Directory:Complete Salt Lake City DJs
Name: Complete Salt Lake City DJs
Address: 940 N 400 ECity: North Salt Lake
State: UT
Zip: 84054
Country: USA
Phone: 801-292-5701
Email: [mailto:cmutah@gmail.com cmutah@gmail.com]
Web: [www.utahmix.com www.utahmix.com]
Contact: C Patrick
Title: President
<sharethis />
Introduction:
Many times I speak to brides and grooms in Utah who eliminate their Utah DJ entertainment from their wedding purchases because it’s “too expensive” or “not in their budget”. The entertainment at a wedding reception is regarded by many as the most important reception item. Many times instead of saying that a professional DJ is out of their budget, they will tell me that a friend is going to DJ their wedding. Some engaged couples think that hooking up their Ipod and letting it play will be enough to keep their wedding guests entertained. This is a huge misconception. If you ask any professional wedding photographer who shoots weddings on a week to week basis they will tell you that there is a difference between those brides who hire professional DJs and those who try to go it alone or get their untrained friend to do it. There was a trend of ipod weddings that is coming to an end. I have written this blog on how to DJ a wedding with those brides and grooms in mind who plan to DJ their own wedding or have a friend do it in order to save money. It may also be used by those who are just starting out and wish to break into the professional Utah wedding DJ industry. If you follow these instructions, this manual will pay for itself many times over but on the other hand there are so many details involved that you might just say forget it and hire a professional DJ. Brides and grooms and their guests will have a professional experience without the professional price tag or will they? First of all, if you are a friend is DJing the wedding, it is a plus if you have somewhat of the personality of an extrovert and the ability to speak in front of a group of people, however, this is not essential. If you are not an extrovert, that’s alright, because I will give you the verbiage and training you need to look and sound like a professional. The training I will provide will give you the know-how to make your performance look like you’ve been doing this for years. I will teach you step by step how to DJ and MC a wedding. If you follow these procedures, I guarantee that people will keep coming back for your expertise again and again. Obtaining a timeline or order of events from the bride and groom will provide a guideline for you to follow. This time line needs to be discussed with the wedding couple well before the wedding day. In addition, obtain a list of about 60 to 75 songs from the bride and groom that they want to be played at their wedding. This takes the pressure off of you in trying to select the right songs. If you do not have a lot of music in your collection, the bride and groom may also invite other Utah wedding guests to bring their Ipods or CDs from their personal music collections. However, I suggest this with caution for the possibility that one music genre may tend to dominate over others. You will also be given ideas on traditional items that are usually done at weddings. Many of these items may differ depending on the wedding “culture” or what region of the country the wedding is in. The wedding culture I’ll be referring to in that of the Utah DJ wedding culture. You may or may not be as good as the greatest professional DJs but you may be better than some and will definitely surprise yourself and your audience.
Audio Equipment Needed
A very basic DJ system can usually be rented in Utah for around $300 depending on the quality of the system. This is what I would rent a DJ system for provided that we would be able to handle your request. This is a huge cost and would be more if you wanted to include lights. The cost of a professional Utah DJ is a bargain compared to all the equipment he brings and the experience he brings to the table. I say this not dissuade you because you may not need all of the bells and whistles. You will need the following items: 2 speakers with stands, one 2 Channel Mixer, One dual CD player, one amplifier, one microphone, one set of headphones, and any necessary audio cables and other cords. If you are renting powered or self amplified speakers, you will not need an additional amplifier because the amplifier is already built into the self-powered speaker. If the number of guests number sixty or fewer and the venue you are playing at is small, you may be able to get away with renting only one speaker to save money, however, this is not recommended if you desire quality sound distribution or in the implausible event that the speaker malfunctions. You can generally rent a speaker stand from anywhere between ten and twenty dollars. If you’re really on a tight budget, you can forego the stand and put the speaker(s) under your table covered with a table cloth. You will also need some basic items such as a power strip and extension cords. You may also want to invest in a roll of duct tape to secure the extension cords to the floor to avoid tripping. In addition, you will need a 6 to 8 foot banquet table to set your equipment on. If you are playing from your computer, hard drive, I-pod or any other electronic device, make sure you have the appropriate connection cables, i.e., USB, RCA. Most Utah DJ rental stores will have the mixer and dual CD player built into the same rack or carrying case. Even if you plan on just playing digital music the entire night, it is generally good to have at least one CD player just in case someone brings a song on a CD which you may not have or be capable of obtaining. If you rent powered speakers, you don’t have to worry about renting a separate amplifier because the amplifiers are built into the speakers. If you do not have the budget to rent a professional DJ system you may be able to get away with using a home speaker system or the P.A. system at the banquet hall even though these options may be lacking in some of the benefits of having a professional audio system.
Audio Equipment Set-up
When you set up your DJ equipment, you want to make sure you can set up in an area that is close to the dance area in order to have a more interactive impact on the crowd. You will want to set up in an area that allows you three to four feet of space on each side of your table for the speakers to be set on. When your table is set-up, complete with table cloth, place your mixer and CD player in the center of the table. Then, place your speakers on the speaker stands at each side of the table adjusted to the same height. Plug in and turn on all of your equipment and do a sound check by playing music out of your sound system. Make sure your master volume is set where you want it for the entire night. If you decide to adjust it during your performance you may suddenly start getting unexpected feedback from your microphone. Make sure to test your microphone as part of the sound check. If your speakers and microphone are functioning, then you are ready to roll.
Audio Equipment Trouble Shooting
To avoid equipment problems during the wedding, you should set up and practice with the equipment before the day of the wedding, that way, if you do run into technical difficulties, you may have a chance to call the rental company and ask them to walk you through the problem over the phone, however, most events are in the evenings and you may not find anyone at the store to help you. Testing the equipment out beforehand will give you an opportunity to troubleshoot problems then and avoid unnecessary problems and stress on the day of the Utah wedding. You might want to try disconnecting all of the cables from the back of your mixer and CD player and try to figure out how to plug them back where they go. That way, if something comes loose during your performance, or while transporting the DJ equipment, you’re more likely to know how to find it and plug it back in. Learning where the plug-ins go before the wedding will help you react quickly if something were to come unplugged during transit, set-up, or the event. Finally, make sure you give yourself plenty of practice time with the DJ system so you feel comfortable using it the night of the wedding.
Let’s discuss a few common problems that can happen with your DJ equipment before you get it going and some that can happen after you get things rolling. If you are using a wireless microphone, and you find that you are getting feedback, you might try turning the volume of your microphone slightly down on the microphone transmitter and slightly up on your mixer microphone volume. Although obvious, to avoid feedback, you should never put your microphone directly in front of your DJ speaker. Once again, if you do not want to worry about having these problems, I would suggest hiring a professional Utah DJ.
While training new DJs, I have found a few common problems some of them have had in troubleshooting problems with their equipment. If you are having problems getting your CD player or mixer working, try pushing in all of the cables and wires. It may be that one of them is slightly disconnected. If your CD player suddenly freezes up on you, it may be because of the CD you are using or maybe because it simply needs to be turned off and reset. Another common issue I’ve run across is when all of the equipment power is on, but no sound. One of the most common problems for no sound is that the DJ has forgotten to turn up the master volume up on the mixer. Usually, you want your master volume set somewhere in the middle where it will remain the entire night. If you are using powered speakers, make sure that the switch in the back is turned on. An additional dilemma new DJs come across is that they turn on the CD player but forget to turn on the mixer. Remember that these two are usually separate components.
If you experience microphone problems, you can plug your headphones into the microphone jack and speak into them. They will work just like a real microphone but maybe without the same quality. At least you have a microphone
Planning Meeting
Most high end professional Utah DJ companies will provide a consultation with the bride and groom about a month in advance of the wedding. This is to make sure that everything is done exactly the way they want it. After all, this is considered the most important day of their lives and needs to be done exactly in accordance with their wishes. Another reason a professional should be considered. This meeting can take place over the phone but like any other meeting, is more beneficial when done face-to-face. This is especially important since this may be your friend’s first time ever DJing a wedding. In this meeting, you will talk about the itinerary and music selection. You will talk about appropriate dress for the DJ, ceremony music (if applicable), and how and if they want to be announced with the bridal party into the Utah reception. You will also want to discuses the order of the cutting of the cake, throwing of the garter and bouquet, dinner announcements, the toast, money dance, Daddy and Daughter Dance, Bride and Groom Dance, and Mother and Groom Dance to name a few. Knowing these things in advance will not only eliminate a lot of guess work and stress for the first time Utah DJ, but will give the Utah bride and groom enormous peace of mind. In the following paragraphs, we will instruct how to carry out each of these tasks. Make sure the items below are done in accordance with what the Utah bride and groom want and not what you think would be the “best” for their reception. Most of the time the bride will assume most of the say as to what is to happen on their wedding day, but sometimes there are a few grooms with strong opinions as well. Just do your best to implement both of their opinions and ideas. Even though these items may be written down in itinerary format, always confirm these items with the bride and/or groom at the Utah wedding reception before you announce them. They may not be ready or may have to change things around because of unseen circumstances. Either way, be prepared to “play it by ear” if necessary. Pun intended.
As far as your attire goes, what you wear has a lot to do with what your crowd things of you and how they respect you. Many people have negative preconceived notions of how DJs look and dress so make sure you are nicely dressed. You probably do not want to wear jeans and a T-Shirt to your friends wedding. The better you are dressed, the more you will find that people respect you. People will respect you if you are wearing a shirt and tie but they will respect and react to you more positively if you are wearing a jacket with the shirt and tie.
Ask the bride and groom before hand what music they would like to hear at their wedding. In Utah, this will include the songs for their Bride and Groom Dance, Father and Daughter Dance, and any other special dances. You can then go and research other songs that are similar in genre that they might also like to hear or dance to. One of the most common problems I run across when with DJs in Utah and in training my own new DJs is the fact that they would rather play what they want to listen to rather than what the bride and groom and their guests would like to listen and dance to. Try to avoid this temptation. Try to get a list of music from the bride and groom before the wedding. This will give you time to get any of their music selections that you may not already have in your collection of music. In addition, you may also take the opportunity to go around from table to table during the wedding dinner and ask people what they would like to hear or dance to. This helps to eliminate a lot of the guess work making your job a lot easier. You will get more compliments from the reception guests on your DJ performance if you play their song requests. If they can’t think of any song requests, you can ask them what radio station they listen to. This may help you “tune in” to their music frequency. Make an announcement on your microphone to let the guests know they are free to come up and make their song requests and dedications at the DJ table. You may also want to leave some index cards on the tables for guests to write their requests on. Play as many of the requests that you have in your music collection. If you don’t have their specific request, you might try playing something similar or by the same artist.
The Wedding Ceremony
The ceremony music can be one of the easiest parts of the wedding day or one of the most stressful because it has to be one of the most perfect performances you make during the day and it will be the first impression you give as the DJ. You obviously don’t want a CD that skips or feedback from the speakers and microphone so its important to make sure you check your CDs for skips and your audio equipment for feedback. You want to make sure that you meet the ceremony officiant before the start of the ceremony to make sure that she has a microphone stand (if you are using a hand held microphone) or a lapel microphone so everyone in the audience can hear what is being said. Some officiants will tell you that they don’t need a microphone because they are confident that they can project their voices with no amplification. If this is the case, you may want to ask the officiant to do his own sound check to make sure his voice carries sufficiently enough for the entire audience to hear him without a microphone. Some brides and grooms may opt to have their own individual microphone to recite vows or other things. It is important to verify that the microphone is turned on and ready to go before the Utah wedding ceremony starts. You need to know what the officiant’s final words are going to be before pronouncing them as “Husband and Wife”, has them exchange rings, and sends them back up the aisle as the new Mr. and Mrs. Jones. Before the ceremony starts, you want to make sure you have someone cue you when the Utah wedding processional begins so you know when to start the music. You will also want that person to cue you right before the bride is ready to march down the aisle. Traditional music suggestions to be used for the wedding party members and parents are songs like: “Cannon In D Major”, “Oh Joy of Man’s Desire”, and “Ode to Joy’. You can play one song for the parents and the wedding party together or you can play a different song for each group. The traditional “Bridal March” is usually what the bride marches down to, however, she may want to personalize it by walking down to one of her favorite songs. Just make sure to suggest to the bride that if she chooses a favorite song, that it be “marchable”. At the conclusion of the ceremony, you will most likely play the “Recessional Wedding March” for the bride and groom as soon as the officiant presents them and sends them back up the aisle. This may vary because sometimes Utah brides and grooms like to customize the ceremony music with their own music choices. This is fine. Make sure you speak with the officiant before the start of the ceremony to find out what his final words are going to be before sending them back up the isle. These words will be your cue to start playing the recessional music. Less experienced Utah officiates have been known to skip minor details in the ceremony such as the “exchanging of the rings.” If the Utah officiate sends them back up the isle without having them exchange rings, make sure NOT to play the music. Just wait, because the bride will probably not forget and will provide a friendly reminder to the officiant about the rings. Some brides and grooms may wish to have a candle lighting ceremony, sand ceremony, or some type of traditional ceremony during the actual ceremony to symbolize the consecration of their love. The bride and groom may want soft background music played while participating in it. Sometimes the bride and groom will have someone play an instrument or sing as part of the ceremony and you may be required to play the accompaniment. While the officiate is performing the ceremony it is proper etiquette to for the Utah DJ to stand with hands folded in front or behind. After the recessional, play a song such as “What a Wonderful World” by Louis Armstrong as people disperse from the ceremony area.
After The Ceremony
Many times after the ceremony, the bride and groom will want to go off with the photographer and have some pictures taken. During this time you may be required to announce that the bride and groom will be having pictures taken and for everyone else to make their way over for some cocktails and/or hors’dervs. If the ceremony and reception are in two different locations, this is your time to move your equipment and set up in the reception location.
Bride and Groom Introductions
There are different options of how and when to announce the bride and groom and wedding party. Generally speaking, you may announce them when they arrive at the reception center, before dinner, after pictures, or even before the first dance. Some couples like to be introduced twice; once for their ceremony guests and again for their reception guests. There are many ways to introduce bridal party members. For simplicity’s sake, we will go over just two examples. If you are introducing the entire wedding party, you need to line them up in the order in which they will be announced. You may be announcing the wedding party members in as couples or individually. Make sure that you have the correct name pronunciation of each person. Make sure that the bride and groom are lined up to enter last. Before you announce the wedding party, you may want to make some opening comments such as:
“Welcome ladies and gentlemen to the Smith/Jones wedding. My name is Blake and will be providing the music for you this evening. I have an extensive array of music to entertain you this evening. If you’d like to request a song, please let me know and I’ll be happy put it on for you. Right now we are going to introduce the wedding party.”
At this time, you will begin playing the music you have selected to play as you perform the introductions. Here is an example of how to perform the introductions.
“Now ladies and gentlemen, it’s time for the introduction of your wedding party. First, we have the dazzling Janet Jackson being escorted by the groom’s brother, Michael Buble. Give them a round of applause. Next, we have the beautiful Pricilla Presley being escorted by Rob Thomas. Next, we have our Matron on Honor, Cindy Sanford being escorted by our Best Man, Alan Jackson. Finally, ladies and gentlemen, I introduce to you our newlywed couple, so please rise for the new Mr. and Mrs. Jack and Diane Jones.”
Depending on the style of introduction chosen, you may say their names as they are or add some spice to them as we did with “the dazzling Janet Jackson”. Sometimes announcing each member of the wedding party by their first, middle, and last name can add a touch of class to your introductions. Make sure you have music playing in the background that matches the atmosphere you would like to create as you are making these announcements. It may be that you are announcing the bride and groom without the wedding party. The next way to introduce them may be in the form of a sports team introduction, as done before an NBA basketball game, or a celebrity introduction as if you were introducing celebrities onto a red carpet. Many brides and grooms prefer to be introduced just by themselves. If this is the case, just skip the wedding party part of the introductions and go straight from welcoming everyone to the bride and groom introduction. From there, you will usually have the bride and groom start the buffet line, take a seat at their head or sweetheart table, go to the dance floor to start their bride and groom dance, or any other number of wedding items. Again, be sure you know what the bride and groom want done beforehand.
Dinner
At most Utah receptions, dinner lasts about one hour. Some receptions will have the food laid out on a buffet for the duration of the evening. After the wedding party is announced, you then announce the dinner. If there is a buffet meal, it is traditional to have the bride and groom start the buffet with the members of the wedding party. You may also have other distinguished guests come up at that time as well such as the parents, grandparents, the officiant, etc. Next, you will release the other tables one by one. A fun way of doing this is through a game called “Name That Tune”. You play a brief clip of a song, and whichever table can guess the name of that song first gets to be the next table to start the buffet. This is a good time to go table-to-table and gather song requests from the guests. You could say something like this while approaching the tables:
“Hi folks, how’s the food? I’m the DJ and will be playing your favorite music tonight. What songs would you like to listen and dance to”?
Meet The Vendors
If there is a designated photographer, coordinator, video person, etc, make sure that you talk to them a little bit about the flow of the reception before the reception starts or during dinner. Keep in touch with them during the reception so every one can be on the same frequency as far as the event items go such as announcing the bride and groom, toasts, garter toss, bouquet toss, etc. Just because you are prepared to perform a specific item, doesn’t mean that your fellow wedding “experts” are. Give them a heads up before making these announcements. You want to make sure that the photographer isn’t at the buffet filling his plate while you are announcing the bride and groom’s first dance. By keeping up good communication, you will insure that everything runs with fluidity and that the photographer and/or video person are able to capture all of the pertinent photo and video moments.
Toasts
When the last person goes through the buffet line is generally the time to start the toast, however, this may vary. If the buffet is going to run continually through the night, just ask the bride and groom at what time they want to do the toast. You may also want to ask the person(s) giving the toast when they will be prepared to deliver it. It is generally a good idea to have a microphone for the people giving the toasts, preferably wireless. Introduce those giving the toasts before handing them the microphone. Make sure to fade out of the background music at that time so the toast givers can speak uninterrupted.
Cake Cutting
You will find that the cake can be cut during different parts of the evening. Many times, it is cut and served after dinner. If the cake will be served as dessert, make sure not to wait too long after dinner to have the bride and groom cut it. Before announcing the cake cutting, make sure that the cake is set with the following: the cake knife, serving spatula, one small plate, and some napkins. If these items are not in place, make sure to alert the kitchen staff before making the cake cutting announcement. It could be negative for you, the DJ, for making the cake cutting announcement before it is prepared and ready to be cut as well as stall the flow of the reception. If everything at the cake is set and the bride and groom are ready, go ahead and make the following announcement. The cake announcement can be made like this:
“Ladies and Gentlemen, it is time for the traditional cake cutting so we’d like to have Jack, the groom, escort Diane, our lovely bride, over to cake as well as the photographer and videographer and anyone else who would like to get a picture of our newlywed couple as they cut their wedding cake. Finally, let’s have our remaining guests gather around the cake table to show your support for the bride and groom”.
Then you can play some cake cutting music such as “Love and Marriage” by Frank Sinatra or “I Can’t Help Myself (Sugar Pie Honey Bunch) by the Four Tops. After the cake is cut instruct everyone to give the bride and groom a round of applause.
As soon as the cake is cut, you may want to announce the following to the reception guests: “Ladies and Gentlemen, the cake has been cut and is now being served at the buffet.”
Bride and Groom Dance
For the Bride and Groom’s first dance, have the groom escort the bride out to the dance floor. Announce the title of the song and the artist and then play the song. Your verbiage should go something like this.
“Folks, now we need Jack to Escort Diane out to the dance floor for their very special bride and groom spotlight dance. They will be dancing to ‘An Everlasting Love’ by Natalie Cole.”
As the songs comes to an end announce, “Ladies and Gentlemen, Jack and Diane”. At this time people will begin applauding the newlyweds.
Other Special Dances
Other special dances at a Utah wedding DJ may include are: a Daddy and Daughter Dance for the bride and her father, a Mother and Son Dance for the groom and his mother, a Bridal Party Dance, and perhaps a Parents Dance. These dances are done similarly to the way you would announce the bride and groom dance. Make sure that you mention the names of the people participating in these dances, announce the title and artist of each song you play, and that you have applause after each dance. Here is a sample of what you might say for the Father and Bride dance as well as the Mother and Son dance. If the bride’s father is deceased or not able to be at the reception for some reason, she may choose to skip the father and bride dance but may wish to dance with a Godfather, Grandfather, brother, the father of the groom or a special male figure who has made a difference in her life.
Bride/Father Dance
“Ladies and gentlemen, now we’d like to invite Diane’s father to join her out on the dance floor for their very special father and daughter spotlight dance. They will be dancing to ‘My Girl, by The Temptations’.” At the end of the dance announce, “Give it up for Diane and her Father.”
Mother/Son Dance
“Now ladies and gentlemen, we’d like to have Jack escort his mother out to the dance floor for their very special Mother and son dance. They will be dancing to ‘Time After Time’ by Cyndi Lauper.” Then play the song. As the song ends, announce “Ladies and gentlemen, give it up for Jack and his mother.”
Money Dance
The Money Dance used to be a dance done in only a few cultures but has been adopted into most cultures for obvious monetary reasons. In a nutshell, people are coming up one at a time and cutting in periodically to pay money to dance with the bride and groom. This money can be used by the couple to help them have a good financial start or to spend on their honeymoon. There have been some wedding couples who have made thousands of dollars on this dance. This is how it is announced:
“Ladies and Gentlemen, it is now time for the traditional “Money Dance”. This is your opportunity to dance with the bride and groom, however, you need to have at least one dollar. Come on up and place your money in the hat and then tap out whoever is dancing with them and cut in to dance with the bride or groom anytime during the next few songs”.
Sometimes the bride and groom will have the money pinned on them with straight pins. In Utah, this is mostly done at Mexican weddings. Other times, the money will be collected by a member of the bridal party in a hat. Sometimes the bride will have a money bag that matches her dress with her to collect the money. On a few occasions there is a tiny “money tree” in which guests are expected to put the money on. If you are performing at a Polynesian or Greek wedding in Utah, you may see people throwing money at the bride and groom or sprinkling dollar bills over them. Sometimes dances may be performed by others to raise money for the bride and groom. While these performers are dancing, it is customary for reception guests to come up and throw money at the dancers. If the money dance is desired by the bride and groom, you know this is going to happen, make sure you have any necessary music for the dancers before hand. If participation is scarce, continue to encourage people on your microphone to come up to cut in and dance with the bride and groom
Time to Party!
Now that you have performed all of the specialty items, it is time to help the bride and groom party. Even though you may be behind your DJ table playing music, make sure that you are swaying to the music and having a good time. People on the dance floor will thrive on your energy. One sure way of assuring you have people out on the dance floor is to get the bride and groom up and dancing. Another way, especially in Utah, of guaranteeing maximum crowd participation on the dance floor is by you, the DJ, getting out on the dance floor and dancing yourself.
Slow Songs
Sometimes a slow dance can lure people onto the dance floor. To guarantee participation you might want to say something like this, “Ladies and gentlemen, this next dance will be for all of our sweethearts here tonight so go ahead and bring that special someone on up to the dance floor for the special sweetheart dance”.
Transition Dances and Crowd Involvement
If you know dances such as the Electric Slide, Macarena, Chicken Dance, etc., you may want to go to the dance floor and direct these dances as to get more crowd involvement. If you are daring enough to attempt this, the crowd will actually draw off of your encouraging vigor. Sometimes just playing the music to these dances can draw people onto the dance floor. Again, hiring a professional Utah DJ will make these types of dances flow a lot better.
You may get a crowd that will dance the night away as long as you are playing somewhat decent music for them to dance to. Most crowds like a variety of music. When you take song requests, try to get a feel for what people are mostly requesting and try to keep your finger on the pulse of the crowd. This will also give them an extra incentive to stick around for dancing. If they are requesting mostly 70’s Disco Funk, Country, Hip-Hop, etc., you may want stick to that kind of music as your foundation. You can always try other music, but always come back to your foundation if people start to lose interest and leave the dance floor.
Garter and Bouquet Throw
Most likely there will be a bouquet and garter throw. You can announce the bouquet throw in this manner: “Ladies and gentlemen, it’s time for Diane to throw the bouquet, so lets have all of you single ladies from ages three to ninety-three come to the dance floor (or bottom of the staircase, etc.) to find out if you will be our next bride-to-be.” You may have to announce this more than once to make sure you’ve got everyone’s attention. Before having the bride toss the bouquet, make sure to ask her if there are any other single ladies that she would like to have invited up to the dance floor. If there are, make sure to announce them to the dance floor as well. Then play a relevant bouquet song such as “Holla Back Girl”, “Girls Just Wanna Have Fun”, “Material Girl”, or “This One’s For The Girls” by Martina Mcbride, or “Single Ladies” by Beyonce.
Music Transitioning
The type and variation of music you play may differ from crowd to crowd. You may get a crowd that likes mostly slow dances and some that may want mostly upbeat songs. Most crowds want a variety. As a rule of thumb, you may want to play a set of one or two slow songs for every set of four or five fast songs while making adjustments as needed. Before playing a fast DJ set, make sure to start with the music with the slowest tempo and then gradually build into the music with the faster tempo in order to build the energy on the dance floor. If you play a fast song and then transition into a song that is of a slower tempo, people may start leaving the dance floor because the energy has faded.
By and large, you should start out the beginning of the dance with the older music and gradually transition into the newer music. Don’t panic if you see people start to leave the dance floor. This may only be a transition phase where some people are exiting the dance floor while other guests are coming on.
When transitioning from song to song use your fader bar on your rental mixer. This will avoid “dead air” which can be a huge “dance floor clearer”. If you are using an audio system that does not have a mixer, then just try to eliminate as much dead air as possible.
Conclusion
My last piece of advice is to not only read over this information once, but study it over as if you were going to be tested over it. I have not given away even a small portion of our tricks and secrets but this should help you have a Utah wedding reception that is better than your average DJ company. In addition, use this as a guide as you are preparing for and while you DJing the wedding. Make sure you have all of their requested music and paper work. Make sure to smile and act confident and to never apologize into the microphone to the audience if you make a mistake. If you do make a mistake, act like you meant to do it and move on. If you don’t make a big deal out of it than neither will anyone else. DJing is very similar to any other performance in that, the more you practice, the better and less nervous you will be. I suggest you arrive at the reception site at least 2 hours before it starts in order to set up your equipment, perform a sound check, practice and memorize your script, and review how you are going to conduct the reception. Remember that the DJ can either make or break a wedding and. Following these guidelines will provide memories for the Utah bride and groom and their guests that will last a lifetime.
