So um... how do I DJ a wedding???
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So um... how do I DJ a wedding??? Posted on: 16.05.2010 by Wai Rofkahr So a local DJ I met recently offered to let me fill in the spots he can't, but I gotta start with weddings... which I've never done.I'm currently downloading cheezy wedding music because I know I have to lol. I know what I need to play, but I'm wondering what to start with, what to end with? And how do I mix all this stuff together when it's such a drastic range of genres? All I've done so far is house music, any advice? | |
| Nicolasa Massaglia 26.04.2011 | That |
| Nicolasa Massaglia 26.04.2011 | That |
| Nicolasa Massaglia 26.04.2011 | That |
| Nicolasa Massaglia 26.04.2011 | That |
| Nicolasa Massaglia 26.04.2011 | That |
| Nicolasa Massaglia 26.04.2011 | That |
| Nicolasa Massaglia 26.04.2011 | That |
| Charline Dye 17.05.2013 |
Originally Posted by zimfella
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| Shonda Soulier 27.04.2011 |
Originally Posted by wonkadonk
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| Nicolasa Massaglia 26.04.2011 | That |
| Charline Dye 17.05.2013 |
Originally Posted by zimfella
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| Charline Dye 17.05.2013 | Curious as to why this discussion is in the mixes and productions subcommunity
?????? Should be in general discussion..... Anywho, here is the Mobilebeat top 200 requested wedding songs http://www.mobilebeat.com/top-200/ |
| Hanna Ridenbaugh 17.05.2013 | Some great advice here. I've got a wedding gig this weekend for family. Just wondered though what style of song to play after the first dance by the bride n groom? More love songs or more lively tune? |
| Shonda Soulier 27.04.2011 |
Originally Posted by wonkadonk
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| Breanne Penge 26.04.2011 | ^^This dude's got it down. |
| Shonda Soulier 26.04.2011 | I start with the top 40 from the 70s, 80, and 90s, then when the older folks start fading out I drop the fire (about 9:30 or 10:00) for the young folks. My formula is 1 slow song to every 4 dance tunes... For instance I might start with some super cheese like: Commodores - Brick House Black Eyed Peas - I Gotta Feeling Prince - Kiss ACDC - Shook Me All Night Long Eric Clapton - Wonderful Toevening then continue on like this until people are good and drunk... End with some club remixes of popular songs. not the Dutch/Electro house stuff, but the pop remixes by Jason Nevins, Armin Van Buren, David Guetta, Jump Smokers, Chuckie, etc.... that way they hear all their favorite songs, but it's a little more upbeat and "clubbish". |
| Quiana Sedey 26.04.2011 | I have only DJ'd a few weddings, and the formula I have found that works (or did for me) is cycle thru the decades. Start with oldies and 50's and 60's hits, move to a bit more classic rock and 70's stuff, then the 80's into current stuff near the last couple hours. All the old people will be there when you start and this is the time they will be more likely to dance. As the evening progresses the older crowd will either leave or be done dancing for the evening , then by the end of the evening its all the young people who can be up late dancing on the floor. |
| Nicolasa Massaglia 26.04.2011 | That |
| Raymundo Rygalski 28.05.2010 | A great place to start for wedding music is "party bangaz". It is all hits with intro-outros added and some hype mixes to get the party going. www.thesourceformusic.com Also, iTunes does this collection called "iTunes Essentials" and it has a wedding and other party categories. |
| Wai Rofkahr 27.05.2010 | ^^^Wedding Bangers! LOL Great advice here guys. Talking to the bridezilla/groom beforehand and getting a list of "must play" songs could be the ass-saver for almost every wedding gig. I'll have to keep working on my library, however I feel much more confident just knowing the stuff posted here. Keep the advice coming! |
| Claudine Platz 26.05.2010 | So I run a very successful minimal techno party in the US but.... it doesn't pay me $1100USD per gig like weddings do so I've been known to take the occasional wedding gig to supplement my income (I just don't tell anyone lol) Anyways Wedding DJing is the same as DJing anywhere else, you have to play to the crowd. Here in the US most weddings are generally mainstream audiences and anything with a remotely 4x4 kick instantly gets dubbed at techno and will usually fail hard. Just play the stuff that everyone knows, 80s, 90s rock, early 90s hiphop classics, motown, disco, funk its really not THAT bad if you don't cheese it up (honestly most wedding parties DONT want you to cheese it up, so no chicken dance, no YMCA, no cha cha slide) If you have noooooo idea what any songs are in these genres you can get the Mastermix CD compilation. Its basically a huge CD collection of all the songs a mobile/wedding DJ would need to have. Also on Youtube The DJ Tutor while I personally can't stand him, he has lots of great advice for mobile/wedding DJs. As far as performance and mixing goes, I definitely mix and beatmatch but honestly the crowd doesn't really care nor do I believe they notice the difference. I just do it for myself so I don't get bored. Spinning 70s/funk/disco is just like spinning house only ALOT harder as its all live musicians meaning lots of tempo changes. I usually will just do like 4 or 8 bar mixes and I pretty much always cue all the songs to the big hook or the chorus that everyone knows. You'd be surprised once everyone gets drunk and if you're playing some wedding bangers (yes I just said wedding bangers) shit can get pretty crazy depending on the crowd you have. Hope that helps. |
| Ralph Spong 26.05.2010 | Couldn't agree more to tom. Wedding are the testing periods for a DJ. My suggestion will be just surf around a the Internet and you can find plenty of songs, take a couple of them and have a word with the couple, whose wedding you have been assigned for. Ask them what are their likes and the members attending the wedding. Also let them have an idea of the collections you have. This will not only clear the clouds from your mind, but also have a better image of professionalism built in the mind of the couple about you. Good luck!!! |
| Tori Forgette 25.05.2010 | You have to be the pro in this situation. When you put a song on, you need to know it will work for that group. Best advice I can give is to talk with the couple and see what type of event they want to put on. Some people want to have a club scene, and some want a super long social hour (aka lots of background music). When it comes to mixing, you have to feel out the crowd. Just doing a set won't cut it at a wedding. You have to play what they like and make it work. You will get crap requests and unruly guests, but how you handle it shows your expertise. Keep your chin up, smile, and just say "I'll see what I can do..." I would argue that weddings are one of the hardest areas for a DJ to master. |
| Raymundo Rygalski 24.05.2010 | I started out as a mobile DJ and it is rough. You really have to honor requests and instead of having a manager (like in a club), you are the only person who can deal with unruly patrons and deciding a format. The best tip I can give you is to ask the bride and groom to write down 50 songs they must hear and 50 songs they absolutely do not want to hear. The first 50 should give you an idea of what type of genres to get more of and have you covered if people complain that you play Gorillaz when there are 50% silverhairs. The second 50 give you a reason to avoid certain songs and genres. If the bride and groom don't want the chicken dance, the drunk uncle can't complain when he has his pabst hovering over your laptop. |
| Morris Weingast 17.05.2010 | I'm just starting out doing little local things with my cousin also to get used to reading the crowd and everything. I love tearing it up with some Electro House or something similar but I was doing a 13 yr. olds bday with all the parents there. I got requests ranging from Judas Priest and Gucci Mane to Will Smith and Justin Bieber. In the beginning I tried to beatmatch everything as much as I could then 1/2 way through I realized no one cared if it was beatmatched as long as I was playing what they wanted just a quick switch from deck 1 to 2 kept them happy I'm sure it's the same with your situation. Although I wasn't mixing as much as I was just switching the the fader they loved it and have us coming back for 2 more of their parties in the near future |
| Leann Zugay 17.05.2010 | You should find out how old the couples being married are...this will help you out quite a bit |
| Wai Rofkahr 18.05.2010 |
Originally Posted by RT31784
Exactly as RT31784 said, believe of it like a top 40 radio station rather than a club. Except, you have to have the top 40 for the last 50 or so years, because depending on what the age range is influences what era you play the most. Plus, you're going to get requests for all the old classic cut ups like the twist, macarena, electric slide, and all the other cheesy but appropriate stuff. As they get drunker, play the cheesier stuff, but you can start out the evening
with just about anything.
Beatmatching can usually fall to the wayside, unless you've already warmed them up, have the floor filled, and want to take them for a ride. Other than that, it's basically keep it popular, and positive. I guess I'll just have to work on my library and eventually jump in the water |
| Herschel January 17.05.2010 | Exactly as RT31784 said, believe of it like a top 40 radio station rather than a club. Except, you have to have the top 40 for the last 50 or so years, because depending on what the age range is influences what era you play the most. Plus, you're going to get requests for all the old classic cut ups like the twist, macarena, electric slide, and all the other cheesy but appropriate stuff. As they get drunker, play the cheesier stuff, but you can start out the evening
with just about anything. Beatmatching can usually fall to the wayside, unless you've already warmed them up, have the floor filled, and want to take them for a ride. Other than that, it's basically keep it popular, and positive. |
| Johnie Lytton 16.05.2010 | I would imagine just do a quick crossfade between songs like you would do with some hip hop mixes and most rock tracks. Maybe some looping too.. be creative. |
| Alan Boldizsar 16.05.2010 | Lol ya I wanna know as well... how the hell do you even mix that stuff... |
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