What Does A DJ Do?

1) An Owner-Operator

When you talk with an Owner-Operator DJ on the phone, you will meet that same person when it is time to plan for your wedding.  The same person will also show up and run the event just like you had planned.  No surprises.  Owner-Operators usually have more expensive, reliable sound equipment because they know it will be taken care of and not abused.  They also tend to be more experienced DJs.  I am an Owner-Operator and I've done over 350 weddings and DJ'd over 750 evenings all together.  As a professional DJ I carry $1 million dollar liability insurance as most venues require.  If someone trips over a speaker wire, etc. you won't have to deal with the liability.

2) A Multi-Operator

A Multi-Operator has between three and 20 DJs working for them.  You talk to them on the phone, and some will e-mail you the paperwork to fill out, and some will meet with you in person.  Most of the time, you will never know who your actual DJ is until they show up on your wedding day.  There are some decent DJs in this business model. However, there are a lot more mediocre or poor DJs in this business model.  The DJ gets a small portion of the fee, and the boss gets the rest.  He will spend a large portion of this money on big ads on the Internet, etc.  The main sales pitch they have is "in case the DJ gets sick, we have back ups."  I know several men that used to be Multi-Operators, and they told me that they sold their business because they got tired of "mad brides" calling them the day after the wedding to chew them out about something the DJ didn't do or did in bad judgment. 

When a DJ "gets good and develops a reputation" they usually start their own business, and become an Owner-Operator so they can control the final event and get the whole fee.  Also, I know about 24 DJs who are Owner-Operators in case I do get sick, so I can call on them to fill in.  In DJing over 750 evenings, I have NEVER had to use one of my fellow Owner-Operators.

2 Types of DJ Services           

It's NOT just the Music

The DJ has an important role in making your wedding reception successful and memorable.  Not only do we provide the music that you have selected, but  we help facilitate the grand entrance of the Bride and Groom, Parents and Bridal Party, running the wireless mic for various activities, coordinating the releasing of tables at dinner if it's served buffet style, and also facilitating numerous activities including dancing, cutting the cake, speeches, and throwing the bouquet and garter.

Make sure you select someone that will support the type of reception you will remember for the rest of your life!

Factors to Consider

• What type of service is providing the DJ?
• What is the DJ's style?
• How does the DJ select the music?
• How do they plan for the event?
• How does the DJ  support the Bride & Groom during the event?
• How will they orchestrate the reception?

Choosing a DJ

I have learned a lot from Catering Directors and bartenders that "see it all like a fly on the wall" at the venues where I have DJ'd.  There are DJs who just play music and use a "canned list" of songs.  They don't say much on the microphone or  act as an MC to help run the events of the evening.  Consequently, these receptions frequently have low energy and end early.  The bartenders remember these DJs because they have fewer tips and the 5-hour reception will end in 3 1/2 or 4 hours.  Some people will choose to use their cousin or some close friend that brings their i-Pod and plays their own music.  Around 90% of these receptions end early from what I've been told.

There are DJs who think they are the center of the show and talk way too much on the microphone.  Their pre-occupation to be the center of the show keeps them from seeing what they need to.  I am a DJ who talks just enough on the mic to keep things running smoothly and to keep people informed of what's happening next and when it's happening, so they aren't outside or in the restroom when it's time to do the toast or cut the cake.

A DJ needs to have a pleasant voice that you will enjoy hearing throughout the reception.  There are some voices that are easier to understand and are more pleasing to the ear over the microphone.  If you end up with a DJ that has a voice that grates on you, it can get old very quickly.  I've had professional voice lessons and receive compliments about having a good voice over the mic.  One thing I learned during my voice lessons is that the majority of the announcements at a wedding should be in a normal tone of voice.  A wedding DJ should not sound like a car salesman on a radio ad saying "Ladies and Gentlemen, can I have your attention?" before every announcement.  There is also an art to positioning a mic correctly, and articulating the speech a little more along with not talking too fast, so everything is easily understood by everyone at the reception.  The focus should be on the needs of the wedding party and guests, not the DJ.

The DJ also needs to act as an MC and Host that wants to help the Wedding party and guests feel comfortable and have a great time.  I've had receptions where the facility  was too warm.  Once, I noticed the Bride walking over and standing in front of a fan several times.  I then positioned a fan off to the side of the head table to gently blow on the Bride so she would be comfortable during the rest of the reception.  At another reception outside Lyons,  I took notice of the threatening weather at an outdoor ceremony and was able to provide the bride and groom with an umbrella just as it started to rain, so the bride was able to make it to the reception tent still looking great for her "grand entrance".    

Different DJ Styles

"Your DJ/MC needs to be paying attention to all of the details at your reception, have good judgment and orchestrate the event  in a gentle, yet firm fashion"

Choosing a DJ

When you select me as your DJ for your wedding, here are some of the details about how I work.

I schedule a meeting to talk with the Bride and Groom  face to face.  The purpose of this meeting is to get to know each other and to see if they feel comfortable with my personality, and I with theirs.  After the meeting I will send them a 1-page easy-to-read contract that they will fill out and return with a 50% deposit to lock in their date.

Six weeks prior to the wedding I  will schedule a 2-hour meeting to review and plan all of the details.  I have a 3-page check-list of questions to go over, so all of the details are covered.  Some of the items discussed may include:  What kind of music do you prefer and what kind of music do you NOT want played?  What are your "must be played" songs?  How do you want the bridal party introduced, and how are names pronounced?  Will the food be served at tables or buffet style?  Is anyone giving a speech and what are their names?  Any special toasts or family traditions that need to be planned?   Will there be a traditional cake cutting or are other foods being used for the Bride and Groom to feed each other?  Will the Bride and Groom have any special details about their first dance song?  Such as: start it at a certain point 30 seconds in when they nod from the edge of the dance floor.  How will the parents' dances be organized?  Will there be a garter removal?  Will the bouquet be thrown?  All of these details will help me orchestrate all of the activities during the reception, and the Bride and Groom can just enjoy the reception and not have to worry about anything.

At the planning meeting 1-month before the big day, we will listen to and make a list of songs that will match your musical taste.  I will also make a note of what music NOT to play in case someone requests it.  I do take requests on the reception day as long as they don't contradict what's on your "do not play list".   Some songs are appropriate to play at the beginning of the evening, and there are other songs that are only appropriate to play towards the last part of the evening.  I have over 23,000 songs and I buy new music every week.  If you have specific requests for songs at your wedding, I am very willing to purchase those songs and have them ready to play at your reception.

I will arrive at the event 2 1/2 to 3 hours ahead of time to set up if it is allowed.  I always give myself extra time to arrive in case of bad traffic, weather conditions, etc.  Having everything ready over 1 hour early, lets me have time to review all of the notes from our planning meeting.

I will set up the sound system taking into consideration the best speaker location for your guests.  I use UHF wireless microphones, which are top of the line and don't have static or voice drop.  I make sure all speaker wires are safely positioned and taped down where no one will trip over them.

I frequently notice things that could be a problem during the evening and solve the issues without the Bride even being aware.  I've had many times now that the dance floor had a section sticking up.  Because of the high probability of the Bride and Groom or the guests tripping, I talked to the set-up crew and pointed out the hazard which was then corrected.

If I am providing the music for the wedding ceremony, I will work closely with a "gatekeeper" so all music is started at the appropriate time according to our plan.  I will also monitor the sound volumes from the microphone during the ceremony.

On Your Wedding Day

"More than the food, flowers, cake or many other thingsÉ.the DJ can make or break your wedding reception!"

Planning for your Wedding Reception

At the reception I will carefully organize the people, events and equipment necessary for everything to go as planned.

For instance, I will work with the wedding party to make sure everyone knows where they are supposed to go and what they're supposed to do. I will get the bridal party in the correct order, as well as the parents.  I will then return to the Reception Hall where I will start the music we have discussed, and announce the Bridal party couple by couple.  I will then fade that song and start the song for the parents to enter.  Then I will fade that song and have a few seconds of silence to build the anticipation and then start your "Grand Entrance song" as I announce the Bride and Groom. 

Once everyone is in the room I will provide a wireless mic for the Groom or perhaps the Bride's father for a short welcome speech or perhaps a prayer to bless the meal.  At this time I will help orchestrate the serving of the food.  I will stay in touch with the kitchen staff or caterer so I will know if they are ready to serve at this time.  If the food will be served buffet style, I will release everyone table by table.  The Bride and Groom are served first so you will finish dinner first and have time to walk table to table and visit with your guests.  Once you have received your entr_e, I will come tell you the next thing that is going to happen, so you don't have to think about the events of the evening.  Following the meal, the next event is usually the toast.  I will come and find you before the toast and see if you are finished visiting and ready to begin the toast.  I will start announcing the toast 15 minutes ahead of time and make sure the caterer is on schedule with clearing the table and pouring the champagne.  This announcement is also a reminder to the smokers, photographer, and people that may need to use the restroom to be back in the room at the appropriate time.  I will help the speakers with how to position the mic correctly so they can be heard and not have any feedback (squeal through the speakers). 

Prior to the cake cutting, I will make sure the knife, cake spatula, plate and wet napkin are there ahead of time.  You will need a wet napkin after you get the icing on your fingers from feeding each other cake.  I have found that venues frequently forget this very helpful item when they set up the cake.  During the cake cutting I will coach you on where to stand (if the photographer doesn't).  I will do a brief narration over the microphone during the cake cutting to engage your guests.

I will then invite you to the dance floor and announce you to your guests.  At that time I will start your first dance song.  Based on our plans, I will invite family members to have their dance with either the Bride or Groom.  These dances are only 2 minutes long.  Following these dances I will announce that I will take requests and then have open dancing for 30 minutes or so before we have the garter removal and bouquet toss (if you elect to do those). 

At this time, the dancing and celebrating will begin. I will dim the houselights and will now turn on some fun disco lights that will sweep the floor to the beat of the music.  I will play music that will entice the dancers to get out on the dance floor.  Several times during the reception I will walk on to the dance floor to check the sound and make any necessary adjustments.  It is 30% quieter behind the speakers, where the DJ sits and having the sound "blasting" the crowd will have a tendency of making your guests leave early and your 5 hour reception can be over 1 to 2 hours early. Playing the right songs at the right volume will ensure a good time for everyone.   I can help the crowd with quick refresher dance courses on dances like the Electric Slide, Cha Cha slide or the Cupid Shuffle before I play those songs.  That gives people that haven't danced in awhile more confidence and the dance floor will be 3-times as full as when I play the song without a refresher course.  After people get on the dance floor the first time, they are much less timid about dancing for the rest of the evening. 

As a competitive dancer that knows several dance styles, I don't just play music.  I feel the music from a dancers point of view  and will know what music will inspire the crowd.

During the last song, I will invite the crowd to join the Bride and Groom on the dance floor for their send-off dance and then call for a send-off cheer for the couple at the end of the dance. 

There isn't enough room in this article for me to go into all of the things I do to make a reception a successful party.  You'll have to hire me for that.  But, this should help you understand a lot more about what a good DJ/MC does.

For fun, professional DJ Service,call
Farrell Woods today for your next event!
(303) 981-6771 dj.farrell@comcast.net