3 things that will help you get the best out of your wedding DJ

As we have previously covered here on the Sweet Gibraltar Weddings blog, there are various options you will have when it comes to the entertainment at your wedding reception, with a DJ being just one of them. 

 

A lot of the time, a couple’s decision on what form of entertainment to arrange at their wedding reception boils down to going with a live band or a DJ. But to re-emphasise what we stated in the aforementioned article, a professional DJ is far more than merely someone who knows how to put together a compelling playlist. 

 

That’s because such a professional will also be skilled in such vital elements of the job as reading and working a crowd, and cultivating their own distinctive identity that sets them apart from other DJs. 

 

So, even once you’ve decided to hire a particular DJ for your wedding, there will be certain things that help ensure you get the maximum benefit from their services. Here are three of those things. 

 

Being aware of the importance and skills of your wedding DJ 

 

Something else that we mentioned in our previous blog post on wedding DJs versus live bands, is that DJs do tend to be cheaper than bands to hire for a wedding (albeit, this won’t apply in every single case). 

 

It is crucial, however, not to consider a wedding DJ as merely a budget-conscious alternative to a live band (or for that matter, a slightly more professional and capable alternative to simply getting your uncle to assemble a Spotify playlist). 

 

The top, most in-demand DJs for weddings in Gibraltar (and other parts of the world) are super talented in their own right, and will have their own recognisable approach in terms of what kind of music they tend to play, and how they might engage with the crowd at an event they are DJing. 

 

Remember that your DJ could be providing the entertainment for as much as 40% of your wedding day. So, it really is crucial that you respect their capabilities, and the importance they have when it comes to conjuring and sustaining the ‘vibe’ you want at your wedding reception.  

 

Knowing what kind of music you want the DJ to play 

 

Those of you reading this who have extensive CD or vinyl collections or who are hardened fans of a particular artist (Ed Sheeran, Beyoncé, Harry Styles… you name them) might consider this advice to be almost too obvious to give. 

 

However, you would be surprised by how frequently couples organising weddings in Gibraltar or elsewhere don’t really communicate their preferences to their chosen DJ. Such couples essentially expect their DJ to work out the playlist with almost no guidance, simply because they are professionals. 

 

And the best wedding DJs are super-capable professionals – but they aren’t mind-readers. So, you do need to give your DJ an indication of what your preferences are for the playlist, whether you lean towards specific artists, songs, or genres such as pop, dance, rock and roll, funk, or soul. 

 

Including an option on your wedding RSVPs to request a particular song 

 

Sending out wedding invites with a request to ‘RSVP’ (meaning “répondez s’il vous plait” or essentially, “respond please”) enables you to also ask your potential guests for further information that will help with your wedding planning – for example, whether they have any particular dietary requirements. 

 

Well, while you’re doing that, why not provide the option on your RSVPs for the person to put in any song requests, too? You could then pass this information to your DJ ahead of time, so that they can better know in advance exactly what they will play. 

 

One important point, though: ask the respondents to suggest a song the DJ “might” play, instead of promising them that the DJ “will” play it. This is a crucial distinction, given that it will enable you to veto any requested song you dislike, including if the song in question has clearly been suggested as an inappropriate joke about you or your sweetheart. 

 

If there are any specific artists, songs or themes that you want to have ‘banned’ from your wedding reception playlist, be sure to let the DJ know. After all, you won’t want to only become aware of that inappropriate or unwanted track being included in your wedding reception playlist when you hear it playing at the event. 

 

So, there you have it; three tips that will help many of you planning weddings in Gibraltar to get the best out of a wedding DJ. Enquire to our team at Sweet Gibraltar Weddings today, and we can help ensure the rest of your big day in the British Overseas Territory goes smoothly – and wonderfully romantically – too.