The average wedding cost of a DJ is between $610 to $960. The minimum DJs price is $400 while the maximum is $2,200. This is for DJ costs only, as other side toppings attract extra pay. The average wedding DJ price for a 4 or 5hr long wedding is between $600 to $1500. A professional DJs costs for a wedding is between $1000 to $2500. This applies to DJs who are skilled and with years of experience on the job. They do it full time and charge quite a bit high.
DJs who price below $600 are less experienced or DJ part-time. But couples steady spend between $400 to $2,200 on DJs, using Los Angeles, and New York as a case study. This will often depend on the length of the wedding and DJ experience.
We advise that you apportion at least $900 to your DJ in your wedding budget. It prepares you against unforeseen circumstances.
Play Their Songs Not Your Songs
Another quick and simple one for you. When youre curating lists of useful songs in to quick access playlists, always think about how an audience of 3 year old to 92 year olds might react to each song.
How well do you see each song working? Is it a sure fire floor filler, is it a more risky song that could go either way?
Whatever you think of a track you must remove your personal love, kate, dislike or musical preference sway your judgement. The night isnt about you after all. Youre not there to play the songs you love, youre there to play the songs they love.
A 30 minute deep house eclectic dance music mix will not go down well, even if you think its the best thing ever. Youll only annoy the crowd and look silly.
So think about your crowds possible musical tastes and not your musical tastes.
Read Also: Which Ring Goes On First Engagement Or Wedding
Learn From Other Wedding Djs
Never assume youve seen it all and done it all, theres always more you can learn as a wedding DJ. Its often a high pressure situation where things can change quickly. From simple schedule changes to drunken brides demanding highly inappropriate songs that would make any granny blush.
Other wedding DJs are not your competition. Theres plenty of business to go around. Partnerships will always lead to more profit and more experience. So find local wedding DJs in your area and make contact. Invite them for a coffee and a chat. Shadow them if theyd appreciate a little extra help one evening.
Youll no doubt be invited to weddings at some point in your life too. These are great opportunities to see what the DJ is doing right and what theyre doing wrong too. Learn from their mistakes so you dont make them yourself.
Theres always something you can learn something you can share and ways to improve your wedding DJ gigs. Youre reading this article after all
The Greater Good Is More Important Than Any Individual
The goal is to have as many people on the dance floor as possible. This becomes complicated when dealing with diverse demographics, because while a string of Motown songs might bring older couples onto the floor, they could cause you to lose the younger crowd who think Smokey Robinson is a trap producer.
You May Like: How To Plan A Wedding Under 5000
Keep Changing The Music Genres Regularly
People have short attention spans, especially when theyve had a few drinks. A musical genre they loved one minute could be a total turn off in 10 minutes time.
In fact sticking to any one genre for more than about 10 minutes is likely to keep those not feeling it from joining the dance floor, and those that are feeling it and going crazy, to lose energy and take a seat.
What always peps people up and brings them to the dance floor is a change of pace, a change of genre and a change of energy in the room.
3 songs of any musical genre is usually enough before youll see changes in peoples energy levels and love for what theyre dancing to. Theyre essentially viewing all 3 songs as pretty much the same one, especially as youve so expertly mixed them together. The energy they felt for the first as lasted through all 3 tracks and now, theyre contemplating taking a breather.
You can sway their opinion quite easily by just mixing it up, picking another music genre that maybe gives them a breather without leaving the dance floor. Moving from dance music down to a hip hop tempo works well. Or dropping in a big singalong anthem that surprises them will often re-ignite their party energy.
Its your job to understand how the energy in the room is flowing, whether the next track youre going to play will maintain it, even build upon it. You have the power to do this with your musical selections. So use that power wisely.
When Should You Book Your Wedding Dj
As soon as you have a date and a venue confirmed, start looking for your wedding entertainment.
The best DJs and wedding entertainers get booked up first, so you want to be the one at the front of the queue to have the best chance of booking the best DJ.
From personal experience, I have taken bookings up to 24 months in advance, so get in there quick to avoid disappointment.
Recommended Reading: How To Plan A Wedding Under 5000
Run Through The Entire Event In Your Head
When preparing to DJ for a wedding, you want to visualize how the whole event will go, and anticipate where there may be hiccups. What will you do if the song runs out before the bride makes it down the aisle? If you’re playing music at the ceremony location and need to relocate your equipment to the reception location, how will you pack it up, and then set it all back up quickly? Will you need someone to help? What if it rains? What will you do to protect your equipment, and make sure there is music for the ceremony and/or reception? Professional DJs always have the answers to these questions, and running through the entire day and anticipating problems in advance will prepare you like a professional.
