Learn2Dj Part of Black and White Affair Dj Services

In California, we are not allowed to have any dj events more than 10 people currently. Some djs are doing zoom parties for households in the comfort of their own home. So during this down time, I have been organizing my music library and my dj education service. I always had dj lessons but it was on a different site and running multiple sites at one time can be a handful. So I decided to combine my dj lessons with my dj business website so I can get all inquiries in one area. People are stuck at home looking to learn a new craft. This is the time to do it since it is recommended to stay home. Different parts of the country are slowly opening up but coronavirus cases are still picking up. 

  As a dj, I am always doing research on the latest equipment and dj software. It is important to know all the tricks of the trade. Through many years of learning I want to share what I know. I know when I was learning I had to learn through the hard way through trial and error. I want to eliminate that experience and help find success sooner rather than later. 

 Maybe someone does not want to be a full on dj but rather learn how to set up gear for any event since events right now in California can not be too big this service can be for you also. We go over how to set everything up and what you would need. We can also break down the music playlist. It would be better to have a professional dj there but at these times there has be be different options. 

Feel free to check out Learn2Dj on this website and check out the blog area where we go over tidbits to make dj easier. We can do instruction virtually. It does not matter that I am based in the Bay Area in San Jose. We go over everything to beat matching to setting up your dj business. 

Check out Learn2Dj.org which leads you to my site for dj instruction. 

Throwing the bouquet has always been a tradition but with time brides have opted not to do it. Their reasons are that they want to keep the nice bouquet or they think that everyone does it so they don’t want to be cliché. Another reason is maybe they do not have too many female guests that are single. Weddings are what the bride and grooms want and it is not a cookie cutter event. No two weddings are the same. 

  If the bride decides to have the bouquet toss, I always suggest the bouquet two suggestions. The first one is to get a special bouquet to toss. Brides want to keep their original bouquet so why not toss one that is not your special one? The second suggestion is to to the bouquet fake out. The dj invites all the single ladies to the floor and he counts, one, two and three and the bride goes through the motion and does not throw it. Meanwhile the photographer is capturing everything on film. Then the second time the dj does the countdown the bride does throw it and the photographer captures more of the images. It does build a lot of anticipation and more action shots.

Do it Yourself Music versus a DJ

Weddings are not cheap. It is one of the most special days of a bride and grooms life and they want to share it with the special folks around them. Weddings can be very intimate and have under 50 guests or they can be extravagant and have over 200 guests. The hosts have to provide the food, the venue and the entertainment. Location is something people can not skip on since it’s a must to have the physical reception. All these guests got to eat so food has to be in the wedding budget.

After everything has been paid for its time to see if there is budget for the entertainment. Oh brother Steve has an awesome cd collection and he likes the same kind music that we have. Or maybe someone can stream music off their phone.

A dj is more than just a dj and a button pusher. They follow a timeline and make announcements to keep the guests in the know.  They see the crowd and keep feeding them what they want to hear to keep the dancefloor filled.

 Maybe you don’t want to have a dance party then having a friend play off their system. If one goes that route then make sure you have a timeline. A wedding planner can get you one or if you reach out to a dj then they can give you a sample template.

Which is better to have a friend doing music or having a professional dj?

 The Year of 2020 is supposed to be the year of the Bride and Groom. I had the most inquiries this year but next thing you know there have been motions to have less than 100 people can meet up, then it dropped to 50 and finally has been limited to 10.

Postpone and do not cancel the event! Setting up a wedding is like a second job and required hours of work to find the right vendors. Do not let all your hard work go down the drain.

Please let your guests know about the situation. Of course they know what is happening in the world but let them know about the date they are the first to know once the close to clear. You want to make sure it is safe to have a big event.  The year 2020 was a really popular year so be prepared to set the date on Friday or Sunday to secure the venue that you already had booked and to get all the vendors that were originally booked. Since everyone is supposed to be staying home, why not work on the playlist and the order of the timeline.

So in a nutshell, communicate with your vendors and your guests. Having a wedding gives everyone one something to looking forward. Celebrate it the way it should be celebrated. Also work on your playlist and timeline. It is usually difficult to get on that but now we have a little more time since we have the social distancing going on. But once that social distancing stops we can be social and party the right way.

Everyone seems to have the same set up in my area. They have a 6-foot table with a linen and on top of that they have a controller with two speakers on tripods. I looked at other dj set ups across the nation and started noticing the all-white dj set ups. The speakers are white, the lights are white, and the poles the lights are on are white. I do have to admit it is very pleasing to the eye. Often they would include some uplighting to add some flare to the set up.

 I went and asked other djs the importance of having an all-white set up. Some folks said people specially asked for their set up. Some planners were impressed and wanted to make sure their bride and groom had that set up. Some djs would talk about using it as an upgrade in their packages.  Many said as along as their set up looks clean that it does not need to be white. Of course, you do not want to have cables exposed. Other djs said it does not matter what color your set up is as long as you can rock the party. I also heard if one gets a steak at a steakhouse and they don’t ask what kind of grill did they use to cook the steak. The only folks who care about the equipment are other djs. After all my findings, my quest for the all-white set up was concluded. As in my prior belief, my mission is to give the best experience with the music.

A typical wedding reception is 5 hours long. One hour will go to the cocktail hour. That is when the bride and groom are taking pictures with their bridal party. The remaining four hours will be the grand entrance, the important dances, dinner and the open dancing.

A properly set up dinner will run from 45 minutes to an 1 hour 15 minute event. During that time the bride and groom will normally go table to table to thank the guests individually and be able to chit chat with their guests. Usually at this time, the photographer will be taking photos of the guests and the bride and groom at the tables. I have seen the bride and groom eat at the center table and the guests were going up to them and taking photos. Most of the bride and grooms opt to go to the tables. What usually happens is the bride and groom do not get a chance to eat their whole meal since they are visiting all the tables. Please make sure you get to eat since there is plenty of dancing and wedding to enjoy.

Keep in mind that if the wedding has a buffet it will take a little longer since folks are serving themselves and being excused table by table than if the waiters are distributing the food. Have the dj or the wedding planner excuse the tables if not people will help themselves thus slowing the process.

Is it uplighting necessary? Uplighting is a nice touch to any party. It does add a sense of classiness. It can also provide a club vibe to the venue.

Some djs offer it as an upgrade but also some venues are stepping it up and including it in their package. Typically, they are wireless so there is less wires so it looks classy and one does not need to worry about being close to a power source.

Uplights can be on the whole night and the remote can make the uplights flash different colors if they are synced. These lights have a 6 to 10-hour battery life. A color that is typical if the client does not ask for a certain color is amber. Amber is a very neutral color.   As opposed to the dj lights that turn on during the dance portion of the night. Ideally the dj does not want to turn those on during the first dance since it will make it difficult for the photographer to take good pictures. These lights can be sound activated and can flash different colors and the hopes of these lights are to draw people to the dance floor to shake a little leg. It would be beneficial to place them evenly around the room.

So are uplights necessary? No they are not. Do they add anything to the venue? It does add some charm to the room. Some venues are already beautiful none will be needed but it does create a vibe and can really look beautiful in some pictures.

One of my go to songs to get any party started in any language is Suavemente by Elvis Crespo. This song gets the hips going into merengue dancing. It’s a really basic step and not complicated so it can make any one with basic Cuban motion look like they know what they are doing. Throw in some turns and you look like a hero on the dance floor. This song was released in 1998 but it is one of the most requested songs for every Spanish party. This one song is a must.

Despacito was a hit in 2017 but people are still requesting it. I even have folks who do not speak Spanish ask for it. It did appeal to non Spanish folks since they have a rendition with Justin Bieber in it.  It is a good raggaeton song.

La Chona by Los Tucanes De Tijuana is a jam. It has an infectious beat. I do remember doing a party and a patron told me grandma wants to hear that song at least 3 times. I am not one to play songs three times in a one night but this one you can get away with since its such a fun song. This song will get people to the dance floor in no time.

The last but not least song is The Caballo Dorado by Payaso de Rodeo. This is a line dance and I a least get two requests a night for a Spanish Party. It does start off slow then it picks up. The slowness gives folks time to line up and then it goes super fast. It is a crowd pleaser.