This is why “Experience Matters” when it comes to Wedding & Event DJ’s

Experience DOES matter….

It would be totally understandable if you are wondering, out of all the high resolution photos I could have used to start this blog, why on earth was this photo of a wedding I dj’d about 8 years ago chosen? Before i tell you why let me give you a little background. When a Couple hires me to DJ their wedding it is customary to have a final meeting a few weeks before the wedding to go over all the final details.  One of those details is the music that they want to hear and also the music they don’t want played. For this particular wedding the bride was very emphatic in saying the only music she does NOT want to hear is Country music. She actually mentioned it three separate times during the meeting. I told her i understand …no problem. She also said her crowd are huge dancers and want to keep guests dancing as much as possible and that she will let the Maitre de know to NOT interrupt dancing if guests are dancing and having a good time.

Ok, now lets fast forward to this photo. Here I am introducing the couple into the reception at the Edison Ballroom in Times Square NYC. I had just put the microphone down and was clapping along with the 250 guests in attendance. I asked guests to join the bride & groom 1/2 way thru their first dance and for the next couple of songs every single guest was on the dance floor. The Maitre de asked me to sit everyone down for toasts and 1st course and i was super excited that this crowd was going to be a DJ’s dream crowd with heavy dancing all night long. The only thing was  that isn’t what happened next. When i “re-opened” the dance floor, much to my surprise, i had just one side of the room on the dance floor..the other side of the room didn’t budge from their seats. This went on for the next 4 songs and i started to get concerned because i was playing a great set of music that clearly only 1/2 the crowd was participating and enjoying. What i haven’t mentioned yet is that i have years and years experience as a mobile DJ. I have DJ’d hundreds and hundreds of successful Corporate events (mostly in New York City) where guests came from all over the United States (and the World for that matter) and where i had to learn over time to make the music i was playing WORK for everyone no matter where they came from. Now, back to the wedding, i deduced that the side of the room that wasn’t dancing were  guests from the Southeastern United States…Tennessee, Florida, etc again, i have dj’d so many gigs that i could tell by the way they dressed and some of the guests accents that this was most likely the case. Now, if this was true i had a dilemma. Remember the bride DID NOT WANT ANY COUNTRY MUSIC PLAYED at her wedding. I know, from experience, that if i “sprinkled” cross over Country Music through out the night then it would be likely that this entire group of guests (about 100) would participate vigorously in every type of music (they just also wanted to hear a little bit of the music they like best). I approached the bride and asked her if most of the guests on the other side of the room (and not dancing) were from the south and she replied “yes, how did you know?”…i then said to her that if you allow me to play some cross over artists and songs ala Shania Twain, Willie Nelson, Garth Brooks that i believe they would participate with everyone else and dance to Pop, Hip hop, oldies etc…she gave me the Green light and Voila…this is what happened the rest of the reception.

Experience does matter when it comes to DJ’ing. If i were a less experienced DJ, without the many years of successful Weddings and events i have dj’d, this wedding would’ve been “OK” or at the most “Good” but this wedding was OUTSTANDING because of my analysing the crowd accurately  (and of course because the guests were awesome.)  I also most likely wouldn’t have had the confidence to approach the bride because she initially was strongly against having any country music played before i pointed out to her at the wedding that 1/2 her crowd will dance much more if i play some crossover country artists from time to time.  Because of my experience and confidence i was able to ensure her the wedding of her dreams. It seemed that everyone danced and had the time of their lives. Please know that I will bring the same expertise and experience to your wedding also!!!