“I want people to actually dance at my wedding!” A Club dj’s guide

“I want people to actually dance at my wedding!” A wedding DJ (or as some of us prefer, “the DJ doing your wedding”) is there to get people to dance. Unfortunately, this is not exactly guaranteed. We’ve all been to receptions ranging from forced-fun-smiles to a sweaty rager that generated stories for years to come. It’s a little tricky, but there are definitely things you can do to effectively choose a DJ and make your dance party POP!

Check out our websites

Good job–you’re here on the world-famous DJ Fuzzy Logic® site! But don’t just look at testimonials and Google Reviews. Testimonials are useful, but a quick look at our gigs will tell you even more. Look at where we’ve played or our upcoming shows—does the site tell you? If not, then you’ll probably be hiring someone who plays a wedding or “playlist” style. That is, they’ll use a controller and let songs play all the way through, then do a simple iPod-style fade into the next one. This is cheaper because it takes less equipment and preparation. It doesn’t sound as “clubby” or exciting because…well, your DJ is keeping it simple. It’s more like a house party.

“Why aren’t wedding dance floors more fun?”

Wedding guests are usually an odd mix of people who don’t normally hang out or dance together, and this shows up in their requests. Some DJs are good at blending this odd mix, but many are just okay. Moreover, but many of your guests don’t know each other, many of them have different musical tastes, and some of them don’t normally go dancing at all. It’s the opposite of a club—usually, people go to a club because they like the vibe and they want a particular blend of music, right? It’s music that was made to go together, and for the most part, the DJ decides what to play. But at weddings, we’re sifting through an avalanche of requests, trying to figure out how to blend Shania Twain, Fabolous, and Elvis. This is why some DJs get cranky with requests—they’re tricky!

How Club mixing experience helps

So, going back to the “playlist” DJ, when there’s a sudden gap between songs, or an awkward blend, that creates a space for people to sit down. That’s better than not playing requests at all, but it can kill the vibe. Club DJs are more likely to make a night of random requests sound smooth and fun and keep people on the floor. I could list the tricks we use, but just trust me on this.

So basically, looking for DJs with club experience means that you pay a little more to hire someone who is better at figuring out how to group random requests and blend them in a musical way. That’s not ego—that’s me saying that not everyone can do it. Only you know how important that is to you.

“How do I know my DJ has good speakers?”

That will sometimes show up in the reviews. Next time you’re at a wedding or club, listen: the music should sound energetic and “clean.” DJs with bad or unreliable sound usually don’t last long. If you’re curious, I use Reloop digital turntables, a Rane 68 mixer, a QSC sub, and QSC top speakers. But the easiest way to tell if the equipment is good is by looking at the crowd’s responses.

“How do I know a DJ will work well with my crowd?”

The short way: look for club DJs who have played many clubs and many kinds of nights. This means that your DJ isn’t just good at one style—s/he successfully adapts to different audiences. And that’s what you want, right?
Even better, check out your DJ in the club. Not so much listening for the tracks they play, but more how they respond to the crowd, and vice versa.

Requests:

Anyone advertising as a wedding DJ should cheerfully take requests. It shouldn’t even need to be said, as far as I’m concerned.

We should have “the basics,” song-wise…right? We’ll have a lot of them. But you’d be surprised at what some people consider “wedding music.” I had a guy who was flabbergasted that I didn’t have Foo Fighters ready to go immediately. I like ’em—but I’ve never heard them at a wedding before or since. When in doubt, give us your requests beforehand whenever possible.

How YOU Help Make Wedding Music Good:

Dinner Music:

Are we playing during dinner and cocktails? If so, then make sure that our setup is located away from your elderly guests. In a large room, you want your guests in the back to hear us, right? But if your guests who are hard of hearing are in front of our speakers, then we’ll have to turn down, and everyone else will wonder why we aren’t turning up.

Toasting Tips:

Toasts can be fun, but people need to hear them. Tell your toasters, “Move the mic when you move your head.” Otherwise, the volume’s going to go up and down, and this results in annoying feedback. Also, tell your toasters, “Do not read the speech off your phone.” First, the display is too small, and your guests will get impatient waiting for long toasts (“Ummm…hold on…sorry…) to end. Second, you can’t hold a mic and scroll on your phone.

Have the toasts right after dinner. That way, you don’t hear the clinking of the utensils. Do not try to start the dance floor, then stop it for toasts. People will be far too excited and impatient.

occupy the dance floor, prime your guests

“How do I make people actually dance at my wedding?” Seriously, besides inviting fun guests, YOU are the biggest influence. A DJ can make them happier, crazier, and more likely to stay, but you get credit for getting them out on the floor. Your guests came to see YOU, right? Smile, let us know what songs you love, and shine! “If you boogie, they will come.”

A quick example: I DJ’d an outdoor tent wedding in a hailstorm–there was no parquet floor, and it could’ve been awful. But when I dropped some Lil’ Jon, the bride kicked off her shoes, hitched up her lovely white dress, and promptly got FIERCE in a half inch of mud! Suffice it to say, the party was ON!

Use your website to prime your guests and let ’em know that you’ll be moving! Call people out in fun ways–it’ll help people embrace it when the day arrives!

use lighting to make your guests feel invisible and playful

Sounds silly, right? But it’s true! Many people feel self-conscious when they dance anywhere, much less a brightly lit, open event space where everyone can see them. As we discussed above, many times the people who are watching them are people they don’t know well. Wild dance lights draw the attention away from the individuals…plus, they’re just fun! Couples often chuckle when I suggest bringing the hazer/fogger, and YES, it’s funny! But when you laugh, you RELAX! And you dance.

Request Tips:

Got guests who are leaving early, such as little kids? Older guests? Make sure that the DJ knows this and request that certain songs or certain guests’ requests get played early. It will be an odd mix of Silento and Frank Sinatra, but at least we know it’s coming.

Use your wedding site to let the guests know what the general musical plan is: “Hey, we’re going old school early, then hitting the turn-up jams around ten.” Everyone will be patient and respect your plan if they know what it is. This makes it easier for me, but also for you—you want to have fun, not focus on guests who want to hear this or that right now.

Please use your site to tell your guests: don’t ask us to play songs off smartphones. It messes with volume, it’s hard to blend, and it might have ads on it. It feels like someone bringing a chef a microwave with your burrito in it and asking him to plug it in.

“How do I make people actually dance at my wedding?” You get it, right? Inviting fun guests, finding the right DJ and equipment, the right setup, good communication between you and the DJ, occupying the dance floor and priming your crowd…it all matters. We do it together! Good luck with finding a DJ that fits your needs, and of course, feel free to contact DJ Fuzzy Logic® with booking requests and questions!