Last night I went to a wonderful wedding as a guest. I attended this event with my girl friend who knew a few people. It was interesting sitting on the other side of the table. I get the opportunity to observe weddings a couple times a year, which can be great to give a new perspective.
This wedding was beautiful. Decorated and embellished with the best of traditions. From lace to live musicians, this crowd was into the celebration. Held on at old farm with tents and barn conversions, I had to tip my hat to the creative mind of the bride.
The Wedding went well, but I noticed the format seemed awkward. Guest seemed confused about where to go, what to do and when to do it. Needless-to-say, this was resolved with support of the Grooms men. Despite the the awkward transitions, people still enjoyed themselves, the conversation and food and drink.
Part of the awkward nature of the arrangement was the dance floor. This floor was located in the back end of this beautiful old barn. I get it, it was the ambiance. But, the DJ was setup in a stall; I assume to give room for more guest to dance. I approached him to introduce myself and I noticed a few issues. The speakers where not placed above guest head room. What occurs here is, when guest stand in front of the speakers, the music dies on the dance floor. The DJ turns up the music and blast the guest standing in front of the speakers. The table had a linen draped over it, and it did not extend to the floor. This DJ (who was using vinyl, not needed) had cables strewed about and a cheap plastic white milk create on top of the table. He used a laptop (good for music selection and fast searching), but it had no case and the wires dropped about the table. Little was too simplistic; my observation correct noting later that it was difficult to see guest. It's difficult to go to a wedding an not take notes on how others perform.
Despite how others feel the setup should look, one would agree that on a ceremonial celebration, everyone should be dressed appropriately. Well, I felt our DJ let us down in that department too. He was a bit young, maybe mid-twenties. He wore khaki cargo pants and a sort-of white shirt (I think it was white at one time) but I couldn't tell through the wrinkles. He did have a tie on earlier in the night, but it didn't match the wedding party. (Something I insist on to give flow and continuity.) I acknowledge him, shook his hand and went about mingling with guest.
After the dinner, the bride and groom cut the cake and moved over to the dance floor for the first dance. This is where everything fell apart. The DJ announced the dances. Despite the music being too loud, because the speakers were too low, he had a pleasant voice when he left out the "Yups", "Sups", and "Yo Yo's". I was elated to find another great Hip Hop Wanna Be DJ as the entertainment. Let me remind you, this was a more of a traditional family. I kept my comments or judgements to myself, although I could see my girlfriend could read my mind. You never know the connections between event staff and the party. So, it behoves one to refrain. I thought, maybe he's a cousin, someones brother or a close friend just trying to help this wonderful couple save money. (i.e...Don't Do It) Thinking it was a lack of experience, I stayed the course unil...
This would be fine, if he cleaned up the wires?
This is where I need to pause and say, unless you're a Hip Hop artist and you want your wedding with that format, it's generally not appropriate for ALL of your guest. Yes, the DJ proceeded to scratch over the "Slow Dance" songs of the Bride & Groom, Father & Daughter and even the Mother & Son. Now let me say, I get the scratching. Done purposefully and appropriately, it can liven up a dance floor. Kids in high school dances appreciate it. At a wedding reception, I had a difficult time adjusting. I chuckled after a guest turned around and asked me, "Is he really scratching?" I had to sorrowfully admit, "Yes, he is." I decided to wait a bit longer for the dance floor to open.
Now the bridal party invited everyone to the dance floor. I figured this would be a great time to get a waltz, trot or even a disco dance in with the girl friend. As you step in sequence to music for waltz (3 count beats) or foxtrot (4 count), I learned that it's difficult to focus when there is random scratches over the music. Enough was enough. We said our good byes and left. It was an hour drive home and my girlfriend and I had a long conversation. She expressed how wonderful the decorations and ceremony was, but she did notice the poor sound, lack of flow (execution) and of course the DJ who should have assumed the responsibility for the event execution.
Here's my point of this post. Brides, Grooms and Parents of, please DO NOT think about the aspects of your special day in terms of "How can I cut more cost?" Obviously, cost are a determining factor of your event. But, how do you want guest to leave your event? What do you want them to remember? I'll obviously write a letter to this couple thanking them for opportunity to witness their nuptial. But, I will always remember this DJ. I won't recall much about the food; it was acceptable, but bland. The bland food will not overpower the memory of the young kid trying to figure our how to be a wedding DJ at this poor brides wedding.
Read my post on
COST. This post explains pre and post survey's of brides expenses. Time and time again, surveys have concluded that Brides and Grooms wish they had spent more money on the entertainmen
t, rather than flowers, attire or food. Strangely enough, many repeat these mistakes.
Think about it. Do you really want to trust a cousin who DJ'd in his college dorm room, at a bar or night club, to DJ your special day? Understanding guest needs, genre, generational differences and blending these elements into a seamless night so that you can be pampered is not easy. It takes experience, equipment and most of all, attention to detail by your DJ/EmCee. Don't fall into the trap of trying to save a couple hundred dollars and leave you guest talking for years about how the awful entertainment. Let them talk about how amazing you were because the DJ took all the extra steps to ensure you were the focus of the day.
