I’ve only DJ’d one wedding where the caterer showed up two and a half hours late so you’ll likely be fine.

During that wedding, the guests got very hungry and upset. Worst was the extremely-poor communication from the caterer. The owner had someone quit and was now struggling to cook and deliver all the food herself. She had staff at the reception venue, but they kept repeating, “ the food will be here soon”. Literally for hours they repeated this lie. If we had known how bad the situation was, the Bride’s parents could have went and got pizza’s quicker.

When the owner finally arrived with the food, she got in front of everyone and gave a big apology, including excuses. The Bride and her mother were extremely mad. Again, this likely won’t happen to you, but knowing where the closest pizza joint is may be helpful.

Stand on the dance floor and feel the music without bass, no subwoofer. It will sound okay.

We just made chocolate chip cookies for Christmas and added sea salt flakes on top. To me, that’s the special ingredient that really brings out the other flavors. And you don’t know what you’re missing until you experience it.

Stand on the dance floor again and turn up that subwoofer; you’ll feel it in your bones. That deep bass resonates through your bones almost forcing you to bounce along.

Sometimes, I like starting the night with limited bass and then slowly increase it through the night; it’s like serving the best wine towards the end of the event (think Wedding at Cana).

Big wedding? Great, you’ll have a plethora of guests always on the dance floor. Small wedding? Make sure your DJ knows what they’re doing.

There are fewer guests to fill the dance floor at a small wedding. The DJ needs to pay attention to their energy levels. If playing all fast songs for 45 minutes straight, the guests will get tired and head to their seats.

There are ways to let them rest while keeping them on the dance floor. Take down the energy by playing a sing-along such as “Friends in Low Places”; they’ll wrap their sweaty arms around each other and start swaying back and forth. Even a song with a slow-singable intro works, think “I Will Survive” by Gloria Gaynor. Also, the DJ could simply change to a slower BPM like Hip Hop and then build the energy back up.

By writing this, I may make some DJ’s mad. It’s because the level of work we put into our profession is crazy, and now I’m suggesting we do more.

Sometimes you might want very specific music played at your wedding, or you might want to know if your DJ can actually mix.

My suggestion, tell them specifically what music you like and then ask them to make a mix for you. If they can do it, you will feel much more comfortable with your DJ. And your DJ will then have the songs in their library, cued up and ready to go for your big day.

I’ll admit if it’s during the busy season, the DJ may say no because it takes some time to do. But you are paying a lot for your DJ - it’s your Super Bowl and you’re the star. Get what you want!

You can’t remember all the songs you’d like played at your wedding. I’ve seen brides struggle to remember even one song they like. It takes time, being with different people and in different settings to re-find songs you love.

It’s the same for DJs, that’s why their library of music is so important to them. These libraries take years of hunting and pecking for songs, rare gems we to often forget about.

You might be nervous giving your DJ a big Spotify list of songs, but don’t be. The more I get to learn about my couple, the better. And often, you’ll remind me of a song I stopped playing. What a great time to bring it back!

A good DJ not only reads a crowd, but does whatever they can to learn about the crowd. Maybe you’re spending a night with your Maid of Honor, and you start jamming to a song which you both loved in high school. Put that song into your playlist, and then give that playlist to your DJ. It’s a win for everyone.

Venues sometimes provide uplighting as an add-on. They can match whatever color you’re looking for. However, I do have a couple issues with them.

One is that a dark dance floor is usually more inviting to shy dancers. Unfortunately the venue's uplights are almost always left on once the dancing starts (full brightness too). The venue typically has one person who knows how to operate the lights, and that person probably won’t be there during your reception.

The second reason I prefer my uplights is the large level of control I have over them. I can dim them, sync them up to the music, or turn the whole room blue if playing the song "I'm Blue”. I can have them change colors slowly during a couple’s dance or strobe them at exciting moments. Mostly though, I can ensure the dance floor feels comfortable so the guests can lose themselves and have a blast.

A DJ could bring a GigBAR as a cheap lighting option. These have seven different lights all packed together on one stand. It’s super simple to set up and cost around $750. It may look a little cheesy with the lasers and might not be bright enough for larger situations.

On the other hand, a DJ could spend around $1500 - $3500 just for one light. Yes, there are drastically different levels of lighting. I have some lights like this. If you put your hand in front of the spotlight, even 10 feet away, you’ll feel heat. And don’t look into them, you’ll start burning your eyes.

Just because the DJ has nice lights doesn’t mean you’ll get a good light show. Both of the above options have built in light shows, but only using those limits potential. DMX lets DJ’s wirelessly control the lights themselves. For instance, if I play the song “Dancing in the Moonlight”, I can make it look like there is a moon on the ceiling. If I play “Fireball”, I can make the room red with flickering uplights to represent flames. I can place a spotlight on the dance floor during specialty dances. I can achieve a disco ball effect when starting a slow dance. The options are endless. But I must take to time to set all these options. Once I do, they become available with a click of a button.

Just recently, “Hang-on Sloopy” played during dinner. Everyone started loudly singing, “O,H,I,O” during the chorus (it’s an Ohio thing). With the click of a button, I was able to add fun lighting just while they sang each chorus. It was very impromptu, but added a lot of energy to what was happening.

Again, get a DJ who has great lights with great programming.

I arrived at the venue to setup my equipment. The first thing I saw was a large shelf with Fireball (whiskey) shots in cute bottles that had the guest’s names on them. There was even one for me. I loved the thoughtfulness to include me.

I knew what these shots were for. To open the dance floor that night, I invited everyone to the dance floor with their shot in hand (the kids had juice in their bottles). All the guests at once took the shots as I dropped “Fireball” by Pitbull. I have no idea where the bride got this idea, but it worked great. What a great way to start the party. Yes, it’s a trick to get people onto the dance floor, but it’s better than starting off with a slow-dance for everyone which feels cheesy.

My wife gave detailed itineraries to the bridal party and family members, showing them where to meet after the ceremony. We were going to take pictures at the Cathedral of Learning in Pittsburgh, a few blocks from St. Paul’s where we got married.

When it came time, it was likely herding cattle. Everyone took off in different directions, itinerary in hand. They kept coming to us asking where to go

There is a big benefit to running through the ceremony, and providing time for everyone to ask questions. And if using a DJ during the ceremony, make sure they are there.

A few weddings ago, one of the readers was extremely shy and froze-up during rehearsals. She felt so bad and started crying instantly. Her dad stepped in and did the reading. I’m glad that didn’t happen during the actual ceremony.

Another wedding, the bride wanted the entire bridal party song to finish before she made her entrance. Unfortunately, this led to over two minutes where nothing was happening. Guests became confused and it was awkward as they wondered where the bride was. If we had rehearsed the night before, we could have convinced the bride to modify the plan.

During a rehearsal, I can even ensure the mics sound better. People are made of 70% water, and water absorbs radio waves. If the bridal party is planning to stand between my equipment and the officiant who’s wired up, microphone drop outs can happen. It’s much easier to move people during a rehearsal than it is on wedding day.

There are many more reasons, but you get the idea. Do a rehearsal, invite the DJ if needed, and make sure all the details are discussed.

Brides, don’t rush back down the aisle right after the officiant says, “It is my honor to introduce to you for the first time as Husband and Wife, Mr and Mrs ___!” If you do, you’re out of site before the recessional song even starts.

One simple solution is to remain standing on the alter for 5-10 seconds before walking back down the aisle. Hold your husband’s hand, look around at the guests and take in the moment, and maybe even go for another kiss (guests will hoot and holler again even louder).

But what’s better? Start the music (softly) about 10 seconds before the officiant announces you, “Mr and Mrs ___!” Allow the song to build up before the cheering starts.

Another tip, consider having the officiant finish this way, ““It is my honor to introduce to you for the first time as Husband and Wife, Mr and Mrs ___, you may now kiss the bride!” Typically the kissing happens before you’re announced as Husband and Wife. I think it feels more natural to save the kissing till the end.

Everyone cheers as the song crescendos and you kiss, you wait and take in the moment, and only then do you make your way down the aisle.

A couple said, “Kick everyone out at the end of the night, we want to slow dance alone”.

This type of solo dance is one of the most intimate moments you can have at a wedding. No one else is around. It’s their first time alone together as a married couple. Unfortunately, at this point in the night, the photographer is usually long gone. So who is the only other person in the room at that point? Me!

I’m blessed to get to see these special moments. In fact, there are a lot of moments that can’t be caught by the photographer or videographer for various reasons, but I can. In my effort to serve my couples above and beyond, one thing I love doing is capturing these moments, whether it’s crazy end-of-night drunk dancing, or just family members hanging out at the venue before the bridal party arrives. Some couples don’t have videographers at all, so when a nice video clip shows up in their inbox, they’re always thrilled!

The worst is when a DJ plays the whole song with a small three second silence before the next song starts.

I was at an event with my wife and there was dancing. The DJ played his music this way, and it sapped all the energy from the dance floor.

Even if a song is crushing it, that doesn’t mean to keep playing the full song. Move onto the next one while the energy is up. Dancers get a high every time they hear a new song coming on, wanting to hear the chorus that they love. The problem is most people aren’t going to know the second and third verses; at these times the dancers will get bored and start thinking about what else they could be doing, like going back to their table to have some water or another cookie. Playing the whole song and having silence between songs is even worse and utterly terrible at keeping attention on dancing.

I quick mix which means I focus on playing around 30 seconds to two minutes of a song (and play the best parts). Make sure your DJ knows how to mix. Not only that, they should have enough music prepared so they are excited to quick mix all night long.

I don’t care if they’ve DJ’d for 30 years, that doesn’t mean their setup will look good.

No lie, my company (full-time job) recently hired a DJ for an anniversary party. I’ve seen this guy at bridal shows before. He offers very low prices. But I didn’t expect to see what I saw.

First, he placed the speakers on the floor, this is a big no-no. Second, he brought a dance light that he may have stolen from a college dorm room. Third, all wires were exposed and left hanging around. Fourth, his table was filled with boxes of CD’s. And finally, his outfit was very unkempt and un-professional (at a bare minimum he should try to match the effort put-in by the guests).

If you’ve been DJ’ing as long as he has, there is no reason to not at least have a facade. This would cover up the messy table and wires. And why he didn’t bring speaker stands is beyond me. You might think this can’t happen at your wedding, but I’ve seen some bad wedding DJ setups. Get a DJ who cares about presentation. You put too much effort to make everything else look nice.

I see this all the time in online DJ groups, a DJ will say they only care about being good at playing the music, that it makes them a “true dj”. This is such a poor attitude to take. A good wedding DJ needs to excel and be great at many things: mixing, music selection, vender and timeline coordination, setup, appearance, demeanor, crowd interaction, etc.

The feature photo for this post is of my most basic setup. Notice how it is still clean and looks sharp. You don’t see cables and it matches the decor. My recommendation, always ask to see a picture of their setup.

The photographer ran up to me and asked if I was going to play the YMCA. He continued, “If you do, could you tell everyone to look up at the camera while they’re spelling out YMCA with their hands? I’ll be at the top of the stairs. It’s going to make a great photo!”

I absolutely did just that, and the guests loved it. I’m sure the couple got a great photo as well.

Getting great group shots often requires the DJ and photographer to work together. It helps if they are both motivated to interact with the guests, not just hiding in the shadows or behind a booth. Guests will do almost anything to have a good time and some are waiting to be led. A good vendor-team effort can help get them there.

I was sitting at the vendor table eating dinner talking with the other vendors. The Bride and Groom decided to go with a photo booth company that offered physical prints (which can also cause problems). I was talking with the photo booth attendant. She said, “would you mind announcing that people can come get their photo taken at the photo booth?” I told her I would, and later on I did.

There was a problem though. Since space was limited in the main reception area, the photo booth was set up in a completely adjacent room. Even with the announcements, she did not receive much traffic the whole night.

You don’t want to pull your guests in different directions, especially in this case where there was no point for people to travel to this room, other than the photo booth. The best option in my opinion? Put the photo booth on the dance floor! I definitely stole this idea from a DJ I highly respect, and the first time I did it, it worked great!

The dancers could quickly go and snap a quick picture while grooving, then continue dancing. The dance floor is where the fun is at. My DJ booth should be close to the dance floor. The bar should be close to the dance floor.

Worried about not have a cool backdrop or photo props? Don’t worry. I promise that the energy coming through in the guests make the pictures so worth it! It’s fun for the guests. They want to pull you out and take pictures. It just works!

Last night’s event was for a dance studio. I was to throw a raving dance floor from 8pm - 10pm. Right at 8pm, the studio’s leader announced he’d be leading some games in another room where the dancers could win $25 Starbucks gift cards. Those girls ran to that room as quick as they could, and I was left with an empty dance floor.

At weddings, you should be conscious to not clear your dance floor. For example, if you’re having a summer wedding and it could be nice outside, you may find yourself wanting to set up outside games, a bonfire, and some music. You will be pulling energy and focus away from the dance floor. It’s okay if that’s what you want, but communicate that with your DJ. Perhaps make sure the dance floor is tiny so a smaller group of dancers feel comfortable.

Since photographers ofter leave shortly after the main dancing starts, you may want to do a fake sparkler exit while they’re still there. Again, this can disrupt the dance floor energy significantly.