Look, we get it. Even though we all love music, not everyone is exactly a wedding DJ expert. Many might not be totally sure what they’re looking for in a wedding DJ… so, we’ve done our research, so you don’t have to.
Here at Chanteclaire, we know the DJ is very important in creating a great experience for you and your guests at your wedding reception. Here are the six most important details that distinguish a mediocre DJ from a great DJ:
1. An Extensive Song library
When you and your guests step onto the dance floor, wouldn’t it be nice to be able to request any song and have it ready to go? This is why your DJ should have at least 60,000 songs on hand, so they are up to the challenge. Whether you want to belt out an old favorite with your friends or show off your moves, the DJ should have the perfect song ready. (Without looking it up last minute on YouTube and sacrificing sound quality or playing ads).
To save money many DJs use streaming services for their music. A good DJ will make sure all the songs are locally downloaded, so if there are issues with Wi-Fi, the party can always continue.
2. the right EQUIPMENT for the space
Not having enough speakers creates a situation in which music is loud in one area and quiet in another, making guests in the quieter area feel like they aren’t connected with everyone else. Besides the ability to pull great music in and successfully play it clearly out of their speakers, your DJ should make sure their music will fill a large space, creating a cohesive sound and joint experience inside and outside the building.
A great DJ makes sure all equipment is ready and in place before you and your guests arrive. There should never be a need to move equipment once your guests begin to arrive, whether it is during the ceremony, cocktail, dinner, or dancing. Your DJ should also have the ability to seamlessly plug in musicians as well as videographer’s audio recorders and have the microphones ready for that best man’s speech.
3. a Great voice
Great Wedding DJs have a voice that is clear, confident, relaxed, and somewhat invisible. A great DJ should never be overbearing or make those embarrassing and inappropriate loudspeaker jokes.
Think about the announcement you hear over the loudspeaker at the theater that says, “Ladies and gentlemen, please begin to take your seats. The production will begin again in 5 minutes.” It’s a voice you hear very clearly but it never pulls your attention away from what you’re doing. It never commands your attention at the expense of your conversation, but gets you where you need to be. When you think back on your experience that evening, you’ll remember who you were with, what you talked about, and how the production made you feel, but you’ll never remember the voice that told you where to go. This is what we believe makes a great DJ: A voice with the strength and skill to seamlessly guide one moment into the next which helps your wedding flow smoothly and make guests never want it to end.
4. Back up
A professional DJ company is different from a stand-alone DJ. On your big day, you want the team to work together, with several different DJs trained so that if something were to happen with one, the company is prepared to provide another. In addition, a good DJ company always makes sure to check their equipment and do a soundcheck several hours before the ceremony and will always have backups available so that all detectable failures can be dealt with in time and surprise failures can be fixed within seconds.
5. the ability to read a diverse crowd
Professional DJ’s know how to pick the right song for the right moment. We believe that a great DJ reads the crowd, decides how to start integrating each group, and how to keep people on the dance floor.
There are times when a slow song is needed right up front to get older couples on the floor. Sometimes an old favorite like Brown Eyed Girl pulls dozens of people out of their chairs. And sometimes you start in the eighties with a common dance song that gets multiple generations out of their seats. There are weddings that don’t respond at all to popular dance music, but they’ll sing at the top of their lungs all night to songs like Toto’s “Africa” and Journey’s “Don’t Stop Believing.”
Every crowd responds differently to different music, and the DJs job is to provide the backdrop that will make your guests want to dance all night.
6. Leadership and Teamwork Between the DJ and all other Vendors
The great thing about an all inclusive venue including the DJ experience, is that they will have all the vendors cross train with each other, so they can all be on the same page during your big day.
For example, when the DJ and the photographer know how to work together, when the DJ has helped the baker to prepare the cake cutting and other tasks with other vendors, the DJ can seamlessly pull everyone into place without forgetting the other vendors’ needs or inadvertently rushing any process. The entire vendor team will work with the DJ to ensure every step is considered.
a few more tips:
Now that we’ve discussed some important things that make a great wedding DJ, here are two things we believe that do not make a great wedding DJ, things you should avoid making your selection decision based on.
lighting and mixing skills
Although it may be tempting to pick your DJ based on their flashy lights and mixing skills, What the most desired skills of a club DJ are, in our opinion, are the least important skills for a wedding DJ.
One of the most important things about a good wedding DJ is their ability to ensure that everyone has a good time while not making themselves the center of attention. Even if it is well done, too much of a performance with light and sound can feel like a club rather than an experience created around the group of people you love.
About Us
Chanteclaire Farm is Deep Creek Lake, Maryland’s all-inclusive, rustic, elegant wedding estate. For almost twenty years Chanteclaire worked exclusively with Sounds Fun DJs to execute flawless weddings. In 2016 Sounds Fun became part of Chanteclaire’s family of wedding businesses, and now DJs, caterers, bakers, florists, planners and coordinators work side-by-side every day to bring the same excellence to engaged couples that Chanteclaire is known for.
Sounds Fun DJs and Farmhouse Fête (our floral design and event planning company) bring Chanteclaire’s methodologies to weddings all over the Deep Creek area.
Weddings are not raves.
They are celebrations of love, friendship, and family. Your DJ should know how to set everyone at ease, get them engaged in the celebration, and build excitement until they never want to go home. This approach takes more than just a love of music. It takes a love of people.
-Sounds Fun DJs
www.soundsfundjs.com